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

crew out, he will. In the meantime, we have to reach your sister, Layela. Gobran was right about one thing: the powers of Mirial must be complete to be restored. If not in one body, then in two, but they must both be together.”

“I don’t know what he’s telling you,” Josmere said drowsily from his arms. “But I don’t think it’s couth.”

Zortan sighed. “You have to be with your sister on Mirial, or she’s just as likely to get herself killed.”

Layela nodded and shined the light back down the corridor. They resumed walking. She felt cold and numb, and she wished she could make sure the rest of the crew was escaping safely. She thought of Ardin knocking on her door — Ardin, who thought she was long gone from this ship and out of reach — and she wished he was here now, with her.

The ship rocked sideways, sending them crashing into the wall. The lights flickered back to life, blinding Layela, and Josmere began to scream, a wail so loud it felt as though a blade had pierced Layela’s ears. She forced her aching eyes to face the light and saw Zortan kneeling by the Berganda. Josmere screamed, not stopping for air, her eyes wide open and her arms clutching herself.

Layela feared the wound had reopened, but no fresh blood covered her friend. Josmere jerked, and her ungloved hand grabbed Layela, who reeled back as their minds connected. She was assaulted by deep, impenetrable silence. Layela knew she should be hearing a song through Josmere, and now it trickled towards her from Josmere’s memory: the cry of thousands of sentient Booknots begging to be rescued, and the silence that followed.

The Berganda, through careful love, had brought sentience to the Booknots generations ago, and the rare plant had kept the Berganda company as their race withered. Their death was the source of her grief.

Josmere’s emotions assaulted Layela, and she saw Josmere’s memories flash before her like exploding light bulbs. Her sprouting, the death of her aunts, leaving home to find good earth, finding no more Berganda, meeting the twins and finding comfort in others with powers and no home, bleeding into the earth...and now, the blood quiet where a song should have existed.

Silence. Silence, and Josmere’s screams, now turning to broken sobs as she heaved for air. Layela kept her hand on Josmere, forcing herself to bear some of the pain. She cradled the small, broken body, wondering how much more hurt her friend could take before the road proved to be too long.

CHAPTER 29

The Destiny moaned and shrieked from somewhere deep below, a howl that carried through her cracking metal to batter the ears of her crew. For an instant, no one moved. Then Cailan looked at his station, and the old captain straightened his shoulders and turned to address his two protégés and Lang.

“The hull is buckling,” he said. Avienne’s blood turned to ice and Ardin jumped to his feet. Cailan put up his hands. “She’ll still make it, but we’ll have to close most sections and preserve power by lowering life support functions.”

He looked at each of them. “I want you all off this ship. I’ll take her in myself.”

The reaction was immediate. Avienne bounced to her feet as Ardin objected. “We are not leaving you.”

“You and Avienne can fly the shuttles out. You’re leaving.”

“We’re staying with you.” Avienne answered this time, narrowing her eyes.

“You have to get Josmere out of here. She’s wounded, remember? Go to the shuttle bay and evacuate.”

“Avienne can take her,” Ardin said.

“I am not leaving you, Ardin Malavant!” She forced the tremor out of her voice. “I did not leave you before and I will not leave you now!”

“You have to take Josmere out of here,” Ardin began, turning to face her instead.

“You are both taking Josmere, Lang, and the rest of the crew out. This isn’t up for debate. It’s an order.”

Lang mumbled from his station and shook his head, scanning the data on his display. The siblings and the captain ignored him, still intent on their face-off.

Cailan sighed and put a hand on each of their shoulders. It was the closest thing to an embrace Avienne could ever remember receiving from him, and her shoulder squared under the weight of it.

“The engines will carry the Destiny home to Mirial. There’s no need for this.” He gave them a half-smile. “You should worry more about yourselves. I don’t know what awaits you on Mirial, but I doubt it will be extremely pleasant. That’s why I want both of you to go.” He squeezed their shoulders gently. “You’ll look after each other on Mirial. It’s what you’ve always done, and what you need to do now.”

His hand slipped away and Avienne’s shoulders dropped. She knew Ardin’s had, as well.

“Let’s head to the shuttle bay. Avienne, sound the evacuation and alert all crew.”

Avienne headed to her station, each step slower than the last. The deck went quiet as Lang ended his mumblings and Destiny’s great belly sighed.

i

“All hands are ordered to the shuttle bay for evacuation,” Avienne’s voice boomed over the creaking of the ship. “And since we don’t evacuate unless necessary, and it never has been before, I don’t need to tell you to move it. What? Oh, coming...” She paused, then added quickly, “To the shuttle bay, now!”

Her voice died away just as Layela stepped into the shuttle bay.

“Looks like we’re not the only ones with this idea,” Josmere mumbled from Zortan’s arms. Layela smiled at her friend, but had to look away from her yellowed skin, her browning hair, the already ill-fitting clothes. Her entire body seemed to be melting away.

“Let’s get them ready,” Zortan said. He gently placed the Berganda on the floor of the shuttle bay, leaning against the same control station where Josmere had overpowered the drunk Lang. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Layela felt a strange sense of déjà vu as she sat at the console, hitting the right buttons and flipping the switches necessary to power