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

waited, her eyes closed, letting the images wash over her, afraid to move for fear they would leave her. She could see some of them almost as clearly as if Josmere had recalled them for her. Her skin still tingled with the sensation of warm blood; goose bumps travelled the length of her arm at the memory of Yoma’s voice.

A temple. They would head to the temple together. And blood. Blood that she believed to be from one of them.

“It’ll be okay.” She heard Yoma’s voice whispering still. “It’ll be okay.” Her heart skipped a beat and she opened her eyes, shedding a tear as she did so.

“It won’t be okay,” she whispered to the vision that clung to her mind, unaided, unwelcome, and frightening.

“What sweetheart?” Josmere mumbled, the Berganda’s head on her lap as she lay across the two seats. When Layela did not immediately answer, Josmere’s eyes fluttered opened, whiter than before. Her hair and skin were more green than yellow now, since Layela had shot her full of water and nutrients.

“What is it, Layela?” Josmere shifted but did not get up, looking at her intently. Layela hesitated and looked away, towards the front seat where Ardin faithfully controlled the damaged shuttle. He had not spoken since the Destiny had exploded. Layela had not asked.

Josmere grumbled and pushed herself up, Layela helping her settle comfortably on the seat. Josmere gave Layela a coy smile. “I can’t take you seriously when I’m looking up your nose.”

Layela gave a short laugh. “Nice to see you’re feeling better.” Josmere cocked her head sideways and said nothing, waiting. “I think,” Layela began, finding it difficult to find the right words. “I think I know why Yoma didn’t want me to follow.”

Josmere’s eyes widened. “You remembered your vision without my help?”

Layela nodded once. The smile showed first in Josmere’s dark green eyes.

“I’m glad.” She settled lazily back into her chair, as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “I’m very glad.”

Seemingly drained from the short conversation, Josmere closed her eyes and her breath deepened. Layela sighed. She hadn’t wanted to tell Josmere any of the details, but still found herself disappointed at her friend’s lack of curiosity.

At least she had seen most of this vision already. Except the actual blow.

“We’re approaching Mirial,” Ardin said quietly from the front. Layela shook the cover off of herself and placed it on Josmere. The Berganda’s skin was still clammy, but much better. She crawled over the front seat and sat ungracefully in the co-pilot’s chair. The planet loomed before them, the atmosphere covering it with a great white cloud. She wished for a glimpse of the green earth that had once been her home — or, should have been.

“Why?” Ardin’s voice startled her and she turned to face him. His deep grey eyes looked into hers. “Why did your sister not want you to follow?”

Layela met his gaze. She wondered if she should lie, but knew it would change nothing. Whether Ardin knew what the vision implied or not didn’t matter. What would be, would be.

“One of us will be killed on Mirial,” she whispered, turning to look down at the great hidden planet. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “And I think it’s going to be me.”

“No,” Ardin said, and she turned towards him, but now it was he who looked away.

“It won’t be. I won’t let it.”

As if in response to those words, the ship jerked and moaned, entering the atmosphere. Layela held onto her seat.

“She’s not doing so well,” Ardin said through gritted teeth. “Make sure Josmere is secured!”

Layela scrambled over the seat. The ship shuddered, jostling her into the shuttle’s low ceiling. She felt blood in her mouth and realized she had bitten her tongue. Swallowing the bitter metallic taste, she straightened Josmere and strapped her in, before falling beside her and doing the same for herself.

“Never a dull moment.” Josmere smiled weakly.

“What in the world…” Ardin muttered from ahead. Layela saw the planet, its dark shapes coming into view below them. The white cloud that had shimmered around them was gone.

“It looks like it just upped and left,” Ardin muttered, the ship jostling again. “We’re going to land quick,” he shouted back, surveying the dark land before him.

“I know this,” he mumbled just loud enough for Layela to hear. “I know this! There’s a lake here!” He grew increasingly excited. “My father used to take me here!”

“That’s nice,” Layela mumbled. She strained to see, leaning as far forward as she could with her seat belt on. “But can we land on water?”

Ardin looked back and shot her his first grin since Cailan’s death. “She’s fully equipped. We could land on a turbulent ocean with no problem!”

“My stomach would have a problem with that,” Josmere mumbled, and Layela reached over and grabbed the Berganda’s hand. Ardin’s excitement was contagious.

“Just over there...That depression in the land,” Ardin said, steering the rapidly falling shuttle, barely keeping her under control. “It’s not going to be a great landing, so hold on!” He pulled two levers, releasing air and inflating the emergency water-landing gear.

“We’re almost there,” he said through gritted teeth. The shuttle nosed too fast and he struggled to keep her aloft long enough to reach the lake. “Almost there.”

Josmere squeezed Layela’s hand, and Layela returned the gesture.

“There!” Ardin screamed excited, almost bouncing in his seat. “There’s the lake! Now we just…Bones!”

“What?” Layela asked, sitting forward.

“No water! Hold on!” A second later the shuttle impacted the bottom of the old dry lake. Layela’s body was thrown forward, the seat belt cutting into her skin. Her head jerked back just as quickly and banged into the seat. Stars exploded before her eyes as the sounds of crushed metal deafened her.

She bounced high in her seat twice as they passed over rocks, the air cushions exploding as jagged stone scraped the bottom of the shuttle. She clenched her teeth and her fingers dug into the seat’s arms as firmly as the belt dug into her. The shuttle