Page 7 of The Cerulean Sister
"The stabilizers are malfunctioning, just stay put!" he directs as something falls to the stone walkway and shatters.
99 once explained some sort of cushioning or balancing in the infrastructure of the buildings here to prepare for such tremors, but as with much of the Viathan technology, I let it go over my head willingly.
I place my forearms over my head in case one of the panels falls on us, but through a crack in my arms, I notice Commander Wesley's visor is fixed to the side as if staring and then he opens his shoulder to brace for a collision.
99’s gloved hand shoves him away like his weight is nothing, almost knocking him to the ground.
I gasp as 99 hovers over me, casting a larger blanket of protection than Commander Wesley, his forearms planted on the wall above, body pressed painfully close. I want to wrap my arms around him in a hug but I'm too afraid to move out from under his shelter.
99 sends me reassuring light through the tether and beckons me to tell him if I am hurt. He doesn't flinch as more things crash down from the ceiling.
I catch the shine of a mechanical arm falling into the miniature jungle of plants at the front of the greenhouse where it tended to them.
The panel right above us shakes and looks as if it will be the next to fall, so I wrap my arms around 99’s waist. The moment I do, I know he wants me to stop, to tuck my arms in and be fully shielded by his form again.
I close my eyes tightly, the tremor so loud I can't hear anything but the world coming down around us. We are too far into the structure to move; there is nowhere to go.
I tug him impossibly closer against me, hugging so tightly his heaving breath shallows.
And then it's suddenly warm all around us, and I can feel 99’s arms come down from their placement on the wall behind me to the back of my head.
He embraces me tenderly even though the destruction continues.
Confused, I crack open my eyes and see a bright green halo around us, surrounded in an emerald dome of our own.
99 rubs my back, while the tremor rolls to a stop and the alarms calm, the tiny movements of his helmet searching for any indication that I am harmed.
"I'm alright," I tell him, holding onto his forearms and letting my light fade away into tiny dancing particles.
He takes a heaving breath and then turns deadly slow to Commander Wesley in the other door’s threshold next to us.
"You should have taken her outside," 99 barks at him.
"We weren't by an entrance," I say quickly. "I came back here to look at another flower."
"Apologies, Priestess Ferren, I should have escorted you out."
"No. You did nothing wrong," I tell him.
"I could feel how afraid you were, Ferren," 99 says slowly to me, like he can't bear it.
"I thought—I thought it was a ship arriving from Cosima for a moment."
99's fists clench like he is holding back and hearing the confession is too much.
Commander Yeva jogs toward us, gracefully avoiding the scattered debris. "Lord General has dispatched to the emperor's wing."
"Find out why those fucking stabilizers are off." 99 jabs at the air between him and Commander Wesley. "Commander Yeva, I want you glued to Ferren's side, is that clear?"
"Affirmative, 99th Commander," both guards reply in unison and position themselves with their hands behind their backs and heads down in submission.
"Go!" His command is so loud, I'm surprised another glass panel doesn't fall from the ceiling.
99 turns to me, his breathing so deep his chest plate moves, trying to collect himself from the harsh tone he used on my guards.
"Commander Wesley got me to safety, 99. I would have been dead in some artificial forest if he hadn't been so quick to move me."
He shakes his head, finally calm.
