A Way of Honor (Champions of the Crystal Book 2)

Chapter 14.1

They found themselves in a small control room, dimly lit and rather cold, occupied by someone in a purple dress bent over a control board.

"Rina!" Scotty exclaimed.

"No, I am sorry," Usharn replied, turning so that they could see the Protian's blue, half-formed face. "I merely wished to mislead Malvarak, should he find me. I thought if he caught me he would stop looking for Sabrina."

"Where is she?" Scotty demanded.

"In the corridor, on her way here. I fear she is freezing to death."

Scotty turned and ran into the corridor. Rayland gestured for Leran and Therenden to go after him.

Usharn said, "I have had some success with these controls, I think, but I do not really know what I am doing. Sabrina's knowledge of this sort of thing is quite limited, and my own is nonexistent."

"You took Sabrina's imprint?" Tirqwin asked in surprise as he stepped forward to examine the controls. He made a few adjustments, and the room brightened. "I do not know how much power is left, so we may not have much time, but I have turned the heating systems up to full, and I think the air circulation is improving."

"Good," Usharn said. "Let us go and get Sabrina, then."

Rayland's comlink bleeped, and he answered it. Leran's voice said, "Commander, we have found Miss Devon. I am not sure whether she is still alive. There is no sign of Her Majesty."

"Khediva!" Tirqwin snapped out.

Leran reported, "Miss Devon and Captain Devon have vanished."

"Khediva has taken them," Rayland said. "Report back to us."

"Acknowledged."

"Usharn," Tirqwin said, after a moment to remember the Protian's name from their previous contact, "can you lead us to Malvarak's ship?"

"Yes. Come."

Haaron hurried into the infirmary, where Scotty was scrambling to find all the blankets he could as Khediva increased the temperature and oxygen content of the room. "By the grace of Miah!" he exclaimed, seeing the frozen, bruised Sabrina inert on the infirmary bed.

"Help me," was all Scotty said, all composure gone in his frantic efforts to help his sister. Haaron read the diagnostic readout panel, then went to the storage cabinet and found the medicine called for.

Khediva said, "She lives, but she had only minutes left. What Haaron has just administered will help her body absorb more oxygen, and we must warm her slowly enough not to induce thermal shock. There is also something strange in her system, interfering with her brainwaves. I believe that is what prevented Mara and myself from sensing Sabrina before. Sabrina is also suffering from a concussion, apparently caused by a blow to the head."

"No duh," Scotty said, pausing for a moment to look at his sister's battered face. "I'm gonna kill that sonofabitch."

Haaron asked, "Can you remove the chemical that is affecting her brain?"

"No. It will have to wear off on its own; I cannot tell enough about it to feel confident in counteracting it. With Sabrina's condition, I would rather not take any risks."

"But she'll be all right, won't she, Khediva?" Scotty pleaded.

"She will recover," Khediva assured him. "Hm. She has the onset of frostbite in her fingers and toes. We have to restore circulation to them as soon as possible. Haaron, get some heating pads. Scotty, rub her fingers."

"I wish Mara was here!" Scotty fretted, taking his sister's stiff fingers in his hands and chafing them.

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