Page 38 of Heart's Keeper

"He's down there," Lana replied, her voice sounding small and distant. "He's down there and..." Her eyes flitted around as flashes of light blinded them. Hunters and soldiers fired at one another, the hunters’ guns letting off blasts of fire and lightning that scorched the earth and shattered rocks around them. The soldiers’ bullets ricocheted off their armor and helmets, barely keeping them back. Those without guns swept through the fire and leaped onto the mechs, their long blades slicing through metal and piercing titanium steel. Men went down, and others took their place, but the hunters kept coming, pushing the soldiers closer to the forest edge.

An orange and red shape rushed out into the open, and Lana's heart jumped at the sight, only to see Krel leaping off a mound of rock and falling onto a pair of hunters, quickly taking them down. Following him were the sisters, who used their scyths to cut through armor with ease. From across the other end of the open field, clouds of flames and red dust blasted a group of hunters off their feet, with Gyrix swiftly moving past the explosion, a vrisha made bomb in his hand. Nezka too moved through the fighters, cutting through the Xolis men with his wicked blades. Hunters fired at them only to drop suddenly as Aryus from somewhere above took them out with his long shot.

As tough as the hunters were, even seeing the vrisha made some hesitate. But those who were brave enough rushed through the fray, attempting to make it to the walls.

Despite the soldiers’ efforts, mixed with her team's attacks, there were too many Xolis men, their numbers overwhelming their own. With as many hunters being stopped in the valley and in the forest, some still slipped past and made it to the walls. The soldiers shot at them, the deafening sound making Lana's ears ring. She faltered back, with Elise shielding her, but couldn't draw her eyes away from the fight, searching desperately. Elise yelled out as one hunter began to climb the wall up to them, using metal hooks in each hand. She shot down at him, and he went falling, but another came leaping up to take his place. The soldiers stopped him before he could climb over, but it took five of them firing to do so. From far on the other end of the wall, hunters were leaping over and striking men down without a thought. Their weapons fired out at the buildings nearby, catching one on fire. The wall shook as another hunter blasted a hole below them, slamming Lana into the rail.

Blood spilled down the side of her face as her head scraped against metal. As she righted herself and wiped at her face, she glanced down at the blood now smeared on her fingers. She blinked down at the red, mind going numb. A heavy wind rose up, and a low hum vibrated in her ears. Lana looked up and saw her ship skirting over the forest nearby, then setting down near the edge of the valley.

Some lone thought finally clicked in her brain at the sight of the ship, bringing her out of her shock. She looked over and saw Elise still firing on the approaching aliens, who were now attempting to pass through the wall. Lana stumbled toward her and gripped her shoulder, halting her attack.

"The ship." Lana pointed out in the distance where the ship's top could be seen over the trees. Elise didn't need more explanation. She nodded her head and fired a few more times before gesturing to Lana to follow her.

Lana understood getting to the ship was now her biggest priority. She needed its safety, yes, but she could also use it to search for Xerus since trying to find him in the chaos of the battle while on the wall was no longer viable. The Xolis men were everywhere now, and it took everything for both her team and the Sythtec soldiers to hold them back. And if Xerus lost himself again in the midst of the fight, he too would be a threat. She went cold just thinking about what would happen if he attacked the wrong side. Desperate, she followed Elise down the stairs and off the wall. They rushed for the gate, but, as they came in sight of it, they found the door barred to them.

"Let us out!" Elise yelled to one of the soldiers stationed on the side of the wall beside the gate. The soldier looked down at them like they were crazy.

"Are you fucking mad?" he shouted down at her. "We open the gates, and we might as well let them take the city."

"There has to be another way out," Elise called back.

"No. No one gets out."

Elise growled in frustration, and Lana looked around and saw the narrow opening in the wall the hunters had made. None tried to slip through now as the soldiers had focused their guns on it. Some of the bodies lay nearby where a few hunters had gotten past but had been unable to get farther inside. Lana tapped quickly on Elise's shoulder and, when Elise looked around, Lana pointed over to it.

"There," Lana said. "We'll have to get through there."

"It's risky," Elise replied, taking a tighter hold on her gun. "We will need back up."

"Then get Nezka."

Elise did as commanded and called on Nezka to come to their aid. She took Lana's hand, and they ran toward the crumbled opening of the wall. Smoke billowed up from the fire nearby, beginning to overtake part of the wall and another small building. Lana thought about Bo and the others and hoped they were safe somewhere, preferably underground.

Once at the wall, Elise went toward the opening first, making sure no one was looking to come through the other side. Lana could see the forest beyond and the bright bursts of white and orange from gunfire along with Gyrix's bombs in the distance. Elise went through with gun raised. She looked up at the top of the wall to make sure no soldiers would mistake her for a hunter. It seemed they were distracted by movement in the forest. If any did see her, they didn't shoot. She looked over the area again to make sure it was clear, then gestured for Lana to follow. Lana, covered her mouth as she coughed a little from the smoke, parts of the forest now burning. Carefully, she stepped over the concrete and rock, taking the hand Elise offered.

As soon as her feet touched the earth, Lana was led by Elise into the forest and away from the station. Keeping down low, they weaved around blackened trees and snuck through the brush. When the trees became more spread out, they quickened their pace. Lana's heart raced as the blasts of guns and explosives rattled and banged around them. Lana could see the outlines of fights nearby and of shadows flying past trees in the distance. They came to a grassy meadow, and Elise stopped at its edge to quickly look around. When it was clear, she tugged at Lana, and they started toward the other side.

"The ship shouldn't be too far," Elise said as they ran. "We should be able to pass through the forest as long as—"

Just before they made it back into the trees, a hunter appeared. Lana nearly slammed into Elise as she skidded to a stop. The hunter drew up its blade, then paused. Elise brought up her gun and fired. The fiery yellow arrows that shot from her gun hit the hunter’s chest, forcing him back. The alien shielded with his arm, then started toward them. Elise continued to fire until the alien was on her, and she was forced to defend without it. She kicked at his chest, and he blocked with his hand. Lana kept herself far back as she watched them fight with nothing but their own fists, surprised to see Elise was holding her own against the alien. The ex-soldier smashed her fist into the hunter's neck then hit again across his covered face. As they fought, Lana looked over the meadow and around to the forest, waiting. Dread and hope both filled her at the thought that Xerus might appear from the dark woods. A part of her ached to see him, while another part of her was afraid. And she hated the feeling. She told herself she was terrified for him, not of him.

Elise swung at the hunter, aiming for his face again. This time, he caught her fist and flung her around, striking her side. He released her and she dropped, rolling on the grass. As she went to get up, he kicked at her to try and keep her down.

"No!" Lana cried. Gritting her teeth, Lana searched around and saw Elise's gun lying nearby. She went for it and grabbed it, then took aim. Before she could fire, a dark blade flew out from the trees and hit the hunter in the arm, slicing it clean off. The hunter roared as he fumbled back. Another blade flew out and sliced him in the throat, bringing him down. The blades flew back toward the forest and were each caught by Nezka, who ran out into the meadow, toward Elise. Lana saw the twin knives in his hands, dripping with dark blood. She lowered the gun and quickly started for them, making it to Elise's side just as Nezka was helping her up.

"Took you long enough," Elise grunted as she straightened.

"I'm fast, but not half-a-span-away-while-fighting-through-several-dozen-men-to-get-to-the-other end-of-the-forest fast," Nezka replied.

"Guess you have something to improve," Elise said bluntly.

Lana's eyes widened at the remark as the two laughed. Despite the circumstances, they found a way to lighten each other's mood. It reminded Lana of her and Xerus, and, just as she was beginning to feel relief, she tensed up once more, remembering her mate was close by, and she needed to get to the ship so she could find him.

"We should go," Lana said anxiously as the two embraced and she heard Nezka whisper "Starling" in Elise's ear.

"Right," Elise said, releasing herself from Nezka and squeezing his hand. "We head for the ship. It landed near the edge of the valley in the forest a little east of here. Once we get Lana back on—"

Elise's words were cut off as a seismic blast knocked them back. Nezka caught Elise beside him while Lana fell to the ground, hitting her back against several rocks. The pain sliced up her spine and along her tailbone. With the blast came a wave of heat as a plume of fire rose up into the sky. Lana could hear the screams and shouts of men. When she shakily rose back to her feet, she could see one wall of the station, the one she and Elise had been standing on, was nothing now but smoke and flames.

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