Chapter 63
Injured silence.
Why was it so loud?
Yelling. Someone was yelling. Several people were yelling. My back throbbed, but my right side was oddly numb. What was going on? I should open my eyes, but that seemed like more effort than I could expend right now.
“Where is Monqilcolnen?” a voice I knew better than my own roared. “Where is he?”
“Here,” I said or tried to. It came out more like a strangled moan. But it was enough.
“Star.” Fingers brushed over my face, and finally, I opened my eyes to the best sight I’d ever seen: Wyn. His brows were pulled together and his teeth had sunk into his plump bottom lip. He was the loveliest thing I’d ever seen.
“My Wyn.” I tried to lift my hand, but I moaned as sharp stabs went up my back.
“No, Monqilcolnen,” he growled. “You’re hurt. Stay still.” Wyn looked away from me and snapped, “We need assistance over here.”
“He is not critical as long as he doesn’t move,” Qinlin yelled. “Stay out of my way.”
I tried to look around, but it was too hard. My eyes fell closed. “What happened?”
“I don’t know the details yet, but the damage is extensive. Do you remember what happened on Command?”
It was hard to think about anything other than Wyn’s fingers running through my hair, over my scalp. But eventually, it came rushing back to me. “Siscurras.”
“What?”
“It came out right in front of us. I managed to order us back in time because of my inner fire. We just grazed it,” I said.
Wyn pressed a hard kiss to my lips. I moaned, trying to return it, but it was over too fast for me in my current state. He brushed my hair back, his face close to mine, and whispered, “I am so grateful and proud of you, Star.”
It wasn’t as if I had a choice with my inner fire. My eyes ran over Wyn and a frown began to form.
“What?” he asked.
I tried to push up, but a stab in my side made me stop. I kept trying, though, regardless of the pain.
“Monqilcolnen, stop,” Wyn ordered, pushing me down.
“Are you hurt? What about your chest? Your soul scales,” I rasped, gripping the base of his shirt to yank it up and check on him.
“Stop,” Wyn said, grabbing my frantic hands. “I’m fine.”
I stared at him.
“Fine. I’m bruised, but I promise, I’m fine.” Wyn dropped his forehead to mine, nuzzling. “I’m completely fine, Mate.”
My soul stuttered. He’d never called me that.
A panicked shout ripped through the air. “Mother, please. Help me.”
Wyn and I both turned toward the door. Noxlyn had just entered, and Vorjyn was by him, with an unconscious Camden between them.
“Little Shadow,” Qinlin called, racing toward him and cupping his cheek.
Noxlyn was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, but it looked minor, at least compared to Camden.
It was difficult to see from my current position, but what I caught a glimpse of was enough.
Half of his face had been burnt, and the damage appeared to go down his side.
His leg hung at a weird angle. He didn’t appear to be conscious, but I truly couldn’t tell.
“Camden,” Wyn cried, but he didn’t leave my side.
I curled my tail around his in silent support.
“He…” Noxlyn sobbed. “He pushed me out of the way.”
Qinlin took a single moment to pat her son’s cheek before ordering, “Put him here. Where is that useless amorian?”
“Right here,” he said, appearing behind her.
She growled as Noxlyn and Vorjyn laid Camden down on a bed. Techs swarmed him, blocking our view. Noxlyn remained by Camden, regardless of when he was ordered to move, but Vorjyn moved toward us.
“Will you live?” he asked in a bored voice, looking down at me.
“I believe so.”
Wyn growled. “You will be fine. There’s no other choice.”
Vorjyn rolled his eyes. “Like you could keep him from death. People in love are truly moronic.”
My mate turned toward him with a snarl, but I tugged on Wyn’s tail to keep him from doing anything foolish. I asked, “What happened?”
Vorjyn answered, “I was looking for Wyn, as you barked at me, and I came upon the young drakcol and the human.”
“Noxlyn and Camden,” Wyn supplied.
“I suppose, if you insist on giving them names,” Vorjyn said. “Anyway, the human was in rough shape and the young drakcol was struggling to carry him. He refused to let me carry the human here, so we came together.”
“How’s Camden?” I asked, grabbing Wyn’s hand. While I didn’t care for Camden, Wyn did—they were friends. Also, I owed him for protecting and caring for Wyn while I was separated from my mate.
“I doubt he’ll survive.”
Wyn took in a shuddering breath.
Vorjyn glanced at Wyn. “He took an exploding conduit to the side. He’s badly burned and some debris crushed his side. He’ll be dead soon. Pity. He was rather amusing.”
My mate snarled, but it was thick with emotion.
“Wyn!” Seth called, appearing at his side and dragging him into a hug.
“Seth.” Wyn returned the hug and held Seth back just as tight before checking Bobbinvoxlyn, who clung to his father, crying.
“My cousins?” I asked as I tried to get up.
Wyn pushed me back down with a warning growl, but I fought his grip and ignored the pain slashing through me. I had to make sure they were safe.
Seth replied, “Both Kal and Mindy are safe. So’s Teddy, though Mindy won’t let him out of his sight. Me and Bob are fine, and so’s Lucy.”
“Cincin,” I cried.
“She’s safe,” Wyn said, smoothing a hand over my hair. “Upset, but completely fine.”
I fell back on the bed. “The others? Talvax? Urgg?”
Seth shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Wyn, help me up,” I ordered.
“No.” He crossed his arms.
“Now, Lieutenant."
He swallowed, tail curling around his ankle, then shook his head. “No.”
“If Talvax is…” I couldn’t even finish that sentence. Talvax was my friend. She was more than that, though. She was my mentor, my family. We’d been fighting, and I didn’t wish for our last days together to have been tainted by anger. Also, I wasn’t ready to lead. Not yet.
With a shake of my head, I continued, “I need to ensure the ship is safe and lead until Talvax is found.”
“No.” It was Seth this time. He moved closer to me. “You are injured, Monty.”
“I have—”
“No, you don’t,” Seth interrupted. “Mindy has already taken the situation in hand and Kal is helping him. They might not be officers, but they can handle everything until you can or Talvax is found.”
I wanted to argue, but it was hard to move, let alone think.
In this situation, my cousins would be in far better shape than me to lead.
Besides, as I looked around, I didn’t see Gorgownun.
She would be managing things as well. I would have to trust my cousins and my officers to respond well until I was able to help.
Offering my throat, I conceded to Wyn and Seth’s demands.
My mate’s shoulders instantly relaxed, and his tail sought mine out.
I returned his grip. Seth, though, wasn’t looking at me or Wyn; his gaze was fixed across the room where Camden lay, surrounded by Qinlin, Klars, and several technicians.
As Vorjyn, who had since vanished, had said—Camden wasn’t doing well.
I hoped our and the Amorian technology could save him, but even we had limitations.
“No!” a shriek rang through the chaos of the room. Noxlyn clung to Camden’s limp hand and shook his head as his wings sprawled. “No. Do something. You have to save him. Mother, please! He’s my friend. My only friend. I need him.”
Qinlin gathered her son close. “He cannot be saved.”
“No!” he cried, shoulders shaking. “No.”
Wyn covered his mouth as his eyes turned glassy. I grabbed his hand to tug him closer to my side.
Seth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he straightened his shoulders and passed a still-crying Bobbinvoxlyn to Wyn. The kit reached for his father, but Seth moved away and headed toward Camden.
“Seth?” Wyn asked in a whisper, bouncing the kit.
I squeezed his tail. “Seth is the leader of Team Human. Camden is his.”
“Yes, he is.”
We watched in silence as Physician Klars and Qinlin moved away to care for other people, leaving Seth and Noxlyn alone beside Camden. They simply stared down at him, as there was nothing else to do.