Shards hit above and below them. Their cloaks protected them from the few that entered the shelter, hit the back wall and shattered and fell to the ground.
Soren threw shard after shard until his gloves were coated with blood from the many nicks on his fingers. He ripped the gloves off and dropped them. "Skye," he thought, holding up his hands. "Gloves."
Skye began to move in his direction.
"No, stay there. I need gloves and krystal now."
She waved her hands then hurried to one of the warriors who'd been wounded.
Soren watched her drop to her knees beside the wounded warrior and place her hands on his neck before he returned to the battle. Shard after shard appeared in his hands as the fight wore on. The intensity and war cries of the enemy increased when they realized how dire their situation was but Soren's group gave no mercy.
Finally after a unit of battle the last enemy fell.
Soren looked to his left and saw Raina sitting on the floor, rocking one of her babies. To his right Skye healed another warrior.
Berit caught his eye, nodded then turned away. The warrior next to him, patted his shoulder so hard Soren slid forward a few centimeters. He grunted and turned to face the warrior.
"Pelyn," the huge warrior said.
Soren looked him over and nodded. "Soren." He took Pelyn's forearm in a warrior's greeting. He released him then looked at the battlefield. "Where are the conjurers? I didn't see them."
Pelyn snorted. "They would have kept them back, behind the boulders."
"Is there any way we can reach them?" Soren asked.
Pelyn looked thoughtful. "I don't know but I'm willing to go with you to find out."
"Skye, can you sense the conjurers still?" Soren thought.
"Yes, but just barely. I think they're moving away," she answered.
"My mate says they're still near." Soren sent a message to Skye to make the shelter wider and open the end. She did and he pushed passed the other warriors and began climbing down.
Pelyn and two large warriors followed. When they reached the ground Pelyn introduced them. "These are my brothers, Kelyn and Delyn. We're related to Skye. We fight with you from now on."
"Won't that upset Berit, or Jerret?" Soren asked.
"No, you're a dark krystal warrior." He indicated himself and his brothers. "We are strong. We fight with the strongest warrior. Always."
Soren grinned. "I'll make sure I remain the strongest." He led the way toward the cave. "Skye," he thought, "let me into the cave."
Chapter Eight
The opening appeared and he hurried to the ship. They boarded and the door was closing when Skye slipped through it.
"Out." He pushed the door open and waited for her to exit.
"No. If they're injured they'll need a healer," she said.
Soren towered over her, glaring, in an attempt to intimidate her. She snorted, patted his chest and slipped by him. "Nice try but I'm still going."
Soren looked at the brothers. "You might want to rethink your decision."
They laughed and slapped him on the back as they passed him.
"Krystali females are hard to deal with but we have faith in you," Pelyn said.
Soren grinned then moved to the pilot's seat, fired up the engines, flew out of the cave then straight up the cliff face to the top. He leveled out and made a wide arc around the battlefield, getting ahead of the retreating warriors.
"As soon as we locate them we'll decide on a plan," Soren said. "Skye, can you still sense them?"
"Yes. They're close." She tapped his shoulder and handed him a communicator. "We all have communicators now."
"Good," Soren said.
"I've got them," Pelyn said. "Ten warriors and two females in a group with two warriors taking point about a hundred meters apart."
"Skye, can you create shelters around the females from here?" Soren asked.
"No, the technology blocks my powers. Even if I was on the ground I'd have to be close and they'd have to be out in the open so I could encase them in dark krystal."
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, then said, "Never mind. We'll talk later." He turned to Pelyn. "Plot a route through the boulders to their location."
"Okay," Pelyn said. "Got it."
Soren acknowledged him and landed the ship on the top of a plateau. "Here's the plan. We let the two point warriors pass by us. We find the conjurers and Skye protects them. We kill the warriors and return to the ship with the conjurers. Any questions?"
The three brothers shook their heads and Skye smiled.
"Kelyn, you're on point. I'll follow with Skye behind me and Pelyn behind her. Delyn, you've got our backs. Let's go."
They left the ship and Skye made them a way down to the ground. Once they'd descended Kelyn began leading them through the maze of boulders. After several micro-units he signaled them to take cover.
Skye produced a shelter around them and they waited. A few nano-units later a warrior appeared, paused for a moment, then crossed the clearing.
"We'll wait for the other one to pass," Soren said. "We'll have to watch for them on the way back."
"If they're unlucky we'll catch up to them," Kelyn said.
"I like the way you think." Soren wrapped his arms around Skye and pulled her back to rest against his chest. He pushed her braid aside and nibbled on the back of her neck. She shivered and he tightened his arms around her before he moved his mouth to her shoulder and nipped it. She shivered again and he linked his mind with hers.
"I need to be deep inside you while you beg me to let you come." He licked her ear lobe.
"Don't start something you can't finish," she thought.
"Oh, I'll finish later what I'm starting now. Fighting always makes me want to fuck."
"So that's what the stirred up feeling after a battle is." She wiggled in his arms then froze as an image of him with another female flashed through his mind.
As soon as he realized what he'd done Soren blocked his thoughts and tried to distract her by running his hands over her breasts. She shoved his hands away, spun around, slammed her hands against his chest and shoved. He held his ground, grabbed her waist and lifted her until their eyes were even.
"The past is over and has nothing to do with you or our future," he gritted out.
"Who is she? Is she why you don't love me? Are you going back to her?" She tried to peel his hands off her waist. "Let me go."
He dropped her to her feet, shoved his fingers into her hair and slammed his mouth down over hers, kissing her with passion. "You are my mate," he thought. "Mine."
Skye held back for a moment before she returned his kiss.
At first he was relieved that she let it go until he sensed her fear of losing him. He softened the kiss, picked her up and cradled her in his arms. "Little heart, don't ever fear that I'll leave you." He slowly ended the kiss then raised his head and looked into her beautiful teal eyes and smiled.
She stroked her hand down his cheek but before she could say anything Pelyn drew their attention to him.
"There goes the second scout."
Soren acknowledged him then hugged Skye and set her down behind him. "Let's go."
Skye dealt with the shelter and Kelyn moved out of sight, scouting for the enemies location and any guards they'd posted. Soren waited for several micro-units then followed him with Skye and the others behind him.
They walked for fifteen micro-units before Kelyn contacted them. "I have one guard in a group of boulders. You can get by him if you stay in the shadows to your right. I'm leaving a marker so you'll know when you reach him. I'm moving forward."
Soren acknowledged him and they continued toward the enemy's location. When they reached the marker Kelyn was the first to locate the guard and point him out. "I'll stay behind and take care of him then catch up to you."
Soren nodded and he, Skye and Delyn proceeded.
"I'm close to the area where we last saw them. I didn't find another guard. I'm going to w
ait in this location until Skye can locate the shelter."
"We're on our way." Soren signaled to the others to proceed. They moved forward until Pelyn signaled him and they slipped into the shadows around him.
Skye concentrated for several micro-units. "They're near but I need to move forward so I can see their shelter." She held up a hand to stop Soren when he began to veto the idea. "This is what I do."
"I'll go first," he said.
"No, I go first." Before he could stop her Skye shed her cloak, slid by him, dropped to her belly and disappeared around the edge of the boulder.
"Get your ass back here," Soren thought.
"I told you I'm a warrior," Skye shot back. "You're going to have to trust me."
"I'm going to beat your bottom."
"Stop distracting me." Skye almost smiled when Soren immediately shut up and began following her. She waited a moment, scanned the area around her then moved forward. At the end of the boulders she looked around the edge and after several micro-units she spotted the shelter. "It's the large boulder in the center of a group of three at the far edge of the clearing."
Soren moved up beside her and Skye sent him an image of the shelter. He let her know he'd located it then scooted back, grabbed her boot and pulled her back with him until they reached the others. Soren drew a diagram in the dirt showing the three brothers where the shelter was located. "Here's the plan. We act like we're just passing through. The leader will do one of two things. He'll have the walls dropped and ambush us or he'll let us pass and come after us."
"Yes," Skye said. "Either way we're prepared. Kelyn and Delyn you go first, I'll be behind you with Soren and Pelyn behind me. If he drops the walls I'll encase the females to protect them and you take out the warriors.
"No, you are not going to be out in the open," Soren said.
"It's the only way this will work," Skye said. "Besides we've done this in the past and succeeded."
"No," Soren pointed to Kelyn and Delyn. "Conceal yourselves on top of the boulders. Be prepared to throw krystal when I give the signal. I'll go out first with Skye behind me and to my right. Pelyn you follow us." He looked at Skye. "If they drop the walls encase the conjurers then stay behind me. If they choose to follow us then Kelyn and Delyn will follow them and attack as soon as they begin to ambush us."
The three brothers grinned and nodded. Skye refused to accept the plan.
Soren frowned. "This is the only compromise I'm willing to offer. Take it or leave it."
She thought for a moment. "Very well. I accept." She indicated for them to hold out their hands. When they did she filled them with white krystal, including Soren's. "When the battle begins I'll change yours to dark krystal."
They waited until the two brothers were in place then Soren put Skye behind him and crept out to the edge of the opening, looked out, making sure the enemy had time to spot him and crept out into the open. Skye followed him with Pelyn close behind her.
They'd made it halfway across when the walls of the shelter disappeared and the first shard of white krystal was thrown at them. It hit Soren and he grabbed his side and bent over, acting as if he was injured to give Skye time to protect the conjurers.
Skye acted quickly and managed to build a dark krystal wall around one of the conjurers. Before she could protect the second female one of the enemy warriors grabbed her and used her as a shield.
Soren and the three brothers fought the other warriors and one by one the enemy was taken out until only the warrior and the conjurer were left.
The warrior held a shard of krystal against the females neck. "Stay back or I'll kill her," he said.
Soren moved a step closer. "Release her and I'll let you live."
The warrior tightened his hold on the female. "Move aside or she dies." He shoved the krystal closer to her neck, drawing a drop of blood. She cried out and tried to lift her hand to cover the wound but he stopped her.
"If you kill her I'll kill you," Soren said.
"You're going to kill me anyway," the warrior said.
Soren took a step closer and Skye shadowed him. "I swear on my warrior's honor that I will not kill you."
The enemy snorted. "Honor does not exist on Krystali." He pressed the krystal in deeper, cutting the female's skin and bringing forth a trickle of blood.
Skye moved to Soren's side even though he tried to hold her back. As soon as the enemy saw her, he released the conjurer and threw the krystal shard at her. The conjurer dropped to the ground and Skye encased her in dark krystal.
"Skye!" Soren yelled and raced toward her, hoping he'd be in time to save her. He launched his body at her, knocking her aside just in time to protect her. She fell to the ground but the shard hit his unprotected hand, slicing a deep cut across the back of his fingers.
Cursing he turned back to the warrior and threw his last shard of dark kyrstal. It hit the warrior on the side of the neck and he fell. Before he hit the ground Skye released the two conjurers and the three brothers hurried to them.
Soren turned to Skye with blood dripping from his hand and forming a small pool on the ground by his boot. She jumped to her feet, hurried to him and grabbed his hand.
He jerked it away, wrapped his other hand around her nape and lifted her until she was on her tiptoes and they were nose to nose. "Don't ever put yourself in danger like that again. Ever!"
He told himself to stop shouting but couldn't make himself do it. Seeing her standing so calmly, and knowing he might not reach her in time, had sent a wave of gut-wrenching terror through him for the first time in his life. He dropped his forehead to hers and squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to block out the image.
She patted his chest. "It's okay. I knew he'd throw the krystal at me and I'd have time to protect myself. You didn’t need to shove me out of the way."
Her words, meant to comfort, instead sent him over the edge. He grabbed her, twisted her to his side, braced her over his hip and got one swat in before she jerked herself out of his arms.
She backed away from him. "You don't get to punish me for doing my job."
You didn't have to move into the clear to save her. You should have stayed behind me and let me handle it."
"Your way would have taken longer. My way was faster."
"I am in charge of your safety. I told you the punishment for doing this and you agreed to it." Soren walked toward her and ran into a krystal wall. "You put a wall between us?" He ran his hand over it, leaving behind a bloody smear. "Take it down. Now."
"Only when you calm down," Skye said.
"I am calm."
"Then why do you want to hurt me?"
"I don’t want to hurt you. I want to discipline you. There's a difference. A warrior disciplines the female he loves when she endangers herself."
"You love me?"
He stared at her for a moment longer and accepted it was too late to stop himself from loving her. "Yes. I love you."
A nano-unit later she was in his arms. "Oh, Soren." She planted kisses over his face and neck. "I love you so much." She hugged him and laughed until she saw his frown.
He lowered her to her feet. "You will be punished for breaking two rules."
"I want to renegotiate the punishment," Skye said then hurriedly added, "And remember we're partners and we're supposed to compromise."
"Your ways are strange to me. I'll accept them only until my memory returns and then we'll renegotiate every decision. Do you understand and agree?"
"Yes."
"Then you may think of another method."
"Okay, and while I'm at it I'll decide on a punishment for when you risk your life."
"What?" Soren asked, astonished. "Warriors fight and risk their lives. We are not punished for it."
"My point exactly but you refuse to accept that I am a warrior as well. So, if I'm going to be punished then so are you."
Soren pulled her close to him. "You are not being punished for being a warrior, little heart. You are being punished for taki
ng an unnecessary risk."
"You take risks all the time," she said.
"Necessary risks." He forced her to look at him. "I throw the kyrstal. You provide it. You have to trust me to lead you just as I have to trust you to protect me."
"When you put it that way it sounds like we're equal but we just have different duties."
Soren nodded. "Important duties if we are to survive." He hugged her then released her. "Now we will check on the females then begin the journey back to the ship."
"Let me heal you first." Skye took his wounded hand and held it between hers. A moment later she released him. "Better?"
He kissed her then patted her bottom. "Go." He watched her walk away then followed her.
Chapter Nine
Skye knelt down next to the two females and began checking them.
Soren watched her until Pelyn moved to stand next to him.
"I sent my brothers to guard us."
Soren settled into a warrior's stance, feet apart, arms crossed over his chest. He nodded toward the females. "What do we know about them?"
"They're sisters. They were abducted from their village and mated against their will."
"Were these males their abductors?" Soren asked.
"Yes. Now that they're dead the females are free but they're weak. We'll have to carry them to the ship."
"No. Skye will build a protective shelter and your brothers will stay with her and the females while you and I go get the ship and bring it here."
"No," Skye said as she stood. "I go with you. Always."
"You need to rest," Soren said. "Pelyn and I can make the journey and be back in less than thirty micro-units."
"What happens if you run into an enemy?" she asked. "How will you defend yourself without me to provide krystal for you?"
Pelyn joined the conversation. "The two scouts we let go by us are still out there. If they're close enough they'll still have kyrstal to throw."
Soren's Bondmate Page 9
