Page 43

E mily

The journey drags on, becoming a blur of jolting motion and grinding anxiety. My arms are locked around Vrok, stiff and trembling from the effort.

My muscles burn, my legs ache, and my butt’s gone completely numb, but I don’t let go. I cling to him like I can hold him here with me, like I can will his body to keep fighting.

He’s still breathing, but the echo of his spirit inside me faded to nothing miles ago. Now there’s only a cold, hollow silence where he used to be. Panic claws at the edges of my mind. I keep telling myself he’s still alive, but the emptiness inside me feels too much like the end.

By the time the distant outline of the Anuriix village comes into view, the sky is streaked with burnt orange and deep violet as the sun sinks below the horizon. Its wooden walls rise up from the ground like a beacon of hope.

We come to a stop in front of the heavy, closed gates. My throat is raw from the wind and dust, but I force out the words. “It’s Emily! Let us in!”

Someone should be manning the gates, but for a terrifying moment, there’s only silence. Then, a shout rings out, followed by the groan of wood as the gates begin to swing open.

Two Anuriix warriors appear in the gap, their eyes widening when they see us. One of them, a younger guy that I’m pretty sure is Enosir, steps forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“You’re the one who’s been missing.” His gaze shifts to Vrok, slumped in my arms, and his eyes narrow. “Is that Vrok?”

“He’s hurt. He needs help.” My voice cracks, and I blink back the tears that threaten to spill over.

The guards exchange a look, confusion flickering in their eyes. Enosir hesitates, then says, “We thought Vrok escaped and abducted you. Daggir believed he?—”

“You’ve got it backwards,” I snap. “He saved us. You have to help him.”

Enosir’s eyes widen, and shock ripples across his face. His gaze slips past me to Lily and Zahrik. He stiffens. “And what is a sarding Tussoll doing here?”

Zahrik straightens in the saddle. “I got them here. Now let us through, or he’ll die.”

Enosir curses under his breath, but his eyes flick back to Vrok’s still form. Then, he nods. “Go.”

The gates swing open enough to allow us to enter, and Zahrik urges his eponir forward. I follow, clutching Vrok to me as we ride into the village.

Everyone is gathered in the center of the village at the firepit. Laughter and soft conversation drift on the air as humans and Laediriians share the evening meal, but the moment they see us, the noise dies. A hush spreads like wildfire as heads turn and eyes lock on us.

I spot my friends in the crowd. Haley stands near her mate, her eyes wide with shock.

Mara’s gaze snaps to Lily, then to Vrok, and her hand flies to her mouth.

Aria and Maddie sit side by side near the fire, laughing about something.

But their laughter trails off as soon as they see us. Even Crystal is silent and watchful.

And then Chief Daggir steps forward with Draggar at his side. The chief’s eyes sweep over our strange little group. His eyes linger on Zahrik, narrowing just slightly. Recognition flashes across his face, but he doesn’t speak. His attention shifts to Lily, then to Vrok’s limp body in my arms.

My heart pounds in my chest. Will they believe me? Will the tribe actually help Vrok? What if this whole trip’s been nothing but a water haul—just a wasted effort, and we’re too late to save him?

“What happened?” His voice cuts through the silence.

“Vrok rescued my cousin from the Tussoll. He fought against them, and now he’s dying,” I say, my voice breaking.

Daggir steps closer, his gaze moving over Vrok’s bloodied, unmoving body and his gray pallor. “We thought he betrayed us. That he took you to trade to our enemies.”

“He didn’t,” I say, more forcefully this time. “I begged him to help me find my cousin, and he did. He saved us.”

Then I meet Daggir’s gaze. My voice drops, but the words carry the weight of everything I’ve kept inside. “He’s my amoris. You have to help him.”

A collective gasp ripples through the crowd. Draggar’s eyes widen. Haley presses a hand to her chest.

Daggir’s expression changes. The suspicion melts away, replaced by something softer that looks like regret. “Perhaps I misjudged him,” he says quietly.

Draggar steps forward and lays a hand on his father’s shoulder. “Then let’s save him. There’s time to make things right.”

The chief straightens, resolve hardening his features. “Warrix!” he shouts.

The crowd parts as the medic strides forward. His eyes widen when he sees Vrok’s condition. “Sard. Get him to my hut, now.”

Draggar and two other warriors lift Vrok from the eponir with careful hands. I stumble after them, my legs trembling and every muscle screaming in pain, but I don’t stop. I won’t leave him now.

Inside the hut, the air is warm and heavy with the scent of herbs. Warrix gestures toward an empty bed. “Lay him there,” he orders. His voice is steady and all business.

They settle Vrok on the bed before the two warriors file out, leaving just Draggar, Warrix, and me with him. My chest tightens as a sob becomes lodged in my throat. He looks so fragile. So different from the strong, stubborn warrior I’ve come to love.

Warrix moves swiftly, pulling out a handheld scanner.

It’s the same scanner he used on me when I was injured after crashing on this planet.

It emits a soft blue light as he slowly passes it over Vrok’s body.

The medic’s eyes narrow as lines of glowing symbols flicker across the device’s small screen.

I inch closer. “What does it say?” My voice comes out in a shaky whisper. I’m so scared he’s going to say Vrok can’t be saved. That there’s nothing that can be done.

Warrix doesn’t look up. “Torn liver and fractured ribs. One of them has punctured a lung. Both of his hearts are beating, but if I don’t act fast...” He trails off. His silence says what he won’t.

My knees threaten to buckle. I grip the edge of the bed to keep myself upright. My eyes are glued to Vrok as I watch his chest rise and fall in shallow, labored breaths. Everything else around me blurs.

Warrix moves around the hut, quickly gathering supplies and setting out instruments.

I see him, but it’s almost as if I’m watching through foggy window.

Everything is distant and unreal, like it’s happening to someone else.

His face is calm, but tension is visible in the tight line of his shoulders and the clipped precision of his movements.

Draggar appears at my side. “Come on,” he murmurs gently. There’s worry in his eyes, but not just for Vrok. I can tell he knows I’m barely holding it together. “Let him work.”

I don’t want to leave Vrok. What if this is it? What if I walk out and never see him alive again? But my body moves anyway, and I let Draggar guide me out.

The door closes behind us with a dull, final thud.

I stand frozen, staring blankly at the wooden surface. A sob rises up in my chest, threatening to break free. I press my lips together, fighting to hold it back, but the weight of fear and helplessness presses down on me.

Draggar stands silently beside me. In some distant part of my brain, I feel the steady weight of his hand on my shoulder. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. The truth hangs between us, heavy and unspoken. Vrok might not make it.

That thought crashes through me like a tornado bent on destruction. A heavy weight presses down on my chest, making it hard to take a deep breath.

Then, a soft voice breaks through the chaos in my mind. “Emily.”

I turn, and Haley is there. Her face is lined with worry as she pulls me into a tight hug. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” she whispers.

The dam breaks, and tears spill over my eyelids in a flood. Sobs shake my body as I cling to her, burying my face against her shoulder.

“I can’t lose him. He’s my mate. I love him, Haley… I love him so much,” I gasp out.

“I know.” Her arms tighten around me while one hand rubs soothing circles on my back. “I know you do. And he loves you. He’s strong, Emily. So strong. And the amoris bond will make him even stronger. If anyone can survive this, it’s him.”

I want to believe her. I want to cling to her words with all my might, but all I can see is Vrok lying motionless on that bed.

“He was so cold,” I whisper. “I thought… I thought he was already…” I can’t finish the sentence.

Haley pulls back and cups my face in her hands. Her thumbs brush away tears I can’t stop shedding. “Don’t give up on him. Do you hear me? He’s your amoris. He needs you to be strong.”

Tears blur my vision. “I don’t know how. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

Her expression softens, and she hugs me again. “You’re not alone. I’m here. We all are.”

As if in silent agreement, Draggar steps closer. His silver eyes are full of quiet sympathy. “Warrix is the best medic on Laedirissae. If anyone can save Vrok, it’s him.”

Fear still has its claws in me. “But what if it’s not enough?”

His jaw tenses. “Then we will mourn him as the honorable warrior he is, and we’ll stand beside you.” His eyes flick to Haley, and I catch the faint shimmer of gold spreading in his silver irises. “Just as Haley stood by me.”

Haley pulls back just enough to look me in the eyes. “I nearly lost Draggar once. I didn’t think he’d make it, but he fought his way back. For me.” Her voice breaks a little. “These guys are tough, Emily. You have to believe that.”

She hesitates before placing her hand on her chest, right over her heart. “Do you feel him here?” Her voice is soft, almost reverent. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Can you feel his energy? His spirit?”

I press a hand to my chest and close my eyes. My heart is racing, and at first, all I feel is panic and the cold, empty space where his spirit should reside. But I force a slow, steady breath into my lungs. Then, another. And gradually beneath the numbness and the fear, something flickers.

It’s faint. So faint I almost miss it. I focus on it, and the sensation grows until it becomes a softly pulsating warmth. It’s Vrok.

And with it comes a whisper of his emotions, distant but unmistakable. I feel his pain, the weight of his exhaustion, but beneath it all, there’s something stronger. A steady, unyielding force. It’s not anger or fear. It’s his relentless determination. His refusal to let go. He’s still fighting.

Hope surges through me, and my eyes snap open. “I feel him. He’s still with me.”

Haley smiles through the tears misting her eyes. “Then hold onto that. As long as you can feel him, he’s fighting to come back to you.”