Tallusian Nights [Xihirian Shifters 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Ciara Lake

  “Afraid of us?” Val looked up at Tomron. “No need to be.” Val smiled.

  “No, why would you say I’m afraid?” Tomron had a wicked smirk.

  “Well, you’re keeping yourself up there out of our reach.” Val looked up, his hands on his hips. Kade moved next to him. The other Xihirians flanked them. Zalora remained at the rear.

  “Just being wise. When dealing with wild animals, one may never be too careful. Animals are so unpredictable. They are not to be trusted.” Tomron grinned. On the other far wall was a huge com screen showing Farstation. “See your father on the screen.” Tomron pointed. Kael stood with his group in a similar room, waiting with Philio Starson, who was shackled standing next to Kael. Realmist guards surrounded them, too.

  “But you left your guards at our mercy?” Val cocked his head to the side as he looked up at Tomron. “Aren’t you concerned for them?”

  “They’re trained, armed to take down disobedient beasts.” Tomron shrugged. “You’re at their mercy, animal. Anyway, brains always wins over brawn of animals. You beasts just are not smart enough to defeat us.”

  “Okay.” Val nodded. “So what now, Tomron?” Val looked around. “Are you going to give us our people?” They could not hear what was happening at Farstation. The communication seemed to be one way. It appeared the Farstation group could hear what was taking place between Val and Tomron. Val’s face looked frightening, as did the other Xihirians. They’d allowed the situation to partially shift their appearances. They were ready for battle. Despite the fact she could not read them like others, she could feel the aggression rolling off them.

  “Goodness you people are fucking ugly, monstrous really.” Tomron shook his head. “Where’s our people? The Realmist heroes you wrongfully took off Tallusia. You were to bring them.”

  “On my loaddisk.” Val looked toward the door. “I’m sorry, just had to hold back something to make sure you complied.

  “Holding back was not in my rules. But I see Starson is ready to be exchanged.” He pointed to the screen.

  “We’ll leave your people when we leave the planet. That’s the best we can do.” Val looked to his father’s image. Kael nodded, confirming he could hear what was transpiring.

  “Your best is substandard as usual. It takes a real human to make good decisions.” Tomron chuckled. “You look quite scary. It’s the abominable beast within you. I’ve heard women say you’re handsome. They must be insane.” He shook his head. “If they could see you now they would surely disagree. The truth of what you are is on your hideous face. All of your faces.” Tomron motioned at the group.

  “What now, Tomron?” Val repeated.

  “I still don’t know why lovely, sweet Earthen women would want to lay beneath an animal like any of you. Even the Tallusian women are too good for lying with such creatures.” Tomron shook his head.

  “You like to hear yourself talk. It’s very irritating.”

  “You’ve accused me of this before. Yes, I do like to talk. It’s a very human trait.” Tomron nodded. “I always have such wonderful things to say. People like to listen to me.”

  “Let’s make our exchange,” Kade interjected. “I’m ready to leave. I did not come here to chat with you.”

  “Well, this is what’s going to happen. You and Kade will be a critical part of this exchange.” Tomron’s boney finger pointed to each. “Thank you, Kade Braeden.” Tomron nodded his head in Kade’s direction. “For joining us, I hoped you would. I didn’t think you could stay away from your twin. I’m smart knowing how you beasts think. You could not resist coming for your aunt as our guests either. Forever the hero, it will be the death of you. You’re so protective of each other. I suppose pack animals are instinctually that way. I doubt you have true emotions. It’s just instinct.” Tomron looked down toward the pen holding the Xihirians. “Anyway, it’s very generous of you to have come along. I’m sure they appreciate it.”

  “Whatever!” Kade looked at his feet and shook his head. “Just tell us how this is going to go down.” He huffed. Zalora could see Kade fighting his rage, holding back a full shift. His face continued to shift then shift back. His voice changed in its quality, too. He truly was different. He was a beast. She loved her beast.

  “You’re so anxious.” Tomron grinned again. It made him appear demented. His bald head shone from the overhead light. Zalora felt a surge of satisfaction rise within him. “You’re going to trade yourselves for the others. I’m going to be generous, too, allowing your father to simply leave Starson to return home to your mother. The poor Earthen woman. She must be unwell in her mind. Nah, she’s just a bitch, too.” He shook his head. “Although a traitor to her race, she has been through enough under the Admoncor’s thumb with his beastly control. She has to be insane to breed with him and breed so many times. It’s unimaginable how she can live like that.” A look of disgust crossed Tomron’s homely face. “All of you Xihirians, your poor female victims must be out of their minds. The male victims, too. There’s simply no other explanation for their behavior.” Tomron looked to the screen. Kael remained stoic. “I want you.” Tomron pointed to Kael, and his hand shook with fury. His face turned red. “To long for your first-born son as well as your youngest brother. I want you to know I’ll be holding them both in captivity until their fate is determined by a Realmist court. Sound familiar?” He shouted, glaring at Kael. “For all of you who don’t know, Admoncor Braeden deprived me of my father. He took him from me. He wrongfully imprisoned him, resulting in his death. Retribution is mine. It is grand. Make no mistake. I will have it this very day.” He clapped his hands as he looked toward the screen. “Are you listening, Kael? Are you listening, beast?” Kael remained silent. “Who knows when a hearing will be held? But I have two wonderful jail cells for them. Just waiting for them to spend the rest of their miserable lives in.” As if on cue, six guards moved forward with weapons drawn. “Now you can fight us, and then we’ll kill all of your people, or you can do the honorable thing. Surrender.” Val raised his hands.

  “Very well, let all the others go. Kade and I won’t struggle. Open the doors. Release them. We will remain.” When Val finished, Tomron broke out into hysterical laughter

  “I don’t think so. I’ll tell you how this is going to play out, Captain. I’m in charge here.” His hands shook as he spoke. Zalora was stunned by the level of rage surging through Tomron. His emotions changed so rapidly. He was insane. “Get to your knees, you disgusting animals,” Tomron ordered. Val and Kade dropped to their knees. Two guards pointed wicked-looking weapons at their heads. “If you give us any trouble, we will spray your brains all over the floor.”

  “No,” Zalora shouted. Her lungs hurt from her exclamation. All eyes turned to her. “Stop this.” Tomron’s beady eyes looked at her.

  “Shut your bitch up, if you know what’s good for her.” Val turned to look at her. His look was pleading as if pained. “Is this your current slut? She looks familiar.”

  “Freeze…drop your weapons. Now!” Zalora demanded. This time her voice was lower than normal, but powerful. She looked around the room, looking at each Realmist guard. In that moment, the guards came to a sudden stop as if truly frozen. Only their eyes moved, watching her. Obediently, they dropped their weapons. One weapon misfired when it hit the floor. It hit another guard. He fell to the ground. Zalora could feel he was alive, and fear coursed through him, yet he remained immobile as instructed. “Gently,” she stressed. “Kick your weapons away from you, toward the com screen.” Again, they obeyed without any resistance. They were completely under her control. Zalora stepped to the front of where Val and Kade were on their knees. “Look at me.” The Realmist guards complied. Tomron screamed.

  “Don’t listen to her, you idiots. Resist her. She must be a Tallusian witch. You can defeat her, if you’re strong.” Fury spilled from Tomron into her. The glee, then the rage all transmuted into fiery anger directed at her. “Do as you’ve been ordered. You’re superior to her. She is an abomin
ation.” Tomron pounded his fists against the window of his secure room. The glass was so thick and strong his pounds had no effect. Zalora smiled, realizing he felt pain due to his fruitless efforts. His pounding was frantic, and then it stopped. “Resist the Tallusian witch. She’s evil to the core. You must resist her control.” He spit out his words. “She’s cast evil magic on you preparing you for the beasts to eat you. Fight her. Fight to survive.” Tomron threw his hands up in the air. The fear the guards felt helped her control them. It weakened their resolve against her. Tomron’s ravings were not helping them. It only proved to further to confuse them, increasing her influence on their weakened minds.

  Zalora looked up at Tomron. He glared back at her. His face was distorted, reddened with his rage. She decided not to focus her power on him. It would only divide her concentration. The division of her power would perhaps disrupt her control over others. Tomron seemed harmless in his glass box.

  “Shut up, you caged idiot.” Venom was in her tone. Her voice was unfamiliar even to her. “You’ve said enough, you madman. You’ve said too much, and I’m sick of you.” The Xihirians along with the Tallusians merely watched in awe.

  “You fucking witch, release my men.” Tomron stomped his foot. His robes bounced around him.

  “I said…shut up.” Zalora deepened her voice. “You talk too much.” The command in her tone was overly apparent. The emotions of the others as well as Tomron’s fueled her own, making her even more enraged. “Or I’ll deal with you now. You’ll be sorry.” She tilted her head to the side, watching him. “The choice is yours, Tomron. You’ve mutilated my world, killed my people. Now you seek to do more. I will not stand for this anymore. I have something special in mind for you. Something very special.” Zalora’s rage surprised her, yet she allowed it to take control. She felt it swamp her body.

  The flow of emotions mixed with her power made her dizzy. The power vibrated through her like electricity. She’d never allowed it free rein. It was truly addictive. It was ecstasy to let it loose upon her enemies. “All my life, I’ve controlled myself. Now I can let it loose upon you, let out my pent-up feelings I have concerning the destruction of my world, my mother and brother’s deaths, as I know you were responsible for their ship’s mishap. Your emotions speak to me. They don’t lie. You know who I am. And I know you are a monster.” The Tallusians behind the bars as well as all of the Xihirians looked at her stunned, astonished at her words. Some of the Tallusians were filled with terror, but suddenly they had hope.

  Val, snapping out of his surprise, rose to his feet. He was quick as the wind. Kade behind him, followed by the other Xihirians, they apprehended the Realmist guards. Collecting all of the weapons, they shoved the incapacitated men into a corner. The guards did nothing to resist. They were still in trances. On the screen, Zalora could see Kael and his people shift to attack the Realmist. Weapons fired, but the fight continued. Finally the screen blacked out.

  “Get down on your knees, hands on the floor in front of you, and lower your heads.” Zalora pointed to the cornered Realmist guards. “Bow down. Don’t look up.” All of the guards immediately obeyed.

  “You’ll never get your people out of the cages. I alone control the cages. You’re not so powerful, you fucking witch. Now, you have killed them all.” Tomron’s eyes blazed with anger. “You and your fucking beasts are trapped here to die. You see, I control the doors. This booth is impenetrable.” Tomron motioned to his surroundings. He laughed. “You’ve shown yourself as the fiend you are, for naught.” He emphasized his last word. “It seems I’m immune to your powers, witch. My mind is too strong for your evil magic. I am powerful, too, in a human way. So sorry, I will be leaving you now. You’ve ruined my party.”

  “And what of your men?” Zalora shouted. Tomron paused before his hand touched the door behind him.

  “Tragedies of war, I’m afraid.” Manically he laughed.

  “Oh you’re the tragedy.”

  “So funny are you.” He sneered.

  “Hold, Tomron. Stop!” Tomron froze in his tracks. Zalora could see and feel he fought her. Therefore, she strengthened her resolve. The other Realmist moaned as if her harder attempts pained them in some way. She didn’t care. She put everything into her control. Tomron seemed strong. She feared he was winning.

  “Zalora, let go of the others. We have them.” Straight away, the others moved as if released from her spell, but remained controlled by the Xihirians, cornered.

  “Tomron, you will not leave. Open the cages. Now!” He remained immobile as she instructed, but did not move to open them. Rage overpowered her. Her right hand motioned for a metal chair by the far wall. It rose from the ground. She flung it at his glass box, disrupting his concentration. Kade had to move out of its way as it fell to the ground. Fear pulsed through Tomron. He dropped to his knees, screaming as if in tremendous pain.

  “No, no, it hurts, stop. You’re killing me. You are wicked, you bitch,” he bit out.

  “Release the locks on the cages. Open all the doors to allow our exit. If you don’t, you’ll die very painfully. I bet you’re feeling warm,” Zalora said in a hushed voice. “Very warm. I will kill you painfully.” She squeezed her fists at her sides. Tomron groaned again. “And I’ll open these gates and doors on my own. I will. I promise I’ll open yours as well and allow my friends to feast upon you carcass. That is your worst fear, isn’t it? Isn’t it, Tomron? I can feel it is.”

  “Damn you witch,” he muttered as he slumped over, grabbing his middle.

  “They may get hungry while I work on opening all these doors. They love meat. You will be juicy for sure. Or perhaps not. But they will tear you limb from limb just because it will be the thing to do.” Zalora pointed to him.

  “Damn, you fucking whore, release me.” Suddenly there was a loud cracking noise. His glass case developed a crack running from the top to the floor. Other cracks grew from the main one.

  “Do as I say, before it’s too late for you.” The room was quiet. Every eye was on her. Tomron groaned. Horror radiated from all the Realmist. Zalora did not care. In fact, it empowered her. “This is going to end. I’m in control now.”

  “You witch. You filthy bitch, slut to the beast no doubt.” He sounded as if he could barely speak, but he said more than enough to inflame her further. His other hand was over his chest.

  “Shut up. I am going to kill you for all you have taken from me. Give me more of a reason. Go ahead.” The walls in the room vibrated with her fury.

  “Open the gates. Open the doors right now,” Zalora shouted. The glass in his box shook. “You’d better before it is too late for you.” The room’s floor literally moved as an earthquake. The glass case made another cracking noise. For sure, the others could feel the power vibrate through Zalora. Even the Xihirians felt something, she could see by their expressions. Then she saw Val. His look was one of amazement and something more. “I’ll let you live if you open the gates and doors. Now! Get up! Do it!” She let up on him so he could comply. When she released her hold, he fell against the window in a heap. “I’ve released you to do as I say. Open the gates and the doors now. Do it now.” Tomron stood as ordered. He shook all over, obviously scared, weakened from her attack.

  “I’m going to make you sorry.” He spoke so softly Zalora barely heard him. Slowly he moved toward his console, pushing buttons to open the gates and doors. The pen doors snapped, swinging open. After Tomron complied, he collapsed. The gates swung wide. The door began to open to the tunnel. The Xihirians moved, taking charge. Chaos broke out as the Tallusian prisoners rushed out of their pen. The Xihirians shoved the Realmist guards into the now-vacant cages. Val and Kade slammed the barred doors shut. Loud clicks indicated they locked again. All the Tallusian prisoners stood in the room’s center surrounded by Xihirians. A gust of cold wind swept through the tunnel into the room.

  Val gave an order to leave. Zalora was picked up off her feet. Val carried her toward the door. The other Xihirians followed behind.
The Tallusians struggled to keep up, but some were picked up by Xihirians, increasing the pace of their group. Zalora was amazed at how fast the group moved. The Realmist locked in the gages screamed, begging for their release. When they got outside the mountain, six gliders waited for them. They overstuffed each glider, piling people inside. They took off for their waiting ship. The loaddisk’s docking doors were open. They drove directly into the waiting ship. Instantly, the doors closed behind them as the loaddisk began to take off. Before anyone had gotten out of the gliders, the ship was leaving the atmosphere.

  “Sir, Admoncor Braeden ordered us to wait for you outside the mountain with the gliders,” the driver of their glider explained.

  “Excellent, I take it my father and his team are good?”

  “Yes, Captain, there were a few injuries. Your father was shot, but he’s doing fine as per his reports. He addressed all the ships. He sounds fine, sir. They left Starson behind. He’s free.”

  “No matter, we’re all free. We’ll hunt him down another day,” Val growled.

  Chapter 10

  Everyone left their gliders to head to the loaddisk’s upper decks. Despite the amount of people, the group was mostly quiet. The medteam directed the ones they rescued to the medclinic in the rear of the upper deck. Val was behind Zalora, and his hand rested possessively on her lower back as he directed her to the passenger area, behind the pilot. The other Xihirians watched her. They eyed her from head to toe as if they’d never seen her before. Amazingly, instead of fear, new respect showed on their faces. Several nodded to her as she passed. They regarded her as a peer, even a hero. None of them backed away from her or acted repulsed. In fact, a Xihirian woman, who remained on board during the whole episode, walked up to Zalora. She embraced her.