Page 82 of Uprooted
Tai hasn’t given up. He keeps sending me messages trying to get me to train with him one last time. I ignore all his attempts at reaching me.
* **
The alarm blares, warning of the Atorum's arrival. It’s time. They’re here. I make my way to the battlement hoping the necessary adrenaline shows up. If I can’t summon my battleform, I’ll at least need that rush to keep me fighting.
The defensive structures are impressive. Plasma cannons have been mounted along the entire wall, ready for an attack from any direction. I take my place, closest to where they will attack.
The swarm of Atorum creeps out of the forest, heading straight for us. That all-too-familiar shriek pieces our ears.
They writhe and shift as they stack up on each other. Some climb up the shielded walls. Plasma cannons fire off, blasting them apart. When one group explodes into pieces, more bugs pour in to replace them. They just keep coming.
Their attack on Tauros has taught them well. Glittering cracks form along the barrier shield. They breach the shield faster than I thought possible. Cannons fire off in rapid succession aimed at where they make progress. I ready myself to fight.
The cracks in the shield splinter out. One deep crack spikes its way across the entire length of the shield. It’s enough for an Atorum to squeeze through. The first is killed instantly, followed by a trickle of them squirming through the crack. The break widens and the Atorum pour in. We can’t keep up with the relentless onslaught.
An Atorum drops down and lands on the battlement not far from me. I rush at it and blast it apart easily. Three more take its place. I’m quick with the blaster and destroy those three as well. The base is covered in black sludge, and every Tilak is fighting these monstrous creatures.
I watch one Tilak be overtaken by a horde of bugs. He’s dragged down as they swarm over him. I charge at the pile and reload my blaster canister while I pull the bugs off the fallen Tilak. He’s covered in mire, which holds him down to the ground.
I try one last time to summon my battleform. A ripple of power runs through my veins, but it’s not enough to bring about the change.
A sonic boom waves over the base. The ground surrounding us buckles from the pressure. Where did that come from? I search for the source of the noise. Atorum all around us shudder to the ground and curl up on their backs, dead.
I run back up the battlement, desperate to see what happened. A second blast echoes through the base. The Atorum that survived the first blast fall to the ground.
A sleek Na'Lorskan warship slowly passes over, temporarily blocking out the sun before it lowers to the ground in front of the base.
I race down the stairs and hit the ground running for the gate. Using all my strength I push open the gate, slowly at first then gaining momentum. I squeeze through the opening as soon as I can.
A short Na’Lorskan female walks down a gangplank towards me. She smiles as I skid to a stop in front of her.
“You must be Aro,” she says, a wide toothy smile across her tiny mouth.
62
Elowen
The walls in Maak’s room shudder from the sonic boom Priya warned me about. I steady the bowl of cold noodles on the table. The world may be coming to an end, but Maak would never forgive me if I messed up his room. I hold my breath and wait. I’m under strict orders to not come out until after a second blast.
My head has been full of worst-case scenarios all day. She promised she would get here as soon as possible. Plan A is a simple one—really only two things need to go right. But a lot can still go wrong. Priya’s got to show up on time and her new weapon needs to do what she thinks it’s capable of. Emphasis on “thinks.” It’s never been used before.
I take a few calming breaths and channel the confidence Aro so easily radiates. Everything is going to be fine. My plan will work, and we will figure out exactly who’s responsible.
I slide the dresser away from the door once the room stops shaking for the second time. The furniture wouldn’t have kept the Atorum out, but it gave me a false sense of security, and I’ll take what I can get.
The halls are deathly quiet. Outside, the aftermath of the attack steals the breath from my lungs. I make my way through rubble, dodging medbots as they zoom in every direction checking the soldiers and administering aid. I duck as one speeds over me nearly taking my head off. It would be pretty ironic if I got taken out by a freaking medbot at this point.
I search for Aro among those upright and helping the injured. His confidence has rubbed off on me because in my mind it’s not even apossibility he could be one of the fallen. I see him in the distance, his back to me. There is no mistaking my mate, even from here. I break into a run, jumping over dead bugs with an athletic ability I didn’t know I had.
Priya sees me first and points a long slender finger in my direction. He spins around and stands frozen in place. I don’t slow down when I get close. Instead I launch myself into the air and knock him to the ground. I grab both sides of his head and search his face for any sign of injury.
“You saved us,” he says quietly, staring up at me in awe.
“I saved us.” I smile down at him.
“You were supposed to evacuate,” he says numbly.
“I’m more of an ask-forgiveness-not-permission type.” I quote him from that first time he made me spicy noodles.
