Page 80 of Warrior's Purpose

“No, Ash, you did not fail me. I’m so sorry about what my people did to Vintor, but you did not cause that. Despite what you think, you’re an honorable and brave man. If anything, you brought my family back together. There’s no way you can be perfect or predict what the future will hold. Hell, Ash, you’re not a freaking god. Don’t do that to yourself. Don’t do that to us.”

Abby

Abby frowned. She hoped her words reached Ash, but he didn’t seem convinced. A sound captured her attention and she looked over his shoulder.

“It’s them,” she squealed, seeing the vessel landing on the rocky Martian plain.

“Go. I’ve got Carol.” Ash scooped her mother up and they started running toward the giant silver cruiser.

Running on Mars was unreal. She practically flew with every footfall. She’d dwell on how cool it was later, when she wasn’t so freaked out. For now, all she wanted to do was get the hell off Mars. It was awkward coordinating her steps in the lower gravity, but once she got the hang of it, it took no time at all to reach the spaceship. She stopped outside the large hatch that was opening like the gates to heaven.

They stepped into the ship and could see everyone waiting on the other side of the clear barrier. Hope stood clutching Aculus with tears streaming down her face. It took forever for the chamber to pressurize, but once the barrier lifted, Hope was instantly by her side.

“Abby! Mom!” Hope cried as she looked from her to their mother cradled in Ash’s arms.

“It’s me.” Abby hugged her sister, careful to not gouge Hope with the spiky knots on the armor.

“We need to check your mother.” Ash gently set Carol on the hull floor and depressed her wrist.

She didn’t even care her mother was naked as a jaybird as Cartil checked her over.

“She appears fine, just unconscious.”

“I had to tranq her on Earth.”

“That would explain it then.” Cartil nodded.

Abby breathed a giant sigh of relief.

“Let’s get her to a bed where she can rest near her mate.” Aculus kindly covered her mother with a blanket and lifted her up. “You don’t understand how relieved I am to find you all shelled. That was good thinking, Ashtoret.”

“It really was.” She smiled at Ash as they walked toward the clinic.

“I can’t thank the Osivoire enough for this.” Ash pointed to bony armor covering her from head to toe.

“When you crashed after those fucking ships fired on you…” Hope sobbed as she hung onto her arm.

“Believe me, I was shocked as shit to wake up alive on Mars,” Abby barked a tired, incredulous laugh.

“Did the foreign vessels give you any trouble?” Ash asked.

“They started to, but Nadzia’s quite the diplomat.” Aculus cast Hope a sideways glance.

“Really?” Her eyes widened.

“No. Aculus was trying to calmly reason with them so we could come get you, and I started screaming obscenities.”

That sounds about right.

“She has quite a colorful vocabulary. She made my crew blush and that’s not something the Osivoire do. What was it you threatened—something about shoving this cruiser so far up their asses they tasted metal?” Aculus chuckled.

“Well, I thought they killed my family,” Hope huffed.

“I think your lack of fear had quite an effect.” Aculus smiled.

“Place her here.” Cartil pointed to a gurney in the clinic.

“Thank you.” Abby smiled in gratitude as Aculus set her mother down but didn’t know if it reflected since she was still wearing the bony armor.

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