Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 43

Ava

Everything is happening so fast. Rigel is near me, and then the metal arm of Hydra's fighter pulls him away.

I look over the edge of a tall rock where the awful metal arm is battering Rigel against the rock face. "Hold on, Rigel!"

His beautiful wings hang from him. He doesn't even lift his head.

When we were on Hydra, I had been trying to learn words in his language. My eyes sting, and I blink several times, shedding a few tears as I think of those three simple words I wanted to tell him. For a while, I refused because I was upset about the whole pet thing, and then time just got away from me.

Why hadn't I told him? The way the claw thing is bashing him, he will likely never hear the words from me.

Glow Ball flies around Rigel, peeping and prodding him. The little animal is distressed. It hits me. Does Glow Ball know that Rigel might die with the metal rod smashing the life out of him?

Hold on, Rigel. Live.

I swipe at my tears. That's when I hear lots of high-pitched noises, far too many to be Glow Ball alone. I glance toward the sound. Thousands of rahonis are in the sky. Where did they suddenly come from? It is like witnessing a great murmuration. Looking at all these flying animals, I can't help hoping that they are here for my angel.

Everything darkens as if a long shadow is cast on us. This time when I look up there are rahonis with wingspans so wide they might as well be pterodactyls blotting out the light from the star. They fly in a V-like formation, their skins bright red as if forged in fire.

When the rahonis in the V-formation cry, it sounds like thunder. Echoing booms of the rahonis fill the sky, and they descend into the pit where the Hydra fighter is.

What about Rigel who is still in the Hydra fighter's claw?! The rahoni-size pterodactyls ignore Rigel and attack the Hydra fighter, which might as well be a tin can by the way the creatures rip off the roof, and then—

Large, muscled arms wrap around my waist and Tarak lifts me. When did he get here?

"No," I shout, banging against Tarak's chest.

Tarak growls and my translator vibrates in my ear. "Quiet, I must get you to safety."

"But—"

It's too late for a conversation with Tarak. He leaps and I have no choice but to go with him. We land near the Firefly, and Tarak places me on the ground, letting me go. Kayla races to me, engulfing me in a hug.

I swipe at my tears. "What about Rigel?"

"I will go get the bird now. Be ready," growls Tarak, yanking at his drone cord. The drone whines and Tarak flies off.

The sound of the pterodactyls-size rahonis fills the air, roaring all around us. What are those creatures doing? What is happening to my Rigel?

Kayla grips my arm. "Ava, Tarak is getting Rigel. Can you come with me?"

I nod and Kayla leads me through the Firefly—the helm, the long hallway, and into the medical ward. I sweep my eyes over the room, the two beds, and the talking walls, just like the one in the helm.

"Wall unit, project key health metrics for the genus and species Archae Bennuidae," says Kayla.

"What should I do," I ask, hugging myself.

"Wall unit, on the lower quadrant of the screen, list each item of the medical kit," says Kayla, and when a list appears on the wall, Kayla yanks a first aid kit from the wall and hands it to me. "Compare what's on the inventory list to what is in the medical kit and make sure we have everything, yeah?"