Page 84 of Border Control

My gaze slides back to the farmhouse. Law-rah is inside, a storm of feeling, but I know from experience those sharp daggers of rage will turn into horrible black and blue spikes of regret and self loathing.

‘She needs help,’I say.

‘Nevare needs help,’Arik snaps back. ‘He needsyou,but not like this.’

My stomach twists. I’m failing my purpose. I realize, in the dark corners of my mind, that I’m putting Law-rah first, because she meets my needs.

I’m being unforgivably selfish.

The male humans leave, leaving El-len shaking in the cold. Ilia would want me to ensure his mate was safe and well, so I put my hands over her head to block what I can of the rain.

“Hey there,” she greets me quietly. “I guess you saw all that?”

I nod once. “Law-rah female’s blow was considerable.”

Instead of celebrating, El-len winces like she just heard some of the scrapes of high-pitched feedback from our mind sync. “I really don't know what's going on with her.”

I should stay silent. It's not my place to say anything.

But if it would help Law-rah, then I have to.

Scales squirming, I manage, “She requires assistance.”

El-len heaves a long suffering sigh. “She's always been a control freak, needing things to go a certain way—her way. But we're her best friends and I had no idea she was this angry about some asshole at her firm. I mean, I know he must have done something to deserve it, I trust her that much… but I didn't know. And I don't know what she's thinking now.”

She brushes her fingers through the wet fur of the starhound’s ears. They must be talking in their own private bond, but I can't sense the communication flowing between them any more than they would be able to sense Law-rah's entanglement in the mind sync.

I don't know what my human mistress is thinking either. While I can sense a seething knot of anger, Law-rah's psychic shield remains firm, as if she's locked herself in a mental room. There are layers of secrets between Law-rah and her contemporaries, and evidently borders she maintains, but I didn’t realize these applied even to her closest confidantes.

No wonder she hates having us in the bastion of her mind.

A pulse of fear lances down the bond. Arik snaps,‘Dom, ship approaching!’A beat, and then‘Ilia's orders are to protect El-len.’

As soon as I get the order, I grab the small human and bundle her under my arms. The starhound barks with surprise but stiffens, nose turned upward into the downpour.

Which halts above us in a wide circle.

“What’s wrong?” El-len peers up from underneath my shoulder.

“Olorian ship.” I scale up hard.Drok na, we need Nevare to sweep their minds and gauge their intentions. They must have their own Apex to zero in on us so quickly.

“Surprise!” A ship uncloaks above us, a shimmering black pearl hovering in the rain, and a magnified high-pitched voice sounds from the ship speakers. “Ciao! It’sa me, Arabella!”

Snorts and snuffles sound over the system as the tiniest human dissolves into laughter.

“Very funny.” Gara’s dry voice rings out, and I nearly yell with surprise. He’s alive? “I’m coming in to land adjacent to the barn, over the garden. Is clearance granted?”

“Yes!” El-len yells, wriggling out of my arms. “A million times yes! Welcome home!”

I follow close on the human’s heels into the garden. Fierce hot jets of air shove us back as the ship auto-lands. I shield El-len, squinting as if I can see through layers of metal to my crew mate and his charge.

When the door shimmers open and Gara steps out, my knees buckle. “You’re alive. Thank the All-Mother.”

“Quite literally.” Gara thumps me on the back, his hits stronger than before. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s an impossibility to see you.” He’d broken so many laws by returning, and yet here he stands, alive, with not a single scale on his throat out of place.

Arra-bellah bounces out, hale and well. She and El-len embrace, jumping and emitting high shrieks. As they don’t seem distressed, I label these as enjoyment behaviors.