Chapter 19
Zalik
My head pounds and my vision is blurry, but the scent of my keeshla is strong and her touch gentle. Riley whispers soothingly to me, and some of the pain eases in my head, but not my heart. I failed both her and our kit.
“Where is Dane now?” Evren asks.
Slowly, I am able to clear some of the haze from my mind.
“I do not know. He ambushed me. Like a worthless and unworthy male, he shot me from behind. I only managed to avoid a direct hit because I moved. I remained conscious only long enough to be aware that he took Stella.” I shift my gaze to my mate. “Please forgive me.”
“Shh, it’s not your fault. We’ll find her and get her back,” Riley vows, although tears fill her eyes.
“You said his ship left?” Zander asks.
“Aye. We watched it depart. Since then, we have seen no signs that it has returned.”
“Do you think it could have landed elsewhere and Dane is going to meet up with it?” Rassim asks.
“It is possible.” The planet is large.
If Dane’s ship did return, they could be anywhere. That also means they could have already left to return to Earth. The ache in my chest splinters and grows.
“Are you well enough to rise?” Evren asks.
Carefully, and with assistance from my tribe brothers and Riley, I get to my feet. I sway with dizziness, but stay upright.
“Let us go back to the village and come up with a plan,” the shefir directs.
I want to argue, but I am in no shape to do much at the moment.
Instead, I slowly travel with them toward home.
The journey is long and arduous. I have to stop many times as the dizziness takes over.
I am no longer bleeding but my head aches fiercely and my vision often goes dark. Finally we arrive back at the village.
“Go to the healers’ tent,” the shefir commands.
“I’ll take him,” Riley replies.
With her aid, I make my way in that direction. Kyler is inside. He takes a single look at me and gestures to one of the raised platforms.
“Lie there.”
Riley helps me up and guides me back until I am reclined. She places a support beneath my head.
“What happened?” the healer asks from his supply table.
While I recount the tale, he gathers several medicines and fills a cup of water, bringing all of it to me.
“Take this and drink.” He hands me the powder.
I toss everything into my mouth before washing it down. The taste is bitter on my tongue, but within moments the throbbing inside my head lessens. I roll to the side for Kyler to inspect my wound.
“You would do best with a few stitches.”
“Whatever you suggest.”
Riley brings over a stool and sits on it at my bedside. Kyler cleans my injury and gets to work. My mate clasps my hand.
“I am sorry I failed you and our kit, keeshla,” I apologize once more, although no number of times will ever be enough.
Riley strokes my face and pushes my hair out of my eyes. “You didn’t fail us.”
“I did. I never should have taken Stella and left the village.”
She squeezes my hand hard.
“We’ll get her back. Your goddess put us in your path, remember? This is merely an obstacle for us to step over before continuing on our journey together. The three of us,” she states sharply.
“You truly believe this?”
Riley swallows hard. “I have to.”
By the time Kyler has finished, the herbs and medicine he gave me have worked. My vision is cleared and the pounding in my head has mellowed to a dull throb that is manageable. I sit up and swing my legs over the edge of the platform.
“You were shot in the back of the head,” Riley fusses. “You shouldn’t be getting up.”
“Peace, keeshla. All is well.”
She fists her hips.
“All is not well. Dane could have killed you and our baby is still missing.” The tears she had not shed finally fall. “I could have lost you.”
Her cheek is soft beneath my touch and I wipe away the wetness that spills from her eyes. “You did not lose me. I am still here and I am not going anywhere except to find our kit. Do you hear me?”
Riley takes in a shuddering breath and slowly nods. The door flap over the entrance swings open and the shefir steps inside. His gaze finds mine.
“Good, you are up. We have organized a tracking party, and will be heading out in search of the human and his ship.” He turns and walks out.
I hop down off the platform to follow him.
Riley is directly behind me. She has a right to hear the plan, but I suspect she will be upset she will not be able to join us.
We reach the central fire, where no less than fifteen of our most highly trained warriors gather, including Zydon, who is our best tracker.
Each one is fully armed with swords, daggers, and several carry blasters.
While they are not our preferred weapon, going up against humans who also carry them, they are the only choice.
“Word has been sent to Kala. He and his warlords will be joining our search for the human ship. They will take the area beyond the hills in the direction of where the remaining Njeri reside,” Zander explains.
“We will divide into two groups. Zydon will lead one and I will lead the other. Daveel will track. If you find any signs of Dane, the kit, or their ship, use one of the communication devices to send the other group a message.”
“Let us find our tribe brother’s and sister’s kit,” Zydon announces loudly with a raised arm. “We will make the worthless human pay.”
Each warrior punches the air and releases a Tavikhi war cry. As though group members were decided before my mate and I arrived, the warriors split up and take off. I face Riley.
“I must go.”
To my surprise, she does not argue. She only rises up and kisses me fiercely. “Be careful and bring our daughter back.”
“I will. You have my vow.” Quickly, I run to join the groups that have already headed out.
Zydon gestures for me to join his. I fall in with them and Evren hands me a sheathed sword and blaster. I sling the sheathe across my chest and shoulder so I can easily reach back for it and attach the blaster to the belt at my waist.
“You have my thanks.”
Evren claps me on the shoulder. Our pace is swift as we march through the bari field toward the hills where Evren and Riley found me. From there, hopefully Zydon will be able to determine what direction Dane took.
Before long, we arrive at the spot where my blood has dried in the ground. My tribe brothers spread out, and Zydon begins his search for clues. A sharp, piercing call rings out and we all rush toward it.
“I found a print,” Zydon says. “It leads in that direction.”
He takes off and we all follow. The throbbing in my head starts again, but I push it away and concentrate on the path in front of me.
The sun is past its zenith but still provides enough light to see by.
This high up, the air is cool and although we cannot see our breath, that time will be here soon.
Most certainly once the first moon rises.
We pause several more times for Zydon to search the area and determine where we head. The longer we are out here the more my fear grows that we will be too late. I send up a prayer to Deeka that she continue to guide us on the right path.
A loud rumbling sound comes from the distance. We share a look and take off running toward it. Dust rises up ahead and just as we get close, a ship ascends from a deep ravine. Dane’s ship. It continues higher and I fall to my knees in despair.
I am too late.
I do not know how I am going to tell my keeshla.
High above Dane’s ship, something shimmers in the sky. I blink as it becomes recognizable.
The human ship slows its ascent, and before I can guess what might happen next, it slowly returns to the ground. The shape that appeared in the sky descends as well and that ship lands a short distance away from the humans’.
I rise to my feet and we carefully approach.
From the second, a ramp lowers and kicks up dust as it connects with the barren earth.
The human ship does not lower its ramp, but it also does not move.
Moments later, feet, then legs, then the rest of the body of a Bohnari warrior appears from the second, familiar ship.
Alik strides down the ramp. Zydon approaches him and the two males clasp forearms. They turn toward our group and the Bohnari prince scans everyone.
“Who does the kit aboard the human vessel belong to?”
I step forward. “Stella is mine and my keeshla’s.”
“Congratulations on your mating,” Alik says, as though this is a casual visit.
“How did you know my kit was aboard the human ship?”
“The ship has been stationed at one of our ports for the last seven days. The crew often visited one of our taverns. A female overheard them discussing returning, once the human they left here retrieved a kit. When they received a communication to pick the male up, we followed.”
I give thanks to Deeka.
“Horek is conversing with their captain and advising him of the consequences they will face if they do not bring the kit out unharmed. Apparently the human who hired them is trying to order them to fire on us. They, of course, won’t risk their lives for it.”
As if whatever negotiations were being made have concluded, the ramp of the human’s ship lowers.
I force myself not to rush into it to locate Dane and drag him out.
Faint screaming can be heard from inside and slowly grows louder until a male that is not Dane appears carrying Stella, whose cries only become more heartbreaking.
“I don’t have any weapons,” the male calls out over Stella’s wails.
Carefully, trusting my tribe brothers to protect me, I walk forward. Despite his assurances, I remain alert for any danger. We meet halfway and he reaches out to pass me Stella. I take her from him before he changes his mind and hold her tightly against my chest. She continues screaming.
“Mr. Winslow threatened to kill the girl before he’d let you or the miss have her. He’s been restrained and we will return him back to Earth with us,” he says. “We didn’t sign onto this job to murder a child.”
I nod, and he turns to make his way back to the ship.
My focus shifts entirely to Stella and trying to sooth her cries.
A mighty roar comes from inside the human ship and I glance up in time to see Dane racing down the ramp.
There’s a popping sound near my ear and a flash of light hits the enraged male directly in the chest. A look of shock transforms his face and he stumbles.
Another pop, and a second bolt of light hits him.
Blood blooms across his shirt and he drops to his knees before collapsing face first in the dirt.
I glance behind me, and Alik holsters his blaster. I fist my chest and he does the same. The human who brought me Stella kneels at Dane’s body while two males race from the ship’s interior and come to an abrupt halt at the sight before them.
The first glances back at me. “We’ll take him back to his family and tell them we were attacked by space pirates. No one will arrive here again to bother you.”
Without a word, the three males pick up Dane’s body and carry it inside their ship.
We all stand there as the engines start.
The vessel rises and takes off high into the sky before it finally disappears.
Stella’s cries have slowed, and I talk softly to her as she buries her face deep in my neck. I rub her back and at last she settles.
Alik steps forward. “I am sure you are anxious to get back to your mate. Why don’t we give you all a ride?”