Way of No Return (Champions of the Crystal Book 8)

Chapter 21: Collapse

Scotty paused to let Mara wilt into a sitting position on a nearby boulder, breathing hard. He was nearing the end of his endurance, and the valley was filling with smoke, making it harder to breathe. "I don't guess you can do anything about all this?" he asked.

Mara sighed. "Seuréa has tried, but she does not know very much about wind patterns. I will attempt to show her. It is only—" She broke off. "No, Niavar, Sabrina cannot do that. Scotty, give me your hand!"

Scotty obeyed instantly. "What's wrong?"

"Niavar and Sabrina are attempting to create a disruptive Way," Mara gasped out.

"Sabrina sucks at astrophysics," Scotty remarked, concerned.

"Succinct, but essentially correct. I must help. But there is a particular structure within a Wayship's mind that is responsible for accurately constructing the Way, and Khediva did not pass any such thing to Sabrina. Nor do we have computational technology to compensate, as Niavar built for his ship."

Scotty felt a weird tingle up his spine. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"Attempting to determine whether something helpful might be embedded in the genetic material Tirqwin donated during your reconstruction."

"What about Seuréa? She's got more of it, doesn't she? Or Ford?"

"They are half Miahn; you have more of Tirqwin's genetic inheritance than they." Mara frowned, annoyed. "I cannot find it. I do not know how to do this. And Niavar will not listen to me!"

"Mara," Scotty said after a moment, "do you have a better plan?" When she shook her head wearily, he continued, "Then let them try. Ford knows more about Ways than the rest of us put together." He paused, taking her in expression, and let himself grin a little. "You don't have to do everything yourself, you know."

"Scotty, I do not expect you to truly comprehend this, but a Guardian is not, as you would put it, a team player. I am supposed to deal with precisely these sorts of threats. None of my predecessors has ever had significant help."

"Hey, take it up with the Crystal," Scotty said. "This wasn't Sabrina and Ford's idea." He glanced upward, mesmerized for a moment by the menacing swirl of the Way's entrance. Particulates from Darkene were being drawn in, making a kind of artistic swirl that would have been beautiful if he didn't know what had caused it. "Besides," he sighed, "it looks like time for a Hail Mary to me."

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Before, when they had attempted something that Ford understood best, they had been able to blend their efforts and let his knowledge guide them. But this was like nothing they had ever tried to do, and it was so complex and dense a task that Ford had to think a couple of steps ahead to be sure his instructions were sound, leaving Sabrina to muddle through the actual implementation as best she could.

Close might be good enough, Ford thought, tossing her a quick reassuring thought before plunging back into his calculations. Sabrina had always known he was a genius, well beyond her ability to even fairly evaluate, but she had never seen him pushed to his limits before. It would have been awe-inspiring if it weren't so dangerous. He wasn't leaving himself time for doubts or apprehension, but his usual confidence was missing.

Sabrina was dimly aware of her abused body running out of strength, drawing from the Crystal's power to keep functioning. She knew she did not have time for doubts either; she had laid all the groundwork, and it was time to actually reach into the space/time continuum and open the Way. The spatial coordinates for this were precise; Ford had put a lot of time into figuring out how to intersect the massive Way without causing even more disruption to Darkene and endangering Praxatillus. She took a deep breath and sent a stream of energy toward the coordinates, pushing with all her strength—

—and her concentration shattered as the baby began to cry.

Cynthia jumped as Lily let out a short, sharp cry, then drew a deeper breath and began to scream in her thin little voice. She began to rock the baby gently, but she was pretty sure hunger was the problem.

Ford and Seuréa let out identical cries of protest and alarm as Sabrina's eyes fluttered open. "What's the matter?" she demanded hoarsely.

"I think she's hungry," Cynthia replied, bringing the baby over to the group around the bed. "Do you want to try to nurse? I don't think there's any alternative."

Ford let out a cry of frustration, opening his eyes as well. "Sabrina, you're going to get us all killed!" he snapped. "It does absolutely no good to put her immediate needs above her survival!"

Sabrina was trying to pull her hands out of Ford and Seuréa's grips to take the baby. "Just give me a minute!" she said.

"We don't have it to give!" Ford shouted, tightening his grip painfully.

"I've given Praxatillus everything else!" Sabrina cried tearfully. "I can't sacrifice my daughter!"

Seuréa opened her eyes just long enough to grab at Ford's arms. "Mama caught it. Help her!" she gasped out.

Ford and Seuréa linked both their hands, closing their eyes again and breathing hard as they struggled to make up for Sabrina's loss. Sabrina took the baby, holding her for the first time and wishing she had the luxury of examining every inch of her.

"She's not latching on," Cynthia observed.

Rutha hurried over. "Let me see."

Sabrina frowned. "Is something wrong? Shouldn't it be instinctive?"

"She's early, and not very strong yet," Rutha said. "But she will get it. Here."

Sabrina's heart began to pound in dread. She had meant to take only a moment to get the baby settled and then rejoin Ford in trying to save the planet, but she didn't know if she could afford this delay. Ford was right; Lily wouldn't survive if they were all killed. "You guys have to figure it out," she said. "I have to go back into the link."

Ford's expression was one of frustration, and Seuréa's eyes were leaking tears. Their fingers were gripping each other so hard they were turning white.

"Do what you have to do," Cynthia said. "We'll take care of this."

"I love you, Lily," Sabrina whispered, kissing the baby's forehead before handing her back to Cynthia. She was going to miss  Lily's first feeding, but it was a price she would have to pay to ensure their survival. There would be plenty more, she tried to tell herself.

As Cynthia and Rutha maneuvered the baby back into position, Sabrina reached for Ford's hand again. He immediately clasped hers in a crushing grip that made her wince, and she took Seuréa's free hand in her other, plunging back into the link.