The Chains of Freedom (Starhawke Rising Book 2)

by Audrey Sharpe

  On the far side of the courtyard, Clarek and the other Kraed stood like menacing trees at the edge of the firelight. The Meer guards had converged around the three teens and the leader, caging them at the center of the tight mob as they backed up against the nearest building.

  But it was what Cade saw through the press of bodies that made his blood freeze in his veins. The Meer leader and two of the guards had their paws wrapped around the teens’ throats, the sharp edges of their claws pressing into the tender flesh.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  THE TEENS WERE IN DANGER. Whatever Aurora had envisioned with this negotiation, she hadn’t expected the Meer leader to threaten the lives of the healers he coveted. Apparently he was that desperate, which made him extremely dangerous.

  “Don’t hurt them.” Her voice carried through the din created by the whining of the frightened Meer, who were staring at the Kraed like they were demons from Hell.

  The leader’s gaze found hers over the heads of his guards and he snarled.

  She understood the impulse. A part of her wanted to snarl right back. But he was terrified, and with good reason.

  This mess was exactly what she’d been trying to avoid. She needed to get closer so she could talk to him, but she couldn’t leave Byrnes. Now that her shield surrounded him, she could feel just how weak he was. She didn’t have Mya’s gift for diagnosing injury, but she feared the blow to his head had caused a major concussion and may have triggered an internal hemorrhage. She’d placed her foot against his leg and was feeding him as much energy as she could while maintaining her shield, but she needed to get him out of here.

  “We’ve got him, Aurora.”

  Cade’s voice at her elbow startled her. She snapped her head around and discovered Dr. Williams was with him.

  “Go help the teens.” Cade held her gaze. “We’ll get Justin out of here.”

  His strong presence calmed her. “He needs Mya. Now. Don’t wait for us.”

  Concern flashed in his green eyes, but he didn’t argue. “Okay. We’ll be back as quickly as we can.”

  She stepped forward but kept her shield up so that it was forming a barrier between the Meer and Byrnes as Drew helped Cade and Dr. Williams lift him to his feet. The look on Drew’s face made it clear she’d happily shoot anyone who dared to challenge them as they headed for the alley. None of the Meer did.

  Aurora returned her attention to the Meer leader.

  Jonarel and the other Kraed remained motionless, silent sentinels ready to take action on her command.

  Without moving or shifting her gaze, she called out to Celia. “Celia? Any suggestions?”

  Celia’s voice came from behind her. “Take it slow.”

  Right. Slow. She lifted her hands, palms out, her gaze on the three teens, who looked remarkably calm. The Meer surrounding them did not. Every weapon was drawn, with half of them aimed at the Kraed and the other half at her.

  “It’s okay.” She used her most soothing voice, keeping her hands well away from her body. “We’re not here to hurt you. We only want to take our people home.”

  The leader barked what sounded like a threat and tightened his grip on Raaveen’s throat, drawing blood.

  Aurora stopped. “It doesn’t need to be this way. I know you want what’s best for your tribe. But this isn’t it.”

  A growl was his only reply. And Aurora really didn’t like the twitchy way the guards were holding their weapons.

  Celia had said to take it slow. She could do that. She’d give them as much time as they needed to calm down and return to rational behavior. All night, if necessary.

  But a loud screech took her by surprise.

  Out of the corner of her eye Aurora saw a petite female Meer stumble into the light from the fire circle, her movements unsteady as she hobbled on all fours, heading straight for the cluster of Meer guards.

  Unfortunately, several of the guards panicked at the unexpected noise. Spinning toward her, they released their arrows.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  JONAREL WANTED to rip the Meer leader into a million little pieces. He had hurt Aurora and threatened the teens. His senses were on full alert, his body quaked from the effort of maintaining control.

  Which is why he heard the odd shuffling noise of the Meer female’s stumbling approach before she opened her mouth and screamed. Acting on the sixth sense that was his birthright, he leapt across the courtyard.

  She failed to see him. Her gaze was locked on the teens. But when her cry echoed off the walls, it had a predictable effect on the terrified Meer.

  Several arrows streaked toward her.

  Jonarel got to her first. He tackled her, turning his back to the incoming projectiles. They struck full force, driving the air from his lungs as he collapsed on the ground, his body wrapped like a cocoon around the female.

  Two cries of anguish ripped through the air as an avalanche of pain swept over him. But his focus remained on the bundle of fur trembling in his arms. Lifting his head, he gazed into the largest brown eyes he had ever seen. They seemed to swallow the female’s entire face. Her lips were pulled back from her teeth in a grimace that was either pain or terror.

  He wanted to assure her she was safe, but breathing normally was not an option. The searing pain in his chest might be from a lack of oxygen, broken ribs, or an internal injury. Or all three.

  But his anxiety vanished when a familiar warmth enveloped him in a loving embrace. Aurora.

  She knelt beside him, her beautiful green eyes filled with fear. Fear for him. “Jonarel?”

  When she placed her hand on his shoulder, he almost wept. Stellar light, he had missed that connection.

  She glanced at the trembling Meer female before returning her gaze to his. “How bad is it?”

  He forced air out, although the effort made his body burn. “She…is…fine.”

  Aurora’s brows snapped down. “I wasn’t asking about her. How are you?”

  Consumed by fire. But he did not care. She was with him. Touching him. Loving him. And for such a gift, he would gladly face a greewtaith with his arms bound behind his back. “I…will live.”

  Her gaze shifted to his back and her frown deepened. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes.” Because there was no way he was leaving this life while Aurora still drew air. The pain was excruciating, but he refused to think about whether the arrows had hit anything vital.

  “Celia, we need that shuttle back as soon as they drop off Byrnes.”

  “Already on it.”

  Aurora rested her hand on his back. The gentle warmth of her energy field soothed him, pushing against the pain and making it a little easier for him to breathe.

  Her gaze held his, and unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Jonarel, I’m so sorry.”

  She was not referring to the arrows. And given a choice, he would have found a less painful way to break their emotional stalemate. But he would gladly take the blow of a hundred arrows if it brought her back to him. “As am…I.”

  The corners of her mouth quivered in a tremulous smile. Her gaze shifted to the Meer female, and a flicker of curiosity crossed her face. But then her expression changed to something darker. Her hands slid away from his body and closed into fists. A ferocity he had never seen before glowed in her eyes as she rose to her feet and pointed one accusing finger.

  “You!”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  AURORA HAD TRIED to be patient. She’d tried to be understanding. She’d tried to keep everyone safe. But look where it had gotten her? Byrnes and Jonarel badly injured and the teens still in the clutches of the Meer with no resolution in sight. She’d hit her limit.

  She kept her shield wrapped around Jonarel and the Meer female as she faced the leader. He’d released his grip on Raaveen and had shoved his way through the circle of guards.

  “You!” She pointed a finger at his chest and he stepped back like she’d struck him, his eyes white with fe
ar. “You’re the reason for all of this!”

  He whined softly, but that didn’t stop her from yelling at him.

  “Why couldn’t you just let them go? They’d already healed your child.”

  The leader’s gaze jumped from her to his daughter and back again, almost like he understood her words.

  Her teeth ground together as she fought to control her temper. “Do you think you’re the only one who’s suffered? Do you think you’re the only one who’s known pain and loss?”

  His paws curled and uncurled in front of his chest as he stared at her.

  Her anger built up steam. “What about the teens? And Justin? What about their pain?” Pain that this arrogant male had inflicted on them without a second thought. “You hurt them. Enslaved them. You forced them to do your bidding!”

  Her breath shot in and out of her lungs. Too much suffering. Too much heartache. Too many lives destroyed because of a selfish belief that one group had the right to impose their will on another. Would it never end?

  “Do you have any idea what those kids have been through?” she snapped, pointing at the teens, who stood frozen in place, their eyes wide. “They’ve suffered in ways you can’t possibly imagine. And they’re still suffering.” Because she could feel their pain. Had in fact been surrounded by it ever since the day she’d first come in contact with them.

  “Nothing gives you the right to control them. Or anyone else.” She stalked the Meer leader and he shrank from her. Her energy field whipped around her, creating a cyclone of energy that mirrored her emotional state, but she held onto her self-control. She wouldn’t hurt him. But she would make him understand.

  “You took away their freedom. You separated them from their families. Families that love them as much as you love your daughter.” She brought her face within centimeters of his. “You. Will. Let. Them. Go.”

  He whimpered, his gaze locked on her. His fear was tangible. But it wasn’t fear for his own safety. His gaze darted to his daughter, and the whimper turned into a pitiful mewl. He feared what Aurora might do to his child. He loved his daughter so much that he had put his entire tribe at risk in order to save her. His actions had started from that place of love and compassion. Unfortunately, he’d allowed greed to twist his intentions into something more insidious. And had unwittingly put his daughter in danger again.

  Comprehension shone in his dark eyes. She’d made her point. Now it was time to end this. “Enough.” Her gaze drifted to the teens. They looked as emotionally strung-out as she felt. “You’ve all suffered enough.”

  The Meer leader remained frozen, although he was trembling hard enough his teeth chattered. The captain of the guard stood behind him, his body tense as he watched her. And waited. The rest of the Meer had lowered their weapons and were staring at her. In fact, she had everyone’s full attention right now. And she knew exactly what she needed to do.

  “Come here.” She motioned to Raaveen, Paaw and Sparw.

  None of the guards tried to stop them as they made their way to the front of the group.

  She returned to Jonarel and knelt beside him. “I’ve got her.”

  He relaxed his hold and she scooped the leader’s daughter into her arms. The petite creature remained curled into a protective ball.

  Shame washed over Aurora. Her anger had made the situation worse. She allowed a flow of soothing energy to surround them both. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.” She stepped around Jonarel and walked toward the captain, who met her halfway. She shifted her grip on the female so he could take her.

  The leader stayed rooted in place, as if he feared any movement would bring down disaster.

  As the captain carried the female to her father, Aurora turned to the teens. “I need your help with Jonarel.”

  They immediately joined her and dropped to their knees beside him. They clasped hands with her and each other. She winced when they connected with her energy field. They were more drained than she’d realized. She hated to ask them to give more, but Jonarel needed them. And she might be able to help them, too.

  Taking a deep breath, she focused on the flow of energy. They responded, their energy blending with hers, growing stronger as she focused on building a nurturing web. This was what they’d been born to do. This was their gift. And it was a gift they shared willingly. The colors swirled, her pearlescent white mixing with their red, yellow and blue. As one, they lowered their hands and made contact with Jonarel’s body.

  He gave a jolt.

  “Sorry.” Apparently the teens didn’t realize they needed to block the pain signals the healing process could cause. They did it instinctively for themselves, but Jonarel didn’t have that ability. He’d need her help to suppress his body’s natural reaction to the healing.

  Her empathic senses allowed her to know when she’d succeeded. His anxiety faded and his breathing evened out. As they focused on containing his internal injuries, the flow of blood from his wounds slowed. When it finally stopped, she released the energy field. He’d have to wait for Mya to extract the arrows and repair the bulk of the internal damage, but they’d brought him out of danger.

  And he was watching her. The look in his golden eyes wasn’t hard to decipher. He loved her. It was as simple as that. He always had. And he always would.

  And she loved him. Just not the way he wanted her to.

  “The shuttle just arrived at the Nightingale,” Celia said.

  Aurora glanced up, surprised to find her friend standing just behind her. Guarding her, she realized. Just in case.

  Reynolds was doing the same with the teens, though subtly, while Gonzo kept watch on the Meer leader and the captain of the guard.

  “They’ll pick us up as soon as Byrnes is transferred.”

  “Hang on.” Aurora had an idea. “Tell them to wait until Mya has stabilized Byrnes. Then have Williams stay with him and send Mya back with the shuttle.”

  Celia frowned. “Why bring her here?” Her gaze flicked to the Meer leader.

  Her reluctance was understandable. Bringing Mya to the Meer leader was like showing the Holy Grail to King Arthur. But Camelot had fallen. The Meer leader had given up his quest. He was clutching his daughter to his chest so tightly it was a wonder the poor creature could breathe. Her safety was all that mattered to him. “Because Mya can heal the female’s injury.”

  “I thought the teens had already healed her.”

  “They set the bone and repaired a lot of the tissue damage, which is remarkable.” Aurora shot a look of gratitude at the teens. “But it will always be a point of weakness. Mya can heal it completely, as though the trauma never occurred. After all the Meer have been through, I don’t want to end things like this.”

  Celia’s voice softened. “It’s a peace offering.”

  “Yes.”

  “You do realize we’ll be breaking just about every Council law by doing this?”

  Aurora sighed. “We started on that path a long time ago. I’m not about to stop now.” And the Council had based their decision to quarantine the planet on the belief that the Meer would return to their previous way of life. Obviously, that was a false premise. The Meer culture had been changed by their experience with the Setarips. They needed tools that would help them deal with their new reality. “However, we can’t do anything without the leader’s permission. I need you to explain it to him.”

  “Happy to.”

  Watching Celia talk with the Meer leader was like watching Michelangelo carve marble. And the leader was much more receptive than he’d been when they’d arrived. Celia was able to convey complex concepts with body motions and facial expressions that he understood almost immediately. When he realized they were offering to have his daughter fully healed by someone with more skill than Aurora and the teens, he looked ready to prostrate himself at Aurora’s feet.

  Her comband pinged with an incoming call from Mya. “How’s Byrnes?”

  “He’s going to be fine. He had a concussion and the beginnings
of an internal hemorrhage that was putting pressure on his brain. I’ve repaired the damage and he’s resting comfortably.”

  So she’d been right. “That’s good news.” She flashed Reynolds and Gonzo a thumbs up. Then she gave Mya a quick rundown on the situation and asked how quickly she could return with the shuttle.

  “Tam’s in with Byrnes, so I can leave now.”

  “Bring medical supplies. Nothing that requires power but basic first aid tools that we can leave with the Meer. And diagrams that show how to use them.”

  “You’re going to provide them with medical supplies?” Surprise and concern made Mya’s voice rise. “You’ll be violating Council law. And leaving evidence we were here.”

  “I realize that. And it will be on my shoulders if anyone finds out. But we need to do this. We can’t leave a healer behind, but we can certainly teach them how to heal themselves.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  THE STARS TWINKLED like glitter spilled from a bottle and a cool breeze blew across the canyon as Cade exited the Nightingale. He’d just left Justin, Raaveen, Paaw, and Sparw sleeping peacefully in the med bay, surrounded by the loving energy of the Suulh. The kaleidoscope of color dancing around the room looked like something out of a dream.

  Odds were good it was the first real rest any of them had gotten since the attack. He’d spoken with Mya briefly about the healing work the teens had done while they were with the Meer. She’d confirmed it had taken a heavy toll on them. But being back with the rest of the Suulh and under Mya’s watchful care would set them to rights in no time. Justin was on the mend, too. And Cade had thanked her profusely for that. From what Tam had told him, her help had been instrumental in Justin’s recovery.

  Clarek was healing, too, although he’d chosen to remain in a separate part of the bay. His four clan members were with him, which might have explained why none of the Suulh had approached. The Kraed were an intimidating sight. Mya was with Clarek now, tending his wounds and keeping up a soothing flow of conversation.