Page 2

‘Dammit, Henrik!Help him!’she shouted at me one more time, and the complete helplessness in her tone was what finally propelled me into action. I doubted my skills were enough to save him, but I could at least try. None of us wanted to lose Bromm. He was our friend, but there was more to consider due to his royal status. The consequences of the death of a royal would be extreme, even a prince as far down the line of succession as him.

‘Lay him flat,’ I ordered, and though she was reluctant to let him go she did as she was told.

I pressed my hands over his heart and pushed, timing the chest compressions in the same practiced way I’d done many times before. I shoved the fact that I was working on someone I cared about to the side, my own emotions clouding my ability to focus. He didn’t need a friend right now, he needed a medical professional.

‘When I say, tilt his head back, pinch his nose closed and blow into his mouth,’ I told her.

She nodded, the movement jerky with her frantic energy. ‘Okay.’

Three. Two. One. ‘Now.’

She breathed deeply into his mouth and his chest rose as the air filled his lungs. My fingers were already at the pulse point on his wrist, but there was no response so I started the process again.

Three. Two. One. ‘Again.’

His chest rose even higher this time, Artemis blowing even more air into him as if that would make his lungs constrict and release on their own.

Still no pulse.

We tried again and again with no luck. Until…

There. An almost imperceptible flutter in his wrist. A flicker of a pulse.

‘I’ve got something!’ I yelled, utterly astonished. I had worked on him just for the sake of saying I’d done everything I could, but I’d not actually expected it to work. ‘I’ve got a pulse!’

‘Oh, thank the stars,’ Artemis whispered, her relief so strong she crumpled on the floor beside her lover, one hand still connected to his face as if she were afraid she’d lose him again if she let go.

But as we were talking I felt his pulse begin to falter again. He wasn’t out of the woods yet.

‘Where’s the infirmary?’ I asked, my tone stronger and more assertive than it had ever been before.

‘I saw it on the way in,’ Colonel Hum’Rit said, and I realised for the first time since seeing Artemis, Bromm and Foryk in difference stages of collapse that there was a small crowd surrounding us. Including Cadmus, whom I hadn’t realised had followed me in.

I also noted the state of the second ship’s hangar door and knew Artemis was needed elsewhere. We still needed to get off Nova Station as quickly as possible.

I started barking out orders, the bigger picture forming in my mind. Everyone would have a part to play in this, and not everyone was going to like their assignment. ‘Cadmus, you carry Bromm. Colonels, raid this ship for medical supplies. Anything you can find, I don’t care what it is, bring it to me. Colonel Hum’Rit, lead the way to the infirmary.’

Cadmus scooped the Griknot prince into his arms, firmly securing him to his body despite the way Bromm flopped about limply at the slightest shift in movement. He took a step onto the other ship with Artemis close behind, but I braced myself to stop her.’

‘Arty, I’m sorry, but you can’t come.’

She rounded on me, a snarl pulling back her lips to reveal straight white teeth I knew would do a lot of damage if I didn’t tread carefully. ‘The fuck I can’t.’

I gentled my tone to keep her from lashing out further. ‘We still need to get off the station.’

I could see the war raging inside her, but she didn’t move after Bromm when Cadmus took him further inside the ship. That was a good sign.

I nodded at her once, attempting to show her my appreciation through my expression. I was fairly sure it didn’t land, but at least I could say I made the effort.

Xander spoke up then, cutting through the tension though he didn’t disperse it. Keeping Artemis in my sights – because let’s face it, she was still the most dangerous predator in the room despite the Kikshrut at her heels – I turned to face the captain as he addressed us. ‘I need to round everyone up and get them on the ship.’

Though his face was still pale and there was a tremor in his muscles, his voice was strong and steady. He strode off to do just that, leaving me alone with the Kikshrut and a very agitated Arty. I opened my mouth to say something, though I hadn’t quite figured out what, but she interrupted me before I could even make a sound.

‘Go. He needs you.’

My jaw slammed shut, my teeth clacking together with the force, but I nodded and moved to follow the others.

Before I could get too far, she grabbed my arm, her grip gentle despite her white knuckles. ‘If anything happens to him…’