Willa
My heart is pounding in my chest, my hands, rock steady until a moment ago, are fluttering.
I handled the height of battle like a champ. Now, though, I’m having a complete breakdown. What was I thinking? I forced myself onto that mission. Just because I’m a strong Texas girl and know how to kill a deer with a rifle does not mean I had any business going to a foreign planet with a bow and fucking arrows. Against monsters!
Bayne spun on his heel and is facing me now. He squeezes me in a bear hug, then pulls away to look into my face.
“You’re not okay?” he asks, concern written all over his beautiful face.
“You saved my life. I’m an idiot.”
He presses my face to his chest and strokes my hair. “Not an idiot,” he says. I feel his chest rumble as I hear the warm words. “Stubborn.”
I’m trembling and crying. I try to convince myself it’s the aftermath of the fight, the adrenaline. I don’t want to admit it’s from sheer terror, albeit delayed.
Captain Zar crashes through the transporter room doorway.
“Are you both alright?” his growly voice is deeper than usual.
“Unharmed,” Bayne informs him, then bends to peer into my face. “You are unharmed, right?”
“Yes.” I nod. “Just about to come unglued, that’s all.”
“I want a full report. I know you want some time to gather yourselves, but I need to know what happened.”
I understand. He has no idea if we were attacked by mutant creatures straight out of a 1950s B movie or Daneur Khour himself.
He leads the way to the bridge and we follow. Most of our little family not-so-subtly line the halls to see what’s going on. Several of the women call, “I hope everything’s all right, Willa.” A few offer for me to come see them if I need anything. There’s nothing wrong with me that a long shower and a moment in Bayne’s arms won’t cure.
Once on the bridge, we give report, and by ‘we’ I mean Bayne. He’s sitting in the first mate’s seat, with me on his lap, his arms warmly tucking me against him.
“Take a few hoaras to decompress,” Zar instructs. “We’ll meet in the ludus after dinner to plan our next strategy. I’m proud of you,” he says warmly, “both of you.”
While we were talking, Callista on comms pulled up satellite footage of the carnage at our campsite. It’s barely visible through the thick canopy of trees and fading light. She displays it on every other window on the bullet-shaped bridge. The windows double as screens. I just let my eyelids flicker closed, not wanting to see the taratu-scorps for one more moment, but when I get up to leave, I can’t help but see the tableau on Fairea.
The creatures are even more gross and scary now. Seeing their disgusting dead bodies, legs akimbo, the area littered with blood, makes me shiver in revulsion.
“As I said,” Zar repeats, “you did well. I apologize. I would have never let you go so unprepared had I known, but there was no description of these creatures in the planet’s database. Perhaps Khour has brought them from another planet to dissuade people from entering the forest that surrounds his compound. Or perhaps he gets perverted pleasure in hunting them himself. I should have never let you go. In the future, no one goes back to that planet without lasers.”
Zar bows his head and thumps his chest at Bayne. It’s an honor one gladiator gives another—a sign of the utmost respect. It makes me feel good for Bayne. For so long he was in canine form, fighting in the arena. Now he’s getting recognition for what he did. He deserves it.
Zar turns to me and performs the same actions in my direction, his gaze never leaving mine. Did he just give me the gladiator salute? Me? I’m practically dissolving into a puddle of fear.
“You did well, Willa. You killed many of the creatures. You have the spirit of a warrior.”
“Th-thanks.” It may not be true, but just hearing that I have the spirit of a warrior makes me feel like one.
Perhaps Zar read my thoughts, because he adds, “Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the ability to do what needs to be done despite your fears.”
Wow! No wonder Zar was voted captain, he has wisdom and compassion.
Bayne places his warm palm on the small of my back and escorts me out of the room and back to my cabin. The moment the door closes behind us, he turns me in his arms and hugs me tight.
“I failed you, Willa. I shouldn’t have let you come with me.”
“Please, Bayne. Stop blaming yourself. You tried everything you could short of forbidding me to go, which would have hurt our relationship more than what happened on Fairea just now. Let it go. I feel like I have tarantu-scorp blood all over me and all I want is a shower.”
“You do.”
“What?”
“You do have blood on you. It’s black, so I know it isn’t yours.”
“Ack! Out of my way!” Although I’m ready to barge right through him to get to the bathroom, he sidesteps just in time. If circumstances were different, I’d love for him to join me. We’ve shared a shower several times. It’s great foreplay. Now I just want the black bug blood off me. Immediately!
I turn on the water and step in before it’s warm. Keeping my eyes closed, I let the water pour over me until I assume all the blood has washed down the drain, then I open my eyes and wash. And scrub. And wash some more. At times the pictures of what just happened flash into my mind. Other times I hear the bugs’
