Page 71 of Captured
Chapter Thirty-Three
Juliet
I wake up at the sound of the door swooshing open, a smile on my lips. Rakir left while I slept, but I’m eager to see him. As the sound of muffled, light footsteps reach me, I sit straight up in bed, alarm bells ringing in my mind. I pull the sheets right up to my chest as light forces me to blink, shielding my eyes with my other hand.
“Sara! What are you doing here?”
The girl stands in the middle of the room, holding a small black device up to her chest. Her eyes are wide and as she stands there, alone, I get a glimpse at the girl who gave up everything she ever knew to help a cause that wasn’t her own. To save people she never met.
A girl who’s fragile, scared and lonely, yes, but also strong.
“They’re here.” Sara says as I strain to grab some pieces of clothing left on the floor. A tank top and pants that Rakir begrudgingly let me keep.
“Who’s here?” I can’t help the impatient tone I’m using. I had more than my share of surprises in the last few days and all I want is to stay in the bed I just shared with my Amare.
“Them!” Sara shouts, her pretty face twisted in lines of fear. “They came for me!”
Her limbs are trembling and I can see she’s at the edge of hysteria and I feel guilty for my impatience. I get over to her, grabbing her by both arms, gently yet firmly.
“Sara, who came for you?”
“The Rebellion. They’re going to take me away.”
Sara sounds like she’s twelve and she looks like she’s about to break into a run and never stop.
“How can you know that?” She tries to pull away, but I hold her still.
Sara blinks a few times, then she kind of shakes herself into place. Her eyes lose their glassy shine and a faint shade of pink returns to her cheeks.
“I hacked into Darhk’s stupid security system. He thinks he can order me around, but he’s got another thing coming.” She scoffs, her eyes reducing to slits. After another second, I let her go. Sara hugs herself as she speaks, her eyes far away. “I know I have to go with them. I’m the key. Without me, the data frame is worthless. I just wanted to see them first.”
I pause, not knowing what to tell Sara. I didn’t think about her being sent away with the Rebellion, but now I do. Saraisthe key. She has to go wherever the List goes.
“Darhk wouldn’t just hand you over.”
But as she looks at me, the pain in her eyes makes it clear. Darhk won’t put her before his mission.
“It doesn’t matter.” A cloud passes over Sara’s eyes and she shakes her head. “I’ll do what I have to do. The Senators have to be stopped.”
I raise my arms to hug Sara, to tell her exactly what she wants to hear. That everything is going to be okay, even if it’s a lie.
Then a blast shakes the floor and we both go tumbling down. I yelp as my thigh hits the corner of the bed and Sara squeals, then silence descends on us both for a terrifying second.
“What the fuck?” Sara whispers, crawling closer to me. Her eyes are wide and fearful, her hair in disarray as she looks up to me. “Is this coming from the Pearl?”
A cold hand wraps around my spine. Sara is a privileged girl, she doesn’t know the sounds of battle, but I do.
“No.” I shake my head. “That was the sound of a ship being blown up. A big ship.”
Sara’s face loses all color at my words, but she takes out her tiny screen and her fingers run on it faster than I can focus.
“What is that?” Sara speaks with a thin, trembling voice as we both stare at a ball of fire floating in space. Debris floats around, pieces of metal torn beyond recognition.
“That is the Freedom,” I say. “Or it was.”
We both stay silent as the reality of what just happened sinks in. Then another, smaller detonation rocks the Pearl, muffled by the distance.
“We’re under attack,” I say.
