Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

CARLA

“I am baffled by your thought process,” Ari said.

She landed unharmed in a jumble of elbows and awkward angles on Ari. He lowered her into the freezing hip-deep water.

Her eyes adjusted to the dark, just in time for her to see him grab a snake from the water and slam it into the stone wall, smashing its skull.

Carla flinched. That was… something. Gross and violent, mostly.

“The power’s out, the zombies are out of their cages, and something touched me,” she said.

“A pit filled with water and snakes seemed like a better option?”

“Yes, it did, because you were there. Any option with you is the better option,” she snapped.

He made a noise that sounded as if his ego had been appeased.

A snake fell on her head—her head! Ari grabbed it and bashed it against the stone wall with a stomach -churning squelch. She might have grown up in the country, but she was a wimp about these things.

“Do you have to kill them? They don’t want to be here anymore than we do.”

“They are venomous. Yes,” he said.

Fair enough. Still gross.

“Do you have a plan to get out of here?” she asked.

“I was climbing until someone fell on me,” he replied, sounding irritated.

Sounds of fighting from above cut off her reply. Instead, she asked, “Can you fly up?”

“It is too narrow, and my wings are bound.”

“Let me.” Carla fumbled her way down his back, feeling the leathery warmth of his folded wings and, finally, the strap holding them down. It was a simple knot but in a place difficult to reach. “There.”

“Thank you.” Ari rolled his shoulders and looked up, studying the stone walls.

“Hey.” Carla reached up for his face, guiding him to look at her. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried.”

“Finding you was my only concern.”

She stretched up on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. That was enough to make her forget she was soaked, cold, and high on adrenaline. Any option with Ari was the better option, even being stuck in a pit filled with frigid water.

“Now, how do we get out of here?” she asked.

“It is a puzzle. I believe I have worked it out. Climb onto my back.” He leaned forward as far as the tight confines would allow.

“Do I just grab?” She reached for the base of his wings. That didn’t seem right.

“Lift yourself up.”

“Umm, is there another way?”

He huffed, then grabbed her and lifted her up until she could scramble across his shoulders and clung to his back like a baby koala.

“There is a correct path up. If I choose the wrong handhold, there are consequences.”

“The water and the snakes?”

“Yes.” He grabbed a stone and hauled himself up.

She gasped, surprised, as her entire body lurched up. Her grip slipped and she nearly fell off. Her arm wrapped around his throat, clinging on.

“Carla—” he choked.

“Sorry! Sorry. I panicked.” She relaxed her hold.

He climbed again. This time, she didn’t scream or try to strangle him. Upward progress continued for a minute until he paused. “This is as far as I’ve gotten. Can you reach the handhold to your right?”

“Yes.” She reached up, understanding that he wanted her to test the handholds. “It feels solid.”

He pulled himself up and they repeated the process. The next handhold crumbled under her fingertips. The one after that rewarded her with insects. Instinctively, she tried shaking them off, brushing herself frantically and waving her arms, which nearly caused Ari to fall.

After an eternity, Carla grabbed the edge of the pit and pulled herself up and out. Ari followed. They were out of the pit and into a worse situation.

ARI

Ari blinked as the emergency lighting returned. An obstacle stood between them and the door.

The Nakkoni female—Poppy, he reminded himself—was locked in a struggle with another infected Nakkoni. They snarled and snapped, biting and clawing at each other. Tails lashed, the thick weight used as a club.

Carla produced a small device from the front of her dress, which was weird enough to make Ari forget the direness of the situation.

“Do you use your chest as storage?” he asked.

“Titty city? Constantly.” She pressed a button. Frowning, she shook the device. “Ugh, it got wet. It’s not working.”

“We have no time for this.”

He sprang forward into the melee, hardening his skin to stone for protection. He grabbed Poppy from behind, his arms wrapped over her chest, pinning her arms down at her side. With his wing extended, Ari spun, knocking the infected soul into the pit below.

Poppy thrashed, throwing her head back. Her skull slammed into his face.

Spots danced in front of his eyes. Partially stone, he was sure the impact hurt her worse than him. She howled in pain, her teeth snapping and legs kicking. Nakkoni had a spur on their ankle, and it was a very effective weapon. The spur slashed at his shins. Despite the pain, he did not release her.

“Don’t hurt her! She can’t help herself,” Carla pleaded.

“We must restrain her.”

“Give me a minute.” Carla’s gaze swept the room.

An explosion shook the ground.

Ari bit back the urge to tell her to hurry. She knew the timeline. Barking orders would not make her go faster.

She grabbed the chain from where it had fallen on the floor and thrust it at him. “Use this.”

Restraining Poppy took no time. Her arms continued to be bound to her sides and there was enough chain to act as a leash.

Another explosion rocked the room. Dirt and plaster fell from the ceiling.

“I guess Tavat didn’t pay the ransom,” Carla said.

In the corridor, smoke tickled his nose. They were out of time.

“There is an exit nearby, if the schematics are correct,” he said.

He found a corridor that took them down a flight of stairs into the dark. Less than ideal, but the air was free of smoke. It was dark.

Poppy resisted every step. Frustrated, Ari slung the female over his shoulders. She snarled and snapped at his ears but could not reach.

“Are you sure this is the right way? It’s awfully easy to get turned around in here,” Carla said.

“This is correct. This is how I was brought in.” According to the schematics, the path would bring them to the base of the cliff, near the waterfall, which lined up with his memory.

“You were sedated,” Carla said.

“I was not unconscious,” he replied. “It lifts my spirits to hear your pointless bickering. It soothes my soul.”

“Now? You wanna flirt now?”

He could not see her face in the dark, but he could hear the smile in her voice. He adjusted the Nakkoni over his shoulder, redistributing her weight, and grinned. Nothing could sour his mood. Not even the Nakkoni’s tail hitting him in the face.

The corridor turned into a tunnel, the smooth concrete transitioning to rough stone. Soon enough, the tunnel spilled them into the sunlight. Mist from the waterfall hit his face, washing away the smoke that clung to his skin.

A Nakkoni guard waited, a blaster pointed at them.

“I was correct,” he said, shouting to be heard of the sound of the waterfall.

“Now is not the time,” she shouted back and raised her hands in surrender. “Kronkee. Why am I not surprised?”

“You’ve caused quite a mess,” the male said, the blaster trained on Carla.

He did not like this one bit.

“I do not wish to fight,” Ari said, stepping in front of Carla. He knew he made a ludicrous sight, carrying the struggling Poppy over his shoulders. For her part, Poppy continued to do her best to bite him.

“You’re absconding with stolen property,” Kronkee said.

His desire to avoid conflict vanished.

“People are not property,” he said, a menacing growl in his voice.

“Aren’t you guys busy?” Carla asked. “Like there’s a ship firing on your boss, and you’re chasing us down?”

“I have my orders.” Kronkee waved a blaster in their direction.

“Is that supposed to frighten us? If Tavat wanted us dead, you would have shot us already,” Carla said.

Ari gave her a stern look. “You are not helping.”

“I’m totally helping,” she replied. She turned her attention to Kronkee. “I’m helping, right? Distracting you while Ari here does something amazing, which he will do any minute now because of… reasons. Amazing reasons. He totally knows karate, too.”

Ari sighed. Yes, reasons. “I do not know what karate is.”

In a fluid motion, he slung Poppy off his shoulder and yanked on the chain. It fell away as he pushed her toward Kronkee.

“What the hell?” Carla demanded. “What about not hurting Poppy?”

He did not have a chance to reply. Kronkee fired wildly. Ground exploded at his feet.

No, it was more than simple blaster fire. The ground rumbled. A roar of engines filled the air, drowning out the waterfall. Ari recognized the peculiar tang of fuel in the air. A ship was launching and very close by.

Carla shielded her eyes with her hand and pointed to the sky. A rocket streaked across the sky, leaving a trail of vapor. “That fucker is escaping!” Despite shouting, the noise of the engines nearly masked her words.

A missile intercepted the ship, exploding it into pieces. Ari distantly wondered if they needed to worry about falling debris.

Kronkee made a keening noise of grief.

“Sorry about your boss,” Carla said.

Which was apparently the wrong sentiment to express. The Nakkoni male fired recklessly in their direction, no longer threatening but intending to kill.

Ari grabbed Carla and held her tight to his chest, wrapping his wings around them. His shift was slow to respond. What was normally a fast transition now felt like fighting through sludge.

His wing burned as it took a hit. The shot went through the leathery membrane and scorched his back.

With chains dragging through the dirt, Poppy launched herself at Kronkee. The male produced a small device and pressed a button. Panic flickered across his face when it became apparent that the device did not have the effect he expected.

“I think we damaged her implant,” Carla said. “Sorry, not sorry.”

Poppy’s mouth clamped down on Kronkee’s hand. There was a moment where the only noise was the waterfall and the sound of debris falling to the ground.

The guard screamed. Poppy spat two fingers out into the dirt. She grinned, her mouth a menacing bloody maw.

“Hurry, to the ship,” Ari said.