Destiny's Blood by Marie Bilodeau (superbooks4u txt) 📕

i

“Our shields are gone and I’m losing too many guns!” Avienne shouted over the explosions.

“We’ve lost two starboard engines, Captain!”

“What you have is all that’s left, Ardin. We’ve used up our fuel supplies.”

“This is fun,” Lang muttered from his console. His eyes grew wider and wider as he tried to count the number of destroyed ships, ally and foe.

Avienne sucked in her breath as the shields went out completely. From his console, Cailan saw the same. The captain leaned back in his chair.

“Armour won’t hold long without energy shields,” Avienne whispered.

“We’ll have to run for now,” Cailan said, sitting up in his chair. “Ardin, I’m giving you all we have left. One boost, and if a hit doesn’t stop our momentum, we might make it within Mirial’s shields. We’ll be safe there.”

“You mean just run?” Ardin asked incredulously.

“First he wants to save the girl, then he wants to save everyone else…” Lang took a swig from his flask.

“The Victory’s already through, Ardin,” Cailan replied, not interrupting his work. “We can’t access engineering, and we’re almost done for. We can help Layela on the planet. She’ll need our help.”

The last argument seemed to convince Ardin, who turned back to his controls. “On your orders, Captain.”

“Put her on full and let’s see how far she takes us.”

Avienne took a deep breath and watched the screen. The purple beast that would save them grew sharper.

i

The Kilita raised his gun without expression, looking through Layela as though not seeing her.

Sap. All I see is sap! Had she not managed to save Josmere by killing the other Berganda?

He pulled the trigger. Mist clouded her vision as the shot thundered. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but it wasn’t a bullet that hit her. Someone tackled her from the right.

She opened her eyes, only to see a dark shadow closing in on the Kilita, not slowing as more shots were fired. A flash of light ran down the shadow and struck the Kilita, and the gap was closed. Layela heard a gurgle and the Kilita fell over, orange blood shining almost as red as human blood in the dim light.

She looked into the Kilita’s dead, sightless eyes. She remembered the hunger akin to lust in them, the feeling of his coarse hands on her skin as he forced ether from her, and she wished she could feel relief at his death.

But there was no time for even a sigh. Layela pushed herself up and ran to Josmere. The front of the Berganda’s shirt was covered in blood, releasing the smell of a thousand freshly cut plants. It reminded Layela of happier days at Sunrise Flowers and how she had initially greeted Josmere with suspicion. It reminded her of how precious her friendship and her smile had proven to be.

“Josmere,” Layela whispered, kneeling by her. She pushed hair out of her way to see the tight, drawn face. Even in the red light, Layela could see it was more yellow than green.

She tore her eyes away and focused on the wound on her chest, just below her right breast. Gently, without moving Josmere from her slumped position for fear of causing more harm, Layela pulled the broken strips of shirt aside.

Lukewarm green blood covered her hand, black in the red light, and Layela tried to get a closer look. But any attempt to examine the wound was blocked by the dimness of the light emanating from the red alarm.

“Here,” Layela jumped as Zortan knelt beside her, a bit of blood trickling down his cheek. He handed her a pocket-sized flashlight. A splattering of orange blood clung to his gloves.

“Thanks,” she mumbled. She turned to Josmere, shining the light onto the wound. Thicker blood oozed lazily from it. As Layela watched, the Berganda stopped bleeding altogether. She moved nearer to Josmere’s chest to get a better look.

“A bit close, don’t you think?” Josmere slurred, and Layela jerked her head away and looked at her friend.

“Josmere, are you all right?”

“Been better.”

“I’m so sorry, Josmere,” Layela said as she fought the urge to hug her friend and simply kissed the top of her head.

“My choice. Stupid heroics.”

Zortan stood and Josmere lifted her weary head, leaning back against the wall.

Layela allowed herself a smile, which Josmere returned weakly.

A second later, the great engine of the Destiny stopped rumbling in her core, and they were plunged into deathly quiet darkness.

i

“She’s dead in the water,” Ardin whispered from his station. Avienne knew he had tried everything, punched every button, pulled every lever. Destiny shook and then groaned mournfully.

“Her armour’s hurting bad,” Avienne reported. She wished she had left the ship and dragged Ardin with her when she had the chance.

“The good news is,” Lang leaned back, hands interlaced behind his head, “that there are a lot of ships shooting at us right now, so this should be fairly quick. I hate suspense.”

Cailan also sat back from Travan’s panel. There was no power left to redirect, and they were without the one person who could revive the Destiny’s sputtering engines.

“If anyone cares,” Avienne said as new readings scrolled on her screen, “thirty more government ships are approaching.”

“The more the merrier!” Lang laughed.

“Could all insane crew members please be quiet?” Cailan ordered softly, eliciting a few more chuckles from the navigator. But the captain ordered nothing more, leaving Travan’s old station to sit in his chair. The panel before him flashed red with complaints from all Destiny’s systems.

He turned it off.

“Three torpedoes are heading straight for us,” Avienne whispered. She didn’t mention that they were nuclear warheads.

“Fasten your seat belts,” Cailan whispered. Ardin complied, while Lang muttered about adequate death safety rules. Avienne looked at her brother, who looked back. She gave him a crooked grin and he smiled back weakly. She saw regret in his eyes and wished she could relieve his final moments of it.

All in all, as bad as living on a ship is, Avienne decided, dying in one is, without a doubt,