by Hope Hart
“I’m sorry,” Zarix says softly. “You are a strong, resilient female.”
I smile. Despite Zarix’s gruff exterior, he somehow knows exactly what I need to hear.
“Thanks,” I say.
“What of your family?”
“I’m an only child. Which was lucky ’cause ballet is expensive, and I can’t imagine that my parents could have afforded it if they’d had any more kids.”
I move up Zarix’s body, burying my face in his neck as I swallow around the lump in my throat.
“My parents were hit by a drunk driver a few years ago. I wonder if I’d known then what I know now—that everything I worked for would disappear—if I would’ve stayed home. I could’ve spent more time with them, time that I’ll never get to have now that they’re gone.”
Zarix is silent, running his hand up and down my back. Before I know it, I’m bawling, sniffling as quietly as I can while he pulls me close, letting me wet his neck with my tears.
I feel strangely…empty. Am I going through the stages of grief? Is the low-level depression that has been plaguing me just my brain’s way of attempting to accept the inevitable?
I push that thought away.
“What about your parents?” I ask.
“My mother died when I was a child. She was attacked by a wild animal, and the healers were unable to fix the damage. My father…left.”
“What do you mean, he left?”
Zarix’s chest lifts my head slightly as he shrugs. “One day I woke up, and he was gone. He left the tribe. I was raised by my mother’s sister.”
“I’m so sorry, Zarix.”
He strokes my hair again, one of his fingers brushing my ear, and I shiver. He pauses as if noting my reaction and runs his finger along the same spot.
My thighs clench, and I raise my head, meeting his wicked gaze.
“I’m hungry,” Javir announces, sitting up across the clearing. Zarix adjusts our clothes under the blanket, a look of such disappointment on his face that I can’t help but laugh.
“Later,” I promise him, shivering as I roll out of our warm nest, reach for my crutches, and get to my feet.
Beth
“It’s…gone,” I murmur.
We’ve been traveling for hours, and now Javir’s howl echoes through the forest as he jumps off the mishua.
We all stare at the empty spot where his home used to be.
There’s nothing left.
“Voildi,” Zarix growls behind me, shaking with tension. “I can still smell them.”
He jumps down and helps me off Rexi, handing me my crutches.
Javir falls to his knees. “Mother?”
His voice is small, and I swallow around the lump in my throat.
“Why would they do this?” I ask.
Zarix stares at the black wreckage of Sonis’s and Javir’s lives, his gaze hard. “It was known that Javir and his mother were under Braxian protection. Under my protection. This is a message.”
“Do you think…” I don’t finish the sentence as Javir makes a tiny, broken sound. The other warriors dismount, growls leaving their throats as they take in the sight.
“I don’t know,” Zarix says softly. “If they took his mother, they would have left some sign.”
I swallow down bile. “Some sign” like her head. Arguably, burning her house to the ground was a sign, but what do I know?
Javir gets to his feet and, without looking at any of us, runs into the forest.
“Shit,” I mutter.
Zarix moves to go after him, and I grab his elbow.
“Let me.” He hesitates, and I sigh. “He worships you, Zarix. He won’t want you to see him fall apart.”
Zarix stares after Javir for a moment and then finally nods. I slowly make my way after Javir, giving him a few minutes alone.
I find him slumped on the ground, curled against a tree. Tears roll down his face as he stares into the forest, and I drop my crutches and sit down next to him.
I forget sometimes that Javir is just a kid. And right now, he’s a kid who wants his mother.
I still want mine, and I’m twenty-seven.
I wrap my arm around him, and he turns, burying his face in my chest as a sob rips from his body.
“It’s going to be okay,” I whisper, stroking his dark hair off his blue face. I rock him, letting him cry it out, and we spend long minutes on the forest floor, resting against a bone-white tree.
Finally he pulls away from me, his gaze blank. “I’m going to kill them all,” he says.
“Javir, listen to me. I said listen.” I shake his shoulders until he focuses on my face. “We don’t know what happened to her. Does your mom ever leave the house? Maybe she went for a walk. She could have met a friend. Don’t have her dead and buried when she could be out there, just as worried about you.”
He sniffs, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “If they killed her, it’s all my fault,” he bites out. “I shouldn’t have left.”
Zarix’s deep voice sounds, and I turn my head.
“If you’d stayed, you might have been in the hut,” he says. Zarix crouches next to us, his gaze intent. “I’ll help you find out what happened,” he says, and Javir nods, wiping the last of the tears from his face.
He clears his throat, obviously embarrassed, and gets to his feet. “And then we’ll make them pay.”
Zarix nods, standing and helping me up. “I promise. We’ll make them pay.”
Javir’s expression is still crestfallen, and Zarix pulls him into a fierce hug. My heart melts at the sight, and I wipe tears off my cheeks before picking up my crutches.
Zarix pulls away and wipes a tear off Javir’s face. Javir’s cheeks turn a darker shade of blue, and Zarix frowns.
“It’s okay to cry,” he says. “Now let’s go.”
We’re a solemn group as we get back on our mishua. The other warriors are quiet over the next few hours until Zarix tenses behind me.
“Voildi,” he says in a low hiss, glancing at Tazo. Zarix nods and jumps off the mishua, glancing at me.
“Stay here.”
I nod, and Tazo gestures to Perik, who dismounts, moving with Zarix.
A branch snaps under Perik’s foot, and he grimaces as Zarix turns his head, sending him an icy look.
We’re all tense, and Javir looks at me wide-eyed as we wait for them to return.
Moments later, my mouth drops open as Zarix appears, his huge arm positioned tightly around the neck of a struggling Voildi. The Voildi’s light-yellow skin has darkened in his face as he fights for air, and Javir’s eyes light with savage pleasure as Zarix drags the Voildi close to us.
The other warriors jump off their mishua and make quick work of gagging the Voildi and tying him to Perik’s mishua. Then Zarix pulls himself up onto our mishua, wrapping his arm around my middle and holding tight as he gestures to the others, and we move.
We don’t waste time.
I open my mouth, still stunned as Rexi picks up the pace.
“What—”
“Shh,” Zarix murmurs in my ear. “By now, the Voildi will know that one of their own has been taken. We must move quickly.”
I nod, and we ride for what seems like hours until Zarix and the others are sure that we’re not being followed. Then we find a small clearing and dismount, and I watch as Tazo pulls the Voildi off the mishua, letting him fall to the ground.
Then they take off his gag. Zarix pulls a knife, holding it in front of the Voildi’s face.
“Go ahead and scream,” he says, holding the knife up until the sun glints off the sharp blade.
The Voildi thins his lips but says nothing, and Perik looks away as if he can’t bear to watch.
I frown, but my attention is drawn straight back to the Voildi as Zarix begins questioning him.
“Who burned the hut?”
“Which hut?”
Zarix runs his knife along the Voildi’s yellow neck, and my stomach clenches as blood appears.
&
nbsp; “Killis’s pack,” the Voildi says. “He said it was retaliation from when you wiped out Gito’s pack.”
Javir steps forward. “That pack killed my father.”
Zarix frowns over his shoulder at Javir, but the Voildi seems to get more nervous as he stares at Javir even as his lips thin.
“Where’s my mother?” Javir demands, and Zarix sighs but hits the Voildi in the face when he stays silent.
“Answer him.”
“I don’t know. The Krinir wasn’t there,” the Voildi spits out, and Javir turns away, his face falling slack with relief.
Zarix told me that Javir’s race are called the Krinir, which means Javir’s mom is safe.
“Females,” Zarix says, gesturing toward me. “Like her. Where are they?”
The Voildi says nothing, and I have to turn away as Zarix cuts him again. The Voildi’s scream is quickly cut off.
I turn back, attempting to ignore the blood dripping down the Voildi’s face.
“Malufic,” he chokes out when Zarix removes his hand. “They’re in Malufic while Killis finds buyers for them.”
I grit my teeth so hard I worry that they might crack, and any sympathy I have for the bruised and bleeding Voildi disappears in a rush.
The Voildi are a blight on this planet. They kidnap women and sell them. They burn people’s homes to the ground. They’re planning to attack Braxian tribes.
Oh, and they eat people.
“Tell me everything about the attack on Tecar’s tribe,” Zarix says, and the Voildi is silent.
Tazo lets out a low laugh. “That’s right,” he says. “We know all about your plans. Tell us what we want to know, and we’ll let you go.”
Zarix glances at me, gesturing toward Javir with his head. I shake mine, and he narrows his eyes at me, sending me a pissy look.
I sigh. He obviously doesn’t want me around for this, and truthfully, my stomach is probably too weak for it anyway. I move to Javir, who glares at me, his face pale, but finally follows me to the opposite side of the clearing as the Braxians’ voices drop to low murmurs.
It only takes a few more minutes, and then Javir tenses, vibrating with fury beside me.
“What?” Javir’s voice cracks with outrage.
I turn, and we both watch as Zarix prowls toward us.
“You’re letting him go?” Javir growls, indignant, and my mouth drops open as Perik cuts the rope around the Voildi’s ankles and wrists. The Voildi doesn’t hesitate, his face and neck bright with blood as he hauls ass out of the clearing.
“Why would you do that?” I ask, and Zarix keeps his eyes on Javir.
“Voildi are nothing without their pack,” he says softly. “They are unable to hunt alone.”
I consider this. Voildi sound similar to the way hyenas are depicted on Earth—as brutal scavengers who will eat anything and hunt together until their prey is worn out.
Javir is still glowering at Zarix, who sighs, turning to scan the clearing.
“The Voildi will know he has been captured and tortured. Since they are cowards, they’ll also know he told us valuable information. If he returns to his pack, they will kill him.”
Javir thinks for a moment and then finally nods, and I get it. Zarix has given the Voildi a fate worse than death.
“I’ll ride with Tazo,” Javir says, walking away.
Zarix turns to me, his expression blank, and gestures toward the mishua. “Let’s go.”
I follow him, but he barely looks at me as he helps me mount.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
He’s silent for a long moment as we continue on our journey.
Finally he speaks, leaning close as he murmurs in my ear. “The Voildi revealed that a Braxian tribe has agreed to work with them to attack Tecar’s tribe.”
My mouth drops open. “No way.”
I feel him nod and turn my head, almost flinching at the rage on his face. For Braxians to betray their people this way…
I frown. “Why would they do it?”
A muscle jumps in his jaw, and he focuses on the back of Javir’s head as the mishua in front of us flicks out her back leg, discouraging Rexi from getting too close.
Rexi snorts and lowers her head, her horns gleaming in the sun.
Zarix lets out one low growl, and the mishua go back to ignoring each other.
“Because their territory has decreased in size,” he bites out finally. “Lafa, their king, has more ego than competence and has allowed his warriors to become soft. Now they hope to capitalize on Tecar’s loss, splitting his territory with the Voildi.”
I grimace. Wow. These warriors have a strong code of honor, and from the grim silence of our group, it’s clear that the Braxians are going to make Lafa hurt real bad before they kill him.
Chapter Twelve
Zarix
“Put down your weapons,” I growl, jumping off the mishua. “We come with news for Tecar. It’s urgent.”
It’s easy to see why this tribe will be the first targeted by the Voildi. And if Lafa truly believes that the Voildi will share this territory with him, he’s stupider than I had imagined.
His tribe would be next. And the Voildi would continue to join together, waging war across this planet.
We were practically at the camp gates before the sentries surrounded us. If we were the Voildi attacking this tribe, we would already have the upper hand.
“State your business.” This Braxian is grizzled, but he carries no extra weight around his middle, and his gaze is clear and direct as he finally releases his hold on his sword.
Beth lets out a shaky breath behind me, and I attempt to push down the rage at the threat to my female.
My female?
I push the thought away and wait while the sentries decide whether to allow us entry. Tazo glances at me, and I shake my head. While I have little doubt that the four of us could take down these sentries, it would simply guarantee that Tecar would see us as a threat.
Plus, there is a chance that Beth or Javir could be injured.
Instead, I reach for patience and wait while one of the sentries moves back toward camp to notify Tecar of our visit.
It is the king himself who meets us at the camp entrance, a fact that has his guards tense and ready.
“If you are from Dexar’s tribe, then you know better than to arrive with no warning,” he says, his gaze scanning me before resting on Beth for a long moment.
“I apologize,” I say formally. “But this is a matter of grave importance.”
Tecar is no longer the young male I remember from my own youth. Now he has grown into his role, and his expression is carefully guarded as he finally nods and waves a hand at his guards. “Let them in.”
I pull myself back onto the mishua, ignoring the sharp pain as the movement pulls at the wound in my side.
The camp is silent as we move through it, and I automatically note weaknesses in Tecar’s defenses.
Tecar doesn’t miss this, but he simply raises his eyebrow as if unconcerned, leading us toward his kradi. Servants step forward to take our mishua, and a group of children laugh as they throw stones on the ground, jumping around them in a game known only to them.
Beth watches the children and meets my eyes. I nod. If the Voildi are successful, this will all be gone. We must make Tecar listen.
Tecar steps into his kradi, followed by his guards. Tazo follows, and I gesture for Beth and Javir to walk between us while Perik and Dekir bring up the rear.
Tecar gestures for us to take a seat. The air has turned cooler, and I guide Beth to a spot by the fire, taking her crutches from her. She smiles up at me, and I feel the sudden urge to take her mouth, to claim her in front of all these males.
I grind my teeth and hand Dekir the crutches instead, waiting for Tecar to sit. He immediately scans us again, his gaze piercing.
“Tell me,” he orders, and I clamp down my irritation at the order. “Please,” he says, likely noting my reaction.
I nod, rev
ealing everything we have learned, and Tecar gets up to pace, his face turning a dull red.
“It seems impossible to believe,” he says and then holds up a hand as I frown. “And yet I know Dexar would not send warriors if he did not truly believe the Voildi were a threat. Tell me, why does Dexar care if our tribe falls?”
The question is a fair one. Dexar has historically ignored smaller tribes, trading only with those located close to his own.
“For the Voildi to think that this plan will work, their numbers must be larger than we could have imagined. I believe this plan has been in place for close to one revolution, perhaps even longer, and it is only due to luck that we discovered it now. Your tribe is small; that is true. But if the Voildi took it, they would look to Berax’s tribe next. After that, it would likely be Livaq’s tribe. And after that, perhaps even Rakiz’s tribe.”
Tecar ceases his pacing and frowns at me. “It seems unimaginable. The Voildi are a brutal, senseless race with little ability for critical thought. And yet they are suddenly able to organize themselves enough to work together and attack as one?”
I nod. “It’s difficult to believe, and yet it remains true. The packs are taking orders from a male named Killis. And according to a Voildi we tortured on the way, Lafa will order his warriors to attack with the Voildi.”
The kradi is quiet as each of Tecar’s warriors stare at me in stunned silence.
“To turn on his own race for the Voildi?” one of Tecar’s guards bites out, and I nod.
“You know Lafa has longed for more territory without the warriors to take it. He will split your territory with the Voildi if they do not double-cross him first.”
Tecar finally sits, his face hard, shock clear in his eyes. “When do you believe they will attack?”
I shrug, and Tazo shifts, drawing Tecar’s attention.
“I believe it will be sooner than we would like,” Tazo says. “By now, they must be aware that we know of their plans. They no longer have the element of surprise, but they know that our defenses are not as strong as we would like. It will take time for warriors from other tribes to arrive. Some will be unwilling to leave their females and children with fewer defenses and may hesitate to join the fight. Others may not truly believe that the Voildi present a threat.”
