The Burden of Endurance Page 6

  We have to get the bullet out of your shoulder, so the Re-Gen can heal it up. I held up the tool with my good arm. But I need you to hold still. He eyed the tool anxiously before finally nodding.

  The extractor was a rather simple looking cylindrical device. It would scan and probe the wound before extracting the bullet with magnets. I carefully lined up the MagnEx with the entrance wound.

  Hold still. Do you understand? If you move, the extractor can do more damage, I said firmly.

  I will, Kuna replied, shifting a bit to get more comfortable.

  I gave him a few comforting pats, checked the alignment of the extractor, then pressed the button that would start the wound scan. Lights flashed as the MagnEx scanned the injured flesh and mapped the wound. After a few seconds, a green light began flashing.

  Ready? I asked.

  Kuna tensed under me. Do it.

  I lightly pressed the same button again. There was a quiet hiss as the device sprayed some topical anesthetic and antiseptic into the wound. I knew from training that this would not alleviate the pain. Suddenly, the MagnEx felt electric in my hands as the magnets kicked in, guiding the bullet back out of the wound. Kuna tensed but did not budge.

  Finally, there was a solid thunk, and another blue light flashed, indicating the bullet had been removed.

  All good. I rubbed Kuna’s cheek.

  I carefully pulled the MagnEx away. The large bullet hung off the end, all in one piece. I flicked off the magnet and let the bullet fall into my hand. I stared at the tiny piece of metal that could have easily killed us both. After a moment, I shoved it into my pocket and pulled out the bottle of Re-Gen. The agent was made for humans, but I had used it on Kuna before. I sprayed the aerosol into the wound and around it.

  Already, I could tell it was healing. New skin was quickly forming and closing the wound. My own shoulder ached less. I flexed my fingers tentatively, and they moved with ease.

  Brinden walked up nervously, his bonded following behind him like an oversized shadow. “How’s he doing?”

  “I think we’re all good. The bullet came out clean. The Re-Gen is working its magic.” I gestured to Kuna’s healing shoulder.

  “That’s good.” He glanced to Kuna and smiled. “That got pretty…close there for a minute.”

  “Yeah, it did.” I nodded, then smiled to Brinden. “I guess we’re even now, though.”

  Brinden waved off my comment sheepishly.

  “So, what is his name?” I nodded to the beast.

  “Tyze,” Brinden said, smiling. “This is… This is really something, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.” I took in Brinden’s new red skin and hair again. The look suited him well. “It really is. Kuna told me the Chroin are incomplete without their sentient bond, but I don’t really think we were complete either.”

  We stood in silence, staring out at the now empty pond. Millions of stars twinkled brilliantly in the sky, multiplying as they were reflected in the pond’s rippling water.

  “Where do you think they came from?” Brinden finally asked. “The eggs, I mean.”

  “I have no idea. The Chroin don’t lay them. They don’t return here after they hatch. I can’t say that I blame them, not after what happens here.” The cries of the hatchlings echoed through my brain, making me shudder.

  A huffing to our right made both of us jump. We spun to face the wild. Instead, we found Ilex rising to his feet. I looked around the clearing for the others. Reegan was starting to twitch as well. The Chroin’s eyes rolled as he fought off sleep. But there weren’t any others. Of the six recruits we had left with, only three remained.

  My blood boiled in my veins. Arzus, Harvel, and Kolton didn’t need to die. They could have been standing here with us now. Painted a bright color. Exhausted but relieved. But they weren’t. They wouldn’t be.

  I took a breath to steady myself. I couldn’t do anything about Parsons. Aldone would take care of him.

  For a moment, I watched the waterfall. The spray of water glistened in the moonlight like diamonds. It glinted silver as it cascaded over the edge. The sound washed over me and wiped away the stress. An orb crested the top, tipped over the edge, and plunged down to the little pond.

  “What was that?” Ilex called.

  I ran to the edge of the water, straining to see beyond its black depths. After a moment, the orb resurfaced, bobbing in the water as it floated away from the falls.

  “An egg,” I whispered, my gaze snapping back up to the crest of the waterfall. The rocky cliff was black against the even darker sky.

  What’s up there? I asked Kuna as I tried to make out the details.

  I don’t know. I felt the familiar tingle in my neck. When I opened my eyes, I could see better. The rocky cliff was more distinguishable but not by much. Kuna relaxed, giving me total control as my eyes darted back and forth.

  There! There was something. The rocks were too square. Too perfect.

  What is it? Kuna asked curiously.

  A building.

  A Message From R. L. Blalock

  Thank you for reading The Burden of Endurance. I hope you enjoyed it. I would greatly appreciate it if you would leave a review. Reviews are so important to the success of a book. Reviews give me a chance to see what’s working or not working. I consider all the feedback I get from readers very seriously. It’s my goal to make each book better than the last. Beyond improving my work, reviews also help other readers decide whether or not to spend their hard-earned money on my books.

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  More Books by R. L. Blalock

  Under A New Sun

  The Fall of Endurance: Book 1

  The Burden of Endurance: Book 2

  The Strength of Endurance: Book 3 (Coming November 2019!)

  The Peril of Endurance: Book 4 (Coming November 2019!)

  The Edict of Endurance: Book 5 (Coming December 2019!)

  COMING Spring 2020!

  Fallen Dynasty Series

  by R. L. Blalock and A. K. Duboff

  The Death & Decay Series

  The Darkest Days: Book 1

  Devour: Book 2

  Divided: Book 3

  Distortion: Book 4

  Downfall: Book 5 (Coming Fall 2018!)

  Undead Worlds:

  Includes the short story Defenseless: A Story of Death & Decay

  Undead Worlds 2:

  Includes the short story Dominion: A Story of Death & Decay

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  About the Author

  R. L. Blalock’s love of reading started young. As a child, her father would read stories to her before bed every night. In middle school, she and her best friend bonded over books and writing.

  Born and raised in Sacramento, California, R. L. Blalock now lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her loving husband and precocious three-year-old daughter. Their family also includes three pets: Memphis, a Pitbull/German shepherd mix who prefers to spend his days cuddling; Dixie, a Pit bull/Akita mix who greets everyone with excited squeals and enough kisses to last a lifetime: and Pazuzu, the Green-Cheeked Conure who thinks she’s a dog.

  During what precious little free time she has, R. L. Blalock likes to read whatever dark and twisted book she can get her hands on or scare herself silly with the same nightmarish kinds of
video games.

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