Chapter 56
Survii
There was enough human currency to compensate the human driver as well as charter a small plane back to the mainland.
He and Alanna were debating how wise it would be to buy tickets on a commercial airliner, and if he even could fly commercially since he had no passport or paperwork that humans needed to travel, because they definitely did not have enough money to get another private jet.
However, when they landed, they were immediately surrounded.
Luckily, Alanna stopped him before he could claw through any jugulars, because these males weren’t their former security team. This was a new one, bought and paid for privately by Alanna’s family, and sent to retrieve her.
They took them to a hotel on the island – an expensive one with all the amenities, and they were finally given the chance to shower, eat real food, and rest.
Alanna’s family wasted no time in contacting her. Survii had her speak with them in the bathroom while he showered. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight until they were back on the Jutiron Stor – and he was determined that was exactly where they were going. No matter what her family begged.
He had the comm still. It was broken, but if he could get it to Romival, he was sure that First Scholar would be able to repair it.
By the time he was done, Alanna had the update on everyone.
Atem and Peony had disappeared from Geneva and traveled into the south of France.
They were pretty sure they were lost somewhere in a wild forest, but no one could track them.
Atem was good at disappearing and if he did not want to be found, even on a foreign planet, he would not be.
Havali and Scarlet were still in the underground of Paris.
The tunnels they were in had been blocked off by the same rogue group of anti-alien militiamen that had attacked their island.
Havali was perhaps not as good a warrior as First Domini or First Warrior, but he did lead the police forces on Turv and, to that end, he was no slouch himself.
Romival and Holly had been holed up in a building on Oxford campus where the militiamen barricaded them inside.
The hostage situation was still ongoing, but thus far, the negotiators had managed to convince the group to release the humans at least. They had Romival and Holly still captured, but they couldn’t do anything.
Tuvo and Hattie were still missing.
Worse than that, actually. Their jet had been blown up in the air. It had crashed into a forest in South America. A place it should not have been since they did not need to cross that continent in order to reach her family in North America.
There was an ongoing search, but the broken tone of voice Alanna spoke with when she told him said that no one really believed they were alive.
The Jutiron Stor had already noticed the multi-pronged attack.
And now tensions between the two groups were high.
Earth was begging for more time to retrieve the contact party themselves, but the Stor captain needed only proof that they were in trouble to send in troops.
A division of the domini army would tear through the countries of Earth to retrieve them.
The death toll would be high, and almost none of it would be alien life.
The leadership called Survii immediately. Begged him to call them off. But he couldn’t contact the Stor with the broken communicator and Earth could not call them directly. He told them that if the Stor contacted them again, he could call Survii back.
Until then, his only concern was retrieving his friends and Dominani.
“We’re really going?” Alanna asked, curled up in a ball with her arms wrapped around her legs as she watched him get dressed.
“We aren’t doing anything,” he said, lacing up the boots he had been given. “You are staying here, under heavy guard. I’m going to go retrieve the others.”
“Survii, sweetie, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She uncurled her body, crawling towards him. “You aren’t a warrior. You’re a voice. If you go off trying to rescue one of the others, you’re going to end up hurt again!”
Survii turned, capturing her chin and forcing her to look up at him.
Her lack of confidence in his ability wounded him, but it wasn’t without merit.
Even now, he had only the archaic human healing to deal with his multitude of wounds.
Bandages covered his chest and the bullet wound on his arm.
They could do nothing about the swelling and bruising discoloring his face.
“You doubt my strength because I failed you before. I understand.”
She grabbed the wrist of the hand that held her chin. “No! That’s not it.”
“I vow to you, Alanna, I will not let you down again. I will strengthen myself. I will make sure you never have cause to feel unsafe at my side.”
“Survii, please, that’s not… I just don’t want you to get hurt!” Her lip trembled as she was nearly forced to contend with the mental load of what they had faced.
“I won’t,” he promised, stroking her cheek with his thumb.
“I’m going after Atem and Peony first. The humans have a general idea where they’ve hidden themselves.
I’m sure Atem will have left some clue to find him that the humans will have missed.
They’re not being attacked right now, so there’s no danger in going after them.
And once I have Atem at my side, together, we will destroy the others that threaten our friends. ”
Her delicate little nails bit into his skin. “If there’s no danger, then let me come with you.”
“Alanna-”
“Don’t leave me here.” Her voice broke as she pleaded, eyes swimming as tears threatened to fall. “I don’t want to be alone. Please. Survii, please…”
His mate was begging him. Too scared to remain alone. Surrounded by males that, ostensibly, were more trustworthy than their previous security team.
How could he deny her when she looked like that? Desperate and afraid. Willing to do anything to remain by his side.
“Okay,” he agreed, breaking almost immediately. Her eyes brightened with relief. “But stay close to me, all right?”
She nodded rapidly and leapt from the bed.
Survii couldn’t deny, he felt some relief himself. He hadn’t wanted to take her into possible danger, but he hadn’t wanted to leave her behind even more.
“Once we have Atem, he can determine who we rescue next,” he said as he was pulling his hair into a short tail at the back of his head. “It will probably be Romival, since he’s in most obvious need of help. And First Scholar is even less of a warrior than me.”
“What about…” Alanna’s voice trailed off.
He turned. Alanna’s eyes were downcast. She had paused in the act of pulling her own hair back, braiding it down against her scalp so they could travel easier. The heartbreak in her eyes drew him back to her side.
“Hey,” he started, pulling her into his arms. “They’re fine. They’re missing. Not confirmed dead.”
“Their plane exploded! Survii, domini are strong, but you’re not explosion proof!”
“Tuvo is an experienced soldier. He has, in fact, lived through explosions. He has seen battle on more planets and asteroids and space stations than any male I know. There is no one I know better able to protect himself and Hattie. Trust in him.”
She sniffled, her lips still trembling, but she clenched her jaw and hardened her resolve.
He hated that he had to keep forcing her to do so.
She couldn’t break down until he knew for a fact that they were safe though.
And when she did, he silently promised that he would hold her and care for her for however long it took for her to work through that load.
But it couldn’t be now. And though he hated to do it, he had to make sure she held herself together for just a bit longer.
***
The plane taking them to France, closest to Atem and Peony’s nearest estimated location, was smaller than their previous jet, but it was still private.
The pilot was a family friend of Alanna’s and therefore fully trustworthy.
There was no flight crew since there wasn’t time to clear anyone in a thorough enough check, but they fended for themselves just fine as they crossed the globe.
The pilot stayed to guard the plane himself when they left and got into the car her family had also arranged to drive them to the location. Alanna took the wheel, adapting a bit uneasily to driving after so long not having been behind the wheel.
As she drove, she told him details of the report she had been given.
“So, they said that there was a team sent to them in Geneva. They got into the hotel and managed to get all the way to our floor. No one is sure exactly what happened when they got that far, but they do know that none of the attackers made it back down. By the time backup security arrived, Atem and Peony were already gone, and everyone who tried to attack them was dead.”
Survii chuckled darkly. “I expect nothing less from vi Dominani.”
It took an hour to drive to the start of the hiking path in the woods where Atem and Peony were guessed to have disappeared into. The entry to the trail had been closed and guarded by the French military intent on protecting their alien visitor.
Survii and Alanna, of course, drove right past them. No one intercepted them as she parked and made their way towards the hiking path. When the military tried to follow, Survii growled and forced them back.
“You don’t trust them?” Alanna asked as he pulled her deeper into the trees.
“I trust no one but our own party anymore. They’re trying to get back in our graces before we abandon your planet. And I don’t want to deal with their politics or manipulations right now. We can bother with all that later.”