“Good, now that that’s settled, let’s have you stand up.Slowly.”
In slow motion, I rise to my feet, bringing my hands up close to my throat. I keep my eyes locked down on Rune’s face, searching for any sign he’s okay, but come up empty. His body lays still; at least the tremors have stopped—now he just looks like he’s sleeping. I can’t even tell if he’s still breathing.
The fog shifts in front of us and a harsh voice rings out. “I wouldn’t move if I were you.” It sounds like Jex, but I’m not one hundred percent certain.
I feel the flinch in Pious’s body, hear his sharp drawn breath of surprise. “Show yourself, Caelum.” He tightens his hold on me. “Step forward and let me see who it is that is willing to die for this parasite…or this criminal that lies at my feet.”
The smoke advances toward us, rolling over Rune’s still body, obscuring him completely. Then I hear the slightest scraping sound of metal being dragged along the floor. The only thing I can think to do is begin to cough and gag loudly to block the sound. It helps that the fog has rolled up to my face and smells like brimstone and charred flesh. I cough louder and louder. Jex is moving Rune! I can’t see it, but it must be what’s happening.
I hope that’s what’s happening.
“You have no way out of here, Pious. There are too many who are opposed to you that block your exit,” a different voice calls out. It must be Tore’s.
“I’ll slit her throat,” Pious says calmly.
I don’t like that idea. The real threat of it bubbles in my stomach, making my insides a watery mess.
I tilt my head back trying to gauge Pious’s expression, but all that manages to accomplish is a harsher sting of his blade raking against my skin. “Move again and you die,” he whispers in my ear.
I stand motionless, but my insides tremble uncontrollably. A hysterical wildness pulses through me. I want to drop down and slam my arms into his kneecaps. My palms and fingers throb to grab the point of the knife and push it away from my neck and right into his.
“Go ahead,” Jex’s dark voice laughs, “slit her throat. Oh wait,” his voice is condescending and cruel, “wouldn’t theparasite’s bloodcontaminate your ship? Better to sleeve yourself and throw her out the isolation ward’s airlock. Either way, I don’t care. I am not Rune, and that female means nothing to me.”
I’m going to be sick. Tears instantly blind me and run down into the corners of my lips, tasting salty and sharp. I swallow back the bile that rises up the back of my throat, and try desperately to keep still. I can’t believe Jex would do this to me.
My blood pounds fast. It slams through my heart and drums loud in my ear. Jex and Pious exchange more words, but I hear nothing, all I can think of is these will be my last few minutes if I don’t do or say something. I need to negotiate my way out of this situation. I need to wake Rune up and get him to help me.
“Jex, please!” I beg.
“She wants off the ship so badly, I’d have her in the airlock already. I’d love to see her find her way out of one,” Jex says.
“Do you truly believe I’m trying to deceive you, Caelum? Do you think I won’t push her out an airlock?” My feet falter and stumble over each other as Pious pulls me in a backward direction. Oh God, he’s taking me to the airlock. He’s going to do exactly what Jex suggested.
My legs aren’t strong enough to hold me and I drop. A sharp pinprick of pain slices the corner of my jaw and I know immediately by the warmth that drips down my skin, Pious has cut me.
I don’t think he notices the blood as he yanks me back through the haze and smoke and into a narrow walkway. He whirls on me and shoves me from behind. I stagger into the wall and grasp at my neck, my hand comes away bloody.
“Move, now!” He propels me ahead, thrusting an electrical charge from his fingertips at me, like a damn cattle prod.
I roll and jump along the wall, moving fast to get out of arm’s reach of him. I feel lightheaded and dizzy from seeing my own blood on my hands, though I know it’s not enough for worry. Pious doesn’t know that, maybe I could use it against him. I brace myself against the wall and hold my hand out to him, “You…you cut my throat,” I cry.
His dark eyes widen, but he doesn’t cringe away or take the bait. “You’ll be dead in a minute, don’t fret.” He pokes at me again with the zap of his finger, and pain surges through my insides. “Ten seconds in the vacuum of space and all the water in your skin and blood will vaporize.” He’s shouting the words so the others in the room behind us will hear. He’s hoping Rune will come and fight for me, so they could face each other one on one. I must admit I want the same thing. I want someone to stop this madman once and for all.
“While that happens, your body will expand outward in all directions like one of your earthly balloons being filled with air.”
It’s too quiet in the isolation ward. Did everyone leave? Am I really all alone, left to face Pious without any help? I try to sidestep him and run back into the isolation ward, but he thrusts his body into mine and I fall back again.
I scream for Rune. I scream and curse at Jex and Tore. There’s no one coming to save me, is there? How the fuck am I supposed to save myself?
Pious shoves his prod at me again and I stumble past a glass tube with a small red lever that readsSLEEVE.Sleeve yourself and throw her out the isolation ward’s airlock,that’s what Jex said. This is the sleeve, but Pious would already know that, wouldn’t he?
So why did Jex tell him what to do?
“Your lungs would burst. Your entire body paralyzed. It will be quick, but so excruciatingly painful and—” he cuts off into a fit of loud laughter, “quite fun to watch.”
I’ve love to see her find her way out an airlock,that’s what Jex said. He wasn’t talking to Pious! Jex was talking to me, he was telling me what to do.
At least I think he was. It doesn’t matter now, now I just have to get the hell out of here and into that sleeve.
