Free Reclaiming Mystique (SpaceStalker Saga Book 2) by Bevan Greer

we don’t have any real information worth knowing.”
    But Jace did. Demise knew Jace held something important deep within his mind. Guilt spiked, but he shoved it aside, convincing himself that nothing he’d tell the demon lord would stop the creature from maiming and killing his crew.
    Koneru turned back to Castor, quiet as he watched for signs of consciousness.
    Seeing Koneru occupied and knowing he took a risk in doing so, Jace nonetheless closed his eyes and reached out with his mind for some hint of his missing crew’s presence. Instead of the normal variation of color he experienced when mind traveling, Jace saw everything in black.
    The bleakness of this dark place oppressed him, not to mention the overwhelming mental activity going on in the prison. Aware his abilities were stunted by fatigue and pain, he decided to try only a little more, not wanting to overtax himself.
    Blackness surrounded him, pressing in on all sides. A flash of blue filtered through the thick haze and Jace focused on it, feeling Fenturi energy fleeting in the darkness. The blue light flickered, and Jace watched with apprehension as the blackness around him absorbed the light, almost extinguishing it.
    Sensing Mikhel on the verge of death, Jace quickly pulled back into his own body, cursing at the fates that had led to his decision to crash-land on Dark World.
    “Jace, are you okay?”
    Jace looked up to see Koneru and a bleary-eyed Castor studying him. Relieved that at least two of his crew had pulled through, if momentarily, he nodded. “Sorry, I may have dozed off there.”
    “You look like you could do with a longer sleep.” Koneru eyed him critically. “But damn it’s good to see you again. And look, Castor decided to grace us with his presence. About time, you lazy Legionnaire.”
    “Go to hell,” Castor grumbled. “It’s ex-Legionnaire.”
    “I’m already there,” Koneru answered, earning weak laughter from both Castor and Jace. “At least we’re still alive. I hope Nesham and Mikhel can say the same.”
    Jace nodded. He had no idea of Nesham’s state of health or whereabouts. That Nesham had escaped boded well for him. Since Demise hadn’t paraded his escaped prisoner bloodied and bruised in front of his men, Jace held hope that Nesham was still out there somewhere, beyond Demise’s black claws. Of Mikhel, he could only pray that they’d get out in time to save him from the bleak torture draining him even now.
     
    ***
     
    Naria caught her breath and focused on her inner senses. Wishing she had some light—her father had even extinguished the weak torchlight from her cell—Naria called forth her healing powers. Searching inside of her body, she readily located the most important source of injury, that to her head.
    Uttering a whisper of sound, she began the slow and painful process of healing herself. The rare instances she had used her gift, she’d experimented on injured creatures on Fer needing her assistance. They’d been much easier to heal, using their energy and her own to speed the process. Healing herself would be much more draining since she had only one source of energy to use.
    With her brain no longer bruised, she worked on her left eardrum, the crusted blood on her lobe now the only evidence of pain she’d experienced. Looking deeper within, she restored her bruised muscles and sprained ribs.
    Her limbs felt restored though exhaustion overtook her. She decided to heal her superficial skin bruises and swollen eyelid after a brief nap.
    She awoke to a soft tapping on her cell door. Trying to peer through the blackness around her, Naria had no idea of how long she’d been asleep. She gingerly sat up. She felt tired but no worse for having withstood her father’s wrath. Her face throbbed, but other than that Naria felt almost normal.
    “Naria, are you okay?”
    Naria rose and walked unsteadily to the door. That had sounded suspiciously like Carinna.
    “Hello?” Naria said.
    “I’m coming in,”