Born of Fire

It was useless; he couldn’t even raise his arms high enough to pull on his shirt.

This time when she came near, he didn’t push her away. Without a word, she dressed him with gentle hands that only seldom hurt his injuries. But that wasn’t what really hurt, anyway.

The external injuries he could take. It was the wound she’d given his heart that crippled him. That was the one he couldn’t get over.

How could you . . .

When she finished, she took his good arm and placed it over her shoulders. “Just lean on me, Syn, and I’ll walk you out of this hell.”

“You’re the one who put me here. Twice,” he snarled through his broken jaw.

Shahara’s conscience screamed its own condemnation over his condition. He’d been here less than a day and Merjack had done all but kill him. “I know, baby. I know.”

Nero took over once they were outside the cell and helped Syn the rest of the way to the bay.

As soon as they boarded the overseer’s shuttle and launched, one of the escorts brought her a first aid kit while Nero moved up front for the launch. “I don’t know how much help this will be. But I think there’s some stuff in it to help dull the pain.”

“Thank you.” Shahara took it from his hands. She dug around until she found the pills. “Do you need water?” she asked Syn.

He shook his head before he roughly ground out, “They . . . broke . . . my . . . jaw.”

“Oh,” she whispered, knowing he’d never be able to open his mouth wide enough take the pills.

No wonder he’d been so silent.

Shahara looked down in shame and replaced the bottle in the kit. Once more she searched the contents for something that might ease his pain.

There was nothing.

“Sorry. There’s no injector in here, or anything else to give you.”

Syn said nothing. He just laid his head back against the wall of the craft and closed his eyes.

Wanting desperately to help him, Shahara got up, moved around the steel partition that separated her from the pilots and asked the two escorts, “Is there someplace where he can lie down until we get there?”

The man who’d brought her the first aid kit spoke up. “We could make a pallet on the floor with some of our emergency blankets.”

At the frown on her face, he turned contrite. “I’m sorry, seax. This is a prison shuttle, not a luxury class cruiser. It’s the best we can offer.”

Well, at least the pallet would be better than his trying to sit up. “Where are the blankets?”

He led her and Nero to the storage compartments and helped her pull them out. Together, she and Nero made a semi-soft bed and helped Syn lie down.

Shahara sat beside him while the escort returned to his station. She watched Syn try to swallow and she hated herself for leaving him to Merjack. If only she could go back and change things.

But she couldn’t do that.

The least she could do now was try to explain herself, especially given the fact that, for once, he’d no choice but to listen.

“I know you don’t believe me,” she said, stroking his bruised cheek. “But I never meant to hurt you.”

His glare turned lethal and she could read his thoughts as easily as if they were her own.

“You’re right. I did turn you in, twice. But it’s not what you think. The first time we met, I thought you were guilty of all those crimes. Then I was approached by another seax, Warden Traysen, from your prison. He’d been investigating Uriah Merjack for years and when he learned about the chip, he decided not to prosecute Merjack for the human rights violations in the prison, but wait until he could prosecute him for murder. The only way he could prove his case was to get your chip.”

She brushed her hand across his fevered brow. “He was the one who suggested to Merjack that he contact me, and then Traysen told me what my real duty was. I was afraid to tell you my mission because I didn’t think you’d believe me. Now that I know who your mother is, I know you wouldn’t have trusted me. Ever. You’re too stubborn for that and I can’t blame you.”

She sighed and brushed his dirty hair off his forehead. “You don’t know how many times I’ve regretted my bargain with Merjack.”

He looked at her and his eyes were so sad, so betrayed that it brought tears to hers. “I know you think I betrayed you, but I really do love you, Syn.”

In desperation not to lose him forever, she added quickly, “By the time I saw the real you, it was too late. Everything had been set into motion and I couldn’t stop it. That last night, I was going to lie to Merjack and tell him you were dead so that he wouldn’t hunt for you anymore. Then I was going to hand you and the real chip into overseer custody.”

The accusation in his eyes spoke loudly: You think that would have been any better?

He looked away.

Shahara closed her eyes and wished she could start over with him.

But it was too late.

Sighing in defeat, she put his hand down beside him and went to join the escorts.