“Painkillers are definitely something I can get behind right now,” I say. My leg feels like it’s on fire, and I just want to cry.
Which I’m absolutely not going to do, since everyone, even Beckett, is here now, looking like they want to help but are unsure how.
Ian has his back to me. He’s rummaging through the first-aid supplies we got in Rangar. Then he turns and gives me a forced smile. “Let’s get you fixed up.” He steps closer.
“Have you ever stitched up a bullet wound?” Rain asks, sounding as worried as she looks.
“Not technically,” Ian replies. “But I’ve certainly experienced more of them than your average medic.”
I don’t ask why that is. Mostly because I’ve seen him in action.
He has a pair of scissors in one hand, and he’s brandishing a hypodermic needle in the other. My eyes are fixed on the needle—not because I’m scared of them, but because I’m not sure Ian is the one I want stabbing me with it.
“I’m an excellent seamstress,” Rain says with conviction, coming up next to Ian now. “I spend a lot of time doing needlework at the monastery. Why don’t you let me handle the stitching-up part?”
“And why don’t I take that huge needle off your hands,” Beckett adds, joining her. “I’ve certainly seen my share of those while on the Caelestis.” She gives me a wink, and I’m sure I’m delirious now, because did Beckett really just wink at me?
Ian steps back, and then the dream team of Beckett and Rain is hard at work. I barely feel the prick of the needle—Beckett is better at this than I imagined—but within seconds, blissful numbness is running through my leg.
My whole body relaxes. “That’s so lovely.”
“Okay, then. Let’s get that bullet out,” Ian says. “Bullet retrieval is definitely my specialty.”
“Can I sit up a little more?” Now that the pain is fading, I want to see just how badly I’m wounded. Max presses a button close to my head, and the top half of the bed raises so I’m half sitting.
Turns out I can’t actually see much, currently, as the wound—and my beloved jumpsuit—is covered in blackish coagulating blood.
Ian presses a finger to my leg. “Can you feel that?”
I shake my head. “No.” Thankfully.
“Let’s do this, then.”
As he works, the others crowd around me, keeping my focus off what Ian is doing by telling me how brave I am, how worried they were, and how amazing the Starlight was with its odd solar flare.
“Hey, Kali,” Gage pipes up. “You ever hear the one about the drokaray crossing the solar system?”
I know exactly what he’s doing, but I take the bait anyway. “No, Gage. Why don’t you tell me?”
“Why did the drokaray cross the solar system?”
We all look at him, patiently awaiting the answer.
“To get to the other side!”
Rain giggles, but the rest of us sort of stare at one another, and Ian lets out a snort. “That’s terrible, man,” he says.
“I know,” Gage admits, “but it’s still funny to me. The other side. Ha.”
Ian rolls his eyes at me, but he’s smiling. “Bullet’s out, Princess.”
I take a peek. Ian is holding up the bullet. It’s black and quite small and really doesn’t look capable of causing nearly as much pain as it has.
My leg is bleeding freely now, though. Max swoops in and wipes away the blood, then holds the wound together as Rain does her thing with the needle. She really is quite good at it, and it’s only a few minutes before she steps away and Max wraps a bandage around it.
My stomach settles once everything is covered, but it still hurts. A lot. Max hands me some painkillers and a glass of water while Ian gives me another jab—in the arm this time. “To stop any infection,” he tells me.
Then I’m done.
He goes to the bottom of the bed and covers me with a blanket. At least the shivering has stopped, but as soon as I’m alone, I’m going to get out of what remains of my wet jumpsuit.
He tucks me in. Aw. We really have come a long way.
“Why don’t you try and rest,” he says. “While we go and work out what the fuck we’re supposed to do next.”
It’s a good suggestion, but I don’t want to be alone right now. “I can’t rest yet. My head is whirling. And I want to help figure out what to do. As the one who’s come closest to dying—twice—I think I have a pretty high stake in this.”
Surprisingly, Ian doesn’t argue with me. Instead, he shrugs and says, “Fair enough.”
“Make yourselves comfortable, people.” Max looks at Beckett. “Is there anything you need to do?”
She shakes her head. “No, we’re in orbit. Too high to be picked up from the planet. So, we’re good for now.” She turns to Ian. “I take it you didn’t find your friend?”
“No. She’s gone.” His voice is as empty as his eyes. “She’s in the Wilds. Trafficked to one of the asteroids.”
“Shit. That’s not good. You want me to set a new course?”
“Not yet.”
Ian blows out his breath and moves away from me. There’s a counter along the opposite wall, and he leans against that, then looks around. “Before we do anything else, we’ve got to come up with a plan.”
Chapter 47
Kali
“You mean besides not dying?” Max says. “Because that’s pretty much my plan at this point.”
“It’s a good plan,” Beckett agrees. “Completely solid.”
“Yeah, well, the odds that we make it out of this are going down fast.” Ian runs a tired hand down his face. “Which is why we need an actual plan.”
“I think that plan should involve heading to Serati,” Merrick suggests, and I kinda can’t believe he still thinks anyone will agree with him at this point. “The monastery offers sanctuary and protection.”
“Yeah, because it would be so hard for professional mercenaries to raid a building full of sisters,” Gage drawls. It’s the most confrontational thing I’ve ever heard him say, but he does seem a little high on pain meds right now. I should know. I’m getting there myself pretty quickly.
I’m starting to feel all kinds of floaty, and I can’t say it’s a bad thing. My toes are tingling, and so are my lips. Still, when nobody else has anything more to say, I decide to ask the question I’ve been wondering about since we tried to bribe that guy on Glacea.
“How much do mercenaries cost?”
“Why? You thinking about hiring one?” Beckett asks, brows raised.
“If I did, I know who I’d ask them to kill first.” The second the words leave my mouth, I feel bad. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
But she just grins, and for once it seems to be reflected in her eyes. “Don’t back down now, Princess. Looks like getting shot agrees with you.”
I grimace. “I don’t think I’d go that far.” But the floaty feeling is spreading fast, and a lot more than my toes are tingling right now.
“More like the pain medication,” Max says wryly.