{The Seam}
Sagan hid in the Seam so no one would see the General of the human army cry. The tears started with Celindria’s first strike against her sister. It hurt too much to listen to it, but she refused to turn off the earpiece. If Tameka could endure it, the least Sagan could do was listen.
And it broke her heart.
The similarity between the anguish of Razor’s ambush on Sagan at the Emporium and Celindria’s cruel captivity sent Sagan into heaving fits, where she couldn’t draw enough air.
Or maybe that was the several hundred enormous conduits Sagan was holding open.
Either way, she needed to catch her breath, and the Seam was as good a place as any. Sagan loved Korac with all her heart, but there were just some states he shouldn’t see her in. It only got worse the more Celindria hit Tameka.
Sagan closed her eyes and tried not to worry about Xelan. What it must be like for him. No, that only increased her sorrow and made it impossible to breathe. But she was still ready at a moment’s notice to open a conduit and get them the fuck out.
Unfortunately, the plan was working.
What a relief it was to find the vaccines had actually worked. High five to Pablo and Lynn for being geniuses. Sagan needed more of that positive thinking to remember what the Shadow were made of. They could do this. One more step, only a little nudge further, and Tameka could get on her way to complete her mission.
Sagan tried to rein in the panic.
Deep breath. Let go of her hair. Unclench her jaw. Relax her shoulders.
“I’ll show you how he disposed of the children of Gait.”
Oh no.
Pehton.
Sagan walked out of the Seam to find the Lyrik staring with wide eyes. Korac came to her side about the same time. They both spoke in unison, “Don’t believe her.”
Then Xelan confessed to it from wherever he dipped off to for this disturbing conversation.
Pehton paled, and Sagan stroked her orange feathers, whispering, “Please. This is a ploy.”
Xelan and Tameka said as much over the earpieces.
Finally, those hard red eyes turned to Sagan’s and focused. The pain in Pehton’s voice brought another tear to Sagan’s eyes. “Xelan owes me an explanation, but I trust him. I trust you.”
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Korac knelt down to meet her face-to-face. “General Pehton, we will make them pay.”
Scooped out and hollowed through, Pehton said, “Yes. We will.”
Sagan tried to wipe her eyes before anyone saw the fresh tears, and cleared her throat of emotion in time for Tameka to hit Celindria, own it, and encounter a nuclear bomb.
“Mommy, why did you hit sissy?”
Sagan cupped a hand over her mouth.
Frantic, and finally showing it, Xelan rushed through his words on the mic. “Tameka. Tameka, is he okay? Are you okay? Tell Pax we’re taking him home today. Can you hear me—”
There was more such as that, but Xelan didn’t seem to react to the one keyword in Pax’s question.
Sissy.
Korac’s warm hands were suddenly chafing on Sagan’s chilled arms. She let him as everything went silent on Tameka’s end.
Pehton muttered, “Do we go in now?”
Sagan answered honestly, “I don’t know. Not until Xelan says so. Do you know where he went?”
Korac squeezed her arm before pointing to a far alcove. Sagan took off to find Xelan and the other two followed. She welcomed them because they’d need the best to storm Celindria’s lab and free Pax. They found Xelan gripping his hair, staring at the floor with his eyes wider than Sagan had ever seen them. He looked like he’d been put through the wringer.
Xelan startled when he spotted them and relaxed a touch at their presence. “She’s not answering.”
“Give her a minute,” Sagan encouraged.
Andrew and Kyle rushed around the corner with matching frowns. Andrew asked first, “When do we go in?”
Kyle asked second, “Is Tameka—”
“Pax.” Tameka’s voice sounded breathy. “Pax, come here. Let me look at you. Are you okay, sweetie—Why are you looking at her? You can come to mommy.”
Xelan took a deep breath and let it out like he was working through a countdown in his head. Sagan recognized it from the meditation techniques he’d taught them. So long ago now.
They picked up Pax’s response over the earpiece. “Sissy, can I go to mommy?”
Sagan took in the frowns all around her. No one looked happy about this. Xelan mostly looked pale.
They heard Tameka swallow through the mic before she said, “Celindria. Please.”
Celindria sounded not nearly as smug as Sagan expected. “Of course you can, sweetheart. For a little while, okay? Mommy has to go soon.”
The blood in Sagan’s veins dropped to zero degrees. Kyle and Andrew exchanged a sharp glance. Pehton hissed. Korac’s eyes narrowed.
Xelan whispered, “Stay strong, Fury. I’m here. Sagan and I are standing by.”
Iuo, Tumu, and Lamassau ran around the corner next, finding what they were searching for. Xelan looked up to meet Tumu’s gaze with anguish written in every line of his royal Icarean face.
“Peaches is tough,” Tumu assured.
Iuo hissed on his S’s, his accent coming stronger with his anger. “Say the word, and I can have a unit ready.”
Sagan loved these people.
Tameka said, “Mommy’s so glad you’re okay. Is Sissy being nice to you?”
“Sissy’s always nice to me.”
Again, that wave of unnerved alarm rippled through the group.
Another swallow from Tameka’s end and a brushing sound. “Here, daddy wants to talk to you.”
“Hi, daddy!”
For the first time since Sagan could remember, Xelan’s voice broke. “Hey, kiddo. Are you having a fun adventure?” A tear spilled from his lashes.
Sagan couldn’t take it anymore and sobbed into her hand. Fuck hiding her tears. Korac kissed the top of her head, and she leaned almost all her weight on him, needing it.
Pax giggled like he found Xelan silly. “Daddy, you’re not s’posed to be here. Sissy said Uncle Nock was s’posed to be here.”
“Well, I’m here, son, and you’re coming home with me.”