Tash

by ML Guida

  “What happened?”

  She sighed and told him everything.

  Tash clasped her shoulders. “Scarlett, I thought you couldn’t touch anything in your visions?”

  “I couldn’t before. This is the first time I could actually interact with anything. Except when I yelled, the child and the Gogs couldn’t hear me.”

  He hugged her. “That’s great.”

  Every bit of energy had been drained from her. She could barely left her head or arms. Weariness settled into her bones. She swore they weighed over a thousand pounds. “I’m so weak, Tash. I feel like all the energy has been zapped out of me.” Her voice was softer than a whisper.

  “Shades, your face is so pale.”

  Scarlett could barely keep her eyelids open and her head toppled forehead.

  “Scarlett, are you all right?”

  Tash’s handsome face went in and out of focus. Black dots broke out all over his cheeks.

  “You’ve got black spots all over you. Is that an Arian disease?” Her head tilted to side and she passed out.

  “She’s coming around.” An unfamiliar male voice echoed in Scarlett’s pounding head, like a bugle bellowing in her ears.

  “Ow,” she mumbled and put her shaking hand on her sweating forehead.

  “Scarlett, are you okay?” Tash’s worried voice pierced the fuzziness circling in her mind.

  Her eyes fluttered open. Tash, Topaz, the ship’s doctor Tryker, and Hoss all stood around her with worried looks on their faces.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Not really, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. He’d tie her up and leave her in their quarters.

  Tryker glanced at something over her head. “According to the medical board, she’s still very weak. She can barely breathe.”

  “Maybe if you all didn’t suck up all of her air, she could breathe,” a sarcastic female voice said.

  The men all parted like the Red Sea. A curvy woman with long blond hair and glowing gold eyes approached Scarlett’s bed. Scarlett tensed and gripped the blankets.

  Hoss’s eyes widened. “Agnes!”

  “Hello, Scarlett. I’m Detective Agnes Malloy from the Arvada Police Department. I’ve been anxious to meet you.” She elbowed Hoss in the ribs. “I’m this big lug’s mate.” She winked. “And I’m from Earth.”

  “Really, you are?” Scarlett’s choked over the words, because her throat was so damn dry.

  “Tryker.” Agnes tilted her head. “Could she have some water?”

  Tryker nodded. “Of course.” He immediately poured a glass of water from a pitcher.

  Scarlett licked her lips, eager to taste the cool water. Tash gently wrapped his arm around her and helped her to sit. He took the glass from the good doctor and gave it to Scarlett who gulped the cool water down that washed away the desert lodged in her throat.

  She emptied the glass and handed it back to Tash. “Thank you,” she murmured. “Help me sit up.”

  Tash easily lifted her to a sitting position. Scarlett took a deep breath. She cast her gaze over Agnes, not sure what to make of her. “Okay, I understand who you are, but why did you want to meet me?”

  Another person, even a cop, who wanted to stare at the freak of the week.

  “Because you and I have something in common,” Agnes said.

  Scarlett frowned. “We do.”

  “Yes, like you, I’m a psychic. But I see dead people.” Sadness flared in her eyes. “And unfortunately, there are a lot of dead on the planet Sutois.”

  Tash winced and turned his head. Scarlett’s heart bled for him. He was riddled with guilt and grief.

  She lifted her eyebrow. “And?”

  “You and I are going to work together. You see visions, and I see the dead. Together we’re going to nail the bastard who is strip-mining nitrinium.”

  Scarlett’s headache still gripped her. “Where are we?”

  “Orbiting Sutois,” Captain Topaz said. “We’re waiting for you to wake to know where we should look first. Our scanners haven’t been able to pick up any life forms except for the cursed Gogs.”

  “They must be using a force field to hide the mine,” Tash said.

  Topaz’s face turned grim. “Obviously.”

  Scarlett met Topaz’s fierce gaze. “Have you used your scanners to hunt for an Arian child or a cub?”

  “Tash told us about your vision, but we haven’t been able to locate a child.”

  Fear welled in Scarlett’s heart. Maybe the poor child had perished. “Can you eliminate the Gogs and only search for an Arian?”

  “It will take time, but we can try.” Topaz pulled out his telicator. “Padean, this is Topaz. Start scanning for an Arian child and eliminate the Gogs on the scanner.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Based on what he finds, we’ll start investigating from there,” Topaz said.

  Tash rubbed her hand. “We’ll keep in constant contact with you.”

  Scarlett narrowed her eyes. “Are you serious? Haven’t we’ve been over this?”

  He gestured toward the medical board. “According to Tryker, you’re weaker than a new born fluffer.”

  “I have no idea what a fluffer is.” Scarlett waved her hand and braced her shoulders back. “But I’m coming with you. My visions have seen that without me you will all fail. Discussion closed.”

  “Tash,” Topaz said. “You’ve believed in her visions, and that’s why we’re here. I can’t risk my crew if what she says is true.”

  Tash rubbed the back of his neck and cursed under his breath. He dropped his arm. “Fine.” He gave her a hard stare. “But you do exactly, and I mean exactly, what I say.”

  Topaz’s telicator beeped.

  “Topaz, here.”

  “Captain, this is Padean. We’ve located the small Arian, but we believe a group of Gogs are tracking him.”

  Scarlett’s heart squeezed tight. “Tash, we have to save him. He’s the key.” She couldn’t hide the panic that made her voice tremor.

  “We will,” he said. “I swear we will.”

  “We leave in twenty minutes,” Captain Topaz said. “Meet us in the shuttle hanger. We wait for no one.”

  His poignant stare turned Scarlett inside out. She’d better get herself out of this damn bed.

  Everyone left except for Tryker and Tash.

  Tash looked at Tryker. “Do you think she’s well enough for this mission?”

  Tryker shook his head. “You heard the captain. It doesn’t matter what I think, does it?”

  Scarlett glared at the doctor. He might as well as put nails in her coffin.

  He bowed and walked away.

  Scarlett flicked the blanket off her. “Don’t even think about it.”

  Tash folded his arms across his chest. “Can you even walk?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, I can walk.” Or at least she hoped she could.

  She gritted her teeth and slowly put her shaking legs on the ground. If she collapsed, there was no way in hell Tash would let her go down on that planet. She had to go. For all their lives.

  Tash watched her like an eagle. He didn’t gesture to help and in fact, even crossed his arms over his chest, because down on that planet, no one would be able to help. Only the strongest would survive.

  Taking a deep breath, she took a step. Her damn leg shook, but she managed to stand without falling face first. She braced her legs shoulder length apart to give herself more stability.

  She lifted her chin as if she owned the world. “I’m ready.”

  He cocked his eyebrow and then shook his head. “Come on.” He clasped her elbow and ushered her out of the medical lab.

  She had to jog to keep up with him and her legs were screaming in protest. “Where are we going?”

  “Back to our quarters.”

  “No.” She dug her heals into the floor like a small child but it was useless.

  “I’m not going to leave you behind. I gave you my word, but I’d assumed you wanted to freshen up.
Agnes left some clothes for you to wear.” He smiled. “They’re kinda big.”

  Kinda big was an understatement. They swallowed Scarlett, but they were clean. The green shirt was more of a tunic and she had to use a belt to keep up the pants. Agnes had even left a belt for her. Her generosity warmed Scarlett’s heart.

  Scarlett combed out her hair. She didn’t have time to shower and quickly had braided her hair.

  She was ready in less than fifteen minutes.

  Tash hadn’t spoken. His silenced unnerved her. She thought any minute she’d bounce around like a whizzing balloon, but she kept her mouth shut tight.

  The reality was that she’d land on a planet with creatures who thought she’d be a yummy Twinkie, and that set off every red alarm inside her. Adrenaline pumped through her veins at a million miles a minute, while her instinct told her to faint and stay safe on board a star ship stuffed with fire-breathing dragons.

  The doors to the shuttle hanger were already opened. She and Tash were back where they’d started. Captain Topaz, Hoss, Agnes, and Padean all waited for them.

  Behind them was a shuttle craft with the name Excalibur painted on the side. It reminded her of a giant silver hotdog with wings.

  “We’re going to be a small landing party,” Captain Topaz said. “I don’t want to risk anymore of my people until I know what the hell is down there.”

  Tash met his steely glare. “We know what’s down there. What we don’t know is whether or not we’ll survive. The Gogs were powerful enough to wipe out half my crew.” He bowed his head. “Or at least capture them without me knowing.”

  Topaz nodded. “I realize that. Padean has the coordinates of where the Arian child was moving. Unfortunately, the Gogs are still pursuing the child. When we arrive on Sutois, Hoss, Padean, and I will all shift into dragons. Agnes will ride Hoss. Tash will ride Padean and Scarlett. you will ride with me.”

  Tash shook his head. “No, we ride together.”

  “Fine. You both will ride me. Is everyone armed?”

  Everyone said yes, but Scarlett. She suddenly felt very small and very naked. She should have had Tash show her how to use one of their eruptors. She was going down to a hostile planet with her only her wits to survive.

  Scarlett’s heart stopped and blood drained from her face and retreated from her fingers. Scarlett’s mouth fell open.

  OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod

  She was about to ride a dragon way up in the sky without a seatbelt.

  Neither Agnes nor Tash looked like they were scared out of their underpants. Scarlett tried swallowing the fear that threatened to spew all over the landing pad.

  The shuttle craft’s door slid open and stairs automatically dropped down. Captain Topaz climbed up the shuttle craft’s stairs first followed by his officers and Agnes.

  Tash gestured with his arm. “After you, mate.” His stern voice didn’t do anything to reassure her.

  The knowledge that she could die wormed into her heart. She forced her quaking legs and braced her shoulders. She could do this. No, she had to do this.

  At least on the shuttle craft there were green leather seats with seatbelts. She wondered where the leather came from since obviously cows were not native to Zalaria.

  Ten seats were lined behind the navigators and co-navigators. Both Padean and Hoss took those seats. She and Tash were in the back.

  She snuggled into her seat and buckled up tight. She stared straight ahead and gripped the armrests tight, turning her knuckles white.

  Tash leaned close. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, why?” Her sharp voice could have cut through glass.

  “You’re paler than the moon,” he said gently. He placed his large hand over hers.

  “I’m fine.” Or she would be when they were back on the Intrepid, back in their quarters, in each others’ arms, and Willow purring at their feet.

  “Just remember to stay close to me.” He kissed the side of her hot cheek.

  She nodded wordlessly.

  The hanger doors closed and the much larger ones opened to space.

  Padean tapped buttons on the controls. He glanced over his shoulder. “Ready for take-off, Captain.”

  Topaz nodded. “Engage.”

  Scarlett sucked in her breath, but couldn’t take in enough oxygen. Tingles went off in her fingers and toes one-by-one, turning them numb. Black spots blurred the back of Topaz’s head and the screen. She squeezed her eyes tight.

  Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic.

  The shuttle lifted off the landing pad.

  Breathe, breathe, breathe.

  “We’re charting a course for the last known whereabouts of the cub, Captain,” Padean said.

  Scarlett inhaled and exhaled three times before she opened her eyes. The black spots dotting the captain’s head and the screen were gone, but her tummy was twirling up and down like a beaten tennis ball. Sweat glistened over her, but she ignored the fear threatening to strangle her.

  Sutois was a big blue planet, which she assumed had oceans and land masses like Earth. Clouds drifted around the planet. A large moon orbited the planet, but unlike Earth’s, the moon had different colors and even looked like it had atmosphere.

  Tash pointed. “That’s the moon, Taurous.”

  “It doesn’t look anything like Earth’s.” Her voice was surprisingly normal and hopefully, no one noticed the terror tracing up her spine.

  One look at Tash and she knew she hadn’t fooled him. His face was grim like the others, knowing that some of them might not survive this little tour.

  “That’s because Earth’s moon is actually a giant dead rock. Taurous can support life. We actually had a colony of scientists on the moon who were studying the planet Sutois.” Sadness descended onto his low tone.

  “What happened?”

  He averted her gaze and drew up his shoulders nearly around his ears. “The Kamatrinians destroyed the colony before we could get there in time.” Guilt was loaded with each word.

  Tash blamed himself for everything, and she didn’t know how to erase those itched lines on his face that made him look older.

  As the craft descended toward Sutois, Scarlett drew on every ounce of power she had and closed her eyes, recalling on her past visions.

  But then another one came…

  14

  Tash stared at the big blue planet that had shredded his self-confidence into bits of star dust. It was a little bit smaller than he remembered. Smaller than Aria, but it packed a deadly punch. He rubbed the scar on the right of his cheek that he’d gotten trying to save the nurse. He’d assumed she’d been eaten, but what if all this time, she was trapped in the mine?

  A bitter taste brewed in his mouth and burned down his dry throat. He closed his eyes and hung his head. The memories rolled over him of the lost colony, the crash, and the cave.

  Shades, he had to do better. His crew, his mate, all depended upon him being the captain he once was. There was no time for doubt.

  “We’re entering Sutois’s atmosphere,” Padean said.

  The ship twirled and dipped. Tash opened his eyes to white fluffy clouds floating around the shuttle. Dread roiled his stomach.

  He glanced over at Scarlett. Her eyes were white again and fingers stiff.

  “Shades, Topaz, she’s having a vision.”

  Topaz whirled around in his seat. “What?”

  Agnes’s eyes widened. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

  Padean glanced over his shoulder. “How long do her visions last?”

  Tash shrugged. “I don’t know. Sometimes it’s for a few minutes, sometimes over an hour.”

  Topaz frowned. “Can you bring her out of it?” Anger rushed through his voice.

  Tash’s jaw clamped up and he spoke through his clenched teeth. “Why would you want me to? Her vision could help us.”

  Topaz gestured toward the front window. “Because we’re about to land. We don’t have time to wait for her to come out of her vision. Last
time she woke up, she passed out and it took her almost an hour to come out of it.”

  As much as Tash wanted to argue, Topaz was right. “I’ll carry her.”

  “She’s a damn liability,” the captain murmured.

  “I don’t think so,” Agnes said slowly. “I for one vote to wait for her to come out, especially since we’re on this little outing due to her visions.”

  Padean looked over his shoulder. “Captain, do I land?”

  “No,” Topaz growled.

  The tension bunched up in Tash’s muscles unwound, but pain in his gut grew stronger. This wasn’t going well and Topaz wasn’t a patient dragon––not when it came to the lives of his crew.

  But Tash understood. He’d be in the same pickle.

  Scarlett’s head snapped back. Her eyes fluttered open, returning to their beautiful blue, and she gasped for breath.

  He waited patiently not wanting to rush her.

  “Tash, I saw the mine.” Tears glistened in her eyes and her hands were trembling. “They’ve got the prisoners locked up and plan to blow it up.”

  Hate pierced Tash’s heart. “Why?”

  A glisten of sweat spread across her forehead. “Because we’re here. They want to destroy the evidence.”

  He grabbed her shoulders. “How long?”

  “Based on what I saw, they plan to do it tonight. They’re loading the last of the nitrinium now.”

  Captain Topaz narrowed his eyes. “Is there a spaceship?”

  Scarlett shook her head. “Not yet. The ship will rendezvous tonight.”

  Agnes asked, “What about the child? Is he still alive?”

  Scarlett nodded. “He’s hiding in a cave behind a waterfall. The cave is halfway up the mountain. But the Gogs are close. Real close.”

  “Padean,” Topaz said. “Check for mountains with a waterfall and a cave.”

  “Already doing so, Captain. Scanners are picking up a waterfall with lifeforms. One inside and the Gogs. Fortunately, we’re close and we can land on top of a plateau near the mountain.”

  Topaz settled back in his seat and faced forward. “Good. Ignite the cloaking device.”

  Scarlett turned to Tash. “What’s a cloaking device?”