by Hope Hart
I sigh, suddenly depressed. I got what I wanted. And yet I won’t be returning to camp with Ellie and Nevada. Won’t be curling up with Vivian in the kradi we’ve nicknamed the Tramp Tent. This blows.
But at least we’ll have a greater chance of finding Charlie. That thought gives me the strength I need to hug Nevada back.
“We’ll be back as soon as we find the other women,” she murmurs. “Keep your eye on the ball.”
I nod. We human women know something that the people on this planet don’t. They can separate us, hurt us, steal us, and bargain for us, but we’ll come back swinging. And we won’t leave anyone behind.
Ellie wraps me in her arms, her face sad. “We’ll come back for you,” she says, and I grin despite myself.
“You know, that’s what Nevada just said.”
I glance at Terex, and he nods. He’ll keep the other women safe. I take a deep breath, and then I walk to Dexar’s side.
Chapter Two
Alexis
Dexar suddenly looks relaxed, and he gives me a look filled with smug male satisfaction. I tamp down the urge to slap him.
He turns back to Terex. “My men saw the female in the clutches of Dragix as he flew over the Seinex Forest.”
From the look on the other warriors’ faces, this is not a good thing.
“Who’s Dragix?” Ellie asks.
“A giant beast who soars through the sky, breathing fire. Our great ancestor.”
Ellie looks visibly shaken. “You’re telling me you guys are descended from dragons?”
Dexar frowns, obviously confused by our stunned silence. “Yes. Dragix isn’t truly our ancestor, but he is the last of the Great Ones.”
Ellie looks like she might pass out, her face drained of all color, and Nevada looks like she’s tasting something bitter. Personally, I don’t know what to believe. I’d like to think that Dexar is fucking with us. But the other warriors are simply nodding as if it’s completely normal that a dragon may have stolen our friend.
“How do we get her back?” Ellie whispers.
Dexar shakes his head, an expression of pity on his face for the first time. “Attempting to find Dragix’s lair is suicide.”
Ellie ignores this. “Why would a dragon take Charlie? She was wounded. Would he have eaten her?”
I glare at Dexar as he gives another elegant shrug of his shoulders. “The Great One is covetous and possessive. Perhaps she was wearing something that appealed to him.”
We were taken in the middle of the night. Most of us were dressed for bed, and I think I would’ve noticed if Charlie were rocking a massive diamond on her finger or sparkly stones in her ears.
Terex nods, and I shove down the panic that threatens to rise as he and the others get ready to leave. I give Ellie a smile, and Nevada nods at me as they file out.
I’m alone with Dexar, and it feels like every hair on my body is raised in alarm as my muscles tense in awareness. He studies me out of those forest-green eyes, and I examine him back.
“Come,” he finally says, his voice echoing in the huge, empty room. “I will show you to your quarters.”
I expect him to lead me out of the giant kradi, but instead, he leads me deeper inside it. Guards are positioned throughout, and within moments, I’m completely confused. I’m not exactly great with directions at the best of times, and this space has obviously been designed to befuddle any enemies who think to rush through it.
The dark corridors are narrow, which means anyone who thought to attack would be forced to line up for the pleasure of meeting the swords of the huge guards who stand at attention as we walk past.
“I’m staying here?” I ask as we continue walking, and the walls of the kradi change from a deep blue to a royal purple and finally, a dark red.
“Of course,” Dexar murmurs. “You are my guest.”
He says “guest” like he means something else, and I send him a look. The corner of his mouth curls up, and I scowl. At least one of us is having fun.
Dexar stops in front of a gorgeous piece of material in the same ruby color as the walls, but it’s intricately woven with some kind of gold thread. He nods to one of the guards, who jumps into motion, lifting the material aside.
“Did your arms break on the way here?” I mutter before I can bite my tongue. The guard’s eyes just about pop out of his head, and Dexar turns to look at me. He appears slightly confused for a moment, and then he seems to get the insult, raising one eyebrow.
He smiles, and something tells me that amusement on his face doesn’t bode well for me, but he merely lets out a hum and gestures for me to step into the room.
“Wow.” I can’t help but be impressed. The room is about twice the size of the kradi I shared with Vivian, and Dexar nods toward the opposite side of the room, where another piece of material has been tied back.
It looks like it leads to whatever passes for a bathroom in this camp, and I run my fingers over one of the chairs that sit against another wall, surrounded by large, intricately decorated pillows. They’ve been carefully arranged on a soft blue rug, and I immediately want to sink down on top of them for a nap.
Dexar points to a huge wooden chest sandwiched by slightly smaller trunks. “They are filled with clothes, although I will tell the seamstresses to bring more.”
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary,” I say, and he ignores me, striding forward to yet another door, this one hidden away. He pushes the fabric aside and gestures for me to join him.
The bed is huge. Unlike in Rakiz’s camp, where we slept on a pile of soft furs, this bed has an honest-to-God mattress. I have no idea what it’s filled with, and it certainly doesn’t look like the Posturepedic in my apartment at home, but the thick blankets and soft pillows are calling to me.
My eyelids are getting heavy just looking at it.
Dexar shows me a long cord in the corner of the room. And then he pulls it before striding back into what I’ve mentally dubbed the living room.
Within moments, two Braxian women appear. One of them is older, and I’d assume she’s in her sixties if she were on Earth, although who knows how long people live on this planet.
She smiles at me, and I can’t help but smile back. She has deep laugh lines around her mouth, and she looks practically giddy, her eyes sparkling as she looks at me.
The other woman doesn’t look so pleased. She’s about my age, maybe a few years younger, although I’d put her in her mid-twenties on Earth. She has dark, almost black, hair with a single long white streak at the front. The effect is striking. From the look in her eyes, she’s much less impressed with me than her friend.
Fair enough.
“This is Yari,” Dexar says, and the older woman nods at me. “And this is Nara.” Nara finally smiles, and Dexar turns back to me.
“Yari and Nara will be responsible for bringing you food, helping you bathe, and assisting you with anything else you may need.”
Servants. I don’t think so.
“Oh, that’s fine,” I say. “I can do that stuff myself.”
Dexar ignores me once again, turning to Nara. “I believe Alexis would like to bathe soon. I will send Mena with some more dresses.”
I grit my teeth at his high-handedness, but I wait until both women nod and move toward the bathroom.
“I don’t need any help with that stuff,” I say, and he steps closer.
Oh, he’s playing the “get into her space and she’ll do what I want” game. What fun.
“Regardless, you have it.”
Something about the hard look on his face tells me I should pick my battles. I have no intention of being constantly watched while I’m here. If I need to suddenly haul ass back to Rakiz’s camp, I have no doubt that both of those women would narc to Dexar in a heartbeat.
But I’ll fight with him about it later. For now, I turn away, choosing to ignore him. He wants to boss me around? He doesn’t get rewarded with my attention.
The qatai lets out a low growl, and I ca
n hear his overly polished boots meet the ground as he leaves the room, stalking back out into the hall. The guard must drop the material because the room instantly silences.
“Your bath is ready,” Nara announces, and I turn. She steps aside, gesturing for me to move into the room, and I freeze, suddenly overwhelmed.
“You must be tired,” she says. “The water is warm.” Her voice is strangely cajoling, and I smile.
“A bath sounds great.”
Yari is waiting for me, and she gestures for me to turn around. She pulls at the tie on the back of my dress, and I clutch the dress to my chest as it falls open.
“I’ve got it from here,” I say, turning back around.
She frowns slightly. “Are you sure?”
“Yup, I’ve been bathing myself since I was a kid. I’ve got this covered.” I grin to soften my words, and she looks unconvinced but finally nods.
“I will ensure food is brought to your rooms. If you need anything, please pull the rope in your sleeping room.”
“Thank you,” I say. “I really appreciate it.”
She smiles, her face lighting up. “It’s my pleasure. We’ve been waiting for you for such a long time.”
Dexar
I sit on my throne, ignoring the whispers of my court, who have taken their usual places, gossiping amongst themselves.
My mind is on the female with white hair and ice-blue eyes. Finally, she has come to me.
Alexis.
“Qatai?”
I blink, forcing myself to concentrate on the present as Brix steps forward. “Yes?”
“Tazo and his warriors have returned. He brings Zarix with him. Zarix is severely wounded.”
I’m on my feet within moments, striding toward the healers’ kradi. Zarix is a friend, and I have hope that one day, he will choose to stop punishing himself for a death that was not his to take responsibility for and rejoin my tribe at camp.
For now, his impressive skills at hunting and killing the Voildi have made him perfect for the mission I gave him. Never has he returned to camp seriously wounded.
What could have happened?
I realize I’ve asked the question aloud when Brix replies.
“He is traveling with a female who looks like those who arrived here earlier, along with a Krinir boy.”
I tilt my head. It is well known that a Krinir female and her son are under Zarix’s protection, but as far as I’m aware, he’s never taken the boy with him. And how did he end up with one of the missing females?
I consider this as I make my way through the camp, Brix by my side and three guards traveling behind us.
The Krinir boy is standing outside the healers’ kradi, next to one of the alien females.
“Is he okay?” he asks the female miserably, his lower lip shaking as he hands her a crossbow.
“You heard his friend,” she replies gently. “He’s too stubborn to die.”
The boy nods, but it’s clear that guilt plagues him. “This is my fault. I did this.”
The female sighs. “You made a mistake. You acted before you fully thought about the consequences of distracting him. That Voildi saw what you did to the first one. He was luring you into a trap.”
That explains it. There are few warriors as obsessed with protecting females and children as Zarix. Unfortunately, his obsession manifests as a refusal to be responsible for either, since he is convinced he is unworthy to be trusted with their lives.
“Zarix could die,” the boy says.
“He could. But he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself. You did something stupid, and now you get to learn from it.”
The boy looks unconvinced, shrugging his shoulders and walking away, and I step forward.
“That was what he needed to hear,” I say. I smile at the female, and her eyes widen as she balances her weight on one foot. This female has been injured, and I’m suddenly impatient to know exactly what has happened.
“I’m worried about him,” she says, and it takes me a moment to realize she is talking about the boy.
I nod. “I will have my people watch him. He can have the illusion of space for now.” I glance at Brix, and he nods before turning to speak with one of the guards.
“I am Dexar, the qatai of this tribe,” I say.
“I’m Beth.”
“Thank you for helping bring Zarix home.”
The female’s eyes are wet, and she looks away. “I’m partly responsible for his injury. It was the least I could do.”
There are no words that will make this female lose the guilt that obviously plagues her. At least none that I can say.
“I will attempt to talk to Zarix now. The information he has is crucial,” I say.
“Can I come with you?”
I nod, stepping into the camp with my guards.
One of the healers glances at me, her eyes widening. “He is conscious now, qatai,” she says.
Zarix is lying flat on his back while the healers work on the deep wound in his side. The human female lets out a shuddering breath next to me, and I move closer.
“Zarix,” I say, and he opens his eyes, although it’s clear that the movement costs him, and his voice is heavy with pain.
“Tecar’s tribe is the first targeted. But that information can’t be trusted. Tellou turned on us.”
He is a dead male walking. There is nothing I tolerate less than betrayal.
“Just Tellou?” I ask. “Or all of his people?”
He scowls. “All of them. They believe they will fare better under the Voildi. Their people are not hunted for meat, so they have chosen to take their chances as the Voildi’s allies.”
I grind my teeth but nod. “Anything else?”
“Her leg,” he says, nodding toward the female. “She needs a healer.”
I gesture to one of the healers, who steps forward.
“Recover well, Zarix,” I say. “We will need you.”
I stride from the tent, cursing. Beside me, Brix glowers at anyone who so much as looks at him, both of us silent as we reflect on Zarix’s words.
The Voildi are a flesh-eating plague on this planet. The fact that they have managed to collaborate long enough to be a legitimate threat to a Braxian tribe is wholly unexpected.
Tecar’s tribe is small. The male has no desire for land and seems content to simply rule his modest territory alone. It is difficult for me to understand this contentment, but the tribe king has never been a threat to me and does not produce any goods that are unique enough for a trade agreement.
Unfortunately, his refusal to grow his tribe and territory has made him a target.
We stride into the kradi, and I ignore the Great Room in favor of the small room I use when I want privacy. My father created the Great Room as a way for his people to visibly see their qatai and feel connected to him. While I respect the tradition, all my most important decisions are made away from prying eyes.
I glance at Brix. “I need to see Tazo.”
He nods and stalks away, his expression still dark. Learning that the Voildi are planning to attack a Braxian tribe has shaken the foundation of everything we assumed about the creatures.
I grind my teeth as I sink into my favorite chair, staring at the deep blue of the wall.
“Underestimate your enemy at your peril,” my father would say. “Or they will attack when you least expect it.”
As the qatai of the largest Braxian tribe on Agron, I have failed.
“Qatai.” Tazo nods in a shallow bow, and I gesture toward a chair. He sinks into it, his eyes bright and focused on mine.
“Your actions bringing Zarix to camp have saved his life,” I say.
The warrior glances away, a muscle twitching in his jaw. Once, the two males were as close as brothers. Now Zarix treats Tazo as if he is barely an acquaintance.
“What did the healers say?” Tazo asks.
“They were working on him. I expect him to be up and on his way to Tecar’s tribe within days.”
Tazo tenses, and I lean back, raising an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“I would like to go with him.”
I nod. “And you will. However, you will have to follow once he has already left.”
Tazo rolls his eyes, and despite the seriousness of the situation, I laugh. Zarix is well known for believing the fate of everyone on this planet rests on his wide shoulders. He usually insists on hunting alone.
“Send a messenger once you arrive at Tecar’s tribe,” I say.
Tazo nods and gets up to leave, and I take a moment to picture the female currently resting in the qatal’s rooms. She is a fierce female, and her actions have proven her to be honorable and courageous. After so long, it is difficult to believe that she is so close.
I have little doubt that Alexis will go to war with me over my plans for her. However, she will find herself outmatched.
The icy-eyed female will never leave my side.
Chapter Three
Alexis
I let my eyelashes flutter and then lower my eyes as I stare at the ground.
I can’t quite muster up a tear, but from the sympathy on the guard’s face, I look suitably forlorn.
“It’s just that…if this is going to be my new home, I should probably see it, don’t you think?”
“Uh…”
I move closer, resting one hand on his chest for balance as I peer up at him from beneath my eyelashes.
Poor guy looks like a deer in headlights.
After my bath last night, I passed out before waking early this morning when my stomach was rumbling. I inhaled a tray of fresh fruit, nuts, and bread and then paced, attempting to reconcile to my new situation.
You can get through this, Alexis. Look at this shit. Clean water, plenty of food, a comfortable bed. You would’ve loved this when you were a kid.
Growing up in the foster care system was a real treat. Nothing like being passed from family to family until you finally stop caring that the few clothes you own are once again getting packed into a garbage bag. Eventually, I got numb to it.
