He managed to cover her a millisecond later, his rugged clothing providing enough shielding he didn’t feel so much as a prick.
The glass attack ended, and a glance at the doorway showed the Kukakk had used that distraction to flee. Aquarius unwound himself from Ishtar to see her struggling to breathe, the pink froth at the corner of her mouth a very bad sign.
“Ishtar,” his voice cracked.Please, don’t let her die again.
She reached for him as she wheezed, “You idiot. I can’t believe you came. I was trying to keep you safe.”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t about to let you steal my thunder and my prophecy.” A poor attempt at a joke. “What were you thinking meeting with it? You had to know it would kill you.”
“I counted on it. Had my latest memories uploaded so my clone knew what to do. But I failed. I meant to launch the bomb the moment the Kukakk landed, but a sudden storm caused me to have to take cover with the device.” Her voice emerged thready and weak.
“Is the bomb still usable?”
She nodded, and the effort had her coughing. “The moment the storm passed, I positioned it back on the roof, but by then, the Kukakk was already inside.” Blood stained her lips ruby red when she finished.
“We have to get you to a doctor.”
“There is no time. You have to kill the Kukakk. Lure it to the roof. Trigger is in my pocket. Don’t die, Reece, or…” Ishtar died before finishing, and it felt even worse than the last time because, despite being present, he’d still been unable to save her.
But he could do something about the fucker who’d murdered her twice.
A rummage in her jumpsuit located a very simple device. One big button under a clear cover to prevent accidentally depressing it. He tucked it into his pant pocket and then placed a soft kiss on Ishtar’s forehead before unceremoniously grabbing her limp body. He stood and slung her over his shoulder, wincing even as he knew she couldn’t feel anything. It might seem sacrilegious to use her corpse for his idea, but he’d wager Ishtar would have approved. Of course, it would only work if the Kukakk didn’t realize she’d died.
Aquarius headed into the hallway and took a deep breath before he began laying the bait for his trap.
“Hold on, Queenie. Once we make it to the ship, we can get you all fixed up.”
Was the Kukakk listening? He doubted it had gone far.
“Once I pop you into the med-machine, you’ll be good as new in no time.” He had no clue if such a thing existed, but he drew from his sci-fi lore. “Can’t wait to head back to Earth. Fuck the alien body-snatcher. Since it wanted those power stones so bad, it can have them. Lot of good they’ll do it when its belly gets hungry.”
His nape prickled as if he were watched.
“Almost to the elevator. Not far now.” Aquarius stepped onto the disc, and the lift zoomed upward this time with but a simple thought. Since the citadel only projected a few levels above ground, it took only seconds to reach the top floor. The lift stopped before the rooftop deck. Good thing, because he should probably put on a helmet before going outside. He unclipped itfrom his belt and shoved it on his head, feeling it contract as it sealed around his neck. Nimrod apparently didn’t think he’d need a suit for his body. Nimrod better be right, as he’d like to not become a Popsicle statue on the rooftop. Although could you imagine the furor that would erupt if an image of his frozen butt made it back to Earth?
Okay, now to find a way to get outside.
He strode down the hall in search of inspiration, unable to read any of the sigils and not wanting to open every single door, when he noticed a pile of dust on the floor. He paused and glanced at the wall carved with ornate flowers. Another hidden entrance?
He stepped close, but nothing triggered. “Okay, Ishtar, how do I open your fancy door?” A second later he spotted the same sigil as the one in her penthouse bedroom that led to the portal room. A press of it and the wall slid aside, giving him entrance to a chamber that reminded him of the one on the main level that she’d called a ready room. Of the hooks hammered into the stone, only one held a suit. He ran his hand over it knowing she’d likely been the last one to wear it.
A pang of sadness hit. “Don’t worry, Queenie. I’ll finish what you started,” he murmured, and then when the Kukakk was dead, he’d keep his promise.
A small round circle at the far end of the room ended up being a mini elevator that slowly lifted upwards, and as it ascended, it encased him in a cylinder, likely to protect him from the harsh conditions outside. The dusty pockmarked glass let him look upon the rooftop, no longer the lush garden he’d seen in the dream. It resembled many a mountaintop he’d explored with rocks scattered about and sloping drifts of dirt. He saw no sign of the bomb, but Ishtar had insisted it was here. He just had to find it before the fucker arrived. Then soon as he did,BAM.
For a second he wondered why she’d not triggered it inside the citadel. Likely it worked better in open spaces.
While it felt disrespectful, he forced himself to lay Ishtar’s body down. His beautiful brave queen. “I love you,” he whispered. Words he’d been too afraid to say before because who the hell declared their love after only a few days? But he couldn’t ignore or deny the connection between them. The way being with her just felt right.
And now that she was gone, he had only two things to keep him going. Vengeance and his promise.
He strode away from her body, wondering where she’d stashed the bomb. Obviously not in the open, lest the Kukakk spot it.
Before he could examine a mound of rocks that had enough height to hide it, the alien arrived. “Where’s the spaceship?”
Aquarius quickly palmed the button before he whirled to see the fucker wearing the spacesuit that had been dangling on the hook.
“There is no spaceship, asshole.”
