The Agathon: Reign of Arturo by Colin Weldon Read Free Book Online Page B

stars. She thought about the image of her mother she had seen during her battle with the Targlagdu. A sudden wave of exhaustion exploded from inside as she let go and began to cry. She stood alone in the centre of her room and let it happen. She was suddenly startled by a chime from behind her. It was David Chavel. She could sense him. She sniffed and wiped the tears from her face before taking a deep breath. She walked to the door catching a reflection of herself in a wall mirror. She fixed her hair and took a second before opening the door. He smiled at her.
    “May I come in?” he asked. She hesitated for a moment before throwing her arms around him and hugging him fiercely in the corridor of the ship. Her tears began to flow again. She pulled back her head and holding his face with her hands kissed him gently. With their foreheads touching, Chavel laughed.
    “I’ll take that as a yes then,” he said. Carrie sniffed and nodded. She led him into her quarters by her hand. The two stood in the centre of the room and looked around.
    “You okay?” he said, “I thought I’d lost you.” Carrie turned and faced him again, running her finger over his face. She nodded.
    She had no idea what to say to the young navigator, so she started with an apology.
    “I’m so sorry, David,” she said, “I should have told you earlier, but I thought…” she trailed off.
    “Hey,” he said touching her face, “Plenty of time for all that. We just escaped our first contact with a killer planet, you have super powers and we’re lost somewhere in the galaxy, but first things first. You need a shower,” he said laughing.
    She laughed with him for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. She slapped him on the arm.
    “Hey, you don’t smell too great yourself, hot shot,” she said.
    “Yeah, well, fighting an alien robot will do that to a man. Don’t judge,” he said.
    “Shut up. No more talking,” she whispered. She smiled at him before taking her hands and undoing the top button of his flight suit. She began softly kissing him as she continued. She closed off her mind to him. She was tired of listening to thoughts and just wanted to be with him. He reciprocated slowly releasing her from her jump suit. Seconds later they stood in the small pile of clothing, before she stood back and took his hand, leading him into the next room where the shower was. She activated it and led him into the steam filled cubical.

    “John, I love you, save Carrie!”
    Carrie jolted upright in the bed, opening her eyes, and taking a large intake of air. She could feel the familiar pounding of her heart as the image of her mother covered in The Black liquid echoed around her mind. The sheet fell to her waist and left her naked body exposed to the dim lighting of the nearby twin star system. She felt a warm hand on the small of her back.
    “You OK?” said Chavel leaning into her.
    She looked around at his concerned face and pulled damp hair behind her ears. She placed her hand on his solid chest and smiled.
    “Bad dream again,” she said.
    Chavel frowned. She wished she could find a way to shut off her brain at night. The nightmares were starting to become second nature and she dreaded going to sleep at night.
    “When are you gonna tell me what’s really going on?” Chavel said gently to her while sitting upright.
    He raised his hand up to her shoulder. She didn’t answer.
    “Come on, Carrie, I think I’ve earned the right to be allowed inside that fortress of yours,” he said.
    Carrie smiled. He had already been inside the fortress. Many times. She sighed and flopped back onto the bed covering herself up with the sheets. The sweat that had beaded down her chest was beginning to make her feel cold.
    “I have had the same dream over and over again for the last year or so. Every night. The same one. I see my mother entering the cave and discovering The Black. I see her team sink into it. I see it take her and dissolve her skin and