7
Twenty-four hours ago Ruby could never have dreamed of a day like today. She was talking to aliens, aliens, and so many of them! Granted, the Alium people were like every human she’d met. She didn’t even really know what qualified them as ‘alien’ actually. They didn’t look any different; their food wasn’t terribly awful. It all seemed sort of normal. Except the fact that she was on a ship. In the middle of deep space. And there was some weird masked General after her. Other than that… things were just peachy.
Except someone was obviously keeping a secret. Ruby was at an utter loss. She had spoken with nearly every person on the ship, and was no closer to finding out the traitor’s identity. What did Drake expect? Was she supposed to have this sudden instinct kick in? News flash, she was a secretary not a spy. The traitor was not the only person hiding something, though. Ruby knew Drake was keeping a secret as well.
They were having a moment, and then he just pulled away. Her cheek still tingled in the spot where he’d touched her. The attraction to him was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Sure she had liked other men before, but college and then her career had gotten in the way of ever finding someone special.
Drake was more than special, though. He had the ability to make her heart warm and her body ache with a mere look. It scared her how much she thought of him. Especially when it seemed that he wasn’t being completely honest. She’d heard stories throughout the day about him and felt a tad guilty that she was hearing so much detail about his life when he knew so very little about hers. But there was one common thread in the stories: respect. Every single person on the ship respected and trusted Drake with their life. He was definitely not a bad guy, but something was holding him back.
Maybe he just doesn’t feel the same way about you, her mind taunted but she shook it away. It didn’t change how she felt. Besides, the way he had taken care of her when she was ill. That meant something, didn’t it? It would have to her parents.
“You look far away,” Kala said with a smile. “I hope I didn’t wear you out too much walking all over today.”
Ruby smiled back. “No, not at all. I guess I’m just trying to process everything. It’s been a lot to take in.”
The stunning blonde sat down in the chair across from her. They’d retreated into this lounge area to take a rest from the crew. “I can’t imagine. I don’t know much about Earth, but from what I hear this all may be a bit of a shock, to put it mildly. It sounds like the Da’Nesh have played their trick on your people as well.”
“Yes,” Ruby frowned. “And I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to tell them, either. I mean, I’m just a secretary. It’s not just like I can waltz into the White House and they will believe every word I say.”
“A secretary? What is a secretary, exactly?”
“I answer phones and direct calls to the appropriate people and departments. Basically the tasks that keep everything running smoothly for everyone else.” It was not a dream job, but it was hers. Well, it was until she didn’t come back from lunch. Now they’d probably packed up her things and thrown them to the proverbial curb.
Kala’s eyes brightened. “I am a communications officer myself! I knew I had a good feeling about you. Aside from the means, Drake is fortunate to have found you. The moment he realized you were in the arena - I’ve never seen him look so determined. Nothing was going to stop him,” she laid a hand over her heart. “It was so romantic.”
Ruby felt the familiar swirl of butterflies in her stomach. It certainly had been romantic, in a sort of sweet, sacrificial, I’ll-slay-a-slimy-beast-for-you way.
“That reminds me!” Kala reached into her pocket, and gently pulled out the dagger from the arena. Ruby gasped when she saw it, and Kala cringed. “I’m sorry, I just thought you may like to have this back. I noticed you aren’t armed. With the task you are up against, I feel you may be needing this.”
Ruby took the weapon and held it. Funny, it seemed like it was made to fit her hand. “My task?”
Kala smiled apologetically. “Drake will be wanting to know how the General got his DNA. It’s only logical that it had to be one of us.”
Ruby tucked the dagger into her boot and patted the young woman on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I know you had nothing to do with it. Honestly I didn’t meet a single person here who could have done something like that. I have a feeling that Drake will not like the results of my study. He won’t be too happy with me.”
“Nonsense,” Kala waved a hand. “He knows you’re trying. Besides, if Drake were angry with someone it wouldn’t be you. He’s probably angry with himself.”
“Why would he be angry with himself?”
Kala opened her mouth to reply, but a sudden explosion rocked the ship and the two of them crashed onto the floor. Ruby felt something wet on her head. She gently touched it and noticed blood on her fingertips. Probably a minor cut at her hairline.
Alarms were going off in all sorts of octaves and tones. Kala immediately helped her up and ran to the nearest computer screen. Communications seemed to be down, Kala could not contact anyone on the main deck, which was on the opposite side of the ship.
A tremor ran through her body. What if Drake…?
“Come on,” Kala grabbed her arm and began leading her down the corridor. “I can’t get a hold of anyone on deck one or two. Protocol states that all leaders are to be placed in escape pods.”
“Escape pods?” Ruby heard screams coming from somewhere, but everyone was running and she couldn’t trace where sounds were originating.
“We’re under attack.” The floor beneath them shifted and they crashed into the wall. Kala looked at Ruby and pointed down the hallway. “Room 632. Press the button on the side of the dresser, get inside and strap in. The pod will know where to take you and will let us know where you land. We’ll come get you as soon as we can.”
“We’re abandoning ship?” Ruby yelled as the ship rolled and pitched.
“No,” Kala corrected, “You are abandoning ship. Don’t worry I’m sure Drake is already in another pod. You’ll be fine, Ruby. Trust me. Now, 632. Go!”
The ship seemed to level off and both women took their chances. Kala ran off towards the main deck and Ruby bolted down the hallway. Dust and smoke filled the corridor, but she found 632 easily. Her hand shook as she placed it on the cool glass of the scanner. Immediately the door opened and she walked inside. It wasn’t hard to spot the dresser, because the button had already been pressed.
The pod was gone. There was an empty space, which at one time must have held a pod. There was no escape for her here. And now she was alone.
Numbly she walked back down the hallway towards the lounge. People pushed past her, yelling things as they went by that made no sense to her. Apparently there had been an explosion in sector three, whatever that meant. Doors had been sealed off so the damage was limited, but they had been knocked out of the Halcydian’s orbit. Stabilizers were failing. Impact could happen at any moment.
Ruby didn’t need an interpreter to tell her that this was not good. And she couldn’t just stand here like an idiot. She had to find Drake. If he were already in a pod she would find Kala or Zane. They seemed to be the ones Drake trusted the most. If she couldn’t be with him then they were her best shot of making it out of here alive.
He’s all right, he's all right. Those words were her mantra as she ran down the stairways and corridors towards his room. He was a royal, whether he believed it or not; surely there was an escape pod in his own room.
As she rounded a corner a hard body slammed into her. Strong arms banded around her waist and her breath caught at the wild eyes that were staring back at her.
Drake’s hands grazed her sides and then up to frame her face. He sucked in a breath when he saw the gash on her forehead, which perhaps was worse than she thought. But right now she didn’t feel any pain. She could feel the hard muscles of his chest underneath his shirt and his presence comforted her so much it hurt.
“You’re hurt,” his voice was ragged, like he had been running as well.
“I’m fine,” Ruby lied, but smiled in relief. “Now, anyway.”
“As am I,” Drake said, and pulled away while firmly grasping her hand in his. “We have to hurry. The scanners show Da’Nesh ships closing in.”
They made it to his room, but she was surprised when they entered her own room. There was an identical button on the side of the dresser. A door slid open to reveal a small room and he guided her inside.
“Is the ship going to crash?” Ruby asked as he put her arms through various straps and clipped buckles around her waist.
Drake shook his head. “It’ll be fine. But with the Da’Nesh so close it’s best that we hide out and regroup later. It’s our only option at this point.”
He adjusted the straps on himself. They were chest to chest with each other, the room like a tiny closet. A tiny closet that would soon be hurtling towards some planet in the middle of space. Not a comforting thought. A shiver ran down her spine and she realized suddenly that her hands were still shaking. A side effect of the adrenaline, she supposed.
Drake reached down to grasp her hands in his and placed a gentle kiss on them. “Put your arms around me. Don’t forget to breathe. It will be all over in a minute.”
She complied instantly and buried her head against his chest. He hit a button on the wall and his arms were around her.
There was no countdown, and there was no warning. The door shut, and they were simply hurtling through space. The force of movement made her feet feel as though they were glued to the floor. She couldn’t move even if she tried.
Ruby opened her eyes and looked out the window. Blazing flames surrounded the shell of their pod. A thin layer of metal was all that separated them from instant death. Suddenly her mind cleared. All noise of death, space, traitors, and home fled.
She managed to tilt her head up at Drake, and saw the same emotion in his eyes. Then he did what she had been aching for him to do since the moment she set eyes on him. Perhaps even before she’d met him. What she’d waited her whole life for.
As though struggling with some inner battle, Drake finally surrendered. With a muttered word she couldn’t hear, he leaned down and captured her lips in his. Stars fell from the sky. The simmer in her veins became white-hot fire.
And she wanted to be consumed.