by Maven, Ella
“Zecri!” I shouted and he rose from the pile of bodies, covered in a slick sticky liquid, to gaze at the new set of attackers. Even from at a distance, I could see the anger darken his features. He wouldn’t make it to me in time, and the aircraft still wasn’t ready to go. The guards were swearing behind me, leading me to believe there was an issue. Which was great. Just fucking great.
“Sibbie?” Came Riven’s voice, and I clutched her to me tighter just as she ripped a hole wider in the pack and stuck her head out.
“No,” I frantically tried to cover her. “Stay inside.”
“What’s going on?” she slapped my hands away and just then, Haub turned around. His eyes landed on her and he went statue still.
I didn’t say a word, only wrapped my arms around Riven and gave him my fiercest mama bear look.
His gaze slowly lifted to mine and something like resignation crossed his face. He tilted his chin up and then brought it down in a decisive nod. With one last look at Riven, he took off at a dead sprint down the ramp.
* * *
Zecri
I watched as Kilzer and Wargo approached. The most precious things in my life were behind me, and I’d kill anything intent on harming them. I felt a presence at my side, and I glanced over to see Haub drawing his laser gun up to aim.
His jaw was set, and he stared straight ahead. “I saw her.”
Panic seized me. “Who?”
“Now I know why you were willing to work with me. Because of the child.”
I reacted without thought. My hand gripped his throat until his eyes bulged. “If you harm her—”
“No,” he sputtered. “Let me talk, will you?”
I loosened my grip only slightly, and he wriggled before giving up. “I had intended to fight for you, but now that I saw her… You will get off this planet, Drixonian. I promise. Now let me go before you choke me. I have some enemies to kill.”
I shoved him away, and he stumbled before righting himself and fixing his coat. I pointed a finger at his face. “Don’t think this makes us even.”
“I wouldn’t even dream of it,” he muttered.
As the vehicles drew closer, he lifted his laser gun. Squinting with one eye, he took a shot. At first, I thought he missed, until a spark flew from the front of Kilzer’s vehicle, and the entire thing tilted to the right before plowing into the sand.
One by one, he picked off the remaining vehicles, but that didn’t stop the attacks, who appeared from the wrecked hover crafts stumbling and pissed off. “How much longer?” Haub looked to the dock, and one of his guards answered. “Not long. Hold them off as long as you can.”
Haub sighed as he pulled a curved blade from his cloak. “Ready?”
I swiped my bloody machets on my cloak. “Ready.”
We met the first attackers head on, a squad of Plikens who I knew were Wargo’s guards. I slashed at them with my machets and tail, tearing into their guts and throats with abandon.
Beside me, Haub fought smart and fast. Uldani were not known as fighters, but Haub was quick with a blade and light on his feet. He took out a few Plikens on his own without my intervention. I gave him an impressed look and he seemed to preen. But we didn’t have time as the second wave, a smatter of Gattrix from Kilzer’s household, hit us with a vengeance.
They were harder to kill, with tough exoskeletons that resisted my machets until I put all my strength into them. Haub had a harder time and took a few blows to the body before he was able to stab his attacker.
I glanced over to find him stumbling. “Go back to the ship,” I growled at him.
“What? No way,” he snarled.
“You’ll die here.”
He rounded on me with a bloody nose and an injured leg. “I came here prepared to die to get you to safety.”
I went still at his words even as a second group of Plikens began a steady sprint toward us while warbling a war cry. “What did you say?”
“I will die here if it means you, that human, and that child get to safety.”
“No,” I whispered as anger rose in me, red hot. “No! You will not die for me!”
“Well, that’s not up to you.” He spit out a bloody wad. “Now fight, Drix.”
I went at the new attackers with a deep-seated anger that had me slicing into them with abandon. But this time, the attacks kept coming, appearing from the downed vehicles as if they were cloning themselves.
Beside me, Haub bled from every limb, yet he didn’t stop. I took a blade to the side and could feel my hot blood dripping down my leg to pool in my boot.
A shout went up from behind us, and I turned to find the spacecraft shuddering, alive. “Zecri!” Sybil’s voice could be heard over the sounds of the fight. “It’s time. Get back now!”
I picked up Haub by the collar and began to run back to the ramp. But before I could reach the dock, Wargo stepped into my path, flanked by two dozen Pliken guards. Where were they all coming from? I skidded to a halt, in pain, and furious.
“Leave!” I shouted to the spacecraft.
“Zecri,” Haub panted.
“You owe me reparations,” I snarled. “Tell them to leave now.”
Haub inhaled sharply. “Take off!” He rasped in a ragged shout.
Wargo directed a few Plikens up the ramp, but the door to the spacecraft was already closing.
I could see Sybil turn frantic as the door shut. Her mouth opened, and I saw her lips say my name and heard the distant sounds carry the distance. Riven’s blue face swam in my vision. I’d never see her again, but it didn’t matter as long as they were safe. I felt a pang in my cora, and my knees shook. This was it. My mission. I should have felt happy I’d completed seeing them off, so why did I hurt so much?
“Get them!” Wargo shouted, but it wasn’t going to happen. Haub and I would die here, but at least I knew Riven and Sybil would get to Corin and be happy. Have a future—
Suddenly the door to the spacecraft halted before slamming open again. “Riv!” Sybil’s voice shouted, and my body froze up in shock as Riven flew from the door to land on the ramp with a thud. “We can’t leave Zecri!” she cried.
“Riv!” Sybil’s voice came again from inside the spacecraft, panicked.
“I won’t leave you!” Riven shouted, locking eyes with me.
“Get her!” Wargo shouted to the Pliken guards hauling themselves up the ramp.
“Sybil!” I cried.
With her blonde hair flying, she leapt from the spacecraft and reached Riven’s side, but something had come over the chit, something I recognized a second too late. Something I never thought I’d see again.
With her fists tense and her eyes glowing in the moonlight, her whole body seemed to swell and shimmer. Her chest heaved and her hair swirled around her head like it was alive and then she opened her mouth and let out a high-pitched scream.
Immediately, the Plikens, Rogastix, and Gattrix around me collapsed to the ground, holding their ears as they screamed in agony. In my grip, Haub writhed and whined. Sybil fell to the ramp on her knees and clutched her head.
As for me, all I could do was answer the call of the Drixonian female. With Haub screeching in pain in my grip, I raced up the ramp. Tossing Haub inside the spacecraft, I picked up Riven and Sybil and dashed inside.
The Uldani guards were on the ground, crying out in pain as Riven’s scream continued.
Only when I shut the spacecraft doors did the sound die down.
Her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed in my arms.
As Sybil groaned at my feet, I initiated the flight sequence. Only when the cruiser disconnected from the dock did I finally sit down, clutching Riven to my chest as her head lolled.
I petted her hair, whispering to her in a soft voice. “You did well, Riven. You did well. Rest now. Rest all you like.”
Twelve
Sybil
My ears rang and my stomach threatened to toss up all its contents. That sound had been… unlike anything I’d heard
in my life. Like nails on a chalkboard but one thousand times louder. And worse. How had Riven made that noise? Riven.
I stretched out of the fetal position and gathered my hands and feet underneath me. The metal floor rumbled at my feet. Nearby I heard weak groans and harsh breathing. My vision swam as I crawled forward. My fingers touched something wet, and I gasped when a severely injured Haub sat slumped against a wall. Nearby were his two guards, writhing with soft moans.
“What the—?”
My sight finally cleared, and I gazed around me, shocked to find we were on the cruiser. Outside of the small port windows I saw a red planet in the distance, growing small as we traveled away.
“Your Drixonians saved our bacon.”
I jerked to face Haub. “What did you just say?”
He stretched his lips into a bloody grin. “I heard one of the human females use that expression once. Did I say it right?”
“You did,” I mumbled.
“Sybil?” Zecri’s voice rapped out my name urgently and giant boots were in front of my face before I was hauled into strong arms. His face swam into view, nubbed brows lowered in concern. “Are you okay?”
“Where’s Riven?” I gasped out. My gaze drifted to a seat at the cockpit, where she sat curled up, her eyes closed. I struggled in Zecri’s grip as panic hit me. “Is she okay?”
“Calm yourself,” he said softly. “She’s fine. Now answer me. Are you okay?”
I guessed I was okay. No bleeding. My ears still rang, and my head pounded something fierce while my stomach remained unsettled. “I’ll be okay. I think I just need some rest.” I met his eyes. “Z, tell me. What was that?”
“We’ll talk later,” he said. “I want to get you and Riven to a room to sleep while I take care of Haub.”
“Ooh, you’re going to take care of me?” Haub’s weak voice held a hint of a tease.
“Shut it, Uldani or I’ll let you bleed out where you sit.”
Haub lips popped out in a pout. “Really? I thought we bonded back there, Drix.”
Zecri huffed out an irritated huff which caused Haub to snort a laugh before he began coughing.
“Put me down, Z,” I said. “I’ll get Riven and I into a room. You’re sure she’s okay?”
“She’s okay, but she needs rest. That took a lot out of her.”
“Took a lot out of all of us,” Haub muttered.
“I thought I told you to shut it?” Zecri growled.
“Right, right. Shutting it.” He grinned at me from behind Zecri’s back, and despite my hatred of the Uldani, this one was growing on me. I’d seen him fight. He’d been prepared to die down there. For us.
“I can stay and take care of Haub—” I began.
Zecri shook his head. “I got it. Go. Rest.”
Once my feet were on the floor, I took a few steps and felt surprisingly steady. I padded over to Riven and drew her into my arms. Teddy lay on the floor, and I scooped him up as I strode down a hallway Zecri directed me to. I walked into the first room, pleased to find a bed pallet and an abundance of furs. After using the expeller, I settled Riven into the bed before curling my body around her. I was asleep within minutes.
* * *
I woke to a gentle poking at my face, and when I opened my eyes, Riven lay awake beside me.
She quickly drew back her finger while nibbling her lip. Teddy was clasped tightly to her chest. “Sibbie?”
I rubbed my eyes and yawned so wide my jaw cracked. “Yeah, honey.”
She looked terrified, and I clasped her face. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“What did I do?” she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. “I was so angry, and I just… I just needed to get the anger out, but I think I hurt you. And a lot of others. Did I hurt you?”
I patted her cheek. “You didn’t hurt me.”
She frowned. “You’re lying. I saw you fall to the ground.”
“Okay, the sound you made hurt my ears, but that’s it.” I stretched out my arms. “See? No injuries.”
She didn’t seem convinced. “What happened?”
I tried to cast my memory back, but it was fuzzy. All I’d been able to focus on was that sound…
“You made a marx.” Zecri’s voice came from behind us, and I turned to see him leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.
“A marx?” Riven echoed.
He walked over to our pallet where he dropped to a crouch on the balls of his feet. “It’s a weapon some female Drixonians had. We have machets and you have… the ability to marx. That sound you made can only be done when you feel like your family is being threatened. It’s a skill not many females had. Male Drixonians are immune to the sound, but to everyone else, it’s crippling.” He reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers. “You saved Haub and I, Riven. You understand that, right?”
“I did?” she whispered.
He nodded. “Haub and I would have been overpowered soon. I was sending you away without me.” He swallowed and his gaze slid to me before it dropped. “And that was the mission, so it would have been okay.”
For some reason, those words hurt me worse than the marx. We were still just a mission to him? “Well, it wouldn’t have been okay with me,” I snapped. “Or Riven. You said yourself she made the marx because she felt like her family was threatened. That’s you. Family. So now it’s your mission not to hurt her family. Which includes you.” I narrowed my eyes because I was pissed. “Dumbass.”
He frowned. “What does dumbass mean?”
I growled low in my throat and pursed my lips.
“It means she’s mad at you,” Riven answered with a sly grin.
“Why?” Zecri turned all his attention on me.
I waved a hand. “Don’t you have to fly this thing or something?”
“Haub and his guards are taking care of it.”
That reminded me. “Is Haub okay?”
“Not sure he’ll ever walk the same again. His leg injury is severe, but he’ll live.”
Riven fussed with Teddy with a furrowed brow. “I can’t be mad at him now.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Haub.” She sniffed. “He fought for us.”
“He did,” I brushed a tear from her cheek.
“Why are you angry with me?” Zecri wasn’t letting it go, but I didn’t want to get into this discussion in front of Riven.
“Can I go see Haub?” Riven asked.
“Yes,” I jerked to my feet, nearly causing Zecri to fall. Gripping Riven’s hand, I hauled her up next to me. “Why don’t we do that? Maybe he can show you some fun things on the cruiser. Would you like that?”
She nodded eagerly, and after dropping Teddy back on the bed pallet, followed me out the door. I heard Zecri make a few grumbling noises before he followed us out.
* * *
Zecri
Haub led Sybil and Riven around the ship, hobbling on his makeshift crutch. He looked like absolute shet, but he still smiled at the females with a big grin that made me want to take his head off. I followed behind, not because I gave a fleck about the tour, but because I didn’t know what else to do.
Sybil and Riven loved the tour. While the cruiser wasn’t large, there was enough for them to ogle over.
Riven was especially fascinated by the cockpit.
Haub settled in one of the chairs and began to show her what all the various controls did. I stared out the front window at the blackness of space. My eyes caught on a few twinkling stars. I never thought I’d be in space again, as I never thought I’d leave Vixlicin alive. But here I was, all because of two brave females.
Sybil stood behind Haub’s chair, listening quietly as Haub spoke to Riven. She hadn’t looked at me the whole time I’d followed them. Not even a glance. No smiles. She was angry, and I couldn’t understand why.
We were all here together and safe. That was what she wanted, right?
I tried to get her attention by clearing my throat, but she ignored me. I shuffled my
feet and made a whistling sound through my teeth. Still nothing, but I could see that her muscles were tense as she gazed resolutely out the front window.
I coughed into my fist. “Sybil”
Still nothing.
I tried again with a louder cough. “Sybil.”
A muscle in her jaw ticked. “Yes?” Her tone was cold, and I hated it.
“Can we…” What did I want? Oh yeah, we should have a conversation. Talk. Something I was not good at. “Can we talk?”
She turned around with fire in her eyes. Her hair whipped my chest, and I backed up. “Fine,” she huffed. “Haub, I have to talk to Z for a minute. Is Riven okay with you?”
He was in the middle of telling Riven about the accelerator, so he only waved his hand at Sybil in response.
She frowned at him, then marched past me to the hallway.
I followed, feeling a bit like a chit who had been scolded.
As soon as we entered the small room, I shut the door behind me. It was a good thing, because she rounded on me, her expression fierce. “I’m mad at you.”
“I… Well, yes, I gathered that. I’m sorry.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Sorry for what?”
I swallowed. “For whatever you’re angry about.”
“Do you know what I’m angry about?” She fisted her hands on her hips.
I nodded and her eyes narrowed dangerously. I quickly changed my answer and shook my head.
“What’s that?” she demanded.
“No, I don’t know. But I’m sorry for whatever it was.”
“That’s not—” she blew out a harsh breath. “You need to know why I’m angry.”
“Please tell me.” I wanted this over. She was scary.
“Out there. You were willing to just… remain behind? Die? That was okay with you?”
I didn’t know what the right answer was. “That was my mission. Always. I told you that.”
Her eyes blinked rapidly, and she looked away before speaking again. “So that’s it? You didn’t have feelings about never seeing us again?”