Locke grinned. “Done. And I’ll assume you’ll also want a multi-tool.”
“Unless you’re hoping I rip the access panels off with my beak.”
Locke chuckled.
Jace nodded. “Okay. I can do this. And that way, you don’t have to go with your injury.”
“Thank you, Jace,” Shy said.
The blood drained from Tayel’s face. Jace couldn’t go. Sure he was here, but as a friend — to be part of it, but not to be part of it. That was everyone’s understanding wasn’t it? No one really expected Jace, with his broken wing and weakened state to actually go. They couldn’t.
“But what about your injury?” Tayel asked.
“I can walk straight at least,” Jace said.
“But—”
“Let him do it,” Fehn said. “He obviously knows what he’s talking about. And with him focusing on the data—”
“You all can worry about bashing Rokkir heads in,” Locke finished.
Tayel remembered finding Jace in Castle Aishan. He’d been hurt, defenseless, scared. Imagining him in that kind of situation again made her skin crawl, but she wasn’t about to challenge him in front of everyone. His pride would be hurt, and she’d seen Balcruf’s patience tried once already. Her debating about it now wouldn’t do any good.
“So Jace accesses the data, leaving Fehn, Tayel, and my sister to defend him, which leaves you, Balcruf, to worry about your own men. No having to drag me around. On top of that, it sounds like they greatly reduce the risk of your ambush on the patrol ship.” Locke crossed his arms. “In all, they’ll be doing much more than I would be if I came along.”
“It appears that way.” Balcruf nodded. “Very well. I will allow you four outworlders to accompany our war pack.”
“Thank you,” Shy said.
“Do you have questions regarding your roles?”
Fehn dipped his hands in his pockets. “When do we leave?”
“Tonight,” Balcruf said. “I will send someone for you when we are ready.”
Tayel still reeled over Jace’s inclusion as Locke shuffled her and her companions out of the war room. Getting to accompany the war pack was great; Jace going was not. She wouldn’t lose him to the Rokkir. Not again.
Chapter 25
Tayel followed up the back of the group as they wound through the halls toward Locke’s room. Jace walked ahead to her right, stretching out his good wing to pass back the black sphere he’d been clutching to his chest since the meeting.
She ground her teeth. The need to say something boiled inside her, more overwhelming with every step. Jace was injured. He’d never fought anything in his life. He wouldn’t be able to defend himself. How the rest of them could overlook those facts and accept his help was beyond Tayel, but blurting her dissent out loud to everyone wouldn’t help. She had to reason with him and him alone.
Shy looked back, her small smile morphing into a frown as Tayel met her eyes. Tayel shook her head quickly, dropping her gaze. Convincing Jace not to go likely meant Locke would resume his place, and Tayel dreaded Shy wouldn’t forgive her for it. She exhaled a shuddered breath and walked faster, making up the growing distance from the others.
“There isn’t any human or Argel armor in my stores,” Locke said. “Mine was more damaged than me after the fight, and Itah’s… stayed with him. I doubt the Varg have any sets lying around.”
“You have shields though, right?” Fehn asked.
“Plenty. We’d expected to use a lot more. I’d still feel better sending you all out there with a full defensive suite. Aether and velocity absorbing energy shields can’t protect you against everything.”
“Well your prototype will cover some of those weaknesses at least.”
“Not weaknesses against mag guns. Flak cannons. Rail guns. Swords. Spears. Anything sharp, really. Close range wide burst shotguns. High falls. Fast moving deb—”
“Locke,” Shy said. “It’s not like you knew we were coming. We’ll have to do the best with what we have.”
“I suppose.” Locke came to a stop at a fur draped opening. “Well, here we are.” He parted the furs with his arm and nodded Shy inside.
Tayel’s heart leapt. Now or never. She grabbed Jace’s shoulder, halting him while Fehn shuffled into the room. Locke looked to her next.
“Can we have some time alone?” she asked.
“I don’t see why not,” he said. “Though I wouldn’t wander off.”
She nodded, and he gave her and Jace a collective once-over before disappearing inside, leaving the furs to sway in his wake. She forced herself to even out her breathing. This was for Jace’s own good. This was the right thing to do, even if it hurt him.
Jace cocked his head. “What’s up?”
She scanned the long hall behind them. “Here, come this way a bit.”
Some space from Locke’s room was necessary. Jace wouldn’t want to be embarrassed within hearing distance from the others, and truth be told, she didn’t want to be either. Her opinion on his involvement clearly wasn’t the popular one. A small part of her writhed in guilt, frustrated at herself for betraying everyone else’s consensus. But he couldn’t go. He wouldn’t survive it.
She stopped a good distance from the room and turned to see him. His eye ridges flattened over his eyes, and that bit of guilt grew dangerously in her gut.
“I can’t let you go with us,” she murmured. She averted her eyes from the instant pain in his expression, the widened eyes, the slightly ajar beak, the way his head shrunk into his shoulders.
“Wh-what? I don’t—”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“But—”
“Your wing is broken, you could barely run fast enough in the woods two days ago to save your life, and you aren’t trained to defend yourself. You don’t even think conflict is necessary. You abhor it, right? What do you think is going to happen if you go with us? The Rokkir are just going to part your path and let you slip by because you’re a pacifist?”
Jace’s beak fell open. He blinked and shook his head like a gnat had suddenly flown too close — stun locked. Tayel winced. She shouldn’t have been so blunt.
“Well,” he said. “My wing is broken, I’m not in the best of shape, sure, and you’re right — I’m not going to murder anyone.”
Now he was being blunt.
“Jace—”
“I’m not even going to bother rehashing the meeting we just had, where everyone agreed I’d have value in this fight, because apparently you were spacing out — like you always do.”
“Hey. I’m trying to help you.”
“I don’t know why Shy sees it and you don’t, but I am valuable. I’m important and — and I can do this. It’s not like Locke could help fight if he went instead. I’m just as much — no — I’m less of a burden. My side isn’t busted open. I don’t need a cane. I can move fast, and I’m small, and I handle directions really—”
“It isn’t about all that!”
He narrowed his stare. “What, so you don’t think I’d be a burden?”
“I—no—well.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s more than just that.”
“Then what is it?”
“Jace, just accept that this is too dangerous for—”
“I have accepted it. I know what I’m getting into.”
“Then you should understand why it’s a very bad idea for you to go!” Tayel snapped.
“No more than it is for anyone else!” Jace shouted.