by Cynthia Sax
The all-powerful, all-knowing modified humanoid was one of the scariest beings he had ever encountered. His unique abilities extended through the communication lines.
Even Kralj had a mate.
Dita, the Ruler’s tiny assassin female, sat beside the male. Her gaze was on them, her eyes bright with interest.
“Kralj, sir.” Second’s voice was edged with the respect the Ruler warranted.
“Chameles, Medic.” Those words seemed to come from everywhere. “There has been increased Humanoid Alliance activity on Carinae E. You will forgo your planned orbit of the planet and proceed directly to the Refuge.”
Ariq gaped at the male.
They had discussed that aerial tour briefly the previous planet rotation on the bridge, hadn’t told any other being about it, hadn’t communicated their plans through any other means.
“We will do as you suggest, sir.” Second nodded.
“It wasn’t a suggestion.” Kralj’s tone was dry. “You will allow your unexpected passenger to exit your ship first. You won’t give her any indication you are aware of her presence.”
“That will make the first task challenging.” Qulpa muttered that comment under his breath.
Ariq was more concerned about Lysagh’s well-being than the issue of when she left the ship. Kralj was a terrifying being, but Ariq wouldn’t allow that male or anyone else to hurt the girl. “If you harm her—”
The shadows swirling around Kralj’s face darkened menacingly. “You will do nothing. Because you can do nothing.”
Another wave of energy blasted Ariq. It was so strong he was flung back against his chair. Almost bone-breaking pressure pushed against his chest.
“He seeks to protect her, sir.” Dita placed one of her hands on Kralj’s arm. “He didn’t mean to disrespect you.”
The wall of wind flattening Ariq immediately dissipated.
He gasped air. His lungs, ribs, all of him, ached.
“The girl is under my protection.” Kralj astonished him with that admission. The number of beings fortunate to be under the Ruler’s protection were few.
Lysagh would be completely safe within the Refuge. Ariq relaxed. He didn’t know why the Kralj had granted her that status, but he was grateful for it.
“You will arrange for her to leave the ship first.” The Ruler demanded that of him.
Ariq dipped his head. “I will arrange it, sir.”
At least one of them would have an exciting visit to the Refuge.
“And you will lead the expedition to the clone community.” Kralj knew of those plans also. Seven-One wanted to speak with the Carinae E clones, learn how they reproduced without any degradation. “Seven-One, Yesun, Dialo, Vietor, and Jeden will accompany you and the guide.”
Son of a Gechii. Ariq struggled to keep his expression blank. Dialo, Vietor and Jeden were the sons of one of Kralj’s modified humanoids. Seven-One and Yesun had roughly the same maturity level as the winged triplets.
Ariq would be leading all youths.
That would be akin to aligning rock vultures in flight—an impossible and extremely frustrating venture. And there would be little opportunity to do anything other than keep them alive and out of trouble.
There would be no battles, no killing, no bloodshed for him.
“Kralj, sir.” Lead Medic’s forehead furrowed with thought lines. “I was hoping to join them, to see the cloning facilities, learn—”
“You are needed in the Refuge, Medic.” Kralj denied her request. “That is all.”
The main viewscreen reverted to the image of distant stars and the blackness of space.
Silence stretched.
“So that was Kralj.” Head of Ship and Weapons Design blew out her breath. “I now understand what you meant when you said he exuded power.” She touched her chest. “I’ve never felt anything like it.”
She hadn’t felt the full impact of the Ruler’s skills. Ariq hurt all over.
“He seemed to like Ariq.” Second’s eyes glowed with amusement.
“I would prefer if he liked me a little less.” Ariq lowered his voice, not trusting that the male couldn’t hear their conversation.
He sought a battle, not his own execution. Disrespecting the Ruler was a death sentence.
“I have a list of questions I want to ask the Carinae E clones.” Lead Medic slipped off Second’s lap. “Since you’ll be accompanying Seven-One, Ariq, I’ll share them with both of you.”
“Seven-One is the scientist.” Ariq had no interest in those matters. “Not I.”
Lead Medic met his gaze. “I’ll train you in what you need to know.” Her tone expressed that wasn’t open for discussion.
Ugh. Ariq rose to his booted feet.
He dreaded the upcoming expedition more and more with each passing moment.
Chapter Two
All Xareni wanted was peace and quiet and to be left alone.
Was that too much to ask from the universe?
It must have been too much to ask. Dumbasses continued to enter her self-assigned terrain. She adjusted the magnification on her goggles, zooming in on one of those dumbasses.
A human male wearing ragged remnants of a Humanoid Alliance uniform waited by a path utilized by the clones. He was hidden by a huge boulder.
Spark had spotted him easily. The little drakon now circled high above the male’s head. The creature’s wings were spread wide as he glided on the breeze. The rays of Carinae E’s single sun reflected off his green scales.
She had found Spark in one of the markets. He had breathed fire at every being who passed his stone cage, had bitten the merchant trying to sell him, taking a huge chunk out of one of his thumbs. The drakon was almost as surly as she was.
Xareni had to buy him, spending some of the precious credits she’d earned from escorting idiots around the planet. She had set him free. Spark refused to leave her.
Now, they were a team. He was her eyes from the sky, and she helped him down prey he was too small to kill.
At the moment, their prey was the Humanoid Alliance male.
She didn’t like the way he was lurking around the path. He’d allowed fully mature male and female clones to pass by him, hadn’t approached them.
He was waiting for a smaller, more defenseless victim. Her lips flattened. Innocence didn’t last long on Carinae E. She was a testament to that. The planet hosted the rejects of the universe, the outcasts, outlaws, beings not fit for civilization. They targeted the weak, the unknowing, the trusting, abusing, hurting, killing them.
Except in her terrain.
She extracted one of her guns and watched the male, quashing the temptation to immediately pull the trigger. He looked like his intentions were obscene and brutish, but appearances on the planet could be deceiving. Some of its most scarred, scariest, some would say—monstrous beings—had the most rigid codes of honor and the most protective souls.
Proof, more action, was required. And if that delivered a life lesson to the intended victim, that could save the being from a similar situation in the future.
“You said I could carry the container, Rachav-1101.”
Xareni heard the girls’ chatter before they came into view. The three of them were clones, sported the long white hair, purple skin, purple eyes of all their kind.
Judging by their height, they had eight or nine solar cycles. Their elders should have taught them about the dangers within the universe, should have trained them, ensured they could defend themselves.
As Xareni’s mother should have taught her.
Based on the clone girls’ chatter and lack of observation, that hadn’t happened. Without her interference, their futures could be as dire, as violent, as filled with pain, as Xareni’s past was.
Her lips flattened.
Two of the girls carried a container, sharing that heavy load. The third girl was excluded from that task.
“I want to help.” Her bottom lip curled. “The elders will expect me to help.” She kicked the
sand as she walked. “We should take turns carrying the container.”
“You’re too clumsy, Rachav-1102.” One of the girls, likely Rachav-1101, shook her head. “You’ll drop the container. If it breaks, we’ll all be in deep trouble.”
They were already in deep trouble.
The male hidden behind the boulder edged closer to the path. His dirty form shook as though with excitement.
Xareni wrinkled her nose, disgusted by him, by beings in general. She lifted her gun.
“I’ll be careful.” Rachav-1102 slowed and leveled her gait, holding out her hands, palms down. “See how careful I can—”
The Humanoid Alliance male reached out and grabbed Rachav-1101. She screamed, dropped the container. The other girl released it also.
The container they had previously been concerned about breaking shattered into thousands of small pieces. Water, precious in the parched landscape, splashed against the sand. Steam rose, the moisture evaporating on contact.
“Let her go.” Rachav-1102, the clumsy one, pulled on her friend’s arm, kicked at the Humanoid Alliance male’s shins.
The third previously silent girl screamed and screamed and screamed. She remained frozen in place.
They were situated far away from the clone community. No one would hear them.
Rachav-1101 fought her attacker, as did Rachav-1102. They were too small, too weak, too lacking in skill, to loosen the fiend’s grip on the captured girl.
“Pretty.” The Humanoid Alliance male mouthed over the taken girl’s hair. “So pretty.” He backed away, carrying the girl. “I like you.” He splayed his fingers over her flat chest.
Xareni had seen enough. She aimed her gun, pressed the trigger.
The projectile whizzed through the air. The male, preoccupied by his prize, didn’t see it coming.
It pierced his forehead, blew out the back of his skull, splattering brains and other guck onto the boulder. The male’s form fell. His arms and legs gyrated.
The girl pushed her way free of him, ran to Rachav-1102 and the other clone girl. They hugged and cried and trembled.
As though that would help them. Xareni snorted. The girls should be running, not embracing.
“Holding the container wasn’t the key task.” She holstered her gun and pulled down her goggles as she walked toward them. “Guarding the beings holding the container was the most important duty. Your elders should have fu… told you that.”
“I-I don’t know how to guard anyone.” Rachav-1102 looked at Xareni.
Her eyes widened. Her gaze paused once, twice, three times, stopping on each of the scars stretching across Xareni’s face.
The girl swallowed. Hard. Her throat convulsed. She looked away.
The other two girls glanced at Xareni also. They sobbed louder, sinking into a heap on the ground.
Xareni grimaced. Her countenance had that impact on beings. “You watch for danger. Try to avoid it. Fight if you’re attacked.”
She bent over, scooped a rock off the ground.
“If you don’t have a dagger, you hit the attacker with this.” She mimicked that motion. “Target his knees, his groin, his back if he’s turned away from you.”
“I-I-I don’t have a dagger.” Rachav-1102 was scared yet she remained standing, repositioning protectively in front of the other clones.
The girl was a fighter. Xareni nodded, silently expressing her approval.
She might survive the planet.
If she had a weapon.
Xareni dropped the stone and extracted the smallest dagger she had from a sheath. “You have a weapon now.” She held out the blade.
The girl grasped it. Her hands quaked but her hold on the dagger was solid. “Thank you.”
“Thank me by learning how to protect yourself.” Xareni’s voice was gruff. “Go back to your settlement.” She twitched her head in that direction. “Get.”
The other two girls hastened to their feet and the three of them ran home.
Talons grasped Xareni’s leather-clad right shoulder. Wings beat the side of her head.
“You did well, Spark.” She scratched under the drakon’s scaled neck. “You deserve a treat.”
Spark snapped at her. He was an irritable ass, but she loved him.
She drew another dagger, strode to the dead male, gouged one of his eyeballs out of its socket and held it out to her hunting partner, balancing that treat on the flat of her blade.
The drakon flapped his wings, lifted, landed, lifted, landed, moving along her leather-covered arm in a series of extremely short flights. Xareni thought of the movement as hopping but she would never express it in those undignified terms around him.
She had learned early on in their relationship Spark had pride and a solid grasp on the universal language. Drakons did not hop.
Once he was positioned on her wrist, he doused the eyeball with fire, clouding it. He swallowed it in one gulp, batted his wings, and screeched with approval.
They repeated the process with the other eyeball. That was Spark’s favorite part of beings. If Xareni could prevent popping them during a hunt, she did.
She searched the male, confiscating his weapons, the handful of credits he had, anything else she could utilize or trade. Every few moments, she shaved a piece of flesh off the corpse, fed it to the drakon.
Spark was her sole friend, sole companion, and she offered him the choice bits, dissecting the body with a skill she’d obtained over solar cycles.
The rest of the male would be devoured by the insects and scavengers.
Nothing was ever wasted on Carinae E.
Her gaze lifted to the sky. The sun was high…as was the heat. Sweat rolled down her spine, under her leather chest coverings. “We should relocate to the cave, sleep during the brunt of the—”
Return to the Refuge. Now.
The being who pushed that message into her brain didn’t have to say more. He also didn’t have to introduce himself. Only one male on the planet would contact her that way.
Kralj, the Ruler of the Refuge, Carinae E’s largest settlement, had given her an order.
Not being an idiot, she’d obey it. Kralj was all-knowing, all-powerful, could kill beings with his mind alone yet preferred to rip them apart and devour their flesh.
No one with a functioning brain disrespected the Ruler.
And she owed him…everything. She touched the hilts of her blades. Whatever he asked, she did.
Someday it might be enough to offset her debt to him.
“It looks like we’re headed back to civilization, Spark.” She stifled a sigh. Neither of them fared well amongst other beings.
The drakon tended to set them on fire. She frightened them with her scarred face and form and her rough, blunt ways.
“If we’re lucky, our stay in the Refuge will be short.” Xareni swept one of her leather-covered palms over Spark, drawing comfort from the connection with another living creature.
The drakon attempted to bite her.
“Yes, yes, you’re a fierce predator.” She walked toward the site where she left her transport. “You don’t appreciate being petted.”
The clone community she unofficially guarded should be safe…for a while. After an attack, they usually increased their vigilance, changed their routes, added more beings to outings.
She’d already told them to stay away from the underground pool a cave snake had chosen as its home. That creature would have to be killed when she returned.
“The cave snake has extremely large eyeballs.” Xareni’s lips quirked.
Spark would like that.
The sun’s rays blazed down on her head, shoulders.
She was encased in brown leather from chin to feet. Spark’s talons were sharp, would pierce her skin, leaving her with more scars than she already had.
The little drakon bumped his head against her cheek, emitting a joyful trill. He did give affection…on his own terms.
“Stay close to me once we reach the settlement, Sp
ark.” She lifted her right leg over the mounted transport, straddling it.
The Refuge’s no-killing rule didn’t apply to drakons, and she needed his company.
With him perched on her shoulder, she wasn’t completely alone.
She gunned it, pressing the conveyance to its top speed, stressing its engines.
They zipped across the dunes. Spark spread his wings and held onto her, saving his energy for the stress of being in close contact with others.
It didn’t take them long to reach the barrier of sand dividing Kralj’s domain from the rest of the planet. That unnatural border lowered for them.
Orol, one of Kralj’s top modified humanoid warriors, flew high above her head. Xareni owed that being an unpayable debt also. He had looked over her as she made her first trek into the desert.
The male’s three sons zipped around him, as heedless to danger as the clone girls. Spark tilted his head to the side, gazed at the four of them, yet didn’t join them in flight.
Those beings hadn’t yet earned the drakon’s trust.
Xareni was as wary of others. Orol did Kralj’s bidding. She trusted in that, didn’t trust in much more.
Balvan, the great green gatekeeper, was positioned at his normal place in front of the entrance to the Refuge. Elyce, his human mate, sat on a large upturned container behind him.
Their two girls weren’t visible. It was the middle of the planet rotation. They were likely attending the settlement’s small academy
Xareni parked her mounted transport nearby, strode up to the male. “I came as quickly as I could.” That comment was for both Balvan and Kralj.
The Ruler heard everything.
Balvan’s gaze paused on Spark. The male had an affinity for small creatures. “He’s waiting for you.” He nodded in the direction of the wall.
A tall lean figure in a long black coat stood at the top of it. Shadows concealed his face. Power exuded from him. One of his hands was grasped by the tiny human female located beside him.
Dita, Kralj’s mate, was a skilled assassin. She commanded respect also.
Spark pressed against Xareni as they entered the settlement. Smoke coiled around his snout.
