Alpha Centauri

Thirty-Three - Nizami

I'm trying my best to forget what Daemon did to me in the janitor's closet, but it's not easy. Not even seeing Julian again makes me forget. It just makes me feel guiltier.

I don't deserve a friend like Daemon.

I wait for the alarms to sound, and then I make my move. I wish Daemon didn't have to do that. I grit my teeth and try to force it out of my head.

I dash down hallways and corridors, searching for the to-be king. I come to a hall with a window as one wall. The window overlooks a huge storage area. She spots her space pod resting alone. Only one other ship occupies the space. It's peculiar, but she has to keep going.

I run on. I pass a heavy concrete door and catch a glimpse of someone inside. The occupant is only too familiar.

A Scriosian stands alone in the cell. The monster looks up and sees me, its red eyes glinting maliciously. I let out a gasp.

How did the government capture a Scriosian? Maybe they're deeper in this mess than I know. The other ship must belong to it.

I finally locate the place where they're holding Julian. Daemon has the guards distracted, so I snatch a key card out of one's back pocket and toss it to him. Julian guides the card into Daemon's hands telekinetically.

Seeing Julian makes my chest swell with joy and something else I can't quite place. He's still just as... I can't find the word for it.

The three of us skid to a halt in front of the door to a new room. The door is much bigger, but it has all the same requirements to access it. Daemon steps forward and swipes the key card into the electronic lock. The lock lights up green and beeps. The door groans and shakes the ground as it shifts open. It's not even halfway open before they dash inside and try to shut the door behind us.

Another group of guards is waiting for us inside the. It takes us by surprise, and Julian barely has time to block another storm of bullets. He can't handle two at once, so I turn and slash my sword through the electronic lock on the huge door. It sparks and hisses, and the door is jammed.

Julian forms a telekinetic barrier around us, sending all the bullets bouncing off some invisible wall.

"Holy shit, I had no idea I could do this!" Julian exclaims.

Keeping the barrier up slows him down, though. We still have a lot of ground to cover before we reach my ship.

Julian collapses about twenty yards from the vessel.

I rush over to him, but before I can even lay a hand on him, something slams into me from the side and smashes me to the floor. My sword slips from my grasp and slides across the floor.

I don't even have to look—I know.

It's the Scriosian.

The alien leaps to its feet, ready to kill Julian. Julian's in no shape to fight back.

"Foolish humans," the Scriosian laughs. "You should have kept me locked up."

A blade slides out of its sleeve.

"Hey, Stitch," Daemon shouts.

The Scriosian turns in Daemon's direction. He's gripping my sword, looking as fierce as I've ever seen him. The alien's eyes narrow.

"Come at me."

Before Daemon can even raise the sword, the Scriosian has him pinned to the floor by the neck.

The Scriosian's blade plunges through Daemon's stomach.

I scream and jump to my feet, but it's too late.

Despite the knife through his torso, Daemon's expression stays hard. He drives my sword straight up through the Scriosian's face. The alien goes limp and rolls off of him. Daemon yanks the sword back out and slowly rises to his feet.

Julian's back on his feet, too, keeping the guards from firing at us. The facility has turned into a full-fledged war zone.

I rush over to Daemon just in time for him to collapse in my arms. I kneel to the floor and cradle him. He tugs the blade out of his stomach, and it clangs to the floor.

"Daemon, I—"

"Shhh," he says. "Don't apologize."

He brings his face to mine and kisses me once more. I can taste the blood on his lips.

He pulls away and looks me in the eye. I can't decide what color his eyes are. I just watch the life slowly fade from them.

"Thanks for the adventure, Nizami," he whispers.

Daemon's eyes fall shut, and his head falls back. I see one of my tears splash onto his thin face.

Even with everything going on around her, I can only think of what Julian told me about family. Sometimes you hate them. Sometimes you want them to hold you in their arms. But you can never fully appreciate them until they're gone.

I wipe a tear cheek and stands, hugging Daemon's lifeless body to my chest. I step over the dead Scriosian, plastering a new, bold, cutthroat expression on my face. Julian and I make our way to the space pod.

The two of us climb into the pod. I hold onto Daemon while Julian starts the vessel. The pod rises above the battle below us, and Julian fires a hole into the ceiling from below the ground.

Julian switches the ship to automatic control and walks back to me. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I lean against him. I want to enjoy it, but I can't.

Daemons eyes are blue, I decide. As blue as the desert sky the space pod soars into.