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“Luckily.” Drift swept his smiling lips over hers.
She yearned to deepen their kiss, to lose herself in him, in desire. But every being on the planet was at risk and dying.
And her friend was expecting to see her. Soon. He was likely looking out for her at that very moment.
Roshini pulled away from her cyborg. “I’ll drop you off by a mountain. If you climb to the top of it, you’ll have a visual of Luam’s home.”
“That will do.” Drift nodded. “If I have a visual, I’ll have audio also.”
She always assumed the Invaders were listening to her conversations with Luam. That was why they talked in code.
“Then, let’s go.” She returned with Drift to the mounted transport.
The previous disguise was removed from the under-the-seat compartment. The container of herbs was put in its place.
She exchanged the machine’s panels.
“My clever female.” Her cyborg tapped one of the new panels. “This would fool many beings.”
“That’s the hope.” She got on the mounted transport.
Drift sat behind her. His presence and his touch were…comforting. And stimulating. And worrisome.
She liked him. Too much. It was dangerous to her, to her team, to every Cancri’s future.
Roshini pushed her concerns away and flew her machine as fast as it could go.
* * *
They approached the mountain overlooking Luam’s home.
Roshini slowed the mounted transport and pointed at the rock formation. It should give him a clear view of the structure and of her and her friend.
Drift didn’t wait for her to stop. Her cursed cyborg jumped off their machine, rolled over the sand until he landed on his booted feet, and then he ran.
Fast.
Fates. He hadn’t lied. His speed was impressive.
His big body blurred as he ascended the mountain.
If he maintained that pace, he’d reach the top before she arrived at her destination.
Especially as she had to progress more leisurely. The appearance of her mounted transport, with its brown rusted, worn-looking side panels, was one of age, of being barely fly-worthy.
Her speed had to match that.
Luam, as predicted, was waiting outside his domicile when she arrived. His forehead was furrowed with deep lines. He was frowning.
“Sorry, I’m a bit late.” She slid off her mounted transport. “A lizard got into the plants, and I had to deal with him.”
“Lizards can bite.” Her friend understood she was referring to her cyborg. “Did he hurt you?”
“This lizard doesn’t bite. Thankfully.” She quashed the impulse to look toward the mountain.
The Invaders could be watching her. She didn’t want to alert them to Drift’s position.
“He’s a friendly little creature.” She extracted the container of herbs from the under-the-seat compartment. “I’m thinking, if I can train him, I’ll add him to my team.”
