Chapter 20
Twenty
Armienti shook Autumn, then ran his fingers over her frozen cheek. Her eyes were closed, and her body felt limp and lifeless.
“Oh, no, no, no, please, no, Autumn, you have to wake up,” he shook her again a little bit harder. “Wake up.”
He removed his gloves and gently slid his fingers over her temples cyclically.
His heart accelerated as he transferred his life force to her. It’d worked twice before, so why not again?
He watched her hopefully, but she didn’t stir. She lay in his arms, quiet and unmoving.
Panic overwhelmed his senses.
“Autumn, come on, Autumn, wake up. Please, you have to wake up,” his tone grew frantic as he laid her flat on the icy ground.
If she died, he’d never forgive himself. If she died, he’d rather go with her than stay here.
He lifted the shirt portion of her bodysuit and quickly glanced away. His face warmed at the sight of her breasts. He placed his bare hands on her chest, applying pressure a few times before lowering his mouth to hers and trying to breathe life back into her.
After the thirtieth or so push, she laid there. Still and silent. Tears threatened to roll from the corners of his eyes. As he blinked, they burned. He couldn’t believe this. Why couldn’t he heal her? Dammit.
And worst of all, this was all his fault.
Armienti continued pumping her chest, each push more frantic than the last. Snow and sleet fell from the sky from the storm, skidding over her body and through the long strands of his hair.
The next time he pushed, she stirred, so he pumped her chest harder, offering her more breath. Finally, her body convulsed, and water poured from her mouth. She spit up all over the ice, coughing and choking everywhere. A wave of relief flooded through his limbs.
“Are you all right?” He held her close, her body trembled against his.
“Yeah,” she said between coughs. “I think so.”
“I’m sorry, this is all my fault. I should’ve been the one to go in. I should’ve insisted.”
“And I should’ve listened,” she admitted, placing her hand on his cheek. She closed her eyes. Shivers trickled down his spine from her gentle touch.
“Well, the good news is you’re alive, and we won’t have to hunt for food anytime soon. This fish should last us a lifetime.”
Dante approached his destroyer as thick black smoke consumed the amethyst sky of Diode. He and his soldiers had searched every last kilometer of the planet to no avail.
Autumn was nowhere to be found. They’d searched for days and nights and their efforts yielded nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Rage simmered through his veins. Another wasted trip, and one more day Autumn wasn’t back home safe with him. Flames welled in his palms with an unimaginable fury. An explosion of fire ripped through the sky. Crackling orange flames exploded before shifting to blue. Clouds evaporated as the wave of heat made its way through the atmosphere and into outer space. His team of elite soldiers ducked, and others ran for cover.
He fell to his knees balling up white sand with his pitch-black gloves. He couldn’t believe this. He knew she was here. She had to be. It made no sense. Where else would Valdez have taken her, unless— no, it couldn’t be.
Dante turned his head as a snout and a soft ball of fur ran up against his leg again and again. Mr. Hiss purred and rolled through the sand. His muzzle upturned and a sense of calm overtook him as if he was smiling.
“Mr. Hiss, not now. I’m not in the mood,” he moved his leg away, but Mr. Hiss persisted.
The cub rolled on his back and blinked his brilliant sapphire eyes. Dante sighed and reached down to stroke his soft underbelly. His tail swayed. Mr. Hiss wasn’t worried, so why should he be?
He inhaled a deep shuddering breath before exhaling. Everything was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay. It had to be.
His moment of relaxation was interrupted by the buzz of his communicator within the confines of his pants. He whipped the device out of his back pocket and slid up the screen. His heart thundered.
“Why hello, Dante.”
Valdez.
“Where is she?” He ran a hand roughly through his hair and waited on her every word. He could barely breathe. Desperation crashed through his body.
She chuckled. “Nice to hear from you too. I know you probably thought you’d never hear from me again, but you’re all I ever think about.”
A long awkward silence ensued.
“Tell me where she is or else?—”
“Or else what? What can you possibly do? I hold all the cards. I’m the only one who knows where your precious little human is. And I know your dirty little secret to boot,” her seductive voice crackled through the speaker. Scrambling whispers echoed in the background. She wasn’t alone.
The hairs on the back of his neck bristled. “Name your price. What is it you want from me?”
“Unfortunately for you, there’s no price on revenge. The revenge is payment enough,” she snorted before going silent again.
He balled his fist furiously. He didn’t expect anything less from her. She was like a feline toying with its prey. Everything to her was a game.
“Okay, how about I agree to a hint? It’s more fun for me this way since I can’t stay and play much longer. I have some pressing business to attend to.”
“Fine, what is it?” he asked, desperate for a hint though he despised having no choice in the matter.
“I’m not going to give up the information that easily, you have to beg me on your knees.”
He could tell she was smiling on the other end based on the sound of her voice.
“And believe me, I’ll know if you do, I’m watching you.” Another drone zipped by his face, hovering in front of his eyes before flying back into the smoky sky.
He was all out of options. He chose to appease her and swallowed his pride for the sake of the woman he loved.
He fell to his knees, bowing his head in submission. “Please tell me.”
She snorted. “Please what?”
“Please, Mistress Valdez.”
“Very well then, although I don’t even owe you this considering you invaded and ransacked my home planet. I mean, how dare you,” the poisonous words dripped off her razor-sharp tongue. “And what you did to my beautiful face, I should repay ten?—”
“Out with it already,” he demanded. “I’ve done what you asked. I’m sick and tired of your nonsense.”
“All right, all right,” she hissed. “And you’re going to love this. I’m surprised I thought of it on such short notice. Originally, I was going to take her home and bring her on a little hunting expedition, and you would’ve been right to check here first, but I had a far better idea,” she paused for a long moment. “She’s stranded on a planet in Universe 18, and if she isn’t already dead, she will be soon enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“The air quality is breathable, but not for long. I would say she has another fourteen suns and moons before her lungs collapse and her brain suffocates from lack of oxygen. Good luck searching all five hundred and fifty planets for your great love,” she laughed.
“You—”
“This shouldn’t come as any surprise,” she said nonchalantly. “If you’re not with me, you’re against me, and it’s clear you’ve gone rogue for quite some time. I can only imagine what the Grand Supreme will say when he learns of your betrayal. Who knows? He might already be privy.”
Valdez hung up her communicator and the contents of Dante’s stomach rose and splattered all over the sand. He wiped his mouth against his glove and jumped to his feet, Mr. Hiss in hand. He was wasting time feeling sorry for himself and the clock was ticking on Autumn’s life. Only fourteen suns and moons remained, and he didn’t have another second to waste.