by Hope Hart
“Whoever did this will pay.”
Sarissa nods. “We need to get a message back to Arix. And we also need to get out of here. But…there’s an issue.” She chews on her lower lip, and I force my gaze away from her mouth.
“What issue?”
Her eyes turn stark, and I realize she’s no longer cool and collected. She’s afraid. Protective instincts I thought were long dead begin to rise, and I reach for her hand. She freezes, and I move to pull my own hand away, but she turns it over, pressing her fingers to the pulse of my wrist.
“Dokhalls. They’ve set up some kind of camp to the northeast. We always knew they were around somewhere, but it explains why Rakiz’s guards haven’t located them yet—it’s further from Rakiz’s camp than we thought.”
“You went without me?”
She pulls her hand away. “Oh, I’m sorry, should I have dragged your limp body with me?”
Don’t strangle the hellion.
She snorts at me as if reading my mind and moves away before returning with a handful of berries, which she offers to me.
I’m not hungry, but I force myself to eat. I must regain some strength if we are to get out of this cave.
“Anyway,” she says. “I need to get closer so we can figure out what they’re doing and just how many of them there are.”
I begin to nod but freeze as the thought of her going alone makes my gut clench. “No.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s not safe.”
“Let me be very clear. I’m not asking you. I’m telling you. We can’t do shit until we can get you back on your feet, but if we stay in this cave, we’re sitting ducks. We need to gather intelligence.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I can’t fully express to you how little I care.”
I stare at her. “What exactly did you do on your planet?”
“I told you. I worked for an organization—”
I snort. “It’s just you and me now, hellion. And I may not make it. Why not be honest?”
Her eyes sharpen at that, but she nods. “Fine. I was a spy.”
I knew it. The way she bartered for information in the castle, the contacts she made, the people she became close with…
She grins. “Are you okay? Your eye is twitching. Are you about to have a stroke?”
“I knew you couldn’t be trusted.”
She rolls her eyes again. “I haven’t used anything I learned against Arix, and I have no plans to. After all, he’s on our side.”
I grind my teeth, and she shrugs at my silence.
“Anyway, you stay here and rest up while I go check it out.”
“We need to talk about this.”
“Someone has to do the legwork while you get your strength back, princess.”
I don’t know whether to strangle her or kiss her.
I blink at that thought, and I must look horrified because Sarissa frowns. Is that…concern in her eyes?
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
She reaches for more of her disgusting water, and I wave it away.
The hellion is going to go without me, regardless of my thoughts on the matter. I would be wise to remember she can likely take care of herself.
“If they catch you, death would be a mercy.”
She grins. “They won’t catch me.”
Chapter Six
Sarissa
Despite my tough talk, my hands are clammy as I creep closer to where I saw the smoke. There’s no smoke at all today, but I’ve already memorized where I need to go.
Korzyn’s right about one thing: if they catch me, I’ll soon be wishing for death.
Behind me, a bird suddenly shrieks, and I jolt, cursing my jumpiness. As soon as I get close enough to the Dokhalls that I can hear voices, I shimmy up a tree. It’s hard work—the bark is smooth beneath my fingers, and by the time I manage to find a secure branch to sit in, I’m panting.
I peer between the leaves, wishing I had binoculars. From here, I can see small structures, like kradis only made out of tree branches. They look like they’d blow away at the first storm, and I snort. The Dokhalls obviously aren’t used to living rough.
I need to get closer.
I slide back down the tree, slowly make my way toward their camp. I stop every few feet, huddling behind trees and bushes, my ears straining to pick up any sound that doesn’t belong.
Eventually, I find a large tree, similar to an oak on Earth. Finally, something is going right. I haul myself onto the lowest branch and then climb steadily until I’m high enough to see over the Dokhalls’ camp but low enough to still be hidden by the leaves and branches.
There are more Dokhalls than I could have imagined. The structures I saw were just the start—likely a guard post. There must be several hundred Dokhalls swarming around the area, many of them carrying the long sticks they used to murder Kelly.
Without the ship, those sticks gradually begin to lose power. In our last battle with the Dokhalls, most of their weapons only had enough power to stun us.
That doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous though. All it takes is a few precious seconds of inattention to lose your life.
Sweat drips into my eyes as I cling to my branch, unable to pull my attention away from the camp. The reason Dragix hasn’t been able to find it? It’s hidden—not just beneath the canopy of trees but beneath an actual canopy, which the Dokhalls have created from some kind of net.
I survey the canopy above me. How the hell did they get it up so high?
It’s covered in dirt, leaves, and unless my nose is wrong, shit. The Zintas have obviously taught the Dokhalls everything they know about hiding from the dragon.
Speaking of the Zintas…
On my left, close to one of the larger makeshift huts, a group of Zintas are sitting with a few Dokhalls. From the deference the Zintas seem to be paying to the Dokhalls, I’m guessing they might be the leaders of this little gang.
I squint, but I’m too far away to see if one of them is the leader from our ship. I owe him some pain before he dies.
A Voildi walks through the tent, a scroll in his hand, which he gives to one of the Dokhalls. It appears that all the Braxians’ enemies have decided to work together.
Lucky us.
God, I wish Dragix were here right now. He’d solve all our problems.
I tilt my head as I examine the canopy above me before surveying the entire camp and the trees surrounding it.
Maybe I don’t need Dragix after all.
My hatred for the Dokhalls is all-encompassing. It consumes almost all my thoughts. With their blockage of the main road leading from the water, plus what is clearly a gathering of their troops here, it’s clear they’re planning to march toward the ship.
Our ship.
I clench my hand tighter around the hilt of my knife. I need to do whatever I can to delay that until we can get our own armies together. Arix promised to help, but we need to ensure he can actually get to Rakiz’s camp, and it’s crucial that he knows to expect the Dokhalls on that main path.
My mind is racing as I climb down the tree, and I’m consumed with possible ways to wreak havoc. I drop to the ground, about to turn, when something jabs me in the back.
I freeze.
“Human,” an amused voice says. “You made a mistake coming here.”
I raise my hands above my head, slowly turning.
A Dokhall grins at me. I don’t recognize him from the ship, but from the expression on his face, he recognizes me.
“Drop your weapon.”
I drop my knife, and his grin widens.
He jerks his head toward the camp. “Now walk.”
I let my shoulders slump. I can’t muster up a tear, but I sniffle anyway. From the triumph in the Dokhall’s eyes, he believes I’m terrified.
Idiot.
I take a step, hugging my arms as if attempting to make myself look smaller. I pull one of my daggers from its sheath and spin, throwing it thro
ugh the air.
I’m not expecting to hit him. Unlike my cousin, I’m not exactly a great shot. But the Dokhall still has to dodge the dagger, giving me a few precious seconds to lean down and swipe my larger, longer knife. It’s about the length of my forearm, and while it can’t compare to the Dokhall’s stunner, at least it gives me a chance.
I need to get rid of this guy before more of his purple friends join him and I’m really screwed.
He bares his teeth and advances on me, his stick held like a spear.
I sigh. “You know the problem with you guys? You’re so reliant on your special sticks that you don’t know how to fight. Tell me, does that one even have any charge left? Or are you just expecting to hit me over the head with it?”
“Kill you, human.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Well, that escalated quickly.”
He won’t kill me. Not so close to the camp when he’d be rewarded for taking me alive. I step away from the tree, giving myself more room to maneuver, and he strikes.
I dodge, and his weapon hits the tree, the sizzle it makes telling me it’s not completely useless.
I force myself to laugh.
“Nice work, dipshit. Do you perform that poorly with your other stick too?” I wink at him, and he roars, charging me.
Fuck. Someone definitely would have heard that.
I drop to the ground and roll away as his weapon hits the ground next to my head. Shit, that was close. I roll closer toward him and slide my blade along one of his bare feet.
He howls, and I laugh.
“Hurt?” I get back to my feet, and he comes at me, weapon raised. He’s faster than I thought, but I whirl, striking at his side. He blocks it with his weapon, pushing my knife aside and slamming the point of his stick into my shoulder.
Zap!
I go flying, my teeth clenched. Turns out his weapon has just enough juice to be dangerous. I roll straight back up to my feet, blinking furiously in an attempt to clear my vision. I can hear voices coming toward us, and from the grin on the Dokhall’s face, so can he.
The muscles in his legs tense before he moves, and I lunge toward him, dancing across the forest as we strike and parry. My shoulder burns, but I clench my teeth. He has a better weapon, and he’s stronger. But I’m faster.
He’s getting tired. If he were smart, he’d be jabbing his weapon at me. Whatever power it uses comes from the tip, and he’s more likely to incapacitate me that way. But he’s getting angry and sloppy, wielding his weapon like a sword.
My heartbeat begins to pound in my ears as the voices get closer.
Screw this.
He lifts his weapon, teeth bared as he attempts to slam it into my head. I wait until the last possible second and pivot, tripping him off-balance and slamming him into the ground.
He rolls, but it’s too late. I bury my knife in his chest, and he opens his mouth to scream. Panic rises, and I slit his throat, turning his scream into a choked moan.
I need to get out of here.
I lean down and swipe his weapon before sprinting away from the camp and back toward the cave. My shoulder aches, but I force myself to pump my arms faster, jumping over fallen trees and rocks.
I can’t lead them anywhere near Korzyn. I backtrack, heading toward the water, and then hunker down behind a bush, waiting for my breath to steady as I plan out my next move.
Korzyn
I find myself unable to sleep while the hellion is away from the cave.
It’s incredibly inconvenient.
At this point, it’s crucial I recover, and yet each time I close my eyes, I see Sarissa, her lips trembling as the Dokhalls drag her into a cage. Sometimes, she’s screaming, begging for help.
All while I’m lying here, useless.
She’s an untrustworthy liability. So why does this terror make me desperate to go after her?
I managed to get up today, practically crawling toward the cave entrance and finding a spot to relieve my bladder behind a tree nearby.
Unfortunately, while I made it back to the cave, I passed out in front of it, and I’ve been lying here ever since—unable to sleep but also unable to drag myself inside.
I grit my teeth and again attempt to move back into the cave. If Sarissa finds me here, I’ll never hear the end of—
“What the hell are you doing out here?”
I turn my head, finding her out of breath, a scowl on her face. She has a shallow scratch along her forehead, and she’s covered in dirt, but she’s furiously alive.
I ignore the relief that washes through me.
“I wanted some fresh air.”
She takes one look at me, lying in the dirt near the mishua, and a smile plays around her lips. I frown. It’s more difficult to ignore her beauty when she isn’t scowling at me.
I manage to sit up, leaning against a rock. “What happened?
“It’s not good.” She raises her hand, waving one of the Dokhalls’ weapons, and bile burns at the back of my throat at the sight. “I was stupid and got too close.” Her lips twist, and she sighs. “I had to kill one of them and haul ass back here. They’ll be looking for whoever did it.”
“You’re lucky you weren’t killed.”
She sniffs. “Luck had nothing to do with it. I should’ve been paying more attention though. Unfortunately, I was preoccupied by the shitshow in front of me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Dokhalls are gathering an army. And they’re doing it under cover of the forest. They’ve set up a huge net above the trees, and it’s covered in dirt and poop so they can hide their scents from Dragix. There were hundreds of them, and from what I saw, they were getting ready to march.”
I close my eyes. “They’ll send scouts ahead.”
Sarissa nods. “Yes. And they’ll likely be moving fast. They’ll spread them out in all directions, and unless they’re stupid, they’ll leave more groups in key places, blocking off anyone who thinks to help.”
I once again curse my weakness. “We need to leave.”
She rolls her eyes. “Sure, get on your feet, and let’s go.”
I scowl at her sarcasm, and she scowls back.
“I have the beginning of a plan.”
Chapter Seven
Sarissa
To say Korzyn is unimpressed with my plan is putting it lightly.
We argued most of the night before I forced more of the disgusting water down him and we both fell asleep. Thankfully, the cave is warm enough if we huddle together, but this morning, the air was colder than it has been so far, and I found myself fantasizing about crawling on top of the commander.
To steal his heat, of course.
“Look,” I say. “We have to do something. We’re running out of nuts and berries, and they’re just not cutting it. We need meat, and while I’m good at many, many things, hunting and trapping and skinning animals are not any of those things.”
Korzyn tilts his head, raising one eyebrow, and I shove a few berries in my mouth.
Sometimes, Korzyn seems to be doing better. He made it outside the cave again last night. Other times—like right now—it appears as if he’s still on the path to death.
His blinks are slow, and it seems to cost him energy just to open his eyes again.
“You are desperate to get that chip to your friends. It’s clouding your thoughts.”
“It’s driving me toward my goal,” I argue, and he snorts.
“Your obsession will get you killed.”
“It’s a good thing I don’t need your approval.”
“Explain to me why this must happen so quickly.”
“You mean other than the army of Dokhalls who are definitely sending out scouts to find us?”
He nods, sighing at whatever he sees on my face. “Please.”
I turn away, gathering my weapons.
“Imagine the worst thing that could happen to you,” I say. “Imagine it comes out of nowhere. And imagine it doesn’t only happen to you, but it al
so happens to a group of other women who are just as scared as you. Some of them are younger, some of them older, but all of them need to believe in something.”
The commander clears his throat. “So you gave them something to believe in.”
I nod. “I made promises I shouldn’t have. I promised we’d get through that trip on the ship, that we’d survive, and that we’d get revenge. I promised no one would ever hurt us again and that we would thrive. I promised anything and everything under the sun. I threw out hope like I was throwing candy at a group of children at a birthday party. I said whatever it took. Now I have to deliver.”
“That doesn’t explain why your urgency is so great.”
“One of the other women, Clara, accused me of shirking my responsibilities when I traveled with Vivian,” I murmur. “She said I was a leader who was happy to risk her life but not her heart and it wasn’t fair for me to leave when the other women needed my emotional support.” I sigh. “She was right. I crumbled under the weight of their neediness. I couldn’t face having to look at those women every day, knowing I was responsible for their lives. They put their trust in me, and when I get this chip back to them, they’ll know it was warranted.”
I stare at the cave entrance. Sometimes, I wake up, still expecting to be on that ship.
Why did I give those women what was likely false hope? Why was it so important for me to convince them we were getting off that ship? That we wouldn’t die? Or worse, be used as sex slaves?
Maybe my need to save them comes from the fact I couldn’t save the only person who counted. Who knows? All I know is I keep my promises. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure those women get their lives back.
Korzyn is quiet, and I glance over my shoulder. His eyes are closed, but I know he’s not asleep.
“Your plan is flimsy,” he says. “You’re allowing your emotions and overinflated sense of responsibility to drive your actions.”
That strikes just a little too close to home, and I grind my teeth. The commander is making it very, very easy for me to go through with the first step of my plan.
“I need you to take the chip,” I say.
