Plague of Mybyncia (28 page)

“They weren’t even the worst. I don’t
remember much… but there was this one woman who always smelled like
smoke. She was nice to me… but when her husband would come home…”
Pratt trails off with a distant look of horror in her eyes. She
passes me to hand out more Dilly to another couple against the
wall.

What has Pratt gone through?

“What about your last home?” I hope to bring
her back around. “The seven months?”

She shakes her head, her eyes downcast. She’s
not going to elaborate and with that expression, I don’t expect her
to. But still, something’s pushing me to ask. I need to know what
got her here; what ended that life for her?

“You’re a five percent like me…” I gulp,
terrified of what she’s going to say. “What… what happened when
Clarence found you?”

“I was hit by a car,” she’s tightlipped like
I’ve never seen.

For some reason I don’t expect this. In fact,
it’s the last thing I think I’m going to hear. Obviously Pratt
wants to change the subject but I need to know the whole truth.
“How—”

“I was running away.”

It takes a minute to process what she’s told
me—all of it. How can anyone so young have endured so much already?
And that was
before
Harrizel, before joining the Rogues and
playing such a cruel game of life and death with the Vermix. It’s
understandable now how someone like her was able to meld in with
such a crowd. She’s more durable than most, even if she didn’t
realize it at the time.

I want to comfort her but I doubt she’s the
kind to take it well. She’d see it as a sign of weakness and that’s
the last thing I want. But I have to do
something
. To
acknowledge what she’s said, to know how much I feel for her, for
all she’s been through.

I drop the bag and throw an arm over her
shoulder, pulling her close. She stiffens as I hold her in a tight
squeeze against me. When I release her, she doesn’t say anything,
but simply picks up the bag and keeps going.

We work our way toward the bottom of the
Dilly sack when she finally speaks again. “And you?”

“Hmm?”

“What happened with you? When Clarence found
you?”

I open my mouth but shut it again. It sounds
terrible, but I try not to think of Granny Ruth… at least in that
final moment. It was the last thing I saw before I felt the most
incredible pain in the world. And all the light went out. Truth is…
I’m not really sure
what
happened. I found Granny Ruth dead,
endured a mind numbing agony… and then Clarence was reviving me. I
need to ask him. I need to know what really happened.

“I don’t know,” I mumble, meaning it.
“Someone attacked me.”

“Who?”

“Didn’t get a look.”

“Did you ask Clarence?” she finally catches
my eye.

“I’m thinking about it…” I move down the
wall, nearly to the end of our section. “Not sure it’s the right
time to ask.”

“I’d ask as soon as I got my memories back,”
she shrugs. “It’s your right to know.”

I’m about to respond when I feel someone
behind me. A mayan or miyon demanding more Dilly? Turning, I find
Reid less than a foot away, a small, sweet smirk in place.

“Mind if we talk?”

“We need to finish the bag,” I gesture to the
handful of Mybyncians left.

“We’re almost done,” Pratt takes the bag from
me. “I’ll finish up and meet you back at the room.”

“Have Tucker or one of the others walk you
back,” I say over my shoulder. “Okay?”

“
Okay
,” she nods, already moving down
the wall and scooping out the remaining handfuls of the Dilly.

Reid leans in closer. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

He reads my face, a sudden frown emerging.
“What’s wrong?”

“You having a good time?”

His brows sink further. “What do you
mean?”

“Something had to be funny with all that
giggling.”

His adorable smirk works itself back into
place, igniting the familiar fire within. Nodding, he runs his
tongue over his bottom lip as he glances back toward Tucker still
in conversation with the attendants, a sour-faced Mallup watching
us with an intense glare.

“Come here,” he takes my face in his hands,
sliding them down my neck as he pulls my lips to his. I’m lit up,
everything else fading away at his touch. Gently pulling back, he
mumbles against my mouth, “I wanted her to see this.”

“What?”

“That I’m yours.”

“Good,” I whisper back as he lightly kisses
me again. I close my eyes, lost in this moment of heat and
heartbeats and the heavy aching growing within me.

Finally, Reid slowly withdraws, his hands
dropping from my neck. “Maybe she’ll get the hint now.”

“She wasn’t before?”

He shakes his head with a grin. “She’s very
persistent.”

“So you came over and kissed me?”

He shrugs. “Said there was something I had to
do.”

“Well…” I bite my lip, trying to suppress my
growing smile, “feel free to remind her anytime.”

“Oh…” Reid leans in, gently kissing my cheek
before moving his mouth to my ear. “I plan on it.”

“Boss…” Jace clears his throat as Reid spins
towards him. “Sampson wants a word.”

“Everyone or just me?”

“For now, just you.”

“The others finished with their bags?”

“Think so… Booker and Werzo are just about
done.” Jace leans in, lowering his voice. “It’s, uh, sort of
urgent.”

“Everything okay?” Reid narrows his eyes,
slipping his hand in mine as he scans the Great Hall. “Where’s
Pratt?”

“Tucker already took her back to the room.
Mae too.”

“What’s going on?”

Jace shrugs. “Just asked I come grab you for
a minute. You go—I’ll stay with Fallon.”

Hesitant, Reid looks at me. “I’ll be right
back. Stay with Jace.”

Once he’s gone, I turn to the blonde Rogue.
“What’s happening?”

“I don’t know,” he looks after Reid.
“Hopefully Boss will have some information for us when he gets
back.”

“What about Booker and Werzo? Tucker? Do they
know?”

Jace simply shrugs. “I know what you
know.”

“Did it sound bad? When Sampson asked you to
get Reid?”

“Not bad… just anxious. Like it needed to
happen
quickly
.”

A long minute passes before Reid returns, his
face a hardened mask. His intense expression turns a knot in my
stomach.

“What?” I ask before Jace has a chance
to.

Glancing around, Reid lowers his voice,
leaning in. “We need to head back and get some sleep. We’re leaving
in a few hours. Before the others wake up.”

“What do you mean
others
?”

“The queen,” he locks eyes with me. “She’s
forbidden the mission to get the straight Dilly.”

“What?”

Reid turns to Jace. “Have Booker and Werzo
head back to the room now. We’ll get around four hours of sleep.
Five tops. I’ll wake everyone, but have them keep their Enidds
nearby and ready. Cool?”

“On it, Boss.”

“And Pratt and Mae?” I ask once Jace is
gone.

Reid shakes his head. “Just the Rogues this
round. And Sampson, Clarence and Qippert.”

“I’m going.”

“Of course you are,” he sighs. “I couldn’t
get you to stay if I tried. Stay close to me,” he leans in with the
same look of authority he uses on the Rogues. “I mean it. Don’t
venture away or try to—”

“Reid.”

His face hardens. “I’m serious.”

“You wouldn’t act this way over any of the
others.”

“You’re not…” he pauses with a deep exhale.
Running his hands through his hair, he gulps. “I can’t worry about
you. Yes, I’d rather you didn’t go, but I know no amount of asking
will change your mind.”

“That’s right.”

“So I’m going to need you to stay close to
me, okay?”

“Fine.”

“Fine,” he agrees just as Jace returns with
Tucker. He turns to them, crossing his arms. “We good?”

“Does the chancellor know?” The Rogue Leader
asks.

“No. This is Sampson’s call. He knows the
chancellor is under the queen’s thumb and she’s forbidden the
mission. If there’s any hope of saving Mybyncia without getting
Nerwolix involved, we’ll have to go around her.”

“So we’re just leaving beforehand?”

“In about five hours.”

Tucker nods. “And what about Pratt and
Mae?”

Reid shakes his head. “Only Rogues. And
Fallon.”

“So she’s an honorary Rogue?” Jace grins,
glancing to me with a wink.

“Something like that. Remember,” he leads us
across the Great Hall and into the tunnel toward our room. “Five
hours. I’ll wake you but you have to keep quiet.”

“Sampson and Clarence coming with?” Tucker
asks.

“And Qippert,” Reid reaches the solid coral
door, glancing to us. “Keep quiet. We need to leave without making
a sound. I’ll wake you.”

Tucker and Jace nod as Reid leads us into the
room. When we enter, both princesses are asleep in their coral beds
and Mae and Pratt are curled up in their own, already out. Booker
and Werzo lay across the bed, both sitting up with our
entrance.

“We good, Boss?” Booker whispers.

“Yep. Get some rest.”

Booker nods with a yawn, falling back on the
bed. Werzo is next, passing out with a thud next to him.

“Rogues,” Reid whispers, pointing to the
center as Jace and Tucker obediently follow.

Putting himself between us, Reid has me lay
on his free side, on the edge of the bed. I succumb to the soft
comfort, trying not to think about what we’ll face when we awake in
a few hours. Images of the eight-limbed, acid-spitting beast race
through my head, but I shut them out. If I think about it, I won’t
get any sleep. And I need as much as possible. I need to be as
prepared as I can to face a creature feared throughout the Three
Worlds.

And I won’t let something like fatigue stop
that.

“Fallon,” Reid whispers. “Wake up. It’s time
to go.”

His face hangs inches over mine, slowly
coming into view. Placing a finger over his lips, he holds out his
other hand and pulls me from the bed. Booker, Werzo, Jace and
Tucker are already up and moving, silently reaching for their
headgear.

I quickly follow, grabbing my helmet from the
floor. Tucker hands me an Enidd and after scanning the room with a
nod, Reid gestures for the door. Silently filing out, we carefully
move through the tunnel, cautious as we step over sleeping
Mybyncians slouched on the floor or propped against the walls.
After arriving in the Great Hall, Reid leads us down the passage
toward the Docking Station, where Clarence, Sampson and Qippert
wait. They look up at our arrival, meeting us by the pool’s edge in
the center of the room.

“Everyone ready?” Sampson glances over our
group, his eyes dropping to the weapons in our hands. “No one heard
you? Everyone is still asleep?”

“We’re good to go,” Reid nods.

“Then we should be off,” Clarence motions us
towards the eight waiting Millix—one for each of us. I spot Lalu in
the middle of the group and she moves toward the pool’s edge.
Suddenly, I’m worried about endangering her with such a deadly
mission. What if she gets hurt? What if we’re not able to fully
kill the Gorgen and it follows us back? And then a new thought
strikes me.

“How do we know where the Gorgen are?”

My question is directed to the Fychu, but
Reid answers first. “Sampson got it out of the chancellor while
they were still a go for it.”

“So the chancellor’s not on board?”

Sampson mirrors my disappointed expression.
“Well, politically speaking, he has to side with the queen.”

“Honestly,” Clarence shrugs, “I think he’s
with us. But you know…
appearances
.”

“Rogues,” Reid turns to them. “You
ready?”

“We’re good, Boss,” Werzo answers for the
group. He turns to me with a raised brow. “You sure you’re ready
for this?”

“I’m here aren’t I?”

“It’s no tea party.”

“Then maybe you should stay behind where it’s
safe.”

“Maybe Werzo is right for the first time in
his life,” Reid rounds in front, cupping his chin as he considers
me with a full body scan. “Maybe you should stay here.”

“Are you
kidding
?”

“It might be better.”

“No!” I snap, terrified at the thought of
watching him go, to possibly never see him again. “
No way
I’m staying here! Plus…” I gulp, hoping it’s reason enough, “…I’m
already up.”

He rolls his eyes. “Wouldn’t be a lot of
trouble to knock you out again.”

“It’s too early for threats.”

“But not safety. Stay close to me at
all
times. I
mean
it. Tucker—watch her.”

“On it.”

“Well if that’s taken care of, how about we
get back to the task at hand? We’re wasting time and the Gorgen
is…” I glance at Clarence, “how far?”

“Far enough. About a two hour trip. On the
Millix
.”

“Any idea how we’re planning on stealing the
Dilly?”

“The only way
to
steal something,”
Sampson smiles mischievously. “Diversion.”

“Dare I ask?”

“While Sampson and Clarence were clearing out
the city yesterday,” Qippert joins the conversation, “I emptied the
FH’s supply of left over Glippis parts—talons, skin, even a few
bits of the eye. I know it is the queen’s favorite, but the Gorgen
feeds on it too. It will not be a
huge
distraction, but once
it wanders after the scent, it will give us enough time to get in,
grab what we need and get out.”

“Who’s going to lure it out?”

“I will,” Sampson says as he climbs on his
Millix. “If things get violent, I’m the best equipped to handle the
situation.”

“Only you?” I ask as Lalu lowers her neck for
me. Throwing my leg over, I position myself and she lifts her head
again, the rest starting to mount their Millix.