“I don’t think that’s it,” Vryskas remarks, running a finger over Jorusk’s skin near one of the tears. He sniffs it and jerks away. “Fucking dogs. Fenrysin had creosotine in his claws!”
“Creosotine?” Sidius asks.
“But you catch on fire. How can that be bad?” I ask.
“We’re not made of wood. It is more toxic to us than to humans because of the way our Infernos work.” Sidius motions to a different cabinet in Vryskas’ side of the room. “Get the powder.”
Osiris is already flushing the wounds with a bottle of saline.
“We don’t have any Yaruwis solution?” Rykarn calls to the others.
“Maybe ABR has some?” I ask.
“Doubt it.” Vryskas dumps white powder over Jorusk’s wounds.
“It doesn’t make sense why a Mindor would have this stuff,” Sidius says, helping Rykarn collect more saline and powder.
Jorusk’s body trembles on the table. It’s such a change from the powerful beating that he gave the Talhuskin just an hour or so ago that I’m anxious to find a solution.
“I have Yaruwis, but in plant form, on my ship. You’d have to process it, though.”
“Osiris.” Sidius jerks his head toward the door and takes over flushing Jorusk’s wounds.
Osiris and I run back the way we came, past the Mingle Hall, and to my ship. Osiris is much quieter than the others. He stands guard outside Gypsy Star while I climb my ramp and hustle to the backup plant stock and seeds. I have only a few of everything, just in case my mothership was ever fully taken over or destroyed.
I grab one of my plants, take several cuttings, though not so many that it will kill the plant, and place the leaves in a bag. As I turn to leave, a memory comes back to me of three yearsago, what Jorusk had to deal with during the Amphiran civil war when all the other species got involved. I remember hearing about it on the news.
Walking into my office, I grab a disruptor device and then, from my first aid kit, a salve I made for my own chemical burns.
Back outside, Osiris steps off the ramp. I close it, and we make our way back toward their vessel. I lift my ABR wristband, my concern still churning in my mind. “Contact Ohni.”
My band rings with a series of staccato low-tones.
“Brynna, what can I do for you?”
“Jorusk has creosotin burns in his claw marks. Who else uses that as a weapon?”
She swears. I’m surprised someone with a mouth like hers ended up running the race, and I’m not. Ruby handed it down to her, and Ohni has to put up with a lot of chaos every round.
As we’re about to pass the Mingle Celebration, Fenrysin steps out and into our path. “Problem with yourDrath?”
Osiris places himself between us without hesitation.
“Jorusk has blacked out on his ship,” I tell her. “Fenrysin isn’t letting us pass. I have a disruptor and a theory.”
“On our way. Don’t do anything. Cameradrone inbound.”
“Hurry.”
11: Brynna
Fenrysin advances. “You got involved in the wrong war, little female.”
We’re not going to get to wait for Ohni. Osiris guides me back and ignites a ball of fire in a hand, looking fully ready to protect me to the death. But I’m not letting any more of his kind die.
I twist the orb, initiating the disruptor with a crackle of electricity, swing myself around Osiris, and throw it at Fenrysin. The orb lodges in a field of energy and vibrates, making a cloak ripple.
Osiris gapes as he scrambles to pull me back.
