He didn’t comply through any kind of coherence, just gulped against the pain. Was vaguely aware of a bitter taste mixing with the bile. Thought the combination was really shitty.

“Be about five minutes,” Talina’s voice cut through the heterodyne in his ears. “Then I’ll get you bundled aboard. That latest dose of painkiller should hold you for the four-hour flight to PA.”

Dek whimpered, wiped at the tears streaking down his face.

God fucking damn, if only he could just die.

He clamped his eyes. Tried to concentrate on breathing. Just in and out. Yes, inhale. Don’t think of how much it hurts. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. He made himself fall into the mantra.

And slowly the brain-numbing agony faded.

“Feeling better?” Talina asked, her voice close.

Dek blinked. “Yeah.” Swallowed. “More of Dya’s blue nasty?”

“Seems to really work. You ready?”

“Either cut my leg off or kill me.”

“Naw. Either way, Kalico would never forgive me. Since she’s one of the only real friends I’ve got, I can’t afford to piss her off. Guess you’ll just have to suffer.”

“You’re a hard woman.”

“Hey, you were in love with me last night. How quickly things change.”

“Still in love with you. It’s my leg that I hate.”

He felt her arms going around him. Instead of a lover’s embrace, she lifted. Drugs or not, the pain left him dry-heaving as she carried him across the clearing, lifted him over the railing of her aircar, and laid him on the seat.

As the agony eased, he managed to suck air, trying to keep himself from screaming.

He must have drifted off, didn’t know how long he was out. Coming to, he had an image of leaping onto a fast break, his jaws snapping shut on the back of the creature’s neck. And . . .

What? Leaping on a fast break? What crazy part of his brain had that come from?

Dek heard the rushing of air. He blinked. Lifted himself on his elbows to stare over the aircar’s railing at the deep forest passing below. He figured that they were about a hundred and fifty meters above the treetops, and they were making about seventy knots.

Overhead the morning sky was filled with Donovan’s deeper greenish blue, dotted with puffy white clouds. Capella looked to be about an hour above the eastern horizon. Good, he hadn’t been out for long.

Talina stood at the wheel, her attention on keeping the aircar’s course. Dek took a moment to enjoy the view. If only he could. . .

The thought flew away like thistle down on the wind. Had to be the drug. Made him really stupid. He remembered Talina’s lips on his, the way she’d been breathing life into him. Wished he’d been conscious, could have participated.

Damn, Dek. You’ve been celibate for far too long.