The oldest waved his arms about to calm down the crowd. “The village has spoken. Tyrex may take the alien to be his Intended.”
The crowd cheered. Tyrex went to hug Sophia but forgot that his hands were cuffed behind his back. He had to settle for a kiss.
The Council Elder had to calm down the crowd a second time. “But the two will now have to face the Trials tomorrow.”
“Didn't we just go through a whole trial?” Sophia asked Tyrex.
“The Trials they're referring to is something completely different. I didn't think they'd have us go through it so soon.”
“What is it?”
Tyrex laughed. “I have no idea.”
Guards came and unlocked the chains around Tyrex and Sophia. They were finally able to embrace and the crowd cheered again.
Chapter Eighteen
Tyrex and Sophia returned to his parent's hut in celebration. They had persevered in the face of death. But they couldn't celebrate for long because they needed to rest for the Trial.
That didn't mean that couldn't make love. Because they did.
Furiously.
They lay in Tyrex's bed the next morning, their naked forms intertwined together.
“I didn't think we were going to make it,” Sophia said, resting in Tyrex's arms. “If it wasn't for your father...”
Tyrex raised Sophia's chin until they made eye contact. “We made it. They can't stop us now.”
Sophia nuzzled his shoulder. “When do the Trials begin?”
“Today. Whenever we go see the Council of Elders.”
“And you have no idea what to expect?”
“None whatsoever. My parents can't even tell me. Are you still willing to be my Intended?”
Sophia thought he was joking but he actually sounded serious. She pulled down on his lower lip until he yelped. “Nothing will change how I feel about you. I was ready to face death for you. This Trial of theirs will be easy now.”
Tyrex tongued his lip and smiled. “Let's get ready then.”
–
Sophia and Tyrex entered the council chambers no longer prisoners. They held hands to show them how strong they were. They were both ready for whatever the Council of Elders threw at them.
“I take it that you both are ready to embark on your Trial.”
“What do the Trials entail?” Tyrex asked.
“All in good time,” the Elder replied.
Four guards entered and immediately grabbed the both of them.
“No,” Tyrex screamed, punching one of the guards in the face. But their were too many of them and the guards got a hold of them both.
Tiny pinpricks in their necks were the last thing they felt before everything went black.
Chapter Nineteen
The smell of smoke was overpowering as Sophia awoke. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she could feel the heat against her face.
Sophia wasn't in the Council Elder's chambers anymore. She was in the middle of what looked like a field of wheat. Sophia was tied to a wooden post set into the dirt floor. A ring of fire surrounded her, burning the crops.
The flames were enclosing slowly. Almost unnaturally. In a matter of minutes she knew the fire would engulf her.
She looked around but couldn't see through the wheat. “Help! Is anyone there?” she screamed.
No response.
“Tyrex! If you're out there, I could really use your help right about now.” Sophia struggled against the rough ropes tying her hands around the post. Blood ran down her wrists as she twisted to try and get free.
But it was no use. The fire inched its way closer and closer. “Help me,” she yelled over and over.
–
Tyrex undressed Sophia slowly, following the curves of her hips and breasts. Her skin was milky white and soft to the touch. He pressed his index finger against her lips before kissing them hard.
But Sophia didn't kiss back.
Tyrex pulled back to see that Sophia was replaced with a doll that looked exactly like her. Except its features were hard, angular, and wooden.
“What is this?”
He heard someone calling his name.
“I'm right here!” he replied into the darkness.
Tyrex awoke from his dream and wiped the drool off his cheek. A layer of dirt came off with it. He lay in a field of wheat, under a bright blue sky.
A voice came crashing through the crops. “Help!”
Tyrex knew who it was instantly. “Sophia?”
He shot up to look around but the crops were too high to see past. “Where are you? I can't see you.”
“I'm over here, Tyrex!”
Tyrex picked up the direction of the sound and set off into the field. The wheat whipped his face as he sprinted through. “Keep talking so I can find you. What do you see around you?”
“I'm tied to a post and there's a fire burning the crops around me. Tyrex, it's getting closer.”
Tyrex stopped for a moment to realize that his Intended was in mortal danger. “I'm coming, Sophia!”
Tyrex finally saw smoke in the sky above him. He was close.
“Be careful, Tyrex,” Sophia yelled in the distance.
He reached the wall of fire that was burning the crops. He walked around trying to find an opening but it completely surrounded Sophia. He could only see glimpses of her through the flames and wheat. She seemed okay.
“I'm almost there, Sophia.”
But the fire actually wasn't burning the crops. It was acting in a way he had never seen before from fire. As the flames moved slowly away from him, the crops were unharmed. He didn't know what that meant but he didn't have time to figure it out.
Tyrex jumped through the flames, feeling the fire singe his face. He came out the other side and immediately rolled around on the ground. But he wasn't on fire. It was all just a trick.
He ran to Sophia to find her just as she said: tied to a wooden post.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I think so. I don't know if the fire will actually hurt us. And I don't want to wait around to find out.”
“Is this what they meant by Trials?” she asked, struggling to get free.
“Must be,” Tyrex replied, going around to her back. Blood ran down Sophia's hands and dripped onto the soil. A flash of anger boiled through Tyrex's veins. He didn't like seeing his Intended injured.
The ropes around her wrists were tied tight. He had no knife and trying to slip them off was only hurting her more. The heat from the fire caused them both to sweat.
“How you doing back there, Tyrex?”
Tyrex examined her hands and the rope. There was no way she was getting her hands free without injuring her even more. “I'm working on it.”
He looked down at the post where it entered the dirt. The soil around it looked fresh like the post had just been driven into the ground. “I have an idea, Sophia. We're going to try and break this post out of the ground.”
“Well you better hurry because this fire is getting closer.”
Tyrex looked up to see the fire only a ten feet away. He pulled against the post and felt it give a little. “Help me push it forward.”
Sophia leaned forward as Tyrex pushed the post. It came loose from the ground. Sophia got down on the floor and Tyrex lifted the post until her hands were free. The ropes slid right off her wrists.
Tyrex took Sophia into her arms and hugged her tight.
“We don't have time for this, Tyrex,” she said, pointing to the fire.
Tyrex took her hand. “We're going to jump through the fire.”
“Are you sure?”
“Do you trust me?” Tyrex asked, looking into her sea-blue eyes.
Sophia nodded.
“On count of three. One. Two. Three!”
They both jumped through the wall of fire. Sophia screamed as they landed but it was just from fright. Neither one of them were harmed.
“The fire on your planet acts differently than the fire on Earth.”
“This is nothing like the fire on Jeorn. This is something special the Council of Elders cooked up for us.”
“And what is this all supposed to prove?”
“To see if I would risk my life to save yours.”
Sophia kissed him hard and it was nothing like the doll in his dream. “I'd say you passed.”
“Well I don't think were done yet.”
Chapter Twenty
“Where are we?” Sophia asked as they walked through the wheat field.
Tyrex looked around but only saw wheat. “I have no idea. I've never seen anything like this next to my village.
“Well how did we get here?”
Tyrex felt the bruised flesh on his neck where the needle went in. “They drugged us.”
“The Council of Elders weren't kidding about these Trials.”
Tyrex nodded. “We need to be on guard for anything else they throw at us.”
“Where are we going?”
“I have no idea. Just going in one straight direction. This could all be apart of their test to see if we get lost or not.”
Sophia hung onto Tyrex's arm as they walked. She didn't want to get separated and have to do this alone.
Before they even had a chance to get lost, they came to a clearing in the field. A large temple made out of mud and sticks reached high into the sky. An open doorway of darkness in the middle beckoned them.
“Ever seen this before?” she asked.
Tyrex shook his head. “I've never seen a structure like this before. It looks like it was built by ancient Jeorns. Our huts are built from mud and clay but we stopped using sticks eons ago.”
“Well what are we waiting for? Let's go in.”
Tyrex put his arm out to stop Sophia. “Maybe I should go in alone.”
“No way in hell. You're not leaving me out here to be tied to post and burned alive.”
“What is hell?”
Sophia sighed. “Just an expression from Earth.”
“You're right. You'll be safer by my side. At least I can protect you.”
Sophia had a smug look on her face as they approached the doorway. Cold air hit them in the face which was a nice change from the blazing fire before.
They descended stairs into the black with the only light coming from the sun behind them. The deeper they went, the darker it got.
They finally reached the bottom floor to find a large room lit by torches. Each wall had a strange script on it that Sophia didn't understand. There didn't seem to be anywhere else to go except the way they came.
Tyrex went to one of the walls that had writing on it and ran his fingers along it. “This is definitely ancient Jeorn.”
“Can you read it?”
“This is a language that hasn't been in use for centuries. Anyone that knew how to read this has been long dead.”
Sophia laughed. “That's great. So what do we do?”
Tyrex examined his surroundings. “This is just another test from the Elders. There's got to be a lever or button to press that will reveal a door.” Tyrex pointed to the wall opposite of him. “Try to find anything.”
Sophia went to the wall and ran her hands across the surface. All she could feel was the deep grooves of the writing that had been etched onto the wall.
“I can't find anything.”
Tyrex began to feel around on the floor. “Don't give up. There's got to be something.”
Sophia continued to feel around the wall and her foot stepped onto a tile that sunk into the ground. She heard a click sound. “Uhh Tyrex, I think I found something.”
Tyrex hurried over and examined her foot. “Be careful. I want to make sure this isn't a trap.”
“Oh great. If I lift my foot am I going to explode?”
Tyrex looked straight ahead from where Sophia stood. A small square hole had opened up in the wall. “Don't move for a moment.”
“You don't have to worry about that.”
Tyrex examined the hole and fit his hand inside. He reached until his fingers grasped a lever. He twisted until a click sounded. The wall next to the hole shuddered and began moving up into the ceiling, leaving a cloud of dust behind.
“I think we did it,” Tyrex said.
Sophia stood still. “Can I move yet?”
“Should be safe now.”
Sophia lifted one foot up and stepped away. Nothing happened. “Glad that's over.”
Tyrex entered the next room. “We're not out of the woods yet.”
The next room was three times the size as the previous one. On the other side stood two pedestals that were ten feet apart. A large pit of spikes divided the two sides. Columns of stone placed every few feet made a pathway to the other side. Torches lined the walls like the room before it.
Sophia whistled. “What a lovely room.”
“I hope you're joking,” Tyrex replied.
“Of course. This room is terrifying.” Sophia got close to edge of the pit and looked down. The pit wasn't too deep but the spikes looked very sharp. A fall wouldn't kill you but the spikes certainly would.
“I'm going to go across first to find a safe path. Then I'll come back to get you.”
“And why do you think I'm going to let you go first?”
“Because you are a female.”
Sophia crossed her arms over her breasts. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
Tyrex suddenly felt very hot. He began to sweat even more than he did when he jumped through the fire. “Well I meant that a male is usually stronger and faster than a female. At least on Jeorn. Is it different on your planet?”
Sophia knew that things were exactly the same way back on Earth. But she was representing her entire race of humans. She wanted females to be known better. “No, back on Earth females are treated as equals.”
At least it was sort of the truth.
“In this case, I believe I am stronger and faster than you.”
Sophia laughed. “You don't hide your feelings.”
Tyrex cocked his head to the side. “What would be the point of hiding them?”
“You're right. There is no point. You can go first. But be careful.”
Tyrex nodded. He looked out at the pedestals and then down at the stone columns. There were many different paths but straight through the middle looked the easiest.
Sophia kissed him on the cheek. “Good luck.”
Tyrex winked. “This will be easy. I won't need luck.”
Tyrex jumped to the first column and waited for something to happen. No darts out of the wall or flames shooting from above. He breathed a sigh of relief and jumped from column to column in a straight line.
He made it to the other side with relative ease. “Not so bad,” he yelled across the pit.
“What are the pedestals?” Sophia yelled back.
Tyrex examined the pedestal on the right. It was made out of stone like the columns he jumped across.
A wheel parallel to the ground was set on top of the pedestal. Tyrex turned it and saw the wall in front of him begin to move up as he turned it further. But it only went halfway up. As soon as Tyrex let go of the wheel the wall came slamming back down.
“Is there anything you can cram under the door to keep it propped up?” Sophia asked.
Tyrex looked around but found nothing. “Doesn't matter. I wouldn't be able to leave the wheel long enough to put something under the door. I'm going to need your help.”
Sophia stepped to the edge of the pit and looked at the same stone columns that Tyrex stepped on. “On my way.”
“No wait. Let me come back and help you across.”
Sophia shook her head. “I don't need your help. This looks easy.”
“It will be even easier with two people. One slip and you'll be gone.”
Sophia couldn't argue with that logic. She stepped back from the pit and waited for Tyrex.
Tyrex jumped to the first column and then the next. As he landed on the third column, the stone beneath him began to crumble. H
e lost his balance and wheeled his arms. The spikes in the pit were going to have a new friend.
Devil's Hellions MC Complete Series Box Set Page 38
