Alien Invasion: A Warrior Prince Romance (The Tourin Legacy - Part 1) by Immortal Angel Page A

Did
they only land here—or in my kingdom, too? If they did, how can we
fight them?
    I wonder if I should go back up to my room
and hope they don’t search the entire castle. But then a swarm of
the metal things shoots out the front glass doors and windows, and
the windows fall to the ground in an enormous crash of tinkling,
shimmering glass.
    Oh, shit. Run? Or hide?
    The metal things stream in through the open
glass and I have only seconds to make a decision. My heart pounds
in my head, my ears buzz, and my entire body shakes like a leaf in
the wind. I’ve battled men, women, even wild animals, but nothing
like the enemy I see before me.
    Run. But back up to the room, or out the
back doors into the gardens behind? Maybe I can go around the side
and use the element of surprise.
    The metal things marching up the stairs make
my decision for me. I run on shaking legs to the opposite end of
the castle than I came from and turn right, to the servants’ stairs
at the back of the building. Thankfully, the stairs are empty. I
guess most of the servants have already left.
    I descend as fast as I can, almost tripping
between flights in my haste.
    In battle, seconds can mean the difference
between life and death.
    I never expected battle here, but thank the
gods I made Father train me for it.
    Just inside the door that leads to the
gardens behind the castle, I stop, pausing to calm my frantic
breaths. I can’t run out heaving if stealth is necessary.
    Where can I go?
    For the first time, I realize I don’t know
much about Pluria’s capital city beyond the castle, the stables,
the armory and a few close restaurants and shops. And that’s when
it hits me! The armory. We need weapons.
    Feeling calmer with a destination and plan
of action in mind, I open the door slowly. It creaks and I wince. Nice. Why don’t you just announce it to them?
    The coast is clear, so I exit and sprint
down to the end. I turn to the right, running toward the front of
the castle and the courtyard. I peek around the corner of the
castle and see that the courtyard is still a frenzy of activity,
with the metal things shooting at all who emerge. A few warriors
are battling them – and losing.
    I run behind the hedges around the
courtyard, heading to the armory just past the gates. But just as I
round the corner to the entrance, I see one of the metal things
standing in front. I guess it must have heard me coming because it
looks right at me.
    Fuck it.
    Father always says the best defense is a
good offense, so I spring at the metal thing in a high kick, aiming
at the weapon, fingers poised to grip its shoulders. I kick the
weapon as hard as I can, and to my amazement, it flies out of the
thing’s grip and clatters to the dirt. Not so strong
then.
    I wrap my legs around it and try to rip off
its head.
    Its arms come up and grip my wrists.
    I see a button on the right side of its neck
and press it. The head begins to come off, and I rip it as hard as
I can. It doesn’t detach how I expect and I quickly realize it’s
some type of head covering. I throw it as far as possible before
turning back to the being inside.
    Not a metal thing, but an upright,
walking… mountain cat. It’s fierce, with sharp fangs and a
growling yowl that sends shivers down my spine. Its fetid breath
washes over me.
    I don’t have time to reach for my swords, so
using two fingers, I jab it as hard as I can in the eyes. It
screeches, a horrible sound, then begins to turn and spin. Now
or never.
    I jump off and start running down the dusty
road, hoping I’ve bought myself a little time.
    No such luck.
    It gives another angry, yowling snarl and
hisses at me. It’s after me in a flash, the suit barely slowing it.
I sprint away without thinking, and quickly realize I have only a
few more steps before I hit the main road.
    If I’m going to die ten thousand miles from
home, I’m at least going to take some of these metal cat-monsters
with me.
    I unsheathe my swords and prepare for