His eyelids lower, the tremors in his body worsening. How will he manipulate two portals? Panic claws at me, but I need to get Arial home.
“If you hurry…”
Jumping to my feet, I glance at the portal and see the ring forming it split into two like a glitch. It happens fast and goes back to one solid portal, but it’s enough show me what Gam has in mind. Maneshha is too busy ordering her men around to notice. Quietly retrieving the dagger I dropped, I stealthily advance on her.
“I’m leaving, Maneshha, and you’re not going to stop me.”
She spins to face me. “You’re going to leave him to die alone?”
“Yep. Bye. I’ll see you when you get to Earth.”
In line with her now, I carefully hold the dagger against my left hip where she can’t see. The benefit of being rounder where it counts is that I can hide stuff.
“No,” she spits. “Your time on Earth is done.”
She lowers her left arm—a fatal mistake—leaving access to her right hand where she holds the phone. Stepping forward, I raise the long dagger and bring it down with all my might. The blade slices through her wrist, severing her hand. It and the phone drop to the ground. She goes rigid with shock, not understanding yet what’s happened as I grab the phone. The portal wavers from the lost energy so I face the screen once again towards it.
It’s hot and heavy in my hand. I don’t want to do this… but I must.
“Goodbye, mom.”
The portal suddenly splits into two, the left one bright and colorful, the right one dark and empty. Maneshha and I lock eyes right before I kick her into the dark portal and throw my phone with all my might into the left.
Gam screams. The ground shakes, the air trembles, and the portals shrivel up and disappear, shooting sparks that fizzle and hiss.
Gasping, I slide to my knees beside Gam. He’s completely gray. He’s not breathing.
“No, no, no!”
Hovering over his body, I try and remember the CPR class I took for my job. Putting one hand on top of the other, I position my arms over his chest and suddenly remember the army of Maneshha’s men behind me.
I look slowly over my shoulder. A terrified shiver goes through me to see them staring at me. Their eyes glint white in the soft moonslight. My chest rises and falls hard. Are they going to kill me?
Something tickles my collarbone. With a start, I realize it’s my… hair.
Wait. I’m legit terrified. I haven’t been scared since I got here. And my hair is long again. It’s… still in a braid. Running my tongue over my teeth, I feel the slight prominence of my front tooth.
Assassin Krunch is gone.
I can’t fight. I can’t protect Gam, and oh, God, I can’t save him!
Looking helplessly at the men, I run a hand over my hair. “I don’t know how to save him. What do I do?”
These are the people who left Gam’s tribe to follow Maneshha. I don’t know their intentions or how they feel about Gam, but I must try. “Please, he’s still your priest.”
The men in the front look at each other and hesitantly come forward. A group gathers around and gets on their knees. I’m pushed back slightly as they crowd Gam. The men’s’ hair begin to glow bright white at the tips, and one by one, they place two strands each all over Gam’s body until he’s connected from head-to-toe. I have just enough room to grab his hand and hold on tight. To my shock, a pale pink and purple flashes over the back of his hand. The colors give me hope.
“Gam.”
A brilliant white glow coats his body. Blinking against the light, I’m dumbfounded by what I’m seeing. I don’t have my Assassin Krunch abilities anymore, but they never really shielded me from the absolute craziness of being on an alien planet. Everything is weird as fuck.
Everything but Gam.
I bring his hand to my cheek. “You are my heart, too.”
The men slip into a trancelike state. Time ticks by until my knees burn, and my thighs go numb, my mind floats to a safe place while I grip his lax hand. The moons fade into suns, the soft orange glow overtaking the darkness.
I’m not sure when I fall asleep, but I awaken inside a softly lit room, lying on a soft cot. I’m wearing a blue tunic instead of the torn shirt. My head is wrapped in cloth and pounds with pain as I sit and look desperately around the room.
