Much as he hated to admit it, Cade was impressed by Clarek’s actions tonight to save the Meer female. Reynolds had filled him in on the details. Anticipating the danger and placing himself directly in the line of fire took guts, and an altruistic streak that Cade could respect.
Tipping his head back, he breathed in the night air and focused on releasing some of the tension that had been his continual companion for the past few days. The fire in front of the ship had been banked for the night, leaving the canyon in relative darkness. However, as he continued forward he spotted a lone figure seated with her back against one of the boulders, her face tilted up toward the stars.
“Mind if I join you?”
Aurora’s gaze flicked briefly in his direction. “Go ahead.”
Not the heartiest of welcomes, but he’d take it. After the adrenaline rush of the rescue and the race back here to save Justin, he was too restless to sleep. She might be in the same fix.
Settling in next to her and resting his elbows on his knees, he studied her out of the corner of his eye. Her face was in shadow, the soft glow from the coals and the starlight providing the only illumination. He drank in the sight of her, such as it was. After all, this might very well be the last time he’d have the chance.
“What’s on your mind, Cade?”
He gave a little start. She was so damn observant. He should have known she’d catch him watching her. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since you returned. Did everything go okay with the Meer?”
She continued to stare at the stars. “We left the medical supplies and the instructions on how to use them. The guards were very receptive. Several of the female tribe members ventured into the fire circle to watch Mya and Celia’s demonstration, too.”
That was promising. “And what about the leader’s daughter?”
Aurora glanced at him. “Mya healed her leg. She’ll be fine.”
Her tone sounded flat. He frowned. “But?”
She sighed. “Celia talked at length with the leader. His mate was in charge of the tribe prior to the Setarip attack, but she died, along with all their other children and more than half of the adult females.” Aurora’s face pinched. “That’s why they kept all the remaining females hidden from us. They couldn’t afford to lose any more of them if they wanted the tribe to survive.”
“No wonder he was desperate to save his daughter.”
“They also lost their healers in the attack. No one was left who knew anything about dealing with injury and illness. They’ve suffered more deaths in the past few years as a result.”
Cade stared at the glowing coals, searching for answers that weren’t there. “The Council thought they were doing the right thing by quarantining this planet.”
“I know. And I thought so, too. But it’s not that simple.”
“It never is.”
They sat in silence for several moments, the sound of their breathing the only marker of time.
He redirected the conversation to a more pleasant topic. “Raaveen, Sparw, and Paaw are doing well.”
A sad smile touched Aurora’s lips. “Those kids are really something. Kelly offered to bring them back here while we worked with the Meer, but they refused. They wouldn’t leave until we did.”
He’d been waiting outside when Aurora and Mya had returned with the teens. Zelle and Maanee had raced toward the shuttle before the ramp was even down and had enveloped Paaw in a fierce embrace. They’d grabbed Sparw and Raaveen into the group hug as well. For a moment, it had looked like they were never going to let go.
“They really are remarkable.” And he was feeling like a prize idiot for putting everyone through this mess in the first place. Aurora’s good opinion of him had only recently been restored while on Gaia, but she’d probably never trust him again. And that really bothered him. “I’m sorry I screwed up the mission and endangered your people.”
A frown line appeared between her brows. “Is that what you think?”
“It’s a fact.”
“Like hell!” She scowled. “Unless you’ve developed a psychic ability I don’t know about, there’s no way you could have anticipated what happened. Your team did everything right.”
“Not everything. I should have gone with Justin instead of sending the teens. It wouldn’t have taken much time.”
Aurora blew out a breath. “Problems always seem obvious in hindsight. But that’s not how life works. We make decisions based on the information at hand.” She gazed into his eyes. “Cut yourself some slack, Cade. You were trying to do something nice for Paaw and Zelle.”
So she didn’t blame him? The knots in his chest loosened a bit.
“I don’t blame you.”
His eyebrows lifted. Was she reading his mind?
“And no, I’m not reading your mind. Guilt produces a very distinct emotional vibration. You’ve been coated in it ever since I arrived. But it just started to dissipate.”
He stared at her. Her ability to read him, to understand him, even better than he understood himself, triggered something elemental deep inside.
She leaned against the boulder. “Will you be reporting to the Admiral after we leave?”
His stomach clenched. He’d been avoiding all thoughts of tomorrow. “I guess so.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t sound excited.”
How to respond to that? His emotions were a bit of a tangle right now, but excited wasn’t one of them. “I’m not.”
“Why not? I thought you loved your job.”
How to answer that without giving too much away? “I do love my job. But my unit has spent the past two months living in close quarters with the Suulh.”
Aurora frowned. “Suulh?”
He’d forgotten she didn’t know. “That’s what the Lumians call themselves. Justin found out while he was creating the translation.”
“Oh.” Her brows drew down as she processed that information. Hearing the official name of her race was probably a little unsettling. Like finding out the name everyone’s been calling you all your life isn’t the one listed on your birth certificate.
“I know it’s the right thing to do, sending them to the new homeworld. They’ll be safe there. But putting them on your ship tomorrow and having them disappear forever just feels…wrong.”
The frown lines disappeared as understanding softened her expression. “You’re going to miss them.”
And you. “Yeah…well, yeah.” He stared up at the sky. “I just want to know they’re okay. Settled. Happy.” He glanced at her. “They’ve been through so much.” As have you.
She let out a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of her soul. “I know.” Her gaze drifted back to the stars. “Life isn’t fair,” she murmured, more to herself than to him. “How about this? You take the Suulh to the new homeworld and I’ll go report to Admiral Schreiber for assignment.”
He thought she was joking, except she wasn’t smiling. In fact, as he studied her, he could see lines of tension in her jaw and shoulders. “Aren’t you looking forward to getting them to their homeworld?”
Her tone was as hard as the rock she was leaning against. “Nope.”
That was unexpected. And so unlike her. “Why not?”
She squeezed her eyes shut and drew in several slow breaths as her face contorted like she was in pain.
He wanted to reach out to her, to comfort her, but he didn’t dare. Instead, he caressed her with his voice. “Aurora? Talk to me.”
She puffed out her cheeks and then forced the air from her lungs in a rush. “Why the hell does everyone think they have the right to control them?” she snapped. “Huh? Can you tell me that?” She turned to face him, her eyes glowing with a fire from within.
The change in attitude was so abrupt he pulled back, startled. “I’m not trying to control them.”
She waved a hand in the air, dismissing the comment. “I’m not talking about you. You’re fine. I’m talking about everyone else.” Her voice vibrated with anger
. “The Setarips kept them in cages and forced them to destroy. The Meer locked them in a room and forced them to heal. And somewhere out there,” she said, gesturing at the stars, “the power-hungry lunatics who orchestrated the attack on Gaia are waiting to snatch them from us and turn them back into Necri.”
The venom in her voice was impressive, as was the way she bared her teeth at the sky. “Why can’t everyone just leave them alone? How can I possibly keep them safe if the entire universe is out to get us?”
Us. Not them. Us. He didn’t think she realized the slip, but it told him exactly how cornered she felt by her current circumstances.
“I should just let someone else take over the job. They’d be better off without me.”
Whoa. Back up the wagons. That was not the woman he knew. Not by a long shot. He reached for her hand and she jumped, like she’d momentarily forgotten he was there. But she didn’t pull away as he threaded his fingers through hers and began lightly stroking his thumb across the smooth skin on the back of her hand. “You have kept them safe. I’m the one who put them in danger this time.”
She shook her head, her expression adamant. “Doesn’t matter. Don’t you get it? There’s nowhere that’s safe. There’s no way to protect them when everyone they encounter thinks they’re tools to be manipulated. No one sees them for who they really are.”
“You do.”
She blinked, as if the idea had never occurred to her.
“Your crew does. And my team does.”
She stared at him as if hypnotized. Or lost. Really, really lost. The Aurora he knew didn’t spew anger like scattershot from a shotgun. She also didn’t turn her back on those who needed her. He wasn’t about to let her do it now.
“I know you’re feeling overwhelmed. And it’s not surprising. You didn’t sign up for any of this.” He continued the gentle motion of his thumb as he gazed into the beautiful green depths of her eyes. “But no matter how you feel right now, I promise you it will pass.” He used his free hand to brush a lock of hair back from her face, trailing his fingers along her cheek. “You’ll make it through this. You’re the strongest person I know. You always have been. And your people need you. Your strength will help them to find their own.”
She remained perfectly still, like she’d turned to stone at his touch, although her gaze searched his. Perhaps seeking the truth in his words.
He started to withdraw his hand but she captured it with both of hers, holding it against her cheek as her eyes drifted closed. She took several slow breaths, her fingers gripping his like she was afraid he’d pull away.
Hardly. He’d happily stay like this until the Burrow sun rose and turned them both into sweaty, blistering wrecks. He’d do anything to keep this connection with her.
When she finally lifted her lids, he caught a hint of the light from within that was uniquely Aurora. And it sparked an answering glow from him.
Releasing his hand, she shifted to face him. “Do you want to go with us to the new homeworld?”
His brain stalled. She hadn’t really just suggested that, had she? “But the Admiral wanted the location to be a secret.”
Her expression became more animated. “It will be. Instead of transferring the Suulh here, you could follow us to Drakar and leave the freighter with the Clarek clan. Then your team could hitch a ride with us.”
He was stunned. And more than a little concerned. “The Admiral didn’t want us to go to Drakar.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“Because that’s the first place he’d look for us.”
She pursed her lips. “Okay. So maybe we don’t go to Drakar.” She gazed at the box canyon. “It’s probably unwise to leave the Nightingale here, but we could pick a neutral location, maybe somewhere in Kraed space, where we could dock the ships together and make the transfer. I assume the Nightingale has an autopilot?”
“It’s not high-tech, but it’s functional.”
“Good. Then you could set it to maintain a standard orbit around whichever planet we used for our rendezvous. After we deliver the Suulh to the homeworld, my crew can bring you back. What do you think?” For the first time since they’d parted on Gaia, she looked excited.
He savored the emerging warmth in her eyes. “I think you’re amazing.”
A hint of a smile touched her lips. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Ellis.”
“I know.” He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a gentle kiss across her skin. He grinned at her startled expression. “But I can always try.”
She shook her head, but her smile grew. “So you like the plan?”
“I love the plan.”
She squeezed his hand. “Just remember that there are about forty members of Jonarel’s clan working on the settlement. You’ll need to be on your best behavior. Okay?”
He should have been offended, but it was a fair question. “I’ll be a perfect guest.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she was smiling. “Umm-hmm.”
He raised his right hand, palm out. “You have my word.”
One eyebrow lifted. “I’ll hold you to that.”
He couldn’t resist an opening like that. “Lady, you can hold me to anything you like.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
IN THE LIGHT from the hanging lanterns, Justin worked side by side with Gonzo in the cool night air, dismantling the greenhouse. But his thoughts kept returning to Captain Hawke’s announcement.
When she’d visited him in the med bay that afternoon, she’d informed him that she’d invited his entire team to accompany her to the new homeworld. The news had created quite a stir, since they’d all assumed the Suulh would be leaving on the Starhawke. He hadn’t been the only one who was thrilled with the opportunity to see them in their new home.
Dr. Forrest had checked on him as well, and after confirming his healing was nearly complete, she’d asked him to describe his experiences with the teens while they were with the Meer. In particular, she’d wanted to know what they’d done to heal the female’s broken leg.
He’d told her everything he could remember, including Paaw’s healing of his injuries from the initial attack. She’d asked detailed questions about what he’d felt during the session, and how it had affected him. The direction of her inquiries indicated she might be considering taking Paaw on as an apprentice. He hoped she did. With some training, Paaw would make an excellent doctor.
“You got that thing loose, Byrnsie?” Gonzo braced his hands against the beam in question, preparing to pull. “Or do you need a break?”
Gonzo had objected when Justin had volunteered his services for this job, but Justin had overruled him. The manual labor was exactly what he needed after the days of confinement. He’d assured Gonzo he had Dr. Forrest’s clearance to work, which helped. Still, his friend was treating him with kid gloves. “Just a sec.” He refocused his attention on his job and removed the last two connectors. “Okay, good to go.”
Wrapping his hands around the beam, he lifted while Gonzo pulled. They hoisted the beam so it cleared the surrounding materials before lowering it to the ground.
“Four down, twenty more to go,” Gonzo said with a grin.
Cade and Reynolds were in charge of loading the materials back onto the Nightingale, and they were keeping up a steady pace to match the deconstruction. Bella and Tam were helping Captain Hawke and Dr. Forrest sort the plants. Some would be transferred to the Starhawke for the doctor’s personal medicinal collection, while others were being harvested by the Suulh to provide food for the first part of the journey. The remaining plants were being taken to the Starhawke shuttle. The following evening they’d be returned to the locations where they’d been originally obtained.
That left the rest of the Starhawke crew with the task of dismantling the well and irrigation system and restoring the area to its original condition.
By the time Justin and Gonzo finished dismantling the greenhouse framework, a pale peach glow from the rising sun bathed the surrounding bou
lders in soft light.
Justin wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. “Can’t say I’ll miss this dry heat.”
Gonzo chuckled. “You haven’t experienced dry heat until you’ve spent a summer in my hometown, amigo.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re part lizard.”
“Desert rat,” Gonzo corrected him. “And proud of it.”
Justin accepted the canteen of water Gonzo handed him. He had a whole new appreciation for the joys of drinking from a closed container rather than an open bowl, and he savored every drop.
“Justin?”
He turned at the sound of Raaveen’s voice. She, Paaw and Sparw stood in a semi-circle next to the last remnants of the greenhouse. He was pleased to see that the dark smudges were gone from under their eyes and their faces had lost the haggard look they’d developed while they were with the Meer.
“Hey, Raaveen. What’s up?”
She stepped forward. “We thank you.”
He frowned. “Thank me? For what?”
“For guard us. For watch out for us with Meer.” Her accent made the name come out sounding like Meeeer.
He winced. “Actually, I did a pretty terrible job of that.”
All three shook their heads. “You care for us,” Paaw said. “You make us safe.”
Well, she was right about the caring part. He couldn’t seem to help it. “You cared for me, too,” he reminded her. “I should be thanking you.”
Her smile was a beautiful thing, especially since he hadn’t seen it in a while. “Heal you is easy. You is like us.”
Like us. Except he wasn’t. Not really. And that was part of the problem. He wasn’t part of their world, and soon, he wouldn’t be part of their lives, either. The upcoming trip was simply delaying the inevitable. And that knowledge was breaking his heart.
The teens, however, had no way of knowing they were torturing him with their gratitude. So he treasured every word for the jewels they were. “Yeah, I like you, too,” he said with a smile.
They all laughed, as he’d intended. God, it felt good to hear their laughter again. And if his heart was cracking in two, well, that was life.
The Chains of Freedom (Starhawke Rising Book 2) Page 17