By the Icy Wild by Everly Frost

Author:Everly Frost [Frost, Everly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ever Realm Books
Published: 2017-02-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

THE STARSGARDIANS around Michael shouted in horror. In the top of the tower, Ruth fell to the floor in shock and Arachne leaned over her, crying her name.

Michael pulled Luke forward, cradling him against his chest. One of the Protectors leveraged the remains of the bullet casing from the pathway and stared at it. Just stared.

Leah and Natalie removed their masks and dropped beside Michael. Tears soaked their faces as they reached for Luke as though touch alone could wake him.

Michael balled up over Luke, his arms around Luke’s torso. “Luke, buddy. C’mon, man. Fight it. Clara will never forgive me if you don’t come back. Please. Please…”

Then all I could see was myself leaning over my brother, willing him to wake up and regenerate, wishing for it with all my heart. I didn’t know when I’d collapsed to the floor, but Rift wrapped his arms around me, trying to comfort what couldn’t be healed. Olander had shot my friend and I was helpless. Completely helpless.

Nearby, Pip was crying. His young face filled with pain beyond his years. Of course, he could sense my heart splitting apart. Snowboy had said that Pip was way too empathetic. I tried to quell the tide of my emotions, taking deep breaths as Rift’s arms tightened around me in support. Snowboy urged Pip out of the room. He didn’t need to see this.

On the ground, Michael drew back, his face wet with tears. Still holding Luke, he stared at his free hand, stricken.

Suddenly, for no reason that I could see, he stiffened. He stared from his hand to Luke’s face and back again. Then he pressed on Luke’s chest for a moment. In the silence, I heard him whisper. “He’s still breathing.” After another moment, he bellowed. “Get him inside!”

The others stared at him in shock.

Michael wrenched Luke upward, forcing Natalie and Leah up too. “Help me get him inside! Now!”

“What … Michael…?” Natalie did what she was asked, supporting Luke’s head while others carried his body, but her expression clearly indicated that she didn’t understand the turn in Michael’s mood.

Michael glared at the sky. “Olander’s watching! I won’t let him see us grieve! He doesn’t deserve it.”

At that, the other Starsgardians crowded around Luke, and Michael disappeared among them. Then they were moving, protecting Luke’s body as they carried him swiftly inside the tower.

“Guard the foyer,” Michael shouted as they entered the tower, and a group broke off and remained just inside the front door. When the elevator doors opened, he barked, “To the underground.”

Leah hesitated. “Not up to the medical unit?”

“No! We go down!” The tension in Michael’s body was palpable across space, the urgency in his words striking me cold as they ushered Luke’s body into the elevator.

The doors closed and then they were gone.

Ruth and Arachne raced from the command center into the elevators and disappeared from sight too. Only the guards at the tower entrance remained visible.

Still holding me, Rift’s whisper was sad. “We can’t see the underground rooms.

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