I trust Fer’ro. I know he will do what’s best for Mina, but like every other human on this planet, all we have left are each other.

I cannot leave her.

Sam senses when I stiffen and she steps beside me. “I’m not going anywhere either.”

Her eyes are wide as she stares at the medical tools and I see when she gulps.

The medic clicks again, his gaze on Fer’ro and even in his slitted alien eyes, I get the sense that he is saying, “fine, it’s their choice. I tried to warn them.”

I grip Fer’ro tighter as the light brightens some more and the medic takes out something that looks like a sharp blade.

With a quick movement, he sets the blade against Mina’s skin and flicks his hand upward.

What’s left of her dress rips in two and falls to the side.

Her belly is exposed for all of us to see.

There’s a growl and a hiss to the side, and San’ten’s blades rise.

Mina’s belly is even bigger than I realized and I slap a hand over my mouth. Her skin is stretched so much that I can see the network of veins underneath it.

Something moves underneath her skin.

Something big. It distorts her belly somewhat, as it swims.

Knowing what’s in there, I don’t know how I do it, but I manage not to throw up at the sight.

I feel Fer’ro stiffen again and then he is turning and sweeping me off my feet.

“Wait!”

A sense of utter betrayal suddenly sweeps through me as Fer’ro moves out of the room.

Before Sam can respond, Ga’Var is doing the same to her.

“I am sorry, Adee’ra,” is all I hear as Fer’ro moves far too quickly into the corridor.

The last thing I see before the doors close behind him is the medic lifting his blade.

Chapter Twenty-One

ADIRA

I’m slamming my hands against him, my curses echoing in the hallway as Fer’ro moves into another room and sets me down.

“What are you doing? I’m not leaving her in there all alone!”

With that psycho, I want to add.

I try to brush past him but he holds me still.

“No,” he growls. “We have waited too long. It is far too mature to expose you to it.”

My shoulders heave as I look up at him.

“What do you mean?”

“There is no time to explain.”

He hits something on the wall and the wall disappears into a transparent shield.

“Whoa,” Sam mutters.

Across the shield, I can see Mina on the table, the medic still over her.

I step forward, pressing my hand against the shield. It’s solid, like glass.

He’rox hasn’t cut her yet. He is looking in our direction and I realize it’s not a one-way mirror.

He can see us too.

Off in the corner of the room, is a tall being with so many spikes I almost do not recognize San’ten.

He is completely distorted with the multitude of blades around him.

My breaths are still coming hard as my heart thumps against my chest.

“Are you sure it’s okay for him to be in there?”

Fer’ro bristles beside me. His suit actually moves.

“No,” he says.

Not the answer I expect and my eyes widen. “What do you mean? Why is this so dangerous?”

Fer’ro’s gaze flick to me. “I have to go back, Adee’ra. One or both of my brethren in that room will not be safe.”

I blink at him. I don’t understand why they’re being so ominous.

What could be so dangerous about something that should, essentially, be a baby?

“You stay here. This room is secure. You will be safe. And…when that thing comes out…do not let anyone who has been in that room inside.” He pauses. “Even if we beg.”

I glance at Sam but she is now as terrified as I am.

I manage to nod at Fer’ro and he pauses again as he looks down at me.

At that moment, I want to hang on to him because I feel something is about to happen that I won’t like.

I open my mouth to say as much when he pulls his gaze from mine and turns.

Ga’Var follows him out the door and as I watch them leave, the ba’clan pulse against my arm.

It’s a warm feeling, as if they are trying to comfort me and I brush my other hand against them.

“Adira?” Sam calls my name and I move over to where she is standing, arms crossed, in front of the barrier.

Fer’ro and Ga’Var are back in the room and their focus is on the medic.

I wish I could understand what they are saying because they’re obviously discussing something critical.

That’s when Fer’ro’s blades suddenly rise all around him. So does Ga’Var’s and I know enough now to understand that means they feel threatened or are about to attack.

The medic brings his blade down, slicing through Mina’s skin and blood fills the table.

I’m frozen as I watch.

It’s too much blood.

They can’t let her bleed out.

There is a sick pulsing in her stomach and I hold my breath.

“What are they waiting for? Why don’t they take it out and kill it?!”

I can’t take the suspense. It feels like I’m about to go into cardiac arrest when something moves fast, so fast I almost don’t see it.

It falls to the floor and I have a moment where I see gray.

The Gryken.

It’s huge!

There’s a moment where I see its blurry form before chaos explodes in the room.

The medic is wheeling Mina away to another room whose door was an invisible rectangle in the wall, while Fer’ro and the others…

Someone smashes into the barrier right in front of me and I jump.

“Fer’ro!”

His back is to me while San’ten is to his front, his teeth bared, his blades all extended.

I don’t understand what’s happening.

And where is that fucking thing? The Gryken.

Somewhere in the back, Ga’Var is tearing the room apart. I think he’s trying to find it, while Fer’ro is desperately trying to hold San’ten off, even though San’ten looks like he’s about to rip his throat out.

Every slash San’ten aims his way, Fer’ro dodges but without aiming an attack on his own.

He’s playing defense, but San’ten looks crazed.

His claws extend and he swipes at Fer’ro, drawing blood.

A scream leaves my throat as that blood splashes against the barrier, painting it a deep, dark red.

I can’t see anything, but it’s not because of the thick blood slowly dripping down the wall in front of me.

I can’t hear Sam’s deep intake of breath as she stares transfixed. I can’t see Ga’Var ripping the room apart in the background.

I can’t even see San’ten as he aims another strike.

All I can see is Fer’ro.

I watch as the scene plays in slow motion before me.

He dodges another attack as San’ten aims for his throat.

The sharp blade misses by an inch and pierces the wall in front of us.

Fer’ro.

Against my arm, the ba’clan pulse in a rhythm that beats with my heart.

Fer’ro!

He manages to throw San’ten across the room and the dark-eyed male collides with the wall.

San’ten falls to the ground but he’s not down yet, for he’s rising again.

I’m staring at them, wondering what the hell is happening, why San’ten is trying to kill Fer’ro, when something comes sailing through the air, right at me.

I jerk backward instinctively but whatever it is doesn’t reach me.

Instead, it lands on the barrier right in front of me and all I see are sharp teeth sticking into the barrier itself as huge dark eyes meet mine.

I’m staring into the eyes of the enemy and God knows, it’s terrifying.

The Gryken screeches at me.

Even with the barrier there, the sound dampened, I can still hear it.

Its six limbs are extended and it catches itself as it slips to the floor to stand on them.

“Holy fuck…” Sam whispers.

Its rows of teeth clamp down and open again.

Its face is wicked.

All I can see is pure evil.

I want to look away, but…I can’t.

There’s a dark blur in the background as San’ten rises once more and rushes toward Fer’ro.