Page 84 of Lorran
Lorran whistled. “That is a lot of ship for one male.”
“It is a cargo vessel, nothing more,” Caldar said, and even Wyn could tell he lied. The ship occupied most of the garage. Battered and dingy, it looked well-worn but not down at the heels. It also looked…muscle-y? She couldn’t think of the right way to describe it.
“Advanced weaponry and deflection shields. Yes, a simple cargo vessel,” Lorran replied dryly.
The ground shook again.
Apparently, the Suhlik’s coffee break was over.
“Will this get us out of here?” Wyn asked. Leaving sounded good.
“Yes. Untie me and I will fly us out,” Caldar said.
“No. I am capable of piloting this craft,” Mylomon said. “Unlock the ship and transfer the command codes to me.”
“You do not know this ship or its capabilities. I am the expert.”
The air pressure changed, and the garage’s outer wall vanished. Just disintegrated. No explosion, though her head spun. A ringing noise filled her ears. Dust choked the air. Wyn coughed, her eyes gritty.
Suhlik appeared, their shadowy figures emerging from the dust. Their faces were the things of nightmares, golden scales catching the light and almost beautiful, but their eyes were black.
Empty.
It was…it was like she was a kid again, caught in a filthy cloud that choked the air and suffocated her. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t run, despite Lorran shouting at her to head to the ship.
Lorran rushed forward, brandishing his blade. He grappled with the nearest Suhlik, and all Wyn could think was that the Suhlik wore armor and Lorran had a plain cloth shirt and how unbelievably selfishly he behaved.
So this was it? Married and widowed in less than a month? Frustration boiled inside her gut.
Fuck no.
She wasn’t helpless, and she wasn’t that suffocating little girl anymore. Wyn drew the pistol. She flicked the safety off, and it hummed with power. Lorran and the Suhlik wrestled, trading blows.
Wyn’s hands were steady as she aimed. The sight wavered from Lorran, his nose bleeding, to the empty-eyed Suhlik. The pistol wouldn’t stop a fully armored Suhlik soldier, which was fine.
She wasn’t aiming for the Suhlik.
The first shot hit the canisters behind Lorran and the Suhlik. The second ignited the fuel. Thick, oily smoke filled the garage.
The Suhlik opened fire, scattering shots on the ground, and hitting the ship behind them.
Saavi grabbed Wyn’s arm, twisting it, and she took the pistol from Wyn. Standing behind Wyn, Saavi used her as a shield and fired erratically.
“On the ship, Mikah!” Saavi shouted.
The Suhlik returned fire, the blasts sounding distant to her ringing ears. Wyn stumbled to the ship, half-dragging Saavi as she tried to break free.
The ship’s engines roared to life. Wyn couldn’t hear them but felt the vibration deep in her chest. On the ramp, the ship lifted off the ground. She clutched the railing. A shot bounced off the railing, and she threw herself to the floor. The ship climbed higher, and the ramp raised. She scrambled up, keeping her head down as shots pinged off the ship’s hull.
Saavi fell, a blast scorching the center of her chest.
“Mom!”
Lorran caught Mikah, barring him from running to his mother. “The ship. Now.”
“Come on. Hurry,” Wyn said, holding out a hand to the crying boy. He leaped onto the ramp, grabbing her wrist, and hauling himself up. Lorran scrambled up next, pushing her inside.
Mylomon appeared on the ramp, carrying Saavi in his arms. Her body was lax, slumped like a broken doll. Scarlet seeped out from the middle of her chest.
