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Except that wasn’t true. She’d longed for Finn in her dreams, but maybe they hadn’t been dreams. Maybe she’d actually been there, a part of the Athena.
Finn stroked a finger gently down her cheek. “Well, whatever happened, we’ll figure it out later. Right now you need some rest. I’ll be waiting for you when you wake up.”
“Promise?” she asked.
Finn took her hand, settling back against the wall beside her on the bed. “Promise.”
SEVENTEEN
The murmur of low voices woke Renna a few hours later. This time she was able to stretch in bed, to curl her fingers into her palms and yawn as she drifted awake. She turned her head on the pillow toward the voices. Dr. Aldani and Finn stood at the open door of the cabin, the light from the passage giving them both halos.
“Why is it taking so long for the drug to get out of her system?” Finn’s words were clipped and short.
Aldani shook his head. “I don’t know. Her blood levels are fine. The pressure in her brain has eased. There’s no reason for her to still be comatose.”
“Is it the transition? Is her implant killing her?” Finn’s voice cracked.
Aldani put his hand on Finn’s arm. “We don’t know that. She’s strong, Finn. We’re going to find a way to get her through this.”
“But you said…”
“I know what I said. The drugs Samil gave Renna have caused some neural damage. They may have caused the implant to start integrating even faster. But it will take time for me to try to work out a new formula from what little data is left of Navang’s experiments. I only have a partial code.”
Renna’s fingers twisted in the sheets as she clenched them into fists. Dr. Samil. Pallas. The woman’s betrayal rushed through her, aching and painful like a physical wound. Her pulse thundered so loudly it drowned out Aldani’s voice. She’d let herself trust the woman, and Samil had done worse than betray her. She’d tried to kill her. Not that Renna was any stranger to death, but at least in the merc business, you usually knew who your enemies were.
And after walking right into Samil’s trap, the woman had still escaped. How was she going to find Samil again? How was she going to stop her before the implant took over? Before she turned into a monster.
A stupid Shakespeare quote popped into her head: Nothing in his life became him like the leaving it. Macbeth.
With a groan, she pushed the thought away. She was proud of her life—she’d done some amazing things. She certainly wasn’t giving up now. And why the hell were useless quotes the only thing she remembered from her few years of school? That was some quality education right there.
Except wait. Renna paused. Shakespeare.
Something tugged at her memory and she sat bolt upright. “I know someone who might help,” she croaked.
Both men jumped at the sound of her voice, spinning to face her. She would have laughed at their expressions if she hadn’t been so tired.
“Renna.” Finn was at her side in an instant, perching on the edge of the bed to take her hand. “How are you feeling? Can I get you something?”
She smiled weakly. “I’m all right. Calm down, Finn.” She looked past him to David Aldani, whose dark eyebrows were knit together with worry, too. “There’s a merc on Lenue who took a sample of Navang’s original drug. He might give us the formula if we give him the right incentive.”
“Viktis’s contact. I remember.” Finn squeezed her hand. “I’ll have the Athena head out immediately.”
“No, wait. We need to think this through first. Samil knows I’m on to her. She knows the Eris will be tracking her. What she doesn’t know is how or if you’re involved. The Athena needs to stay off her radar for as long as possible, and Myka needs to stay safe. She’s determined to continue building her army and she could still use him.” Renna swallowed against the cotton balls that felt like they were clogging her throat. “Water?” she asked.
Finn poured her a glass from the pitcher beside the bed. She downed the glass in three large swallows, then dropped back against the pillows. Her heart raced like she’d fought a band of thieves, not taken a simple drink. “Doc, what’s going on? Why am I still so tired?”
Aldani shook his head. “I can only guess your body is trying to repair itself, to fight against the implant taking control. There’s a war going on inside you, and both sides are evenly matched.”
“Which is why we have to get that drug right the hell now.” Finn shot to his feet. “Samil or not.”
Renna shook her head. “Listen to me, Finn. The Athena and the Aldanis need to disappear. You can’t get caught in the middle of this. We’ll take the Eris to Lenue. Hopefully that’ll keep Samil off your trail a bit longer.”
“I don’t like this. There has to be another way.” Finn paced the room, arms behind his back. “I need to talk to Viktis. He’ll have some ideas.”
Renna’s eyes widened and she turned to Aldani. “Did he just say he was going to voluntarily ask the pirate for advice, or is my implant f**king up my hearing, too?”
The doctor chuckled. “I think they’ve become friends. It was quite touching to see both of them so worried about you.”
She shook her head and turned back to Finn. “I think Viktis will agree with me,” she said.
The captain shrugged. “There has to be another way. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He pressed a kiss to Renna’s forehead and strode from the room.
Gods he was beautiful. She could’ve stared at him all day. And the fact that he was here, with her? She was selfishly ecstatic. He should be far, far away, safe from Pallas or Samil or whoever the hell the woman was, but just his presence had already made her feel better.
When the door slid shut behind Finn, she turned back to Aldani. “So how about the truth now, Doc. What am I looking at? Hours? Days?”
The man sank into her desk chair, the lines around his mouth deepening with his frown. “I wish I knew. Your body seems healthy. There are no signs of physical rejection yet. The bigger problem is your nervous system. As far as I can tell, the implant has started to fuse and take over some of your basic bodily functions and systems. The drugs Samil gave you have accelerated that process, but your body is fighting it as hard as it can. Unless we find some way to make them both work together, you…”
“Won’t make it.”
