Quest for Freedom Read online

  “By the doorway. Pethe and the others have covered her.”

  “Take me to her,” she said to the Pethe, and together they walked in total silence to a body that lay on the floor. Janai knelt down and pulled the skins to reveal the girl’s face. Chivia seemed to be sleeping. There was a peaceful look on her face. Childlike and innocent. She felt for a pulse. Nothing. She scanned her with the last of her strength but there was no life. Janai covered Chivia’s body and made her way back to Ash.

  Ash held her. “Chivia had a message for you. ‘Tell Janai thank you.”

  Janai wept.

  45 ~ Casualties

  Chivia’s senseless death still saddened her, but she found out that the girl had knowingly put herself between Sarah’s attackers and the Freedom Team, probably saving more lives. Still, Janai wished she’d been able to help the girl and she blamed herself. If only she’d waited to heal Blal’k. If only—

  “Stop it, Janai,” Ash said. “There was nothing you could do. The attack wasn’t your fault.”

  He was sitting beside her in the eating chambers. They were two of several who were having a very late dinner. Most had gone to bed. Janai had just come from helping in the hospital, taking care of the numerous injured from the last mission. Divia had practically thrown Janai out, and ordered her to get some food and rest. Janai had protested, of course, but she never seemed to win an argument with the woman. Divia reminded her of her birth mother in that way.

  “I’m sorry, Ash.” She turned a weary smile to her promised one. He looked as tired as she felt. “I just hate losing them.”

  “I know.” His lavender eyes softened. “You can’t save everyone. I know you want to but you can’t.”

  How many times had he said those very words to her? She’d lost count. He pressed his lips to hers. She put her entire concentration into that kiss. Her heart was racing when he gently pulled away and heat filled her body.

  Ash smirked. “Now eat. I won’t kiss you like that again until you do.”

  “Oh, you’re threatening me?”

  “Yes.” He gave her a mischievous look. “I guess I am.” He stroked her hair.

  She closed her eyes briefly and reveled in his touch.

  ****

  Today’s meeting hadn’t lasted as long as Janai thought it would, so she’d gone with Ash to place flowers on the graves of the recently buried, an Earth tradition. She sighed as they left Chivia’s grave and her thoughts turned to Sarah.

  The soldiers they’d captured had provided invaluable information about who followed Sarah by choice. Many were there only because they were afraid for their families. Now, the Freedom Team simply had to wait for all the Morgee shut down before they could go after the girl. Problem was, the E’treuns didn’t know how long the virus would take to do that. Could be hours, days, or even months. They just had to wait. In the meantime, they would train former soldiers for the Freedom Team. A couple of Kritine messengers came of age in the camps, adolescents who recently received their mind gifts, so Ash and Pethe were beginning to communicate with them. Another had healing abilities, though not nearly as strong as Janai’s.

  Janai hooked an arm in Ash’s as they left the burial grounds. She breathed in the evening scent of greenery.

  “Two more Morgee are down,” Ash said, with a glimmer in his eye.

  “Really?” Janai almost didn’t believe this was finally going to happen, that they would eventually be free from the creatures. “Where?”

  “The camp near the hillside. My old camp.” Janai smiled with joy that she’d rescued him. “They only have two guards there now.” He turned lavender eyes on her. “The slave diggers have weapons and are planning their attack on the remaining Morgee.”

  “Tell them to be careful. Make sure they know how to do it.” She hated the thought that more children might be hurt or killed at Morgee hands.

  “I have. I don’t think it’ll be long now.”

  She smiled at him. He looked handsome in the light of the evening suns. “I hope you’re right.”

  The two made their way over a small hill. Younger children played a game of tag and Janai studied her promised one. His mischievous eyes met hers. She didn’t need to say or send anything to him. The two ran laughing into the crowd of children and took chase. Little bodies scattered, squealing at the reaching hands.

  ****

  Someone called Janai’s name and she pulled herself from a dream. Someone shook her.

  “Janai, wake up,” Ash was saying. Excitement colored his voice.

  She opened her eyes. The lights were still dim but she could tell by his face that something was up. “What’s wrong?” She sat up and tied her hair back with the piece of vine from the shelf next to her bed. “Are there injured?”

  “No, nothing like that.” He grabbed both her shoulders and looked intensely into her eyes.

  “Then what?”

  “I can’t believe it.” He was squeezing her shoulders hard now.

  “Ash, if you don’t tell me what’s going on—”

  “It’s the Morgee. They’ve shut down.”

  Her heart raced and her flesh pimpled. “Are you sure? It’s only been a few days.”

  He nodded and gave her a wide grin. “We’ve been called to a meeting.”

  46 ~ The Last Encounter

  Janai sat on the bench of the transport, holding Ash’s hand. The day they’d been hoping and waiting for had finally come. It had been so many years since she’d first longed for freedom. They had no idea what Sarah had planned for them but they were going to free the others. And Sarah’s followers would be much less of a threat than the Morgee ever had been.

  Ash squeezed her hand. “It’s almost over.”

  They sat quietly until the transport reached the trees outside the rockdome. The tubing lowered them to the ground in small groups. Janai waited and watched as all three transports deposited passengers. The night air was warm, moist, and still. Very still. The two large full moons were almost at zenith. The smaller moon hadn’t risen yet. Shadows sat motionless on the ground. Eerie.

  “That’s everyone,” Vala said.

  Janai gave a nod. “Let’s do it.”

  She led the Freedom Team toward the dome as the transports moved silently off to wait. Their steps were soft on the ground. Two Morgee soldiers stood frozen just outside the dome entrance. They couldn’t hurt anyone but still her heart hammered when she saw them. They wound their way carefully around the frozen beings and up to the entrance. Janai pressed the nearly invisible panel to open the doorway and the Freedom Team crossed into the dome. She turned and scanned the faces that stared back at her expectantly and gave a nod. They split into several groups and took different tunnels in the search for Sarah.

  Janai put Vala in the lead and the girl extended her earflaps. Ash, Blal’k, and a few others made up the rest of her group. They followed the blue lights that ran along the base of the tunnel walls and turned a couple of corners, until they were at the first holding chamber. They could see clearly through the illusion. The room was empty except for a lone frozen Morgee soldier, frozen like all the others.

  Vala continued through the room and into the next tunnel. The dome seemed unusually quiet. No one was in the tunnels except the Freedom Team and this made Janai nervous. Sarah knew they’d be back and she knew they used the tunnels. Even though it was safer to walk through the dome now that the Morgee were harmless, Janai preferred the familiarity of the tunnels and the security they’d once known here.

  They reached the next room, an ancient E’treun sleep area. Usually adult captives and their babies were kept in these rooms. This one appeared vacant. They followed Vala through the illusion doorway.

  “Where is everybody?” one of the members behind Janai said.

  Suddenly, the door slid open and a young Ronarian man stopped in his tracks when he saw Janai’s group. His liquid eyes widened and she thought she recognized him. A young Ronarian woman carrying a small girl stepped up behind h
im.

  “You did it,” the young man said. “We’re finally free.”

  She remembered them. Sarah had stolen their older child from them and sent him to the camps. She wondered if he might still be alive.

  “Thank you, Healer,” the young woman added, her liquid eyes soft and moist. “Thank you all.”

  The man crossed to one of the beds and triggered the hidden panel beneath. He pulled out a carved wooden animal and hugged it to his chest. “Our son’s toy. He’ll want it when we find him.” There was such joy on his face as the two started to leave.

  “Wait,” Janai said, remembering why they were there. “What happened here? Where’s Sarah?”

  “I don’t know.” The man’s forehead ridges moved. “She disappeared when the guards froze.”

  “She’s probably hiding.” The woman shifted the child to her other hip. “Others are looking for her, too. I’d hate to be her right now.”

  “There are some ground transports waiting outside beyond the trees. They can take you to the free-zone until this is all over.” The young Ronarian couple nodded and left. “We’d better find Sarah before it’s too late.”

  “Yeah,” Vala said. “I’ve got a few things to say to her.”

  “We may as well use the hallways,” Ash said.

  The group followed Vala through the doorway and into the hall. They checked every room as they passed. All seemed to be empty. Vala led them through the turns and twists until it seemed they had scanned every room. When they rounded a corner, an Earth girl was squatting on the floor. A small Kritine child stood next to her.

  The older girl jumped and aimed a light-fire weapon at the group and they stopped. She pulled the child protectively behind her. “Freedom Team?”

  “Yes,” Janai said, keeping her weapon aimed at the girl.

  “Sorry.” The girl lowered her armed hand. “You startled me.”

  Janai lowered her weapon. “We’re trying to find Sarah. Have you seen her?”

  She motioned to the little Kritine child behind her. “Sarah told me to take this girl out of here.” Janai offered an expectant look when the girl paused. “She was headed for the regeneration room last I knew.”

  “All right. There are transports waiting outside. They’ll take you to the free-zone. Luck to you.”

  “And to you,” the girl called back.

  Janai had taken the lead and hesitated when they reached the door of the regeneration room. She looked to the others and her eyes stopped on Ash.

  Go ahead, he sent, and he raised his weapon.

  She reached up a hand and pressed the button that triggered the door to slide open. The group stepped cautiously into the room. The gold Morgee cylinders were open and empty, as were all of the storage bins. One Morgee soldier was frozen near a trash chute. He held disassembled parts of another soldier, probably preparing to throw them in the chute when the virus shut him down. Across the room, the doorway to the ancient showers stood open. The group quietly crossed the floor. At first, Janai thought no one was in the room, then she heard movement to her left. Vala had her ear flaps extended and the girl motioned in the same direction.

  Janai crept toward the sound, her weapon aimed in front of her. A muffled moan came from one of the showers. There was movement from the floor of one and she cautiously stepped to it, the others close behind. A blonde girl had huddled inside the chamber. Broken twine and several gemstones lay scattered near her. When Janai reached the transparent cylinder, anger boiled at the sight of the girl. “You can’t hide anymore, Sarah.”

  The girl looked up, her eyes distant. She was sweating and gripping her stomach.

  Janai froze for a moment, a brief pang of satisfaction at seeing the girl in pain. Then her healing instincts welled up, stomping out her anger, and she tried to find a way through the clear barrier. “Find the controls to open this,” she said to Vala, and the girl ran off. She turned back to the ancient shower.

  Sarah looked at her with blue, red-rimmed eyes. “Is that you, Janai?”

  “Yes. Just hold on. We’ll get you out of there.”

  “Don’t bother.” Sarah coughed and a trickle of blood wound its way around the corner of her mouth. She swallowed hard. “Is Blal’k with you?”

  “I’m here,” the young man said, his eyes filling with tears.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. When you didn’t come back for me, I thought you didn’t care.” She coughed and gripped her chest.

  “Vala!” Janai yelled.

  “Someone’s jammed the controls,” Vala called. “They’re not responding.”

  Janai cursed. “Stand back. Cover your face, Sarah.” She aimed her weapon at the far side of the cylinder and fired, blasting a good-sized hole in it. She crawled in and pulled the moaning girl out. Blal’k and Ash helped her. Janai laid a gentle hand on Sarah’s forehead. She was cold and clammy to the touch.

  “I was so—angry and scared,” Sarah said through labored breaths. “I just—wanted the Morgee—to stop hurting me.”

  Ash pointed. “What’s in her hand?”

  Janai reached out to Sarah’s left hand and pried the girl’s fist open. Sarah tried to resist but she was too weak. Several red and yellow berries fell onto the floor. “Sarah, did you eat any of these?” The girl grimaced and nodded. Janai immediately sent her energy into Sarah to find out just how much of the poison she’d ingested. It had permeated her muscles and her vital organs were beginning to fail. “I have to help her before it’s too late.”

  “It’s—already too—late,” Sarah said through rasping breaths.

  “Janai, I think she’s right.”

  She didn’t listen to the either of them. She sent her energy into Sarah’s body and surrounded the failing organs with it. Then with all her strength, she began pulling the poison from the girl.

  “Janai, no!”

  Her stomach burned, her lungs felt like they were on fire. She cried out as the poison flooded her body and tore through her nerves, the most excruciating pain she’d ever felt. She wanted to stop, to pull out just so the pain would go away, but her healer instincts wouldn’t let her. Just when she thought the agony might last forever, hands ripped her away and blackness took her.

  When she woke, the pain was gone and Ash stood over her bed. “Hi there,” he said. A silly grin touched his lips.

  Janai swallowed hard and pushed herself up to a sitting position. She was back in the free-zone. I’m not dead. “Sarah?”

  “She’s alive. Though she’s probably regretting it. We did it, Janai. We’re free.”

  Relief hit Janai like a wave of hot wind. “Free? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, my love.” Ash’s fingers pushed a stray curl from her forehead.

  A tear fled down Janai’s cheek and she grinned up at her future lifemate. Ash leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss. She wrapped arms around him and reveled in his embrace.

  Epilogue

  The two suns gave way to dusk as Janai sat with her lifemate. The air was warm and dry. Nesting fliers trilled their evening songs from the nearby trees, and night insects were beginning to buzz and chirrup. A group of children played a game of tag.

  Janai turned to Ash and traced the fine lines that had formed around his eyes over the years. “We’re getting close to a new crawler anti-venom.”

  “That’s great.” He pulled her close and gave her a peck on the lips.

  A child cried out and Janai snapped her head toward the sound. “Put your brother down!”

  “But, Mother.”

  “You heard your mother,” Ash said in a firm tone.

  “Yes, Father.” The girl lowered the little boy to the ground and he bolted from her, chasing after another of the children.

  The messenger, Pethe, and her lifemate, Nuren, sat on the other side of the playing children. The Aknidean man shifted his earflaps as he cradled their infant son in his arms. Janai smiled at the memory of the proud yellow shade of those eyes when the child was born. If she hadn’t
known better, she would’ve sworn this was their first, not their fourth. Pethe waved to her and she waved back.

  “How’s it going?” a deep voice rang out from behind.

  “Oh, can’t complain,” Ash said as he and Janai turned to Blal’k.

  Vala was with him and she lowered her squirming daughter to the ground. The sturdy child darted after the others in the game of tag, squealing with delight. “She gets that from your side, old one.” The Aknidean woman flattened her earflaps against the shrill sound, and her Ronarian mate slowly blinked vertical eyelids in a display of innocence.

  Janai smiled at her friends and motioned them to sit.

  “Janai! Ash!” a voice called from the trees.

  “Hi, Krav’n.” Janai excused herself to intercept her brother and his lifemate. She placed a hand on her sister-in-law’s swollen belly. “How are you feeling today, Penny?”

  The young woman wore Lance’s carving knife at her hip, the one he’d used to save her from the Morgee. She’d taken up carving and had a list of children wanting dolls, animals and other creations. “Fine. But he’s been kicking all day.” Her freckled hand landed on Janai’s pale one.

  “You’ll be delivering this baby before you know it.” Janai smiled at Krav’n and pulled her hand away. “And how is the father-to-be holding up?”

  “I’m more anxious than she is.” His liquid eyes on the woman he’d been calling sister for many years now.

  “Well, you two come and sit with us. I know you want to stay healthy, Penny, but I don’t want you to overdo it.”

  “Yes, Healer. Though I still say you worry too much about me.”

  Janai chuckled as she took Penny’s arm and led her to a flat rock. “Where’s Tish? I haven’t seen her all day.”

  Penny rolled her eyes. “She’s still at the dome. They’ve located some of the hidden construction maps on how to build a carrier ship, but this code is much tougher to decipher than the Morgee code was. She’s upset they don’t have the materials to build another. Though if I had to wager on someone finding a way, it’d be Tish. She seems to think it’s her mission in life to re-create the ancient technology. All of it.”