hours and then made camp for the night. The next morning, they mounted their horses and rode at a fast pace. The winged creatures were no longer flying overhead; they appeared to have gone. They rode for six hours with no sign of the creatures. They started to relax, thinking that they would not be expected to pay a toll after all. They were wrong. *** Eden was the first one to hear the sounds of attack. She recognized the laser guns that only the alien hybrids possessed; she remembered the sounds they made and she had seen the damage wrought. She pulled her horse to a stop and scanned the trees. She saw them a few minutes later as the hybrids quickly surrounded them. They wore armor that was more advanced than any armor ever seen in the ir world. It appeared lightweight and fit snug on the body, yet she didn’t doubt that it was superior to anything used in Flourda. They wore helmets that concealed their faces. Many of the eunuchs attacked the hybrids and were turned to ash by the laser guns. She held her hands in surrender and she urged her companions to do the same. They were defenseless against modern weapons. She wondered why the hybrids had come. Were they here because of the winged hybrids and the toll payment, or had Drest managed to find her? She hoped that they had come for her. Her lover must be looking for her; he must surely miss her as much as she missed him. She scanned the hybrids, wondering if Drest was with them. She did not think he was present. One of the hybrids approached and removed his helmet. “We have come for one of your females. We will take the one we want and the rest of you will be free to go home.” He surveyed the group of females and he paid particular attention to Portia Fairley. Eden dismounted from her horse. “You want to take me. I’m the one you want.” The hybrid walked toward her and studied her carefully. “No.” She was confused. Surely they were here for her. She grabbed him by his armored tunic. “You have to take me with you.” He looked at her as if she had lost all of her senses . He shook her away from him and walked to Portia, where she was trembling in terror atop her horse. He placed his arms around Portia and wrenched her from the horse. She screamed and fainted in the hybrid’s arms. “This is the one who has not known a man. We will take her.” He hefted her across his shoulders and he deposited her in the arms of another hybrid. Eden rushed over to the hybrid who appeared to be the leader . “You must take me with you. You must take me.” When he continued to ignore her, she pulled the top of her tunic down, exposing the soft creamy skin at the top of her breasts . “That’s quite convincing.” The hybrid grabbed her with both arms and held her tight. “We take them both.” Within seconds, all of the hybrids had transported to Asstrumnia. The hybrid leader pulled off his helmet and peered at her curiously. Eden didn’t recognize the hybrid who held her. He was a large muscular brute with black hair and dark green eyes. She recognized the building as being part of the Donovan stronghold, which provided her an overwhelming sense of relief. She knew the odds of being taken directly to Ravenwood were not that great, as Asstrumnia was vast and held numerous kingdoms. She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face as she thought of being reunited with her lover.
CHAPTER TEN Belenos Donovan, brother of the King , was taken by surprise when the human female gave him a hug as if he was a teddy bear . “Thank you so much ,” she said. “ What shall I call you?” Belenos couldn’t understand why this human had wanted to be taken. She was attractive enough, although a bit dusty and disheveled from the road. She was young, but she had not been the untouched maiden that he had been told to take. Now that he had abducted her, the daft woman appeared happy about it. “You may call me M aster.” He glanced at his companion, Cantorix