by Anna Hackett
Sam wasn’t so sure. She moved to the rock wall and gripped it. “Let’s climb up and see what we can see.” She rattled the chain. “I need you to come with me.”
He gave her a brusque nod. Together, they quickly scaled the wall, finally crouching on top of it.
Sam glanced toward the center of the maze. Dios, there were so many tunnels. Her gaze fell on a towering column of rock in the heart of the maze. The maze circled around it in a dizzying array of open tunnels. She looked up, taking in the tower’s rocky surface.
Then she spotted something. “Galen, look.”
High up on the rock tower, close to where it met the surface, were a bank of windows.
Galen cursed. “They’re drakking watching us.”
“Like rats in a maze. The scientist must be up there. Center above.”
“Time for a climb.” Galen stood on top of the wall. Sam followed suit.
The walls were wide enough to allow them to walk on top of them, rather than down in the maze. This way, they could easily see where they needed to go. Once they determined the walls were sturdy and could easily hold them, they picked up the pace and started to jog.
Finally, they reached the end of the wall.
“We need to jump.” Galen pulled their chain closer. “Together.”
She nodded. “On three.”
“One. Two. Three.”
They threw themselves across the gap. Sam landed on the next wall, bending her knees. Galen crouched, gripping the edge.
He shot her a small smile. “No one else I’d prefer to be chained to in the middle of a deadly maze.”
She smiled back. “You say the sweetest things, Imperator Galen.”
They kept running. In one tunnel, they spotted several Zaabha fighters. The group, dressed in ragged clothes, looked up and shouted in surprise.
“Get them!” one man bellowed.
As the fighters tried to climb the wall, Galen and Sam kicked them back.
“Keep moving,” he called out.
Sam jumped over the grasping hands and kept moving behind Galen.
But before too long, the walls narrowed until they were too thin for them to walk on. Dammit, they were so close. She could see the tower only about twenty meters away. Galen nodded at the ground.
They both jumped, landing on the rocky floor.
“This way,” he said.
They ran down one tunnel, but it finished at a dead end. Galen shook his head. They turned and headed back.
“That one,” she said, pointing. The tower rose up above them, taunting them. So close.
They kept jogging and Sam thought about the others, praying they were okay. Suddenly, Galen stopped, and Sam almost collided with him. She looked up, her heart thumping against her ribs.
The base of the tower was right in front of them.
Sam grinned. “Made it.”
Then a ragtag group of fighters appeared, all holding rocks and makeshift weapons.
Sam’s hands curled. Dammit. They all looked malnourished and desperate. She didn’t want to kill them.
Then a woman stepped forward, her long hair tangled around her face. “You came back.”
Sam tilted her head. It was one of the workers from the engine room on Zaabha. She glanced around, seeing other soot-lined faces. “I told you we would.” She looked at Galen. “The imperator always keeps his promises.”
Something moved over Galen’s face. “First, we plan to take care of the Thraxians, then we’re getting you all out of here and back to Kor Magna.”
There were cheers and sobs. The crowd stepped back.
A young man nodded at them. “Good luck.”
Galen looked down at Sam. “Now we climb.”
Galen gripped the rock and pulled himself upward. He grunted and heard the damn chain clank as Sam climbed up beside him.
Whatever it took, he was getting his people back.
But he wasn’t alone.
He turned to look at Sam. His. A warrior who fought at his side, who put her arms around him when he needed it. He had a woman who was strength and softness. A woman who would bend, but never break. The Thraxians had tried to break her, but instead, they’d just strengthened her.
Sam was a woman he could count on and lean on. One who gave him things he never knew he needed.
One of his boots slipped. He bit back a curse and quickly pressed himself against the rock. If he fell, Sam would plummet with him.
“Okay?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He got a firmer foothold and kept moving.
With a smile, she moved past him, climbing like she did it every day.
“You’re enjoying the climb,” he said.
“I used to rock climb on my vacations back on Earth. It’s fun.”
Galen snorted. “I think we can disagree on that.”
“Well, I do prefer a safety harness, as opposed to being chained to my climbing partner—”
Suddenly, a projectile thumped into the rock beside Galen.
He jerked and Sam gasped. A black, metal bolt was lodged into the stone.
Galen looked down and saw several Thraxians at the base of the tower. They were all aiming crossbows at him and Sam.
“Sam, climb faster!”
She nodded and moved upward, her muscles flexing. Galen followed.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Bolts peppered the wall. Grimly, Galen held on and kept climbing. He felt like a drakking target in the training arena.
Another bolt hit close to Sam. She cried out, her hands slipping off the rock.
She fell.
Galen lunged after the chain. He gripped it hard with one hand, clinging to the rock with his other hand and his boots. He gritted his teeth and met her gaze. Her face was white as she hung there.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
“I know.”
Perfect trust in her tone. He pulled her up until she could reach the wall again. She gripped it, pressing flat against it.
“Shit.” She pulled in a breath. “Thanks.”
More projectiles hit the wall.
“Keep going.”
They climbed steadily, and the next round of projectiles hit below their feet.
“We’re out of range,” he said.
“Thank God.” Sam arched her neck. “And we’re almost at the windows. Look.”
He saw the windows not far above them. “Let’s do this.”
He wasn’t leaving his people as enslaved prisoners any longer than necessary. Galen and Sam closed the distance, stopping just below the window.
“How do we break the glass?” she asked. “Sword hilt?”
He hefted the chain. “I have a better idea.”
She smiled and nodded. Together, they swung the chain at the glass.
Crack.
Galen saw the spiderweb crack form. They swung it again.
The window shattered.
“Now!” Galen pushed himself through the window.
Sam followed him in. They both leaped to their feet in time to see several Thraxians running toward them.
Then Sam looked at him and smiled. At the same time, they both reached over their shoulders and pulled their swords.
“For honor and freedom,” Galen said.
“For honor and freedom!” Sam yelled.
Galen swung high and Sam dropped low. She swiped out with her leg, toppling the closest Thraxian. Then she was slicing upward with her sword. Galen tugged on the chain, yanking her up with extra momentum.
Then he turned and slashed his sword at another Thraxian. He swiveled, his blade hitting against another Thraxian’s sword.
Sam leaped into the air, pulling hard on the chain. Galen moved closer to her and watched as she gripped a Thraxian by the arm, bent down, and tossed the alien over her shoulder.
“Sam.” He lifted the chain, and she nodded.
Together, they ran, slamming the chain into two Thraxians. Then Sam jumped up, twisting, and the chain wrapped around the alien
s. They fell in a tumble of arms and legs. Galen followed with his sword, pouring all his burning fury into the fight. Soon, all the Thraxians were down on the ground, dead or groaning in their death throes.
In front of them, cowering by a large bench, was a tall, thin Thraxian, wearing a long, silver robe. The scientist.
And sitting in the center of the bench, resting on the metallic holder, was a white crystal cube.
Chapter Fifteen
Sam advanced on the scientist, and Galen stood behind her.
She glared at the alien. “Remember me?”
The Thraxian took a step back.
“How do we deactivate the implants?” she demanded.
Galen fought back a smile. Drak, she was tough. The Thraxian scientist didn’t respond, and Galen raised his sword.
The alien swallowed, his gaze flickering from Sam’s hard face, to Galen’s sword, then to the crystal on the bench.
“The crystal?” Sam said. “It controls the implants as well as storing data about them?”
The Thraxian gave a reluctant nod, his dark eyes burning. “You’ll never get out of here alive.”
“It ends today,” Galen said. “Right here. No more hurting people. No more imprisoning people. No more suffering.”
Clearly out of patience, Sam lunged. At the last second, the scientist lifted something he had hidden in his robe and fired.
The implant hit Sam in the shoulder. She stumbled back.
Galen leaped forward. “Sam!” He swung his sword, but the scientist dropped to the floor, his projectile weapon clattering to the tiles.
“Please—” The Thraxian stumbled back, lifting his hands to shield himself.
Galen held the sword on the man’s throat. “Did all your victims beg? When you stuck implants in their bodies and experimented on them? Did you grant them mercy?”
A weight hit Galen, tackling him to the ground. He turned and saw Sam on him, pinning him down. Her face was blank, her empty gaze on him.
No. He pressed a hand to her chest, trying to keep her off him and stop her from hurting herself.
The doors to the room whooshed open, and more Thraxians rushed inside.
“Secure him,” the lead Thraxian yelled.
Sam rose and Galen was jerked to his feet.
“Sam?” His gut churned. “Fight it.”
No response. She looked over his shoulder at the wall.
The lead Thraxian stepped in front of him, an orange sash across his chest. “You failed, Imperator Galen.”
Galen just glared at him.
“The great Galen is not so great after all.” The man bared ugly, black teeth. “All your people are now my slaves. I’ll take your House, and everything you value.”
Galen lifted his chin, grinding his teeth together. Inside, the Thraxian’s words tore him up.
The Thraxian stepped closer. “You failed. Just as you failed to save your royal family and your planet.”
The words were a hard blow. They carved out his insides and Galen bowed his head. Everything the Thraxian said was true. He had failed Raiden’s family and his planet. Nothing, no accomplishment, no amount of wealth, would ever change that.
The Thraxian drew a large, jagged knife off his belt. It was a dark black that absorbed the light.
He handed it to Sam. “Kill him, Champion of Zaabha.”
Her fingers closed around the hilt of the knife. It looked huge in her smaller hand. She moved toward Galen, her movements robotic.
He watched her come. His Sam, his woman. The woman he loved.
The emotion stormed through him. He’d realized too late. “I’m so sorry, Sam.”
She pressed the tip of his knife against his gut. He waited for her to shove it deep, his gaze on her face.
Then she winked at him.
Sam fought the compulsion of the implant from taking her over.
She felt like electricity was buzzing through her, making her muscles twitch, but since the implant had hit her, she’d been able to fight off the implant’s control. Her only guess was that the previous implant experiment had given her some sort of immunity. She’d tackled Galen earlier to keep up the ruse.
But as she winked at him, she saw his eye twitch. That was it. Her tough, smart imperator didn’t give anything away.
“You aren’t alone,” she whispered.
“I love you.” His words were near soundless.
Something burst inside her chest. This remarkable man, a man she’d found at her lowest point, loved her. “I love you too.”
Sam moved the knife, spinning it and pressing the hilt into his hand.
“Duck,” he said.
She dropped and saw Galen throw the knife.
It hit the lead Thraxian in the neck. Orange blood sprayed and, with a gurgle, the alien collapsed.
Sam spun and jumped up, hitting the closest Thraxian. As he fell, she grabbed his staff and then, whirling, she attacked.
Beside her, Galen was grappling hand-to-hand with another Thraxian.
Together, still linked by their chain, they worked their way through the aliens, hitting, kicking, spinning. She smiled. They were almost all down. They had this.
Then the doors opened, and more Thraxians and Srinar flooded in. Several were holding large crossbows.
No. Sam stumbled.
Thwap. Thwap. Thwap.
She saw Galen’s body jerk. For a second, she thought they’d hit him with an implant, as well.
But then she saw it was worse. Far worse. A wicked, black bolt was lodged in his shoulder, and another in his gut.
“No!” She leaped forward.
Galen went down on one knee. A Thraxian stepped over him, aiming the crossbow right at him.
Sam threw herself over Galen’s prone body. She’d already lost everyone she loved. She wasn’t losing Galen as well.
She cupped his cheeks, and her heart clenched at the pain etched on his face. And blood. Dios, there was so much blood.
“Sam…move.”
His voice was raspy and lacking its usual commanding strength.
“Never.” She felt tears stream down her cheeks. “Not alone, remember?”
She heard a sound and looked up. The Thraxian towering over her had the crossbow aimed at her.
“You lose.” The Thraxian smirked. “Long live the House of Thrax.”
Sam tightened her hold on Galen and felt him slide an arm around her.
Suddenly, the windows exploded inward. Glass flew everywhere, like a shower of deadly rain.
Sam curled around Galen, and heard the Thraxians and Srinar shouting. When she looked up, she saw several muscled bodies fly through the broken windows.
Men landed inside, all of them crouched. Then they rose.
The man in the lead had a silver arm and implant around his neon-blue eye. Magnus Rone.
Beside him stood a grim-faced, silver-furred Tano, holding a weapon in each of his four hands—House of Zeringei. Next to him was a man wearing a leather harness and a green cloak—House of Loden. Another gladiator flanked Magnus wearing blue, fish-scale armor—House of Man’u. On the other side of him, stood a massive fighter dressed all in black with a skull logo on his shoulder and a face that looked hewn from rock—House of Mortas.
Behind them spread out a line of fierce looking fighters of different species. All of them held weapons—swords, staffs, axes.
The imperators of Kor Magna had arrived.
Galen forced down his pain, watching as the imperators burst into action.
Through the windows behind them, Magnus’ cyborgs climbed inside with powerful flexes of their bodies. They were followed by Rillian’s black-clad soldiers, and several gladiators from the other houses.
Fighting broke out all around them.
“Sam,” he croaked. “The crystal.”
She looked down at him, torn.
“Go. Disable it.”
She nodded. “I don’t think I can reach it. The chain isn’t long enough.”
&nbs
p; Galen summoned all the strength he had left. He’d never let anything stop him, especially when it came to protecting his people. He heaved himself up, feeling the sticky slide of his own blood. Pain exploded through him and he almost blacked out.
“So damn stubborn.” Sam curled an arm around him, and together, they shuffled toward the lab bench.
When she set him back down, Galen collapsed, feeling nauseated.
“I’ll be right back,” she said.
With his vision wavering, he watched her grab the crystal off the stand. Then she spun and faced the Thraxian scientist, cowering behind the bench.
With two long strides, she reached him and yanked him up. “Show me how to deactivate it.”
Heedless of the blood sliding down his body, Galen smiled. Getting on the wrong side of his Earth woman was a bad idea.
His mind urged him to get up, to help her, but he trusted Sam. He trusted his allies. Besides, he wasn’t sure he could get up again.
With shaking hands, the Thraxian showed Sam what to do. Then, while she was occupied, the Thraxian made a run for it.
“Hey!” Sam cried. She lunged for him, but missed grabbing his robe by a whisper.
The scientist sprinted close to the windows, trying to skirt the fighting and reach the door. Suddenly, a spear from one of the Loden gladiators hit the Thraxian. It stabbed through his stomach, and he staggered.
With wide eyes, he stumbled closer to the windows. He hit the edge and tumbled backward and out the window with a scream.
Galen couldn’t summon any pity for the man.
Sam kneeled beside Galen. “The crystal’s powered down.” She pressed it into his hand.
Galen tightened his fingers around it…then he crushed it into shards.
“Galen.” Magnus appeared, his eye glowing neon blue.
“Good to see you, Magnus.” Galen coughed and tasted blood on his lips.
The cyborg nodded, then called out to the others. “Round up the Thraxians and Srinar.”
“And the captives,” Galen said. “Free them, and get the Earth women to help. They have a softer touch…and they understand.”
Magnus nodded again.
Sam pressed a cloth to Galen’s wounds. “You’re losing too much blood.”
He knew that. He felt his strength slipping away. “Whatever happens, take care of the House of Galen and its people.”
