Page 31 of Alien King Crashes the Wedding

On and on they pushed, until there were no injured left. They reached the end of the medical bay just as Sasha’s blazing eyes faded back to normal and her markings dimmed. Her legs buckled and Dagan scooped her up before she could collapse completely, her heavy mass of hair pooling limply on the floor.

Dagan staggered backward, overcome with a fatigue unlike any he’d ever felt before, as much of the energy she’d used near the end had come from him. He cradled Sasha tightly and slid, his back against the wall, down to the floor. “Baby, I think we should rest here,” he rumbled, his eyes drooping heavily as he passed out, unaware that his words fell on deaf ears, for she had already succumbed to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Two Days Later

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Rachel whispered happily.

Sasha stretched sleepily. She refused to open her eyes and raised her arm to cover her face, blocking out as much light as she could. Her bracelets jingled happily against one another at the movement, and she covered her ears instead, feeling like a jackhammer was blasting inside her head.

“Ugh,” she groaned. “Where’s Dagan? And why is light shining through the windows? Aren’t spaceships supposed to be dark?” she grouched, still half asleep. “Turn it off!”

Rachel chuckled, “We’re not on a spaceship, silly. That’s good old-fashioned sunshine, so get up and get dressed. Dagan will be back in an hour or so, and he left me in charge of getting your sleepy ass ready, so wake up and let’s get moving. A little fresh air will do you good”—she sniffed—“after a shower, of course.”

“Mmm. Aspirin, coffee, then shower,” she moaned groggily and rolled onto her stomach, pulling the pillow over her aching head, hoping to go back to sleep. She was just drifting off when reality hit and she jackknifed up in bed.

“Rachel!” she shouted. “Oh my God! Rachel!” Sasha scrambled out of bed and grabbed her friend into a giant hug. “You’re okay?” she pushed Rachel to arm’s-length, saw her grin, then pulled her in again, squeezing even harder. “You’re okay!”

Rachel nodded, tears threatening to spill over as she hugged Sasha just as hard, “How could I not be okay with a friend like you at my back, breathing crazy crystal fire all over me?”

Sasha snorted. “I wasn’t breathing fire,” she frowned, trying to remember the details. “Was I?”

“Honestly, I don’t know!” Rachel shrugged her shoulders. “One minute I was sure I was dying, then I woke up in medical, totally healed. Not a scratch! But stories about you and Dagan are spreading like wildfire, each one more amazing than the last, and they’re definitely throwing around phrases like fire storms and spontaneous healings and crazy wild hair!”

“Oh dear,” Sasha murmured shyly, her cheeks bright red with embarrassment. “How long was I asleep?”

“Only two days, but you needed it.” Rachel stepped back as a baby’s cry caught her attention. She walked over to a baby carrier Sasha hadn’t noticed before and lifted a wriggling Lee out. She snuggled him and ran her hand over his baby soft hair, love shining brightly in her eyes for the son she thought never to hold.

“Oh, Rachel, he’s beautiful,” Sasha gushed as she stepped in close to look at the tiny baby.

“He is, isn’t he?” she agreed. “I want to thank you. I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for you. I haven’t been able to let him out of my sight. Silly, right?” she sniffed. “Do you want to hold him?”

“I’d love to, but I don’t want to zap him,” Sasha said wistfully.

“The zap you’re referring to is a very pleasant tingle, so stop worrying.” Rachel placed Lee in Sasha’s arms before she had time to protest a second time.

Sasha cuddled the baby close, sudden longing in her heart. “He’s so tiny and perfect.”

“The doctors had to take him out early when I was hit by the cannons. Luckily, he was almost term and they have really advanced technology,” she whispered as Lee’s eyes began to droop sleepily. “He’s doing great. I thank God every day for Ashlyn. She insisted on boarding Dagan’s ship, even though they told her how dangerous it was. She acts all crazy and tough, but she dropped everything to take care of him for me. I knew she would.”

Rachel sniffed and brushed a tear from the corner of her eye. “Bless her. She really had it rough, dividing her time between taking care of Lee, watching over you and Dagan, Cam and me, and I’m not sure, but I think there was an injured warrior or two who she visited. You know her.” She grinned through her tears. “Then she jumped ship as soon as we docked! Said something about needing some space.”

Sasha carefully gave Lee back to his mother and stretched. “She’ll be back in a day or two. That’s just her way of processing. You know that. In the meantime, can I beg a favor?”

“No,” Rachel sassed, her normal state of happiness reasserting itself.

“Great, because I really need that coffee, and maybe some breakfast”—Sasha grimaced—“and you know how to work the food thing. Please?” she begged. “You were right. I really, really need a shower, but I’m starving, too.”

“Are you talking about the food synthesizer? Why do you need me for that? Don’t tell me you never got one and don’t know how to use it? They were free!”

“Ugh. I did. But you have to think of what you want, and the only things I can remember with that much detail are from when I was a kid. My mom was aterriblecook, so everything I get from the damn thing tastes just as bad!” Sasha grimaced.

Rachel’s eyes were big saucers and her face started turning red with the effort not to laugh. “Even the coffee?”

“That’s the worst! I know what good coffee tastes like! I imagine it every time, hoping it doesn’t turn out all bitter and disgusting like hers. It always looks good, the way I imagine, but tastes like sludge. I don’t understand it at all. I think it hates me!”

Rachel burst out laughing. “Okay, princess, go get your shower while I slave for thirty seconds over the wicked food synthesizer. Just don’t complain about what I make.”

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