Page 26 of Whispers of the Void (Voidborn Chronicles #1)

CHAPTER 26

NEEV

* * *

C una reaches the med bay just before me. They give me a nod in greeting and halt just outside the doors, gesturing for me to enter first. I haven’t had very many interactions with the chief engineer, but from what I understand, they’re amongst Raiz’s most trusted officers. If Raiz trusts them, I have no reason not to as well.

Hyva glances up from his desk as we walk in, his smile widening even as his eyes rake over me in a clinical sweep. “How are you feeling?”

I hand him the cold wrap. “Better. This really helped.”

“Good. I’ll have several sent to your quarters.”

“Thank you.”

“Anything else of note to tell me?” One of his brows lifts slightly.

“No. Just the headache.” I appreciate that he and Raiz are keeping my episodes to themselves. From what I understand, not even Hyva’s closest assistant knows about it. I’d like to keep it that way, if at all possible.

“Great.” His gaze moves from me to Cuna. “Did you make the adjustments we talked about?”

“No.” They toss a small box to Hyva in a move belying their annoyance at being questioned.

“No need to get sassy.” Hyva catches the box and pats the end of the bed next to him. “Hop up, Neev.”

I do as he says and watch him as he opens one side of the box and pulls a small lens out of the saline solution. He sets it on his fingertip and turns to me.

“Have you ever seen these before?” he asks.

I shake my head. “If anyone on Oculus Nine needed corrective lenses, they were just given glasses, like I was for eye strain. Or they had corrective surgery.”

“Unfortunately, what these can do for you I’m not sure surgery could. Not only will they give you perfect night vision like ours, they will also act as your glasses did.”

Cuna watches quietly, their eyes falling on my neck briefly.

“Do they just go right on my eye?” I ask. They’re shaped as though they would fit over them.

“Yes. Do you want me to apply them, or would you rather do it?”

“I will.”

He sets the lens on my fingertip, and I walk over to the mirror. In order to get them onto my eye, I have to pull my eyelids out the way. As soon as I get it properly placed, I feel it suction to my eye with the slightest pop. The other eye takes a few more tries than the first, but eventually I feel the same little pop as it settles into place. I blink several times, my eyes watering at the feel of a foreign object covering them.

“You can’t even tell they’re in.” I look closely in the mirror blinking rapidly to clear the tears.

“Hop back up on the bed. We’re going to cut the lights and see how well you can see.”

I do as I’m told while Cuna pulls out their own tablet with a schematic of the ship on it. They navigate through the screens quickly until they get to a list of rooms and then wait for Hyva to give them a nod.

One second the lights of med bay are bright and the next everything goes completely black. Even the medical machines that consistently hum and whirl have gone dark. But I can somehow see everything crystal clear.

“Wow.” I look around and slide off the table. “I can see just as clearly as I could in the light.” I turn back to both of them. “Is this really how well you see?”

“Yes.”

“Do you need any adjustments?” Cuna asks. “I can still calibrate some of the settings if need be.”

“No.” I turn and smile at them. “Thank you. This is the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced.”

“I’ll be sure to relay that message to the commander.” Hyva’s voice is laced with humor and mischief. “If you need any major adjustments, we’ll have to wait until after the mission, but I’ll be able to help if there’s anything physically you need done.”

The lights flicker back to life and my vision changes back to normal with no problem.

“Are we done?” Cuna asks.

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” I tell them. “I appreciate your help, Cuna.”

“No thanks necessary.” Cuna inclines their head and then turns and walks off.

“They’re a little strange, huh?” I say as the door closes behind them.

“All geniuses are in my experience.” Hyva lifts my left eyelid and then the right as he double checks the fit. “But they mean well.”

“Yeah, I’ve worked with others like them on Oculus Nine.”

“I’m really surprised the corrective surgery wasn’t successful. I know the Order has the ability to handle even complex issues. Why make you rely on glasses and imperfect vision if it wasn’t necessary Or at the very least explain why it wasn’t working?”

“I’ve been questioning a lot of things about the Order lately.”

“Like?”

“Their rules. The strict way I was raised. Them not sharing anything with me about my past. All they ever shared was that I’m human and my father left me with them. Any questions I asked as a child ended up with me being reprimanded, so I learned not to ask.”

Hyva frowns as I begin to open up.

“I’m surprised they allowed me access to human media at this point. Though doing so would be in direct opposition to their philosophy. Knowledge is power, you know?”

He nods, everyone in the galaxy knows that’s their core belief. It’s what makes the Order what it is. Why they absorb everything they touch.

“Zeahiri has always been untrusting of the Order,” Hyva says. “Because knowledge is power, but what does that say about a group that hoards all the knowledge it comes into contact with?”

“Right.” I nod slowly. “I get it.”

I sigh heavily. It’s uncomfortable to look back at the group of individuals who raised you and see their shortcomings when you always held them above reproach before. I never thought I’d be grateful for being kidnapped, but here I am, glad to have this experience. Knowing my worldview has expanded and I’m finding answers to questions I didn’t even know I had gives me a sense of peace I’ve never had.

* * *

“What is that?” My eyes must be comically wide as I take in the huge creatures before me. They stand taller than Raiz with a huge line of spikes leading from between their ears to the base of their long neck. Powerful muscles ripple along their flanks under the saddles they all have strapped around them. Their coats are made of sleek and shiny fur, in a myriad of black, grays, and soft white.

“These are what we’ll be riding to the temple. They’re called kyril, and despite their appearance, they’re kind and calm creatures.”

“I thought we were walking?” I stay a few steps further behind than Raiz.

He strokes his hand through the black fur of the one beside him. “Not with our timeline being pushed up. We’ll make it there and back twice as fast.”

“I don’t know how to ride.”

A wicked smirk lifts his lips, and he leans down close to me. “I’d say you have excellent riding skills,” he whispers.

I smack his chest with the back of my hand as my cheeks flame. “You know what I meant.”

“I know.” He pulls me closer and lifts my hand to the beast’s soft fur. “You’ll ride with me. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Are you two going to be like this the entire time?” Hyva asks as he tosses his bag onto the back of his own kyril. “Because I’m going to need regular vomit breaks.”

“Jealous Hyva?” Vynia smirks over at him. “I’m sure your kyril will give you some extra affection if you’re feeling left out.”

“Or you could,” he taunts back. It sounds like a joke, but the way that he yanks the straps around his bag to tighten it tells a different story.

I’ve never really paid much attention to what goes on between the two of them, even though they’re the closest to me, aside from Raiz. They’ve each become equally good friends to me, but neither of them have even hinted at having romantic feelings of any sort, for anyone. Most matches for the Zeahiri seem to come from arranged partnerships rather than developing naturally. Aside from the mate bonds I’ve heard mentioned in passing.

I’m going to use this journey as time to dig a little deeper into these two who have steadily become my friends. As easy as it is to spend all my free time with Raiz, I shouldn’t depend on him for everything. Even if I were to somehow find a way to stay with him, I’d also need my own life. I can’t let him become my everything.

Las comes stalking down from the other side of the tunnel. He’s dressed in the same heavy clothing as we are, with thick fur-lined pants tucked into boots. The cloak he has wrapped around him is hooded with a mask over his nose and mouth, so all that can be seen of his face are his red eyes. Two daggers are strapped to either of his thighs, which doesn't seem excessive when Raiz has weapons attached to every possible body part.

I myself have two blasters, one on each hip and a small blade tucked into my boot. I was also told to wear extra layers as there are places where the land above the tunnels and caves have collapsed, leaving it open to the frigid temperatures of the dark side of the planet. Even though I have lost nearly all mobility, I’m not upset. They’re taking the cold seriously, so I trust I should as well.

Vynia mounts her kyril with ease as she speaks quietly to Las. Hyva and Las mount both of their kyrils and begin to guide them in the direction we’ll be traveling. The one I’ll be riding with Raiz turns his head and snorts at me impatiently. Steam puffs out from its nostrils while it stares me down with obsidian eyes.

“Ready?” Raiz asks quietly. “I promise we’ll be gentle.”

The kyril paws at the ground, very much giving the vibe that it disagrees.

Raiz bends down and interlocks his hands. “Grab the saddle, and I’ll give you a boost.”

“Okay,” I say with hesitation.

Unsurprisingly Raiz lifts me effortlessly so getting into the saddle is easier than I thought it would be. I pull my cloak to the side, so he doesn’t get tangled when he gets up behind me. He gets up with ease, settling behind me like a natural.

“I take it you’ve ridden one of these before?”

He snakes his arm around my waist and pulls me flush against his chest, holding the reins low in front of my belly. “I grew up riding. It’s almost as natural to me as riding Kodia.”

“Who does he belong to? And does he have a name?”

“He belongs to one of the members of House Aste. His name is Nebula.”

“Are you not worried about the spikes in front of us?”

“No, not particularly. They have those for protection, but when they’re relaxed, the blades retract.” He switches the reins to one hand and runs his fingers over one of the spikes. “Just like our talons, they’re only out when they need to fight or escape.”

Everything on this planet is made to survive violence. “I’m not sure how much I like being the most vulnerable being on this planet.”

“There’s something to be said for the softness you possess. You don’t view things through the lens of violence and brutality like we do. It’s refreshing and something we could use more of.”

He speaks of the violence of his people often, but all he’s shown me is kindness and an openness to change. I don’t think it’s as bad as he believes it to be here, despite the attempt on my life. There are pockets of kindness everywhere. Even the males aboard his ship were always deferential to me, never showing anything less than the utmost respect for the strange female wandering the halls.

Then again, I’m only seeing a very small amount of the planet and even less of the people who call it home.

He leads Nebula deeper into the tunnel as we fall into silence. I can’t help looking around the space in awe as I take in every detail that I would have missed without the special lenses created for me. The same stone that Raiz’s home is carved from seems to be the same lining the tunnel walls.

Occasionally I’ll notice some water seeping down the walls, the trickling ends up being the only thing we hear aside from the sound of the kyrils’ hooves on the stone. Vynia and Hyva ride side by side in front of us. Both of them stay alert, looking at everything we pass.

At one point the tunnel opens into a large cave. Stalactites and stalagmites grow from above and below. The line of kyril walk through them, careful not to touch any of the formations. We’re nearing the other end of the cavern when I look down and notice we’re crossing over bones. In fact, it’s not just a few bones but rather a deep layer of them, cleared of any tissue or blood.

My stomach churns at the sight.

“What kind of bones are those?” I ask in a whispered tone.

“Hopefully not Zeahiri.” Raiz’s answer leaves much to be desired.

“Next time lie to me.”

“I thought you didn’t want to be lied to.”

“I’ll make an exception this once.”

Because if those are Zeahiri bones, we have much bigger problems on our hands than simply navigating to the temple.

“Noted.” He runs his hand along my thigh. “How do you feel? Do you need a break?”

“In the cave of bones? No, thanks.”

His chest shakes with laughter at my back. “We’ll keep going until we find a stream for the kyril to drink and then we’ll eat.”

“I’ve noticed the water running down the walls in places. Should we be worried about flooding?”

“No. It’s just groundwater seeping through. As we move further from the terminix, it’ll start to freeze. Some of the caves will be completely covered in ice.”

“Does this cave and tunnel system exist under the entirety of the continent?”

“Yes.”

I shift my weight from one side of my ass to the other. Had he asked if I needed a break in any other location, I would have said yes. It’s only been a few hours, and I’m already stiff and uncomfortable. I can’t imagine how I’ll feel after days of this.

We enter into a narrow passage, the kyril moving single file and all the Zeahiri have to lean forward to avoid scraping their heads along the ceiling. Nebula snorts and whinnies as he follows the rest further into the darkness. It’s so pitch black that even with my enhancements I can barely see.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand as I feel as though we’re being watched. I feel Raiz tense behind me at the same time.

“Do you feel that?” I ask.

“ I do.”

“Do you know what it could be?”

“Lies or real answer?”

My stomach drops because, with that answer, it can’t be anything good.

“Real answer, please.”

“We’re being hunted.”

“By what?”

“I’m not sure. Take the reins.” His hands cover mine, slipping the leather into my sweaty palms. “ I’m going to dismount, keep going.”

“No. I don’t know how to do this. You can’t go alone.” I grip his hands, terrified to let him go.

“I’ll be right back.” He presses a kiss just below my ear. “Fear not, female. I’m the scariest predator down here.”

Before I can protest again, he leaps from Nebula’s back and silently blends into the darkness.

“You better be a good boy for me,” I lean forward and whisper into Nebula’s ear. “I don’t know what I’m doing or how to defend us.”

He jerks his head up and down in what could be considered a nod. I’m going with that instead of assuming he’s telling me I’m pissing him off. Either way, he’s the one in charge, and he probably knows it.