Page 58 of Loving the Alien Spy

“I have no desire for your blood to be on my hands. Besides, I think someone is lying to you. My father is not the perpetrator of the crime you’re saying he has committed.” I shake my head. “Idon’t know who gave you that alleged correspondence between Ivik and me, but I did not write that.”

“I know for a fact you did,” Ryvik insists.

“That isn’t possible since I am telling you, I didnotwrite that.”

“You’re lying. My father is the one who told me what yours did. He has proof.” His gaze bounces frantically between Bannik and me.

“Proof can be manufactured,” my brother says.

“This wasn’t.”

I heave a sigh. We’re getting nowhere. “Where are Mohneek and Orvak? If you help us, I can convince the queen and the prince to make your punishment less severe than it would be when they find out you’ve been hiding them.”

“I’m not saying anything, because unlike you, I understand the meaning of the word loyal.” Ryvik withdraws a blaster and points it at me. “You know nothing of what it means to be a brother. Look how you have treated Bannik. It’s no wonder he hates you. My father wouldn’t lie to me, unlike yours. He is the one who violated Mohneek. The one who drove her to madness and to plot taking over the throne. Since he can’t pay for his crimes, you’ll have to pay for them instead.”

A bright light flashes and searing pain hits me in the chest, knocking me off my feet and flat onto my back. I stare up at the sky and the way the moonlight fades in and out. A loud thud comes from a short distance away, but for some reason, I can’t lift my head to seek out its source. A male is yelling, but I can’t make out his words. The night sky is dark again. Not even a single star is visible.

Gods, my chest hurts. Why can’t I breathe? I close eyes that are growing heavy. More voices join the first, all of them yelling, but they’re muffled as though they’re underwater. Thankfully, the pain is easing. In fact, numbness is taking its place.

“Carrik, you need to open your eyes,” a familiar—but unplaceable—voice commands. “Carrik.”

A stinging pain flares in my cheek, and I do as the voice demanded. Hovering over me with a panicked expression is Bannik. I raise my arm and palm his jaw. “My brother.”

“You need to stay awake, Carrik. Help is coming.”

“I am sorry for all the pain I caused you. I know you can never forgive me, nor do I blame you. Please know that I have always loved you.” My arm drops to my side, and I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. “Tell my heart’s fire I wish for her to move on and find love and happiness. That is all I have ever wanted for her—to be happy.”

“Gods’ blood, Carrik, you will not die. Do you understand me? I already lost twenty anums with you,” Bannik snaps. “I won’t lose any more. Fight, brother. If not for me, then for Lindsey.”

“Goodbye, brother. I’m sorry.”

Chapter 28

Lindsey

I jackknife up in my bed with a gasp. My heart pounds, and sweat coats my forehead. Something’s wrong. I don’t know what I just felt, but it’s bad. I toss back the blankets and throw my legs over the side of the bed at the same time loud knocking comes from my front door. Not even bothering to throw on a robe, I rush out to open it.

My stomach drops. I can’t breathe, and I stumble backward. Johnna leaps forward to catch me as black spots dance in my vision.

“He’s alive,” she rushes out. “But he’s hurt. I was supposed to wait longer before I came to get you, but I knew you’d want to be there with him.”

He’s alive. He’s alive.I keep repeating that and barely hear anything else she just said. “What?”

“Carrik’s alive, but Vornak has him in one of the healing pods. It was bad.”

Slowly, what Johnna had said before processes in my brain. “Let me get changed, and I’m coming with you.”

“I’ll wait right here.”

I practically run back to my room and throw on the same clothes I’d been wearing earlier today, along with a pair of sandals. In less than two minutes, I’m pushing past Johnna and heading out the door. She keeps pace with me as we ride the lift down to the main floor and out the front door. Streetlights shine on every corner, guiding the way. I don’t know what time it is, but it’s late. Like, middle-of-the-night late.

“What happened?”

“I don’t really know the details other than Bannik and Horek brought Carrik to the healing center with a catastrophic blaster wound,” Johnna explains. “Vornak hurriedly got him into one of the healing pods, but he wasn’t sure how much damage had been done. I woke up when they dragged my mate out of bed, so I was there to help. They wanted me to wait until Carrik had been in the pod longer and healed more before you were told, because they knew you’d want to see him.”

“Why didn’t you listen to them?” I will be forever grateful she didn’t.

Johnna glances at me. “Because if it had been Vornak who’d been injured as badly as Carrik appeared to have been and someone didn’t come get me immediately, I would have never forgiven them. It wouldn’t matter that he’d lived. Sometimes I think these males forget how strong we are.”