Page 55 of Hope Forged
“Padya?” Ziamee glanced between them.
Amet’s face flushed, fury stiffening his shoulders. “You gave me no choice, going on about how a rescue was coming and giving her such false hope.”
“So you made sure we were stuck here.” Faerar rested her hands on her hips. “And when were you going to tell me she’d been wounded?” She charged across the distance between them and slapped him across the face. “Her shoes made her limp?” A tear slipped over her cheek. “And the fool that I am, I believed you. What else have you hidden from me?”
Ziamee leaned into Illan’s side, her trembling shoulders bowed. He looped his arm around her, pulling her close.
“Do you want to leave?” he whispered.
She shook her head. “I need to hear it all.”
“All this time, I thought a buvarre had shredded my rope.” Faerar’s eyes widened, horror paling her cheeks. “You did it and hid it from me.You…trapped me up here.”
Ziamee whimpered and curled into Illan’s embrace, burying her face in the crook of his neck.
“I was hoping some time away would make you realize what mattered,” Amet said, his tone almost too quiet.
“For twelve years, you imprisoned me. Cost me time with my daughter, made her think I’d died.” A sob escaped Faerar, butshe pushed on. “Why, Amet? I thought you loved me…us. These aren’t the actions of an honorable male.”
Amet tried to speak, but she glared him into silence.
“I cannot trust a word out of your mouth. Despite your best efforts, a rescue has arrived. Ziamee and I are going offworld. You…” Her chuckle was cold. “Can stay and think about what you’ve done.”
“I have a say—”
“Do you?” She arched a brow. “Does he?” She glanced at Illan.
“I go where Ziamee goes,” he said. “Ohara, what would you prefer to do?”
Ziamee pulled out of his arms but trailed her fingers down to Illan’s fingertips and kept them there. “Padya, why?”
“I wanted to stay. It would take more than a lifetime to document this world. With you here, we might finish. But Faerar kept you hoping we’d escape this place. That kind of negativity wouldn’t do. So I protected you, trained you to survive, loved you enough for the both of us.”
“I lived without my mother because you judged her unworthy.” Twin flames burned in Ziamee’s eyes when she focused on Illan. “Leave him here. Take us to your home.”
“As you wish,” he said, splaying his hand at the base of her spine and leading her toward the kuta.
“This is ridiculous,” Amet called as they filed into the shuttle. But when he hurried to join them, Ziamee drew her blaster, slapped the yellow button, and fired. He crumpled, a gasp escaping his lips.
“Did you kill him?” Faerar asked, her mouth agape.
“No, just stunned him.” Ziamee strapped on her blaster, then hugged her mother. “It’s so good to see you. I want to know everything.”
“Same,” Faerar said, sweeping aside a stray braid off Ziamee’s temple. “Your male says you were injured? When? How?”
“Mymale?” Ziamee smiled at Illan. “You better introduce yourself.”
“Illan Tur-Lekbez.”
Faerar patted her chest. “May Elorach bless you.”
Illan bowed his head, acknowledging her greeting. “That is Medic Coll, and we left Data-Officer Brac in the Maloidian facility.”
She beamed at Coll, who piloted them to theCeleeri. “My thanks, Medic Coll, to you and your males.”
Illan strapped them both into their seats, trailing his fingers over Ziamee’s knee before joining Coll at the helm. A glance over his shoulder had the two females whispering to each other, their gazes filled with tears of joy and love.
Everything was coming to a head, with Ziamee agreeing to travel to Issneen, but he wasn’t a fool. Swept up in the emotion, she might’ve spoken in haste. He had to give her the chance to change her mind, despite how desperately he wanted to show her the universe.
