Knightqueen (Oronis Knights #3)

As she lifted the lantern, he spotted something above them. It was the shadow of a rail line crossing above the hole, leading to the other side. No doubt it would be rusted from disuse.

“This way.” He walked along the edge of the chasm. “Don’t get too close. The edge looks unstable.”

When he glanced at her, he caught her rolling her eyes.

“Your safety is my job,” he reminded her.

“I know.” Her smile slipped away. “And you do your job well, Sten.” She looked away from him.

He’d protect her, no matter what it took. No matter if he had to give his life. “If I’d done it right, you wouldn’t be here. The Gek’Dragar would never have gotten their hands on you.”

She whirled on him. “That’s not your fault.”

“I’m the head of your knightguard.”

She stepped in front of him, and poked him in the chest. “Even you can’t predict a secret Gek’Dragar attack that you know nothing about.” She shook her head. “I don’t want your misplaced guilt, Sten. Come on. We need to find somewhere to sleep. I don’t fancy resting on hard rocks.”

“You can sleep on me.”

Her head jerked up.

Was she blushing? He heaved in a deep breath. He shouldn’t have said that. The thought of holding her again…

By the coward’s bones, his cock was already twitching in his trousers. How could he keep his control?

She cleared her throat. “We need to find a way across the chasm. That’s the direction we need to go.”

“That’s a problem for tomorrow.”

As they walked on, he spotted a glow of blue ahead. He took another step, and something crunched under his boot. Some sort of glass.

Then he saw the puddle of blue liquid resting on a curved shard of glass. He crouched. He grabbed a nearby rock, and touched the puddle.

He watched as it ate into the rock like acid. He quickly dropped the dissolving rock.

“Don’t touch it,” he warned.

“It’s the mining fluid.”

“Yes.” He scanned it with his implant. “It’s a nano-fluid design specifically to consume the minerals in the rock. It will also eat into metal, but at a slower rate. Flesh won’t fair well, so keep clear.”

She crouched beside him. “It’s so pretty for something so dangerous.”

They moved on, and soon a stack of mining gear appeared out of the darkness. Sten blew dust off one of the crates and pried open the lid. It contained tools and mining equipment. He opened the next crate. This one was filled with sacks. He opened a sack and pulled out some fabric. It was a uniform made for very tall bodies.

“We can use these sacks to make a bed,” he said.

Carys helped him pull some out. They stacked them into a makeshift bed by the wall, far away from the edge of the chasm.

She dropped down on the sacks with a sigh. “How are your injuries?”

“Feeling much better. Whatever you did, it helped heal me.” He sat beside her.

“I’m glad.” She sighed. “We have no idea how much farther we need to travel.”

“We will get off this planet,” he said. “I vow it.”

She pressed a hand over his. “I know, Sten. I’m just tired, and my heart is sore at all this destruction.” She looked around. “I won’t let our enemies do this to Oron.”