Adrift in Starlight by Mindi Briar

Author:Mindi Briar
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781648981463
Publisher: City Owl Press

CHAPTER 19

AISHA

Bala is on her knees in the middle of the range, apparently crying. Tai’s saying something I can’t hear, setting down their weapon to approach her.

I hold my breath. Tai must be taking my advice: using their opponent’s weaknesses.

“Creator, please protect our friend,” Jimin murmurs in a breathless litany, his eyes fixed on Tai through the viewing window. “Keep them safe, lend them strength for this battle—” His fingers worm their way into my palm, and I don’t pull away. I need someone to cling to just as much as he does.

“I didn’t know you were religious,” I whisper.

He bites his lip. “I’m not usually. But I sorta need to be right now.”

I squeeze his hand. I know the feeling.

Tai kneels in front of Bala, and my heart clenches to see the tender, unguarded look on their face. They’re not saying cruel things to hurt Bala; they’re trying to sympathize with her, to understand her pain.

My scattered thoughts coalesce into one intense, terrifying realization: If I’m not careful, I might fall in love with them.

Then Bala raises her gun, and I scream.

“Nebula! Go!” Hue shrieks, but it’s too late. Tai falls, a hole blasted through their gut.

No. No. No. No.

Paralysis gives way to action. I sprint for the door and wrench it aside.

“Call for a healer!” I yell, shrugging out of my robe and wadding it up to press into the wound. I tear off my mask too; it’s only getting in the way at this point. “Stay with me, Tai, stay conscious, do you hear me? Don’t go to sleep.”

“’M not,” they mumble. “I can’t really feel it. Does that mean it’s not bad?”

“Sure, let’s say that.” But oh yeah, it’s bad. I don’t need to be a doctor to know the shot went straight through a few extremely necessary organs. But it’s not going to kill them instantly. Xander had a scene just like this in Motorcycle Gang II. He bragged about how they had a doctor on set to make sure it was medically accurate. As long as I can control the bleeding, Tai might live a few agonizing hours.

Hours that we can use to save them.

Jimin and Hue appear at my shoulder. Jimin is pale, like he might cast up, but Hue’s all business. “You take their head, I’ll get the feet,” she says. “We’ve got to get them to a healer. Auto, where’s the nearest—?”

“I think you should get ’em back to your ship,” Auto says from behind her.

“No, a healer,” I say, occupied in draping Tai’s arm over my shoulder to lift them.

“No, I really think you should get back to your ship,” Auto insists. “Y’all need to get off Tortuga, the sooner the better.”

“But—”

“We lied,” Auto bursts out. “Bala already called the Authorities. They’re on their way. You can still escape, but you gotta do it now.”

Bala punches Auto in the chest, berating him for tipping us off, but it’s too late; we’ve been galvanized into action.

“We’ll find a healer somewhere else,” Hue says.

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