Hotbloods 6: Allies

“Understood,” Lauren and I chorused.

With that, she hugged us both one last time before wandering over to Bashrik. He slipped his hands around her waist, gripping her tight, and as she threw her arms around his neck, the two of them were lost in their own world of goodbye.

“One piece, remember?” Lauren said, diving in for another squeeze before making her way toward her waiting ship. I noticed Stone and Xiphio watching her go, but she didn’t pause to say anything more than a brief farewell to either of them, including them in the general goodbye she said to everyone. From the defiant, conflicted look on her face, I guessed it was too hard.

Xiphio and Ronad did the rounds, saying farewell to those of us who weren’t heading to Earth just yet. I was already struggling to hold it together when Xiphio put his arms around me and said farewell, but as soon as Ronad came toward me, my emotions threatened to get the better of me. We’d shared so much together in the time we’d spent in the Idrax house, just him and me, talking through the night, exchanging stories and dreams for the future. If anything happened to him—if anything happened to anyone… I couldn’t even allow myself to think about it.

“You got this, Riley,” he said, wrapping me in a hug. “We’ve singled you out as our leader for a reason. You’re fierce—so fierce. There’s no stopping you now.” He smiled, pulling away slowly.

“Be careful, okay?”

“Hey, if it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go,” he said, a sad glint in his eyes. “Just make sure you survive this. Your story isn’t over yet.” He glanced from me to Navan with a knowing arch of his eyebrow, before heading toward the ship that had been designated for him.

Meanwhile, keeping away from the heart-wrenching goodbyes, Stone, Dio, and Alfa were hurrying between the four ships with the crates of nudus that had been feeding off the mossy vines since leaving Glossa. They already knew which nudus belonged to who and were dropping them off inside the corresponding vessels. As soon as all the nudus were offloaded from the cruiser and delivered to the four Fed ships, and all the additional lycan, merevin, and Rexombran guards were on board, the hatches closed and the engines fired to life.

A moment later, they took off, disappearing through the lunar barrier with a crackle of energy. I watched until the very last moment, waving up at the retreating ships. My throat was tight, and tears were threatening to fall from my eyes at any moment. I’d said goodbye to my two best friends, with no way of knowing how all of this was going to play out. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but there was no time to dwell on it.

After all, Earth was about to get a very important broadcast.





Chapter Forty-One





Navan slipped his hand into mine as we headed back into the metal domes of the Fed’s Lunar HQ, moving toward the comms center. Through glass panels, I could see Fed agents hard at work, getting everything in order for the upcoming battle: checking all the trackers, scanning the local airspace, sending messages to and from the ships, leading the other agents to their ambush spots.

Off to the side of the main hub, Commander Mahlo had set up a room for me to make my broadcast, using the technology they had at their disposal. I felt sick to my stomach, my hands already shaking at the prospect of delivering such a vital message—the most important message, perhaps, in human history. In my mind, I could hear all the old recordings from past wars, the ones I’d always heard in films and documentaries, of great world leaders announcing we were at war. Now, that responsibility had fallen on me.

As Navan let go of my hand, I stepped behind the desk, looking down at the papers arranged in front of me. Commander Mahlo had had them written out in English, but everything was blurry. My eyes could barely focus on a single word.

“Are you ready for this?” Commander Mahlo asked, moving behind a camera and lifting her hand to the controls. Aside from her, the only ones left in the room were Navan, Bashrik, and me. Stone had gone to look over the ship that was taking us to Siberia, while Alfa and Dio had joined the Rexombran contingent.

I gulped, sweat beading on my brow as my stomach churned. “I just need a minute.”

Navan stepped up to me, holding my face in his hands. “You can do this, Riley. Just stick to the script, and this will all be over before you know it. Make them understand—make them believe in you, the way the rest of us do.” He leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips, reigniting my courage. I mean, what was reading a script compared to holding up a global shield? I could do this. I had to do this, for everyone who was about to risk their lives for the human race.

“I’m ready,” I said, and Navan moved away, taking up a position beside Commander Mahlo. I could see his eyes flicking toward a monitor, but I tried to ignore it, focusing on the lens of the camera instead.

Raising her comm device to her lips, Commander Mahlo instructed her communications officers to start the live broadcast. Without a word, she lifted five fingers, her mouth counting down the seconds in silence. Five, four, three, two, one.

I was live.

“My name is Riley Ingram, daughter to Roger and Jean Ingram of Brooklyn, New York City. I was kidnapped in Texas many months ago by a group of alien rebels,” I began, my heart still pounding. “Roger, Jean, I love you more than words can say. I’m sorry for scaring you, but I want you to know that I’m safe… for now.

“That is part of the reason I’m speaking to you like this, hijacking the airwaves. The truth is, there is a threat approaching—an alien threat, more powerful than you can imagine. I know you’re all going to think I’m a crackpot who’s seen one too many episodes of The X-Files, but you’d be wrong. We aren’t alone in this universe, and there is an enemy on its way. Even so, I need you all to stay calm. There is no need to be alarmed. All I ask is that you stay hidden in your homes for the next seven days, possibly more, until another announcement comes to signal the all clear. There are good alien forces at work here, too, who want to help the human race survive. They are called the Universal Alliance, and we are part of that alliance. They are going to create a shield to protect everyone. As soon as you see a blue light in the sky, do not feel alarmed, just stay in your homes. It is the Universal Alliance seeking to keep you all safe.”

I reached out and grasped Navan’s arm, bringing him into the frame in all his alien glory. I knew the humans would never believe me unless they could see an alien with their own eyes. Hopefully, he would be enough to convince them, though I realized that someone like Commander Mahlo, Agent Phocida, Alfa, or Xiphio might have been more convincing.

“I speak to you now, as an alien ally, to tell you that there is good in the universe,” Navan said. “Humanity has to trust in its allies if you are to survive. We will do all we can to save your planet. In return, we ask that you do not panic or cause chaos. Make our job easier—keep yourselves hidden—and we hope that this will all be over soon enough, with as little disruption to your lives as possible.”

“Stay safe. Stay indoors,” I added, sounding like a commercial. “Humanity must survive.”