Chapter 16 #2
It was official. She’d decided. Idiots who thought they were invincible despite all evidence to the contrary didn’t deserve a say in their own rescue. She would just do what she came here to do. Caius’s cooperation or not.
“I came all this way for you.”
Okay, that was a bit of a lie. She was here more for Anandra than Caius. But close enough.
“And you want me to just leave without you? Do you know the kind of risks I took to get to this point?”
She’d called in one of her lieutenants. Flown into a section of space only the craziest of humans ever braved and then played whack-a-mole with a bunch of Tsavitee. All of whom could have ended her if the slightest thing went wrong.
And this was the thanks she got? Him saying “no”, “turn around”, “go home”?
She’d be flabbergasted but she was too damn irritated.
Caius opened his eyes, the murderous look in them bringing Gus to a sharp stop.
“Are you serious?” she asked in disbelief, trying to ignore the tiny sting of betrayal that accompanied that look of his. The realization that Caius was perfectly capable of killing her if she got in his way.
It wasn’t like she’d expected much from Caius—or people in general. They weren’t friends or comrades. They were barely more than strangers. From that perspective, it made sense that he’d place his agenda above everything else—including her life.
It was a grim reminder of what Caius was. House Roake’s commander. A man whose loyalty to its Overlord transcended the possible and edged into legend territory. He was the House’s golden boy and he would do anything, even die, for its glory and honor.
He wouldn’t care about someone like Gus who’d gone out of her way to help him. His House owned him.
Body and soul.
The sound of footsteps came from the adjacent cells.
“That’s your cue,” Caius advised as Gus stopped to listen.
“Shut up,” Gus ordered.
She needed to think.
“You’re almost out of time.”
Gus slanted him a frustrated look. “What do you think you can even do in your state?”
“We’ll see, won’t we?”
Gus stared at him a second longer. He was going to die.
Not her problem, she decided. She’d tried. Whatever came next was on him. And only him. That’s exactly what she’d tell Roake when they came to collect her head later.
“I told you to go,’ Caius growled as she reached for him. “The kids are waiting for you. You don’t have time for this.”
“I will. In a minute,” Gus murmured absentmindedly, coasting her ki along his body in search of any last remnants of the choko tree’s life essence.
While most of the tree’s essence had gone to healing his previous wounds, his body hadn’t been able to absorb all of it. Traces of it still lingered on the surface of his skin and in his veins. Eventually, they would dissipate, returning to the fabric of the universe.
Unless someone made use of them first.
Carefully, Gus gathered the tiny specks of essence and sent them flowing through his body toward the areas with the most damage.
Caius grunted. “What are you doing? That hurts.”
“Shhh,” Gus hushed him, unsympathetic to the level of pain she was causing.
Those who wished to embark on suicide missions could deal with the consequences of their own decisions.
She felt the moment he lost consciousness, his body going lax. She kept going. Only when the last pieces of energy had been used did Gus withdraw her ki.
Opening her eyes, she blinked at the flowery vine now trailing up Caius’s inner bicep. She didn’t recognize the species, but it was beautiful. Delicate with yellow and teal flower petals that trailed off the stamen like floppy cork screws.
Gus traced the lines lightly, wondering how she’d missed it earlier. As partial as she was to plants, you’d think she would notice something so marvelous.
It should have felt out of place on him. He seemed more the type to favor something harsher. With stronger lines. Maybe a little more testosterone coded. Not something dainty and graceful. And yet, it looked oddly right nestled there. As if it had found shelter from the harsh world outside.
The sound of voices approaching reminded Gus that this wasn’t the time for contemplation. It was the time for running.
Tugging her hood up over her hair, she turned to go, only to stop short an instant later. There was something she hadn’t considered in her haste to free Caius. That was the fact that there was only one exit in or out of this room.
Gus had to face it. She was trapped.
She was still scrambling to find an escape that didn’t involve a confrontation or discovery when someone walked into the room, humming faintly.
They both froze to regard each other steadily.
“Brooks,” Gus called in a low greeting.
The red headed man who also happened to be her lieutenant considered Gus for several seconds before he looked past her to Caius. If the sight of her standing in front of a strung up Tuann who was showing obvious signs of torture disturbed him, he hid it well. “Am I interrupting?”
Gus gave Caius one last lingering look. “No. Not at all. I’m done here.”
She turned her back on the commander, walking toward Brooks with calm, measured steps as she ignored the pit in her stomach saying that this was wrong. That by leaving Caius here she was in danger of becoming even more of the monster her former masters had tried to remake her into.
Kira will come, Gus assured herself.
Her sister was already on site and the clue Gus had left should expedite her arrival.
Kira never failed. Gus had faith she wouldn’t this time either.
Caius would survive and return to his House.
Gus would return to Titan to resume her duties.
Their lives would continue on their preset paths. Never to intersect again.
Loneliness tried to rise before Gus pushed it back down.
This was good. This was what she wanted. She could return to the life she’d carved out for herself. No more danger. No more uncertainty. Just Gus, her plants, and Titan.
“What about him?” Brooks asked, glancing back at Caius.
“His fate lies with another.”
Brooks ambled after her. “If you say so.”
“I do,” Gus said shortly before changing the subject. “Now, have you found Belladonna’s headquarters like I asked?”
Since saving Caius was no longer in the cards, the least she could do was wreak a little havoc on her way out. She should be able to handle a few humans on her own. If anything, it’d give her a chance to work off some of this frustration.
“I have.”
Finally, something that had gone according to plan.
Gus slowed as she remembered her other reason for coming here. “You haven’t run into any children, have you?”
Before she did any smiting, she should probably secure the kid.
“I don’t think you need to worry about them.” At Gus’s questioning look, Brooks chuckled. “Let’s just say they’ve found a worthy protector.”