relax.
Bukel lifted her in his arms and carried her to a foldout bunk. “Who cut you?”
“Shot me. It was a man with a thorn that shot from his wrist. It sliced right through the armour and kept going. Good thing I am so squishy, it sealed right up.”
She winced as he peeled the fabric, and then he had to call for Terlio.
They got her out of the pertinent armour in a few seconds, but Bukel winced at the wound. “That isn’t good. It isn’t sealing.”
“I am guessing that that is the idea.” She held the pad on it to keep from bleeding everywhere.
“I am not sure what to do. Larsilk is better at this. He is with Ixa, however. She is slow to go under.”
“I can tell you what you need. Can you get me a manifest of what the ship has available?”
Bukel nodded and got her a pad, while Keelor rolled up his sleeves. “I will do this.”
She chuckled. “You were an excellent assistant the first time, I think. I…wow my head hurts.”
“We will fix that soon. Now, tell us what to do.”
Bukel handed her the manifest, and she started to list the items that they could use to slow the flow of blood. She passed out before they closed the wound, but she was sure she would be fine.
“Holy mother of Olsted!” Screaming as she woke wasn’t her favourite thing to do, but the green fire rippling around her was not something to be ignored.
Her five companions were standing, and they breathed a sigh of relief as one being.
As her vision cleared, she grimaced up at the Kozue with the silver eyes. “You must be Flame.”
He laughed and helped her sit up. “You must be naked.” He walked to a shelf and brought her a bodysuit. “You are the Pain Taker, correct?”
She shrugged and slipped into the bodysuit with relief. Being naked in a room full of men may rank high on the fantasy scale, but in reality, it made her nervous. “I am. It is all I have ever been.”
“Well, the anticoagulant on whatever struck you was very powerful. Your men did excellent after care, but they were only able to slow the bleeding.”
She chuckled. “They are not my men.”
“I think they would differ.” He was amused. “They wouldn’t let anyone near you until I was available. Reset is still working on the cyborg.”
“How is Vek?” She checked her suit’s closure and sighed at the feeling of being covered once again.
“He is responding well to treatment, but removing the mechanicals is tricky and Reset can’t work if they are there.”
“Where is he?”
Flame raised his eyebrows and led the way. Alda followed him into a room where two women were working on Vek, and he was covered in sweat.
She quickly moved to his head and pressed her palms to him, taking the pain he was trying not to express.
The women working on him looked up and smiled. One nodded. “I am Reset, this is my assistant Heura.”
“I am Alda. Vek and I have met before.” She concentrated and the women worked faster.
Alda looked and beckoned to Terlio. “Can you soften the metal in his chest?”
Belatedly, she looked to Reset, “Would that help?”
Reset winced and nodded. “The faster we can pull the metal works, the faster I can heal him. If Quad is willing to do the messy bit, Flame and I can seal him and heal him.”
Flame rubbed his hands together. “Standingby.”
Terlio looked queasy, “As my lady commands.” He reached into the metal, made a fist and ripped it up and out.
Alda caught the agony, Flame kept the man from dying and Reset rebuilt his body over the course of the next two hours.
The pain of Flame’s talent was enough to deal with, but when she looked down into Vek’s eyes, she saw the tears seeping down his cheeks. It was worth it.
The moment that Reset straightened, a column of mist that formed behind her caught her.
Alda’s back was on fire, but she smiled and took a few steps toward her companions before she pitched forward.
Vek reached out and caught her before she hit the ground.
“Thank you, Pain
Bukel lifted her in his arms and carried her to a foldout bunk. “Who cut you?”
“Shot me. It was a man with a thorn that shot from his wrist. It sliced right through the armour and kept going. Good thing I am so squishy, it sealed right up.”
She winced as he peeled the fabric, and then he had to call for Terlio.
They got her out of the pertinent armour in a few seconds, but Bukel winced at the wound. “That isn’t good. It isn’t sealing.”
“I am guessing that that is the idea.” She held the pad on it to keep from bleeding everywhere.
“I am not sure what to do. Larsilk is better at this. He is with Ixa, however. She is slow to go under.”
“I can tell you what you need. Can you get me a manifest of what the ship has available?”
Bukel nodded and got her a pad, while Keelor rolled up his sleeves. “I will do this.”
She chuckled. “You were an excellent assistant the first time, I think. I…wow my head hurts.”
“We will fix that soon. Now, tell us what to do.”
Bukel handed her the manifest, and she started to list the items that they could use to slow the flow of blood. She passed out before they closed the wound, but she was sure she would be fine.
“Holy mother of Olsted!” Screaming as she woke wasn’t her favourite thing to do, but the green fire rippling around her was not something to be ignored.
Her five companions were standing, and they breathed a sigh of relief as one being.
As her vision cleared, she grimaced up at the Kozue with the silver eyes. “You must be Flame.”
He laughed and helped her sit up. “You must be naked.” He walked to a shelf and brought her a bodysuit. “You are the Pain Taker, correct?”
She shrugged and slipped into the bodysuit with relief. Being naked in a room full of men may rank high on the fantasy scale, but in reality, it made her nervous. “I am. It is all I have ever been.”
“Well, the anticoagulant on whatever struck you was very powerful. Your men did excellent after care, but they were only able to slow the bleeding.”
She chuckled. “They are not my men.”
“I think they would differ.” He was amused. “They wouldn’t let anyone near you until I was available. Reset is still working on the cyborg.”
“How is Vek?” She checked her suit’s closure and sighed at the feeling of being covered once again.
“He is responding well to treatment, but removing the mechanicals is tricky and Reset can’t work if they are there.”
“Where is he?”
Flame raised his eyebrows and led the way. Alda followed him into a room where two women were working on Vek, and he was covered in sweat.
She quickly moved to his head and pressed her palms to him, taking the pain he was trying not to express.
The women working on him looked up and smiled. One nodded. “I am Reset, this is my assistant Heura.”
“I am Alda. Vek and I have met before.” She concentrated and the women worked faster.
Alda looked and beckoned to Terlio. “Can you soften the metal in his chest?”
Belatedly, she looked to Reset, “Would that help?”
Reset winced and nodded. “The faster we can pull the metal works, the faster I can heal him. If Quad is willing to do the messy bit, Flame and I can seal him and heal him.”
Flame rubbed his hands together. “Standingby.”
Terlio looked queasy, “As my lady commands.” He reached into the metal, made a fist and ripped it up and out.
Alda caught the agony, Flame kept the man from dying and Reset rebuilt his body over the course of the next two hours.
The pain of Flame’s talent was enough to deal with, but when she looked down into Vek’s eyes, she saw the tears seeping down his cheeks. It was worth it.
The moment that Reset straightened, a column of mist that formed behind her caught her.
Alda’s back was on fire, but she smiled and took a few steps toward her companions before she pitched forward.
Vek reached out and caught her before she hit the ground.
“Thank you, Pain
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