The Edge

Luca: Part Eleven

"...really didn't know that would happen, I would've gone myself if I knew the planet was hungry..."

"Arian," Gideon said. "Breathe. You're going to pass out."

"Right. Yeah, it's just, I'm really sorry..."

"You've said that multiple times." Gideon adjusted his grip on Luca's legs. Being carried by him piggyback-style was a bit embarrassing, but Luca preferred it to being fireman carried. At least this way, the world was right-side up. "How's the ship?"

"Intact. We didn't park near anything that could collapse on us, and she's bulky enough that she didn't fall over." Arian glanced at Helen. "We're ready to get off the ground when you guys are."

"Great." Helen kept her eyes straight ahead and a tissue pressed to her nose. It didn't look like she was bleeding too badly, at least not yet. "Super."

When they arrived to the main hall, Alan was waiting for them with a cat in his arms. "Are you injured?" he asked. "I have first aid supplies, if you require them."

"Ice packs?" Gideon asked. His voice had stayed calm ever since he'd found Luca. It was probably because he had the situation back under control and could problem solve. Thank God, he was really good at it. "And have you seen Tola? She'll be more help with him than me."

"She's on the ship with the others, I believe. She had to be convinced to wait with them." Alan's gaze followed Helen as she headed for the door. "Are you all right?"

"Fine."

"You're bleeding..."

Helen ignored him and kept moving. "Gideon, do you have Luca?" she asked. "I'm going to see if we can stay parked a bit longer."

"Yeah, I've got him," Gideon said. He waited until Helen was out the door before addressing Alan: "It's a stress reaction to her powers. They haven't caused any long-term damage yet. She'll be okay."

"Her clothes might not be, but she'll be," Arian added. "Uh, I'm gonna stick with you guys. I don't know if..."

He trailed off, but Luca could guess the rest of the thought. Since Helen knew the whole plan had been Arian's idea, she was probably pissed at him. Luca hoped she wasn't too pissed. Yes, he'd gone because Arian had asked him too, but the plan hadn't seemed life or death or anything. There was no way any of them could've known an earthquake would hit at that moment. Even Matteo wouldn't have known until it was too late.

I'll talk to her later...probably a lot later. Knowing his sister, she'd be burying herself in work for a while. That was Helen's way of dealing with stress and fear, and she'd probably been feeling a lot of that lately.

He doubted the notebook tucked away in his sweater helped any.

Luca hadn't gotten the chance to look at it since they'd dragged him out of the whole in the floor, and he doubted he'd get another chance for a while. Pulling it out to keep digging into Cassandra's secrets when they were in the middle of a crisis felt like the wrong move. He settled for holding onto it tightly, shifting it to the front of his sweater as Gideon sat him down in the kitchen. "I'll go find Tola," he said. "Have you got him?"

"Totally. Definitely," Arian said. "Uh, unless something happens and we need to run. Then Alan might have to have him, if that's not...presumptuous or offensive or something."

Alan shrugged. "Only if it's not presumptuous or offensive of me to assume that I can lift more than you can."

"Definitely not. I'm the brains, usually." Arian looked around the kitchen. "Er."

Er was right. Signs of the random quake were all over the house-books off the shelves, furniture on its side-but the kitchen looked especially messy. Dishes fallen out of cabinets, doors half-open, the limited food and drink supplies Alan had in places they definitely shouldn't be. "At least your shit's not really breakable," Arian noted. He started picking up the dishes. "Spaceship gear, right? Not real China or whatever. This place isn't going to fall apart on us or anything, is it?"