The Chains of Freedom (Starhawke Rising Book 2)

by Audrey Sharpe

  The pseudo-bath had given him a chance to check on his injuries. He’d been amazed by how thoroughly they were healing. He’d anticipated feeling a sharp sting when the wounds came in contact with water, but instead he’d only felt a minor ache, like a bruise. Pretty impressive considering how banged up he’d been before Paaw’s healing session.

  And he wasn’t the only one who was on the mend. The teens had worked on the Meer female again the previous morning. Afterwards she’d been able to sit up without assistance and bend her injured leg. She’d flinched at first, but the more she’d moved it, the better she’d seemed to feel.

  She’d gazed at the teens with a look of wonder, but they’d been comatose on the floor by then and hadn’t noticed. The captain of the guard had carried the female out of the room not long after, and she hadn’t returned. The leader had sent in another robust meal, which the teens had devoured before falling into a deep sleep for the remainder of the day.

  Justin had held onto the vain hope that the leader would release them the following morning. Instead, he’d brought in three males for healing. Justin had recognized the wounds, since he’d inflicted them with his pistol during the initial attack. The scorched skin and fur hadn’t been treated in any way. Apparently the Meer didn’t have any knowledge of healing.

  With the exception of the captain, all of the guards were now treating him with thinly veiled contempt. The hostile guard with the scarred face who’d threatened him the first day seemed eager to be rid of him. In a lethal manner, if possible. The only thing stopping them seemed to be the visits from the leader and the presence of the teens. He doubted they wanted to risk upsetting their newfound healers. But that didn’t mean they weren’t plotting a way to terminate him that would look like an accident.

  Bella’s last message had informed him that the Starhawke was en route and due to arrive the following day. He’d debated whether to tell the teens, but had decided against it. The kids were brave, but they were utter failures at hiding their emotions. Their reactions to the news might alert the Meer.

  Turning his attention away from the guards, Justin stretched out on the floor facing the teens. Paaw slept with her head tucked down and her body curled up, like an armadillo, so all he could see was her back. Sparw lay next to her, his left hand resting lightly on her knee as they faced each other, their breathing in perfect sync.

  Raaveen lay closest to Justin, her body sprawled sideways, her long legs bent and her dark hair falling like a curtain over her face. The thick mane hid the dark smudges that held permanent residence under her eyes. Her cheeks, which had always been thin, looked hollow. Even her skin tone was changing, losing the olive undertones and growing sallow. The healing might be helping the Meer, but it was taking a heavy toll on Raaveen, Paaw and Sparw.

  A gentle tapping started against the inside of his forearm. Another message from Bella. He turned on the video feed and closed his eyes, focusing on the Morse code message. Bella always sent each message twice, giving him a chance to confirm he’d understood it clearly. After a few minutes, the tapping stopped.

  Plan in place. Negotiate and extract. Will see you tomorrow night. You okay?

  He’d be willing to bet a year’s salary that the negotiate part had been Bella’s idea. The extract sounded like Gonzo. Either way, they had a plan. That was comforting. He slowly rotated his arm to the left. Yes.

  Her confirmation tap came through, followed by a short personal message. We miss you.

  He allowed himself a small smile. Leave it to Bella to lift his spirits. He stretched his arms up so she would be able to see his face and winked, then switched off the camera. He rolled to his side.

  Raaveen was staring at him. Her gaze flicked to his forearm. Her lips barely moved but he caught the one word question. “Rescue?”

  He kept his voice low. “Yes.”

  A flare of hope erased some of the weariness from her face. She glanced at Paaw and Sparw, but Justin gave a subtle shake of his head.

  Her lips pursed and lines appeared across her forehead. Clearly she didn’t like his response. But a moment later her expression cleared. “Secret.”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  An understanding that was heartbreaking in one so young shone in her dark brown eyes. She drew in a deep breath and her body relaxed. Within moments she was fast asleep.

  He was glad she was able to rest. He couldn’t. He’d been battling insomnia ever since they’d arrived, and he had a good idea why.

  He’d never been in a position like this before, where he felt responsible for people he cared about but was helpless to do anything to save them. He couldn’t take out a dozen armed Meer by himself, especially if he didn’t want to hurt them. And even if he could, he had no way to get the teens to safety. That meant he had to sit and wait.

  But that was almost preferable to what would follow after his team rescued them. His personal torment wouldn’t end. Oh no. His reward for escaping this prison would be saying goodbye to Raaveen, Paaw, and Sparw. Forever. They’d board the Starhawke, and he would never see them again.

  He’d had ample time during the long days and nights of wakefulness to play out that charming scenario in his head over and over in a hundred different variations. It always ended the same way—with his heart being ripped right out of his chest.

  Rock, meet hard place.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  BY THE TIME the Starhawke shuttle touched down in the canyon beside the Nightingale, Cade felt like he was standing in the middle of an anthill.

  The graceful, clean lines of the shuttle provided a strong contrast to the sharp angles and worn hull of the dust covered medical freighter. The two ships served as a visual metaphor that reinforced the fact that the Starhawke crew was here to clean up his mess.

  Aurora and Mya stepped off first. Cade’s gaze locked with Aurora’s for a brief moment before the Suulh surrounded her. The intensity of his reaction hit him hard. Apparently absence did make the heart grow fonder. Bad news for him.

  The rest of the Starhawke crew descended and were swallowed up by the crowd as well. It took more than a minute for Aurora to extricate herself from the press of bodies and head in his direction.

  Breathe, Ellis. Years of training kept his body from locking up, but he couldn’t help bracing for a blow. He knew how deeply her words could cut. And she had every reason to blast him into next week.

  As she stopped in front of him, worry lines bracketed her eyes and mouth. But the anger he’d expected to see in her green eyes was conspicuously absent. “How are they?”

  No hostility or condemnation in her tone, either. Huh. “They’re okay. Drew’s kept in contact with Justin through his comband. The Meer are treating them well.”

  Some of the tension eased from her expression. “That’s good to hear. Ever since I got your message, I haven’t been able to get the image of those Setarip cages out of my mind.”

  And he’d been the cause of her anxiety. He was lower than a dung beetle. “I’m sorry. This snafu is my fault. I should never have given them permission to leave the camp.” He didn’t expect her to forgive him, but he’d take the blame he so richly deserved. Especially if it helped her feel better.

  She gave a subtle shrug. “Things happen.” The slightest hint of a smile touched her lips. “It’s good to see you.”

  The comment shocked him so much he stammered his response. “Y-you, too.” This wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. Fury? Yes. Resentment? Sure. But she almost looked happy to be here. That made no sense.

  She started to say something else but paused when a shadow fell over them. Clarek.

  Cade was no slouch when it came to height, but Jonarel Clarek had him beat, something the Kraed seemed to enjoy putting to advantage whenever the opportunity presented itself.

  Cade shifted to the side so that he was out of range of his rival. “Clarek.”

  Clarek’s expression remained completely neutral. “Ellis.”

  Cade blinked. T
hat was it? A banal greeting? No snide comments? No scathing remarks? This situation presented the Kraed with a perfect opportunity to cut him down to size, and yet Clarek wasn’t taking the bait. In fact, Cade would go so far as to say Clarek had never looked so completely non-confrontational in his life.

  What the hell was going on here? Was he dreaming? The sensation of having fallen into an alternate reality intensified as the rest of Aurora’s crew joined them and Aurora deliberately moved away from Clarek.

  But solving the mystery wasn’t his priority. Right now they had a job to do.

  After greetings were exchanged all around, the group headed to the Nightingale. The bridge was too small to fit a dozen people, so Cade led them to the compact lounge that opened off the kitchen. Drew and Gonzo positioned themselves on either side of the central monitor and Cade settled into the chair next to Drew. Reynolds and Cardiff stood by the kitchen, while Aurora, Emoto and Kelly chose the seats facing the screen. Williams, Mya and Clarek filled out the loose circle on the opposite side.

  Cade was surprised to see Kelly with the group. He glanced at Aurora. “Who did you leave on the Starhawke?”

  “Star.”

  Ah yes, the mysterious Star. He’d yet to meet the ship’s elusive crewmember, although apparently Gonzo had while he’d been temporarily stationed on the Starhawke following the Gaia incident. Gonzo had been very evasive when Cade had questioned him. Whoever she was, Aurora obviously had tremendous faith in her if she’d left the ship in orbit under her command.

  He shifted his attention to Drew. “Let’s start with the surveillance images and the first video feed.”

  For the next few minutes Drew took everyone through the details of what the team had learned. Aurora and Mya both flinched when they saw the images from Justin’s comband of the injured girl and the way the teens wolfed down the food they’d been provided. They’d have a unique understanding of what the teens were being asked to do, and the effect it would have on them.

  When Drew finished, Gonzo took them through the rescue plan.

  Emoto glanced at Cade. “Any chance you have a basic translation for their language?”

  “Unfortunately, no. The scientists who were studying them never cracked it.”

  “So we’ll be negotiating non-verbally?” Aurora asked.

  “That’s right. Hopefully the Meer will be reasonable. If not, then the extraction team will assist you in getting everyone out with as little confrontation as possible.”

  Cardiff and Reynolds exchanged a look of solidarity. They’d worked together to rescue the Suulh children from the Setarips on Gaia. He suspected they’d start discussing contingency plans after the meeting broke up.

  “And you’ll be leading the extraction team?” Clarek’s voice was toneless, not even a hint of challenge in his yellow eyes.

  In some ways that was more unnerving than when the Kraed was openly hostile. Cade held his gaze. “Yes. If Kelly pilots the shuttle, that will leave four of us for the infiltration.”

  “You’ll have more than that,” Aurora said.

  He glanced at her. “What do you mean?”

  “We brought four members of the Clarek clan.”

  Her statement caused a ripple of surprise from his team.

  Cade’s brain flipped into overdrive. More Kraed. They could be an asset in this situation, but if they knew anything about his feud with Jonarel Clarek, their clan loyalty might create unwanted conflict during the mission. However, Aurora must trust them, or she wouldn’t have brought them. He would have to put his faith in them, too. “Where are they?”

  “On the shuttle. They didn’t want to alarm the Lumians with a sudden appearance.” She lifted her comband. “But they’ve been listening in.”

  Cade stood. “Then let’s go meet them.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  GOOD THING AURORA LIKED CHALLENGES.

  Her thoughts had been rather dark ever since she’d received Cade’s message. Visualizing the teens as captives again had made her break out in a cold sweat. They’d been through too much already.

  But her worries hadn’t prevented her stomach from giving a telltale flip when she’d spotted Cade standing in front of his ship, watching her. Her reaction should have made her uneasy, but she’d had too many other concerns claiming her attention to waste time thinking about it.

  The first hurdle had been introducing Cade to Jonarel’s kin. It had been impossible to predict how either side would react, but Cade had treated the Kraed with great respect, and they’d responded in kind. Apparently the Clarek clan didn’t know that Cade was public enemy number one in Jonarel’s book.

  Or at least he had been. Jonarel’s behavior since their arrival had been even more unnerving. Aurora couldn’t remember a time when he’d treated Cade with such civility. She questioned the purity of his motives, considering the tension that still existed in his relationship with her, but if it meant the two males could work together without getting into an altercation, that’s all that mattered.

  She’d left the campsite with Celia, taking two of the Starhawke’s gliders to reach the Meer fortifications. Drew and Reynolds rode shotgun behind them. The rocky terrain of Burrow was a snap to navigate compared to the forest of Drakar, especially without any large predators to avoid. They’d made good time. The sun was still an hour from the horizon when they’d halted at an outcropping near their destination.

  They had hidden the gliders in a narrow crevice and were going through final checks of their combands and weapons while they waited for the signal from Cade. The shuttle team would head in at twilight, taking advantage of the shadows for their infiltration.

  When her comband pinged, she read the short message. “Showtime.”

  Aurora took the point position as they walked onto the cleared plateau, with Drew and Reynolds just behind her and Celia guarding the rear. Sensor sweeps had indicated the Meer were currently inside the walls, but there was no reason to take any chances.

  Craters littered the open area, left behind by the boulders that had been pulled from the ground to build the fortress. Deep grooves scored the dirt, the fading scars indicating how much effort had gone into the construction.

  As anticipated, their approach did not go unnoticed for long. Within minutes, a cry from the fortress carried over the warm breeze.

  “Movement on the wall,” Reynolds murmured. Gonzo had outfitted her with inconspicuous magnification goggles that doubled her visual range. “The gate’s opening.”

  They were still too far away to distinguish individual shapes, but Aurora could make out the gate and a brown mass emerging from it.

  “Here they come,” Reynolds said. “Eleven Meer heading our way.”

  “Any sign of weapons?” Aurora asked.

  “Strapped to their bodies, but they’re on all fours.”

  Which meant they wouldn’t be able to fire those weapons unless they stopped. In the videos Drew had shown them, most of the Meer had been walking on two legs, but they probably ran faster on four. It was a good sign that they’d chosen speed over defense.

  The Meer might also be confused by what they were seeing. A small group of females approaching on foot over open ground would be a puzzle.

  The Meer pack continued at a brisk pace, fanning out when they were about a hundred meters away. They rose onto their hind legs, weapons at the ready. Aurora halted and engaged her shield as the Meer formed a rough semicircle that placed them between Aurora’s team and the fortifications. Celia and Reynolds moved up to her right side and Drew shifted to the left, all three remaining slightly behind her so she could keep them covered by the shield.

  Two of the Meer left the semi-circle and approached Aurora’s team. The rest of the guards kept their weapons aimed in warning.

  Aurora lifted her hands with palms out as the two Meer drew closer, a non-verbal gesture of pacifism that also helped her to extend her shield. This close, she could see why the scientists had named the Meer after meerkats. The resembl
ance was striking, if a bit unsettling, considering their size.

  One of the males was nearly her height, with pale fur that looked like burnished wheat in the light from the setting sun. His eyes were the color of caramel, outlined in smudges of dark brown. She saw wariness in those eyes, but also curiosity. That was a good sign.

  The smaller male wasn’t the least bit curious. A crescent shaped scar cut across the fur on his nose and cheek, framing eyes that were nearly black with suspicion and menace. He stopped a couple meters in front of her and puffed out his chest.

  Aurora didn’t need a translation to understand the content of the short barking sound he made.

  Go away!

  “Bow your head,” Celia murmured.

  Aurora followed the cue. Unfortunately, that brought her face closer to level with the hostile Meer. His lips peeled back, giving her an excellent view of his sharp teeth.

  She kept her voice soft. “We’re here to see our family.” She shifted her gaze to the fortress in the distance. “We have come to ask for their release.”

  The male glared at her, fear and anger pouring off of him in equal measure.

  “He really doesn’t want us here,” Celia said. “Watch him.”

  He snarled, an ugly, violent sound, then pointed out toward the hills.

  Aurora held perfectly still. “We can’t leave without them.”

  The male’s snarl turned into a growl and he took a step toward her.

  She countered by moving to her left in front of the pale-furred male. “Please.” She filled her mind with thoughts of Raaveen, Paaw, and Sparw. The emotions that welled up were real, causing her throat to constrict. Her voice sounded foreign to her ears. “We’re worried about them.”

  She could feel the pale Meer’s conflict. Even without understanding her words, he couldn’t fail to know what she was asking. After all, four people who looked just like them were currently being held captive in the fortress. But would he help her?