planet. Maybe Britta dying would be okay, but the thought of Markus dying didn’t sit right with me—though it probably should have. None of that mattered now anyway, because what I really, really wanted was to get my hands on some water.
The signs of early dehydration were already kicking in and I could almost taste the water on his ship.
I glanced at James, whose gaze had returned to me. “I’m in.”
Markus’ eyebrows raised in surprise. No doubt he’d been expecting a sarcastic tirade from me, telling them all to burn in hell.
“But I expect to get a cut of your water. And any other supplies you bring back.”
Markus smirked. “There’s the girl I know. You had me worried there for a minute.”
I had to stop myself from smiling—doing things just for my own personal gain was very Markus-like. No wonder he approved.
Britta stomped her foot on the floor, like a three-year-old who had just been told she couldn’t have a second glass of water. “No way in hell is she getting a drop of my H 2 O!” She turned to Kale, the angular side of her nose looking somehow more beaklike. “Tell her, Kale!”
Kale exhaled deeply. “Calm down, Brit.”
Oh, a new one. Brit the twit.
“But it’s not fair—”
“Oh, for Caesar’s sake, I do believe that’s her water you drank there,” Kale said, tilting his head toward the empty cup in front of Britta. “She helps us get there, she gets water. Simple as that.”
Britta crossed her arms in front of her, glaring down at the table.
Oh, no, not the silent treatment. Anything but that. Maybe if I played my cards right, she’d be quiet forever.
Kale stretched. “We should probably try to get a little rest before nightfall.”
I thought of the small labyrinth of rooms surrounding us. My door had a lock, so I wasn’t worried about someone breaking in, and there was no way anyone was sharing my room with me. My room. It was actually my parents’ room, but after my father died, I moved in. I couldn’t stand the reminder of my sister’s death every night—her empty sleep pad taunting me from across our shared room. Plus, my parents’ room was the one closest to this front room. And closest to the exit. The sleep-chamber-for-two size was a bonus.
“Everyone walk that way. I’ll be right behind you.” No way was I going to walk in front of four people who just tried to kill me. Or incapacitate me. Whatever. “Oh, and all your guns stay with me.”
I swear I saw James’ mouth twitch. Did he find this amusing?
“No way in hell is she taking my gun. Who does she think she is?” Britta’s silent treatment didn’t last nearly as long as I would have liked.
“It’ll be fine. I know her. She’s not going to hurt us.” Markus went to his gun and tossed it across the floor to me, like it was no big deal. His eyes met mine and I gave him a short nod of gratitude. That’s all I was giving him.
“We’ll need these back tonight, you understand?” Kale asked.
“No problem. But there’s no reason to have them in here.” I flashed a smile at Britta as I scooped up the three other guns that Kale slid over. “Since when is it considered polite for houseguests to be armed?”
Britta looked like she was going to implode. “Then you need to get rid of yours too.”
I raised my laser and pointed it right between Britta’s eyes. Her startled gasp made me want to laugh. “Get this straight, little girl. I don’t need to do anything. I could take you all out right now.” I waved my finger over the pulsing blue square. “But I’m not going to do that because I have a semblance of a moral code.” My gaze fell on Markus. “Unlike you all.”
I gestured around me with Trigger, still holding their guns in my other arm. “This obviously is the kitchen and energy packets are locked in the cabinet there.” I wiggled my thumb at them. “And I’m the only one that can open it. Same with the button that operates the W.A.R., so you can forget about
The signs of early dehydration were already kicking in and I could almost taste the water on his ship.
I glanced at James, whose gaze had returned to me. “I’m in.”
Markus’ eyebrows raised in surprise. No doubt he’d been expecting a sarcastic tirade from me, telling them all to burn in hell.
“But I expect to get a cut of your water. And any other supplies you bring back.”
Markus smirked. “There’s the girl I know. You had me worried there for a minute.”
I had to stop myself from smiling—doing things just for my own personal gain was very Markus-like. No wonder he approved.
Britta stomped her foot on the floor, like a three-year-old who had just been told she couldn’t have a second glass of water. “No way in hell is she getting a drop of my H 2 O!” She turned to Kale, the angular side of her nose looking somehow more beaklike. “Tell her, Kale!”
Kale exhaled deeply. “Calm down, Brit.”
Oh, a new one. Brit the twit.
“But it’s not fair—”
“Oh, for Caesar’s sake, I do believe that’s her water you drank there,” Kale said, tilting his head toward the empty cup in front of Britta. “She helps us get there, she gets water. Simple as that.”
Britta crossed her arms in front of her, glaring down at the table.
Oh, no, not the silent treatment. Anything but that. Maybe if I played my cards right, she’d be quiet forever.
Kale stretched. “We should probably try to get a little rest before nightfall.”
I thought of the small labyrinth of rooms surrounding us. My door had a lock, so I wasn’t worried about someone breaking in, and there was no way anyone was sharing my room with me. My room. It was actually my parents’ room, but after my father died, I moved in. I couldn’t stand the reminder of my sister’s death every night—her empty sleep pad taunting me from across our shared room. Plus, my parents’ room was the one closest to this front room. And closest to the exit. The sleep-chamber-for-two size was a bonus.
“Everyone walk that way. I’ll be right behind you.” No way was I going to walk in front of four people who just tried to kill me. Or incapacitate me. Whatever. “Oh, and all your guns stay with me.”
I swear I saw James’ mouth twitch. Did he find this amusing?
“No way in hell is she taking my gun. Who does she think she is?” Britta’s silent treatment didn’t last nearly as long as I would have liked.
“It’ll be fine. I know her. She’s not going to hurt us.” Markus went to his gun and tossed it across the floor to me, like it was no big deal. His eyes met mine and I gave him a short nod of gratitude. That’s all I was giving him.
“We’ll need these back tonight, you understand?” Kale asked.
“No problem. But there’s no reason to have them in here.” I flashed a smile at Britta as I scooped up the three other guns that Kale slid over. “Since when is it considered polite for houseguests to be armed?”
Britta looked like she was going to implode. “Then you need to get rid of yours too.”
I raised my laser and pointed it right between Britta’s eyes. Her startled gasp made me want to laugh. “Get this straight, little girl. I don’t need to do anything. I could take you all out right now.” I waved my finger over the pulsing blue square. “But I’m not going to do that because I have a semblance of a moral code.” My gaze fell on Markus. “Unlike you all.”
I gestured around me with Trigger, still holding their guns in my other arm. “This obviously is the kitchen and energy packets are locked in the cabinet there.” I wiggled my thumb at them. “And I’m the only one that can open it. Same with the button that operates the W.A.R., so you can forget about
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