Helpless to do anything to save the love of his life, Bryce sat on a bench beside his daughter on the shuttle taking them to the carrier. He could still act like a Defender and find out how Katrina had saved her mother, why Lalia still lived.
He gently set a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “You were very brave today. If not for your actions, your mother would be dead.”
“Yeah, I know.” She shrugged his arm off and slid along the bench, away from him.
Cosmos, he had no experience with kids. He’d interacted with Defenders-in-training her age, but they didn’t dare give him attitude. “You should be proud of yourself.”
“For killing?” She stood and slammed her palm against the wall. “That’s twice now since you showed up in my life.”
Fornax, he’d rather fight their enemy than have his daughter mad at him. And although incorrect, he couldn’t fault her logic. “Katrina, the Erebus have one purpose, to kill.” The anguish in her eyes tore at his gut. How did he make her understand? “If we don’t take them out, they will murder everyone they come across simply because they can. When you neutralized the one in the woods, you saved your mother, Gwenodyn, yourself, and countless others.”
Slumping back to the bench, she rested her head in her hands. “Yes, but my dad still died.” She glanced up at him, her eyes wet with the onset of tears. “Or, the man I thought was my dad.”
His poor daughter hadn’t had time to digest anything, yanked from her life on Earth onto a space shuttle, a new planet, and back to a ship. And, now, she didn’t have her mother by her side. Never had the need to comfort someone been so overwhelming to him, but he couldn’t hold his daughter the way he suspected she needed. He had to restrain himself, remain focused on gathering information. “How did you know to use the branch of a ropral tree to kill the Erebus?”
“I didn’t,” she snapped. “I just lucked out, okay?”
Lucky, indeed. Or a natural. No, she couldn’t be. He didn’t want the Defender life for her. “And what about your mother? How much Erebus waste did she have on her? How did you keep her alive?”
“I don’t know.” Her knuckles grew white as she gripped the bench. “Once I, uh... killed the Erebus, I shoved if off her and dragged her to the bunker. I had to get her and the girl there before another one came along.”
She began to rock forward and back. “I found a cloth. And then a tap with running water. I tried to wipe the stuff off before it poisoned her. I thought I was too late, but Gwenodyn assured me she was still alive.”
“And she is.” He rested a hand on one of hers. “We’re not sure how, but she is. Just paralyzed.”
Katrina looked up at him. “Permanently?”
He shrugged, wishing he had more to tell her. “No one knows. Once we reach the carrier, she’ll get the best medical attention. Until then, the staff is doing the best they can with what they have.”
“And what will happen to Hemera? To those who did survive?”
“Some of the Defenders have stayed behind.” As he would have, if not for Lalia. “And other members of the Alliance will come to help rebuild. When your mother is better, she will reign as queen.”
“But what if she doesn’t get better?” Katrina moved closer and rested her head against his arm. “What if she’s stuck in a crippled body?” She shuddered. “Or if....”
Bryce draped his arm across her shoulder. “She’ll get better. We have to believe that.” Because, after imagining the rest of his life with Lalia, he didn’t want to live it any other way.
***
Lalia grunted as she tried to move her hands, her feet, anything. Her toes and fingertips burned like someone held a flame to them. And while she hoped her paralysis faded, she fought with every ounce of strength for one simple movement.
“Okay, enough for now.” Naf pulled the sensors from her head and chest. “We’ll be meeting up with the carrier soon and we need to get you strapped to the bed and ready to move.”
Okay. She relaxed her muscles, thankful the Alliance employed Mingots. Without Naf to relay her thoughts, Bryce might have believed Gwenodyn nuts, and her on the brink of death. Maybe she had been during the moments she didn’t remember, between the Erebus grabbing hold of her and waking in the bunker. But, she would go crazy if she remained trapped in her body without the ability to move it.
Naf left her side and walked over to Bryce who stood against the wall with his arms crossed. Was he mad at her for not trying hard enough?
“She’s quite the fighter,” the Mingot said to Bryce.
“I know. She always has been.” His jaw shifted. “But she shouldn’t have to be. None of this should have happened. If only—”
“Hey!” Naf held a hand up to Bryce. “This is not the place or time for such a discussion. When Lalia is better, you can debate planetary issues. Until then, focus on her recovery. You can start by helping me to strap her onto the bed for transfer.”
Bryce pursed his lips, and, without another word, helped the other Defender buckle her in. But Lalia knew that look. He had a lot to say but held his tongue. If only what? she wanted to scream. What had he meant? What could have been done to prevent the murder and destruction of her home planet? So many of her people? Or had he referred to another matter entirely?
She had to get better, find out what he’d meant, and help the surviving Hemera ensure there would never be another attack on her planet again.
Chapter Eight
Bryce paced the corridor while he waited for word from the medical staff. So many people had been in and out of Lalia’s room since arriving on the carrier. The last update he’d received revealed she had been washed clean of the Erebus waste and they’d inserted an IV to clean her body of the poison left behind. Miraculous, they’d pronounced her survival. But no one could answer why or how.
Katrina slept on a cot in Lalia’s room, drained from donating as much blood as she could safely give to save her mother. Another brave feat for his daughter. He couldn’t be more proud and didn’t know how much longer he could keep their family ties a secret. When the medics had tested her blood to see if she matched types with her mother, they’d discovered her father was not from Earth, but Kalara. In a matter of time, they would seek out the identity of her true dad.
He would never deny her parentage, but until someone confronted him, he didn’t plan on revealing the fact. Defenders led a hard and very lonely life. The camaraderie kept him safe but never completely happy. His daughter deserved better, regardless of how easily she’d downed an Erebus.
He paused in front of the doorway and stared in at them. Cosmos, how he wished he hadn’t missed out on the last eighteen Earth years. Perhaps his time as a Defender wouldn’t have been so lonely if he’d had them waiting for him at the end of each mission. No, that would have never happened; the King of Hemera hadn’t wanted his daughter to wed a Defender. He’d sent her away, pregnant with his child.
Placing a hand on the doorjamb, he leaned against it. Everything happened as fate meant it to. He couldn’t imagine knowing he had a daughter on Hemera and never being allowed to see her. Or, worse, learning Lalia had been forced to terminate her pregnancy.
Focused on the rise and fall of Lalia’s chest, Bryce ignored the bright display of lines and numbers behind her head. While the doctors monitored her organs and how they functioned as the new blood pushed out the poison, they wouldn’t tell him when and if the love of his life would recover. He simply thanked the universe for whatever unknown force had kept her alive. Defenders had tried to save victims of an Erebus attack without any success. But his daughter had found a way, a method she refused to share or perhaps didn’t remember. Whatever she’d done, she’d allowed him another chance with Lalia.
A sudden movement caught his attention. Lalia’s toes twitched under the bed-sheet. Then both her feet flexed as if she’d stretched them.
Bryce shook his head and blinked hard. Had he imagined the movements in his exhausted state? After all, he hadn’t sle
pt since leaving Hoggins. He glanced up and down the hallway to see if any of the medical staff worked nearby. No one. Yet, he didn’t want to chase anyone down if he’d simply imagined her motion.
Then she lifted her arm and rubbed a hand across her face. She’d actually moved. His eyes hadn’t played tricks on him.
“Lalia.” He rushed to her side and pressed the alert button on the way past. “Lalia, I’m here. Are you okay?”
“C-c-cold.” Her teeth chattered. Convulsions rippled through her body. “So cold.”
Bryce grabbed the blanket at the foot of her bed and draped it over her. Then he climbed on the bed beside her and held her to his chest. No way would he lose her now.
“What are you doing?”
Bryce looked over his shoulder at two of the medical staff, Warwa siblings. “I’m trying to keep her warm. She started shaking, said she was cold.”
“We need you off the bed, Major,” the female doctor said in a calmer voice than her brother. “We need to examine her, see what’s changed and how we can help her.”
“Sure.” He rose from the bed and moved to the other side, closer to his daughter. With the twins in Lalia’s room, he knew she would be well cared for. Warwas dedicated every second to accomplishing their task. In this moment, getting the princess healed and back on her feet. His goal as well. And her brief words and movements were a good start.
***
Bryce stared, his jaw hanging open like all of the other Defenders standing with him outside the training room, watching Katrina through the one-way mirror. No one in the Alliance would believe a half-Hemera girl raised on Earth would have the agility and fierceness to battle the Erebus the way his daughter did. Or at least the holographic ones attacking her as part of the Defender training program. And not the beginner level, but one Bryce recommended for his squad.
The bulky Erebus hologram lunged at Katrina, swinging its tentacles wildly. With ease, his daughter spun out of its reach, somehow avoiding getting caught up in any part of the creature. Then she launched herself onto its back and slammed the zuranium blade into its thick, knurled chest, a perfect kill, but not one any Defender usually made. They preferred the safety of distance, using the bow or plazer. But, Katrina favored the blade, bringing her in close contact with her target. Brave or stupid, he didn’t know, but all the more reason for Bryce to send in his retirement forms and get his daughter away from the Alliance before Kimba drafted her. Kin or not.
She fought well, but had a bit of cockiness. Sure, she had taken down two Erebus with her bare hands, but she hadn’t yet found herself surrounded by a large group with no chance of escape, wondering if the beady red eyes of the gruesome creatures circling her would be the last thing she would ever see. Regardless of how many times he had battled the Erebus and studied their behavior, the enemy remained unpredictable, always finding new ways to end the lives of his fellow Defenders and countless innocent natives on planets across the universe.
Stepping back from the crowd, Bryce pressed on his com unit. While he’d filled out the forms on his way back from Tuey, he hadn’t found the nerve to send them in. His squad needed him as much as Lalia and his daughter. Now, he had no choice.
With the tap of his finger, he transmitted the forms. And the waiting game started. He couldn’t stand the stress of listening to the mixed comments from the other Defenders. Most couldn’t believe her skill and bravery. Others doubted her talent, claimed her a show-off using the easiest level. Fear of revealing their secret kept him from jumping to her defense. So, he headed to the medical wing to visit Lalia.
She opened her eyes and smiled the moment he walked into the room. Involuntary again, or could she now move on her own?
Bryce smiled back, anxious for the day she left that bed and joined him in his, curled up next to him, panting in his arms from the multiple orgasms he’d given her. Stars, he craved her so bad. No one before or after Lalia had made him reconsider his life plans. Together, they had plotted to do so much good. Now, they could.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Good,” she croaked.
Though, with her wince, he failed to believe her words.
Standing beside the bed, he curled his fingers around hers. She smiled again but could not squeeze in return. Not even one finger.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He brushed hair away from her face. “I’m just glad you’re still alive.”
A quick glance around confirmed both doctors absent. He finally had a chance to talk to Lalia alone. A perfect time to reveal his news.
Still holding her hand, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I did it. I sent in my retirement forms. We can hopefully be together now.”
He felt pressure around his fingers and gasped. She’d actually squeezed his hand. A huge step in her journey of recovery. Far more important than the news he’d shared. “You moved?”
A tear trickled down her cheek. “Because I’m very happy.”
He wiped away the drop and kissed her lips this time, his soul rejoicing at the faint response he’d received from her. “You truly are an amazing woman.”
“Katrina.... How is she doing?”
Bryce’s gut clenched at the change in topic. He couldn’t reveal where he’d spotted their daughter. “She’s fine. Anxious for you to be back on your feet, too.”
Lalia didn’t need to worry about her fighting holographic Erebus and wandering the halls at night, simply her own recovery. He would look out for Katrina, get her far away from the Alliance as soon as possible.
***
Lalia’s entire body tingled, like it had fallen asleep and the blood started to circulate through it again. She flexed her fingers and toes, willing the pricking sensation away. Better than not being able to move at all but nowhere near ready to lead the people of Hemera, a role expected of her after the Erebus had killed every member of her family except Katrina.
Kimba, the leader of the Galactic Alliance, had already visited her and pledged Defender support and financial aid to Hemera. Though many years had passed since her leadership training, she would be coroneted Queen. Her people needed her to help the community recover and flourish, and she needed to get out of bed.
The female Warwa doctor rubbed a cold gel into the soles of her feet. “And what are you feeling now?”
“The pins and needles are going away.” Excitement rolled through her belly. After what felt like an entire month stuck in a mostly unresponsive body, she yearned to be up on her feet again. “Whatever you’re rubbing in is warm, but not painful. I can feel it spreading up my legs.”
“Good, that’s what we want.” The doctor moved to her side and took Lalia’s hand, massaging the gel into her palm. “When you think you’re ready, I want you to try and bend your knee.”
With shaking muscles, Lalia lifted her knee off the bed. Not a huge movement, but the first time she’d willfully moved her legs. After the blood transfusion, talking had come back first, but the rest of her body took longer to heal. She lifted the other knee slowly until her feet were beside each other on the bed. Nowhere near ready to do hip raises, but she could move again. “How’s this?”
“Wonderful. The fact you survived the Erebus attack is a miracle in itself. Everything you accomplish now is beyond anything we had ever hoped.”
More than Lalia had expected after the ugly creature bore down on her, but since she’d survived, she refused to give up.
After the doctor finished massaging the other hand, she pressed a button on the side of Lalia’s bed. “I’m going to lift your head up. You did well in moving your legs, but let’s see how far you can raise your arms.”
In her mind, Lalia lifted her arm straight up, like a child who knew the answer to a teacher’s question. Reality left her arm muscles fighting against the artificial gravity of the carrier, her hand shaking vehemently. “This is much harder.” She hated to admit such weakness, yearned to be back on her feet and helping her people get past
the devastation to the planet.
“It’s okay.” The doctor rested a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve come so far already, but it’s going to take time for you to rebuild muscle. Once we’re sure you’re healed, we’ll get a physical therapist to help get you back on your feet.”
A moment Lalia looked forward to. She had a planet to heal. Plus, Bryce had handed in his retirement documents. He wanted to live on Hemera with her and Katrina. They’d be a family as she’d longed for since the first time she’d made love to him.
“Mom, you’re sitting up.” Katrina rushed into the room and hugged her.
Concentrating as hard as she could, Lalia lifted her trembling arms until she rested her hands on her daughter’s back. She couldn’t hold them up for long before the generated gravity pulled them back down.
Katrina gasped and stood up straight. “You’ve got some movement back.”
The sparkle in her eyes overshadowed the paleness of her face and dark circles under her eyes. Her daughter had saved her twice, and the physical signs started to show. Yet Lalia worried even more about her mental state, Gwenodyn sharing that Katrina wandered the corridors of the carrier by herself instead of sleeping. But nothing had been easy for Katrina since the day she’d left her home planet. Bryce hadn’t noticed, but she couldn’t expect him to. He didn’t know Katrina the way she did.
“Yes, but how are you holding up?” She yearned to hold her daughter in her arms, find out all about her day.
“Fine. I keep telling you that.”
“And I don’t believe you.” Katrina had plenty of time to rest, yet, for some reason, she failed to take advantage of the situation. She didn’t even hang out in the Defender’s lounge the way she had before the attack. Lalia gently patted the bed. “Come, sit beside me.”
BRYCE (Galactic Defenders Book 1) Page 7