I wish I could do something about it.
Regret starts to eat me alive.
I’m so cold that I have no energy to shiver.
Closing my eyes, I try to sleep away the time. But frustration with my father grows and blurs my memories of Jovie. For hours, I fight to keep Jovie at the front of my mind. I can’t stop my father, but I can still love her.
An odd tension in my core forces my eyes open.
Movement outside my tank draws my attention. A familiar older woman stares up at me. She’s in a spacesuit from an era long in the past. She waves someone over.
“Aura?”
I cannot speak under the effect of the meds or do anything but blink. But I am relieved to have someone to talk with. Someone I haven’t seen since my Rogue Academy days.
“We don’t have a lot of time. We have to make this quick. I need you to find your Storm and hold it tightly.” Allesyndra is one of the few Elders who I’m sure could still kick my ass.
My Storm— Where has it gone?It is so very quiet.
I dig deep and gather the energy I have. Hands press against the bottom of the tank in a circle. The cable in my back pops and hisses as it retracts. Flashes of gunfire with crackles light up the far end of the facility. Allesyndra shouts to someone at the computer.
The blue smoke shuts off. All around me, the glass brightens and fractures.
“Close your eyes, Aura!”
I squeeze them shut.
An explosion of glass peppers my body. I fall into a net of light woven by the hands around me. Someone tosses a blanket down, and the light net fades. I land and pile up on the floor.
A necklace with the Mark of Viestria swings close to me as someone scans my vitals. They press something warm and metal to my neck, injecting a fluid that heats my body.
Elder Allesyndra kneels beside me and inspects my face. On her forehead is a radiant symbol that matches the one hanging from the attendant’s neck. “We must go. Cloak him.”
I barely get a glimpse of two Amphirans in armor, guns flickering with light. My hearing is warped, and my head is woozy as someone gets me upright.
I wobble on my legs, feeling drunk.
“Easy. It’s going to take a second to work.” The male who speaks has red eyes and bound wings.
“Joru—”
He nods. “I’ve got you.”
A flash behind me steals everyone’s attention. I try to look but my neck is too stiff.
“Tal, don’t!” It’s Jovie’s voice.
“Jo…” I’m still too cold, but I fight to turn and sort out the problem.
I stumble and fall. Eluni swears and then takes a hit. A crashing sound makes me prop myself up.
Pronkus snarls at Eluni as he takes Jovie by the hair and drags her down the hallway. Blaize and Fieri fire at squads entering the other end of the level.
“The princess!” Eluni shouts. They turn and chase after him, firing rifles. The bullets disperse over an Arkus shield.
Get up! He’s probably taking her to the king for judgment!
I get myself on my knees, fury surging in my chest.Come on, body! He has Jovie!
