Chapter 21 Lexa
LEXA
Nyx was vibrating with fury and exhaustion.
And losing blood fast.
The wound on his shoulder gaped open, deep enough to see muscle beneath torn scales. Blood ran down his chest in thick rivulets, dripping onto packed earth. His breathing had gone shallow, each inhale a visible effort that made his chest hitch.
"He needs a medic," I demanded. "Now." My voice came out sharp enough to cut through the murmur of the gathering crowd.
If anyone called him a monster at this moment, I wasn't going to be responsible for what I did.
Runa's jaw tightened. For a second, I thought she might refuse, might let him bleed out right here. Then her gaze shifted to the dead firebirds scattered around us, to the humans we'd just saved.
"Get Sutton out here and tell him to bring a medkit," Runa demanded of one of the guards who went sprinting down the path. "Someone get him a chair."
A chair materialized, and I had to push Nyx to sit. Worryingly, it didn't take much effort.
His wings drooped, the membranes hanging loose instead of in their usual defensive posture. That scared me more than the blood. Nyx didn't show weakness. The fact that he was sitting without argument meant he was in worse shape than he was letting on.
I knew how nasty firebird claws felt when they tore open your skin, and my flesh ached in sympathy.
The humans we'd rescued had gathered in a loose semicircle around us, keeping their distance but watching with expressions that ranged from curiosity to outright fear.
Karima pushed through the crowd with Houston at her heels, both taking in the scene with wide eyes. The guards were still there too, blasters still held at the ready.
The tension was thick enough to choke on. Nobody spoke. The only sounds were the crackle of fires still burning in the distance and Nyx's labored breathing.
"Put those damned things away," Runa commanded.
The guards hesitated before holstering their weapons.
But their body language didn't change. They stood ready, coiled tight, watching Nyx like he might explode into violence at any moment. A few rescued civilians shifted nervously, edging back toward the buildings.
I wanted to scream at them. Wanted to point at the dead firebirds and ask if they thought a monster would have done that. But my throat was tight, and Nyx was bleeding and picking a fight would only make things worse.
"You've fought those things before," said Karima.
Her tone was carefully neutral, but I caught the edge of disbelief underneath. Like she couldn't reconcile the image of Nyx as a threat with what she'd just witnessed.
"They almost killed me on our journey out here. I'd be dead if Nyx hadn't healed me." I translated everything for Nyx's benefit, though from the way his head was lolling, I didn't think he was paying attention.
His eyes were half-closed, pupils dilated with pain or blood loss or both.
His tail had gone slack, no longer coiling around my ankle in that possessive way that usually drove me crazy.
I reached out and touched his uninjured shoulder, needing the contact, needing to feel his warmth and know he was still here.
His eyes opened fractionally. Found mine. His expression softened.
A man about my age shouldered through the crowd carrying a bright red box of medical supplies. "Who's hurt?" he asked. This must be Sutton.
Runa nodded towards Nyx.
Sutton stuttered and blinked. "I don't know how to treat one of them."
He stood clutching his medkit like it might protect him, his gaze fixed on Nyx's claws. The fear was obvious in every line of his body. He took a half-step back.
Damn it.
"He's got scales and skin, and there are lacerations; sew him up and treat for infection." I didn't know if Runa was going to say anything, but I was the most knowledgeable about Drakarn biology here. "The medics in Scalvaris have treated me for cuts and bruises."
Sutton swallowed hard. He looked at Runa, who gave him a sharp nod. Then he moved forward with reluctant determination that came from duty overriding fear.
The medic got to work.
He laid out supplies with shaking hands, antiseptic and bandages and a curved needle already threaded. The smell of alcohol hit my nose, sharp and medicinal. Nyx didn't flinch when Sutton cleaned the wound, didn't make a sound even though it had to hurt like hell.
I wanted to fret over Nyx. Wanted to push Sutton aside and do it myself, make sure every stitch was perfect. But he was in what I was assuming were good hands, and I wasn't going to waste time.
This was our chance. Maybe the only one we'd get.
"I think we got off on the wrong foot," I told Runa.
I forced my voice to stay level, professional.
The tone I'd used in briefings back on Earth when I needed to convince a superior officer that my plan wasn't completely insane.
If there was any chance to salvage this, it was now.
"Nyx and I came from Scalvaris because the rescue mission that the Drakarn sent to rescue the humans from Ignarath found they were gone.
Our whole goal was to find them—you." Which was mostly the truth.
There was no reason to tell them about the politicking in the Blade Council, about the vote that had gone against continuing the search.
"You're saying these Drakarn wanted to help humans," Houston said. He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression skeptical.
Wanted to? I imagined Karyseth's face if she heard that. The high priestess of the Forge Temple wanted nothing more than to get rid of us. But she was an outlier, a fanatic clinging to traditions that most of Scalvaris had already started to question.
"It was bumpy at first, but we've come to understand each other.
Scalvaris could help you all, too. They could tell you what it takes to grow food here, better ways to defend against the firebirds.
They may stand as your allies against Ignarath if the city chooses to retaliate.
Or if another city steps into the fray."
"Another city?" asked Karima.
"It's a big planet."
The words hung in the air. I watched understanding dawn on their faces, watched them realize that Ignarath wasn't the only threat out there. That this world was even more dangerous than they'd thought.
"This all sounds very nice," Runa said. She leaned back against the wall of the nearest building, arms crossed in a mirror of Houston's posture. Her expression was carefully controlled, giving nothing away. "But why should we believe they'd be any different?"
The question was fair. Reasonable. They'd rescued people from Ignarath's slave pits, had seen firsthand what Drakarn were capable of when they viewed humans as property. Of course they were suspicious.
"Nyx and I could be long gone right now. We chose to stay and help."
I gestured at the dead firebirds, at the buildings still standing because we'd fought instead of running. The evidence was right there, written in blood and ash.
Runa's gaze followed my gesture. Her expression didn't change, but something shifted in her eyes. Consideration, maybe. Or the beginning of it.
"I think some of the women in Scalvaris would choose to come here, to settle here. Kira, Larissa's sister, has been tearing herself apart for months. This can be peaceful."
The crowd murmured at that. Whispers spreading through the gathered humans, speculation about who these women were and why they'd stayed with the Drakarn in the first place.
Houston stepped forward, his jaw set. "You should stay here," he said. "We can let your … friend leave and give his report. But you don't need to go back."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. They thought they were offering me freedom, offering me safety. They had no idea what they were asking me to give up.
"I've made a home there. I have no intention of staying here." My hand found the knife at my hip, the one Nyx had made for me. The grip fit my palm perfectly, a weapon designed specifically for my hand. A gift that meant more than they could possibly understand.
That sent a ripple of surprise through the crowd. Murmurs turned to outright conversation, people exchanging looks of confusion and concern. A few stared at me like I'd grown a second head.
Karima's expression had gone soft with something that looked uncomfortably like pity. Like she thought I was suffering from some kind of trauma-induced delusion.
Let them think what they wanted. I knew the truth.
"I will need to talk more with my people before we try for any sort of alliance," said Runa.
She pushed off the wall, straightened to her full height.
Back to being the captain making decisions that would affect everyone under her command.
"But any humans are welcome here. This is a space for them.
And we will allow your so-called friendly Drakarn to bring them.
But they cannot stay." Her tone made it clear this wasn't up for negotiation.
Fair enough. I could work with that.
Sutton looked up. His hands were covered in Nyx's blood, bandages wrapped tight around the worst wounds. "This one is in no shape to fly tonight."
Nyx's eyes had closed again. His breathing had evened out slightly, the worst of the pain managed by whatever Sutton had given him. But he was pale under his scales, exhausted and hurting.
Runa sighed. "Then they can stay the night as guests. You can leave once he's healed up."
It wasn't exactly a welcome with open arms, but I'd take it.
And part of me couldn't wait to see the ripples of shock this was going to send through Scalvaris.
The Blade Council would probably spend weeks debating what this meant.
And Karyseth would absolutely lose her shit when she found out there were thousands of humans on Volcaryth, not just the handful in Scalvaris.
The thought made me smile despite everything.
Runa gestured to one of the guards. "Get them quarters. Somewhere they can rest without being disturbed." She looked at me, her expression still unreadable. "We'll talk more in the morning."
I nodded. Turned back to Nyx, who was watching me through half-lidded eyes.
"We're staying the night," I told him in Drakarn. "Then we go home."
His tail found my ankle again, coiled tight. Possessive and reassuring all at once.