Chapter 1

“Come on, Eryx, you can’t go out in that,” said Cassandra. Again.

Eryx ignored her. Again. He could handle a little snow. It was the work environment for practically half the year, and the chances of getting lost with the appropriate equipment were almost none. He finished with his boots and straightened.

“Projections show it’s a big one. Tina already pulled in Jon and Mandy, and you know Mandy’s work on those ibex stats was good. It sucks when we’re all sardined in here together, but this isn’t a few flakes. You can die out in that.”

“I saw your weather data. You heard the alerts.”

“You’re not seriously going after those poachers,” said Cassandra.

Eryx didn’t look at her. He clipped his transmitter to his belt and reached for his company-provided gun, staying far away from her amber eyes and firm gaze. Cassandra didn’t understand what he was going through right now. The walls here were pushing in on him.

“It’s not worth it,” she said.

“Last time they got five leopards,” said Eryx.

“And Ray got fired. But that was preventable. None of us will get let go for this. We’re supposed to stay put in weather this bad—you know every time we get refresher training we’re reminded the SeeingSpots CEO doesn’t want to deal with our families suing.”

Eryx turned his back on her and walked toward the heavy metal door. It didn’t matter how good Cassandra’s arguments got—he wasn’t going to stay stuck at home base with half a dozen other scientists and specialists if there was an excuse to go out. Even if it was a dangerous one.

She followed him down the hall, Eryx clenching his teeth as he heard her footsteps behind him. Cassandra’s work bordered on perfect, but she wasn’t the sort of person to keep high standards to herself. Sometimes he appreciated it for the errors it caught and time it saved, but other times it was downright infuriating. Still, he knew she couldn’t really stop him from leaving base.

“Do you need more time off?” she asked, the irritation suddenly out of her voice. “I was talking to Tina about the possibility of some of us donating time off so you can get another chance to return to Earth and visit your brother.”

Eryx’s fingers fumbled on the zipper of his coat. “I’m good,” he said, and knew that sheknew it was a lie. The faster he got out into the snowstorm, the better.

“It’s just…you haven’t said anything since you got back a few weeks ago. I figure…things are bad. You should get a chance to try again.”

Eryx couldn’t stand here listening to this. His throat felt tight. He wanted to breathe in the damp, cold air of the wintry storm, let it cool him off some. He went for his gloves, and Cassandra went for a different tactic.

“We’re supposed to handle poachers in twos.”

“Report me to Tina,” said Eryx, louder than he meant to, and hit the unlock on the door.

Cassandra didn’t follow him out.

The path he and the other team members had worn into the snow was already filling up with fresh flakes. The light was a dull grey and getting darker as the cloud cover thickened. Eryx didn’t pause before taking the path to the left, comfortable enough navigating familiar territory even in this weather. Large, wet flakes came down hard like rain, caught on the fleece covering his mouth, and melted. Stuck to his eyelashes. Danced in the air.

Eryx exhaled hard, relief filling him with each chill breath of air. It was good to be out doing something, away from coworkers trying to make uncomfortable small talk. The difference between the atmosphere of home base with its low ceilings and cramped rooms, and out here where there was nothing but hills and mountains and sky, was abrupt and freeing. Immediately some of the stress Eryx had felt wrapping around him like an invisible snake started to ease up and slide off.

Visibility was shit, even at the start of the storm, but Eryx knew generally where he was going. There were paths they used regularly, and even paths they used semi-regularly he knew like the back of his hand. Those would get him to the area he wanted to be in, where the poachers had shown up on the satellite system. His transmitter would lead him the rest of the way.

The air had that sound to it when the world went almost completely still and everything seemed to echo in the few feet around him, like the falling snow was bouncing Eryx’s presence back at him. His boots depressing the snow sounded dull and cottony. All the birds had taken cover. Really, any creature with any sense had taken cover, apart from him.