Grantian’s not slowing us down, we’re able to quickly navigate the darkened, twisting halls. We burst out of the building just as the sun’s beginning to rise. As we exit, the disembodied voice advises we have one minute to clear the building by at least half a klick. My mind reels with the thought of exactly how I’m going to run that far in a minute’s time, as I’m not even remotely athletic, but I immediately notice that the Queen has been moved closer to the entrance of the building. Her engines are already roaring, as if Swipt has the takeoff controls engaged but his foot planted firmly on the brake until we arrive on board.
Solair must have advised him to be ready for a quick takeoff at some point during my capture. He’s not the captain for nothing.
The six of us hightail it onto the ship, meeting up with Montier who’s evidently been waiting for us. As soon as we’ve all cleared the door his fingers fly over the control panel next to it, engaging the mechanisms to pull up the ramp and secure the exit.
“All crew, brace for a rough takeoff. Shit’s about to get real bumpy, real fast!”
That’s Swipt’s voice over the ship-wide comms system. I look over to Solair and Zander who are still holding my very pale mate.
“There’s no time. We have to get him to the medbay!” I yell.
They both look at me like I’ve completely lost my mind, but I move so quickly and with such purpose that neither of them try to stop me. Instead of locking into the jump seats in the hold as Varia, Fiona, and Montier do, Solair, Zander, and I take off deeper into the ship in the direction of the medbay.
“Nicari, we’re incoming. Grantian’s going to need your help. Prepare for possible surgery and for all the gods’ sakes, don’t injure yourself in the process!” Solair says into his comms cuff.
We’re thrown to and fro as the Queen rockets back into the atmosphere but manage to stay upright. Both Kilgari let out a string of curses a mile long but press on.
Nicari is ready and waiting when we finally make it to the medbay. Grantian lets put a yelp of pain as Solair and Zander lower him onto a prepared stretcher, his normally vibrant skin now so pale and clammy.
I push the two males out of the way and take his hand, squeezing his fingers in mine.
“You’re going to be okay. We’re back on the Queen now. Nicari’s going to make you as good as new,” I whisper to him, tears now flowing freely down my cheeks.
He barely has the strength left to look at me, but his eyes gaze into mine for a moment before he lifts a bloody hand to caress my cheek.
“Lamira, I—” is all he says before he passes out.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Grantian
For the first moment after opening my eyes I’m not sure where I am. Everything is too bright, too white, and smells too clean. It’s too quiet, except for a steady, yet intermittent beeping sound coming from somewhere behind me.
My head pounds so hard I can barely find the strength to focus. I wish someone would turn down the damn lights. I want to say as much, but my mouth feels like a desert. My tongue is indeed stuck to the roof of my mouth, which makes swallowing difficult and talking even more so.
I wish I could keep my eyes open long enough to figure out where I am. I’ve never liked not knowing my whereabouts, which is likely what made me such a good soldier back in my days with the Hael Hounds. I was always the one studying maps and doing reconnaissance because forewarned is forearmed.
My memories come back to me slowly as I come to consciousness. The last thing I recall is rescuing Lamira from those Vakutan-Odex hybrids. She jumped into my arms and then noticed I’d been hurt and then… Then what happened? After that, everything went dark. Did we make it out of the facility on Solace? Did she make it out?
The thought of her brings me fully back to my senses. I force my eyes open and survey the room, despite the burning light. Now that I’m hellbent on figuring out what happened, I start to recognize my surroundings. The room I’m in looks an awful lot like the medbay aboard the Ancestral Queen, but it couldn’t be. Could it?
I push myself up into a semi-seated position,