sputtered, but couldn’t get enough air in his damaged throat to
speak.
Jaxt continued, ignoring his father’s struggles. “Of course you did. The moment I
declared blood-oath to Zoen , you repudiated me, if
only in private.” He spat to the side. “How dare you, he who mutilates
children?” He shook his head as his skin changed to a deep golden tone. “You
are the defiler, Father. I bring you grim death, and I do so with Alphan skin, so you know who is killing you.” He pressed
the tip of his phase blade to his father’s forehead. “I am told the pain of
this in one’s skull is similar to the sensation of ripping off a limb.” He
activated the energy pulse, and his father screamed, head tipping back. Jaxt did not waver.
Sky
stared, a ferocious joy filling her. Jaxt stood
steady, watching as Kaxt’s skin changed from blue, to
green, to a sickly shade of yellow before he toppled to the floor with a crash.
She let out the air in her lungs with relief, then realized there was no more air to breathe back in. She grabbed Jaxt . He turned to her, face going tight as he immediately
grasped the significance of her waving arm.
“Here,”
he said, ripping the breather from his face. She sucked in great lungfuls of air, eyes searching for her other bondmate . She sagged when she realized that Zoen already had his hands in the control panel she’d
sabotaged. Fortunately, the women in the cell with her seemed to have survived
her desperate ploy to help her bondmates . Cori had
backed away from the open panel, and she stared at Zoen like she’d never seen a Xyran before. She had her
hand clapped over her mouth, clearly fighting the urge to breathe.
As
soon as air hissed into the cell, Sky lifted her breather away and handed it
back to Jaxt . Cori and the others panted harshly, but
Sky only had eyes for her mates.
“You
found me,” she said, a strange giddiness welling up inside her.
“Of
course,” Jaxt said arrogantly, and then he cocked his
head to the side. “You should not have gone to the settlement alone.”
She
sniffed, secretly delighted with his attitude. It felt … normal. “I was
betrayed. The man I got the power cell from was working with the Xyrans to smuggle women from the planet to sell.” She
looked at the women huddled on the floor. “It seems to have been a well-run and
long established operation.” She glared at Kaxt’s body.
“That
my sire had his fingers in this foul mess does not surprise me,” Jaxt said. “We will take the females back to Earth, if that
is where they wish to go.” He gathered Sky close to him, heedless of the blood
spattered on his armor.
“ Kaxt has been raiding and stealing women from countless
worlds for years,” Zoen said, strolling over. He
didn’t notice the women on the floor cringing back from him, but Sky did. She
sighed, irritated. He wasn’t going to hurt them. Couldn’t they tell? She glared
at them. The only one who didn’t look like a whipped dog was Cori. The girl
gave her a tentative smile, and Sky nodded encouragingly at her.
“It
is common knowledge that sex gives Xyrans power, but
few realize power stolen is fleeting. Power freely given is precious and
long-lasting,” Zoen said as he stopped in front of
her. His skin, too, had changed back to his usual tone. He sighed, touching a
finger to Sky’s cheek. “But raiding is what Xyrans do.”
“You’re
not full-blooded Xyran ,” Sky whispered shakily. Just
that one touch had her trembling, damn him. “And you can’t go back, not now.
Neither of you can.” She looked at Kaxt’s corpse and
shuddered. “Come back with me. Come back to Earth with me.” Her voice shook. If
they didn’t agree, she didn’t know what she’d do. Liar. You’d follow them wherever they go.
“We
had always intended to stay with you, Savage Sky,” Jaxt murmured against her hair. “You are the one who threw us out.”
She
poked him. “Because you were an asshole.”
He
growled at her. “You hold
speak.
Jaxt continued, ignoring his father’s struggles. “Of course you did. The moment I
declared blood-oath to Zoen , you repudiated me, if
only in private.” He spat to the side. “How dare you, he who mutilates
children?” He shook his head as his skin changed to a deep golden tone. “You
are the defiler, Father. I bring you grim death, and I do so with Alphan skin, so you know who is killing you.” He pressed
the tip of his phase blade to his father’s forehead. “I am told the pain of
this in one’s skull is similar to the sensation of ripping off a limb.” He
activated the energy pulse, and his father screamed, head tipping back. Jaxt did not waver.
Sky
stared, a ferocious joy filling her. Jaxt stood
steady, watching as Kaxt’s skin changed from blue, to
green, to a sickly shade of yellow before he toppled to the floor with a crash.
She let out the air in her lungs with relief, then realized there was no more air to breathe back in. She grabbed Jaxt . He turned to her, face going tight as he immediately
grasped the significance of her waving arm.
“Here,”
he said, ripping the breather from his face. She sucked in great lungfuls of air, eyes searching for her other bondmate . She sagged when she realized that Zoen already had his hands in the control panel she’d
sabotaged. Fortunately, the women in the cell with her seemed to have survived
her desperate ploy to help her bondmates . Cori had
backed away from the open panel, and she stared at Zoen like she’d never seen a Xyran before. She had her
hand clapped over her mouth, clearly fighting the urge to breathe.
As
soon as air hissed into the cell, Sky lifted her breather away and handed it
back to Jaxt . Cori and the others panted harshly, but
Sky only had eyes for her mates.
“You
found me,” she said, a strange giddiness welling up inside her.
“Of
course,” Jaxt said arrogantly, and then he cocked his
head to the side. “You should not have gone to the settlement alone.”
She
sniffed, secretly delighted with his attitude. It felt … normal. “I was
betrayed. The man I got the power cell from was working with the Xyrans to smuggle women from the planet to sell.” She
looked at the women huddled on the floor. “It seems to have been a well-run and
long established operation.” She glared at Kaxt’s body.
“That
my sire had his fingers in this foul mess does not surprise me,” Jaxt said. “We will take the females back to Earth, if that
is where they wish to go.” He gathered Sky close to him, heedless of the blood
spattered on his armor.
“ Kaxt has been raiding and stealing women from countless
worlds for years,” Zoen said, strolling over. He
didn’t notice the women on the floor cringing back from him, but Sky did. She
sighed, irritated. He wasn’t going to hurt them. Couldn’t they tell? She glared
at them. The only one who didn’t look like a whipped dog was Cori. The girl
gave her a tentative smile, and Sky nodded encouragingly at her.
“It
is common knowledge that sex gives Xyrans power, but
few realize power stolen is fleeting. Power freely given is precious and
long-lasting,” Zoen said as he stopped in front of
her. His skin, too, had changed back to his usual tone. He sighed, touching a
finger to Sky’s cheek. “But raiding is what Xyrans do.”
“You’re
not full-blooded Xyran ,” Sky whispered shakily. Just
that one touch had her trembling, damn him. “And you can’t go back, not now.
Neither of you can.” She looked at Kaxt’s corpse and
shuddered. “Come back with me. Come back to Earth with me.” Her voice shook. If
they didn’t agree, she didn’t know what she’d do. Liar. You’d follow them wherever they go.
“We
had always intended to stay with you, Savage Sky,” Jaxt murmured against her hair. “You are the one who threw us out.”
She
poked him. “Because you were an asshole.”
He
growled at her. “You hold
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