The Alliance Boxset Books 4-6

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

A month later, Saber rose up, reaching for the light of consciousness, only to sink back down into the dark pit that refused to release him. The only rational thought that flashed through his mind was the knowledge that at least the unbearable pain was finally gone. Even that thought didn’t last for very long.

It took him more than a dozen attempts to finally reach the surface. The first thing that came back was his hearing. He could hear the quiet voices. They sounded like they were far off at first, but each time, they came closer and closer. He was able to pick out a word or two that stuck in his brain, playing over and over like a broken vidcom.

“Shattered…”

“Should amputate…”

“Not worth saving…”

“No, you will…”

He heard Hunter’s voice. His friend sounded angry. Another rumble of voices, but it was too difficult to piece them together.

“Live…”

“Maybe… Not sure yet…”

“I’m not leaving,” a young voice said. “Get lost or I’ll kick your balls to the next star system.”

“I don’t care! I know he can hear me,” she argued. “I’ll eat when I get hungry.”

“No,” he tried to argue, but his throat was dry.

He tried to lick his lips, but it took too much effort and he slipped down into the darkness again. It seemed like an eternity passed before he could find the strength to climb back up the slippery walls. He refused to give up this time. Someone was touching him. He could feel soft, smooth hands running up and down his leg. It took a moment for him to realize that he could actually feel the touch.

“My teacher showed me this technique,” the voice was saying. “He said it helped with circulation and helped slow the deterioration of the muscles.”

“Taylor, you’ve been here since early this morning,” a soft voice chided. “You need to take care of yourself.”

“I’m almost done,” Taylor replied.

“Take…,” Saber forced out.

The hands on him froze and were removed. A small moan escaped him when they disappeared. He moved his lips, trying to form the words.

“What?” a beautiful voice whispered next to his ear.

A sigh escaped him when he felt the warm hands touch his face. He instinctively moved his head. He wanted to feel them against his skin. He swallowed, trying to force some moisture into his throat.

“Take care… of… your… self,” he finally forced out before the edges of darkness swirled around him again. He didn’t want to sink back into the lonely pit. He wanted to break free and search for the face that belonged to the hands. “I don’t…”

“You don’t what?” the voice repeated.

“Leave me,” he mumbled before falling backwards.

“I won’t,” she promised. “I won’t ever leave you.”

Eighteen months later:

“Boiling oil,” Taylor muttered and held the pen to her lips and thought for a moment. “Naw, that would be a total waste of good oil.”

Saber turned to glare at her. He gripped the arms of his airchair in an effort to keep from reaching out and wrapping them around Taylor’s neck. She would probably continue to ignore him as he did it. She ignored everything else he did and said.

“You know, I can hear you thinking,” he snapped.

Taylor looked up over her writing pad at him. “Spiders,” she said, tilting her head. “How do you feel about spiders?”

“They are right up there with your gnomes,” he retorted, waving his hand to the unfinished kitchen counter.

Taylor glanced over her shoulders at the dozens of strange little figurines that adorned the kitchen. She turned back and wrote something down. He snarled when she peered over her notepad at him.

“Goblins,” she said with a grin, snapping her fingers. “I need goblins.”

“How long are you going to continue to torture both of us with your insistence on coming over here every day?” Saber demanded, pressing the controls on his airchair until it stopped in front of her.

Taylor grinned at him. “Until you grow a pair of balls and admit that you like me coming over,” she replied with a smile.

“You aren’t going to go away, are you?” he finally muttered.

“Nope,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Why?” Saber asked, staring at her in confusion. “Look at me, Taylor. I am half the warrior I was. I may never walk again.”

“Wrong!” Taylor snapped. “Hunter might never have walked again. He was the one with the broken back. You! You had a busted leg. Even if you had both legs gone, you could still walk. So, why don’t you get over your self-pity party, Saber? It’s beginning to get a bit old. I’m ready for a new song.”

Saber scowled at Taylor, but all she did was scowl back at him. He couldn’t help it. His lip twitched. At first, he thought it was because he was mad, but the more they stared at each other, the more it twitched. He shook his head when the sound of a low snort escaped him. He meant it to come out as a growl, but it hadn’t.

“You aren’t going to make me laugh,” he whispered with determination.

“I’ll turn your bedroom pink again,” she threatened, staring at him with a decided smirk on her face.

“I hate pink,” he muttered, his lips twitching again. “And gnomes.”

Taylor raised her eyebrow. “Wait until I add the goblins and spiders,” she threatened.

“You are a cruel female,” Saber hissed.

Taylor smiled and shook her head. “No, I’m not,” she retorted in a quiet voice. “I’m a star who knows what she wants.”

“And what is that?” Saber asked in a husky tone.

“I want my old Saber back,” she whispered, staring into his eyes.

Saber’s eyes shuttered and he pulled back on the controls. Turning around, he steered the airchair back in front of the windows. After several minutes of silence, he finally spoke.

“The old Saber is gone, Taylor,” he murmured. “Go home. One day a warrior fit to protect you will come; accept him when he does.”

He heard Taylor rise up off the lone piece of furniture in the house besides the bed in his bedroom. She walked over to him and pressed a kiss to his neck. He curled his fingers around the arms of the airchair to keep from pulling her into his lap.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Saber,” Taylor whispered in his ear before she straightened and walked back to collect her belongings. “Oh, and for the record, I’ve already picked the warrior I want. He just needs to get his head out of his ass long enough to realize it. Bye!”

Saber didn’t say anything. Releasing the breath he had drawn in, he reached up and touched the spot on his neck that he swore felt like it was burning. Dropping his hand back down, he turned the airchair toward the one room that Taylor hadn’t been in. The door opened as he drew close.

Inside was a training room that he had installed while Taylor was in school. Pulling the chair up to the side of one of the benches, he slowly scooted forward and grabbed the bar along the side. He pulled himself up, forcing his shaking good leg to remain stiff until he could turn and sit down.

“Spiders,” he whispered with a chuckle as he began his nightly workout. “I really hope she wasn’t talking about real ones.”