Page 29 of Seven Oars
Anske’s chin lifted.“We’ll find a way to get away from them.”
“What are they?” Sassa asked, her voice so thin and warbling that everyone turned to her.
Eze frowned.“Hey, are you okay?”
Sassa made a sound that might’ve been a bitter laugh if her teeth weren’t chattering so loudly.“What kind of question is that? Am I okay?Are you?”
“I’m still alive and grateful for that.”
“For how long? And what are they going to do to us before they kill us?” A hysterical note crept into Sassa’s voice.
No one seemed to know what to say, what to think.
Shock. That’s what it was.They were all feeling it.
Alyesha sat back down and pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them.“By god, it’s cold in here.” Her normally smooth hair was a tangled mess.
“They’re Rix, aren’t they?” Fawn was frowning, rubbing her thighs.“They look like our Rix, except for the one with the ears.”
“He’s a Tarai alien,” Rosamma said absently.
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Our Rix?” Anske exclaimed.“Let’s not split hairs. They’re the same.”
Rosamma turned to Phex. The Cargo Hold had barely any illumination. The couple of lights that worked were dim and pulsing. Even so, the sheen of fresh blood on his fancy uniform was unmistakable.
“These are pirates,” she said quietly.“Ours were defenders.”
Aris, Riel, or Silo hadn’t made it into the pirate’s station, and that could only mean they were all dead, even if Rosamma hadn’t seen them fall.
“I’m hungry!” Daphne cried.“Hungry, hungry!”
She got stuck on the word, repeating it in a monotone chant.
“How long will she go on?” Alyesha asked irritably.“I can’t think.”
Eze moved over to the girl, pulling her close.“She’s frightened and hungry. And she probably needs her meds and a restroom.”
“Don’t we all?” Alyesha cursed softly.“What are we supposed to do with her in this place?”
It was one of a thousand questions without an answer.
They huddled together in a bedraggled, limp group, listening to the unfamiliar whoosh-and-grate of some invisible but powerful machine that made this place livable.
Their clothes were torn from the capture. Their bodies, sweaty from earlier exertion, were turning to ice under the overzealous vents. Anske kept rubbing her stomach in obvious discomfort.
Rosamma’s head rang from low energy.
Ren.
Her thoughts turned to her brother. Word of their capture wouldn’t have reached him yet. He hadn’t yet learned about his death sentence. Oh, Ren.
I’m so sorry.
A low, throaty moan cut through her thoughts.
There was a slight movement as Phex flexed his hands like he was fighting an invisible enemy.
