Page 91 of Splintered Shadow
Sarah pumped her fist, keeping her arm close to her torso.
“The survivors will have been on their own for several weeks. They may require medical care,” Vekele said.
“Yes, yes. Whatever you feel is necessary. Take the Starshade ship, outfit it accordingly, take my best guards, and spend all my money,” Baris said, his tone tired and a little weary. “Now, if you do not mind, the medic has been uncharacteristically patient waiting for me.”
He pushed himself out of the chair and limped across the room. Every step betrayed the injuries inflicted on him.
Vekele drew her away, leading her to their cabin. The king’s cabin, actually. She supposed they would have to switch cabins now. Somehow, packing their luggage seemed exhausting.
Once the cabin door closed, Vekele placed his hands on her shoulders. He looked at her with a deeply concerned expression on his face. “Is this what you truly want?” he asked.
She reached up, cupping the side of his face. In this light, his complexion wasn’t a flat gray. It had a heathery purple undertone. “I really do like your face.”
“Sarah, are you well?”
“Yes. I mean, no. Obviously. My brain is buffering what just happened. I’m sure it’ll hit me when I’m in the shower or buttering toast. Who knows?” A shower and toast sounded amazing, actually.
“Sarah,” Vekele said, grabbing her attention. He sounded as tired as she felt.
“Sorry, I’m exhausted and getting distracted,” she said. “Yes, I want to stay. I told you.”
“The mission?”
“Yes,” she said, not hesitating. “I don’t like the idea that there are people out there stranded and possibly hurt. We can do something about it. Something good.”
His hand rested on the back of her neck, and their foreheads bumped.
The simple gesture grounded her.
This was home. She would miss her parents and the comforts of Earth. The portal took her from everything she’d known and gave her so much.
This was their story, and they would make it together.
“Then I accept your mission,” he said.
Epilogue
Sarah
Six MonthsLater
“If you’re certain,”Sarah said. Standing outside a stone farmhouse, she shifted from foot to foot, aware of her boots sinking into fresh mud. The sun finally emerged after a rain shower. She always thought country air was supposed to smell sweet, but it smelled like mud.
Ghost sniffed the ground, spinning in a circle to chase an interesting scent. He’d grown, nearly doubling in size. Her monster puppy was a full-fledged monster now.
Donna crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against the doorframe. She watched Ghost warily, but so far, the worst thing Ghost did was splash through a puddle. “Your offer is kind, Princess, but I’m staying.”
A large Arcosian man stood behind Donna, then placed a hand on her shoulder. Interior shadows partially hid his face. He made an imposing figure, but Donna relaxed at his touch.
They were scared of her.
In the six months since Sarah’s search and rescue mission— or Save the Humans, as she called it— they found nearly two dozen people. The media picked up on the story of “lost humans,” which helped locate the first cluster. Half accepted Sarah’s offer to come with her and hopefully find a way back to Earth. The other half had already found their place in the alien world and weren’t interested in leaving. One man, Bernard, landed on an uninhabited tropical island. Said it was the best vacation he ever had.
“Please, call me Sarah,” she said. People insisted on using the title. Honestly, Sarah didn’t think she’d ever get used to the strangeness of it. Bad enough the Arcosians used the title. It was downright weird being called Princess by another human. “We both went through a portal.”
“You landed with a prince, and I have my farmer.” Donna smiled sweetly. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”
Hard same.
