Chapter Eighteen
How many more times do we have to circle before we can come in to dock? I thought Ziggy was a friend to the Abnobian Empire,” Cardo shouted.
They had made it to Ziggy’s Place in good time, even earlier than they expected. He was currently arguing with the docking control.
“I am sorry. Four of our ports went down this morning, but you are our top priority.”
“We better be,” Cardo said, “or there’s a squad of Drazani who can’t wait to get down there.”
“We will get you docked, if we could ask for your patience.”
“Just hurry.”
He turned to the captain of the guard. “Is everyone ready to move at a moment’s notice?”
The captain clearly didn’t like him. “We are always ready.”
Brogan was just coming to the surface after a deep sleep. She felt Camber wrapped around her, and a smile erupted on her face. This was the best morning of her life. She hugged Camber and placed kisses on her brow.
Camber was just starting to waken when a loud beeping noise interrupted them.
“Camber, how do I switch this off?”
“I need to answer. It’ll be Ziggy. Computer, answer.”
“Camber, Brogan, you need to get out of here. Davor’s men are here and about to dock. You have about twenty minutes.”
The loving, happy atmosphere was gone.
“Where do we go, Ziggy?” Brogan said.
“To the roof. I’ll message you exact instructions. I need to go and try to slow them down.”
“We need to go now,” Brogan said. “Do me a favour, can you put my clothes, the picture I was drawing of you, and my credit chip in your satchel?”
“Why don’t you need your clothes?” Camber asked.
“Because I’m going to shift to pelt to get you out. I’m at my most powerful as my wolf,” Brogan said, and she pulled Camber’s hand to her. And kissed it.
“Go quickly. Ziggy said we had twenty minutes to get out.”
“Yes.” Camber pulled on her clothes and ran to get everything they needed.
When Camber left the room, Brogan shifted to pelt and stretched out all of her limbs.
Brogan’s wolf hated being apart from her mate, because that’s who Camber was. Her mate. But Brogan didn’t want to say that and confuse Camber. She’d never been with anyone before, and they were from two very different worlds.
But she had a job for the moment. Protect Camber at all costs.
Camber put Brogan’s clothes and credit in her satchel and hurried back to the living area. She was taken aback when she saw Brogan. Brogan, her wolf.
Of course she’d seen her as her wolf in the RR, but that was a big landscape. Here in this smaller living room, she seemed so much bigger.
“Hi, Wolfy.” Camber just tried to get this new dynamic in her head.
Brogan gestured with her head to encourage Camber over to the door. She did and Brogan licked her hand.
Camber stroked her ears. It made her feel calmer to have this wolf by her side.
“Okay, Ziggy said that we were to go out towards the lift, but walk right instead of getting on, and walk around until we see a painting on the wall. I’ve to put my hand on the wall, which Ziggy has reprogrammed to respond to me, and when the wall disappears, take the staff entrance up to their break room.
We can get access to the roof there, where Ziggy’s ship will be. Okay?”
Brogan scratched the door with her paw.
“That’s a yes, then. Let’s go.”
Camber opened the door, and Brogan took the lead as expected. Camber saw her look both ways and walk out. She sniffed the air and indicated for Camber to follow her. They arrived at the painting that seemed to change image periodically.
She pressed her hand against the wall, and the painting changed to a doorway. Brogan again sniffed the air. Giving the all clear, Brogan padded up the stairs.
The staff room was a big open room, with silver tables and many food and drinks machines.
“Brogan, there’s an emergency door up that steel staircase.”
Brogan’s demeanour changed. She started to growl and pushed in front of Camber.
Then through the door at the other side of the room, Ziggy walked in calmly and sat on the table at the back.
“Ziggy, what’s happening?” Camber asked.
Brogan growled. Clearly, she thought there was something wrong.
“I like you, Camber, but I’ve got thousands who rely on this moon, and I can’t get in a fight with the Abnobians. I had no choice.”
Brogan was pulling at her trousers, trying to get her to move back.
“Ziggy? What have you done?”
From the doors at the back of the room, a vampire and Drazani guards emerged. Camber felt like a dagger had been plunged into her stomach. “No, Ziggy. That’s why you kept us here enjoying your hospitality. To give them time to get here.”
“Business is business, Camber,” Ziggy said.
Camber bent over. She could feel her stomach about to throw up. “Ziggy…” Tears ran down her cheeks.
Brogan pulled her off her feet and behind a table. She licked the tears from her cheeks and looked up to the emergency exit.
How was she to get Camber safely up there?
Ziggy spoke again. “I’m told that if you come with us, your wolf will be spared.”
Camber began to move, but Brogan lay over her to stop her and to make sure Camber didn’t go anywhere.
The vampire said, “Just kill the wolf, and let’s get out of here.”
One of the Drazani guards said, “Davor wants no mistakes. You will die a long, lingering death if there are.”
While they were arguing, Brogan heard a high-pitched sound, then something rolling, like a ball, close to them. She saw a silver ball coming, rolling in her direction.
It had green lights and a button to depress in the middle.
This must be some sort of a bomb, Brogan thought. She took a chance, lifted it with her mouth, and threw it to the other side of the room.
All hell broke loose. Smoke filled the room, and guns started firing. Brogan draped herself over Camber’s body, so that she was protected.
Then weapons were being shot up above, where the emergency exit was that they had been trying to get to. A humanoid male with a glittery lilac hue to his skin came out of the smoke.
Brogan snarled and growled at him.
“Brogan, Camber, I’m with the rebellion. Come with me, and we’ll get you out of here.”
There was no way she was trusting a random person who claimed they were with the resistance. So she growled and snapped at him all the more.
“She won’t let me help, Camber.”
Then a face she knew only too well joined him.
“Brogan? It’s me, Morrigan. I came with the rebellion to help find you.”
Brogan sniffed her scent. Unless the Abnobians had gone to the trouble of passing out bottles of scent, then it was her. Who knew how she got there?
She rose on all fours, always keeping her body between Camber and the gunfire. They scrambled up the stairs and saw a ship much bigger than the one they’d arrived here in, with more rebels giving them cover fire.
Voices she didn’t know shouted, “Come on quickly, Camber, run.”
Brogan felt a deep burn in her hip area, but she wasn’t stopping until Camber was safe in the ship. They got to the ramp, and someone tried to help Camber up, but Brogan snarled and growled at them.
“Let’s just get her in before fights start amongst us,” Morrigan said.
They scrambled up the ramp.
“Tell me when everybody’s in.”
Brogan lay against Camber while everyone else got on. Camber was still. Her tears had stopped, but the pain etched on her face. She wrapped her arms around Brogan and kissed her head.
“She betrayed us, Wolfy.”
Brogan licked her face. She wished she had the telepathy that came with a mate bond. But that seemed impossible right now.
Someone with an archer’s bow on his back shouted, “Now, Margot.”
The ship lifted off, and Brogan could feel blasts from the Drazani guards’ weapons hitting the hull.
“Brogan,” Morrigan said, “can we get Camber through to the front of the ship?”
Since it was Morrigan, Brogan trusted her. She rose from on top of Camber. But when she walked a few paces, her back end collapsed, and the searing pain was overwhelming.
“Brogan!” Camber scrambled over to her and touched the injury on her hip. Her hand was covered in fresh blood. “Medic,” Camber shouted.
The man with who was an archer said, “Jhosa, can you help me carry her to the medic room?”
A huge giant of a man came and, together with the archer, lifted Brogan. She could feel her head going woozy. It wasn’t a thing that she’d normally let happen, but her strength had left her.
Brogan need to shift to skin, but she hadn’t the energy. She felt herself being laid on a medic bed, but her mind was going in and out.
The last thing she remembered was Camber hugging her and saying, “Please get better. I can’t lose you…”
“Is she going to be okay?” Camber asked.
“Werewolves heal when they shift,” Thane said. “But she’s too weak just now. Morrigan, put this bandage on her hip and press down hard.”
“Yes.” Morrigan did as requested, and Thane injected Brogan with something.
“What’s that?” Camber asked.
“Painkiller, this and some sleep will hopefully give her the strength to shift, and then she should be okay.”
Camber stroked her head and her ears. “You saved my life, Wolfy.”
“Come through, and we’ll get some food and a drink,” Thane said.
“No, I’m staying here.”
“It could be a while,” Thane said.
“I don’t care.”
“As you wish,” Thane said, with a little anger in his voice, and stomped out of the room.
“What’s his problem?”
“Seems a bit jealous. Maybe he held a torch for you,” Morrigan said.
Camber shook her head. “Why are you here, Morrigan? I’ve heard of you but never met you.”
“I’ve spent most of my time visiting planets in this realm and Earth.”
“Really? You went to Earth?”
“Yes, through the super portal. There are a few jumps to it. Anyway, did she tell you how she got here?”
“She said she was helping a group of friends fight an evil god called Balor, and she was flung through a portal and ended up here,” Camber said.
“I was one of the group, and it was my brother they were banishing. He took the god and evil things far too seriously. Brogan’s friends were devastated to lose her. So I promised them I would come back and try to find her. I knew it would be a billion to one shot, but I had to try.”
“How did you find out she was with me?” Camber asked.
“I arrived on Danus just after they had been attacked. I was told that a wolf had been seen helping to protect the Map Keeper. I met up with this cell of the rebellion, and we set off to find you both,” Morrigan said.
Camber was reminded that Brogan was going home, and a deep wave of sadness hit her. She recalled the way she felt when she realized that Brogan was hurt. Her chest tightened like her heart would explode.
She was falling in love, no—she was in love. But then again, she had no experience of a relationship. Nothing to compare it to.
“It looks like she cares for you. Brogan put her body in the way of gunfire,” Morrigan said.
“Brogan saved my life.” Camber stroked her face.
“Are you two together?” Morrigan asked.
“I don’t know what we are. She’s going home to Earth,” Camber said.
“I can tell you, Brogan is a good wolf. If she feels the same way as you do, Brogan would never leave your side,” Morrigan said.
It was too much to think about right now. “You said you went to Danus. Did you speak to Vorka?”
“Yes. They were trying to get cleaned up, but the Abnobians were waiting in orbit. I don’t know what they had planned next,” Morrigan said.
“I need to get Brogan back home first, and then we can deal with Danus and come up with a plan,” Camber said.
“Do you know where there’s another portal to Earth?” Morrigan asked.
“A place where I was going to take her anyway. According to my map, Gallowglass.”
“GallowGlas? Really? Okay.”
“Where is Margot taking us?” Camber asked.
“A safe distance from the moon,” Morrigan said.
“Ziggy betrayed us. She’s always been there for me. Always, she was like my big sister.”
“I know. Margot will be in to see you soon and explain everything. You just concentrate on Brogan.” Morrigan didn’t appear as bothered about this.
Camber took Brogan’s hand. “You would help me cope with all this, Wolfy.”
Ninti paced her quarters on the ship, full of anxiety. She was waiting on Kartog communicating with her.
They couldn’t have their usual open chats like they did at home. There at Ninti’s palatial home, the security was higher, and their secret channel made it easier to talk.
But they knew each other so well that they could convey messages without going into details.
The beep finally came that said Kartog was here at last.
“Kartog?”
“Yes, my Goddess. I am here,” Kartog said with all the love that she could press into her words.
“How is your mission going?” Ninti asked.
“It goes well. I found all the elements I needed to and sent them off for further study.”
Kartog clearly meant she’d found both Camber and Brogan today and sent them off to hide.
“Well done, Kartog,” Ninti said. “I have also been given the bodily cell I need to work on, so we have both been busy.”
“Was it found on an artifact on Danus?” Kartog asked.
“Yes. What about your vampire, Cardo?”
“He failed, and the Drazani dealt with him.”
Ninti pretended to be disappointed. “Get the captain of the guard to prepare a report to Davor.”
“I shall do it immediately, my Goddess,” Kartog said.
“Get the guard to bring you to our ship at Danus.”
“Of course.”
Kartog ended the communication.
They got as much as they could over to each other. The good thing was, Kartog was coming to her. She always felt stronger with Kartog nearby.