The Way Back (Champions of the Crystal Book 4)

Chapter 9.1

Sabrina heard footsteps, and she turned her suit's wristlight down the tunnel to find Aurora making her way up the passage. Ford was right behind her, carrying an unconscious man over his shoulder. "Scotty?" Sabrina gasped out.

"No, it's Lndor. Scotty's coming behind us," Aurora told her.

Something bleeped on Sabrina's wrist panel, but before she could examine it Ford grabbed her hand and pulled it over to his face. "An energy buildup!" he exclaimed, puzzled. Then his puzzlement turned to alarm. "We've got to move! Hurry!" he urged, pulling Sabrina roughly to her feet. "Run!"

"But—" she protested.

"Run!" he yelled, pushing her ahead of him.

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Tirqwin noted with alarm that Varla seemed to be growing stronger, while Mara, weakened by the deprivation she'd suffered in captivity, was barely holding her own. He would have to intervene soon, he knew. But what could he do to make a real difference? He had already tried, unsuccessfully, to distract Varla so Mara could take her off guard, but both of them seemed utterly unaware of their physical surroundings. He had no weapon with which to attack her, so the only thing left to usefully do was lend his strength to Mara. But to do that, he had to break through to her without distracting her.

He had to try, he resolved. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes—only to open them again in alarm as the ground shook again. For a moment he thought in panic that it was another phase shift, but it stopped as abruptly as it started, and he realized it could not be.

Then Varla started to scream.

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Sabrina hit the ground painfully, unable to catch herself or even scramble out of Ford's way. He and Lndor came crashing down almost on top of her as Aurora lost her own balance and went sprawling just ahead. They lay still until the shaking stopped, then tried to catch their breaths, coughing in the suddenly dusty air.

The wrist panel of her suit began bleeping again, this time a different, more menacing tone. Ford said, "Get up! Get moving! Quickly!"

"What—" she began, as he pulled Lndor's weight off her.

Aurora said, "It's a radiation alert. Toxic levels." She helped Ford pick Lndor up again.

"But Scotty's still down there!" Sabrina said in horror. "I've got to go back!"

"No!" Ford said. "You'd be dead before you even reached him."

"I can't just leave him!" she cried, trying to push past him.

Aurora stepped forward to catch Lndor as Ford nearly dropped him, grabbing Sabrina's arm in a painful grip. "Sabrina, don't be a fool! There's nothing you can do down there!" he said roughly.

"But he's my brother," she said tearfully. "I have to try!"

Ford pursed his lips. Then he seemed to come to a conclusion. "Listen. Help Aurora with Lndor. She's too weak to get him out of range before they both get sick from the radiation. Go back to the palace and get off the planet if you can. Send Rudolf down to me. I'll go find Scotty."

"But—"

"I can withstand more radiation than you," Ford said. "Now go!"

Sabrina stared, open-mouthed, at him, until Aurora said, "Come, Sabrina. Ford is right. He can survive longer than you could. We must do what we can, and that is to save Lndor and ourselves." When Sabrina still didn't move, she added, "Sabrina, the Queen needs you."

"Go!" Ford urged, pushing at her.

Sabrina turned to Aurora and laid Lndor's free arm across her shoulders, staggering a little under the shared weight. She looked over her shoulder at Ford's rapidly receding form. "Bring him back!" she cried.