Chapter 51

Lorelai

S orry wasn't going to cut it. I'd come too far to be thrown back to the wolves now. Doctor Natusha had probably lost her life to set me free. I wouldn't let her sacrifice be wasted now.

"I'm sorry too," I said. And I was. The officer had been kind to me, insofar as it went, but I couldn't let that derail me now.

One life had likely been lost already.

Many more were at stake.

Including my own.

And that's why I did what I did.

When I replied, "I'm sorry too," the Asterion's face betrayed her bewilderment. Her confusion offered me a sliver of opportunity to catch her off guard. Which I did, lashing out with my foot, kicking her squarely in the stomach. Ordinarily, my efforts might have been laughable, especially against a trained officer of some kind. With me hyped up on Doctor Natusha's tonic? The female Asterion went flying backwards and I jumped into her transport, shouting,

"Go, go! Head for the spaceport!"

Luckily, transports were mindless machines, with no loyalty to their owners. While some required a driver, others, like this, sported automated systems. The system kicked into gear even as the officer rebounded on her feet, yelling at the machine to stop. Sirena dashed up to the edge of the sidewalk, screaming so loudly that her cheeks turned a red hue beneath the silver.

Too late.

The door slid shut, right in Sirena's face, and the transport whizzed away.

I collapsed onto the floor, overwhelmed with an incredible sense of relief. Not that it lasted long.

The officer can probably call in reinforcements, I reasoned. Sirena certainly can. I've got to get off this transport. Maybe they'll track it instead of me.

Clambering up on my knees, I pressed my face against the glass, staring out, trying to ascertain how close I was to the spaceport. It was difficult to say. Tall buildings soared upward in clusters while the mountains, green and verdant in the distant background, guarded the city of Korith. Nothing was familiar until…

A unique spire.

I recognized it. My heart leapt with hope.

Another one.

Not truly spires, but those skypads which had aggravated my fear of heights, attached by walkways to the lofty spaceport. Around the top, which was little more than a pinprick against the purple-blue sky, I could see tiny spaceships zipping around, resembling black ants swarming about an anthill.

I couldn't tell how far away it was, but I could see it. I could see it.

That meant I could find it.

"Turn down this side street," I shouted at the transport. Obediently, it swerved, whizzing around the nearest corner. I was flung to the side, catching myself with my fingertips on the windowsill. "Stop here!" I ordered, this time bracing myself for how quickly it would obey.

"Open up," I ordered, and the door raised, allowing me to exit. Before I climbed out, I said to the vehicle, "Go to Elder Ellax Pendorgrin's home. Don't stop for anything."

I wasn't sure if the officer I'd kicked out might have the ability to override my command, if she were close enough. She might. Asterions had lots of technological marvels. But I was desperately hoping it would be enough of a red herring to buy me a little time. I was also hoping they'd think I'd gone back to Ellax's home to hide, to wait for him, instead of heading to the spaceport. After all, when a prey animal is wounded and running for its life, it usually tries to get back to its burrow and hide. Ellax's mansion would be my only burrow, considering how short a time I'd been on this planet.

Whether the ruse would work or not, I didn't know. It was all I had.

Pointing my face towards the spaceport, far, far up in the sky, I took a breath, willed my legs to move, and took off running.

At first, it was easy. The adrenaline flooding my body made it feel like flying. I could go on and on and on.

They should have had this stuff for marathon runners, back in the day, I chuckled to myself, thinking of the stories of crazy people who used to run long-distance races of over twenty-six miles, just for fun, or to prove they could do it. Pastimes like that had long since fallen out of existence on Earth. Humans were far too busy utilizing their resources to stay alive.

Nevertheless, as I sped down city streets, guided by the view of the skypads, up in the clouds, I imagined myself as one of those runners in the old photos I'd seen, willing my legs into perpetual motion while the crowds cheered me on. In reality, no crowds here cheered me on. The closer I got to my destination, the thicker the crowds of Asterions became, and there was no denying the strange looks I received. I was surprised nobody attempted to stop me, either to hinder or to help. Mostly, they jolted out of my way, or uttered surprised noises when I wheeled around them on the sidewalks. I heard the questions, the murmuring. I was far too bent on my goal to pay them any mind.

Getting closer, I encouraged myself. Getting closer.

How I wished for my phone—that I could have simply called Ellax for help! Unfortunately, not only did I not have it, I was afraid that stopping to try and borrow a phone from a stranger would have done me little good. In the first place, crazy as it sounds, I didn't have my Overlord husband's connecting number. We'd been together mere days, and forced into close proximity up until now. There hadn't been a need for me to get his connecting number. I had no idea how to reach him, and feared if I tried asking a stranger to get in touch with one of the entire planet's most powerful figures, they'd drag me off and clap me up in an insane asylum, or whatever form of them Asterion had.

A crazy, beat-up human female would have no business whatsoever contacting the powerful Ellax Pendorgrin, right?

Fearing it would waste precious time, I raced on instead for the spaceport. I had no assurance that I'd have better luck there, but I was hoping desperately I could convince someone to get me on a space ship up to the Coalition's waiting ship. With any luck, maybe I could sneak aboard. With the greatest of luck, perhaps I could find the captain that had brought us here. Or even some of the crew members—like the Doreethan flight attendant. Anyone who could vouch for my identity. Barring those possibilities, if worse came to worst, I could hide and watch for Ellax, because he'd certainly be returning today. I might be too late to stop the tragedy from being declared on Earth, but could I at least save myself?

That wasn't good enough.

I forced my legs to go faster, spurred on both by the approaching towers, spires, and skypads, but also by remembering—again—that it wasn't merely my life on the line.

I have to get there.

The wind rushed by in my ears. My pounding feet on the pavement reverberated through my entire body, which was beginning to tremble. I noticed that, even as my panic and fear increased, even as the space port's main hub approached, my pace was slowing.

Awareness of pain was subtly returning. The stitch in my side. Or was it busted ribs? The thrumming in my head. Was it from the heavy footfalls? Or physical trauma of the beating?

Oh no.

Dr. Natusha had tried to warn me. The effects of her tonic wouldn't last long.

It has to last, I thought, panicked. Refusing to settle, I told myself to go faster, faster, faster!

By this point, the main entrance to the spaceport was directly across the street. Had it only been a couple of days ago that I'd been here with Ellax, admiring the greenery, the trees, the sunlight, before stepping into the waiting transport? Then, my biggest fears had been fitting in and not disgracing myself or him. Now, they were survival.

My own.

Members of my species.

I can't.

My knees felt weak. I lunged around an Asterion couple in my path, stepped off the sidewalk, tripped, and fell on my face.

"Stars!" I heard the male cry out. "What is this?"

"A human, I think. Is she well?"

I scrabbled to my feet. Less than gracefully, and staggered on. The pain was returning with blinding force.

She warned me it wouldn't last long. I assumed it would last longer than this.

Truly, in that brief span of invincibility, it had felt like it would last forever. I was reaping the consequences now. I approached the sliding glass doors of the spaceport by sheer will power alone, aware that every second ticking by meant I was becoming weaker and weaker. Already, as the door slid open and I stumbled through, I felt like falling to my knees and crawling.

Can't do that yet, I told myself. My teeth were gritted against the pain. My shoulders curved, my body hunching over my broken ribs. Have to get to the top.

The elevators were directly across the lobby. A sea of travelers, spaceport employees, and stands selling various items stood between them and me. Beads of sweat popped out on my brow as I contemplated whether I had the ability to walk that far.

You have to.

One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other.

It became a mental refrain, a marching tempo, a beat to keep me going when everything inside of me wanted to lay down and die.

One foot in front of the other.

The elevators were almost there. I must have truly appeared a mad woman, hunched over, stumbling, my hand stretched towards the closing doors of the nearest elevator.

"Wait!" I cried, hoping the Asterion woman inside would put her hand in the crack, break the seal, and hold it open for me.

Instead, her golden eyes widened and through the slim crack I saw her pressing the button to make it shut.

"Please…"

Too late.

The doors were sealed against me, and I heard a whir as the elevator took to the sky.

"Okay, not a big deal," I encouraged myself, even as cold sweat dripped from my forehead onto the arm wrapped around my torso.

"There she is!"

A shout rang out behind me. I twisted my head to the side, my blurry gaze focusing in on a pair of lean, athletic Asterion males in matching black uniforms with staggers holstered at their hips.

"Are you certain that's her?" one asked.

His fellow regarded him as if he were insane.

"How many wounded human females are traveling about the city?" he demanded incredulously.

Oh no.

My heart sank like lead. I saw no signs of Sirena, but assumed she must have put the word out, either to local law enforcement or else to those under her thumb. These two were definitely seeking me. A sprint across the lobby would take them right to me. Meanwhile, I was faced with two choices. Stand here in front of this elevator, hoping it would return in time for me to stumble inside and shut the door, or…

Ding.

The doors of the elevator beside it creased, parting.

I swallowed hard, my vision tracking between the armed Asterions and the open elevator as I weighed my changes.

"In the name of the Asterion Council—"

I was out of time. Gathering up my final reserves of energy, I dove for the open elevator. The guards' boots squeaked on the shiny floor as they bolted towards me. Inside, I pressed the up button over and over, desperately, as if multiple hits would make the door close faster. Tears burned my eyes, tears of terror and also incredible pain.

"Please," I whispered, jamming the button with my thumb. "Please, please."

The pair of guards was racing right at the door. It started to slide closed.

"Halt!" one of them shouted.

The gap was closing, but they were right there. One of them, taking a chance, jammed his fingers into the crack. I didn't have time for formulate a better plan. Acting on sheer survival instinct, I leaned forward and bit his fingers like a dog, grinding my teeth. As I'd hoped, he yelped and jerked his fingers back. The doors finished sliding shut. There was a whir as the elevator took off, and with a sob I slumped to the floor, spent.