“Even if they wouldn’t torture her, they’d take too long to repair her brain. We have a perfectly good healing bed on her father’s ship. I can’t use mine. Not if we want a shot at staying alive. I need everything this ship has left focused on speed. Just hang on.”

He flew and flew fast. The ship rocked as it was hit. Over and over. But the damage wasn’t enough to slow it down. Not yet.

I held on to Audrey, trying to keep myself stable, and looked around the room. My vision was still a little blurry, but I could make out the forms well enough. Tyler was standing next to Audrey, pulling off his suit. Ahiga, Santiago, and Matthew were still in their suits with their face shields open. They stood against the wall by the door. Tabitha and some guy I didn’t know—also in their suits—were sitting on the floor against the back wall, watching the vidscreen with wide eyes. I wasn’t sure what to make of Matt and the other guy, but I had to trust that Declan and Ahiga wouldn’t bring any Aunare enemies with them.

I twisted to look back at Declan, and the room swam. Audrey caught me when I started to fall, and I mouthed thank you at her.

Declan had shed his suit and was standing at the desk next to Lorne, doing something else. Firing weapons? I wasn’t sure. But I had to assume that Lorne’s ship was keyed to Declan. I knew they were close, but hearing how they talked to each other and worked as one—I hoped that Lorne could get over his anger.

Audrey grabbed my head and looked into my eyes. “She’s got brain trauma. Her pupils are a mess. She needs help.”

“She’ll be okay,” Declan said.

“She might not be,” Audrey said. She stood up enough to wiggle out of her suit, and I noticed a rash along her skin.

“You okay?” I knew she’d been missing for a while. The color of her skin and the swelling eye and now a rash? Something was wrong.

“Don’t worry. Right now I’m better off than you.” Audrey kicked her suit to the side and sat beside me.

I grabbed her hand. “I’ll be fine. I survived this long.”

“I don’t know how, but you’re stubborn.” She coughed a few times, then shook her head. “Find me a bucket and water and some washcloths.”

I heard someone get up, but I couldn’t look away from the vidscreen.

More SpaceTech ships appeared.