Of Smoke and Stardust [[COMPLETE]]]

CHAPTER 30 - PARKER

Parker watched with horror as the electric shock impact sent Alya into the air. She hit the floor a second later, just as Jayden's body seized and fell. Ttremors went through her body before she went perfectly still. They both lay, unmoving for a long moment—too long. Panic lanced through Parker's chest.

No. Please no.

He scrambled over to them and pressed two fingers Jayden's neck first. There. A Pulse. Relief splashed over him. He touched Alya's neck and waited.

Nothing.

Another jolt of panic shocked him. "Alya!" He slipped a hand under her back tilted her chin up to feel for breath. Nothing. She wasn't breathing.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Instinct took over. He started compressions. Then breathes. He'd been taught how to resuscitate someone during the rebellion. He'd never thought he'd have to use it on a HAWK member—even more, he never thought he'd have to use it on someone—he realized with piercing certainty—he loved.

His hands shook as he started on the second set of compressions. The presence of the soldiers around him, grief stricken faces of the Hawks, everything blurred together as tears stung his eyes. "Please please please."

Parker didn't care how pitiful he sounded; he'd beg the devil himself if it would save Alya.

He felt the soldiers closing in on him. He ignored them--didn't even bother to stand up and fight. Only thing mattered was Alya. He would not give up. Never. Not on her. He'd die saving her if he had to. He leaned down to give her breath and, with a sudden jolt, Alya sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes flew open.

Parker groaned with relief, the weight too much. "Alya," he breathed, pulling her into him.

Her lips parted and she croaked out something that sounded like his name. Then her eyes fluttered close as the soldiers lunged.

He clutched her to him, buried his head into her damp hair. He shielded her body just like that day in Arsania, and braced himself to endure any harm that would come for her.

But nothing happened. No soldiers grabbed at him, no one pulled him away from Alya. He vaguely heard Jorritt's voice ringing through the comms.

When Parker lifted his face and looked around, every soldier dropped to the ground all at once.

Rowen whistled, limping up to them. "About time Tech boy."

Parker didn't have time to consider how Rowen was alive as Jorritt's voice echoed through the comms again.

"The facility has been successfully shut down along with the mind controlling chips." He sounded sheepish, which sent an icy spike of dread through Parker. "But the system automatically activated self-destruction system as a safeguard."

"Fucking shit, you mean this place is going to blow?" Rowen's voice spiked at the end of his sentence.

"We-well y-yes!"

Nyx swore and started running. "Jorrit, open all the doors, we need to at least let the experiments have a fighting chance to get out." She ran out the door, calling out to people to run and get out. Rowen followed her to help.

"Already done!"

Parker looked down at Alya, unconscious in his arms, then to Jayden, unconscious on the ground. He couldn't carry them both. There wasn't enough time to get one out and go back for the other. His muscles felt so weak, he wasn't even sure he'd be able to carry one at all.