Page 69 of Warrior
My only care was the safety of Daisy and the younglings. If I managed to get them to safety, then I would count my life and eternity well lost.
A chill settled in my bones as my life blood dripped away. I pushed past it, making sure the ship was shielded and on autopilot to rendezvous with the Bardaga before cold and darkness became my only existence. The last vision that passed my eyes was Daisy’s beautiful face.
I swirled through the void, flying toward the unknown with a beckoning light so bright and white I knew it was not of the living. Eternity lay just out of my grasp, but my body stilled, unwilling to move forward.
Daisy.
The light of eternity was brilliant pure white. Daisy’s light was softer—warm and golden. It drew me… she drew me,to remain. I let her essence surround me, warm and soft and scented of flowers and sunshine. If this was my eternity, I would be well pleased.
A different light jerked me to wavering consciousness. Flickers of red and yellow, scorching my body like flame. Daisy was with me, her sweet whispers of encouragement a balm to my wounds. The hot, hateful lights didn’t try to pull me away from her but wrapped the silken cords of the bond that existed between us around my spirit. The light changed to soothing green and once again, my mind dipped into oblivion.
I rose to consciousness again, this time with discomfort, as though my skin stretched too tight over my bones. There was a weight at my side, small and slight, not painful, just foreign, and yet somehow it felt right. The weight held a floral scent, reminding me of the flower fields of my home world touched by bright sunshine.
I knew that scent.
My body reacted before my brain, a warmth growing through my veins, nerve endings tingling drawing me toward the weight at my side.
“Daicon?”
The voice held hope. The weight shifted and I felt the softest touch imaginable lay against my cheek.
I’d fought a wyeilet once. The beasts were the size of the ship we’d stole from the Gilese moon, with foot long teeth and claws. They were slow though, and beatable if you could pierce the heart. It just took a while to hack through the thick layer of blubber to reach the beast’s internal organs. The battle took the better part of a sun cycle leaving me sore and exhausted.
Still, I’d rather fight a wyeilet again than try to force my eyelids open. Something in my body held me motionless, despite my desire to the contrary.
“It’s okay, Toovis said it would take a while for the drug to wear off.” The voice soothed, fingertips stroking my cheek. “Sleep now, I’ll be here when you wake.”
I could deny her nothing.
The next time my eyes opened was to a sheath of brown hair. Daisy shifted while I slept, her head laying over my heartbeat. My eyes watered against the light, but in a few blinks the Bardaga med-bay came into focus.
We made it.
Somehow, I survived, and Daisy was in my arms.
The breath I drew was ragged and deep causing Daisy to jerk, lifting her gaze to mine.
The golden flecks in her eyes shimmered and her lower lip trembled.
“Thank you, God,” she whispered before raining gentle kisses over my face.
I tried to wrap my arms around her, but the appendages felt weighty and hard to control. Daisy noticed the struggle, a frown drawing between her brows.
“How do you feel?”
“Sluggish, but okay.” Despite the fact my throat felt like the deserts of Parova, I felt okay. Actually, I felt better than okay. The aches inherent in my body from years of battle were gone. Maybe I hadn’t been stabbed at all, but knocked out and imagined the rest. “I thought I died.”
“You did die.” The flecks of gold in Daisy’s eyes brightened with the wash of tears. “I held your hand as you took your last breath. It was the worst moment of my life. But you’re here now.” She stroked my cheek tenderly while one hand lay flat on my chest, just over my heartbeat as though to keep tabs on its progress.
“If I died… How am I here?”
The soft fingers left my cheek, pointing to a large metal box on the opposite side of the room. I recognized the Garoot healer we’d taken from the Trogvyk, although the last time I saw it was in the cargo bay.
“The Aljani you let go got a message to the Bardaga and they intercepted us three days into the journey.” A single tear slid down her cheek. “We’d already lost you, but George used the healer and managed to bring you back. You had to stay in the machine for close to a week. Toovis kept you sedated so you would fight the healing.”
At least there was an explanation as to why I felt so sluggish. The sigh Daisy heaved echoed both worry and relief. My heart stuttered, picking up the beat in response to her emotions. My eyes flickered about the room—we were alone. I slid a hand up her spine, the sluggishness slowly replaced by a pins and needles feeling, but not enough of a discomfort to keep me from touching her. She was perfect and whole, but her mention of the young Garoot made me wonder.
“George… the younglings. They’re, okay?”
