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“I take it the shopping trip was a success then?” Kuran eyed the bags. There were many, and they appeared full.
“Amazing. Because Haven is so focused on agriculture, we don’t see many luxury items, especially in the district where we live.” Rosa eyed her purchases in obvious pleasure. “I was afraid the Earthtiques would keep imports to a minimum here, but the stores are full of Joshadan, Plasian, and Adraf products.” She shook a finger at Kuran. “Don’t look so shocked. I bought two years’ worth of gifts for holidays and birthdays.”
“Brownie?” Etnil sang to the large bag he searched. “Where are you?”
“I did the same,” Toni said. “Don’t judge us, male creature.”
Kuran grinned. “Never, ladies. I know better.” He gave Stacy a mock-frightened look. She laughed.
“Aw, did one of you buy me something and sneak it in my bag? It was you, Toni, wasn’t it? I knew I’d won you over! What did you get me?” Etnil’s arm dove deep for something.
“Ha! I’ll buy you a muzzle—”
“Etnil, drop it!” Kuran lunged for his Imdiko a moment too late.
The bang was loud, setting off ringing in his ears. The flash of white light blinded him for an instant.
When he could see again, the bag and its contents were in tatters and Etnil was motionless on the floor, ringed by sprayed blood.
Chapter Fourteen
“Etnil!”
His clanmate had landed facedown. Kuran knelt next to him. Already registering the horrifying fingerless ruins of Etnil’s hands, the Nobek shouted, “Stay back!” to the women who screamed and rushed toward them.
Etnil had been leaning over, his face damned near in the bag. He’d jerked upright in response to Kuran’s shout when it had exploded, but he’d still been so close.
His heart thundering in his ears, Kuran turned him over, a shriek gathering in his lungs in anticipation of discovering what horror his handsome Imdiko had been transformed to.
He cried out, but it was in relief. Etnil’s face was blistered, the skin of his forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin peeled to raw, bleeding flesh…but it was far better than what Kuran had expected. Better still, he was breathing. Unconscious, but alive.
Several members of Government Hall’s security, humans and Kalquorians, burst through the door. “Call in emergency services! Secure what’s left of that package. An explosive was in it.” As he barked orders, Kuran checked Etnil’s pulse. It felt strong, but he was no doctor.
His hands…
“Kuran?” Stacy knelt next to him, tears flowing as she stroked Etnil’s bloody hair. Tearful Rosa and Toni were there too, yanking clothes they’d bought from their bags to staunch the bleeding of what was left of his hands.
Kuran set aside his relief the women were unhurt and surprise at how quickly and calmly they’d reacted despite their obvious horror. “He’s alive. As long as medical staff reaches him quickly, he should pull through.”
He hoped. He didn’t know how hard the explosive’s concussion had hit Etnil. His head had been so close…
Bryant. I’ll fucking kill the son of a bitch either way.
* * * *
Selt pounced on Hadlez the instant he came out of the treatment room. “How is he?”
“Imdiko Etnil will recover. He was damned lucky his skull wasn’t closer to the explosive. It was fractured in two different places from the force of the blast. No sign of brain injury, thank the ancestors.” Hadlez blinked tired eyes.
“I heard his hands are gone.”
“They may as well be. A specialist is coming from the Fropan military station to replace the works. They’ll have to amputate his arms just below the elbows for the protheses, I hear.”
Selt scowled. Robotic prosthetics were fashioned to function and look like real limbs, but he imagined Etnil’s rehabilitation would be an ordeal nonetheless.
He spoke in a low tone despite how few Earthers were in sight in the hospital corridor. “It’s a good thing for him you were on the planet.” Hadlez had been in the secret bunker, inspecting its medical facility. “Did the doctors here give you any shit?”
“None. In fact, the physicians assisting me wanted to know if I could visit later to talk medicine. They did a great job…and they laughed at Etnil’s Kalquorian barbecue jokes.”
