Star People Legacy by Smith, T.L. (feel good books to read .txt) 📕

“I think I want a swim first.” I took a blanket and headed towards the water. Modesty made me give a good look around before I stripped down to my underwear. “A swim and some sun, then maybe…”

As wound up as I felt, I doubted I’d ever achieve the right calm, so I needed to use whatever I could to relax and not thing about how tomorrow would bring battle, and blood, and heartache. I ran into the water, plunging in, hoping the shock of cold water would distract me.

I took my time rising back to the surface. Gasping for air when I did. The cold water helped rinse away the gloomy mindset. Casey peeling off his clothes helped too. I liked the sunlight on his new tattoo. “Hurry up. Husband.”

He grinned as he stomped through the sand and into the river. Thoughts of battle did not last long.

CHAPTER

30

I stared out the truck window as we headed down the range road. Casey drove. He knew the route as well as I did. It was still dark, but we had to be in place by daybreak, when we would attack the Maxa’xak lair and kill it. Kill all those it had implanted with larvae, and hopefully rescue the captive illegals before they became hosts.

I wished there wasn’t anyone needing rescue. The fewer witnesses the better.

“You alright?” Casey reached across the console to take my hand.

“Yeah.” I gave his hand a squeeze back. “Just getting my head into the game. Kind of strange how different a hundred years or so can make it, but it still be the same. We both have better weapons, but it all evens out.”

“Wouldn’t call it even. Not if he’s the last one.”

“I mean the universe. I can feel the universe on the edge of balance. It’s the first time in eons. We’re almost done.” I turned back to the dark desert. One more night had completed the merge between us. My senses were prickly sharp. My emotions were stable and memories flowed at my bidding, not hitting me like bricks.

Glancing over my shoulder I could see my father also watched our lights cast shadows over the desert. My mother was no longer able to fight, but he was still robust for his mortal self. He’d do triage on the plateau, she’d be liaison for the after-effects.

There would be wounded, as well as deaths. She and other older Ci’in would be Spirit Vessels, holding the Spirits of our fallen until they could be released. What happened after that depended on whether we won or lost.

Fingers closed tighter around my hand and Casey gave me a slight nod. I must have been broadcasting my worried vibe. He knew me so well, even though I was now such a different person.

Or was I? Right now I was ten thousand years old and feeling my age, praying this would be over. The other part of me wasn’t even thirty yet, and wanted desperately to stay here forever, with Casey.

“The site’s straight ahead.” Casey slowed as I pointed ahead at the mobile shelter stuck up under a row of mesquites. “We’ll off-load the bikes here and go in. The path will be narrow and dangerous.”

Chucky threw me an eye roll. “Been doing this as long as you have, Sis.”

“Yeah, but the last time was on horseback.” It sounded weird saying that out loud.

“Here we are.” Casey said it a bit louder than necessary, interrupting what was about to turn into a sibling spat. Our fifth passenger let out a single huff of laughter. Casey circled the truck and pulled to a stop.

We piled out, Casey jumping into the back of the truck and unfastening the straps holding the dirt bikes in place. Chucky and the other Kwia did the offloading. I studied the trailhead the old hunter had sent us to. Entry was almost a mile from the military route we used to check the aid stations, but ran almost parallel.

Parallel until the washes merged. This path transected the smaller tributary just north of where Lutz and I had been stopped. I checked my watch. We could get part of the way to our target using the blind spots the mountains created. By the time we were out of cover, Joey and his team would have the sensor array disabled.

Another Ci’in and three more Kwia from the other truck joined us, mounting up and putting on their helmets. We tested the lights attached above our visors, LEDs flashed at each tap. I ran my hands over my vest, then my weapons, for the fifth time, then started up my bike.

With night-vision, Casey and I led the way up the mountain trail. It was rough going in the dark, but we finally reached the transection point. We’d wait here until we knew it was safe to go on. I gave critters and snakes a warning before we collapsed under a rock outcropping.

Casey waited until I was settled in. Two Kwia stood guard above us. I was the first to unfasten my bullet-proof vest, rubbing at my ribs and taking a refreshing drink. The other Ci’in did the same, dabbing her neck with water. It might still be a cool desert night, but under the gear we were sweating.

Chucky joined us. “Let’s take another look at the plan.”

With a grunt, Casey smoothed out the sand in front of us. I drew the wash from memory, leading up to the base of the plateau. Topography had shown us where the water cut down into the rocks, the current foliage and outcroppings would keep us from being sighted visually. Our Kwia would run an advance team. I’d bring up the rear.

We weren’t too far from our target, and right now the other teams were settling into their attack positions, but we had to wait for Joey’s signal. We’d selected three points of attack.

One had been a place not far from where Lutz and I took our video. From there teams could rappel