“I have missed it for three long, cold years,” he utters.
“See you up there?” I ask.
He looks at me and smiles with all the hope of a fresh unit. Then Fracture fragments into glittering pieces that reflect the light of the BlazeStar pouring down on us from above. And, slowly, he drifts up into the air toward the ship.
“Wow, beautiful.” Sefina takes my hand as she watches him.
I have to agree. I wish I had a Creator like Fracture’s. Whoever they were, they made his batch Brothers into something special.
At least Quris is dead, and his machine is offline.But it makes me wonder how many other Creators might have survived the war or are just in hiding, tucked away as clones in replicators.
Maybe there is hope for us.
Savage shifts up beside me. I feel him, see him on my scanners. But sometimes, it still startles me. “So you killed Quris?”
“Actually, Sefi did.”
Savage quirks his brows. “Sefi?”
I cough. “Sefina.”
A grin cracks on Savage’s face. “I thought I smelled a bond around here somewhere.”
“Oh, shut up.” I punch him in the shoulder. “You’ve had Leah since almost the beginning.”
Thruster rockets down and lands with a couple of running steps. He’s got a shielded platform attached to his front and loads up two more women.
“Kelta, Holo, and Fury are on patrol,” Savage says. “So who has the range extender?”
I motion to Sythius. “He’s the one who got it for us.”
Savage’s jaw muscles flex.
“I know it’s not easy. I still want to kill him sometimes. But his father was General Predu.”
“That could be bad for us if he finds out.”
“He tried to kill Sythius. I think it might be good for us to have him on our side. Coordinate our anger into one force of vengeance.”
Savage looks me over. “You’re different. Never been this chatty.”
I look down as Sefina leaves and hurries toward her friend Aniah. They hug as Redline urges the group into the main portion of the cavern.
Menace>>Savage: Finally found someone who understands me so I don’t have to bottle it up anymore.
Savage>>Menace: I’m happy for you, Brother.
Redline>>Local: Welvirs on approach. Many. Tunnels are collapsing in the deep valley. Get everyone up now!
Thruster and Coil double the numbers they’re carrying.
Savage leaps onto a boulder. “Everyone pair up! Titans, take as many survivors as you can carry! We are out of time! We must climb!”
Tumble, Bomber, Shifter, Redline, and all the other Brothers rush into the shaft and line up in a massive ring around the perimeter of the ascent tunnel, waving survivors to them. We reduce the numbers on the ground quickly, but I’m not sure it will be fast enough.
Savage and Leah stay below with Sefina and me. We help Brothers load up with survivors and start up the wall.
Coil launches with Cara and the other Solcrue, but I can tell he’s almost spent. Thruster’s engines blaze and sputter as he slowly lifts four women toward the ship.
