Chapter 28 - Neela #2
From the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Wingo, belly skimming the ground as he barrels toward the Penubian who’s about to bite my brother.
Kiran, pinned beneath the creature’s body, can’t stop the deadly jaws.
But now, with one arm finally free, I watch him drive a screwdriver straight into the monster’s eye, killing it instantly.
There are too many enemies, and far too few of us.
Viktor is wrestling a Ninasarvik with his bare hands. My stomach turns as I see the creature tear his head off.
Rage boiling inside me, I steady myself and fire at the remaining Penubians.
When only Bully is left standing, his eyes lock on mine. A cruel grin twists his face. I aim and shoot—but miss. His smile widens.
He lunges and pins me down before I can fire again.
“You’re going to die screaming,” he snarls, baring his fangs. Poison glistens at their tips.
“Hey, Kaa!” a voice snaps. “Don’t you ever get tired of attacking defenseless women? Enough is enough!”
Ileana. She’s standing a few yards away, weapon in hand.
“You!!” he snarls when he sees her.
If his glare toward me was full of fury, the one he gives her is pure, unfiltered hatred—the kind born of long-standing vengeance.
“Yeah, me,” she says coolly.
Without another word, she raises her weapon and shoots. Bully collapses on top of me, spewing a foul greenish blood from a gaping hole in his chest.
“Sorry!” she says as she rushes over to help me push his disgusting body off.
“Thank you,” I gasp in return.
“My Human is strong!” Wingo crows proudly.
In the clearing, now littered with bodies, not a single Penubian is left standing. The fight between Pherebos and Prax—each of them battling two enemies at once—is brutal and endless. A fifth one slams into Kiran, sending him flying into the side of the Penubian building. He doesn’t get back up.
I rush to him, while Ileana steps in to face the attacker.
From inside Bully’s ship, the prisoners have figured out something is happening. Their cries for help rise up, adding to the chaotic noise all around us.
I kneel beside my brother and check his pulse. It’s a little weak, but nothing alarming. I lift one of his eyelids to check his pupil reaction. His pupils contract naturally in response to the light—thank goodness.
“Kiran!” I call, touching his shoulder. “Kiran!”
“Huh? Where are we?” he mumbles, completely disoriented.
“How do you feel?”
If he’s got anything broken, his self-diagnosis will be faster than a full checkup.
“Oh, shit!” he blurts out as his eyes snap to the battle.
I turn my head and see his attacker has knocked out Ileana the same way. Pherebos lets out a furious roar and, with two swift moves, decapitates both enemies in front of him before launching himself at the one who dared strike his wife.
Prax, meanwhile, is locked in combat with General Nivek himself. My Sadjim may be big and strong, but the Ninasarvik is even more so. He lands several powerful blows that make Prax stagger backward.
I remember the pistoblaster I’m holding doesn’t work on Ninasarvik. But Ileana’s weapon definitely did! I head toward the unconscious woman just as Pherebos scoops her up into his arms. He spins around in a flash, bloodstained blade in hand, ready to strike.
Our eyes meet—his violet gaze burning with pain—and I hesitate for a split second. Help his wife… or help Prax, who’s struggling against the Ninasarvik?
I make my choice. I grab the woman’s weapon and turn toward the ongoing fight.
I examine the gun. It looks more like something out of an old Earth western than one of the Confederation’s sleek pistoblasters.
It’s heavier, too. Do I have the nerve to fire it, knowing it’s lethal, as I saw earlier?
Especially since there’s a real risk I could hit Prax instead of that monster General Nivek.
Unfortunately, the beast has Prax cornered against the ship’s hull.
They’re both fighting with everything they’ve got, but then the Ninasarvik suddenly opens its mouth wide—unnaturally wide, as if its jaw unhinged—and sinks its teeth into Prax’s left arm.
With a vicious yank, it rips the limb clean off.
My heart skips a beat as I watch my love’s arm separate from his body.
That’s when my subconscious kicks in and takes over. Without thinking, I step toward the General, who is so focused on finishing off Prax that he doesn’t see me coming. I pull the trigger without aiming.
Apparently, my instincts are spot-on. A massive hole appears in his chest. His knees give out and he crumples backward.
I run to my Sadjim and desperately search for something to use as a tourniquet. My thoughts are scrambled, and panic is flooding my brain.
“Here!” Wingo says, handing me a cloth with his little prehensile trunk.
I don’t waste time thanking him. I just take it, tie the tourniquet, and start doing whatever I can to tend to my man.
“Don't cry, Purrsong. It'll be okay,” he whispers in a broken voice.
Only then do I realize my face is drenched in tears.
“I love you,” he adds.
A painful sob bursts from my chest. His declaration sounds too much like a goodbye. I can't take it.
“You listen to me! If you ever pull that 'I'm dead/nope just kidding' stunt again, I'm gonna lose it! I forbid you to leave me again, you hear?”
“My hearing’s excellent, remember? I heard every word," he answers with a faint smile. "But Neela... a Sadjim with one arm? I'm damaged now. Weaker. I'm not worthy of you anymore.”
“What a load of crap,” says Pherebos, walking over while helping Ileana, who's limping. “Cut the self-pity. In two days tops, Admiral Akifumi will be here with his ship and a regeneration pod.”
“A what now?” I ask.
“A regeneration pod. It's like a sarcophagus that heals any injury and rebuilds the DNA structure of the lifeform inside. Basically, it’ll regrow Prax’s arm!” Pherebos explains.
“In the meantime, we need to cauterize the wound!” Ileana says. “I'm a doctor, but my head’s spinning and I’m nauseous. Can you do it? Prax said you’re a doctor too.”
“I don’t know how to do that... but if you guide me—”
“Wingo? Could you bring my med pouch?” she asks.
A moment later, Wingo comes speeding in and drops the pouch at my feet.
I open it and, following Ileana’s instructions, pull out an injector pen I'm familiar with, along with a small, glowing blade I’ve never seen before.
I inject my beautiful Sadjim with a painkiller, hoping it’ll take the edge off.
The fur on his face is damp with sweat, and his breathing is labored.
The suffering has dulled the gold in his eyes.
“There. That should help with the pain,” Ileana confirms. “Prax, do you want to be completely sedated?”
“Not a chance!” he growls. “Just do it—and fast.”
“You do not get to growl at my wife,” Pherebos snaps.
“I'm not growling at her!” Prax bites back through gritted teeth.
“What about my sister then?” Kiran pipes up, wobbling over.
“Human, as you can see, now is not the time to mess with me!”
“It’s a plasma blade,” Ileana continues, ignoring the testosterone flare-up. “Place it on the stump and hold for five seconds each time. Repeat until the whole surface is sealed.”
I nod and take a deep breath to steady my nerves.
The blade glows white-hot as I move it toward the raw, red stump. I hesitate.
“Do it, Purrsong,” my brave companion urges.
So I do. Once. Twice. As many times as it takes.
The sound sizzles in my ears. The smell—burned flesh and singed fur—makes my stomach churn.
I’m barely holding back nausea, hurting the man I love like this.
My only comfort is knowing it’s temporary.
If I understood right, the Confederation has plenty of tools they’ve conveniently kept from us.
When I’m done, my Sadjim cups my face with his one good hand and brushes his thumb gently across my lips.
“Thank you. You did what had to be done,” he murmurs, reassuring me.
“Oh, cat’s fine, wasn’t that bad,” Kiran jokes, trying to break the tension.
Prax lets go of my face and flicks him on the back of the head in response.
I roll my eyes and finally let out a long breath. My brother’s okay. My man is alive.