by Erin Raegan
“Will he change their minds?” It meant everything that he was willing to try.
“It is doubtful.”
“Who are your allies that he doesn’t know about?” I glared at them both. They looked away. They weren’t going to tell me. “He’s gonna be so pissed,” I mumbled to myself.
✽✽✽
A half a day later, Viv, Colt, Hector, Ford, and I had argued the situation amongst ourselves through every angle. No matter how we looked at it, someone was going to interfere with the humans. There was no escaping the galaxy and its many species. Right now, the Dahk were who we trusted the most. At worse, they wanted to hire surrogates, at best, Tahk would work his mojo and have King Uthyf use his skills and allies selflessly. But they were, in fact, the only species that at least had our safety and well-being in mind. Ford was the one who shut us up after we just couldn’t do it ourselves.
“None of it matters now,” he said. “If the bastards back home had just accepted the help and not shot us down, this all could’ve been avoided. The Galactic Council wouldn’t have had the opportunity to enslave us, but it would’ve happened eventually. At least Peyton got her alien good and relaxed and ready to fight for us.”
Viv and I scowled at him. “Don’t look so put out, girl.” Colt glared and huffed, “It’s a damn compliment. You ain’t the first woman to grab a man by his balls, and in this case, those ignorant fools ought to be damn grateful that alien’s fallin’ all over himself to ensure you spread your legs.”
“Now that is inappropriate, Mr. Colt.” Vivian smacked his arm.
They bickered back and forth as we waited for word from the King.
When it finally came, it was not good. Tahk hadn’t deterred them from their new plans, but he did have permission to interfere. He was told to eliminate the Vitat threat and wait for word from the Galactic Council for the next steps. It seemed they were recruiting the Dahk to start their enslavement. I just hoped Uthyf did have a plan, and that it wouldn’t get all the Dahk and humans killed.
Things moved quickly after that. A ship was readied to meet Dahk One, and a negotiator would be sent, not that it was necessary anymore. The Dahk were going to save the humans whether our government liked it or not, but there may be parts of the world that needed Dyadus’s interference so the Dahk didn’t have to harm them to get to the Vitat.
A massive argument between Hector and Vivian ensued as he began packing. She didn’t want him to go, but he felt compelled. She said she would go with him then, and he about flipped his shit. He shouted it wasn’t safe for her, and she argued that it wasn’t for him either and packed anyway. I wanted to shake her at times. Now was not the time to delay. Humans were dying every second, but I understood her distress. Hector was still injured.
I followed them out to the ship being loaded with supplies. It was resting just outside the hangar on the ice. I had bundled up in a new coat but was still freezing. Isin had surprised me by not putting on anything for himself but carrying a doggy coat for Bobo. It was then I realized Colt intended to leave, too.
“Why?” I asked him. “You hate flying.”
“Them aliens destroyed my station. I ain’t lettin’ ‘em go without me.” Then he whistled for Bobo and thumped up the ship ramp. The dog whined and looked back at me and Isin.
“Go on, Bobo, keep an eye on him.” I scratched his ears and let him lick my nose. He whined once more before following his master. Isin looked suspiciously sad. When he saw me looking at him curiously, he scowled and skittered back inside.
Vivian took my attention, then. She was struggling against a stone-faced Yilt as he held her back. I had never seen him so serious. Hector was pleading with her, but she was shaking her head and crying.
He had just turned away when the first blast hit the ice. The world rocked underneath my feet, and I was thrown several feet in the air. I landed hard on my back, gasping from the blow.
Several lights slammed into the ground before the Dahk started shouting and pointing to the air. A silver ship was flying straight down, enormous cannons pointed straight at the castle. Amazingly, every blast bounced right off the castle and skittered in opposite directions. Unfortunately, they were being re-directed at us.
“Juldo!” Borv roared and lifted me. He threw me over his shoulder and ran for the castle. Yilt did the same with Vivian, Hector hot on his heels. Borv didn’t stay running for long, he leaped, avoiding a stray beam of light and flew in the air, his wings spread wide blocking my view of the others.
“Three ships!” Yilt shouted from below us. “One has landed!”
Borv slammed down onto the steps of the castle and shoved me inside. I turned and gaped as hundreds of Dahk flew through the sky. Some spiraled down into the hangar as ships lifted and flew straight to the silver ship that had not stopped firing. Others flew behind the castle where I could hear more booms.
“They’re inside!” Uthyf roared from behind us. I spun just in time to see a mammoth machine swing an axe at my head. Borv threw me to the ground, and I slid, slamming into the wall. Borv was grappling with the machine’s axe when I shook off the impact. I couldn’t tear my eyes off the machine fighting with him. It was shaped like a human. Two arms, two legs, one head and even stood like one. It was more human-like than the Dahk, except it looked like a machine. It had two eyes, but they were mechanical looking, with circles spinning and stalling as it watched Borv block its swings. It had some kind of metal covering nearly its entire body. It looked like mechanics and weapons and armor, but it bulged into its dull red skin like it was a part of its body. Its mouth was wide with thick lips, but it had a set of razor-sharp teeth, glinting like the Dahk’s, but more metal in color and shine.
It’s a terminator, I thought to myself. It looked just like a ripped apart terminator. I half expected to see the giant muscle-man-machine deliver a classic one-liner.
Borv finally ripped the axe free on a snarl, but the machine man didn’t flinch. He calmly lifted a giant gun-looking thing from his side and aimed it at Borv. I shouted in fear, but Borv anticipated the attack and ducked as the laser gun went off. I gaped at the burn mark on the wall behind him. They had freaking laser guns, and all the Dahk had were swords and claws.
The rest of the room penetrated my shock, and I looked around in stunned fear as several muscle-machines fought against the Dahk. Uthyf had two swords as he went toe to toe with one of them. He snarled and slashed at his opponent, slicing through metal and red skin. His sword deflected beaming lasers. He ducked and slashed again. Silver liquid sprayed from the gash along the muscle-machines chest, but it didn’t flinch. It moved like it hadn’t been injured and twirled two mechanical scythes and slashed back. Uthyf blocked and aimed for its head. Severing it in one blow. I gagged as the things silver blood shot up in an arc and looked away. Borv had defeated his opponent and backed me against the wall. He watched several Dahk take on the enemy but refused to leave me unprotected. I looked across the room to see Vivian huddled under a table, and Yilt and Hector fighting side by side against a muscle-machine. Hector had a dagger that he slashed with while Yilt distracted the thing with a sword. Just as it looked from Hector, he lunged for the things arm and stabbed it through the only flesh visible on its arm.
It dropped its laser gun, and Hector lunged for it. “No!” Yilt roared and stabbed the thing through the chest. It staggered back and fell as Yilt shoved past it and to Hector. But Hector already had the gun in his hand.
He lifted it and fitted his hand through the large hole in the handle, immediately aiming for another muscle-machine barreling his way. His face was severe and determined, but he suddenly flinched and howled in pain. His eyes shot to the gun and widened in shock. Yilt ripped the gun free, and Hector fell over screaming in agony.
I stood and without thinking ran for him, but Borv grabbed me and threw me back down. “Don’t move,” he snarled.
“Hector!” I shouted over the chaos and pointed.
Borv looked and shook his head. “I
t is too late for him.”
“Too late?” I shouted and screamed in fright as a muscle-machine barreled into Borv, knocking him down. The machine stabbed him through the wing with a long metal dagger looking thing, and he howled in fury. He was on his stomach, his wings unprotected. The machine wrenched the dagger free and aimed a gun. I didn’t even stop to think, I just pounced on the machines back and wrapped my legs around its middle and prayed what worked on Nonya worked on these things. I went for the eyes. I dug my nails in but flinched when they bounced off hard metal. Its freaking eyes were metal! But the skin around it wasn’t, so I scratched and clawed, and it howled and backed off Borv.
Borv turned and stared in horror as the machine backed me into the wall. My spine creaked, and I shouted in surprise and pain, my head cracking off the wall. It pulled from the wall and spun in a circle, reaching over its shoulders to grab me. I could barely hang on to the thing. It must have been over seven feet tall! I ducked as its metal hands grappled for my face. Borv shouted and charged it from the side just as the thing grabbed my arm and wrenched me over its shoulder. I went flying through the air and slammed into a table.
I bowed up in agony and cried out. Haytu was shouting my name, and I dazedly searched for him. He was clear across the room, his eyes filled with horror as he fought his way to me.
Uthyf and Yilt fought back to back against three machines, as Haytu and several others finished off the last few machines in the hall. Their swords deflected every laser shot. It was amazing. Borv skidded to a stop beside me, his body covered in silver liquid. I gagged at the oily smell.
He clutched my face and scanned my body frantically. “I think I’m okay,” I groaned and sat up. He growled but helped me prop myself up against the broken table.
My back would have one hell of a bruise, and a few of my cuts had reopened, but looking around at several dead Dahk, I realized how lucky I was. I searched for Viv and had to blink away images from weeks ago after the ship crashed on Earth. She was hovering over Hector again, just like she had that day.
I grabbed Borv’s shoulders and stood, limping over to her.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked her. He wasn’t bleeding anywhere. He just looked like he was sleeping.
“I don’t know! He just passed out!” Viv shouted.
I knelt beside her and reached for him, but Borv smacked my hand away. “He has been infected.”
“With what?” Viv and I asked together. Borv pointed to Hector's arm, and I gasped. Black lines spread across his hand and up his arm. The hand he used to fire the muscle-machine’s gun.
“He has been infected by the Juldo. Their weapons are designed for only one, and any other who wield it will be infected with the virus.”
“What virus?” I asked him, my stomach dropping. Viv was sobbing.
“Juldo are not born, Pehytohn, they are made.”
Chapter 15
Peyton
Hector was wheeled back to the healer's room as Uthyf shouted for answers while several Dahk pulled out the dead, both Juldo and Dahk.
I was stunned as several Dahk stumbled over their non-answers. No one knew how the Juldo gained access to the planet. It shouldn’t have been possible. And if they had, they shouldn’t have been able to hide their presence until they were right on top of us. I had learned all about the planet's defenses from Haytu. He was as pissed as Uthyf and demanded a Council meeting.
I allowed Borv to shuffle me to my room where a healer looked over me and a non-responsive Vivian. They wouldn’t let us near Hector, unsure if he could pass the virus to us. Apparently, Dahk were immune.
Yilt said Gryo would do everything he could, but I read the truth in his eyes. Hector would either die or become one of the Juldo. I just didn’t know what that meant, exactly. Would he turn red and covered in metal? Would he become as stone cold as the Juldo had been, forgetting what he was before?
Borv had left us with one grave warning, “Prepare yourselves for he shall die, or he shall live. If he is to live, he will no longer be who you once knew.”
Looking back, a lot of the Juldo had differences between each of them. Some had more arms than others, more eyes, but they were all mammoth and relatively humanoid shaped. How different would Hector become if he changed?
I kept my questions to myself for Vivian’s sake, but I would need to find out soon.
Hours passed in the room. Ford and Colt came and went. Ford hadn’t wanted to leave Hector, but somehow Borv convinced him he couldn’t do anything for him here and told him that he should continue on to Earth, that Hector would have wanted him to.
I knew the ship left, Fihk and the others couldn’t afford to wait, but I was too shocked to think about it or go out and see them off. I waited with Vivian, holding her while she cried, and guarding her while she slept. Isin guarded her with me.
Myrna came and went, bringing food to eat, and healers to check my new injuries. She was quiet and thoughtful and didn’t bother us except to tell us of any changes in Hector’s condition. He was alive and fighting the virus, but that was all she knew.
It was nearly a day later when Haytu knocked on the door. His face was haggard, and his clothes rumpled. He waved me to the door, watching Vivian with solemn eyes.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine. Just a little sore, how’s Hector?”
“He is a fighter. He rejects the virus, but I fear it will overtake him. Only time will tell. I come with other news.”
I didn’t like the scary look on his face.
“The attack was a distraction. The Queen was abducted.” I gasped. “Tahk will arrive in the morn to question the Juldo we apprehended.”
“Why would they take her?”
“We do not know.” He looked devastated. I hugged him tight around his middle.
He sighed and hugged me back. “This is not done to any other but one’s mate. It is a human custom?”
I nodded.
“I will return it gladly then.” He patted my back. “Sleep now daughter. Your mate will demand to see you right away. He is not convinced of your safety.” I wanted to ask if I should try and contact him, but Haytu hadn’t offered for a reason. I had a feeling if it were possible he would have made it happen for the son he so clearly loved.
I crawled into the bed beside Vivian and dozed on and off. Vivian woke up constantly, puking in the bathing room so much she had completely emptied her stomach before passing out. I slept fitfully the rest of the night. Isin’s snores continuously waking me. He was sprawled across the floor. I offered to share the bed with him, but he looked so horrified I didn’t mention it again.
Early in the morning, a light knock woke me up. I was so anxious I sprang from the bed, but it wasn’t Tahk on the other side. It was Myrna and another female.
Myrna smiled and clutched my arm. “How are you?”
“Fine.” Physically I was, sure I was thrown across the room a few times by a red alien/robot and had a few aches and pains from Nonya’s revenge attack, but I was lucky to be alive. Mentally, though? I was in a state of shock. Hector had only just woken up. We had been thrilled he was alive. But now? We may lose him after all.
“How are you?” I knew she was hurting. She and the Queen had been friends. She must be worried about her.
Myrna blinked at me, tilting her head. “I worry for the Queen, but I am well. I am grateful my new daughter is as well.” She smiled gently at me. A throat cleared startling her. She pointed beside her. “This is Kudeyas.”
Kudeyas smiled softly and a little sad.
I waved. “Peyton.”
“I am glad to have a sister,” she whispered and clutched my waving hand. “And I am sorry we meet under such grave circumstances.”
“Uh, me too.” I squeezed her hand back.
“We have brought clothes, and Gryo sends word for Veeveen.” Myrna smiled sadly.
“Is he dead?” Vivian rasped quietly. I looked back to see her awake and clutching the sheet to her chest.
“No, but the virus has taken hold of him.” Myrna looked genuinely distraught to be telling us.
“What does that mean for him?” I asked when Vivian started gasping through more tears.
“Maybe nothing. He may only make the physical change. It is uncommon but possible. If it has altered his mind, we will know when he awakes.”
“What kind of physical changes?”
“His skin will darken and take on the red of the Juldo. His features will sharpen, and he will grow in size. He will need nano supplements to counteract the virus’ potency. Juldo die from their own virus. It is why they are covered in nano-mite tech. It allows them to thrive when the virus’ strength would expand consuming them until there is nothing left.”
“When can I see him?” Vivian rasped and wiped at her cheeks. Isin jumped up and rushed to her side.
“Gryo has told us the virus is now dormant. He cannot infect you without the serum to trigger it. He is asleep and unresponsive, but you may see him.”
Vivian jumped from the bed and rushed to the door.
“I must warn you.” Myrna stopped her. “When he wakes he will not be himself, he is restrained to keep him from harming others.”
Vivian nodded and tried to push past her.
“Veeveen, look at me.” Myrna looked down at Vivian sternly until she stopped, but she didn’t look at Myrna, she kept her eyes on her feet. I grabbed her hand. “He will not look like himself, the changes have already begun. You must prepare yourself.”
“I don’t care what he looks like,” she whispered to her feet. “I just want to see him.”
“Very well.” Myrna and Kudeyas led us to the healer's room. But stopped outside the door.
“Daughter, you may escort her in, but your mate will arrive very soon. He will expect you to greet him.”
I nodded, not bothering to tell her Tahk would wait. I missed him, and I knew all this must be killing him. Being so far away and no doubt aware I was involved in two attacks now. But I knew he would understand my need to be beside Vivian right now. Myrna hadn’t been rude in the way she told me what Tahk would expect, but she served Haytu in a way I wouldn’t with Tahk. We were partners. Equal.
