by S. J. Bryant
With renewed strength, Kari managed to sit, legs dangling over the side of the trolley. A thick bandage circled her chest. "What the hell just happened?"
Wren stood, strode to the shadowed corner where she usually sat. "I saved your life."
"Only necessary because you tried to kill me." Kari's outburst brought new pain to her chest and left her short of breath. "Did the Guild change its mind? Do they want me as a hostage instead?"
"No," Wren said. Her shoulders hunched as she turned away to face the wall.
"Then what? Death by shrapnel wasn't good enough?"
"I'm not finishing the job," Wren said, voice low.
Kari couldn't see her face, couldn't read her expression. And even if she could, how could she trust anything Wren said? "Why?"
"I realized the Guild might not be working for itself."
"The Imperium?"
A single, sharp nod.
Kari brushed her hand over her bandaged side. Wren had done a good job. By all counts, Kari should probably be dead. "But if the Guild was working for itself?"
Wren turned on Kari, sharp eyes gleaming from the shadows. "I don't think either of us want to explore that possibility."
"So what now?"
"I'll be a target. From both the Imperium and the Guild. And the Guild is far more dangerous."
"Will they know?"
"They always know."
Kari fidgeted, unable to get comfortable with her injuries. What the hell was she supposed to do now? By all rights, she should leave Wren on Ryevo and never speak to her again. But wasn't Wren partly in this mess because of Kari? Because Kari had wanted to save Piper from the Imperium? And in the end, Wren hadn't actually killed her… Kari's stomach roiled. Why couldn't the right choice ever be obvious?
"I'll leave if you want me to," Wren said.
Kari tried to think logically. If Wren really was done with the Guild, then she would be a powerful ally, a good tool to have when the Imperium agents inevitably showed up. On the other hand, she'd killed Loko.
"You killed a good man."
"He wasn't the first."
"Aren't you sorry?"
"If it wasn't him, it would have been you."
What was Kari supposed to say to that? Loko had dived in front of a poison dart for her. Would she have done the same?
"I need to leave Ryevo," Wren said. "The Guild will track me here. After that, you can leave me wherever you want."
Kari teetered on the edge, sorely tempted to leave Wren right here and let the Guild deal out its own form of justice. But no. She knew how cold Wren could be, so what were the people who had trained her like? This didn't mean she trusted Wren. There was always another lie. But perhaps for the moment it would be in everyone's best interests for her to stick around. "You can stay, for now. Although I'm sure you'll understand that you haven't made many friends."
Wren nodded.
"We'll call them in."
CHAPTER 31
Kari pressed the 'door open' button and Ghost's front door slid away, revealing Ryker, Atticus and Piper, all dirt stained and covered in leaves. It had taken three days for them to return from the forest, three of the longest days of Kari's life, trapped on Ghost with only Wren for company.
Ryker grinned up at her. "You're alive."
"I'm alive," Kari said, although her side hurt like hell.
Ryker jumped up into Ghost before the ramp rolled out, big arms reaching out to engulf her in a hug when a movement behind her caught his eye. His face darkened and he snatched for his pistol. He had it out of its holster, finger on trigger, before Kari could stop him. The injury and pain medication made her slow.
Out of the shadows darted Wren. She slammed her hand down on Ryker's wrist and his fingers spasmed, dropping the gun to the floor. It clattered, rolled, came to a stop.
"No," Kari said. "Ryker. No."
"What the hell is she doing here?"
"There's a lot we need to talk about."
"No shit," he said.
Atticus and Piper had reached the top of the ramp, passing uneasy glances between Ryker and Wren.
"Please," Kari said. "Go to the dining room. We'll sort this out."
Ryker grabbed his gun off the floor. He waved it for Wren to go first down the hall. She rolled her eyes but slid deeper into the ship, Ryker following.
Atticus trailed behind, casting a sideways glance at Kari, then at Piper.
Piper came last, but before she passed, Kari reached out and held her arm. "Piper."
Piper looked up at her with dark-circled eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"You didn't say goodbye."
"I thought it would be easier…"
"What if you'd died? I would never have had a chance to…"
"I wasn't even sure you'd come back," Kari said.
Piper glanced over her shoulder toward the deep line of green that marked the start of the forest. "I almost didn't. They… they have a good way."
Kari hadn't been sure what she'd do if Piper decided not to come out of the forest. She probably would have gone into the trees herself, stayed there forever if she needed to. "But you're here."
Piper turned back to Kari. "I don't think you'd be happy in the forest."
"But will you be happy out here?"
Piper shrugged. "It's too early to tell."
"Thank you for coming back."
"Don't leave without saying goodbye again."
Kari saw something more in Piper's eyes, a promise of sorts. If Kari failed again, Piper would never trust her. That hard-won relationship that Kari had finally started to build would be gone forever. "Never."
Piper nodded once and together they went to the dining room. Tension crackled through it like a physical force. Wren sat on her usual stool, face hidden by shadows, while Atticus and Ryker sat, muscles taught, at the table.
Kari and Piper joined them, Kari trying not to wince at the pain that lanced through her chest. A tight bandage held her ribs and damaged flesh together, but even after three days it still felt like she was being stabbed with a hot skewer every time she tried to move.
Silence filled Ghost's dining room as everyone waited for her to speak. Why did it have to be her? The last thing she wanted to do was talk. But that was the burden of being captain she supposed.
Piper, Atticus, and Ryker sat opposite Kari, all of them half-turned toward Wren as if she might attack at any moment. For all Kari knew, she might.
They sat in stony silence, waiting for Kari to explain the unexplainable.
"What's she done to you?" Ryker said. "You can't pretend nothing happened."
"Technically," Kari said between shallow breaths. "I did this to myself."
"Because she was trying to kill you," Ryker said.
"If you want revenge so bad, why don't you come and take it?" Wren said, her voice low.
Ryker glared into the shadows, a hand on his pistol.
"No," Kari said. "There's been enough violence. Wren, perhaps everyone would feel a little more comfortable if you explained your… change of heart."
Wren's knife glimmered in the darkness, flicking and twisting between her hands. Kari couldn't see Wren's face, but she could imagine the expression easily enough. It would be hard and unreadable, like granite. "I realized the Guild might not be working for itself," she said at last.
"What does that even mean?" Ryker said.
"The hit on Kari had to come from the Imperium," Atticus said.
Wren inclined her head enough for her chin to appear in the shaft of light cast from the bulb above the table.
"So?" Ryker said.
"So some of us don't want to be Imperium goons," Wren said.
"But I thought you did whatever the Guild told you to." Ryker's lip twisted and Kari could see him getting ready for a fight.
"I got something for you," Kari said, doing her best to break the tension. She reached under the table and withdrew Ryker's gun, the one he'd sold to the barman in exchange for sup
plies to go into the forest. Kari had had a lot of time to herself over the last few days and the cost of getting Ryker's gun back had seemed like a small price to pay considering that if it weren't for his explosives, she might have died.
Ryker's eyes widened as he took the gun, stroking the barrel. But his expression darkened a few seconds later. "This doesn't change what she did. It doesn't mean we should trust her."
"People can change," Atticus said, holding up his hands. "Perhaps we should all take a deep breath and relax."
"How am I supposed to relax?" Ryker said. "When she might slit my throat at any second?"
"She won't," Piper said.
Ryker glanced at her. "How do you know?"
"I can see it," Piper said, staring into the darkness at Wren.
Wren shifted in her chair, turning her face away from Piper.
"You have my word," Wren said. "I won't slit your throat." She leaned forward so that her eyes reflected the dim light of the overhead lamp. "Not without warning you first."
***
Dear Reader,
Kari survived her brush with the Guild, but there may be more traitors on board Ghost.
Betrayal, poison, and almost certain death find Kari in the next Starship Renegades story Book 4: Buccaneer.
Kari and her crew will face off against a blood-thirsty gang of space pirates. If they don't win, they'll be sold into slavery.
For more space adventure, get Buccaneer now: https://saffronbryant.com/books/starship-renegades-buccaneer/
Read the Prequel for Free
Download now: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wh88oyyi0z
A band of rebels. An impossible mission.
The Starship Renegades have one mission: save the civilians.
Standing in their way: The Imperium.
The Imperium killed Kari's sister. She was just a child at the time. But now, Kari won't let them hurt anyone else. She will risk everything to help the Renegades and save the civilians.
Because if the Renegades fail, hundreds will die.
Grab a plasma pistol and strap in for this space adventure.
If you enjoy misfit bands of rebels and adventures through space, then you'll love Starship Renegades. Get it now.
Download now: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wh88oyyi0z
Find all of Saffron's Books At:
www.saffronbryant.com/books
Starship Renegades
Beginnings
Uprising
Liberate
Betrayal
Buccaneer
Prisoners
Stranded
Bloodsport
Discovery
Rebellion
The Nova Chronicles
Rookie
Survivor
Pilgrim
Hunter
Gambler
Justice
Junkie
Adventurer
Prisoner
Stranger
Hero
Transforming Darkness Series
Last Escape
Last Fight
Last Refuge
Other Science Fiction
Alien Origins: The Descendant
The Last Martian
Skin Deep
Prison Quest
The Blood Mage Chronicles
Shadow of a Slave
Shadow of a Mage
Shadow of a King
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Doctor Saffron Bryant was born on the 17th December 1990 in a small town in North Queensland, Australia. She has been interested in fantasy and science fiction from a very young age, writing her first story at the age of seven. She has always been fascinated by fantasy stories and has a passion for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
After an unpleasant encounter with a brain tumour, Saffron turned to writing as a creative outlet and has since published more than twenty books.
Saffron has a PhD in chemistry and a passion for scientific research.
Connect with Saffron:
WEBSITE: www.saffronbryant.com
EMAIL: [email protected]
TWITTER: @SaffronBryant
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