Read Online Burn With Me (Legend of the Sun Whisperers) by Christle Gray - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christle Gray
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Draco, the deep sadness she felt more than obvious on her tear-stained face. When he managed to meet her gaze, his golden eyes were bright with his own un-shed tears. He mouthed the words I’m sorry , the phrase only slicing deeper into her heart like a hot knife. She batted the tears away with a swipe of her hand.
The sound of Serra ’s wracking coughs exploded in the quiet room, and jolted Maddelyn out of her thoughts. She glanced over to where the child had slid to the floor, her body convulsing with the effort to breathe.
In a flash, Maddelyn was on her knees, rubbing Serra ’s shoulders and murmuring. “It’s ok, baby. Just hang in there. It’ll pass.”
Maddelyn ’s fingers moved in small circles along Serra’s shoulders and neck. The cold panic that iced her veins every time Serra had a bad attack set in and chilled Maddelyn to the bone. She found herself praying for everything to be all right, though in her heart, she didn’t know who or what she was praying to. What kind of a God would let things like this happen?
With a shudder, Serra took another breath and her coughing ceased. Relief flooded through Maddelyn as it did each time this happened. She hugged Serra fiercely and realized that someday, this would end in a completely different way. And having seen it end for so many people, Maddelyn knew that day was coming all too soon.
Standing up, Maddelyn scooped Serra into her arms and turned to Draco, her eyes silently pleading with him. “We need to get Serra to bed. Too much excitement for sick little girls.”
Draco nodded. “I had hoped all systems would be fully restored, but since they are not, we do need to leave.”
He led them out of the Medical Bay and back to the main control room, pausing at the central core unit once more. After he pushed a few more buttons, the screen returned to its home within the console. “CAIT, please continue restoration of systems, and remain cloaked at all costs. I will return when I can.”
“As you wish, Draco.”
Maddelyn turned toward the door as she heard the whir of it opening and descended the stairs. “We’ll be home in a flash. Just close your eyes,” she whispered in Serra’s ear as she pressed her face into her shoulder to shield her niece from the biting wind and dust of the outside.
* * *
As she watched and felt the humans leave the protection of her walls, CAIT allowed herself a brief moment of self-pity. Though she had just met the two females, she instinctively wished to be of assistance to them, even more so because the life of one so young was at stake. If she had been properly prepared for voyage, instead of being taken away from her space dock in the heat of battle, things might have had a different outcome. Though given the severity of the child’s disease, the probability of another outcome was slim. Still, the fact that there was a probability at all got her neural circuits in an irritated bunch.
CAIT mentally took stock of her systems, re-routing power as needed as she continued her self repair. After making sure once again that her cloaking shield was intact, she re-analyzed the data collected from Serra ’s scan. Accepting defeat of any kind was difficult for CAIT to accept, so she needed to be completely sure that the situation was as she originally believed it to be.
Even after processing more than a thousand scenarios in mere seconds, CAIT ’s conclusion was the same. Serra’s sickness would undoubtedly end her young life. This detail only fueled the anger and frustration that had been building since she’d landed on this primitive planet. And unlike those with physical forms, she had no way to deal with the conflicting feelings coursing through her system. She couldn’t punch a wall like she’d seen Draco do many times. No fists. Besides, she was the wall, so the point was moot.
CAIT turned her attention back to her internal systems when a small idea popped up in the recesses of her neural core. She quickly
The sound of Serra ’s wracking coughs exploded in the quiet room, and jolted Maddelyn out of her thoughts. She glanced over to where the child had slid to the floor, her body convulsing with the effort to breathe.
In a flash, Maddelyn was on her knees, rubbing Serra ’s shoulders and murmuring. “It’s ok, baby. Just hang in there. It’ll pass.”
Maddelyn ’s fingers moved in small circles along Serra’s shoulders and neck. The cold panic that iced her veins every time Serra had a bad attack set in and chilled Maddelyn to the bone. She found herself praying for everything to be all right, though in her heart, she didn’t know who or what she was praying to. What kind of a God would let things like this happen?
With a shudder, Serra took another breath and her coughing ceased. Relief flooded through Maddelyn as it did each time this happened. She hugged Serra fiercely and realized that someday, this would end in a completely different way. And having seen it end for so many people, Maddelyn knew that day was coming all too soon.
Standing up, Maddelyn scooped Serra into her arms and turned to Draco, her eyes silently pleading with him. “We need to get Serra to bed. Too much excitement for sick little girls.”
Draco nodded. “I had hoped all systems would be fully restored, but since they are not, we do need to leave.”
He led them out of the Medical Bay and back to the main control room, pausing at the central core unit once more. After he pushed a few more buttons, the screen returned to its home within the console. “CAIT, please continue restoration of systems, and remain cloaked at all costs. I will return when I can.”
“As you wish, Draco.”
Maddelyn turned toward the door as she heard the whir of it opening and descended the stairs. “We’ll be home in a flash. Just close your eyes,” she whispered in Serra’s ear as she pressed her face into her shoulder to shield her niece from the biting wind and dust of the outside.
* * *
As she watched and felt the humans leave the protection of her walls, CAIT allowed herself a brief moment of self-pity. Though she had just met the two females, she instinctively wished to be of assistance to them, even more so because the life of one so young was at stake. If she had been properly prepared for voyage, instead of being taken away from her space dock in the heat of battle, things might have had a different outcome. Though given the severity of the child’s disease, the probability of another outcome was slim. Still, the fact that there was a probability at all got her neural circuits in an irritated bunch.
CAIT mentally took stock of her systems, re-routing power as needed as she continued her self repair. After making sure once again that her cloaking shield was intact, she re-analyzed the data collected from Serra ’s scan. Accepting defeat of any kind was difficult for CAIT to accept, so she needed to be completely sure that the situation was as she originally believed it to be.
Even after processing more than a thousand scenarios in mere seconds, CAIT ’s conclusion was the same. Serra’s sickness would undoubtedly end her young life. This detail only fueled the anger and frustration that had been building since she’d landed on this primitive planet. And unlike those with physical forms, she had no way to deal with the conflicting feelings coursing through her system. She couldn’t punch a wall like she’d seen Draco do many times. No fists. Besides, she was the wall, so the point was moot.
CAIT turned her attention back to her internal systems when a small idea popped up in the recesses of her neural core. She quickly
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