Page 91 of Sunastara & the Venusian
“I don’t know,” Sai said. “Why?”
“Because I need to kill him.”
Captain Jones’s chuckle rumbled behind me while he covered Sai with a blanket. Then he draped another over my shoulders. “Morgath is a little busy with the detainees,” he said. “But I’ll be sure to tell him you’re looking for him.”
When he dabbed at the small wound on his forehead with his sleeve, I grimaced. “That’s not from me, is it?”
“Hell of an arm you’ve got there, Sunny. But don’t worry about me. I wasn’t the one taken from my own ship byKravaxians?—”
“Reya,” I blurted out, coming to my senses, trying to stand but only making it halfway before collapsing back onto my ass. “Reya helped us. She didn’t?—”
“We know,” the captain said while offering me a canteen of cold water. “Sai told us. We’re holding her with the others for now. But once we get them to Imperion, we will explain her situation to the magistrates.”
“You’re taking them to Imperion?”
“They kidnapped a senator’s son, Sunny. This is a KU governmental matter now.”
Stars,he was right. The Kravaxians would be brought to trial. Sai and I would be called to testify. “Captain, there’s so much more to this story than a kidnapping for ransom. We are all in grave danger.”
Giving Sai a quick, deferential nod, the captain said, “The boy told us everything. Quite the story, but it does explain a lot.”
“Sai already told you everything?” I stared up at him, then at Sai. “How long have I been out?”
“Not long.” Captain Jones placed a hand on my shoulder. “Only a few minutes.”
“I was excited,” Sai said with a shrug. “It all just”—he made ablechnoise—“came out. Kinda like your puke.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groaned, pulling my blanket more tightly around me.
“Sai told us about Karlovich,” the captain continued. “He also said you devised the escape plan, played the Kravaxians against each other, and convinced Reya to help you.”
“Sai was the mastermind,” I insisted, rubbing at the dull headache hammering behind my temples. “Not me.”
“I guess we’ll call it teamwork,” the captain said, winkingat Sai. Then he handed me a comm. “Someone would like to speak with you.”
While I stared at the comm in my hands, the captain walked across the clearing to join the twins in securing the FFKs for transport to Imperion.
Sai nestled into my side, and I clicked the talk button. “Hello?”
“Sunny. Sweetheart, you’re all right,” Freddie said, his voice ruining me, shattering the wall I’d built around myself the second I’d followed Sai onto the Kravaxian’s shuttle. “Thank the stars. I was so worried. I was?—”
“I’m sorry,” I said, tears stinging my eyes, my voice a hoarse, broken mess. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just be in my arms. Come home. Please come home.”
“We’re taking her to the shuttle now, Freddie,” Rax called out as he walked to stand at my side. “She’ll be close enough to smooch in no time.”
“Ew,” Sai groaned. “First puking, now kissing?”
“Be safe, Sunny,” Freddie said, and there was so much fear and relief mingling in the words that my chest constricted, my throat ached, my hands shook. “I’ll be waiting.”
Taking the comm from me before it fell from my trembling fingers, Rax told Freddie, “We’re leaving in five. I’ll keep her safe.”
Rax helped me to my feet, and suddenly, the only thing I wanted to do was get on the shuttle, put my head in my hands, and weep. But Makenna cut us off halfway there.
Dropping to her knees, she took Sai’s face between her hands. “Are you all right? Did they hurt you?”
He shook his head, trying to be stoic, but his eyes shone like glass.
