Chosen by Chigs by Tamsin Ley

Author:Tamsin Ley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781950027798
Publisher: Twin Leaf Press

Chapter Seventeen

Chigs sat hunched over the antiquated shuttle controls, his large hands dwarfing the joystick as he navigated away from the Icarus. Although Tovik had given the shuttle a quick once-over, the control console flickered with unreliable luminescence.

Emmy sat silently in the co-pilot seat, gaze doggedly locked on the forward viewscreen. She’d barely spoken five words since he’d joined her in the shuttle bay to begin the mission.

The decision for him to accompany Emmy to Naraka had been a foregone conclusion, one even Rust didn’t argue after witnessing Emmy’s outburst. Yet Chigs felt awkwardly embarrassed. He was usually focused and decisive, but the new emotions he felt around Emmy left him unbalanced.

He cast a sidelong glance at her, the dim light of distant stars from the viewscreen etching the silver piping on her Syndicorp uniform. Clearing his throat, he said, “Sure is lucky Doug got us this undocumented shuttle on Jarboa, huh?”

She shrugged and nodded, eyes not leaving the screen.

Uminaq. She wasn’t making this easy. He was dying to confess his change of heart. But how do you tell a woman who’s been hurt by love that she’s your chosen one, especially when she thinks she’s just helping you rescue another?

He licked his lips and tried again. “Once we get inside, how long do you think it’ll take to reach the mainframe?”

“Depends on how many guards we meet,” she clipped out. “My clearance is for the patient levels, not security.”

Reminded of the danger he was putting her in, Chigs clenched his teeth, chastising himself for even considering this as the appropriate moment to bare his soul. Planning for this mission and Emmy’s safety should be at the top of his thoughts. “I’m hoping you can sweet talk our way out of any confrontations, but I can take out a few guards if necessary.”

“Let’s hope it’s not.” She looked at him for the first time since he’d joined her on the shuttle. “There will also be cameras everywhere. You brought your disguise?”

Chigs nodded, tapping the holo projector around his throat. “Tovik added a Syndicorp uniform to my wardrobe.”

She nodded curtly and returned her attention to the viewscreen. “Good.”

He sighed, the sound lost amidst the low drone of the shuttle’s engines, yearning for the easy companionship they’d shared during their time on Alleigh. Just say it. He cleared his throat again. “Emmy, I want to talk to you about what happened between us.”

Her hands curled into fists on her lap, and she shook her head. “I’m not in the mood to talk, Chigs. Let’s just focus on getting through this alive, okay? We can’t afford distractions.”

“Sure,” he muttered, knowing she was right. Much as he wanted to get this weight off his chest, he focused on the controls. His confession would have to wait. For now, he steered their fragile vessel onward, toward the growing circle of light that was the planet Naraka.

Soon it loomed large in the viewscreen, an expanse of tan and black with dust clouds swirling across the surface.

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