Guardians: Away Mission Book 2 of the Guardians Saga COMPLETED except for edits

Saving Rile Ch. 7.3

Once they were out of the amphitheatre, Alex led Rile into the nearest bushes. She shot out in a speed burst with him, becoming invisible. She battered herself with as many speed bursts as she could stand.

She reverted to regular flying to recover and saved a last speed burst to the decorative greenery near the InterSpecies consulate where Zilik had procured new rooms for her.

Rile's arm over her shoulders, Alex staggered under his weight to the ornately carved nine foot wooden front doors.

"I knew you would win." Zilik greeted her with a warm smile while opening the doors.

He looped Rile's other arm over his shoulders and helped take him through the lobby to their suite, to the bedroom, and guided them over to the bed. Together he and Alex lowered Rile to the bed.

"Razz was supposed to come with the first aide supplies," Zilik said. "He should have been back by now. I'll track him down and help him in case some clerk is giving him a bad time."

Once he left, Alex turned her attention to the form lying on the bed. "Rile," Alex said gently.

When he didn't respond, she placed a glowing hand on his chest. She traced each knife wound there, then traced the bloody collar with vicious prongs digging into his hide. Then she traced up his jaw to his swollen eye.

"I'm too beat up to act on how great that feels." His eyes were still closed. "Me and my big mouth." He sighed when she stopped.

"Haven't you had enough of that sort of fun by now?" she asked in a tone mixed with both anger and humiliation.

He opened his eyes. "Do I look like I've been having fun?"

Alex bent her head at the correction and said meekly, "I'm sorry. No, you don't. But wasn't the sex worth playing along with them?"

"No sex." Rile said. "They couldn't force me like they do the Anolis males. Not that they didn't try."

Alex dropped the bandages. She turned his face toward her and touched her forehead to his.

Rile felt a stab of pain, but it was overwhelmed by a wash of love and concern. Startled, he looked at her hands, warmly glowing.

He wondered if she knew that she was transmitting her feelings. He put a hand on her face.

"Maybe we understand each other better now," Rile whispered. He felt another stab of pain, this one overlaid with regret.

"I wouldn't wish that on you, Rile, or anyone. Not for any reason."

"I know." He tried to send his own reassurance back to her.

She broke away, looking startled and confused, and now he was certain that she hadn't known about the shared emotions.

"Don't pull away." Rile's voice was soft, as close to an entreaty as it ever came.

The door was flung open with a perfunctory knock. . Dr. Glick strode in, followed by Master Healer Guni and Razz, whose arms were full with bandages and a large bag.

Rile could have strangled them.

"News of your remarkable combat and escape . . . well . . . energetic exit . . . is spreading like wildfire. Come, let's examine your injuries." Dr. Glick said, digging in the overflowing pockets of his brown lab coat.

Rile stared down at the tiny Gecko and asked, "Who's the little guy?"

Master Healer Guni laced his fingers together and sighed. Alex bent to whisper in his tympanum and he smiled.