Crusade Across Worlds (37 page)

The tribesman lets out a shivering breath
and blows heat into his hands. “W-w-what is th-this p-p-place?”

“Jesus, Walker. You’re going to freeze to
death.” Able snuggles closer to Mae, using her for body heat.
“Hopefully there are some Carring hides left.”

“Blovid’s old hideout,” Jace rubs his arms,
trying not to shake. “And shit, I’d take a torch at this point.
Anyone got any matches?”

“Think the Vermix will c-come in here?”
Pratt asks.

“Naw,” the blonde Rogue shakes his head.
“They’ll be too busy down there. We should stay here, try to keep
warm and wait for Clarence to get us.”

“I like the sound of that,” Werzo says,
leading the way into the first room. “Hey, think there might
be—
shit!”

Traxpire explosions blast overhead.

Shouts echo behind me and then Werzo falls
to his knees. I race past him, whip in hand and slow down the
moment.

Five Vermix rush forward, springing out from
the first compartment. But they’re moving in centimeters, taking
forever to cross the space, snarls etched into their nearly-frozen
features. Another orange blast erupts, inching its way closer. I
send the whip flying, slicing into the explosion and redirecting
its course. Rearing back, I bring the whip over again and slash at
all five Vermix at once. They pause mid-run and fall to their
knees, each gripping the red canal carved across their throats.
Traxpires hit the ground followed quickly by their owners.

I let out a breath.

Time speeds up.

Five slain Vermix lay in bloody puddles at
the entrance to Blovid’s hideout. Five new Traxpires to use. I’m
about to pick one up when an agonized whimper fills the air.
Spinning, I find Werzo half on the floor and half in Mae’s lap.
She’s cradling his upper body while the rest of him lays sprawled
on the stone ground.

“Sshh, sshh, sshh—it’s okay,” she rocks him,
her terrified eyes flickering to the blood gushing from his side.
“It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Werzo cringes, tears streaming down his
cheeks.

“It’s fine. You’re fine,” Mae shoots me a
look, both hopeful and afraid. “It’s not that bad. We’ll get this
fixed up,” she tries comforting him but Werzo’s tears turn to
breathless sobs. His blood leaks out, pooling around his stomach,
creeping along the stone ground. Mae holds him closer, fingers by
his wound, trying to keep it blocked. Frowning at us, her voice
tightens. “Guys…
help
.”

No one moves.

I think we’re in shock.

No one’s ever been this seriously injured
before. Not on Harrizel, not during Mybyncia’s plague or even the
last battle on Nerwolix. This…this has never happened.

“Can you do something?” Pratt asks.

I learned a little about healing while I was
on Arosin. Just the basics, really. And I never actually applied
the lessons; the Lost Princesses provided me the knowledge only, a
basic 101 on anatomy restoration—something every member of the
Three Worlds learns at some point. But it can be dangerous. One
wrong move and I could kill Werzo, simply by accident.

“Fallon?”

I drop to my knees beside him. My heart is
racing, my nerves still fresh from Zinnollo, but if I don’t do
something, he
will
die. At least I’m giving him a chance.
Closing my eyes, I inhale through my nose and release it through my
mouth, the breathing technique the Lost Princesses taught me. I do
it again. And again.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Concentrate.
Concentrate
.

Blocking everything out, I focus on Werzo’s
white light. It’s in the shape of his body, and flickering. A red
blur darkens one side and my hands navigate toward it, hovering
over. And I can feel his pain. I can feel the sharp stinging of
seared flesh, the burning sensation nearly unbearable. It brings
tears to my eyes but I suppress them, ignore them, and focus on his
open flesh, on the strands of skin and fat and organs no longer
touching. I won’t be able to fully repair it, but I dull the nerves
and start growing his DNA, managing to attach the lower, deeper
parts of the wound so that the blood loss is minimal. When I’ve
grown everything I can, his white light is no longer flickering,
and the dark red has faded to pink. This is the best I can do.
He’ll need an actual Healer, and maybe a healthy dose of
Vilbrees.

Opening my eyes, I sit back on my heels. I
find Mae’s teary-eyed stare across from me, the same hope and fear
lingering from before. “He’ll live.”

She cradles him a little closer and for a
long minute, no one says a word. What’s there to say? Werzo got
shot, Walker is nearly freezing to death and we were just ambushed
by a pack of hiding Vermix. And the day is far from over.

“Let’s pick him up and bring him inside,”
Reid motions for the space where the Vermix were hiding. Booker,
Jace and Reid all hoist Werzo up and after bringing him inside,
they set him down in the center of the ground. It’s a little warmer
in here because we’re further from the exposed outside chill.

“Should we move him to the other room?” Jace
props his hands on his hips.

“What other room?” Walker asks.

Reid cocks his head back. “There’s another
room further back. A little more hidden. Probably a bit warmer
too.”

“There were Carring hides we could use,”
Able looks around, stopping on the tribesman who tosses him a
quizzical frown. “Fur. You could use one and we could lay Werzo on
it.”

“I doubt there’d be any left,” I say. “The
Vermix tore through this place last time.”

“Let’s find out. Guys?” Reid motions them.
“Just through this tunnel and we’re there.”

Walker helps carry Werzo with the others and
I follow behind along with Pratt. Mae and Able are at the end,
collecting the five Traxpires. She’s shaking her head, whispering
something and Able kisses her forehead.

“I think this is it,” Jace says as we enter
the near-pitch darkness. Last time, torches lined the space,
illuminating Blovid’s secret hideout. Now, only the illuminating
red, pink and peach petals of my Callix offer any visibility. I do
a perimeter of the room and find all the Carring hides have been
ripped from the walls and thrown into a heap in the back.

“Pratt,” I call and she helps me drag them
to the middle. The boys lay Werzo on three and we all gather
around, draping the remainder over ourselves. We sit in a tight
circle around him, a soft, warm glow lighting everyone’s flushed
face. I look down at the Rogue’s wound. It’s not as severe as the
last time I looked, but still pink and swollen. “He’ll need
Vilbrees.”

“Got any on you?” Jace laughs.

“How did we let this happen?” Booker’s soft
words stun the relative quiet. They’re not met with any response
except the stark, cold silence. It’s not often that the muscular
Rogue speaks, but staring down at an injured Werzo, unfamiliar pain
fills his eyes. “We had three months to prepare. And when we left
Zinnollo…”

Reid squeezes my hand.

“What’s going to happen?” Mae’s gentle voice
joins Booker’s. She looks around to each of us, asking the obvious
question. “Where do we go from here?”

Jace stares off into the nothing. “Wait for
Clarence, I guess.”

“Have you heard anything?” Reid turns to
me.

I shake my head, feeling useless. I wish I’d
heard something. Anything. But it’s been silent since I told
Clarence where we were. Hopefully that means he’s busy helping hide
the Gift.

Pratt brings her legs to her chest and,
wrapping her arms around them, lowers her chin to her knees. Able
throws his arm over Mae’s shoulders and Walker sighs. Jace
scratches his neck while Booker, Reid and I stare down at Werzo.
His eyes are closed and his face is pale. He needs to rest. Right
now, the best we can do is keep him here, out of the bitter cold
and lying flat.

Something scuttles up ahead. Everyone
reaches for the closest Traxpire, all aiming at the only entry, but
nothing happens. The sound dies and it’s quiet again. No one lowers
their weapons. No one says a thing.

And then a puff of blue fur on four skinny
legs comes into the light. With a long cobalt nose and large,
matching eyes, I recognize the creature immediately.

“Pobo?” I drop the gun.

“No Pobo,” his nasally voice corrects. “No,
no Pobo.
Pallooloo
.”

The Rogues look to one another, each
lowering their Traxpire. Walker is the only one who keeps his up.
“What is this thing?”

“It’s a Pwebole,” Reid says. “Natives of the
planet.”

“They friendly?” Walker is hesitant to lower
his weapon.

“When they’re not attacking you,” Able
mutters.

“It’s fine. They’re not going to hurt us,” I
turn to the Pwebole king. “Are you?”

“Pallooloo see Dofinikes arrive. Pallooloo
warn others,” he scurries closer. “Humans friends with Arizals;
Pobo advises Pallooloo not to harm.”

Walker slowly lowers his Traxpire.

The Pwebole king moves closer to me. His
blue eyes flicker between mine and he sniffs through his giant
cobalt snout. “Pallooloo remembers you. Pallooloo captured by
Vermix and saw you.” He turns his attention on Reid. “Pallooloo
remembers you too. Pallooloo remembers you and Fychu save Pallooloo
and human.”

Reid sits forward. “Are the other Pweboles
nearby?”

Pallooloo shifts from one set of navy feet
to the other. “Pweboles are near. Hiding from battle.”

“How close is the battle?” Booker asks.

“Everywhere.”

“It can’t be everywhere,” Walker scoffs.

Pallooloo turns to him. “Dofinikes and
Nerwos and Mybyncians arrive. All fight. Pallooloo tells Pweboles
stay hidden.”

“Did you see the Fychu?” I ask.

“Fychu here?” Pallooloo looks at me.

“He should be with the other Arizals—the
Nerwos and Mybyncians.”

“Not all the Mybyncians are Arizals,” Booker
reminds me. “If the Muskos are here…” he glances around. “Do you
think they’d come here?”

Reid nods. “Wouldn’t put it past them.”

“Pallooloo,” I face the Pwebole king again,
“it’s probably best to stay hidden. Half of the Dofinikes and
Mybyncians are allies, Arizals. The others aren’t. They’ll want to
hurt you and the Pweboles like the Vermix did.”

“Pweboles angry at Vermix. Vermix harm
Pallooloo, force Pweboles to attack Fychu and friends. Pweboles
want revenge.”

I look from Reid to the others and then back
to the native king again. “What do you think?”

“How would they know friend from foe?”

“Could see who we’re fighting,” Jace
suggests. “And go after the same.”

“We’re leaving?” Able frowns.

“We may have to,” I say. “The Vermix might
find their way in here. They already did. And we’ll have to leave
at some point.”

“And go where?” Booker asks. “Walker can’t
go out there again. He’ll freeze.”

“Could always go somewhere back on
Nerwolix,” Jace suggests.

“Or even Harrizel,” Able tries.

“Or Arosin,” Pratt says. “Isn’t that where
the other Gift was taken? Qippert and Jothkore should be
there.”

Mae looks at me. “Could you take us?”

My focus drops to the Rogue. “What about
Werzo? I don’t know how that would work. I don’t know if he’s
strong enough to travel.”

It’s quiet again for another minute.

Reid lets out a breath. “If the Pweboles
want to help, let them help. I’m sure the Arizals need all the
support they can get. We’re armed so we can join the fight.
Pallooloo can see who we’re fighting and instruct the others.” Reid
looks at me. “Let Sampson and Clarence know where we are and that
Werzo was hit. They may want to take him to Arosin themselves.”

“And then Fallon can take us?” Able
asks.

Everyone looks at me. I’m not exactly sure
what I did last time. I just did it. I knew we had to get out of
Hozfin’s and I knew where we had to go. And then…we just went. I’m
not sure if I can do that again but I find myself nodding.
“Sure.”

Reid squeezes my hand. “Want to tell
Sampson?”

Closing my eyes, I block out my present
surroundings as I concentrate on the Fychu’s face. It’s easier now
that I have a moment to think, to breathe and to focus.
Sampson?

There’s no answer.

Sampson?

Another long moment passes and my heart
starts to race.

Fallon?
It’s Clarence.
You good?
Where are you?

Is Sampson okay? I was calling out to him
and he didn’t—

He’s busy at the moment. Asked that I reach
out to you. Are you okay?

We’re in Blovid’s hideout.

Everyone okay?

Werzo was shot. Clarence…it’s…pretty bad. I
did my best to heal him, but I don’t know…I think he needs help.
Real help. And I don’t have any Vilbrees—

We’ll get some on him as soon as we can.
Everyone else all right?

We’re fine…we’re here with Pallooloo.

A pause.
The Pwebole king?

He wants to help you guys. Help the
fight.

We could use any help we could get at this
point. Where are the rest of the Pweboles?

Hiding. Clarence, we’re thinking we could
join the fight for a little bit, show Pallooloo who to go after and
then we can relocate to Arosin. But I don’t think I’m strong enough
to bring Werzo. I-I don’t know if he’s in good enough shape to
travel either. Could you or Sampson—?

Of course. We’ll make sure he gets there.
Look, Keller brought a load of bombs. He’ll be shooting them off
here any minute. Look for their source and bring the Pweboles.

We’re on our way.

And Fallon…be careful.

I open my eyes. Reid sweeps a fallen curl
behind my ear, one brow raised in curiosity. “Sampson’s fighting,”
I glance around at the others. “Clarence told me Keller’s about to
unleash a ton of TNT. We’re to look for the source and bring the
Pweboles. Then we’ll head to Arosin.” My eyes drop to the injured
Rogue. “And he’ll take Werzo.”