Chapter 15

15

Zanyr sorted through the various fruits and vegetables available at the stand, curious to see what was on offer. Whoever this Sanjin was, he'd managed to grow a number of Vardarian plants in the local soil, and judging by the size of the produce, he'd been very successful at it.

"I need to talk to this male and find out what his secret is. Do you see this?" He held out a sazra as big as his palm.

Torren looked and grunted. "Big. I take it that's unusual?"

"You're hopeless. Yes, it's unusual. None of my crops are doing this well. Granted, this is a small plot, so he can give the plants more attention, but still. I'm impressed."

He was also a tad suspicious. Like everything else in Haven, agriculturists had rules they had to follow. No artificial supplements in the soil, no chemicals, or pesticides. The soil had to stay healthy, and nothing could be allowed to contaminate the land or water.

The only ways he knew to grow produce like this all involved violating the rules. It was more proof that the colony had grown big enough to need more oversight. He'd bring it up at the next meeting.

Torren had a selection of produce set to one side. "Do you think Jenna would like these?"

"I have no idea. They're some of our favorites, though. So we might as well get them and see what she thinks."

"What fruit do you think she was talking about earlier? There are a few here."

Zanyr lifted his wings in a shrug. "Get one of each? It's got to be one of these."

His comm buzzed at that moment, and he fished it out of his pocket. If the council was calling another meeting right now, he'd refuse to attend.

It was an incoming call from Jenna. Audio only. "Hello, ana-thi . You miss us already?"

Silence. "Jenna?" he called her name.

He heard a distant sound, a single word spoken in a barely there whisper that made his blood run cold. "Help."

He spun on his heel and ran back toward her house. As he ran, he kept calling her name, but the line stayed quiet. Even running flat out, it felt like an eternity before he reached her front door.

It was locked.

He screamed in frustration as Torren appeared at his side. "What's wrong?"

"Jenna! She asked for help, but now I can't get her to answer. We need to get in there!"

"Window." Torren was already moving toward the nearest window. He pulled out his dagger and slammed it pommel first into the center of the glass. It shattered under the blow.

They used their bare hands to clear enough space to squeeze through, ignoring the damage the glass did to them as they worked. In seconds they were inside, both of them bleeding from dozens of small wounds. Not that it mattered. They barely noticed their injuries. Nothing mattered but getting to Jenna.

"You take this floor, I'll take upstairs," he sent to Torren.

"Don't get yourself killed. Dead males can't help anyone."

He didn't bother to respond. There was a time for caution and procedure. This was not one of them. He ignored the stairs and launched straight into the air. Torren would clear the ground floor and ensure there were no surprises, but something in his gut told Zanyr that their mate was upstairs.

There. He spotted her sprawled face down on the floor, not far from her bedroom door. He made it to her side in seconds, the downdraft from his approach making her hair blow in wild tangles around her head, but she didn't move.

"Jenna!"

He dropped to his knees beside her, barely resisting the urge to pull her to him. She could be injured. She must be. But where? He raked his gaze over her and the floor. No blood. Good.

He touched the back of one outstretched hand. Her skin was cooler than it should be. He swept back her hair so he could see at least part of her face. Her complexion was grayish, her lips tight in a rictus of pain that made his stomach twist.

Poison? Illness? What was wrong with her?

" Mahaya . I'm here. Speak to me if you can."

Her lashes fluttered and one eye cracked open a little, but he saw no awareness in her gaze.

Then she moaned. The low, pained breath leaked out of her lungs in a slow wheeze.

"Thank the ancestors. Jenna. Stay with me. Do not go to sleep. You have to stay awake."

She didn't answer, but her lashes fluttered.

"Torren! Get up here! I found her."

He'd found her, but he had no idea what was wrong or how to fix it. He'd seen enough death to recognize the signs. Jenna was alive, but she wouldn't be for long. Something was killing her.

Torren landed beside him. "What happened?"

"I have no idea." He touched the side of her neck. Her skin was clammy, and her pulse was faint beneath his fingers. "I know how to treat battle injuries but not something like this. She's not bleeding. I don't see any blaster burns."

"Then it's something internal." Torren looked as frustrated as he felt. "I've already sent out an alert. Help is coming."

"It won't be here soon enough." Something dark and terrible tore open Zanyr's heart. "We're losing her."

"No. We can't." Torren sat down and carefully drew her head onto his lap. "We finally got what we'd dreamed of. I will not let her go."

They looked at each other. "There's only one way."

It wasn't the way they'd imagined claiming their beloved mahaya , but if this worked, they would have time to make it up to her.

"Who does it?" Torren asked.

Zanyr lifted her hand, cradling the limp flesh in his. "We do it together."

They claimed her, mixing their blood with hers and gifting her with the only thing they knew might save her life.

Torren crouched over Jenna, willing her to live. They both whispered to her, a litany of adoration and encouragement.

"Come back to us," he kept saying.

At first, he didn't think the nanotech transfusion had worked. She lay so still, her breathing shallow and her golden skin a disquieting shade of gray.

"Do you see?" Zanyr asked? "Look at her mouth. She's not in pain anymore."

Torren saw the change, but he didn't know what it meant. Was she getting better, or was this the end? "Blossom, you have to live because I can't do this without you. One day wasn't enough."

Was she getting warmer? Torren wanted to think so, but it was so hard to be sure. Yes, her color was improving. Her fingers moved next, and he took his first deep breath since he'd seen her lying so still.

"She's still with us."

Zanyr swiped at his eyes with the back of one bloody hand. All he managed to do was to smear streaks of red across his face. "Welcome back, mahaya ."

They stayed with her until help arrived. A veritable army of help. Medics and healers swarmed into the house while members of the royal guard took up positions around the doors and windows.

"You have to move so we can help her," a human female said.

He focused on her face. He knew her. Dr. Clark. "Is she going to be okay?"

"I think so. Whatever happened, the nanotech you gave her seems to have stabilized her. At least for now." She looked him over, and he realized he was still bleeding. "What did happen?"

"We don't know. We only left her alone for a few minutes. Then Zanyr got a call. She asked for help and then the line went dead. We broke into the house to get to her."

"Ah. I wondered." The doctor cast a learned eye over his injuries. "Do you need treatment, or do you want to let the nanotech take care of it?"

He kissed Jenna's hand and then placed it carefully on her stomach. "I'll be fine. I have something I need to do. If there are any issues, I'll see to them later. You take care of her for us. Please."

"I will."

Zanyr was already on his feet, and he reached down to help Torren rise. They moved aside, allowing the medical staff more room to work.

"She was holding this." Zanyr showed him a comm unit. "I think this is the one from outside. She must have sent the message."

It made sense. They couldn't be sure she'd done it until they spoke to her or cracked the encryption. But it was the most likely scenario.

"I don't like it. She told them she was quitting, and immediately afterward this happens? It's not a coincidence."

Torren kept his voice low and casual, as if they weren't discussing the attempted murder of their mate. "I agree with you. But think about the timeline. She couldn't have sent that message more than half an hour ago. How far do you figure it traveled in that time?"

Zanyr bared his fangs. "Not very fraxxing far. Whoever read the message is in the system."

"I think they're closer than that. They'd have to be. Because not only did they receive the message, but they were in a position to react immediately, and they needed access to Jenna to pull this off. Whoever they are, they're here. In Haven."

They locked eyes, both of them understanding what had to happen next. Without a word, they touched wrists, scar to scar.

Zanyr lifted the comm unit. "I'll get this to someone who can crack the encryption."

"And I'll order up our party favors."

Zanyr snorted. "You mean the ones you swore we'd never need to use?"

"Shut up. That was then. This is now." He looked back to where Jenna was being loaded onto a stretcher. "This time, we're going to war for the right reasons."