Page 35 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol. 1
“Sorry!” I whisper, pulling my hand back.
Pherebos speaks up from the cockpit. “We’re approaching the portal to exit Jaga.”
This is it. The moment of truth. I wonder—could this really be my chance to escape Henri for good?
Chapter 9.
Pherebos.
It’s crunch time. I’m about to smuggle Ileana out—right under the noses of the base controllers.
“We’ve got an incoming video call,” SILMAR announces.
“I’ll take it.”
I turn to the right, where Hilda’s face appears on the partition, Isaac standing just behind her. Her hands are clasped behind her back, chin lifted, and there’s a seriousness in her expression that puts me on edge.
“Pherebos,” she says, “leaving already? We’re a bit surprised by your sudden departure. Are you here alone?”
Strange question—unless they suspect something.
“Yeah, we’re heading out earlier than planned,” I say calmly. “Unfortunately, Wingo’s pretty sick. He’s in his bunk right now. I think he ate a poisonous berry or something—he’s got a fever and he’s shaking.”
“Oh, so it’s the animal… That explains the strong heat signature,” Isaac notes. “It’s higher than when you arrived.”
“Yeah, that’s him. I hope it passes soon. I’m not sure if I can treat him the usual way—this is the first timehe’s reacted like this. Do you know of any poisonous berries in the area?”
Hilda’s posture softens. Her shoulders drop slightly, and she shrugs, clearly losing interest.
“No idea. Maybe you should save those meds for yourself. They’re rare, and he’s just a creature. I get it—he’s your travel companion. Your call. I’ll cut this short.”
She clearly doesn’t care about Wingo’s fate and seems eager to end the conversation—which suits me just fine.
“I’ll be back next time, I promise. Thanks for your concern.”
I end the call and let out a long breath. The ruse worked like a charm.
“Everything went according to plan,”I tell Wingo. “We’ll wait a little while before getting you out—just to be safe.”
“Take all the time you need!”Wingo says smugly.“I’m the one pressed up against this woman’s soft body, her hands gently running over me while she lets out little sighs of contentment.”
“Wow, you really have a dirty mind!”I can’t help but protest, half-indignant.
“If I’m the one with the dirty mind, then why don’t you explain why that ‘innocent’ description sounds so wrong? Because yes, she’s got her hands on you and—”
“That’s enough!” I cut him off sharply.“That’s my Dedicated Soul you’re talking about!”
“Ah, there it is!” he says triumphantly.“You finally admit it! You know you’re connected to this young woman. Whattook you so long? Meanwhile, I think your Soulmate’s fallen asleep. She was exhausted.”
“Or maybe it’s your boring company,”I tease.
“This is how you thank me? With questionable jokes? If it weren’t for me, you’d never have found her!”
He’s right, unfortunately. When Wingo told me to land the SIL in a clearing and said Ileana wasn’t far, I didn’t hesitate. I trusted him completely. He took off, following the link between us—whatever that is, exactly. I still don’t understand how it works, but I’m grateful. Without it, Ileana might’ve died out there, alone in the cold, her wounds untreated.
“You’re right,”I say quietly.“I owe you. Big time. Thank you, Wingo.”
“You’re welcome. You saved my life. I saved hers.”
