Page 22 of Entangled by the Alien Mercenary (Monster Mercenary Mates #4)
Elyssa
“What do you mean?” I demanded of the two males who had come to fetch me from Tass’s bunk. One was a Sune male in his humanoid shape, streaks of a natural pigment decorating his face in interesting patterns. The other was Aramon, whom I’d only met briefly but felt like I knew anyway. The Asrai male was bouncing on the toes of his boots like he couldn’t stay still, his fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides.
“I mean, even with Tass’s change in status, they won’t let us leave the ship,” Aramon said with a snarl that made sharp canine teeth flash in his mouth. “It means those bureaucratic idiots ‘claim’ they will save him themselves. It means we’re sitting on our asses again, if it’s up to them. But we’re not going to let it be up to them. Not this time.” He reached out as if he meant to grab my arm but, at the last moment, refrained. “Come with us.”
My heart was pounding in my throat at the words, aching from the news he’d just delivered. Sit on our hands some more? That wasn’t right, and I didn’t want to accept that kind of decision. I’d napped for an hour, and in that time nothing had changed. Tass needed help now, not next week.
“We have a plan,” the Sune male said, a kinder tone to his voice and an understanding smile in his eyes. This one wasn’t a social mess the way some of the other males aboard this ship were. This guy knew how to talk to people in a charming, polite fashion. “Just come with us, and we’ll explain along the way. My name is Flack. I am the Quartermaster.”
Okay, a name for the face, but that still didn’t fill me with confidence that Tass was going to get the help he needed. Then I shook myself and forced one foot in front of the other—out of Tass’s sleeping quarters and into the gloomy black hallway. I needed to kick this bad habit of distrusting everything and everyone. Tass liked his crew; he trusted them, called them his brothers even. If he trusted them, then so should I. And it wasn’t just Tass—this was Brace’s home too.
“What is this plan?” I said as I began following Aramon while he speed-walked away. The male had no respect for how short my legs were compared to his, but I was okay with that. Hurrying was good. Flack kept pace at my side, his stride adjusted to match mine. He had his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes straight ahead, but I knew he was very aware of my presence. A silky tail swished behind him, the long dark blue plume tipped with white.
“First, we need a distraction,” Flack said, pointing with a thumb at Aramon’s black-clad back and white, skullish head. “He’ll take care of that, then Tass’s rescue party will slip out the back way. And the Viridara will be none the wiser.” That sounded like a grand plan, but I wasn’t certain what my place was in all this. It also filled me with unease since Tass had been convinced no one could leave the ship if a plantist was on guard, and I’d seen one. If that guy had even half of Tass’s skill, I was convinced this plan would fail.
“What do I do?” I asked and was met with a loud, amused laugh from Aramon, as if I’d said something funny, and a bemused glance from Flack. That didn’t bode well. Clearly, neither of them thought I had any part in this. Then why were they escorting me somewhere?
“The captain suggested you observe so you will understand that we leave no male behind,” Flack answered. Ah, so I had offended the Naga captain by questioning him, by demanding he retrieve Tass at once. This was an assurance, but it was also to fix that glaring offense to his reputation. It wasn’t like I didn’t believe he cared, but I felt so helpless that it was easier to lash out.
We’d reached a hangar bay, and inside, chaos seemed to reign. A Unilinial female with lush blue skin and a long braid was overseeing what appeared to be a whole army of tiny robots and drones—at least three dozen of them, some larger than others but all no taller than my knee. She appeared to be controlling them with a datapad, her brow scrunched in concentration, but they were marching around in what appeared to be a completely random fashion.
As soon as she saw us, her expression brightened, and suddenly, all the bots began to line up by the nearest hatch. “Perfect. Aramon, come here. I’ll show you what to do. And you better not get any of my precious bots damaged—not a scratch, hear me?” Aramon grinned and snapped a hand to his chest in what could possibly be interpreted as some kind of salute. From the way the woman pursed her lips, it was obvious she bought that about as little as I did.
She decided not to press the issue but turned to a small hover vehicle with a long, strangely shaped type of wagon behind it. It was clearly supposed to be for cargo, but it was open at the top right now and held straps and supplies tucked against the side, leaving a long space down the middle. Then I spotted the two figures standing behind the hover vehicle; those had to be the rescue party they were going to sneak out during the diversion. I wondered how three dozen silly-looking bots were going to do that, but the Ulinial woman seemed so confident I didn’t ask.
Both males waiting were silent and unmoving. One was an Asrai like Aramon, and he looked nearly identical, so they had to be twins. The only difference, as far as I could see, was that this male had a bit more leanness to him, like he didn’t get enough rest—strung tight like a wire. The figure next to him was eight feet tall, shrouded in shadow and a dark cloak, but I knew who it was right away: Brace.
I was surprised he was there. Although he’d given me that hug I wanted and had briefly talked with me to reassure me earlier today, he hadn’t given me the impression that he’d leave the safety of his galley. To see him standing there meant the world to me. He was the only person I’d ever considered a friend, and he was going to help. Finally, I was beginning to feel like this rescue mission was going to work. I trusted Brace—he’d been a magnificent gladiator when I knew him. He’d be as formidable an opponent to De’tor and his crew as my brave Tass was.
“Thank you,” I said, and his hood-shrouded face dipped in a slow nod of acknowledgment. The other male—the Asrai—stared at me with an intense, fierce look in his red eyes. It made me uncomfortable, and then I saw the small, rolled-up, and worn piece of parchment he was clutching. That looked a little too much like Tass’s work—I could see an edge with some ink. It was a map, drawn in my mate’s precise hand. So the Asrai had a stake in this too. Good.
“Take me with you,” I said in a hushed whisper. I ducked closer to them to ask the question and glanced over my shoulder to make sure that Aramon and Flack were occupied with the bots they were now marching out the door. A part of me knew that I might be a liability rather than a help on a rescue mission, but I couldn’t stand staying behind. Brace shifted his weight on his feet—left, right—a dip of one shoulder, shrugging. Then, his hooded gaze shifted to look at the silent Asrai. When that one bared shockingly sharp teeth in a feral grin, my heart skipped a beat.
“Yes,” he said, hissing the word as if it came from somewhere very deep inside of him. Then he dipped forward and pointed at the cargo trailer and one particular black package lying on the otherwise empty part of the floor. He did not wait to see if I understood or what I’d do, but moved to straddle the hover vehicle and grasp the handlebars. Okay then. Not much of a talker—why was I not surprised?
“Get in and put that suit on. Solear and I figured you’d want to join us. I mean, I think Solear figured, because he brought the armor for you.” Brace whispered the words in a hurry, one of his massive, furred paws urging me toward the trailer by the small of my back. I did not hesitate to obey, tucking myself quickly into the narrow space and clutching the armor against my chest. There was no time to get dressed; I’d have to do that on the road. In a very cramped space, as it turned out, because Brace tucked himself into the compartment with me.
It whisked shut silently, and then I felt the gentle vibrations as the hover vehicle lifted into the air. Brace stuck a data pad between us, and on it, we could see a feed from the exterior of the Varakartoom—the packed dirt that served as its landing pad, the contingent of Viridara guards, and even the plantist standing front and center. Then I saw Aramon march out, followed by his little army of bots. He began gesturing and talking loudly, waving the data pad around.
There was no sound, so I could not hear what was being said, but it was obvious that the Viridara did not like what Aramon had to say. Then the bots started their chaotic milling, and finally, I understood how they thought they could distract the plantist male. At least a dozen of the horde of bots were thumping the earth, either with flat appendages that appeared designed for it or by throwing their compact bodies onto the ground over and over. Vibrations. They had to be rocketing through the area all around the plantist at that moment. That could work.
I held my breath, trying to focus on the feed and on what my body was telling me, but I had no idea if the hover vehicle and trailer were moving or not. If they were, they moved so quietly and with so little humming that they were practically silent. I did not even sense motion, but that had to be deceiving. Not even a full minute later, it was Brace who announced in a growl, “We’re clear.” That meant we were finally on our way to Tass. Hang on, my brave mate—we are coming for you.
***
Tasseloris
When I woke, I felt like I was stuck in a sea of pain—a lake of fire. It was a familiar place to be, but that didn’t make it any easier to force myself to consciousness. Blinking blearily, I vowed to stay away from ravines, shuttle crashes, and surface-to-air missiles from now on. They did not agree with me.
Groaning, I blinked open crusty eyelids and tried to make sense of where I was. My hand ached fiercely, as did the shoulder of that same arm. I could still feel my fingers, which was a good sign—but move it? I doubted that. It was dark around me, and assessing my injuries took a backseat when I saw the rocky wall of the cliff I was hanging from. Oh, blazing stars, I remembered what had happened… That coward of a Tahirel falling to his death, De’tor and his army of laser rifles shooting me as I hung here. How many holes had my body obtained? And how would I get out of here?
My sails hung in shreds around me; they’d taken the brunt of the fire. What remained of my armor had done a good job of absorbing a lot of it too—even the bark pieces Cyperus had made for me had held up well. But my head ached badly; my Iridese on the left side were nonresponsive, as if they’d been burned clean off. I was missing a whole section of hair, and enough burns had penetrated that my entire body was a sea of pain.
The ravine wall was craggy and dotted with protruding roots. If I could free my arm, and if I didn’t feel like I was dying, I would be able to climb that. Breathing deeply through my nose, I tried raising my free arm to get another hold. I had to relieve the pressure on my left arm; it was going to lose circulation if this lasted any longer. Groaning, I swung my hand up, grasping at roots, but I was so weak I couldn’t make my fingers close around anything—it just slipped away.
My backpack lay somewhere at the bottom of the ravine, and even if I could reach it—and the medkit—it wouldn’t do any good. I’d run out of replenishing stimulants from Dravion, and I couldn’t reach most of my wounds to treat them, as most were located on my back and shoulders. The head wound was the most troublesome, as my vision kept going blurry. That was not a good sign. What time was it, anyway? De’tor had left me for dead. Had it been long enough for the Varakartoom to finally send aid?
A soft squeak made me twitch my head up, and for a moment, I thought I was seeing pink flowers. When I blinked, they were gone, and I was certain I’d imagined it. Nelly, if she was safe, was my closest ally. Could I send her to the grove to get help? It certainly wouldn’t look good to Cyperus and the Sire to have gotten this injured on the job within hours of leaving. But they were the closest people who could help. Would I last long enough for Nelly to travel there and back?
Something nudged against my lip, and I drew back, my mouth opening as pain throbbed hard and fast through my skull. A taste—harsh and bitter—spread across my tongue, then became familiar as I instinctively sucked and chewed. Haysher leaves—their bitterness spreading a delightful numbness through my aching flesh. The headache began to recede, and with it, my vision stopped dancing. I saw her then, though I’d already known it from the leaves. Nelly clung to the rock wall in front of me, holding more Haysher leaves in her hands, ready to put them in my mouth.
I bit and chewed until the pain became manageable. “Thank you,” I croaked, still sucking on the wad now stuck inside my cheek. I’d spit that out when I was ready, but for now, I’d let it do its work. “Sweet one, back to rescue me again.” She mewled cutely, but it was obvious that she didn’t know what to do. Neither did I. Move, free my trapped hand, get out of this ravine without falling to my death.
I eyed the way my vine had tangled around my wrist and the outcropping I’d managed to grab. It was on tightly, but a laser shot had detached the vine from my back, leaving me with no control over it. Worse, it had dried into a tough, tight rope that refused to budge. My fingers couldn’t so much as wriggle a smidgen. I thought my sails had just enough floating power left to get me to the bottom. It wasn’t far—only about thirty feet of the drop remained. Up was out of the question right now; I was simply too wounded to try.
“I need to free my hand,” I said to Nelly. She had retrieved a Virad berry and was squashing it against the side of my face. It stung, even though my body was now mostly pleasantly numb from the Haysher leaves. “I don’t suppose you have a pair of scissors or a knife beneath those vines, do you?” I tried to joke. Nelly could break some vines, but this one was dead, and would be non-responsive to her powers. Blazing stars, I was in a bad way. At least they thought I was dead, which gave me all the time in the world to figure out how to deal with this situation—or until my arm fell off, which could be in a couple of hours or a couple of minutes. I couldn’t feel enough of it now to be able to tell.
Nelly picked another berry from her vine skirt and pressed it against a wound on my shoulder. Then she dusted off her fingers, wiping the remaining juice from her tiny hands. With a triumphant squeak, she pulled a shiny silver object from her vines and held it up in front of my face so I could see. It was a lighter—one that wasn’t mine. Vaguely, I recalled that Nelly had stolen it from the front pocket of my backpack just as we were about to leave the grove. Even more vaguely, I recalled that Solear had tucked something into my bag.
“I’ll be damned. It’s a blazing miracle,” I said, laughing even though that made my chest feel funny—and not in a good way. Coughing, I tried not to notice how wet that sounded and forced myself to move. I gripped the wall with my free hand and found footholds for the toes of my boots. When I was ready, I gave Nelly a nod and watched as she scampered off my tied-up arm. I was pretty sure the shoulder was dislocated, badly, but I’d deal with that after I reached the bottom of the ravine.
Nelly flicked the lighter as if she’d always known exactly how to use it, then began burning through the withered, ropy remains of the vine that held my left arm tied to the ravine wall. It had saved my life, that vine. If I hadn’t tied it like that, I would have fallen those last thirty feet and probably died. That was still an option—I was very weak, and my sails were ripped to pieces, with more holes than leaf. I’d have to make it work, letting them slow me as I clawed my way down.
The first piece of vine broke, then the next. I couldn’t feel the heat of the flame against my skin—that was bad. And then enough snapped that my weight did the rest. Pain blazed through the numbness of the Haysher leaves as my body abruptly jolted, and my left arm swung down, limp and useless. I couldn’t control my descent very well. I slipped down the wall, my sails dragging against the air. Bumping over rocks, I found myself rolling the last bit down a gravelly slope—then I thumped against the opposite wall hard enough that my brains felt like they slammed around inside my skull. The spots were back, dancing in front of my eyes.
“I’ll just rest here for a minute, Nelly. And then I’ll get up, promise,” I said the words hazily, sinking into unconsciousness as they rose from my lips. Then blackness claimed me.