Page 56 of All or Nothing
“Uraka, what in the name of creation is happening—” Djelani protested, but the comm cut out before I could hear more. I did as Uraka asked, wondering what on earth that crazy orc was up to now, then settled in to wait. I kept trying Xollen’s comm, tried to pull up a nexpage on how to get myself out of this damn hover, but nothing worked. According to what I was reading, Verilla shouldn’t have even been able to lock me out like this, meaning the car might be employing illegal tech. I had a feeling Ireallydidn’t want to see where this hover was taking me.
It was perhaps ten or fifteen minutes later when I realized another hover had pulled up alongside mine. I looked over, and there was Djelani’s familiar furred face smiling at me and waving shyly, the control for her hover clutched tight in her hands. And Uraka…
Uraka was opening the back door of their hover, in full combat gear, her lips pulled tight against her tusks in a grimace filled with rage. She shouted something I couldn’t hear, motioning that I should get on the floor of the cab, and I obeyed, flattening myself as best I could.
I didn’t hear anything for a little bit, my heart pounding in my ears, but then a loud, heavy thud sounded on the roof of the hover, and in the next breath a las knife was punching through the metal and plastic, molten material dribbling onto the seat. The knife dragged, slicing into the top of the vehicle until three sides of a square had been cut. Then two knives punched into the top in the center of the incomplete square, about a foot apart and angled towards each other, and then the top of the car was peeling up, plastic cracking and metal groaning.
Uraka’s insane laughter trickled in, not even the howl of the wind loud enough to drown her out. Then she was crouching by the hole and offering me her hand.
I took it, terrified about what might have been happening but willing to trust Uraka with my life. She hauled me up onto the roof of the hover, bringing me up to stand beside her. She leaned in close to shout in my ear. “We will have to jump back.” She gently honked my boob, like back in the crate all those weeks ago, making me jump and squeak. “Djelani will get as close as she can,” she continued, “and then you must move quickly. Ready?”
I shook my head, eyes wide, as Djelani swerved closer, bringing the open side door within five feet of me, and I froze, knowing there was no way I’d ever be able to get my body to make that leap.
Uraka seemed to realize this at the same time I did; before my brain could process what was happening I was being hauled up and flung through the air, my breath leaving me in a shrill scream.Please, please, please, don’t let me die,I begged, my eyes stuck open wide, weeping from the wind and my terror, but Uraka’s aim had been perfect. I sailed through the opening and landed with a bounce and a shriek inside their hover. Then Uraka’s muscles were bunching, and she, too, was sailing through the air. Her hands caught the edge of the door, and she hauled herself inside, closing the door behind herself.
I was panting, so freaked out I couldn’t manage to do anything else.
“You did great,pra’ja!” Djelani called over her shoulder, making Uraka grin. “Hello again, Joss!”
“H-hi…” I managed. Then I blacked out.
I CAME-TO TOthe sounds of two voices murmuring, one deep and husky and the other light and lilting. My eyes snapped open, and I saw I was lying in the back seat of a hover, and just like that, everything was flooding back in, making me gasp and try to sit up.
“Easy, little one,” Uraka crooned, placing a big warm hand on my shoulder. “You have been through a lot. We will be back at our home soon, and then we can talk and try to sort out our next move.”
I turned my head, taking in Uraka and Djelani’s familiar faces. “Thanks for helping me, guys,” I croaked. “Have either of you tried calling Xollen?”
Uraka snorted, rolling her eyes—something that looked a lot more impressive with three of them.
“No, we haven’t,” Djelani cut in, shooting a hard look at Uraka, who smiled sheepishly. “Ura, why don’t you try?”
Uraka looked like she wanted to protest, but she swallowed her complaints and flicked through her wristcom until she’d pulled up her contacts and dialed Xollen’s number, which he’d given to everyone he’d rescued.
He picked up almost immediately, looking tense. “Uraka? What’s going on?”
“We have Joss. If you want to see her again you will meet us at our home.” She rattled off the address, then cut the call and leaned forward between the two front seats to place a smacking kiss on Djelani’s cheek. “See, my love? I can be nice.”
“That sounded like you were holding me hostage, Uraka!” I protested. I went to flick on my own comm, now that my head had cleared some and I was able to sit up, but when I tried to turn it on it was unresponsive. It didn’t look damaged, so I must have forgotten to charge the damn thing. I sighed, hoping Xollen wouldn’t have a panic attack. “Could you please tell him I’m not in danger? My comm’s not working and I don’t want him to worry.”
Uraka sighed and rolled her eyes but opened up her text comm menu and typed a message, hopefully to do as I asked.
“Thank you, Uraka!” I said sweetly, giving her a bright smile. “Have I told you lately how you’re one of my best friends and I missed you?” The annoyance on Uraka’s face melted away, replaced by something more tender.
“Ah, I have missed you as well, little one. Why have you been hiding from your friend all these long weeks?”
I sighed, feeling guilty for a minute, then sat back and launched into telling her all about what I’d been up to since I’d last talked to her: helping Xollen move and get back on his feet, realizing we had feelings for each other and getting the paperwork for that taken care of, meeting his friends and the fight that led to him getting a new emoreg, then how we started our comic and it took off, finally recounting the disaster of a dinner. In no time at all we were touching down in their parking spot in front of their apartment building, which was a cute structure, smaller than I was used to at only four stories, with red brick and white trim.
“Then I called you. So now you’re all caught up. I’m sorry I didn’t reach out more, Uraka, Djelani. I really have missed you guys. As terrifying as the rescue was I’m glad it’s forced me to get out of my little bubble and see you again.” I sipped at the fragrant and spicy tea Djelani had made for me once we’d settled in to wait for Xollen.
Uraka waved her hand dismissively, her other arm wrapped around Djelani’s shoulders. The delicate felican was sitting beside Uraka on their couch, tucked tight into her side and with her legs and tail draped over Uraka’s lap. “Pah. I understand, little one. The important thing is that we keep the threads of friendship strong from here on out.” She flushed, her free hand settling on Djelani’s leg and squeezing. “I…hmm. I suppose I can forgive the billieuan male for his hand in slavery if he means that much to you. It…” she sighed heavily, and Djelani squeezed the hand that Uraka was still resting on her thigh. They shared a small, sweet smile. “It seems like perhaps I was hasty in my judgment of him.”
My heart melted. “Aww, Uraka, you almost said a nice thing about Xollen!” I teased.
“Pah! You and Djelani should start a club. I am nice! I say nice things!”
I laughed. “I know you do, I’ve just never seen you be nice to Xollen before. But he really does mean a lot to me,” I said, my voice going softer. “I love him, and I think we might get married—er, I mean mated.”
Uraka’s face sank into an uncharacteristically gentle expression. “Tch, little one…I am happy that such a bad start to your life here has born such a delicious fruit.” She gazed lovingly at her own mate, dipping her head to give her a kiss. When she pulled away she sighed heavily and opened her comm, flicking through menus until the little device started beeping and chirping like mad.
