“And the Aciana?” Sol asks, and all Illusian males take notice.
“She will join us. And together we will bury our blades in our enemies until their agony-filled screams are all we hear.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ren
Adrenaline and power surge through me. The human arrived as promised and navigated the small vessel through the minefield of death traps surrounding the station. He scanned his wrist, utilizing the eighteen-digit code the chip in his arm gave him to breach the floating compound.
Fools. We’re walking right through their front door.
As the final hatch opens, clearing the way for our vessel to slide into place, the flooring shifts, two large claw like metal beams rising up and latching on. Red lights begin to blink in the ship’s interior, and the human male hits a sequence of six buttons to silence them.
Rivan scans the control board, nudging the human out of the way. “What the fuck? It disables the entire electrical system?”
“Yes. There is no exiting this place unless they allow it.”
Nexx shifts beside me, anxious to draw blood. The tension is high, our appetite for destruction growing every second we are forced to wait.
Sol taps his tablet several times, and the green lights embedded in the ring like segments of the tunnel carrying us flash yellow. The human flinches. “No! What are you doing? You can’t use that right now. Any electrical signals will trigger the alarms!”
A growl vibrates deep in my chest, and Sol jumps, tapping furiously until the screen fades. He holds up his hands. “Sorry, sorry. I was just trying to get a layout now that we are here. I have no idea what is beyond those doors.”
The human male extends a finger. “Right after the doors, we’ll go through one more scan. Not for body heat or occupants, just for trackers, bugs, and any unregulated tech capable of spying.” He jerks his head toward Sol. “So keep that damn thing off. Then we dock, and the officer in charge greets us with three of his men. They separate us from the carrier, then retrieve the goods themselves. Not sure what you guys are planning, but there’s no use in hiding. They search the ship each time to ensure we haven’t stolen anything or smuggled anything in or out.”
The irony does not escape me. Let them search. Cowards. What they find will be the last thing they see.
“Be ready. They will know something is wrong immediately when the hatch opens. None of you look like the guys who are supposed to be accompanying me.” A rumble vibrates the floor, and the claws holding the ship in place retract, then lengthen and come together to form a square. Giant weapons rise from the flooring and point directly at our stolen craft. “Here we go.”
Beams of energy spread out, running down the exterior. The human male stares intently at the indicator light above us and exhales loudly. Green. The scan picked up nothing abnormal.
My mate’s anxiety creates a dull ache in my chest, and I squeeze her hand, pulling her closer. Her scent wraps around me, its sweetness increasing my drive to protect her. “Stay close. When the hatch opens, we will immediately engage. Remain back until I give you the signal and Sol escorts you out.”
“Okay, and what’s the signal?”
My lips part, spreading into a wide grin. “There will be no life left to snuff out.”
Jayla
Breathe. Just fucking breathe, Jayla, and don’t lose your shit.
I swear the only thing worse than flying into the face of danger is riding into it slowly with a group of raging males ready to explode. Not to mention, there are so many of them shoved into this tiny space, there’s no room to move.
As the final door lifts, and the sterile receiving bay comes into view, I can’t help but stare in horror.
“What the hell is that?” I blurt out. Some sort of blurg-cyborg hybrid shuffles its blubbery feet toward us and unholsters a long cylindrical weapon. The creature vibrates, so quickly it looks like little more than a blur, then splits in two, creating an exact copy of itself.
What. The. Fuck.
Ren grips the human’s collar and rips him from the captain’s chair. “I’m sorry. They made me. I didn’t have a choice.”
My heart jackhammers in my chest, and the sickening sound of bone snapping makes me want to vomit. All I can do is stare at his body as he convulses on the ground. Ren just ripped off his bottom jaw.
Fear tightens my throat, and I cling to Ren, fighting to keep the shock at bay. I have to stay clearheaded if we’re going to get out of here alive. If there was ever a time to find my girl balls, it’s now.
“Can you control them?” I ask, and when his eyes connect with mine, he doesn’t need to say the words. He can’t. Things just got a lot more complicated.
“Sol, scan everything you can. Get the layout. Quickly,” Ren commands as more and more of those things show up. They only seem to be cloning themselves once, but still, I count thirty now.
“The compound is structured similarly to the one where Xen was held. It appears there are smaller spaces, possibly offices or living quarters, on the floor below.”
Ren takes a moment to process, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. There’s a steadiness about him, a collectedness that settles my nerves. He’s Ren, the most powerful male I’ve ever seen, possibly that’s ever existed, and he’s about to fuck this place up.
“Acia, how do you want to proceed?”
He shrugs off his animal hide coat, and metal clangs as he withdraws his weapons from the sheaths strapped to his back. “As planned. Kill them. Kill them all.”
It’s hard to breathe, the band of anxiety stretched across my lungs smothering me. The males withdraw their weapons, and Ragar bends, dipping his fingers into the pool of blood forming underneath the dead human’s mouth. He swipes bloody fingers across his cheeks, then cups his hands to drip the thick liquid down the center of his scalp, and it takes everything in me not to vomit.
There is an unstable ferocity about him that rivals Ren’s. A pure, unadulterated blood lust flares in his eyes, and I back up a step, thanking whatever higher power will listen that he’s on our side.
Damn, he’s terrifying.
Ren guides me back toward the ship’s controls as Nexx prepares to raise the hatch. There are at least fifty of those things out there now with guns drawn, pointed right at us.
Sol taps his tablet a few times, and the emergency system activates.
One point for the home team. Bet they didn’t see that coming.
In the span of two heartbeats, the room goes black, triggering a bright strobe light, and sirens start to blare.
A chill runs down my spine as the blubbery white creatures in front of us flicker in and out of sight, and the brightness of the strobe lingers in my vision, making it difficult to focus. The hatch rises without notice, the sounds of the gears turning swallowed by the screech of the alarms.
Ren grunts in approval, giving Sol a nod, pleased the code the unmated male spent days writing was able to override the system successfully. Holding my gaze, Ren drags a finger across my chin, and then…he’s gone.
The hairs on the back of my neck rise as the first scream rings out. Sol slams the hatch closed and locks it tight. “They cannot reach us in here. I am under explicit orders from the Acia. Should they fall or be captured, I am to get you out of here.”
I shake my head. “Not going to happen.” The nav window vibrates as I rap my knuckles against it. “They can’t get through this, right?”
“Not quickly. The only way to force us out is to set the exterior on fire, then burrow through with a laser hot enough to breach the shields.”
A loud smack startles me, and I crouch low, trying to hide from whatever it is. Purple blood streaks down the window. One of those things landed on the ship’s hood. I can’t make out its face, but I don’t miss when Orion leaps into view and yanks the thing by the ankles, ripping it off and away from the ship. Then another. He disappears into the mostly dark space, and I strain to make out all the blurry outlines. What the
hell is going on?
“Do not fear. Orion and Nexx are guarding the area around the ship. No one will breach the door.”
My pulse pounds in my ears, and the dull thrum of the ship’s electronics seems impossibly loud. Fear creeps in, and I can’t resist the urge to slip into Ren’s mind. I’m dying for a glimpse of what’s happening.
Red hot anger and excitement rush down the bond. He’s enjoying himself.
Only staying present long enough to make sure he isn’t wounded or overwhelmed, I retreat just as quickly as I entered. I learned very quickly the last time I saw his violence first hand—there are some things you can’t unsee.
And some you can never forget.
Sol stares through the window of the small vessel, the dark compartment hiding our faces. He jerks, almost as if he forgot something, and lunges for his tablet. “Shit, the cameras…”
“What is it? What’s wrong?” I ask, the tempo of my heartbeat doubling. Even the feel of my nails digging into my palms can’t lessen my panic. Sol slaps his forehead with his hand, cursing again, then taps furiously on the tablet.
“Sol…”
He holds up a hand, then scrambles again, disconnecting wires and typing in a long string of code. “I got distracted. And I just assumed. The cameras…they are still active. And there are several signatures monitoring us.”
“And that’s bad? It doesn’t seem like there are any more of those things…at least I haven’t seen any more…”
Sol swallows hard. “That is precisely my fear, Aciana. That whatever lies beyond this wall does not require back up.”
The vessel shakes as something heavy lands on the roof and scurries across. I grip my chair. “Wha—”
Sol holds a finger to his lips, silencing me, then reaches under the small chair to his right and grabs a blade. His hand trembles as he holds it close to his chest, and I flash back to that first day when Naya and the other Illusians burst into my life.
The urge to protect Sol strengthens my resolve and I drag my hands across my face, gathering as much Lumin as I can. Whatever comes through that door is going to get its ass kicked.
“Ren…something’s on the ship.”
The hatch whines, and the sound of nails against metal grates across my ears.
They’re trying to claw their way in.
“No one can get in, Aciana. I have turned off the external pad.”
Something loud smashes into the hatch, and I jerk away, nearly tumbling into Sol. The edge of his weapon digs into my hip, and I shove his arm away by the elbow. “Seriously,” I jab my finger in the direction of the door, “point that thing away from us.”
It’s hard to tell, but I could swear a blush creeps up his cheeks as he repositions the weapon.
Fear ripples through me as I glance over my shoulder at the carnage around us. The room is empty. Nothing but pieces and lifeless bodies strewn about. It’s still dark, and the blinding light of the strobe makes the corpses colorless piles of flesh and bone.
Where is everyone? Where is Ren?
“I am coming. Secure yourself.”
Another skitter from above makes me cringe, and Sol leaps in front of me, half a second before the hatch is ripped from its hinges. Twisted metal screams as it scrapes across the ground, smoke from the destroyed electrical wires obscuring my sight. Ren’s familiar presence warms me, and I blindly walk through the fog toward him.
Ren’s standing in front of me, a pile of those abominations at his feet. He’s covered in blood—purple and red—and I lunge for him, trying to look him over.
“Come. We must go. The other males have already begun advancing to the second floor.”
“Are you okay? I nearly pissed my pants thinking one of those things—”
Ren’s blood-coated fingers intertwine with mine, and he presses a kiss to my hand. “It is not mine. There is no time. We must go.”
Sol scrambles to gather what he needs from the ship and makes his way out the destroyed hatch. He straightens as Ren’s gaze lands on the weapon, a grunt of approval resonating in his throat. Sol’s lips curl into a whisper of a smile.
A loud boom startles me, and both Illusian males sandwich me between them and take off for the door across the room. My feet sink into the layers of death on the floor, making it difficult to run. Ren picks me up, and along with Sol, we sprint for the others.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Naya
There is an ebbing inside me. A shift in the energy linking us all. Something is amiss. “Dreya, gather the children, their Life Givers, and the human mechanic. You will move into the Acia’s quarters for additional protection.”
Dreya’s pulse rises. “The males have only just left. You suspect something is wrong?”
I inhale. The scent of her fear masks all others. “I do not know. But the Acia’s door is reinforced, and only a select few may gain entry. You will stay there until the males have returned.” She remains standing, despite my orders. “Go. Now.”
Satisfied with the patter of feet headed toward Aren’s door, I disarm the lock and assist the females inside. Leandra insists on walking. I do not know what it is about human females that inspires them to be so unruly, but I appreciate their strength. The Aciana has done more for our females than any who held the position before her. My gratitude is endless.
Illaria remains stationed in front of her intended’s door, and her continued presence in the kitchen annoys me. Nonsensical female. “Get to your room. The male will be fine.”
“I do not wish to leave him.”
She cowers slightly as I approach. Good. She is aware her missteps will lead to punishment. “It is the Acia’s order that all females remain in their rooms while the males are absent.”
“But, Naya I—” A faint scratching noise draws my attention, and I slap a hand over her mouth. Crouching low, I cock my head to the side. Releasing her and gliding toward the noise, I scale the wall to the rafters above.
More scratching. The pads of my fingers caress the smooth metal pipes of the oxygen condensers as I crawl up, closer toward the internal shell of the hull, and when I touch it…
I hiss and draw back. Hot to the touch. As a large crack begins to form, the scent of filth slips through.
Inokine.
We are under attack.
Sliding down, I land on my feet just as the inner panel of the hull gives way. No alarms sound. There is no way those simpletons would be able to breach our ship without depressurizing the interior on their own.
A large piece of metal tears through the piping and crashes to the floor not ten feet from Illaria.
“Move,” I command. “Tell the others. Lock yourselves in your rooms and do not come out unless I instruct you to.”
My blood sings at the sound of my blades unsheathing, and I center myself, prepared to rip the life from those who seek to destroy us.
Almost as if carried by an Illusian wind, I float toward the first six Inokine that drop to the ground, slicing through them with ease. Carving through the fat and bone, I separate them from their heads, and unleash my anger on their filthy corpses until there is little left to identify them with.
My muscles burn with a sweetness I have been without for too long, and I laugh as I dance around them, making tiny cuts, then shearing off limbs. Their screams are like a melody, their cries—the most sacred song.
Sensing that Illaria has followed my orders and the other females are locked in their rooms, I take my time. It is a rare joy, getting to dispatch the Inokine alone. Even before the black blood on my weapon has grown cold, ten more scurry down from the rafters, scampering off in different directions.
I let out a battle roar, telling the females danger is near. A chorus of shrieks answers me, confirming they are wholly untouched. Two of the responses are weaker, terror coating their throats and altering their voices. Injari and Urina. I will not allow them to fear for their lives again.
Speeding through the kitchen, I intercept the first of the tr
ash near the stairs. The vile creature lunges, jaws unhinged, ready to dine on emotion and flesh, but rather than sinking its teeth into my skin, it screams as I ram my blade through its mouth, slicing down the very nerve that gives life to its sickening appetite. Twisting for good measure, and because I enjoy the whimper, I kick the Inokine to the ground and sever its spine before turning to dispatch another.
A spray of blood coats my lips, and I grin, reveling in the taste.
The sound of a pounding heart—Xandria’s—fills my ears. Her fear calls to me. Finishing the trash in my hands, I take the stairs in two leaps.
An Inokine claws at her door.
Grabbing its shoulders, I rip it off and throw it over the ledge to the common room below. Outrage and disgust fuel my anger. They touched her once. Never again.
Following the vile abomination, I land on its chest, using the impact to give me the leverage I need to drive my blade into the ground and swing my body to the left. Another Inokine bounds toward me. Then another, and I release my pheromones, drawing them away from those I am sworn to protect.
They’ve attacked from more than one point of entry. They have brought significant numbers.
Catching sight of a shadow, I swing around, narrowly missing an Inokine blade. Illaria bounds toward Xen’s room, rushing to enter the code. Foolish female. Even amidst a hostile takeover she seeks to protect him.
“Illaria, cover yourself, girl. Stop swooning over the male!” Ten. Fifteen. Twenty. I scan the room, gauging their number. Black robes billow as they attach themselves to the ceiling and scurry toward the females locked inside their rooms.
Xen stumbles toward me. A bag of weapons clanks against the ground, and Illaria unsheathes a sword, then throws it at Xen as he charges the Inokine. The sight of him disgusts me. He is weak, barely able to stand. But his Illusian pride will not allow this threat to go unchallenged.
He strikes true, lancing through an Inokine with one solid swipe of his blade. Then he twists to fend off another.
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