Orion Colony Complete Series Boxed Set J.N. Chaney (books for new readers .txt) 📖

lot. I’m hoping for the best just like you, but if Arun doesn’t get healed from the virus, I don’t want you... Look, just know I’m here for you buddy.”

Ricky nodded, gratitude causing the corner of his mouth to tug up into a smile. “Thanks, Dean. You’ve always been a good friend.”

We looked at each other for another moment, then it turned awkward.

“So, do we hug now or something?” Ricky joked.

“No, no. I can pass on that,” I laughed, putting my hands up in front of me to stop him, just in case.

“Okay, yeah, yeah, good.” Ricky shrugged unconvincingly. “Sure, I didn’t want a hug anyway.”

We both grinned at each other before I left to go find Elon and Arun. For a long time, Ricky had been my only friend. I knew I’d do anything I could to cure Arun, not only for her sake but for his too.

Thoughts about what an open war with Legion would mean raced through my mind. I headed for Arun’s tent, pressed up against the giant half of the Orion.

The seed ship was cracked in half like an egg. On top of that, it had landed on its side when it crashed onto Genesis. The tent I made my way toward now was more of a lean-to. Elon had repurposed an exposed room on the ground floor to accommodate his sister. The front portion was a tent and the back half of the room led into the Orion itself.

I stopped at the tent entrance, clearing my throat to make myself known.

“Elon, Arun? It’s Dean,” I said. “Can I come in?”

Nothing.

“Hey, I’m coming in. It’s Dean,” I shouted.

Still no response.

A cold prickle raced over my skin, raising goosebumps. I had been to visit Arun as much as I could over the last month. Someone was always there, and someone always answered.

I removed the tent flap and went through the front of the tent portion, where a wash basin and cleaning supplies were held. Another flap led into the portion of the living quarters housed in the Orion itself.

“Arun? Elon?” I asked as I drew back the next tent flap.

Elon’s body slumped in a chair.

Arun stood over him. Her eyes weren’t her own. The bright blue irises I was so used to seeing were gone. The black orbs of Legion had replaced them.

4

I didn’t have time to call out for help. Arun sprang at me the second she saw me enter. She bullied me backward, clenching her jaw as if she were going to break her own teeth.

Her hands reached for my throat.

“Arun, stop!” I shouted at her, grabbing her wrists tightly in my hands. “This isn’t you! You have to stop!”

She was too far gone at the moment to let any kind of words sink in. The Eternal struggled forward, trying to drive me back the way I came. She opened her mouth now as if she were going to say something. No words came out. She stood with her mouth gaping open, black eyes open wide in surprise.

Elon jumped to his feet and secured an arm around his sister’s neck, trying to pull her off me.

I was shocked and relieved that he was still alive. When I saw Arun standing over him, I’d feared the worst.

“Arun, stop. You need to fight this,” Elon said just below a shout. “Listen to my voice. This isn’t you. Remember who you are.”

The fight went out of Arun a moment later and her arms went limp. She stopped trying to grab at my neck. As if by some kind of magic, the black orbs that had become her eyes transitioned back to bright blue.

Arun fell to her knees.

“Dean, Dean, I’m so sorry.” Arun shook her head as if she were trying to dismiss a bad dream. “I don’t—I can’t…” her voice trailed off. I thought she might be crying, but I couldn’t be sure.

Elon glanced at me apologetically. I took a good look at him, still keeping an eye on Arun, who could possibly regress any second. His eyes were bloodshot with bags hanging under them. His normally tidy hair and clothes were wrinkled and mussed.

He knelt beside his sister, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Elon said. “It’s not you. We know that’s not you.”

I looked on, still recovering from the shock of what had just transpired. I knew Arun was doing badly but not this badly. I had been to visit her a few days before. She had been herself. Certainly weak but nothing had suggested this might happen. Neither Ricky nor Elon had told me about changes like this happening to her, where she completely lost control.

“Come on,” Elon said coaxingly. “Let’s get you back into the bed.”

I moved in to help. Together, we lifted Arun to her feet. She was shaky and seemed drained in contrast to how strong she had been when grabbing my throat. She felt small and fragile in my hands, like I could break her if I wasn’t careful. I could nearly wrap my hand around her upper arm.

“I’m so sorry, Dean,” Arun said again, her eyes finding mine. “I could have hurt you.”

“No offense, Arun,” I said to her, gently laying her down, “but there isn’t an alternate universe that exists where you hurt me in a hand-to-hand fight. Go easy on yourself.”

Her lips twisted up into a ghost of a smile.

“I had no idea it was this bad,” I said out loud. “I’m sorry, no one told me. I should have been checking on you every day.”

“It’s not your job to check on me,” Arun said, shaking her head.

“These full transitions just started,” Elon said, rubbing at his tired eyes. “This is only the second time.”

“I should be tied down,” Arun said dully. “The Legion virus is growing in me, getting stronger and stronger every day. I don’t—I don’t know how much longer I can fight it. It’s a miracle I’ve been able to keep it at bay this long. It’s