Reinard gripped his necklace in his hand as he approached the ship. The Science Fleet. He didn’t know if the designation was good or bad. Both Artemis and Elias were in the Exploration fleet. Maybe they wouldn’t need him on the ship.
Pressing his hand against the ship’s lock, Reinard walked up the ramp, lost in thought.
But not too lost to see Artemis laying in the hall.
“Artemis?! Are you okay?!”
The Faro fell next to the tiger, checking for a pulse. Artemis was alive, barely.
“Elias!”
A door opened and the neko yelped, kneeling beside the two.
“Help me lift him,” Reinard said, sliding his hands under the tiger’s head.
Making sure Elias’ hands were placed correctly, the fox counted to three before lifting. The tiger was heavy in his arms, and both he and Elias struggled as they made their way toward the med bay.
“Put him down,” Reinard panted as they entered the room.
He hurried over to the pod, taking in the strange symbols that ran across the controls. He couldn’t read Common…
“Computer, set up health bay for an Egaro.”
The room sprang to life, displays lighting up, and buttons beeping.
Reinard looked over and found Elias removing Artemis’ clothes.
“What are you doing?”
“Se saelnela cen erl eln tel anag.”
Elias yanked Artemis’ pants off, tossing them aside. He stared pointedly at Reinard, and the fox gulped, the air heating around him.
Reinard knelt beside Elias, sliding his hands under Artemis’ thighs.
“Ready?” he breathed. “One… two… three.”
They lifted together, raising Artemis back into the air. Stumbling over to the pod, the two raised him as high as they could, almost dumping the tiger into the pod.
The glass closed with a quiet hiss and Reinard sighed.
“How long is he going to be in there?” he asked.
Elias shrugged, trying to peer into the container.
“What happened?”
The fox didn’t expect Elias to answer. He was glad he had gotten to the ship in time. Suddenly the tiger’s desire to leave the system made sense. What if someone was targeting them?
Reinard left the bay, making his way to Artemis’ room. He had saved the tiger, but maybe he could help in another way as well. Artemis had written down what he needed to buy. Reinard had five thousand credits on his card, a gift from his Mara. He hoped it would be enough for what they needed.
Finding the list on Artemis’ tablet, Reinard returned to the med bay.
“Elias, come with me. We’re going to finish Artemis’ list, okay?”
YOU ARE READING
The Neko's Tail (Book 2 of Astara)
Science FictionElias has gone missing from the pack of werewolves that took him in. While they believe him dead, the truth is far more startling. Elias has been kidnapped by an alien. Lost in a strange reality, the neko must learn who he can trust. He must grow if...
