The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 45 - ORION

"What's going on?" Colleena demanded the moment Desraeon and I stepped out.

"Everyone must leave this medical facility," he said, looking from Colleena to the Kovei standing behind her.

Colleena stood slowly, directing her question at me. "What's going on, Theena? Neither of you were in that shower long enough."

I looked back and forth between Desraeon and Colleena, feeling entirely intimidated by the Oria's presence now that Tritteon and Pharro were gone. Was I still in charge? I didn't feel in charge.

"I'm just along for the ride," I said.

Desraeon rolled his eyes. "Hardly. You have command here—Theena." He narrowed his eyes at the name. "Those Kovei will not listen to me. Please excuse them."

I took a deep breath and straightened my posture. They would only comply if I appeared in charge. "Please take up post outside the Infirmary," I said to the Kovei.

They immediately nodded and retreated from the room.

"Colleena, will you—" I began, but she stopped me.

"May I have a word with you? Out there," she said, nodding toward the main room.

I glanced back at Desraeon who nodded in approval.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me from the room, closing the door behind us.

"Are you alright?" she demanded.

Her concern warmed me. "Yes. I'm fine."

She grabbed my chin and her finger glowed white. She shined it in both my eyes. "You understand the dangers of not extracting every bit of water from your system, don't you?"

"Your expression tells me it isn't good."

She looked skyward and jabbed her still glowing finger toward the shower. "You need to get back in there. You were in there maybe forty-five minutes. My one hour suggestion was a minimum—but I doubted it would still be long enough, especially not for Tritteon. Where is he? The poison will only spread and multiply."

I rubbed my forehead. "They received an alert that something was happening in the holding cells." I squeezed my hands together. "And there's also the Carnac horde they have to figure out how to deal with."

Colleena swore.

And then she froze. The color drained from her face and her eyes rolled back.

"Colleena!" I threw my Thet filled hand out as she collapsed, slowing her descent enough to give me time to slide under her and catch her head. I rested her head in my lap and shook her shoulders. "Colleena?" She was still breathing, but I could only see the whites of her eyes. I made a quick scan of the room, but there wasn't anything I could see that could have caused her reaction.

My com began buzzing frantically in my boot.

Colleena's hand clamped down on my outstretched wrist, stopping me from reaching for it. There was Poeir in her grip.

I tried to pull free. "What's happening?"

Her grip tightened. "Sorry to alarm you this way."

"Colleena?" Her eyes were still in her head.

"Not at the moment. No."

Ice prickled through me. I shot a look toward the bathroom door, wondering if I dared call for Desraeon.

I swallowed hard. "What do you want, Daniel?"

"Still no. I am a friend of his. Truth be told, I have never seen Daniel fail in his contingency planning before. But to be fair, you are the last thing either of us could have expected. Apart from Dugana and, to some degree, Nazonna, we haven't had to consider a target who could come back to life."