Page 15 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)

Chapter Fifteen

ROWAN

I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here, but I’m holding on to my sanity by a thread. The repetitious motion of combing Ruby’s hair is the only thing I can focus on right now. Movement catches my attention as Ruby’s eyelids begin to flutter. Relief fills me when her eyes open and she looks up at me.

“ How long was I out?”

“ Long enough to scare the shit out of me.”

My voice is raspy with disuse and the heavy weight pressing down on my chest. I’ve been struggling to fill my lungs for a while, but there isn’t anything I can do about that right now … maybe not ever.

“ Did I miss anything?”

Answering her, I gently run my fingers over her cheek. “ No , they dumped us in here and that’s the last I’ve seen of them. I’m pretty sure the ship launched a little bit ago. The air got weird there for a second and then I felt weightless. Thankfully , not long after you passed out, your leg stopped bleeding, but your wrist is black, so it must be broken. God , Ruby , what do we do now?”

Shock fills me when tears fill her eyes, and a jagged sob escapes her. “ I’ve failed you.”

“ Oh , please Ruby , if this is anyone’s fault it sure as hell’s not yours. I’m the reason we were in that place to begin with.”

I barely get the last word out before a deep, rasping coughing fit takes hold of me. The taste of pennies fills my mouth as I reach up and wipe bright red blood from my lips. Ruby’s voice is full of sisterly concern as she asks, “ How long has that been going on?”

“ Too long now, I fear. We have enough to worry about right now. You need to rest while you can. Lord only knows what horrors we’re going to be a part of next.”

Stretching out next to Ruby , we cuddle up next to one another, trying to find a modicum amount of comfort in this hellish existence. Her body starts shaking and I gently pull her closer to me, trying to support her the only way I can as my lungs rattle with every breath.

Somehow , we must have both fallen asleep, because the next thing I know, Ruby is pulling me away from the doorway, jarring me from the nothingness of sleep. Those nasty insects are back. I’ve noticed that they seem to like it best when the women scream, as if our rage and terror excite them somehow.

The limp woman that was bitten by the Naga is the first to be snatched from the floor and drug out the door. A weak moan escapes her lips, and dismay fills me as I realize she’s still alive. Even after everything she’s been through, poor woman. Two more women are grabbed before they seem satisfied and leave the room.

Ruby and I huddle together across the room from the other human woman. Everyone is too scared to talk, just in case the bugs are listening to us. No one wants to bring their attention back to the inhabitants of this room.

Time drags on and I wonder how long we’ve been trapped on the bug ship. It’s obvious the bugs don’t care if we’re alive or dead. A while back, a couple of the girls demanded food and water … they were both removed from the room and haven’t returned. Which is the same for anyone else they’ve taken from our holding cell.

Once you leave through that door … you don’t come back.

I’m worried about Ruby . Her body is in worse shape than mine, even though I’m slowly suffocating to death and my lungs are deteriorating from whatever I’m allergic to in the air in here. Not to mention the fact that we don’t have any facilities to relive ourselves. So , the additional stench of waste is making it even harder for me to breathe. As it is, I can get only the shortest of breaths in me, and each tiny inhalation burns like someone is shoving hot coals down my airway.

I guess I should be concerned about the fact that I’m no longer hungry or thirsty, but this isn’t the first time I’ve been deprived of those two things. Unfortunately , I’m semi-conditioned to suffer.

Ruby however, is not. I know her leg is infected because of the red streaks and the fact that she can barely move it. She’s also dangerously dehydrated; her lips dry and cracked.

We’ve been left alone for a while now. The other bugs ignore our dual huddle across the room and have been selecting women from the large group closer to the door. There isn’t much else to do but sleep to pass the time. I’m currently dozing, my mind in that comforting space between sleep and wakefulness, as Ruby gently plays with the ends of my hair.

The swoosh of the door opening pulls me awake as Ruby grabs me and pulls me closer to her. My eyes land on the main bug. The one that stabbed Ruby in the leg when they took us. It seems to be scanning the room, like it’s looking for something … or someone.

An almost gleeful sound comes from its mouth when it spots Ruby and I huddled together. Ruby , ever the big sister, pushes me behind her just as the it reaches us and spears her through the shoulder with one of its giant arms. It yanks her limp body from me as it holds her suspended up in the air by her shoulder.

She doesn’t even scream out in pain. That’s how far gone my beloved sister is. I can’t just stand here and do nothing!

“ Let her go, you prick!”

I try to scream, but it comes out more of a mangled huff since I can’t take a deep enough breath to yell. Launching myself off the ground, I slam into the bug, hitting it with all my might as I ignore the pain that landing against its chitinous body causes me. Screeching anger, it whirls and hits me with its tail, launching me across the room where I slam into the wall. The crack of my head against the unforgiving metal reverberates around the room.

The last thing I see is the giant bug approaching me as I lose consciousness.