Out of Orbit- The Complete Series Boxset

by Chele Cooke

  He had never put a collar on her. He had bought her, and under the Adveni rules he could do whatever he chose, and yet he had not hurt her. He had given her freedom. He had protected her, choosing his own death over hers.

  Georgianna swiped her hand under her nose, brushing away fresh tears. She turned away from the collars and followed the others down the tunnel.

  “Been here about four days,” Wrench said as they trudged through the camps. “Been taking on troops where people are willing, letting them get behind us if they want to stay out of it. The Cahlven have their Densaii with the shield up, so people can stay safe.”

  The sun was setting in the west and a drizzle painted the world around in shades of murky grey. Georgianna wrapped her arms around her stomach as she walked, staring at the ground. Wherever she looked, she could see his face. She could see the blood seeping across the earth and the jerks as stray bullets hit his body.

  “The Cahlven are allowing that?” Keiran asked.

  “Beck’s insistence, I think,” Wrench said. “People with kids and stuff. After word got out about Nyvalau we had quite a few begging to join the fight. The Cahlven took a ship south to the border of the destruction. Managed to pick up some large groups who wanted to come back.”

  Keiran glanced at her. He opened his mouth, paused, and then closed it again. Georgianna followed the footprints in the damp earth, not really listening.

  The houses around them buzzed with activity. Men in uniforms she didn’t recognise swarmed in groups down the roads. Most of them had the look of Olless: eyes slightly too far apart, small nose, lips thin and pale. When she looked closely at Tohma, stomping along beside them, she realised he was from the same stock. He glanced at her and smiled in surprise to find her watching him.

  A few of the men greeted him, and before long he split off to join a group of Cahlven soldiers huddled in a doorway. Wrench waved him off and indicated that they should continue on.

  Georgianna rolled her shoulders back. Without the electricity to overwhelm it, the burning had returned. She peeled the shirt from her skin and held it out.

  “We’ll get something for it,” Keiran said as he fell in to walk beside her.

  Wrench looked over and raised an eyebrow.

  “Nsiloq,” said Keiran, answering the silent question. “Maarqyn’s idea.”

  Georgianna didn’t look up. She didn’t want to see the pity in Wrench’s eyes. She didn’t think she’d be able to hear apologies from him or anyone without feeling like a liar. Edtroka had given his life. She didn’t deserve any apologies.

  Wrench guided them to a small house on the corner of two slim roads. The door was already open and the smell of cooking meat wafted down the corridor, but he didn’t go in. Instead, he dumped his bag next to the wall and stretched his arms over his head. Georgianna lowered herself to the ground and leaned over her knees.

  “Welcome back, Mr. Zanetti, Miss Lennox.”

  Olless looked as though she thought it were a perfectly normal day. There was a small smile on her lips as she came closer. She patted Keiran on the shoulder but even as Georgianna stared at her, Olless didn’t so much as glance in her direction. Silence stretched out.

  “The troops are on the way back,” she said, even though nobody had asked.

  Dhiren hovered behind Olless. He tipped his head back, his face up to the rain. His cheeks were already pink and Georgianna wondered whether his eyes would be reddened, too. She stared back at the ground. She wasn’t about to ask him if he was alright. He wasn’t. None of them were.

  The soldiers arrived, in dribs and drabs. Some strode in with the confidence of conquerors, while others hung their heads and trudged through in silence. When Alec appeared, flanked by Cahlven soldiers, he marched straight towards them, and Georgianna could see him checking each face. There was no joy in him. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder, longer and more formidable than any she had ever seen. He carefully propped it against the wall of the house, but as he turned and Olless stepped forwards to greet him, he moved straight past her, going instead to Dhiren, placing a hand on his arm.

  “They took his body,” Alec said, gently. “We tried, but it was too late.”

  Dhiren blinked and looked at him with bloodshot eyes.

  “And her?” he asked. “Is she dead?”

  “I don’t know. We were pushed from the square pretty quickly. I had to follow to give cover.”

  Dhiren gazed at nothing, his eyes out of focus and his expression slack. He nodded and, without a word, turned and walked away.

  “What are our numbers?” Olless asked, impatiently. Alec stared at the space Dhiren had left vacant and raked his short nails against his leg.

  “You’d need to speak to Beck about that,” he said. “They separated to pincer the Adveni troops in the square. I couldn’t see the full assault.”

  Olless huffed and glared at each of them as if her ignorance was their fault. When she reached Georgianna, she sneered and turned away with barely a glance.

  “I need to make the report. Send Casey to me the moment he returns.”

  “Will do, boss,” Alec said with a disdain Georgianna thought he reserved for only Adveni and Keiran.

  Once Olless had left them, Alec shuffled his feet. His gaze flickered and flitted, finding insignificant patches of wall.

  “I’m glad you’re alright, Zanetti,” he said, finally, without looking at Keiran.

  Keiran shifted his weight as he, like Alec, looked anywhere but at the person he was addressing.

  “Thanks,” he muttered. “For helping get us out.”

  Alec nodded. When he finally looked at Georgianna, his gaze softened and he moved closer, with slow, cautious steps. He crouched in front of her and rested his hand on her knee. Georgianna gave it a squeeze. Tears crept into her eyes and her throat tightened. With the smallest smile, he returned the squeeze and pushed back up to his feet.

  “Wrench!” The flash of dark curly hair caught Georgianna by surprise. Jacob rushed forwards, his face red from exertion. “Are you alright?”

  Wrench beamed and grabbed Jacob by the arm, tugging him forwards into a hug. Georgianna braced herself for Jacob to freeze at the sudden embrace, but Jacob returned the hug, grinning as Wrench ruffled dark fingers through his hair.

  “I’m good, Jake,” Wrench said. “Not a scratch. Told you.”

  Jacob pulled back and breathed in deeply. He nodded and wiped his palms on the backs of his trousers. Only then did he notice Georgianna and Keiran. The smile disappeared, replaced with a stern look of concentration.

  “We should get something on those,” he said.

  Georgianna had never seen Jacob as anything other than shy and reserved. Even when he did speak, he usually blushed and quickly looked away. The young man before her seemed completely different, spurred into action. She didn’t want to think about what could have happened while they were away that would put that sort of urgency in him.

  “Can you see to George first?” Keiran asked.

  “Of course.”

  Jacob studied Georgianna. She’d seen that look many times before, mostly on Jaid and Keinah when they were assessing a patient to see which injury needed the most urgent attention. Georgianna touched her hand to the top of her shoulder. Keiran nodded to her.

  “Can we go somewhere private?” she asked.

  Jacob pointed down the road.

  “There’s a house. It’s not far.”

  Keiran grasped Georgianna’s hand and helped her to her feet. She closed her eyes, head spinning at the sudden movement. Keiran kissed her on the cheek and she followed Jacob down the road.

  He led her into a tiny shack. The old furniture had been pushed against the wall, replaced with boxes and bags of supplies. Jacob closed the door without needing to be asked. Georgianna drew her shirt up over her head. She clutched it to her chest and gave a small smile as a bright blush rose on Jacob’s cheeks.

  “Sorry,” she murmured.

  He shook his head
as if the action hadn’t bothered him, but with his cheeks, ears, and neck all now a rather impressive shade of red, she quickly turned away and swept her hair over her shoulder to reveal the mark on her skin.

  “Oh.”

  Jacob’s voice was barely a whisper. He stepped closer, sweeping the tip of his finger around the edge of the mark. He dragged one of the boxes further from the others and patted the top. Turning to one of the bags, he opened it and dug through it. Georgianna took her seat and watched.

  “My side, too.”

  “There’s another?”

  He leaned around her and Georgianna shook her head.

  “Bullet. We were running. It’s just a graze.”

  “Alright, I’ll get that next.”

  Jacob began searching through one of the boxes for supplies. He drew out a couple of linen bags and laid them on the floor next to her seat.

  “Where’s Lacie?” she asked.

  “She stayed back. Beck wouldn’t allow her to the front, said it was too dangerous. A family took her in under the shield.”

  The leaves he pulled out were bright mint-green. He grabbed a cantina of water and held it out for her. Clutching the shirt against her chest with one hand, Georgianna wedged the cantina between her knees and unscrewed the lid. The water inside was warm and stale but she gulped it down as fast as she could pour. It dribbled from the corner of her mouth and dripped onto her skin. Jacob took out a metal tin and moved behind her.

  The first time he touched the mark, she yelped and almost dropped the water. He had smeared a cool balm onto his fingers, but the contact sent a searing pain down to her bones.

  “Sorry,” he murmured.

  “No. No, it’s fine.”

  He rubbed more balm onto the mark and each flare of pain was replaced with cold relief. She took another gulp of tepid water and dried her chin on the shirt.

  “I would have thought you’d stay with Lacie,” she said as he laid one of the large hyliha leaves over the wound.

  He gathered a couple of strips of material and frowned. Twisting it around his fingers, he pulled so tight that the tips turned pink.

  “I wanted to help.”

  He returned to his position behind and urged her to lift her arm to the side so that he could slide the material beneath. He wrapped it tightly over the wound, drawing another hiss from her. This time, he didn’t apologise.

  “I didn’t want to be useless. I’ve been useless for too long.”

  Georgianna turned so fast that he jumped and dropped the second strip. The blush on his cheeks deepened as he picked it up.

  “You were never useless, Jacob. After everything you went through, you… You are so strong. No one should make you feel useless.”

  His smile was timid and embarrassed. He gave a small shrug and urged her to turn back around so that he could place the second strip.

  “I guess you have the same mark,” he said quietly. “That means you’re strong, too.”

  Georgianna didn’t feel strong. She wrung her hands together and stared at the ground.

  “Jacob,” she whispered.

  “Yeah?”

  “What is it? The mark? Keiran didn’t tell me.”

  He paused, examining the strip of material. She looked over her shoulder and saw he was frowning at it.

  “Jacob?”

  “It’s a bird. It’s abstract, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it is.”

  “A bird?” she breathed.

  “Yeah,” he said, finally meeting her gaze. “In a cage.”

  Georgianna couldn’t bring herself to say anything as he tied the strip in place, knotting it around the top of her shoulder. While the mark stung her skin, it was nothing compared to the scars the Adveni had left on her life. It wasn’t what they had given that would haunt her, it was what they had taken away: the people. Her mother, lost to a senseless fight in the Oprust district. Her father, brother, and nephew, devoured by the Mykahnol at Nyvalau. And Edtroka. Even the thought of his name made the hole in her stomach bigger.

  She was being patched up and yet it felt more like being pulled apart from the inside out.

  No matter what Jacob Stone said, she didn’t feel strong. She didn’t feel useful or worthy.

  She felt nothing.

  When Georgianna awoke, she found Keiran’s arms wrapped around her waist, his hands pressed against the small of her back. His lips rested on her forehead and his breath fluttered through her hair. She wriggled in his grasp and he pulled back. His eyes were wide and alert.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Is it morning?”

  He nodded. Georgianna pushed herself up to a sitting position, massaging her face. Keiran propped himself on his elbows and watched.

  She had been alone when she finally fell asleep. Alec had brought her a bowl of stew and shown her a place to rest. He’d told her that Beck had arrived back safely but that they’d lost a lot of men in the assault. When Georgianna had asked if they’d come to the square because they’d known Maarqyn planned to execute them, Alec fell silent. Georgianna knew the answer was yes, and that only made her feel worse. She couldn’t imagine Olless would have been happy about such a plan, since the Cahlven emissary had made it clear she held Georgianna in low regard. She wasn’t happy about it herself. How many lives now hung over her head? A dozen? A hundred? She’d thanked Alec and retreated, leaving the stew steaming in the bowl.

  Hunching over, Georgianna pressed her forehead to her knees, feeling the pull of the Nsiloq in her skin. It felt less uncomfortable than the day before, but she was still all too aware of its presence. The space behind her temples throbbed painfully and she pressed her fingertips against her head, rubbing in circles.

  “How are you feeling?” Keiran asked.

  “Like I wish people would stop asking.”

  Keiran stayed silent, and when she turned to him he was staring at the wall.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean, I just—”

  “It’s alright.”

  “No, it’s not. Honestly, I don’t know how I feel. Or… or I don’t want to know.”

  He wouldn’t understand if she told him the truth—that she wished they had never entered the square. He had been suffering, too, and she certainly didn’t want that. But she couldn’t weigh her individual life against all the others. Any relief she felt at having survived was soon eaten away by guilt and anger.

  Alec appeared at the doorway. Georgianna welcomed the interruption and got to her feet, brushing off her sides.

  “Olless wants to see you both,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

  Keiran touched her back as he passed her.

  “Better, thanks,” he answered for them both. “Alec, thank you for yesterday.”

  Alec’s smile was small and uncertain. He clapped Keiran awkwardly on the shoulder.

  “You got me away from Maarqyn,” he said. “Figured I should help you do the same. Don’t want to owe you anything.”

  Keiran laughed, though it didn’t sound entirely honest. He strode from the room and out into the fresh air. Alec stopped Georgianna when she moved to follow.

  “George?”

  “I’m fine, Alec,” she said without waiting for the question. If she allowed herself to directly face the question, she knew she wouldn’t be able to lie.

  The morning light had been washed away by a new onslaught of rain which slapped against her face in hard pellets, soaking through her clothes in seconds. But it was cold and it felt good.

  They found Olless in one of the houses beneath the Cahlven shield on the outskirts of the camps. Like in the building where Jacob had patched her up, most of the furniture had been shoved against the walls to make way for supplies. A large table had been set up as the kitchen centrepiece and covered with papers, diagrams and maps. Notes spread over every inch of the papers.

  “Good! You’re here,” Olless said without looking up. She turned some papers over and shuffled others into piles before she looked up. “I need to know wha
t happened after you were taken.”

  Keiran dragged a chair from the corner and slumped down into it.

  “We were kept in a cell, tortured, almost killed.”

  Georgianna remained in the doorway. The further she could stay from Olless, the better.

  “What did they want with you?”

  There was no delicacy to her words, no concern that the question might upset them, or that revisiting their capture might be painful. Olless looked between them, calculated and unsympathetic.

  “They wanted to know what you were up to.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  Keiran’s gaze flickered briefly to Georgianna before he straightened in his seat.

  “We told them that the Colvohan was coming, and about Edtroka’s plans with the Mykahnol,” he said, unabashed.

  “ I told them,” Georgianna corrected him. “Keiran didn’t say anything. I told them the plans.”

  As hard as she tried, she couldn’t read the look Olless gave her. Maybe she was tired, or perhaps she had been expecting it, but her expression was blank as she returned Georgianna’s gaze.

  “It’s of no matter,” she said. “The first of the troops arrived after you left the encampment in the north. The Colvohan returned from Nyvalau in the night.”

  “And the Mykahnol? What’s the plan there?”

  “There isn’t one. The inability to coordinate a full evacuation of Adlai now makes the point moot. We are certain that they will not try to detonate.”

  Keiran moved forwards in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees.

  “So, what is the plan?”

  “With the Colvohan now on Os-Veruh, we are waiting for confirmation that the Volsonnar will still meet to discuss terms.”

  “What?”

  Georgianna stepped closer to the table. This was impossible. There had to have been a mistake. Perhaps it was organised before the assault. There could be no way the Cahlven would agree to a meeting after the Adveni’s actions.

  “You’re still considering terms with these… monsters?”

  Olless’ lavender eyes were cool and impassive.

  “Of course.”

  “They shot Edtroka in the head!” Georgianna cried. “His own father gave a nod and that was it.”