Escapement (The Neumarian Chronicles)

by Ciara Knight

  Had Raeth altered the sand? Perhaps Fallon was right and she never totally disappeared into her mind, just shut the world off from communication so her brain could process.

  Ryder wrapped his fingers around the luminary at the edge of the wing. His feet plunged so deeply into the sand it looked as if his legs were amputated above his knees. His back muscles bulged and threatened to rip his jacket, yet the wing didn’t budge. “I need something to brace my legs on so that I can excavate the ship.” Finally, he admitted defeat and sat back.

  I smoothed my hand over the royal gold emblem. The letter Q with an MV inside the circle. Queen Mandessa Valderak. My mother. The raised surface scraped my palm. A feeling of a dozen feathers swooshed up and down my arm. From the metal, or the thought of my mother, I wasn’t sure.

  The wing trembled. I gasped and yanked my hand away. Warm, stale air entered my lungs and I coughed.

  The wing shook.

  Ryder’s eyes grew wide. “Don’t stop now. Do it.”

  My body honed in on the ship. Until a black, hairy stump protruded from the sand. A shinny tip slid out. It continued to protract until the stump morphed into a long leg that extended over the side of the ship. It raked across the bare metal with a loud squealing sound.

  I let go of the wing and shifted to the implant. Another long leg shot up from the other side of the sand dune, and then another.

  Terror ripped through my body. There were four…no five spider-like creatures. I tried to concentrate on all of them, but couldn’t. The implant hissed when I focused on two at once, but I continued and added a third. Each leg retracted.

  A fourth spider scurried closer. I stretched my mind to stop it, but lost the other two. The implant shocked me and my brain vibrated with one continual electric charge. A sharp tip on the hairy appendage shot at Ryder. I grabbed a knife from my belt and launched myself up on the wing, stabbing its leg.

  Ryder rolled and jumped to his feet. “Watch out!

  Another hairy appendage speared my thigh. Searing pain from my head collided with the burning in my leg. It dragged me several meters and yanked me down until I was half-covered in sand.

  I screamed…head spun…stomach churned. My mask slipped off and dirt invaded my nose and mouth. I clawed at the sand, trying to find purchase, but the creature wouldn’t release me.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ryder straddled the ship’s wing and plunged the splintered wood of the sand surfer into the abdomen of the spiderat. It screeched and convulsed. Brownish-grey liquid flowed from the edges of the board to the ground, making the sand into muck.

  Several more dark hairy legs sprouted from the depths of the never-ending sand. A massive round body emerged behind Raeth.

  “Help her,” I shouted. Kicking with my one good leg, I tried to keep the sand from consuming me. Then I noticed something shiny sticking out of one of the spiderat appendages. My knife.

  Ryder yelled at Raeth. “I’ll lead them away. Get Semara!” He slid down the wing, landed on his sand boots and pumped his arms and legs with fury, moving away from us. The spiderat behind Raeth chased Ryder.

  “Raeth, knife.” I pointed. Sweat burned my eyes. My heart thrashed against my ribs. The creature continued to burrow down, I’d be under the sand in seconds. “Help!”

  Raeth tumbled down the sand and slid to a halt by one of the other spiderat legs. She snatched the knife out and tossed it to me. I plunged the blade into the spiderat leg still piercing my thigh. It shook and squealed below ground. Eight dark, glossy eyes peered up from the sand and focused on Raeth. I grabbed the prickly leg and shoved the knife in again. Black wings sprouted up like wind sails on a trading ship, red veins in a maze pattern pulsing with each flutter.

  I yanked the knife free and plunged it in again.

  It squawked like a dying hawk. The wings billowed and the spider curled the spike in further. I cried out. Pain shot down my leg and up to my hip. I focused on the small middle eye. It had to have a brain.

  It lifted its head up from the sand. Pincers snapped at me. Pain trapped air in my lungs, my head spun, vision blurred, but I refused to faint.

  I clutched the blade in my right hand, keeping the creature’s pincer at bay with my boot. Leaning up, I knifed it in that middle eye with all my strength. The claw retracted. Blood gushed from the wound in my thigh.

  The creature opened its mouth and flapped twice, hovering over me. Glacial blue streaks shot over my head. I looked behind me to see Ryder climbing the sand dune, shooting strings of energy at the spiderat.

  “Hovno!” He gasped and stumbled back, but recovered quickly.

  The blue streaks penetrated the spiderat and the animal screeched, flinging itself to the side barely a few paces away from me.

  Ryder fell to his knees heaving beside my head. The creature frantically moved back and forth another meter before it collapsed. Warm, brackish saliva exploded from between two pincers all over us.

  I struggled to stay conscious. Two more creatures flew overhead, flinging silk threads and ramming each other as they fought over the body of the one Ryder had killed.

  “Over h-here!” Raeth’s voice echoed from the other side of the ship.

  Ryder held me in his arms. Red stained our clothing. Crimson ran across the sand around us. So much blood.

  He dragged me across the sand to the other side of the ship, fell to his knees, and pulled his mask away. “Listen to me, you ain’t gonna die. You got that?” He ran his finger down my cheek. With one hand pressed against my thigh and one above the wound, he stared down at my leg. Swirls of silver spun in his eyes and the inside of my leg stitched back together with little pain.

  Raeth stood by our side, keeping watch on the creatures fighting over their meal.

  He paused and lifted the pressure from my thigh. “Small fibers left behind from the spiderat complicates things. Fibers can’t stay inside, they could cause severe infection.” He wiped his forehead.

  “Wh-why do you w-wait?” Raeth asked.

  “Need more energy. Must kill off the hair, but that’d drain me. If I don’t heal, she’ll die of infection.”

  “You m-must try.” Raeth grasped his hands, pleading with moist eyes. “Sh-she’s s-special.”

  “Don’t. Leave me. Get Raeth out of here.” I finally manage barely above a whisper, but he only ignored me.

  A sizzle sounded from inside and smell of burnt spider hair flooded the air. Itching, burning, fire…pain. “Ah! Stop.”

  He pulled back. “Sorry. This isn’t gonna feel too good. Don’t have time or energy for the anesthetic part of my gift to work.” He gripped down like an iron vice around my thigh.

  I tried to pull away, but I was too weak to fight. Tears streamed down my face. Icy darkness shot deep into my body. I screamed and clawed at his hands.

  Intense pressure mounted deep in my leg. I could hear bone crack and feel muscle fibers re-lacing. My tendons stretched and heat surged as they melted back together. “Can’t seal skin all the way though.” Ryder exhaled.

  His hands shook.

  I clenched my jaw attempting to drive the piercing icicles from my body.

  “It’s over…rest,” he rasped between labored breaths while stroking my hair.

  “Raeth, I—” He gasped. “—can’t finish healing her.” He lifted the water jug to his lips then to mine. Smooth, cool water caressed my throat on the way down.

  Aeek. The Spiderats sounded.

  Raeth nodded. “They finished their snack.”

  Ryder grabbed the supply bag and dug through it. “Really? Who would’ve…” He retrieved a first aid kit. “Uncle.”

  I chuckled at the thought of a guy who could heal anyone having a first aid kit handy.

  With antiseptic, needle and thread in hand Ryder faced me with soft eyes. I cringed and scooted away. “No, just bandage it. I’ll be—”

  Hot wind whipped through, stirring sand around us and he hunched over my wound. Coolness radiated up and down my leg, massaging my
muscles until they relaxed.

  “Ever done this before? I’m thinking no, since you can heal people,” I mumbled.

  “Never touched a needle and thread, but it’s the same basic principle.” His hands shook, betraying his confident tone.

  Raeth crawled to his side. “Here, l-let me.” She took the supplies from him, ran the thread through the eye and handed it back to him.

  If I survived all of this, it would be a miracle. He tore my pants and cleaned the wound. He studied the white raised skin on my thigh above the wound. “What happened?”

  I wanted to shield my scars from him, but he’d already seen them. My mind slid back to the day the general had taught me a lesson, and I could only shake my head.

  He poured the antiseptic over my wound. It bubbled a foamy rust color. Small cries escaped my lips, but the thought of attracting more creatures of the Wasteland empowered me to clench my jaw tight to keep from screaming.

  Ryder wrapped his arms around me and held me tight against him. “Shh. Know it hurts, but it’ll pass.”

  My mind whirled through the moments of hatred in his eyes then to all the touchy feely times. I knew it was just the Neumarian way. A few days ago I would have never believed a Kantian princess would end up wounded and in the arms of a Neumarian slave.

  His tan skin, rugged jawline, and muscular body drew me in, but his loyalty to his people and his compassion wrapped its tentacles around my heart and squeezed tight. Never had I met someone so strong, with such a gentle and kind touch.

  Ryder leaned back on his heels. Pressing his hands against my thigh, a tingle danced across my skin, but it didn’t last long. He wobbled and fell to his elbow.

  Raeth helped him upright. “You c-can’t use your power any m-more.”

  Ryder shook his head. “Only want to dull the pain some.”

  “I’ll be fine.” I swallowed hard and stared over his shoulder, refusing to show my fear.

  “I’m sorry,” he said as he pushed the tip of the needle into my bare skin.

  I sucked in a deep breath refusing to cry or scream. The smells of alcohol and blood overpowered my nose but I ignored them and continued to stare into the distance. My vision blurred into orange waves.

  Skin pulled and stretched. My stomach churned when he pushed the needle up the other side of my tender flesh. It was no worse than the zap of a laser with no anesthetic. I’d been conditioned to take my punishment without screaming. This was no different.

  “Should’ve protected you.”

  My heart soared at his words despite the little voice inside my head reminding me he was never going to be an option.

  “Mission is to get you to Acadia. I won’t fail again.”

  My chest constricted. That’s all I am, a mission.

  Thread laced through another piece of skin, burning as it pulled quickly through.

  Raeth squatted by his side and blotted his forehead. He continued for ten more stitches. “Should keep dirt and germs out. Must be more creatures around here. I’ll try to steal some energy if I get the chance.”

  “Looks g-great.” Raeth wiped my leg clean and he fell against the ground next to me.

  Despite my ability to stifle my cries, I couldn’t keep my head up. I fell back, my eyes rolling back in my head.

  He pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  The sun would set soon. With me unable to walk let alone lift my head, there would be no way to dig the ship out tonight, and we only had three days to reach the coast.

  “No way to survive the elements and scavengers of the desert overnight. We don’t stand a chance. Need shelter.”

  I heard Ryder speak, but couldn’t pry my eyes open.

  Ryder lifted my head. The feel of his strong, large hands, and earthy scent had become familiar to me. “Raeth, your gift. Any way you could uncover the hatch of the ship enough for us to crawl in, then recover the majority of it?”

  “How w-would we b-breathe?” she asked.

  After a moment he rummaged through the bag. “We’ll leave the vents open, if we run out of air, we can use these recycling masks.”

  “Wh-what if we can’t s-start the sh-ship t-tomorrow?”

  “Let’s worry about tonight. If we survive, then we’ll tackle tomorrow.”

  I didn’t want to be helpless while they worked on getting us safe. I needed to figure out how to lift the ship from the sand. I forced my eyes open, but still the world spun.

  Raeth turned, one hand toward the sun, the other at the sand. A large tidal wave lifted and retracted. A wall of bricks formed from sand, erecting at the edge of the cockpit.

  Aeek, Aeek.

  My heart thundered. Spiderats.

  The sky grew black in the distance. Not just a handful, but hundreds of them flew straight at us.

  They’d come back for revenge. “Hurry!”

  Raeth turned and blew cyclones up like a wall of wind and sand, but the spiderats busted through. She tried again as Ryder grabbed my hand. Despite the pain, I sat up and half-crawled, Ryder half-dragging me into the ship.

  “Grab our bags!”

  Raeth didn’t move. “Get in! Now!”

  He let go of me, reached out and snatched the bags. Raeth stood and stared at the fast approaching beasts.

  She was lost again. No one home.

  I dug deep and lifted onto my one good leg. Clutching her boot, I yanked her in, her metal leg slammed against Ryder’s shoulder. He pushed free and closed the hatch. Red spots dotted its edge and I knew what had happened to the scout. The same thing that almost happened to us.

  “Raeth, now. Cover the ship.”

  The darkness closed in, only a few rays of light remained as a tidal wave of sand covered the ship.

  I held my breath as thuds and bumps echoed in the small two man ship—the three of us barely able to fit inside.

  I prayed the creature’s legs weren’t strong enough to smash through the glass. If so, we’d be impaled and ripped apart for the spiderats to feast on our bodies.

  “Can they get in?” At the sound of my voice, spider legs clicked against the glass. A small crack etched down the side of the window.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The ship jolted. Glass cracked. I pushed my palm against the cold metal below me and grunted. A small vibration seeped through my hand.

  Weak. So weak. Not enough to repel the spiderats with my implant, if I even figured out how. Too many of them. But maybe I could use my gift.

  I tightened my stomach, ignoring the throbbing pain in my leg. Then took a deep breath and clenched my teeth so hard my jaw popped. Two quick rapid zaps rushed from my core to my hand.

  The ship hummed around us. Spiderats stopped for a second.

  Ryder squatted by my side.

  Sand ran down the sides of the ship, allowing more light in. Raeth smeared the dirty glass. Eight midnight eyes shone back at us.

  I cringed but kept my focus on the ship. A claw raked down the metal on the side of the small craft, sending shivers through my body. Hot lava bubbled and churned in my chest. Thin lines of fire shot through my lungs, down my shoulders and arms, and out my palms.

  We couldn’t lift off, but I connected with the ship. Warm waves flowed through copper wires and into the console, a direct line to my mind. I searched for the right path to the ship’s weapons, or some way of blasting the wretched creatures off. Colored threads of current pictured in my mind, taste of copper invaded my mouth, sounds of humming currents.

  There. The shields.

  “You can do it,” Ryder whispered.

  My mind sputtered. The implant fought my possession on the ship’s metal components. Cracks and pops electrified my skull as if thousands of tiny explosions attacked my sinuses. I sneezed and coughed, trying to expel the singeing particles, but couldn’t. Instead, I embraced and followed the path back to the implant. I could see the veins and wires crossing into one web and I allowed the implant’s will to lead me.

  The connectio
n jolted my body, shoving all the air from my lungs. I clutched my throbbing head but relaxed my mind. With one last brain splintering snap, the energy waved through the implant, back out, and through my body, electrifying the ship.

  Horrific long groans sounded from outside as the cabin jostled once then rested in the sand.

  No dark hairy legs pecked at the glass. No glazed eyes stared hungrily at us. Only a bronze, muted hue from the shields. Hopeful the spiderats would not return, I fell back exhausted. Every muscle twitched and wire complained.

  Ryder pulled me tight against his chest. “That’s my girl.”

  His words caressed my heart. His girl. Since my father’s death, I hadn’t been any one’s girl.

  “Impressive.” His lips pressed against mine, vaporizing the scorching heat from my powers. A cool mist danced around my mind and body. Bliss, as if I’d jumped in the lake on a summer day and floated on the surface.

  My muscles calmed, his powers internally stroking mine. Lost for a moment in his arms, I gave in to his comfort.

  Raeth cleared her throat and sat at the control panel. “I-I don’t th-think the s-spiderats will come back t-to play anytime s-soon.”

  “Long as shields hold, we should remain here ‘til morning.” Ryder scooped me up in his arms and settled me down behind the pilot’s chair. He removed his jacket, folded it, and placed it gently under my head. It reeked with the bitter odor of spiderat venom, but I didn’t care. Since my father’s death, no one beside Bendar had cared for me like this.

  “I can heal the rest of your leg slowly through the night.”

  The thought of him touching me all night sent a warm buzzing through my head. Would it be so bad, enjoying his touch for one night? Tomorrow I’d probably be eaten, shot, or executed.

  “Just need my body to regenerate. I can steal that energy and use it to heal you.” He arched a perfect dark eyebrow as he spoke. “Unfortunately, normal rate, without stealing energy, will take all night. If I could’ve gotten closer to the spiderats, I would’ve taken some. But for now, this should work.”

  “Do we have enough water and supplies?” I asked.