25. Chapter 25
I didn't like the plan one bit. And by the looks of it, neither did Dzar-Ghan, Dzur-Khan, or Tzar-Than. Dzar-Ghan voiced vehemently that Jenna's presence wasn't as necessary as Rachel's and Amber's, but Jenna explained that she would lend credibility to the exposé as Rachel called it.
It took a while, but finally, Amber convinced us that this was the only way, and grudgingly, we agreed to take advantage of what daylight was left, broke camp, and started marching back the same way Rachel and I just came from. Except now, with this large army at our backs, it would take a few more days, during which I hoped one of us would come up with a better plan, one that didn't require our gallies to risk their lives.
When we made camp that night, Jenna prepared a small presentation of the power of her explosives. I noticed Dzar-Ghan and his warriors stepping farther away, watching Jenna carefully as she used a tiny amount of what she called C-4 to place it underneath a few rocks she had assembled.
"That should do it." She straightened with a grin, holding up a detonator . She eyed us carefully. "You all might want to take a few more steps back." She met one of Dzar-Ghan's warrior's eyes, who was ducking behind a boulder. "Very funny."
He pointed at a small scar on his cheek. "I haven't forgotten."
Jenna laughed and tripped over a rock. She hopped a few paces, but Dzar-Ghan was instantly at her side as if he had anticipated this. His hand closed around Jenna's, who yelled, "No!"
With an incredible boom, the rocks she had assembled detonated, turning into shrapnel and flying through the air. I was lifted off my feet but managed to direct my fall, taking Rachel to the ground with me and protecting her with my body. One of the slivers hit my back, and I felt a sharp pain before blood trickled down it. But the ringing in my ears was worse. I shook my head as I cautiously lifted myself off Rachel, frantically scanning her fragile body, but besides a stunned expression on her face, she seemed fine. She pointed at her ears, and her mouth moved, but I didn't make out a sound. Once I was satisfied she was unscathed, I turned my head, mindful of keeping Rachel shielded with my body. The three rocks, each the size of my fist Jenna had assembled, were all gone. Nothing was left but a bowl-shaped hole in the ground, surrounded by bits and pieces of rock.
"… oaf… I had… control," I made out bits and pieces of Jenna yelling at Dzar-Ghan as my hearing slowly returned.
I helped Rachel off the ground, who, with an amused expression on her face, shook her head. "Wow."
I pieced together that Dzar-Ghan must have inadvertently pressed the button on the detonator when he was protecting Jenna from falling.
"Well, now you all know," Jenna exclaimed.
I noticed Matt far off in the distance. He had walked away from our group at a signal from Tzar-Than, not wanting the humans to see what we were doing. Empathy moved through me. I didn't envy the male's fate at all. Carl had damned him to be a loner for the rest of his life. So he might enjoy joining us at a feast, but he would never be part of any major decisions, would never take a mate, and would never again have intimate conversations with anybody.
Had I been in his position, I would have volunteered to deliver the bomb too. Because what kind of life was left for Matt here on Vandruk? At least his death would be a meaningful act of defiance. I would have gladly taken his place, like all the other males in our army because Matt's death would mean freedom for us.
"This will work. Let's forget about talking to the humans and blow the portal up," I suggested, what had been proposed before.
Rachel slapped my arm. "Let's try the other way first, the one that doesn't get Matt killed." She glared at me, but suddenly, her expression turned to worry. "You're bleeding, you're hurt."
She moved around my back, and I remembered getting hit by shrapnel. Looking closer, I realized I wasn't the only one with a small gash. But I was the only one being fussed over. With a grin, I tried to turn and have a look, but the cut was right underneath my shoulder, where I couldn't see it.
"This needs stitches"." Rachel dapped at the blood with a piece of cloth.
The warrior who had been hiding behind a boulder came out, a bright gleam on his face. "Not a scratch this time"," he proclaimed happily.
Just then, a velviph appeared out of nowhere, landing gracefully on a boulder. It used the warrior as a springboard, leaping onto his head and making him yelp as sharp claws gripped his skull for leverage. With a final jump, it launched itself straight toward Gwyn, who squealed in delight. ""Fuzzles, where have you been?"
Frozen, everybody stared at the velviph climbing Gwyn's arm, snuggling on her shoulder, and wrapping its tail around her neck. Her hands moved up to caress the rare creature.
"By the gods," Dzar-Ghan exclaimed. "It's true then? You have a velviph as your protector?"
"It's been with her for weeks," Dzur-Khan looked slightly less surprised than the rest of us.
"You've seen it before?" I asked.
"Sa, when I first found Gwyn in the wildlands…" "he trailed off, shaking his head. "Long story."
Tzar-Than stepped closer, and the velviph hissed at him, making the other warriors laugh as they finally went about their business while still sending surreptitious glances at Gwyn and the velviph.
"That is the cutest thing I have ever seen," Jenna gushed and moved forward, only to receive a hiss from the animal as well.
"He only tolerates Gwyn," Tzar-Than stated, looking proudly at his mate.
"What is that?" Rachel asked.
"A velviph," I explained. "The rarest creature on Vandruk. The gods sent them as messengers, sometimes to protect someone in danger. I have never seen one before."
"He vanished when we traveled to the Temple. I was worried he was lost"," Gwyn said, petting the velviph and snuggling her face into his fur.
"It's a sign from the gods that we are doing the right thing," Dzar-Ghan announced, giving a resigned look to his mate, Jenna, before his eyes locked with mine. I nodded at his unspoken question. We would go with the gallies and protect them with our lives.
We camped out of sight of the red fog when we were only a finger's breadth of time away from it to avoid giving the humans time to prepare for us.
"We can only enter the portal in twos"." Amber laid our plan out for the next morning. "We need to move as quickly as we can to avoid IC closing the portal on the rest of us."
"They might only allow two or four of us in," Jenna warned.
"Which is why Dzur-Khan and I will go first. If they close the portal, he and I will overwhelm them and open it for the rest of you. You said there is an obvious button?" She looked at Gwyn.
Gwyn assured her, "You can't miss it. It says Engage ."
"Good. Ghan-Zahr and Rachel will be next"." Her eyes penetrated mine. "'You're okay with that, big guy?"
"Nek, but let's do it"." I sighed.
Her gaze was unnerving, and I could see why she made an exceptional interrogator and warrior. There was a coldness in them that I had only seen in other khadahrs and warriors: a resolution to do what needed to be done or die trying. She was formidable, but my Rachel wasn't a warrior. At least not with her hands. Her battles were fought with words, and I understood the necessity of her being there, but that didn't mean I liked it.
"The next will be Dzar-Ghan and Jenna." Dzar-Ghan was the largest khadahr in our group, and nothing smaller than a gronk could stop him.
"You won't like this, Dzur-Khan," I interrupted Amber's plan, "but I think it would be better if Amber and Dzar-Ghan go first."
As expected, Dzur-Khan blustered, "I can protect my khadahrshi."
"Sa"." I tried to soothe him. "There is no question that you can, but it would make sense to send in the strongest fighters first."
"Then I will go with Dzar-Ghan," Dzur-Khan suggested.
"They won't let two Vandruks in, and some of them might still think I'm Dawn"." Amber tried to pacify her mate.
"You were right," Dzur-Khan sneered at me, "I don't like this."
He rose and stomped away from our group. Amber stared thoughtfully after him while she spoke. "I'll get him to understand. It's a better plan, Ghan-Zahr."
"Whichever duo enters first will ensure the portal is open for the rest of us, but"—Amber turned back to us—"don't linger. We need to take them by surprise. Our goal is to get out and through the gate to catch the reporters' attention." Here, she stared right at Rachel. "Having them see you is the most important part of this plan."
"What about the other women and the science team?" Gwyn called out, with the velviph still attached to her shoulder.
"You know the layout of the IC building best since you were with the janitorial team, so you know how big it is. It'll be nearly impossible to search it and find the prisoners. It would cost too much time; time we need to get the reporters' attention."
"Gwyn," Tzar-Than warned.
"I was the one insisting they needed to be sent home, Tzar-Than," Gwyn beseeched her mate. "I didn't think IC would detain them. I won't be able to live with myself knowing it was me who caused their death."
"They tried to kill you "," Tzar-Than nearly yelled, exasperated.
"Not the science team"." Gwyn remained stubborn.
Tzar-Than threw his hands in the air, sharing an exasperated look with Dzur-Khan. Had Rachel not been one of the gallies putting their lives in danger, I would have chuckled. Any amusement, however, had left me the night we decided on this fateful plan of action.
"It will be all right," Rachel assured me. "They're not going to kill us on sight. Not with Carl as our hostage."
"I hope the gods will prove you right"." I pulled her into my arms, the stitches in my back stretching, but I didn't care. I just needed to hold her. With every passing day, she was becoming more important to me. Even though I had spent most of my life without her, I had no idea how I would ever go on without her. She was the air I breathed, the blood that flowed through my body. She was the glue holding me together. I didn't think I would ever be able to take another breath without her by my side.
"Promise you be careful," I whispered.
"You'll be right there to protect me," she replied, piercing my heart with her unyielding trust. I might be able to protect her from outside dangers, but I knew in the end, I would break her heart because of the choices she was forced to make. Guilt had taken root in my stomach with every passing day. She didn't have to say anything for me to know that the sacrifices she was about to make would cut her in two, and I wasn't sure any longer I would be able to stand by and watch it happen.
The sound of something sliding turned my attention in time to see Jenna's blond hair vanish down a short incline. A small cry and a thud were followed by her calling, "I'm okay!"
"Whoever allowed her to play with explosives is a fool," I muttered.
Rachel giggled, and its sound warmed my heart enough to let out a small chuckle as well. "Let's go check on her."