At that moment, two other men entered the room. They were both tall and muscular, much more so than either the doctor or his apprentice. Like the doctor, they also wore second-skins that covered almost their entire bodies. These ones were thicker, though—hard and black like beetle shells. They looked so silly that Reva couldn’t help but laugh. When the men looked at her, though, it was clear they didn’t find it funny.
“Sorry,” she said, covering her mouth. “It’s just, you don’t …”
The strong men ignored her, focusing instead on the doctor. As her voice trailed off, Reva noticed a frown of concern on the doctor’s face. The apprentice stood behind him and glanced from her to the strong men and back. Reva tensed—something was clearly wrong here.
The apprentice took out the covering again and held it out to her, this time all but pleading for her to put it on. For a second, she considered doing it just to set him at ease, but that would mean covering her henna tattoos. She smiled and waved him away as politely as she could, ignoring the almost frantic look of concern on his face.
The strong men finished with the doctor and walked over to her. One of them took her by the arm and pulled her forcibly to her feet.
“Ow!” she said, trying in vain to free herself from his grip. “What are you doing?”
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Strangers in Flight
When Reva went into cryosleep, she wasn't prepared to be the sole survivor of a people that history never remembered. Isaac wants to help her, but he carries a secret that may decide the outcome of the war. Little does he know, the Imperials aren't the only ones hunting him.
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