Chapter 24
They were close. Vallie couldn’t see the wall yet, but Lambda had spied it two hours earlier in the gray pre-dawn light. They wouldn’t stop now, sunrise be damned. They were close enough to the wall to make a run for it, and so far, they’d been lucky. No dragon screeches pierced the night and Lambda couldn’t smell anything reptilian.
Her neck fucking killed. She didn’t want to say anything to Lambda or Verona. Let her mate believe her off-scent was due to the high stress situation they found themselves in. Verona knew better than to insist Vallie rest when their lives were literally on the line. But right now, Vallie needed to stop jostling her head, get checked out by a doctor, and take a pain killer.
What she wouldn’t give for that delicious IV Dr. Tau had pumped her with that first night in Luven. Fuck, that had been like a dream. Vallie had half-thought she died once those lovely drugs had made her pain disappear and her mind float away into the most beautiful nothingness she could imagine.
She hazarded a glance at Natya. Her skin was so white it looked translucent in the early morning light. The circles under her eyes were like crushed blackberries and she hadn’t stayed conscious for more than a few minutes through the night. Vallie wanted a doctor, but Natya needed one.
Verona was the only one who looked well. Her cheeks had a healthy red blush, she jogged beside Lambda no problem, while Vallie went in spurts and stops.
Fuck, she wanted water. And bread. And a nap. More than anything, she wanted this to be over. Her mind had been set on one thing for so long, free Verona, and now she felt her resolve wavering.
What if she collapsed? Lambda couldn’t carry her and Natya, not quickly at least. And how were they going to get over the wall? Last time Lambda went near it, he’d toppled like a burning building. She wouldn’t leave him, there was no question. Fuck, Vallie hadn’t thought she’d ever love anyone again, but Lambda had pierced the wall around her heart. Yes, he was handsome and did wonderful things to her body, but he also stood by her side. He didn’t abandon her ever. Not when she led him toward a wall that could kill him, not when she insisted they save her sister, just the two of them. Not when she provoked dragons. Lambda was her partner, her mate, and at this moment, if she thought too hard about how she’d never be able to get him over the wall alone, despair threatened to swallow her whole.
“Vallie,” Lambda said sharply. “The wall. Can you see it?”
She raised her head just as the rising sun sent a streak of light down the length.
“Holy shit.” It was there—not half a mile in front of them—glinting like a beacon of hope.
“We can make it,” Vallie whispered. She grabbed onto Verona’s hand. “We can make it.”
“Hell yes, we can make it.” Verona started to run, pulling Vallie alongside her. They ran the last half mile, until Vallie’s lungs burned and her eyes watered, but she didn’t care. She could fall down and die on the other side, her mission complete.
Lambda ran ahead, then stopped with a quarter mile to go and carefully put Natya on her feet. Vallie could see her talking to him, pointing at the wall. Then, Natya hobbled to a small tree growing against it.
“Why did you stop?” Verona asked, as they caught up with him.
“He can’t go closer,” Vallie answered. “It makes him sick.”
“The three of you need to get over, I’ll stay here in case the dragons show up. Then I’ll run as fast as I can and get over the wall.” He nodded over and over.
“I’m not leaving you,” Vallie blurted.
“Help Verona get Natya over the wall. Then get Verona over the wall. I can toss you over if I need to. I’ll get over.”
Vallie didn’t believe him. He would let himself die next to that damn slab of silver to get the three of them to safety. Verona jogged away to Natya, leaving the two of them alone.
“Vallie, listen to me.” He pulled her into an embrace. “I love you so much.”
“Don’t talk to me like you are saying goodbye! You promised you wouldn’t sacrifice yourself. There’s no battle. There are no dragons breathing down our necks, you are coming too.”
“I will do my best, but Verona needs your help getting Natya over. And she’ll need your help getting herself up that tree. I can’t walk over there until they are safe. I don’t know how long I’ll have awake once I’m in the vicinity of the wall. You need to help them.”
Vallie buried her face against his neck.
Verona. She needed to save Verona. And Natya was really hurt. She could die without help.
“Tell Verona when she gets over the wall to scream for help. Security should smell them, but just in case there is a human nearby, tell them to scream like mad. We’re going to make it out.” He pulled back and cupped her face between his hands. “It’s almost done, Vallie. This is the end of it. Before you know it, you’ll be warm in our bed with a full belly.”
“Promise me you are coming.”
“I promise,” Lambda said slowly. He pressed his mouth against hers, then released her, not taking the time to deepen their kiss or lick her lips apart. “Go.”
Vallie turned to the wall and ran.
Verona had her arms around Natya, who all out sobbed at this point.
“Leave me!” Natya bawled. “The three of you are healthy. You should go. Live well in Luven.” Natya nodded. “I won’t be angry.”
“Natya, shut the fuck up,” Vallie said sharply. She turned to Verona. “Climb up to the first branch. You can pull her while I push.”
“How is she going to actually get over the wall once we’ve got her up there?” Verona asked.
“I’ll hold onto her, you jump down and catch her.”
“Catch her? I know she’s malnourished, but I don’t think I can catch a grown human,” Verona countered.
“Fuck, Verona! Just help me get her up the tree!” This needed to be done quickly. Because Lambda needed her help. And she couldn’t worry about three people at the same time with her head pounding as it was.
“Fine, fine.” Verona pulled off her shoes and threw them over the wall, then looked at the tree. “Couldn’t be a door or checkpoint, could there?” she muttered.
“C’mon, Verona. I’ve seen you climb higher trees,” Vallie teased.
“That was ten years ago,” Verona shot back, gripping the side of the trunk. “I’m going to tear my feet up. This hospital better be all it’s cracked up to be.”
“It’s like a dream.” Vallie looked down at Natya. Her crying had quieted, though she still looked like death. “When you get over the wall, scream your heads off for help. The wolves that work border security should smell you but give them something to listen to also.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be yelling like hell,” Verona answered. “Argh, I should have brought gloves.”
“We didn’t really have time for you to root around your belongings to find gloves,” Vallie pointed out. “You’re almost there.”
“Shut up and let me concentrate!”
So, Vallie did. She did nothing but watch her sister move up the tree, leaving small, bloodied spots as she did. Finally, she gripped the lowest branch and pulled herself to it.
“Fuck, that was so hard.” Verona caught her breath and leaned against the trunk. “Give me a minute.”
“Ok. On your feet Natya.”
“I don’t think I can do it,” she whimpered.
“You can and you will,” Vallie countered. “Verona is going to reach her hands down to you and I’m going to push your butt up as you go. This is the last bit. You won’t have to lift a finger in Luven. You’ll have your own bed, a doctor looking after you, huge meals multiple times a day. I had a stomachache from eating too much my third day here.”
“Really?”
Vallie nodded. She looked up at Verona. Her sister had her legs wrapped tightly around the branch and was shaking her arms out.
“You can do this, Natya. It’s so close. Freedom, a new life, happiness—they are all on the other side of this wall. You only need to get over it.” Natya looked at her, eyes shining.
“I can do it.” She nodded and started up the tree.
It was slow going, much slower than Verona, and Natya’s strong resolve only lasted a few moments before she wavered again, but with Vallie behind her and Verona above her, she found new strength. They pushed and pulled and screamed in frustration, but Natya made it to the lowest branch. It hung just over the wall, a ten-foot drop to the other side.
“We did it!” Vallie cheered. She turned back to Lambda and waved her arms in celebration. He waved back at her but didn’t move toward her.
Maybe he was waiting until Verona and Natya were actually in wolf territory. Vallie eyed the tree, then scampered up the side.
“Ready to leave dragon territory?” Vallie asked Natya, wrapping her arms around her.
She nodded furiously and leaned against Vallie.
“Verona, jump down.”
Verona looked at the fall suspiciously. “I think I’ll try to lower myself a bit first.” She slowly moved to her stomach, then hung her legs lower to shorten the distance. “Wish me luck,” she groaned, and let go.
Verona hit the ground with both feet, then rolled back until she fell on her ass.
“Verona!” Vallie shouted.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” her sister answered, getting back to her feet and brushing off her pants. “Just didn’t stick the landing.” She rolled her shoulders and then lifted her arms. “Try to lower Natya as much as you can. I’ll break her fall.”
“I’ll hurt you,” Natya protested.
“You won’t. Even so,” Verona turned away from the wall and cupped her hands around her mouth, “Hey! Help! We need help!” she shouted. “There,” she said, turning back to them. “Help is hopefully on the way. Come on, Natya. I’ll catch you.”
Vallie glanced back at Lambda. He was still keeping his distance. She wished he would come a little closer. There was no telling when the dragons would show up.
“Here we go,” Vallie said. She held Natya under her armpits and maneuvered her body over the branch until her feet dangled below.
“I’m right here,” Verona called. She jumped up to tap the soles of Natya’s feet. “Let go and I’ll catch you.”
“I’m scared,” Natya whimpered.
“This is the last part,” Vallie said, loosening her grip. “Just, let go.”