Unravel Read Online Free PDF Page B

million years ago, at school, she’d been taught yoga, and Felicia had encouraged her and Lin to join in her daily routine on board ship, but right now Elissa had no hope of gaining the steady, focused breathing she should be able to achieve in any situation. The best she could do was to not completely freak out and hyperventilate.
    If they’re not freaking out, I don’t need to. The Phoenix is super-safe. And Cadan’s in charge. . . .
    She didn’t want to be feeble enough to reach for his hand,to need him to reassure her before she left him out here. She’d done without it before they were dating, for goodness’ sake; she wasn’t going to collapse into a stupid needy girlfriend now. But all the same, she couldn’t help wishing he’d, just quickly, give her a look that wasn’t the look of a captain speaking to his crew.
    Of course he didn’t. She was looking at Cadan in full crisis-management mode, triaging the whole situation in his head. Irrelevantly, she wondered if it was pure SFI training coming to the fore. Faced with this, would Bruce, too, react with the same steel-cold efficiency?
    As if in proof that this version of Cadan could scan all the complications before they entered anyone else’s thoughts, he glanced toward Markus. “I won’t be there to activate the Phoenix ’s shields. You and Lin know how to run the codes. The moment you’re on board, get them up to full strength.”
    â€œYes sir.”
    Ivan was already standing by the open door of the ship, waiting for the others to go through, and even as Markus answered Cadan, he turned too, to go on board.
    Felicia held back for a second. “Captain?” she said. “Am I best used on the Phoenix ? Do you want me to stay on the ground?”
    Cadan hesitated. “No. I need you on the Phoenix too. If you’re left without anyone who can fly her, you’ll need to find a way of getting the girls to the city. They’ll have to seek sanctuary from IPL, and they’ll need your protection to get them there.”
    Cold sank through Elissa. He hadn’t said it in so many words, but she’d have to be stupid not to know what if you’re left without anyone who can fly her meant. Cadan was makingcontingency plans. Plans for . . . She’d known he was staying out here, known he was going to fly one of the defense ships, but now all at once it washed through her, a multitude of horrible images flashing into her brain. The little ship he was planning to fly coming under fire, the windscreen cracking to pieces, the ship falling in a ball of flames. Cadan . . .
    Don’t. Don’t do it. Come to safety. Don’t make me leave you out here.
    But she couldn’t say it. He was right: By coming here, they had unknowingly brought danger—even more danger—on the refugees living in the base. They owed them anything they could offer in terms of protection.
    Unbidden, her hand went out to him, a movement as if she would hold on to his arm. A stupid movement, given that he was out of reach, and that she’d already told herself she couldn’t expect anything from him.
    But he saw, and looked at her. Their eyes met. For a moment there was no one else there. “I know,” he said. “But I have to.”
    â€œYes.” Surprisingly, her voice stayed steady. She let her arm drop. “We’re going.”
    He smiled at her, the moment stretching out, holding them both.
    Then Elissa set her teeth and walked past him to where Ivan waited. Her legs felt numb now as well, as if her body were shrinking in on itself, trying to avoid awareness of the approaching danger.
    Behind her, Cadan said, “Markus, I’ll keep in touch.” He twisted the little com-unit on his wrist. “Keep my channel open, okay?”
    â€œGot you, Captain. Lin, you coming?”
    Elissa was at the door, a step behind Markus, before she