Page 44 of Fever

The Teleans stare at him until one recovers. “Dreikx will destroy you.”

“Should Dreikx or any of you approach the Swarm ship, I will drown the mother first. Should I consider myself at risk for my safety, I will drown the Omega. This communication has been recorded and fed into Dreikx’s personal log. Should you tamper with my message, he will know. End transmission.”

Mike clears the screen.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask.

“For reasons you’re not privy to. Please exit now.”

The pod door slides open, and a Swarm male awaits, extending his arms. I think he wants me to jump down. The pod can’t land.

“Exit,” Mike says with more force.

I hop down and land in the Swarm male’s arms. He puts me down and stands there, eyes staring in front of him, not even acknowledging me.

Another male walks over. “Follow me.”

I do.

I follow him down the deck. This yacht is massive. It’s like a floating house, with kitchens, bedrooms, and a living space. The male opens one room, and inside, my mom lifts her head. She’s on the bed, hair sticking out every which way, eyes bloodshot from crying. Ironically, she’s wearing a bathing suit top and shorts.

The moment she sees me, she breaks down in sobs. I rush inside the room and hug her tight, burying my nose in the crook of her neck to inhale all that goodness I associate with Mom. We cry for a while, both from relief and worry. But I know for certain Sotay is going to come for me. It’s the only thing that keeps me from a complete breakdown.

Chapter 17

Sotay

It is five in the morning. A cloudy sky hovers over the lit city. Torches light the beach. The Horde and Warlords have come to watch.

Dreikx hovers above the yacht, lights out, waiting. “The Swarm moved closer to the shore,” he says.

“Idiots.”

“They believe they’ll win. They want witnesses. What’s the plan?” he asks.

The sea is calm. Too calm. “Rescue my Omega.”

“Duh. How are you going to do that?”

“The Regha Alpha way.”

“I cannot let you hand them the gate. But I will go down there with you.”

“Negative.”

“I can scan the ship, see if I can spot where she might be.”

I tap my claw on the dashboard. “That would help.”

Dreikx lights up the hologram, and tiny dots appear on the screen, some redder than others “There are thirty signatures onboard. Most on the middle deck.” He points. “Seven on the top deck. And two at the very bottom. The two at the bottom emit more heat.”

“Thank you.”

“There are also fifty signatures on the other four ships.”

“What?”

“And about fifty males in the water.” He adjusts the screen.

---