“Sorry, so sorry, darkness—the darkness is always coming for me. You’ll stay and protect me, won’t you, Little Light, me and Bakkar? Yes, protect us. Bakkar, can’t you feel it?” I murmur.
“Hold on, I’m going to get us into the air and away from this wretched planet as quickly as we can,” Sev warns, before leaving me with Little Light. I close my eyes as the okkren starts to rumble beneath us, and then we are rising. I anchor myself to the floor with my hands and legs, keeping Little Light in my lap as Dev groans.
“Mate, are you okay?” he calls.
“I’m fine, are you? They look bad,” she admits anxiously, which makes me clutch her closer.
“Nothing I can’t survive,” he teases, turning his head to see us, but his smile falls as he stares at me. “Takkar, I—” He swallows, tears welling in his eyes. “I’m sorry we left you that day, I’m sorry we didn’t come back sooner.” His voice is rough, ragged, and Sev joins us then.
“As am I, elon. We can never make up for the torture you have endured, but we’re here now, together again.”
I fight the madness hazing my mind. I can sense their pain, and I need to take that away from them. It is still my job to protect them. “You did as you were ordered. If you had not obeyed, you would have been tortured with me, but you also would not have found Little Light to save Bakkar and me.” I nod to them. “You did good, elons, very good, didn’t they, Bakkar?”
“Sev, can you look at Dev’s wounds? I will look at Takkar’s,” Little Light calls, and Sev smiles at her nervously.
“Of course, mate. Are you sure…you’ll be okay?” he inquires, glancing up at me and making her laugh.
“He’s a big teddy bear. We’ll be fine,” she answers before standing, her hand in mine as she peers down at me where I sit. “Come, warrior, let me heal you.”
“I am fine,” I assure her, trying to tug her back into my lap.
“I can feel your pain,” she whispers sadly, making me huff.
“I am used to pain, Little Light, so used to it…the agony…the burns…the knives…” I start to lose myself in the darkness again, and then she’s there with her hands on my face.
“Please, for me?” she begs.
I look to Bakkar then. “Elon, what do you think? Shall we let Little Light heal us? Hmm, yes, you are right,” I agree, before focusing back on her. “Very well.” I rise but yank her against me, positioning her behind my body and roaring as a noise sounds close to us.
Sev blinks, reaching down to grab the bottle he dropped. “It’s okay, just us,” he offers calmly.
I relax and feel Little Light stroking my arm. “Come on, warrior, follow me. Let’s go somewhere…quieter.”
I let her pull me through the okkren before I freeze and look back at my elons. “Look after Bakkar while I let Little Light fuss, won’t you? He has been so quiet recently.” I sigh.
They swallow, averting their eyes. “Of course, elon,” Sev murmurs, his voice low.
Little Light leads me to the door in the back, and when it opens with a hiss, I growl, but she pets my hands and pulls me through, letting it shut behind us. She leads me over to a bunk and smiles at me. “Sit, please.”
I do as I’m told, bending and perching on the edge with my hand still in hers. She tries to move away, so I stand to follow, and she laughs. “I will just be over there,” she promises, pointing to a table against the wall as she pushes me back down.
I growl as she tugs her hand free, her eyes flickering to me with every step as she rushes across the room, grabs a box, and then hurries back, crouching between my feet. Happier now, I reach down and pet the fur on her head. “So soft,” I murmur, as she laughs again.
She opens the box, pulls out supplies, and then freezes. “I’m going to treat the wounds I can before we get back,” she explains as she hesitates, her hands hovering over my body before she peers up at me. “I’m sorry, this might hurt.”
“Little Light, pain is my constant, you make it worthwhile.”
I sit still, keeping my eyes on her the whole time she works. She starts with my feet, then moves up my legs and to my chest