Page 52

Nik was humiliated. Cavos carried her instead of allowing her to walk, and she had to admit that they were moving far faster than any pace she could manage.

Out in the sunlight, she felt markedly better, but instead of letting her walk, Cavos handed her off to Trusk while he caused a landslide that once more closed the entrance to the city.

Eye to eye with Trusk, she had to face his surprised grin. “You are very light, Miss Baker.”

“Um. Thank you for the observation, Trusk. You can call me Nik, by the way.”

Cavos grabbed her and continued to hike to the skimmer site while the Wilders ranged ahead, enjoying their run.

“Stop flirting with my cousin.”

Cavos whispered it in her ear.

“Um, I wasn’t flirting. My name is Niika and my friends call me Nik. You are welcome to use it as well.”

He grumbled. “You smiled at him.”

“I smile at a lot of people. After what I told you all last night, telling him he can use my nickname is the least of my intimacies.”

They reached the skimmer, and Niika scowled. “I hate cancelling a trip early. There was so much to show you.”

Morro grinned. “You can show us all when you are under your own power. It will be entertaining to watch your recovery.”

“Well, as long as I can provide entertainment.”

She dissolved the skin on the skimmer with a series of taps set to resonate and cause a dissolution of the shield into a fine dust.

She headed into the skimmer, but Cavos stopped her. He nodded to Morro, and the Wilder picked up the com unit, keying in a code.

“We need an emergency evac, Madame Leoraki. Medical emergency to the mother ship.”

“Who is it?”

the voice came out of the speakers.

“Niika Baker.”

“Shuttle is on the way, clearances have been provided. The local shuttle will be with you in thirty minutes. Keep me posted.”

Daphne disconnected the line, and they were stuck waiting.

“Really? You are calling a medevac for me? I am so embarrassed.”

Niika hid her face in her hands.

She kept her face hidden when the shuttle arrived, but she couldn’t keep her eyes closed when they left Gaia and headed for space.

The stars glowed so brightly that she almost didn’t see the Nine mother ship until it was right in front of her, and then, she couldn’t stare at anything else.

The medical staff seemed surprised to see her walking. They had come with a stretcher and were a little dismayed at her upright status.

Cavos whispered, “Get on the stretcher.”

“No.”

“Get on. Things will move faster if you do.”

“No.”

“Fine. I am sorry.”

He gently put his leg behind hers and bent his knee into the back of hers. The shift in balance caused her to collapse, and as her body went down, she screamed when it was held in place.

The medical team moved quickly and lifted her onto the stretcher, whisking her through the halls while she tried to force her body to relax.

She was stripped in moments, and the entire medical team paused in horror at the sight of the bands digging into her skin and pulling at her limbs.

A no-nonsense female physician stepped forward and said, “Haven’t you seen Tokkel bindings before?”

She unclipped the harness and the braces went limp. She unclasped them from thighs, knees and ankles and helped to ease Niika to her stomach. “I apologise for the indignity, Miss, but we need to see what we are dealing with. Oh!”

“Please call me Niika, Doctor.”

She settled her upper body as comfortably as she could, shifting until her breasts no longer felt crushed.

Scanners were hoisted into position and warmth began to run across her back. Niika looked around, and everyone was staring at her ass as if fascinated.

“Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on?”

The doctor came around and said with all seriousness. “You have been shot with a Tokkel blaster.”

“I am aware of that.”

“You should not have survived it. Your body has compensated by going around the injury as much as it can. We can help you regenerate the damage, but it will take a few days given the extensive nature of the injury. Do you have plans?”

Niika laughed. “No. May I have your name?”

“I am Dr. Meevin, one of the Giants of the Stone Folk. Also, Cavos’s mother.”

That almost brought Niika right off the table. “What?”

Dr. Meevin extended her hand. “Meevin vor Whyaner, pleased to meet you.”

“Niika Baker. Glad to be in capable hands.”

There was no way that Cavos could have told her about their interaction. She would be recognised only as a Gaian hunter with an accidental injury.

The doctor smiled and stroked Nik’s hair. “Sleep now, we will talk when you wake up about why my son was holding you like a baby the whole way here when medical attendants were waiting to take over on Gaia.”

Blushing, she heard a hiss, a coolness to her spine and then nothing.

Meevin worked on her son’s preferred mate for hours, the cells hadn’t been destroyed by the blast, they had been swollen until pressure on the spine had caused the lack of control. Scar tissue was the greatest problem, but the enzymes that would do the most good were not tested for Gaian use.

She was staring through the surgical scope when she felt her son enter the room. He carried the same energy that she did, but he could do so much more with it. She enjoyed being a scientist, biologist and researcher as well as a standard physician to the ills of the Nine.

“What is it, Cav?”

She didn’t look up but kept slowly unravelling the scar tissue from Niika’s spine.

“Will she be all right, Mom?”

She paused for a second before continuing. The care and worry in his voice was far deeper than she had assumed.

“I will do my best. It will take a few more hours, and she won’t be awake until tomorrow. Go, get some rest. Update the council with your findings, just leave me to do my work.”

She felt his bow.

“Thank you, Mom. I will also set up some quarters for her to recuperate in. She won’t be comfortable here. Your staff is far too interested in her.”

“Do what you like, Cav. Now, shoo, Mama’s busy.”

She smiled and continued her work with enthusiasm, recognising that she was saving the mobility of her future daughter-in-law, whether the Gaian was aware of it or not.