I claw at my harness, writhe, and twist, trying to break free. When I can’t get the buckles because my hands are too weak and my arms are too numb, I roar at the sky again.
Magmium has forsaken me.
“Jorusk…” Fieri ignites a hand with a ball of frantic green energy. “Stop fighting me. I’m trying to help you.”
I know him, but they brought me back.They brought me back to a world of pain and shame.To more loss and more battles and continued emptiness. They put me in a tank. But mostly I’m angry that my secret is out in the open, and I can’t hidehimor controlhimanymore.
I bare my teeth and let out my frustration in another vehement roar.I did not want this!
“Fieri!” Eluni screeches as my body catches fire.
He’s the only other one besides Aura who dares to touch me. Fieri takes me by the throat and my harness. His electricity crawls over me with stabbing force as the bolts burrow into my calescent flesh. “Jorusk! Listen to my voice. Follow me, brother. You can fight through this. I am here, no matter what it takes.”
His armor smokes being so close to my heat.
The memories of the fields of bodies of my Drathious brothers and sisters come rushing back to me. My Inferno cries out inside at the volume of loss. One is too many. But hundreds upon hundreds…
Fieri’s electric green eyes find mine. “I know your pain. I know what it’s like to lose the ones you love.”
I snarl from the misery my Inferno feels. But finally, the fire eases. My monster sees something familiar in Fieri’s fiery gaze. The Amphiran might be old enough to be my father, but they age differently, and he doesn’t look like it, not really. He fights like he’s my age.
“That’s it, brother.” Fieri pats the side of my head. “Now, deep breath. This is going to help you find peace.”
He takes something from Eluni and jabs it into my neck. The serum spreads strength back into my body and eases the turmoil in my core. Fieri motions for Eluni to lower me toward the floor. The unit hums, and my feet scrape the ground again.
“Fieri? Everything okay up there?” Such a gentle voice can only belong to Jovie, Aura’s mate.
He tenses his body and braces himself for an attack, barely glancing over his shoulder as he replies. “Yeah. I’ve got him. Please check on Brynna. Her ship had a rough jump here.”
“Sure.”
Fieri turns back to me and deftly unclips the harness. “We kept you alive in the tank, but we haven’t mended your bones yet.”
“Why did you bring me back?” I growl.
My monster makes a move toward him, even though I wish it wouldn’t. Fieri redirects my attack and pins me against the wall. The light gray surface ripples outward.
“Do it.” Fieri holds me in place as I struggle for control.
Eluni walks up and calmly reaches over his shoulder as I fight through pain to wrestle Fieri off of me. Eluni places a diamond-shaped plate of metal over my Inferno’s core that bites into my skin with painful force.
I roar from the pain and claw at Fieri’s arms. As the panel lights up red with a progressive stack of bars, I feel a similar draining feeling like the poisoned ice cooling my Inferno. My skin darkens, the veins of orange light fading as they retreat back into my body. Smoke dissipates.
“You got him?” Eluni asks as I slump forward and pant, feeling frozen in the middle. She looks me over like she isn’t sure the device will hold.
Fieri sounds determined as he replies, “I handled Aura when his Storm was out of control because he had not yet met Jovie. You’re certain it can take his heat?”
She flicks her dark hair behind her shoulder. “I used the same metal that’s inGravionengine cells. It can take ten times what he generates.”
Eluni sighs. “Takes one to know one, I guess. I’ll be in the conference room with the rest of the crew. Let me know if that arrestor fails.”
Fieri’s eyes blaze green as she walks off, then he turns to me. “Do not make me put you in your place again, soldier. A Rogue never forgets his duty for selfish reasons. You almost killed our Keeper of Viestria. Eluni may have children, but she must live long enough to train them.”
Steam leaves my nose as I let out a deep breath. “An entire squadron was encapsulated, a city destroyed. We are going to go extinct if I do not fight with everything I have. I tried to hold it back, but…” I don’t tell him about the hatchlings. I don’t think he would feel the same as I do.
He braces his hands on his hips and looks me over. “We need to get you put back together. Stay with me. I do not want to have to AED your Inferno.”
His Storm doesn’t affect me like most non-Amphirans, and he knows it. But I follow Fieri when he turns down the hallway and firmly points to a medical bay.
