Cavas held onto her legs tighter, then was running down steps. It almost made her pass out from the pain. She’d definitely have bruises where her hips were slamming against his broad shoulder. The only comfort was that it was probably just as tough on him to carry her and stay upright while attempting to get them outside.
“Almost there!” he yelled.
A boom sounded, and she twisted her head in time to watch as a purple alien’s chest exploded. Purple blood splattered her, hitting her face, hair, and the exposed skin on her back and side.
Jill squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed hold of Cavas’s waist. She was pretty sure that poor alien had been shot by one of the guards. It wasn’t a prisoner she’d seen in the cavern.
That meant the guards were just aiming at anyone.
They were going to die.
Cavas kept moving, though, down more stairs. There were too many. They’d taken a lift to get that high, but either he couldn’t reach it or the panicked crowd were blocking them.
Why had she volunteered to return to this planet? Jill wished she could go back in time to warn herself to avoid doing just that. Seeing that alien explode had been disgusting and horrifying. Human weapons were bad, but alien weapons were far worse if they could do that to a body.
Cavas suddenly released her legs and grabbed hold of her ass with one big hand. “Brace!”
She held her breath, tensing at his roared command. Jill was almost grateful she couldn’t see what he could. Were they about to be shot? Die?
His body tightened under her, his muscles bunching—and then they were in the air. Her stomach rose to her throat in those frozen seconds, when she realized they were falling.
Then came the landing.
Cavas kind of hunched into a ball as his feet hit something hard enough that it knocked the air from her lungs as most of her body bounced off his back. Then he was pushing up, adjusting his hold on her, and running faster.
Something hit her face, sticking to her. She gasped in air and regretted it as sand hit her tongue, almost making her gag. But they were outside the arena.
When she heard his feet on metal, she forced her eyes open, glimpsing the ramp before everything went dark. Cavas spun around, almost making her puke with the fast action. She heard an engine roar to life.
“Get us out of here,” Cavas panted.
“I’m working on it,” Crath yelled. “The ramp is up. Grab on to something! They brought out the cannons and are aiming toward the landing field.”
There was a loud boom outside that could be heard over the engines. Cavas twisted again, and her foot bumped something solid. Probably the shuttle wall. Then he dragged her down the front of his body and dropped down. She landed on top of him.
Jill opened her eyes, realizing they were on the shuttle floor. The engines roared louder, and it felt like they were shooting straight upward. It reminded her of the time she’d gone on a roller coaster. The force of the coaster had plastered her to the seat of the ride. Now, she was pressing tight against Cavas in the same way and couldn’t push off.
The shuttle shook, tilting to one side sharply. The swift motion had her sliding off Cavas and slamming into the floor. Gravity pulled at her hard enough to hurt.
Cavas suddenly rolled on top of her, his big body pinning hers to the hard floor. He adjusted his arms, bracing somewhat to avoid crushing her.
She clutched at his shoulders in terror. “What’s going on?”
“Rapid ascent to avoid being fired on, then I’m guessing they shot at us,” he panted. “They missed, or we wouldn’t be alive.” Then he tore his gaze from hers, looking toward the pilot seats at the front of the shuttle. “Ease our speed slowly once you hit ten thousand feet. We’ll be out of cannon range. Don’t send us into the roof when you do. We’re not belted in.”
“I know what I’m doing!”
Cavas snarled at Crath. “You’re a bad pilot.”
Deep laughter came from the cockpit. “I got this big machine started and off the surface, didn’t I? We’re not blown apart.”
Cavas growled and lowered his chin, staring into her eyes. Jill couldn’t believe they were alive and in one piece. She ached a bit, would have a lot of bruises, but she could feel her limbs. They were all there. And it was kind of sweet, the way Cavas was pinning her down, trying to protect her. She managed a small smile.
His golden eyes narrowed. “What’s amusing?”
“We did it.”
He glanced at her hair and face, before taking a quick glance at her chest. “It’s a good thing I know that blood isn’t yours, or I’d assume you were critically injured. Are you hurt?”
“Banged up a bit, but I’ll live.”
The pressure eased from the swiftly moving shuttle and Cavas lifted off her, got to his feet, and then bent to clasp her wrists. He pulled her to her feet and turned them both, gently shoving her toward the nearest seat. “Belt in.”
She watched him stride to the front of the shuttle and drop into the second pilot seat, where he strapped in.
“I’m taking over,” Cavas demanded.
Crath lifted his hands high into the air. “All yours, brother. You did save my life. I’ll let you pilot. Now tell me why you have Cathian’s shuttle and vessel. Did you pull rank and take it over for one of your military missions? I bet he’s furious.”
Cavas turned in his seat and glanced at her with an expression Jill couldn’t read. Then he turned back to his brother. “I resigned, Crath. Father asked Yorlian Trevis to arrest you and hold you prisoner.”
“What? Why would he do that?”
Jill felt awful for Crath. He sounded beyond astonished. Earth had screwed her over, but Crath’s own father had betrayed him. She closed her eyes, listening as Cavas explained everything…how he’d been ordered to board The Vorge with a team, take their cousin Raff, torture him to death, and how they’d ended up on the planet to rescue him, instead.
The engines grew quieter, and she could feel that they’d reached space. There was a queasy feeling during the transition. It passed quickly. Crath had also grown quiet. So had Cavas. Long minutes passed, and when Cavas finally spoke, it was to contact The Vorge.
“We have what we came for. Prepare medical. Our younger brother needs a checkup and to be healed of minor injuries.”
She’d already learned to recognize some of the crew’s voices. It was Cathian who answered. “And the female? Is she safe?”
“Jill is unharmed. She did great. I couldn’t have done any of this without her assistance.” Cavas stated.
His words made her proud, though all the uncertainty of living in space weighed heavily on her mind. There would be no returning to Earth. She had to find a way to survive, and that meant becoming a member of the crew. Regardless of what the other women on the ship had told her, nothing in life ever came free.
“Today was the first step in earning my keep,” she whispered.
“What did you say, Jill?”
She opened her eyes, finding Cavas peering at her from the front. “Nothing. Just muttering to myself.”
“We’ll be back on The Vorge in minutes. I’ll take Crath to medical. Do you need the android to run scans on you as well?”
“No. I’m good.” She lowered her chin and stared at her arm, covered with purple blood. It was drying on her skin. There was more in her hair and along her back. “I definitely need a shower.”
“I can’t believe our father has gone this far…”
She looked up at Crath. His expression was filled with sadness as he stared at his brother. Cavas reached over and gripped his arm.
Jill blinked back tears, watching the silent exchange as one brother attempted to comfort the other. It made her miss having a family.
*