Destiny's Blood by Marie Bilodeau (best authors to read .TXT) 📗

strained groan. “We have to go, Layela,” Ardin shouted from the shuttle. Layela hesitated, her eyes trained on Zortan. She shook her head, then turned around and headed toward the small ship. Cailan whispered, and his words managed to reach her ears even as the shuttle door slid closed.

“Mirial depends on you, Lady.”

i

Avienne watched her brother’s shuttle leave. He had departed with a girl who might very well be dying, and another whom he looked at in a way that she had never seen him look at anyone else before.

Stay safe, brother. She held the quiet prayer in her heart as she checked the last of the shuttle’s supplies. Zortan had expertly chosen, stacked and secured them.

At least I won’t be flying with a rookie.

“We’re ready to head off, Captain,” Avienne said. She lost her footing as the Destiny jerked and an explosion sounded deep in her hull. The ship’s exhalation was familiar, becoming violent as air was sucked from deep within her. Her lights flickered and the shuttle bay doors went into automatic lockdown to avoid additional loss of life support.

The great lady jerked again and Avienne supported Lang so the navigator wouldn’t fall. Metal creaked on metal and slammed against itself, sending tremors through the entire hull. Destiny was done exhaling. The main section of the ship had no more air to give.

“I don’t think she’ll make it,” Avienne said after a few seconds of silence. “I don’t think the patch jobs done by those Mirialers will hold.”

Cailan didn’t meet her eyes. “She’ll make it, Avienne. She’ll make it home.” She narrowed her eyes and studied him. He looked at her then, with grey eyes that had always comforted her.

“Come with us,” she said quietly, and again as she took a step towards him. “Come with us.”

The Destiny jerked again. Its gravity engines failed for an instant and they floated up, only to be tossed to the floor a moment later when they kicked back in. Only Zortan managed to remain standing.

Cailan kneeled before Avienne and he helped her up. He held her eyes. “Go. Go and help your brother.”

Avienne jumped to her feet. “Not without you. We’re all going.” She braced herself for his anger, and was disappointed and frightened when none came.

“There is only one shuttle left, Avienne, and barely enough air for three in it.” Avienne opened her mouth to protest, but Cailan held up his hand. She pushed on anyways.

“We’ll find a way. We can bring air tanks from the space suits. That’ll keep us all going longer. And…”

“Avienne,” Cailan’s tone grew stern and stopped her. “We never refilled the air tanks on Collar. All we have left is on those shuttles already. There isn’t enough.”

Never refilled…on Collar…Avienne felt her blood grow cold. She had not had enough time to refill the oxygen after rescuing Ardin from Sunrise Flowers. She had not had enough. And one shuttle was gone, thanks to Layela and Josmere.

“We take our chances then, but we all go.” She moved forward and grabbed Cailan’s upper arm, intent on dragging him to the shuttle. His arm moved up faster than she thought possible, his hand rising to the side of her neck. She felt a prick.

“Blood and…” she mumbled as she crumpled in Cailan’s arms, the paralyzing agent rushing through her fast-moving blood.

She felt his warm breath on her ear. “Who do you think taught you everything you know?”

Cailan, no, please! She wanted to scream, to hit him, to break his teeth if necessary, but she could not move. Wrapped in his comforting arms, she was carried to the shuttle. She remembered being carried before when she was very young, after having been hurt during a fall. Her father was gone and she barely remembered him, but when Cailan had carried her to the infirmary and whispered consoling words in her ear, she had understood what having a father felt like.

This man had been more of a father to her than the great Captain Malavant. This man, the man who was staying behind on a dying ship, was her father.

“You’ll be fine for take off, just let the shuttle do her work. She’ll head automatically for Mirial,” she heard him say once he had placed her on one of the two front seats. “The landing will be tricky, but Avienne will be able to handle that one.”

A pause stretched into eternity as Avienne, trapped in her own body, fought to move a finger. Just one little finger would be the beginning.

Cailan spoke again, hesitantly, and she knew that he spoke to Zortan. “Your actions cost their father his life. Now, I have no choice but to ask you to take care of her. Please.”

She heard no response, but she felt Cailan lean in toward her, then kiss her cheek. “Take care of your brother. Take care of each other,” he whispered into her ear. He paused but stayed close. She could feel his warmth, and she wanted him to hold her again and never let her go.

Then, he pierced her with his final words. “Good bye, my daughter.”

And he was gone.

i

Cailan did not feel smothered by fear as he had years ago when Captain Malavant had died in battle. Back then, he had not known whether he would live or die, but his fear of death had been so great that it had clouded his every action.

Now, as he stood before the shuttle that would leave him on a doomed ship, he felt strangely at peace. The Malavant children would live, and that would be his repayment to Captain Malavant for his kindness. And it would be a testimony to his own life.

Zortan stood near, still a mystery to Cailan except for the fact that Radin Malavant had died believing in his closest friend. Cailan knew he would have trusted him with the life of his children, as well. He looked into the shuttle, Avienne’s eyes closed and her cheeks glistening in the fake light. He wished he could hold her