“You almost sound disappointed, Azling.Tell me it isn’t so.”
“Answer the question.”
“I’d be happy to give Roake’s heir a report.Privately, of course.”
Az’s features hardened.“Where are Arly and Tage?Did you kill them?”
“Hey, now.”With some difficulty, Kira got to her feet and limped in their direction.“Everyone take a breath.”
After everything they’d managed to survive in the last couple of hours, it would be a shame if the thing that took them out was infighting.
Az glared at Maksym, her stubborn expression not easing.
Kira’s voice lowered in warning.“That’s an order.”
If she had to repeat herself again, Az might get that beating she was asking for.
Several seconds went by before Az relented.“Whatever you say,heir.”
Kira didn’t react to the bite in Az’s words as the other woman stalked away.
“I thought she was supposed to be injured,” Raider muttered.
Privately, Kira had the same thought.Az’s injuries must have been relatively minor for her to move with such ease.
“What’s going on with her?”Kira asked Bez.
From the cold calculation present in their earlier conversation to the rash actions of just now—she was giving Kira emotional whiplash.
“Pye is more heavily injured than previously thought.I think the most recent concussive wave did something to him.He might not survive.”
Kira glanced at the Tuann’s still figure.
“Now, he shows up without Arly and Tage.”Bez jerked his head at Maksym.“Can you blame her for her reaction?”
“No, I suppose I can’t,” Kira sighed.
If they didn’t recover Caius soon, he might not have any of his pod left.
Pushing that grim thought out of her head, she studied Bez.“Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Not unless any of you are healers.”
“Raider and I have training in first aid.That’s pretty much the extent of our skills, I’m afraid.”
Also, those skills pretty much only applied to humans.Some of them might translate, but not all.
“I might be able to help,” Jin volunteered.At their surprised looks, he shrugged.“When I’m bored, I like to read.My knowledge is completely theory based, but in a situation like this, you take what you can get.”
“You’re familiar with Tuann anatomy?”Bez asked.
“Among others.”
Jin’s answer didn’t sit well with Bez.Unfortunately, they were stranded on an alien planet with no way off.The gate was gone.Nothing remained except for a pile of ash and molten metal.Don’t even get her started on the enclave’s ships.Those that might have survived the first attack were now buried under several tons of dirt.The pirates likely came by ship, but locating it could be a problem.Human ships also tended to be slower than Tuann ones.It could be weeks, if not months, of travel before they reached the edge of Tuann space.
“See what you can do,” Bez said.
After a quick glance at Dylan, Jin hurried toward the injured Tuann.Dylan didn’t move from the sentry position he’d adopted.He simply shifted to keep one eye on Jin while the rest of his attention remained on the surrounding forest.
