by Kali Argent
Even if other Tarin warriors would take exception to a male who preferred other males, it didn’t matter to Malik. He just wanted Darius to be happy, as he wished for all of his warriors. However, unlike him, most of the Tarins had archaic ways of thinking, set in old customs, so he understood why his friend would hide his preferences.
Iolas had been one of the last of their father’s young, and even though he had grown up without memories of Thallen Rego, he hated the male for what had been done to his mother. Pharon and Lazio, the other two warriors that were on the ship were younger than the rest of them. All the young born from the females in captivity felt the same.
They hated their father with the heat of a thousand suns.
Hellfire, it seemed like most of Malik’s warriors were related to him, but it wasn’t something any of them spoke of. Actually, it was something they all tried to avoid. Sometimes it was difficult looking at so many faces that resembled his own, that resembled their father. It was hard seeing facets of a male they all hated so much, but his half-brothers were strong warriors, with honor and a moral code.
Malik could sense Darius and Iolas’ concern for him. He wasn’t able to feel other people’s energy as strongly as some Tarins, but he knew them well. Malik’s gift was a little more physical when it came to manipulating energy, however, he still felt as if he should have known what his sister was doing.
“The truth is, looking back, I see hints of what she was doing,” Malik admitted with a sigh. “I could have stopped her, but I underestimated Quilla because she was female.”
“We all did.” Darius paused before speaking hesitantly. “I found her in my bed a few nights before the New Year celebration.”
“What?”
“She was naked, and it disturbed me, not just because we all know that we are related. There was something deceitful about it. As if she knew I had been keeping a closer eye on her because I knew she was acting strange, and she thought to sway me with sex.”
“That is…” Malik’s stomach turned at the idea. Quilla was far more demented than he’d originally thought.
“To use a human saying, fucked up?” Iolas supplied. “Yes, it is. What I want to know is how in hellfire she got all these people working for her.”
“That’s why she created the name, Korsek,” Malik explained. “She was smart enough to know that people wouldn’t follow a female for all of this, especially the Tarin males she was trading those females to. And credits are a great incentive for people who don’t have much honor.”
“Then again, some people are just evil,” Iolas added. “If all of those elites signed on with her, there was something morally corrupt with them to begin with.”
Malik nodded. “True, but the Alliance was able to trace the credits. We may not understand that as motivation, but humans value wealth greatly.”
“Says the lord of his own palace,” Lazio said as he walked into the room. The young warrior flung himself into a chair, then swung a leg over the armrest. “But we love you anyway, oh, great leader.”
“I thought you were helping Pharon fly this heap of metal,” Darius said tightly.
Lazio waved a hand in the air. “This thing practically flies itself. All we have to do is tell it what to do, and it does it.”
Pharon and Lazio were the last of their father’s young, born of the same mother. They had both shared their mother’s name, but had taken the Rego last name after Malik had become lord. Pharon was a serious male who had raised Lazio after their mother had passed. He’d had help as Lazio was the youngest brother to all of them, and with it came the annoyance he so readily inspired as he constantly ran his mouth.
“I came to tell you that we’re close to intercepting New Vega, so you should go get ready. Were you talking about the traitorous bitch again?”
“We were, but that topic has run its course,” Iolas said as he got up. “I guess I should go dress for the party.”
Darius snorted as he stood as well. “This is a party I’d rather not have to attend.”
Iolas and Darius were both wearing black tunics with matching pants. They had been dressed in comfortable wear for the trip, but Malik had chosen to remain in the flexible black armor of their kind. He wore it so often that it was like a second skin to him now.
Before they’d left on their journey, Katra and Jaden Tor had made a slight alteration to Malik’s armor, along with the rest of his crew. They had claimed the subtly raised, black design of the Rego crest of a snarling venar with a claw raised on the front was a designator so that the Alliance would know they weren’t the enemy.
Though, Malik knew that wasn’t the only reason for the change. He’d discovered the real cause when the lieutenant who had been working with Quilla had shot his blaster at him on X5. Somehow, the Dragon Warriors had used their magic to make it so that his armor harnessed the energy of a blast, and he’d been able to absorb it into him to use. The adrenaline rush he’d gotten from that energy was part of the reason Malik had run the man through with his sword. Then again, he’d just wanted to kill the fucker.
As Iolas and Darius left the room, Malik eyed Lazio. “You seem quite relaxed.”
Lazio grinned. “Are you joking? You’re lucky I take this armor off in the shower. I’ve considered keeping it on when I sleep, too. We’re superheroes with these things on, since they charge us up. Not to mention, you can shoot energy lightning with your hands. I’m tempted to have you blast me just so I can see what it’s like.”
Malik sighed. “I knew I shouldn’t have let you have access to the human archives. Watching all of those old vids has rotted your brain.”
Laughing, Lazio stood again. “You’ve enjoyed watching some of them. The Dragon Warriors are better than anything in those vids, and I’m glad they’re on our side.”
“I’m not sure if you can say that. The ones on Tartarus are friends, but there is a whole planet that you could potentially piss off.”
“Thanks for that reminder. I’ll head back up the bridge to help Pharon land this thing,” Lazio said as he started for the doorway. He paused before leaving, then added, “It’s a good thing we won’t be going anywhere near there to search for Quilla. I’m sure a planet full of magic-wielding dragons is the last place she would ever go.”
Malik had to agree. If he were on the run, he would do anything he could to avoid the magical races. That was why he knew she wouldn’t be going to Arcadia, the D’Aire home world, or the ancient planet that had just re-appeared, Xenthian. Not that he wouldn’t enjoy seeing those places. Malik had been fascinated when he’d heard that the Krytos, the D’Aire, and the Dragon Warriors had helped the humans win Earth’s war. Honestly, he hadn’t even thought that any of them were real until he’d saw them with his own eyes.
Someday, he’d love to explore each world, but this wasn’t a sightseeing tour.
When he was alone, Malik looked out the window and saw nothing but a haze of purple and green clouds to the left, and what seemed to be an endless assortment of stars out in the distance. He strained his eyes, searching for his first glimpse of the legendary vessel known as New Vega. It was known as a floating pleasure palace, so Malik expected something elaborate.
Since it was a private enterprise owned by three Krytos brothers, New Vega wasn’t under United Federation Alliance Command control. Instead, the three brothers had their own set of rules on their traveling world, and everyone onboard had to obey…or face their wrath. Besides being a luxurious destination where one could satiate a number of vices all in one central location, the Adaro brothers had turned New Vega into a traveling sanctuary, making it a haven for all the different races that chose to visit.
But their home had been attacked.
Even though they knew he was coming, Malik wasn’t looking forward to facing the Krytos brothers. But it was something he had to do. Honestly, he wasn’t looking forward to facing the members of the Alliance, either. He just hoped that they all remembered that Quilla did not represent all Tarin
s.
The wrist unit he was wearing vibrated with an incoming call, and he answered it after seeing that it was Jaden. His friend didn’t like human technology, but he was getting used to it…slowly. “Tor,” he greeted as Jaden’s face appeared on the screen. “Are you on New Vega?”
“No, we’re not there yet, but we’re on our ship. We found another camp with enslaved females right before we were supposed to leave, so we’re a little behind.” Jaden’s strange glowing eyes swirled black and silver like liquid mercury as he smiled. “My mate wanted to make sure the entire camp was burned to ash before we took the females home.”
“Your female is vicious.”
Jaden laughed. “You sound jealous, my friend.”
Malik could admit he was a little envious, not of that particular female, but of the happiness Jaden had found with Katra. He wanted that same connection with his own strong female. “She is the perfect mate for you, Tor.”
“She definitely is. Right now, my beautiful mate is using magic to speed our journey, so we’ll join you sooner than I’d planned. This magic stuff is difficult to get used to.”
Malik smiled, despite feeling slightly uneasy that they would be late. He had been hoping to have Jaden and Katra on New Vega when he arrived to act as a buffer. He understood the importance of freeing any females still held in bondage, however, he was glad that they would be there soon.
“We are minutes away from arriving, so I will have to cut this short,” Malik said. “My guess is that we won’t have a very welcoming party waiting for us, so we must prepare.”
Jaden’s face hardened. “Damn them, Rego. You are not at fault. If anyone blames you, they will have to deal with us, as well.”
Malik chuckled softly, his mood lightening. “You are developing a savior complex.”
“What in hellfire does that mean?”
“You want to save everyone. All will be well,” Malik promised, although he had trouble believing it.
Malik glanced over as Iolas and Darius returned to the room, dressed in their armor. Both had swords strapped to the left sides of their belts, with blasters on their right. Malik had all of his warriors train to be proficient with both hands while fighting so they would be able to use either weapon with skill.
“We’re here,” Iolas announced grimly.
Darius walked up to the panel of windows. “Pharon and Lazio were hailed by them, and after they responded, New Vega just appeared.”
Malik looked back at his wrist unit and said, “I have to go.”
Jaden nodded curtly. “We will be there shortly.”
Standing and moving to join Iolas and Darius by the glass, Malik looked out. He almost missed it after several seconds of scanning. There, hidden within the dark of space, was a black vessel that was as big as a smaller planet.
And it wasn’t just a ship…it was a fortress.
There was no sign of welcome. No hint of the luxury that was within.
The massive fortress was made of a sleek, black metal, making it almost impossible to see against the inky backdrop of space. Running on stealth mode, New Vega had been able to shield themselves from view. If they hadn’t wanted to be found, they wouldn’t.
The males were silent as a small opening appeared near the center of the dark, foreboding vessel to allow them in. Pharon and Lazio were able to maneuver the ship inside the larger vessel, or the ship did it on its own. Either way, they entered one of the docking bays of New Vega, and the ship landed.
“Where are your sword and blaster?” Darius asked as Malik started for the doorway.
Malik shook his head. “I cannot go in with weapons. They are already on edge. I need to give them a sign I come in peace since they know I am Quilla’s brother.”
“Son of a demon,” Iolas bit out. “What if they attack? You need to protect yourself.”
Malik grinned as he held up his hands and energy streaks sparked along his palms. “I don’t need my sword to do that.”
When the other two warriors appeared in the doorway, Pharon said, “They won’t allow us to leave the ship until it’s checked, and they want us to come out one at a time.”
“Perhaps it’s because they have never seen a vessel like this,” Lazio offered, though, his grim expression belied his words.
Malik cursed as he stalked from the room. He understood the need to check over the ship to make sure it was safe, but he would not allow anyone to treat them like villains when they had been invited here. His warriors were hot on his heels as he made his way to the entrance of the ship on the lower level.
Once there, he growled, “Open the door.”
Immediately, the door started to lower under the ship so it created a ramp down to the ground. A large Krytos male stepped forward into view. “Stop,” he ordered. “You have not been given clearance to come down yet.”
Malik ignored the male’s command, and walked down the ramp, his men following at his back. As he quickly scanned the stark gray docking bay, he could see that theirs was the only ship in the enormous area. Most of the room was cast in shadows, the only lights were above the ship, but that didn’t hinder him at all.
He glanced around the docking bay, not needing to strain his eyes to see the figures hiding in the shadows. As a Tarin, he was at home in the dark. Malik was secretly pleased that the Krytos male did not come alone. It showed that they knew that the Tarins were formidable.
Malik made a point to stare at each of the five Krytos males hiding in the shadows before he focused on the large Krytos in front of him that raised his arm and spoke into the wrist unit he wore.
“Daimon, put the ship back into stealth mode.”
“Got it, Maddox.”
Ah, the alpha of New Vega, Malik thought.
Maddox stood with High Commander Jax Spartan and Commander Sullivan Archer, both males Malik had met before. The tension in the room was so thick, it could have been sliced with a sword. No one spoke as Malik met Maddox’s glare in silence.
All of the males except for the two in the stare down turned at the almost inaudible wooshing sound as the doors at the far end of the room slid open. Light filtered in from beyond the doors, but before he could even look, he felt a ripple of awareness skitter over his skin.
He sensed her...felt her presence like a soft breath of air on the back of his neck. He didn’t want to give ground to the Krytos, but he had to look away.
Malik had to see her.
His gaze tracked to the doorway, and there was Reva Golaris, just as he knew she would be. Dressed in a red leather vest and matching pants that shimmered to brown and gold in the light, Reva was a vision. She was a tall female, standing at a few inches over six feet, with skin that shimmer like burnished gold dust, and long hair a few shades lighter that she’d pulled back into a tight braid that ran down the center of her back.
Malik knew she was a warrior, more dangerous and cunning due to her animalistic nature. But she was also a beautiful female, with a generously curved body packed with corded muscles. He didn’t need to see her cat-like amber eyes to know just how lovely and bright they were.
In the dark room, she looked like a sunbeam…strong and glorious.
He’d told her to stay away from him, and yet, her she was. Right in front of him. He’d warned her. Damn her to hellfire, he’d fucking warned her. Malik had told Reva that if he saw her again, he would claim her. She wouldn’t get away from him like last time, because Tarins kept what they claimed.
And Reva was the one female Malik wanted with all of his soul.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Born with a silver tongue and a pen in her hand, Kali spends her days sleeping (she's part vampire) and her nights crafting scandalous romances with larger-than-life heroes.
Self-proclaimed patron goddess of reclusiveness, Kali currently resides in North Central Texas with her oddly supportive family and tragically misunderstood
cat.
Seriously, though, the cat is evil.
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