Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

“No, no, hang on, baby, hang on! Hang on for me.” She grabbed a rag from the ground and pressed it against the wound.

Torsha extended her claws. “If she dies, you die.”

Tears streamed from Thuraya’s eyes as blood rushed from her in surges. She reached for Eridani’s cheek and touched her only for a moment, leaving a streak of crimson behind. Silently, she mouthed, “I… I love you… I…”

“Time to go,” said Bloodtusk, and he yanked Eridani to her feet, holding the knife to her throat as he dragged her toward the hoverbike.

“No!” Eridani shrieked, and she flailed against him. “Thuraya, I love you!”

“I’m warning you,” said Torsha. “I’ll kill you. I mean it.”

“Ooh, I’m so scared,” said Bloodtusk. He swung Eridani onto the hoverbike and sat behind her. Still gripping his knife, he fumbled for his decryption card and held it against the gene key reader.

The door leading into the mansion flew open as the hoverbike started up, and two guards stepped through. Lowering his head, Bloodtusk smashed straight through the scrolling garage door. The hoverbike swayed back and forth for a moment, and he raced out of the cave with Eridani held captive.

The guards hurried over with weapons drawn. “I’ll go after her,” said one of the guards.

“No,” said Torsha. “Save Thuraya if you can.”

“What are you going to do?” asked the other guard.

“I’m going to save Eridani,” said Torsha.

He tossed her the Humvee’s activation key. “You’ll need this.”

“Thanks,” said Torsha, and she swung into the driver’s side. She slammed the door, slotted the key, and the Humvee growled to life. Pressing the gas pedal, she followed Bloodtusk through the hole he had created.

Bloodtusk and Torsha raced for the waterfall. Despite bearing far more weight than it was designed to carry, the hoverbike easily outpaced the Humvee. As Bloodtusk and Eridani neared the falls, the Starwind floated into view. It touched down on the north riverbank, and the cargo ramp descended.

“Come on,” muttered Torsha, and she jammed the gas pedal all the way down. She slammed her fist against the steering wheel. “Why can’t this thing go any faster!”

Bloodtusk swooped across the river, skimming its surface. As they neared the north bank, the hoverbike’s repulsion turbine sputtered and failed. It sent Bloodtusk and Eridani tumbling across the water. They came to rest in the mud, still some distance from the shuttle.

“Finally, some luck,” said Torsha.

Groaning, Bloodtusk climbed to his feet and looked around for his knife. Unable to find it, he grunted and stomped over to Eridani. Still rattled, she scooted away from him. Grabbing her by the hair, he pulled her up to stand, and she staggered as he dragged her closer to the cargo ramp.

Torsha spotted a familiar fallen tree and turned left, fording the river across rocky shallows. The Humvee bounced and splashed, sending up walls of water, and something cracked underneath. Warning gauges swung to the right as she pressed on, driving along the north riverbank. Her vehicle began to lose power.

As Bloodtusk forced Eridani up the ramp into the cargo hold, Torsha blared the horn. He stepped out of the way, and the Humvee rolled up the ramp, drifting to a stop against the forward bulkhead. Sheets of smoke and steam rolled up from the engine compartment. Torsha kicked against the door, but it wouldn’t budge. With fury in her eyes, she kicked against the glass.

“It’s jammed,” said Bloodtusk, and he noticed fire dancing under the smoke. “Bad luck for you.” He tapped his commlink. “Myeong, it’s time to go. Please nose up a bit after liftoff. We picked up some unwanted cargo on the way here, and I’d like it dumped before we leave.”

“Roger that,” she said, and the Starwind slowly lifted off. “Let me know when I can close the back door.”

“Back door?” asked Bloodtusk. “See, this is why I don’t want you on this channel.”

With one last kick the glass finally shattered. Torsha snatched up Eridani’s backpack and scrambled for the broken window. Her breath caught in her throat as the shuttle nosed up, and the Humvee began to roll backward.

Bloodtusk shoved Eridani along as he paced the Humvee. He stopped at the threshold and gripped the hydraulic struts.

Torsha desperately pushed herself through the gap.

“Not fast enough,” he jeered. “Bye-bye, now!” With a smug smile, he waved his fingers and watched as the Humvee went over, smashing apart as it impacted the ground. “The trash is out, Myeong. You can close it up.”

“Roger that,” she said.

The strength fled Eridani’s body. Tears welled in her eyes, but before she could collapse, her backpack swooped inside, knocking her down. “Grab on,” said Torsha, her eyes at deck level. One hand trembled as she held fast to the edge of the ramp with her claws. She gripped the backpack’s straps in the other hand.

Eridani grabbed on tight. She nodded, and Torsha pulled.

“Get back here!” shouted Bloodtusk, and he lunged as the ramp started to close.

Eridani went over the edge.

“Damn you!” howled Bloodtusk, and he staggered backward. “Damn you… You weren’t supposed to die.” He sank against the bulkhead and rubbed his eyes. “Oh man, Schurke’s going to kill me.”

◆◆◆

“We have to time this perfectly,” said Torsha. “When I swing you over, grab onto the guide wing, okay?”

“Got it,” said Eridani, and she glanced up as she dangled from Torsha’s grip. “Which one’s the—oh my god!” Air rushed past as she arced up and around. She slammed down on the shuttle’s right stabilizer, moving her grip from the backpack to the metal under her.

Torsha shouldered the backpack and vaulted up just as the ramp sealed shut. Her claws caught the stabilizer’s aileron. Eridani helped her up, and they crawled to the top of the shuttle.

As the Starwind ascended, Torsha located the luggage hatch. She opened its access panel and stared at the number pad beneath. Eyes wide, she glanced between the hatch and the rapidly receding river below. “Eridani, can you work this?”

“It’s an… NPA… interface,” said Eridani, her breathing