by Susan Hayes
He knew she’d come for him. He’d expected to have doubts, but after he’d sent the message Nesht had recorded, he’d been surprised to discover he didn’t have any. She’d come because she was his mahaya, even if she hadn’t forgiven him.
He just hoped she didn’t come alone. Cyborgs were skilled warriors, but Nesht’s ship had a full crew onboard. He’d heard their voices and their footsteps as they’d walked past his makeshift cell. There were too many of them for even a cyborg to defeat on their own. She said she’d been an assassin before being freed, and he could see her being exceptionally good at it. With her sweet smile and quiet ways, she must have excelled at getting close to unsuspecting targets and then quietly dispatching them. But this was going to be a brutal fight in hostile territory. She would need help. If something happened to her because of him…
He started to pace, realized there wasn’t enough room for it, and spun himself in a frustrated circle instead. Still, the thought gnawed at him. He wanted to break out and find her, but that wasn’t the smart plan. Not yet. He had to stay where he was, heal as much as he could, and wait for them to come get him for the exchange.
Not that he believed there would really be one. There was no chance they’d walk away from this even if she did hand over the Chism’ah. He knew too much to be allowed to talk, and once Shadow had seen their faces, she’d be a liability too. That’s why he’d tried to warn her it was a trap, though it was a weak attempt, and she had to have known anyway. It was all he could do, and it wasn’t nearly enough.
It felt like a decade had passed before he heard what he’d been waiting for. The tread of boots that slowed as they neared his door instead of walking past. He flexed his wrist, testing it. No pain. It might not be fully functional, but it would do. He was ready.
He backed up to the far wall and slumped against it, cradling the newly healed arm to his side like it hurt. Then he waited.
A few seconds later, a male voice carried through the door. It was muffled, but his hearing was better than most humans. “Boss said we should stun him. But I don’t see why. I heard the last shift messed him up pretty good, and I don’t feel like carrying his scaly ass that far. The airlock boss wants to use is on the other side of the fraxxing ship.”
“Yeah. Steve was bitching that this guy weighed a ton. He had to help carry him in here. But I also heard that he put Chuck in the infirmary. Broke his nose.”
Kade grinned. He’d managed to kick the stupid bakaffa right in the face when he’d gotten too close. He’d paid for that shot, but it had been worth it.
“Chuck? That idiot ends up in the infirmary every other week. I swear he has brittle bones or something. He probably busted it himself mining for nose nuggets and didn’t want to admit it.”
There was a moment of shared laughter before the door slid open. Two males he didn’t recognize stood there.
“Good news. Your woman showed up, and she brought the ship. Looks like you get to walk away from this mess, after all. So, here’s the plan. We all have a nice walk over to airlock three. You don’t give us any grief, and we don’t give you any. Deal?”
Kade nodded stiffly and took a few slow, shuffling steps forward, keeping his head down and his shoulders slumped. If he could get out into the corridor, he’d have more room to fight.
They stepped aside to let him pass between them, and Kade sent a silent prayer of thanks to his ancestors. If Nesht employed smarter muscle, that would never have worked.
One of them set a hand on his shoulder and shoved him to the left. “That way.”
Kade took a single step and then snapped his wings out to full extension, catching both guards in the face and knocking them backward with startled cries.
The hall was so narrow both wings slammed into the walls, and he sucked in an oath as the double impact registered. He pushed past it, retracted his bruised wings, and spun around to face his guards while making an awkward two-handed grab for the kes’tarv stashed in his pocket. He really needed to get these qarfing cuffs off.
He activated the staff, and it extended with a satisfying snick. Unlike the larger kes’tarvs he owned, this one was only a meter or so long, which meant he could wield it inside the narrow corridor.
He stepped back from the guards as he adjusted his grip and tried to adapt to the restrictions of his cuffs. The two males were dazed and unsteady, which bought him a few extra seconds. One of them had a gaping gash across his cheek, and the bigger of the two cupped his nose in one hand as blood poured through his fingers. Both looked equally threatening, so he randomly picked the one larger one as his first target. The staff sang as it sliced through the air, catching the still-stunned guard across the temple. There was a sound like an overripe fruit smashing, and then the human crumbled to the ground in a bloody heap.
Kade shifted his focus to the surviving male, who stared at Kade in shock, his face a mask of gore on one side. He was trying to hold the two parts of his ruined face together with blood-soaked hands, and his moans of pain were weirdly distorted as sound escaped through the hole in his cheek.
There was an instant of frozen time as they looked at each other, and Kade saw the other man recognize that death was coming for him.
If he’d stayed still, Kade would have made it quick. There was no chance the guard could grab his firearm before Kade struck, but the fool tried anyway.
Kade shifted his grip and lunged forward, jabbing the end of the staff into the male’s unprotected throat as hard as he could manage with his hands bound. Then he danced out of reach again. The floor was slick with blood now, and he couldn’t risk slipping.
The blow had enough force to stun the guard, but he somehow managed to stay on his feet. The hand that had been going for his blaster now clutched at his injured neck instead, the moans of pain now more of a strangled wheeze.
Kade put him out of his misery as quickly as he could. He spun in a tight circle and lashed out with the staff as he came around to face the guard again. The blow landed with the full force of his weight behind it, the lance striking the side of the male’s head. Another sickening sound reminded him of fruit breaking open, and the last guard fell to the floor beside his fellow.
He quickly checked both bodies for a pulse. Finding none, he moved on to checking them for anything useful. By the time he was done, he’d added two more blasters, a stun-baton, and ancestors be thanked, an electronic key for his mag-cuffs. He got the damned things off and was about to toss them on the corpses but thought better of it and put them and the key into a pocket.
Now that he was armed and uncuffed, his mood and his odds of survival were much improved. He took off down the hallway, blaster in his hand, and hoped he didn’t run across any more of Nesht’s crew before he reached airlock three and Shadow.
17
“Either this Nesht character is incredibly stupid, or he thinks I am. This has to be the most obvious trap in the collective history of every sentient race in the galaxy.”
“Don’t take it personally. Jeskyrans don’t think much of females of any species. They really are a generally unpleasant species… though there are exceptions. And Kade did describe you as gentle, timid, and obedient. In Nesht’s mind, that filed you firmly under ‘unworthy of further interest,’ which was exactly why Kade did it.”
She huffed. “Still not thrilled about the obedient bit. As for gentle? That was what I wanted to be, but then Kade had to go and get himself into trouble, and now…” she waved a hand at her heavily armed and armored self. “Now I’m back to this.”
“You’re not back to anything.” Denz pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard. “You’re reinventing yourself. You couldn’t deny who you were forever. This would have happened eventually.”
“And it really doesn’t bother you?” She hated how weak the question made her sound, but she needed to hear him say it again.
“Having a sexy, ass-kicking mate doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve met your clones. Remember? I knew what you were capable
of before you set foot on this planet.”
She relaxed a little. “True. Kade doesn’t, though.”
“And you don’t know everything about him, either. We all have a lot of learning to do.” He tapped a thick finger against the armband she wore. She’d placed it over the armor so it was clearly visible. “Just remember, he is your mahoyen. Trust in that bond.”
“Yes, my mate.” She grinned and rose on her toes for one last kiss. “And don’t think I didn’t hear you say that a second ago.”
“Well, I can’t call you my wife until after the ceremony. So for now? I thought that worked.”
“Ceremony? Wife? I think you skipped over a bit there, Mr. Talorn.”
“Consider it incentive. Stay alive, and we’ll get to that bit.” His words were light, but she saw the worry in his eyes.
“Same goes for you. We’re going to protect each other. Right?”
“Right.”
The ship finished its docking sequence with a series of thunks she could feel through her feet. A second later, the AI announced their arrival. “Captain Shadow, we have arrived at your destination. Airlock seal confirmed. Do you wish me to open the outer door?”
“No. Keep it sealed for now. Get me a vid-feed of everything on the other side. I’m not going out there until I know what I’m facing.”
“Confirmed. Feed acquired. Sending to monitor nearest your position.”
“Continue feed until further orders and broadcast on the designated secure channels. I want everyone to know what happens here,” she said.
“Confirmed.”
She turned to look at the monitor while Denz checked in with their allies. They were both equipped with earpieces and throat mics, not only to communicate with each other, but so they could speak to their friends.
“You all receiving this?” Denz asked.
One by one, their allies reported in. Raze was already in orbit around the smaller of Liberty’s two moons. Phaedra and her mahoyen were monitoring things from their home. Phaedra had activated enough of the defense grid to provide cover to the platform and the planet. The rest of the council were monitoring comms. None of them had liked the idea of staying out of the fight, but they couldn’t risk it. It had to look like she was doing this alone.
The view from the airlock didn’t show much—just a tall, lanky Jeskyran with an impatient expression standing next to two human males, both armed. She activated the ship’s speaker and asked a question, making her voice as soft and tremulous as she could. “Where is my mahoyen?” she asked.
The Jeskyran startled and then conjured up an ingratiating smile that showed a disconcerting number of needle-like teeth. “Ah. There you are. Your mate is on his way here, not to worry. If you would come out now, female, we can finish this conversation in person.”
“You’ll give me your word that I’ll be safe? And once you have the ship, Kade and I are free to leave?” Again, she made her words sound breathy and soft.
“Of course. All we need is the ship. Once his debts are paid, you’ll both be escorted safely to the platform and can find transport back to your colony. Safe and sound.”
“O—okay then. I’ll be right out.”
She shut off the speaker and turned to Denz. “Keep out of sight until the shooting starts. Stay safe. I love you.”
“I love you too.” He kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Don’t get dead.”
“I won’t. I’ve got too much living left to do.” She threw herself into his arms and hugged him hard. Until now, she’d always worked alone. Having someone to watch her back was new, and so was having to worry about anyone else. Kade and Denz were part of her life now, and she couldn’t bear the thought of losing either of them.
She swallowed hard, let go of Denz, and went to the airlock door. “Okay, ship. Open up. It’s time to get your real captain back.”
“I would like that,” the AI replied. “Good luck, Captain Shadow.”
Denz moved into position as the airlock panel flashed green and the seal gave way. The door slid open, and she stepped off the ship into hostile territory.
“Who the fraxx are you?” Nesht snarled, a note of panic in his voice at the sight of her.
She pointed to the armband on her bicep. “My name is Shadow D’vrayn, and I’m here to get my mahoyen back. Give him to me. Now.”
This far into the Jeskyran’s ship, she could see six more men standing outside the range of the camera. As she looked around, all of them leveled weapons at her, despite the fact that put both her and Nesht in the middle of a crossfire.
Nesht saw it too. “No, you idiots! You’ll shoot each other, and me. Don’t shoot me!”
At the word shoot, several of them opened fire. By then, Shadow was already moving. Cyborgs were capable of speeds that would tear a normal human’s body apart, and she used that speed to her advantage. With a combat knife in one hand and the dagger Kade had given her in the other, she went to war, her movements so quick none of them saw their death coming. She only had one goal now—protect what was hers.
Kade felt like he had been running forever. Fear for Shadow made time stretch out for an eternity. He’d only come across two more of Nesht’s goons, but every encounter had cost him precious time. The second run-in had added another wound to his collection. The injury didn’t annoy him so much—the shot had only grazed him—but it had burned a hole in his sleeve. He’d heal. The coat wouldn’t. If he lived through the next few minutes, he’d have to send Nesht a lengthy bill for pain, suffering, and qarfing damages.
When he heard voices up ahead, he slowed to a walk and strained to hear what was being said. Nesht was snarling something, and then… Shadow. She was already there, talking to that asshole Jeskyran. Not good.
The corridor had a T-shaped intersection just ahead of him. In most vessels this size, there was an airlock on each side, with secondary hallways for moving passengers and freight. He stuck his head out and got a quick look at two males with their backs to him. Both stood armed. Nesht was with them, and he caught a glimpse of blonde hair that had to be Shadow, but the two goons were blocking most of his view and he couldn’t see who else was with her.
He moved away from the wall to get a better view. Before he could see anything, Nesht shrieked, “No, you idiots! You’ll shoot each other, and me. Don’t shoot me!”
And then the hallway erupted into a firefight. The two males blocking his line of sight crouched, and he realized the shooting was coming from either side of the airlock. Before he could absorb that insanity, it struck him that meant Shadow was in the middle of that mess. He raised his blaster and charged, firing as he went.
The first male dropped before his finger touched the trigger. So he re-aimed and took down the second one before firing another bolt into both corpses to make sure they didn’t get up again.
When he looked up, Denz was standing in the airlock doorway, a blaster in his hand. Well, that explained who had shot the first goon. It didn’t tell him where Shadow was, though, or why Denz looked so qarfing calm.
He got his answer a second later.
A flash of movement caught his eye, and he turned in time to see his mahaya plunge a knife into a male’s back and then give it a violent twist before spinning away to attack another male who had been trying to sneak around behind her. Kade couldn’t take his eyes off Shadow. She was breathtaking. And utterly lethal.
Moving so fast Kade could barely track her, Shadow kicked out at her opponent with enough force she sent him flying into a bulkhead. When he slumped to the ground, he left a human-shaped dent in the bulkhead. Then, without missing a beat, Shadow was off again, defying the ship’s artificial gravity as she ran up a wall to avoid a blaster bolt.
He spun at the same time Denz did, both of them firing at an injured guard sprawled semi-prone on the deck. Neither of them missed.
Silence fell as the last of the enemy died.
Shadow ran to him, tears mingling with the blood spattered across her cheeks as she threw h
erself into his arms. “Kade!”
“Are you alright? Qarf. I’m sorry. I never wanted you to be involved in this.”
She squeezed him so tightly his ribs screamed in protest, but he didn’t care. She could break every one of them and he still wouldn’t want her to let go.
“I’m fine. Are you? I saw the vids. They hurt you. Do you need a healer? Why didn’t you tell me any of this? And for the love of gravity, don’t you ever do this to me again!”
Her words flowed over him like cool water over burned flesh, soothing his soul. He cradled the back of her head in one hand and kissed her until she stopped talking. It was better than any pain-blocker a healer could have given him. She was what he needed most. The comfort of her touch, the heat of her mouth on his. It all meant he had another chance.
“I hate to interrupt, but I think we have a problem,” Denz broke in before Kade was ready to let her go.
“What now?” Shadow asked, moving back just enough to be able to speak, though her lips were so close he could feel them move against his.
“Where did the thorny asshole go? I don’t see him.”
Kade released Shadow reluctantly and then all three of them hunted through the corpses, looking for anything that looked Jeskyran. None of them were Nesht.
“Fraxx! He must have bolted when the shooting started,” Shadow swore.
“He didn’t come past me,” Kade said.
Denz shook his head. “I was out of sight when they opened fire. I never saw him.”
“Raze. Phae. Either of you got eyes on our missing Jeskyran?”
It took Kade a moment to realize that both Denz and Shadow were wearing throat mics. They must have been in contact with the others the whole time.
Kade couldn’t hear the answer to Denz’s query, but the big male’s dissatisfied grunt told him all he needed to know. They hadn’t seen him.
