Noxlyn shoved her away. “Camden! Please!”
“Noxlyn,” his mother tried again.
Tears slid down my cheeks as I sobbed. Monqilcolnen rubbed his nose against the nape of my neck, his tears hitting my scales. Bartholomew slid onto Serlotminden’s lap and buried his face against his mate. Kalvoxrencol reached for his mate, but Seth stood and grabbed Noxlyn’s hand, not saying anything, just holding him.
“Camden,” Noxlyn groaned, falling to his knees. “It’s all my fault. This should be me.”
I blinked. Had his chest just moved? My eyes flicked to the monitor, but nothing. Still, I knew what I’d seen. I pushed out of Monqilcolnen’s grasp. “Camden?”
Seth frowned at me.
I ignored him and dropped my head to Camden’s chest.
“What are you doing?” Noxlyn snarled. “Don’t touch him.”
Monqilcolnen growled, and I could hear him struggling to get up.
“Be quiet,” I snapped. Closing my eyes, I listened.
Thump.
My soul throbbed.
Thump.
Ever so slightly, his chest rose under my head.
“He’s alive,” I said.
“What?” Noxlyn shoved me away and pressed his ear against Camden’s chest. A moment later he sobbed. “Camden. Thank you. Thank you for staying.”
“Little Shadow,” Qinlin started, but Noxlyn silenced her with a wave.
“He is fighting, Mother,” he said, keeping his head against Camden’s chest. “I need you to fight for him too.”
“Noxlyn.” She shook her head.
“I need him.” He stared straight at Qinlin, who met his gaze with a frown.
She closed her eyes, then turned toward Serlotminden. “Go get that worthless amorian. We have more work to do tonight. No time for any of us to rest.”
I smiled at Seth, who took a deep breath, and looked at the monitor that still showed no readings. I said, “We won’t be able to trust NAID any longer, I fear.”
Seth bobbed his head. “So it seems.”
Noxlyn didn’t move from his place against Camden’s chest.
My smile grew at the sight, and I turned toward Monqilcolnen. He brushed my cheek. “Hope.”
I glanced back at Camden. “Yes. Hope.”
Camden might not live, but he was still fighting. And the hope of that was burning bright within my chest. It didn’t fix anything. One look at the medbay full of injured people spoke to that, let alone the lives lost, some so heavy on my soul that it hurt to breathe, but Camden fighting had given me hope.
This journey wasn’t over, and I’d find a way to save theAdmiral Venso we could make it to Earth and protect the humans.
Chapter 65
A final goodbye.
