by Ann Raina
“We’re under attack! Back entrance, now!” the first man shouted and ran off, without so much as glancing in Rayenne’s direction.
“We have to find Termain first!” the second blurted out, but followed on the heels of his colleague.
Rayenne put a foot between door and frame. Quickly, she slipped inside. The guards ran down the corridor, their boots too loud to hear anything else.
The next crash on the roof was even louder. The crack of breaking wood followed and men shouting for help.
Ranien stumbled into her, two feet behind the door.
“What—” He stopped and sighed, shaking his head. “Ah, these bastards! I knew they would not pass up the chance!”
Rayenne swallowed her shock. She had no time to waste and got closer to where Sajitar was bound on a rack, his back and behind reddened by a whip.
“How did you know?”
Ranien’s face was furious as he hurried to open the shackles. His hands shook.
“I knew they would be bruisers. That is why she hired them.” He gnashed his teeth, working furiously on the ropes. “I can even imagine her words—tough men to soften others.” He exchanged a glance with Rayenne. “Do not look at me like that. I am the gardener, but that does not mean that I agree with everything that is done here.”
“Sananda orders this to be done,” Rayenne replied grim. “And if you don’t act you’re—”
“No! There are more ways to fight than open confrontation!” Ranien pulled Sajitar’s hands free and helped him up, cursing the chafed wrists. The young man looked at him wearily.
Rayenne hurried to take out the gag.
“Saji? Are you okay?” It was a lame question. She could see his wounds, his tiredness, and how much he hurt, but the words just slipped.
His smile was but a shadow that caused her pain.
“I will be…later. What’s the noise?”
“Somebody’s invading the territory, I’d say. Or is too big to fit through the door.” She pulled one arm around her shoulder. Ranien took the other. “We better be out o’ here.”
Sajitar moaned and bit his lips when the pain intensified.
“They don’t mean us.”
“What did you say?”
Sajitar lifted his head with an effort as they slowly made their way toward the door. “They come…because they know.”
“Who? And what do they know?” Ranien asked. He spied around the corner. Above them, the ceiling strained with the impact of something hard and heavy. Dust and sand slithered between the timbers, dusting floor and people. The ground shook. “We better make this quick or we’ll get smashed.”
“They heard me. Felt…what I felt.”
“He is delirious,” Ranien muttered under his breath and Rayenne just shook her head, too stressed to bother with words.
They hurried to the exit. A frightened guard ran past them, never sparing as much as a glance at them. He slung his gun across his shoulder, his steps getting faster when he saw light through the open door. The door fell back, but would not close, awkward in its frame.
Ranien and Rayenne carried the limping Sajitar toward the garden. Though it was morning by now, the shadows made it look like late afternoon. Rayenne frowned and looked up. Her breath caught in her lungs and her heart skipped a beat.
A flock of the largest Horlyns she had ever seen surrounded Sananda’s territory, poking the shield with their front legs, hammering their heads against the invisible barrier to get through. Bathed in sunlight, their bodies shone in different shades of purple, blinding the eye. Their legs were black and thick as trunks. Anyone who got a glimpse turned tail and ran, screaming, forgetting about defense or how beautiful these aliens were. They were shocked to the bone and fled in mindless fear.
So far the construction hindered the Horlyns from roaming the area. One, then two of them pressed hard enough to shake the invisible wall and cause the rumbling of an earthquake, but the largest part of the flock was still trying to figure out how to get in. All of them hammered at the shield with all their weight, tweeting furiously. Rayenne wanted to cover her ears. The noise was deafening and the air compressed due to the alien attack.
“They don’t know about the exits!” Rayenne shouted over the clamor. She wanted to stay and watch, fascinated by the plain show of brute force, but she feared Sananda would search for her precious former lover. “Run, Ranien, run! Show us the way!”
“They’ll smash us if we get between their legs!”
“No.” Sajitar put his head back and closed his eyes while his legs moved on. “Listen, damn it,” he murmured.
Rayenne looked for a sign that the Horlyns understood, but they acted in frenzy, hammering, poking, and ramming against the invisible fence. Their numbers were swelling. They formed a wall, two rows thick, forcing forward whatever the hindrances. Wherever they hammered, the roofs beneath shook with the impact.
“Is there a way to cut off energy for the shield?” Rayenne cried over the ruckus.
“Only from the inside! Down in the main wing!”
Rayenne freed herself from Sajitar.
“I’ll go and find it. You stay with Saji!”
“No way!” Ranien helped Sajitar to a group of purple bushes that were thick enough to shield his body from splinters and other objects. “Wait here! I’ll help your lady.”
“It’s too risky,” Sajitar replied, but Rayenne had already turned and Ranien followed her back to the palace. Guards and servants, some in clothes, some not, fled the building, terrified. Some fell on the ground while some ran around like ants missing a scent to lead them. The guards fired at the Horlyns without understanding that if the Horlyns could not get in, bullets would not get out. Somewhere the missiles ricocheted back down, hitting innocent girls who ran screaming for cover.
Rayenne expected to see Sananda on the way in, but she only collided with servants and other workers streaming out of the building. The terror on their faces was always the same—a glimpse at the attackers was enough to make them scream and fear for their lives.
Ranien manhandled a guard who blocked the way. Out of the corner of her eyes Rayenne saw the guard grunt and fall, and the weapon suddenly appeared in Ranien’s hands. She had no time to marvel at his abilities, but pushed on, evading escapees and reaching for the door to press through. Dust was thick in the air. Again, the ground shook, forcing her to regain her balance.
“Which way?” she shouted over the clamor.
“Right!” Ranien elbowed his way through the people and overtook Rayenne at the next crossroad. A quick second of orientation later, he was running flat to the center of the building to ram the butt of the gun against the thick wood. The door flung open and he was inside. “You know if we cut the energy, the Horlyns will trample the buildings flat like pancakes!”
“They’ll break the shield sooner or later. Maybe—”
A club hit her shoulder and she cried out.
“You bitch!” Sananda screamed at top of her lungs. “You miserable, lying bitch!”
Rayenne brought up her left arm to deflect the second blow, turned her hand to take the club from the other woman’s hands and was up on her feet again. Sananda’s face was a mask of fury. All reason had fled her. The club hit ground, but she was on Rayenne already, groping for her face.
“You’ll pay for this, police slut!”
Rayenne swung backwards, evading Sananda, then pulling the woman by her right arm, using the velocity of her own momentum to fling her against the door. Sananda hit her face hard enough to stumble. Rayenne ended her misery with a knock-out blow against her temple.
“Did you find what we need?”
Ranien lifted his arms, looking around helplessly.
“I don’t have the slightest idea! I’m a gardener, not a scientist!”
“Great!” Rayenne made sure Sananda would not fall into her back when she turned before she surveyed the display.
Outside, the hammering of the Horlyns turned frantic like a heartbeat getting erratic. T
he last throng of guards ran through the corridor, never even looking through the collapsed door.
“Where does the energy come from?”
“She said that it flows directly from the soil.”
“An underground source. Clever. But she has to transport it up here somehow.” She checked around the room until she found a bundle of cables leading to the main board. “Got a knife?”
Ranien produced one, and Rayenne did not even shake her head wondering how he had gotten a knife in the fight.
“Thank you.”
“Beware that every kind of energy heals and hurts.”
“No time for lecturing.” She took a deep breath and cut through the cable with one hard stroke. She expected a flow directly into her arm, but aside from a prickle and numbness in her fingers she remained unhurt. “Did it work?”
Ranien inclined his head, brows furrowed.
“There are fewer lights up here and—wait a moment. The lights are out. Well, I think, you did it.”
Rayenne clambered from under the board, handed back the knife and was about to urge Ranien to leave when the roof caved in. She ducked instinctively.
“Out! Now!” She pushed Ranien through the doorframe and both fell flat on the ground. Behind them, the room was filled with thick dust and large splinters. She coughed. “Hurry!” She helped him up and together they hastened back to one of the exits.
Roofs collapsed around them and the angry tweeting of the Horlyns intensified with every hard stroke. Now that they had broken through, nothing was there to hold them at bay. With strength that could cut trees if they wished, the Horlyns forked through roofs and walls and destroyed whatever got in their way. They were giants invading the territory of dwarves.
Rayenne did not look back, but kept her eyes fixed on the door ahead, and when she pushed through Ranien followed on her heels. Both looked at the sky. The Horlyns had spread through the estate, inspecting the rooms from the outside, pushing aside broken timber and searching for people still inside. Rayenne turned right to find Sajitar standing beside the bushes, hands on his hips, as he watched the orgy of destruction. The female Horlyn, the surgeon, as Sajitar called her, stood beside him, gently poking his face and chest with its antennae. The softer sounds indicated that she wanted to know about his state of health.
Rayenne embraced him, almost bringing him down, too relieved for words.
“Looks like you’re glad to see me,” he whispered in her ear and held her fast.
She nodded, close to tears.
“You’re safe, that’s all I ask for.” She looked over her shoulder. “And your alien friend seemed to be happy, too.”
“She got the memo in time.”
“You’re—”
“I know.” He kissed her tenderly while the Horlyn’s inspection stretched to Rayenne, but she did not feel the antennae on her back and head. She closed her eyes and let emotion carry her.
“Ray!” Ranien tapped her shoulder. “Ray, look! There’s someone shouting for you!”
“For me?” Rayenne was unwilling to let Sajitar go, afraid some wild shooter would take aim. Amid the breaking buildings and the free roaming Horlyns there was still a chance that a stray bullet would get him. “Who is it?”
“I can’t say, but they’re shouting for you. Over there!”
Rayenne turned and did not believe her eyes. With Horlyns left and right and people fleeing the scene as far as they could, two men limped in her direction, smiling and waving.
“Dad? Rodandolin? How did you get here? Are you all right?” She ran before knowing that her legs moved and cried amid laughing when she embraced them. “How is this possible? I thought you’d be left in the city.”
“Not for long.” Her father held her fast, kissing her hair and stroking her back. He looked haggard, with deep lines he had not had before, but his smile washed them away. His clothes were torn and she glimpsed cuts and bruises beneath. “They took us here and said we’d be dead if you didn’t come. But you’re here! I can’t say how glad I am to have found you.”
“I’m happy, too,” Rodandolin said and claimed her from her father’s arm. “Hey, little sister, found an adventure? Something to shout about?” He held her tight against his broad chest. “Doesn’t matter. It’s so good to have you back. There’s so much to tell.”
“Let’s start with these young men over there,” Ray’s father said. “Who are they?”
“Yes, and who is the one who looks like a Horlyn tamer? I really need a word with him about these beasts. My, they made a show! Looks like they won’t leave one plank on the other!”
Rayenne beamed with happiness as she took her father and brother to introduce Sajitar and Ranien.
“Free at last,” she said. “I’m sorry to have disappointed you, Saji, but I had no choice. I couldn’t risk their lives if there was a chance to save you all.”
“And you did.” Sajitar kissed her. “Only forgiven if you keep me out of jail.”
“Promise.” She laughed. “I doubt that Sananda is still alive. And without her, the gang will vanish.”
“Wow, that’s more than just one good story,” Rodandolin exclaimed. “I guess I need some Kaniza to go with it. Now, would you mind leaving this place of destruction?”
Rayenne looked up to Sajitar to find him absorbed in some unspoken dialogue with the Horlyn that appeared to be trying to understand the reunion scene.
“Hey, are you okay? What’s she telling you?”
“They won’t harm the people. They’ll leave soon. And I told them that we are grateful they showed up.”
“Yeah, we are.” Rayenne felt the stupid urge to go and stroke the Horlyn’s antenna, but held tight to Sajitar’s arm instead. “Shall we fetch our B-horses?”
“Oh, yes, I can’t wait to see the big city.”
“Liar.”
Chapter Fifteen
It was easier to convince the judge that the case against Sananda Wang could be finished without Sajitar Haju than to find a way for Ranien to meet his brother. The Horlyns had already left the open range for the woods once more, and not even Sajitar had been able to convince them to take Ranien along.
“I will travel by B-horse then,” Ranien announced, and patted the neck of the mare he had bought the day before. “It will take time, but, hey, I have all the time in the world. And with your description I might even make it in less than two moon phases.”
Rayenne linked arms with him and pulled him away from Sajitar and her father.
“Tell me, Ranien, where did you learn to fight?”
“I didn’t fight.”
“What would you call battling guards and disarming them to shoot more precisely than they did?”
“I defended you.”
“Thank you. In earnest, how do you know so much more than gardening?”
Ranien patted her hand and looked at the B-horse that walked beside them.
“I have not always been a gardener.”
“You were…what? A shooter? A hired gun?”
He laughed.
“No, nothing like that.” He took a deep breath, eyeing her. “You won’t let me go without an explanation, right?”
“Right.”
“I learn by watching. I can adopt many moves and imitate what people do. I observed the police forces in training in Belson Park.”
“You shoot pretty damn well for someone who just watched. Much better than Sananda’s guards.”
“For our luck, yes.” He stared at the ground before he asked, “Will you come with Sajitar to visit Thannis and me?”
“Don’t ask if we want to stay in the village. I’m not sure anymore what I want. Maybe Sajitar and I will travel to some other worlds before we decide where to live. I haven’t asked him yet what he wants.”
“Now that he’s free he’ll go with you everywhere.”
“How do you know?”
“I am a man, Rayenne, I know how men think. And by the way he looks at you, you could tell him to live on a
rural moon and he would follow.”
“I expected him to have more brain cells than just the few to fall into the hands of a woman.”
Ranien shrugged.
“Life is a constant embrace if you have the right partner.” He looked back over his shoulder to where Rodandolin laughed about a joke Sajitar had made. “He is where he wants to be. Just love him and he will be the happiest man around.”
“It sounds easy the way you say it.”
“Oh.” Ranien chortled. “What you make out of this lies on a different bed of flowers.”
“We might visit you on our union vacation.”
Ranien nodded emphatically.
“Sounds good. The Horlyns might form an honor guard for you two.”
Rayenne laughed out loud, imagining the scene.
“Maybe the idea of living in a village is not that bad.”
About the Author
Ann Raina lives in Germany with family and cats. Writing, reading and riding are her favorite hobbies. She has published six books with eXtasy Books and two Science Fiction novels in German. If you want to contact her, send an email to [email protected]
