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He scoffed. “He was a poor choice in partners. You see that now, don’t you?”
“He’s mine,” she defended quietly.
And Caligher wasn’t a poor choice. He’d been hurt. And maybe she couldn’t fix that for him, but she would never leave him to it. Her heart broke picturing him alone in the universe. Alone and in pain.
“He ruined everything,” the pirate continued ranting. “You should have come with me when you had the chance. We would have been able to take that ship down the right way—without whatever it is they’re about to do to us. And theyareabout to do something to us. Maybe not to you… but to me. To your mate, if he’s still alive.”
His voice descended into a tone of exhausted weariness. “We’ll be separated. The only chance we have of seeing the other side is if you stay on your feet—and out of a cell. If all three of us are locked up, it’s over.”
Her face twitched. “That’s depressing.”
“It’s reality,” he snapped. “I don’t care what you have to do. Keep yourself from being locked up. Lie through your teeth—tell them you were abducted, forced into a cell by aliens. I don’t care what story you feed them. But you have to do it—or it’s over.”
Wingless lurched to a stop.
She heard the moment the back hatch was torn open. Boots stomped through. It was finally happening.
The pirate was probably right.
She had to pretend to be on the side of the fleet if she wanted to save Caligher.
* * *
CALIGHER
A wire net dug into him. The ill-fitted carapace that had been slowly chipping away, working itself off his body, was pressed hard into the fresh, raw skin underneath. It felt like a million serrated knives scraping across every inch of his body. Sounds escaped his throat at the tiniest motion, sounds he couldn’t control.
He didn’t want the humans leering over him to witness his utter helplessness.
The stench of piss surrounded him. His piss. This was an uncontrolled molt—and it was shocking that he’d survived this far.
Bile rumbled up his throat, teasing at its imminent escape, but try as he might, he couldn’t induce it. So it lodged there and burned his esophagus as they dragged him off. He stared in mute horror when they passed the stairwell into the lower level. A group of humans disappeared down the corridor.
“Got two live ones,” a voice shouted from the dungeon. “Holy… fuck.”
“What?” A closer voice.
“Found a woman. Human.”
“Really?!”
“She’s barely alive. Sick fucks. Open your eyes, sweetheart. Stay with me. You’re safe now.”
Caligher’s jerking struggles didn’t register as resistance. He was paralyzed.
They seemed to drag him forever. He could scarcely track the passing time cycles. He was moved to a smaller transport ship of human design. The deafening roar of its machinery vibrated through him, setting him on edge.
The humans handled him like cargo, chattering noisily amongst themselves.
“That’s a big one!”
Someone chuckled. “That’s what she said.”
Caligher groaned loudly at their stupid joke and they roared with laughter. Fucking humans.
“Look. He can’t move, can he?”
“I wouldn’t be so sure…”
