Page 37 of Heart's Keeper

"Wait, Elise." Lana put up her hand, then tugged herself away from Jameson to face him. "You can't stop us even if you keep us. Even without my command, my team is ordered to take out the hunters. And if you fire at them, they will defend themselves. Do you want to see what you're dealing with? Then we will show you. Elise, call in Nezka and the team." She turned and moved up the stairs on her own, assuming the others followed. When she made it to the top, she looked over the forest and saw an opening to one side. On the east wall of the station was a valley a few hundred meters away, wide and open with several fallen trees and large rocks. "Tell the team to move into that field in our line of sight," she ordered Elise.

Jameson gestured to the men along the wall to watch and have their guns ready. Elise repeated her command softly into her band, and they waited.

A few minutes later, Krel came treading out of the forest followed by the sisters, Gyrix, then Aryus and, lastly, Nezka. They looked up toward them, and Lana put up her hand. Jameson cursed beside her, and his men glanced toward him nervously, a few even taking a step back.

"Do you know what those are?" Lana said. "Those are the vrisha. And the other is an ex-hunter. Just one of them could take out all of your men on this wall if they chose to. My mate, if he were here, could wipe out the whole station. I've seen him take out a military base with more men than you have." Lana tugged at Jameson's arm, forcing him to look at her. His face had gone pale, and his eyes were wide with fear. "And do you know who I am to them? I am their queen. What do you think they will do if they learn you are trying to keep me? I'm sure you can imagine. So, no, Jameson, you won't be keeping us, if you value your lives. And you won't stop us." She released his arm. "The hunters are coming, and we will fight them either together or separate, it doesn't matter. The decision is yours. But you try to stop me or put your hand on me again and they," she pointed to her team, "start climbing." She got close, locking her eyes with his. "And then you won't just have the hunters to deal with. Got it?"

Jameson glared down at her, his expression twisting into a mixture of anger and confusion all at once, but he didn't touch her. Instead, he backed away, putting up his hands in surrender. "I won't stop my men from defending themselves if those aliens attack them," he said quietly.

"Fine. The same goes for us," Lana said.

"And if you order them to attack us—"

"I won't."

He pointed a finger at her and said through gritted teeth, "But if you do, you hardened bitch, I will make sure you pay." He turned from her and walked off, shouting orders to his men.

"Not bad," Elise said, coming to stand beside her. She looked out and waved toward Nezka with a grin. "I like your style. It's nice being on the more intimidating side, isn't it?"

Lana smirked at Elise despite herself.

A roar, much like a rocketship, grew louder from above. Lana and Elise glanced upward and saw the clouds part and two ships beginning their descent.

"We should go," Elise said.

Lana watched the ships growing bigger as they moved toward them, falling closer to the ground. "Tell Nezka to get the team ready. I'll have Xilya bring the ship around."

As Elise had Nezka and the others take positions, Lana brought up her own band to inform Xilya of her orders. But before she could make contact, her techband went off, and Xilya's face came into view on the screen.

"I was just calling you to have you move the ship," Lana said.

"I'm doing that as we speak. We will land as close as possible." Xilya's tail weaved like an angry cat's behind her, eyes alight with their own fire. "But that wasn't why I called. I must ask for your forgiveness."

Lana frowned at her, confused. "Forgiveness for what?"

"Xerus is awake."

Lana's heart leaped in her throat, making her almost choke. Dozens of emotions hit her all at once, first surprise and excitement, then relief and happiness, then back to confusion. "Why are you sorry for that?" she said.

"He's been awake for some time. He woke up not long after you left for the station. I didn't tell you, and I forced the others not to say anything, and for that I am sorry."

Now anger swept over her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He wanted to be let out, but I told him he wasn't well. I've looked into his condition and found what I believe to be the cause. It is a rare sickness of the mind, found mainly in warriors who've gone through many intense or traumatic events. It's been called many things: Wildsight, Redsight, Xiril's sickness. It makes those who have it forget themselves, warping their natures. They grow wild and savage, wanting to hunt and fight, and kill. I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen and didn't want to believe it. He was himself when he woke, yes, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he had another episode; one which he might not come back from. So, I ordered him to stay. I didn't tell you because I was considering putting him out again. He was trying very hard to get out, wanting to get to wherever you were, and I didn't want to spark a fight."

"Let me talk to him then," Lana said, anxious to see his face and hear his voice but also wanting to convince him that she would be back on the ship any moment and would make him understand why he had to be locked away.

"I can't," Xilya replied, her expression darkening.

"Why?"

"Because one of the crew let him out, the fool," she hissed. "He's coming to you now."

Chapter Thirteen

Lana hardly moved, her body freezing up as if under some sort of spell. The hunters’ ships touched on the ground, landing near the center of the valley. Lana watched the ships open up and saw the men inside spill out, weapons already drawn, bodies shielded in dark blue armor. She watched the Sythtec soldiers ready their large guns and the mechsuits jump off the walls to land in the forest, making for the valley. She saw the hunters approaching and the soldiers coming to meet them, but as she looked at the scene, she thought nothing of them, focusing not on the fight but rather searching wildly through the trees and along the valley. Someone tugged on her arm and yelled something to her, but she barely heard them. All her thoughts went away save for the thought of Xerus flying through the forest toward them.

"Lana, we need to go. We need to get you to the ship," Elise said from beside her, trying to pull her away.

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