Something banged against the walls and Raf shouted something in Trad, just before the ship turned to its side until the only thing keeping me in my chair was the seat belt.
“Hold on!” Vuk shouted, but then we were facing down, things were flying through the air, bangs against the hull, sounds, screams, and darkness.
This time, nobody was there to welcome me back to consciousness. Silence surrounded me as I slowly came to. My whole body ached but I was getting used to being in pain. There was no stabbing agony though and my mind was clear enough to think. That was good. I could work with that.
The smell of smoke filled my nose, making me want to sneeze. I opened my eyes. Lights flashed all around, red and white, blinding me. I blinked and looked around. I was still on the bridge, but no longer in my chair. I’d been flung to the very front of the room, right where the screen touched the floor. Debris was all over the place, cables hanging from the ceiling, sparks flying. It was a miracle the place wasn’t burning yet.
We were no longer flying, which meant we were either floating in space or we’d crashed onto something. Neither option sounded particularly appealing.
With a groan, I turned and slowly pushed myself onto my knees. My body felt like one big bruise. “Vuk?” I asked but the smoke made me cough. The iron taste of blood filled my mouth. Hopefully I’d only bitten my tongue or cheek and this wasn’t coming from my lungs.
“Raf?”
No reply. I sat up to take in more of the room. There they were, still, unmoving. Raf was still in his chair, his head on his chest, blood all over his head. Vuk was on the floor closer to me, half of his body buried under debris.
I dragged myself towards him until I was close enough to see his chest move. Thank goodness, he was still breathing. I grabbed his shoulder and shook.
“Vuk! Wake up!”
Nothing.
Panic was starting to rise up in me. I was on a spaceship with two unconscious aliens. I had no idea where we were. I couldn’t fly this thing even if it was still functional. And there may still be Athions out there aiming to kill the Trads.
Zut. That word totally fit the situation.
Something banged against the hull. Probably another asteroid. So that meant we were still in space, floating aimlessly. It might only need one more space rock to completely destroy the Phoenix. I wished I’d stayed unconscious; that would have been a better death.
Another bang.
Voices.
How could there be voices in space?
Bang.
The screen exploded into thousands of tiny shards, raining down on me like lethal raindrops. I covered my face with my arms, curling up to make myself less of a target. Pain erupted in my back as shard upon shard hit me.
Through the pain, I dimly registered more bangs until the voices were suddenly loud and close by.
“Don’t worry, we’ve come to rescue you.”
I turned to see the dark blue Athion stepping through a hole in the wall. Light shone into the ship, sunlight. I blinked, my vision going foggy.
He held up something metal, glinting in the light, and pointed it at Vuk. It took me too long to realise what it was, but when I did, I threw myself at Vuk’s prone body with the last strength I still possessed. Something hot hit my side just as I landed on the Trad.
Pain exploded in me like fireworks.
The last thing I felt was Vuk’s warm breath against my cheek.
THE END
Wren’s story continues in Guarded By Them, the second book in the Between Rebels trilogy.
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About the Author
Skye MacKinnon is a USA Today & International Bestselling Author whose books are filled with strong heroines who don't have to choose.
She embraces her Scottishness with fantastical Scottish settings and a dash of mythology, no matter if she's writing about Celtic gods, cat shifters, or the streets of Edinburgh.
When she's not typing away at her favourite cafe, Skye loves dried mango, as much exotic tea as she can squeeze into her cupboards, and being covered in pet hair by her two bunnies, Emma and Darwin.
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Also By
Find all of Skye’s books on her website, skyemackinnon.com, where you can also order signed paperbacks. Many of her books are also available as audiobooks.
The Mars Diaries (Sci-fi RH linked to the Drowning series)
Alone
Hidden
Found
>> Box Set
Catnip Assassins (urban fantasy reverse harem)
Meow
Scratch
Purrr
Hisss
Daughter of Winter Series (Paranormal reverse harem)
Winter Princess
Winter Heiress
Winter Queen
Winter Goddess
>> Box set
Mother of Gods (prequel)
Demon’s Revenge (spin-off)
Samhain Goddess (spin-off in an anthology)
Seven Wardens (Paranormal RH co-written with Laura Greenwood)
From the Deeps
Into the Mists
Beneath the Earth
Within the Flames
Above the Waves
Under the Ice
Rule the Dark
Prequel: Beyond the Loch
Spin-off: Through the Storms
Claiming Her Bears (Post-apocalyptic bear shifter RH)
Rescued by Bears
Protected by Bears
Craved by Bears
>> Box set
Between Rebels (sci-fi RH set in the Planet Athion shared world)
Stolen By Them
Guarded By Them
Chosen By Them
Defiance (contemporary dark RH)
Abandoned Heart
Broken Princess
Stolen Soul
Infernal Descent (paranormal RH based on Dante’s Inferno, co-written with Bea Paige)
Hell’s Calling
Hell’s Weeping
Hell’s Burning
Academy of Time (time travel academy standalones)
Norsemen Academy
Pandora’s Academy
Highlander Academy
Queen’s Academy
Standalones
Song of Souls – fairy tale retelling
Their Hybrid – steampunk RH
Highland Butterflies – lesbian romance
Anthologies and Box Sets
Hungry for More – charity cookbook
Kilts and Kisses – a Skye MacKinnon starter library