Reckless Rescue by Rinelle Grey Page A

corner of his mouth.
    It reminded Tyris of Marlee.
    “Mother used to talk about him when I was little. She’d tell me how much he had looked forward to me being born, and how he used to sing to me when she was pregnant. But then one day, when Weiss yelled at me about spilling my milk on the floor, I shouted back that he wasn’t my real father, and my real father would never have treated me like that.” Her voice trembled. “Mother wouldn’t talk about him after that.”
    It was a sad story, and Tyris had no idea what to say. How awful it must be to miss someone you’d never had the chance to meet.
    Discomforted, he brought the conversation back to its original topic. “When Weiss offered me a deal, he didn’t seem to think getting off the planet would be difficult.”
    Marlee made a face. “Weiss tends to ignore anything that doesn’t fit with his plans. I wouldn’t take it as proof of anything.”
    Tyris sighed, and sipped at his cooling tea. “I won’t know either way until I can get a look at the ship myself.” He glanced over at Marlee. “We need to get out there as soon as possible.”
    “What if it snows?” Marlee’s eyes darkened with concern, and she twisted a strand of hair around her finger.
    “Surely there will be warning of snow coming?” Tyris pointed out. “It’s not like it’s going to fall from a clear sky, is it?”
    Marlee frowned. “Winds can bring a storm in within an hour, even from a clear sky, and the ship is nearly two hours away. We could easily get caught out.”
    “How likely is that?” Tyris asked. He was surprised to see her hesitating after her eagerness earlier. Should he be concerned about the snow after all?
    Marlee considered for a moment. “It’s early for snow, usually we won’t get the first big fall for at least another week. But Kalim always says that you can never predict the weather, and it’s better to be safe and stay near the village.”
    “But you came out to my ship when it crashed, didn’t you? Wasn’t it risky then too?”
    “Y-yes,” Marlee wavered. “I didn’t think about it. I was just worried someone might be hurt and need help.”
    “So the risk seemed worth it, right?” Tyris encouraged.
    Marlee nodded slowly. “Yes.” She looked directly at him. “And you think that getting out to your ship to repair it is worth the risk, don’t you?”
    Tyris nodded. “There are half a dozen simple explanations as to why the power isn’t coming on. And if I can fix it, then I should be able to get the ship airborne.” He looked at Marlee for a moment. She was small, at least a head shorter than him, and she hadn’t had his years of combat training. He didn’t want to be responsible for her being stuck in the snow. “Look, I don’t want you to put yourself at risk. If you can point me in the right direction, I’m sure I can find my way.”
    Marlee frowned. “You can’t go on your own. You’re still not fully recovered. And what if you get lost?” Her mouth set in a firm line. “No, I’m coming with you. You’re right. Getting off this planet is worth the risk.”
    Tyris hesitated, still feeling bad about the chance she was taking. But she had a point. He had more chance of finding the Hylista with her help than without. “Then the sooner we go the better,” he said finally. “How about tomorrow morning?”
    Marlee frowned. “The council….”
    “The council has its own agenda, and it’s got nothing to do with getting off this planet. They’re only getting in our way. Surely you don’t mean to just sit around and let them delay us for six months?”
    She slowly shook her head. “No. But they’ll stop us if they see us.”
    “We’ll go at night,” Tyris said. “With any luck, we can be there and back without anyone knowing we’re gone.”
    “The moon isn’t out tonight. It’ll be dark.”
    Tyris sighed. “I’m guessing you don’t have any torches then, other than the one the nurse has? How about we leave early