A small tremor went through Amber as she prepared to fight. Alexei resigned himself to killing again as he looked into the eyes of the Vayhr.
The president was shaking having jumped up and pressed himself against a corner in the room. “Please,” his voice came out a trembling mess. “Save me.”
Alexei shook his head. “Seems there’s only one Vayhr in the room.”
Amber flipped the table in front of the door that refused to budge, clearing a wide area for Alexei. She looked down at her nails examining them as the Vayhr jumped for her.
Alexei jumped in front of her changing forms while knocking the Vayhr across the room. “You really didn’t think I would let you touch her, did you?”
“You’re dead and so is she.” The Vayhr grew in size becoming larger than his human guise.
“You’re rather little for a Vayhr. What are you? The runt of the litter?”
He ran at him with a loud cry, snapping at him with his claws. Alexei dropped down and swung his leg out, catching the Vayhr and dropping him to his knees. He jumped on the Vayhr tearing him to pieces.
“That’s rather disappointing. I really thought he would be a better fighter than that. Mr. President, you can come out the enemy is defeated.”
Alexei’s beast receded allowing his voice to lighten as he spoke. He walked around the room to open a bottle of water and pour it over his hands.
“Strange, but I really don’t like blood on my hands. Something I expect I will get used to.”
“Mr. President, where is the rest of your entourage?” Amber asked from the corner where she was standing.
The president cowered in the corner with a deer in headlights look.
She stared at the Vahyr on the ground, he died much too easily. She watched the two in the house fight and both of them showed much more skill than this one. Why would they choose him to impersonate the vice president if he weren’t capable of protecting himself?
Her hand flew to her mouth as she saw parts of the body began to twitch. “Alexei!”
The body divided into half. Two Vayhr’s stood there with their huge mouths gaping in a macabre smile as slime dripped from them.
“Sport,” Alexei grinned.
Amber backed up until she was safe in a corner. The Vayhr slowly circled Alexei looking for a spot to attack. One of the Vayhr stepped in to grab at Alexei’s arm. Alexei went to the ground rolling between them changing forms. He stood in his beast form raising a heavily muscled leg to kick the Vayhr that lunged at him.
“We can’t allow you to leave alive.”
Alexei sighed. “While you’re talking, why don’t you tell me what your plans are for the Earth?”
The second Vayhr pulled a sword out from a part of his body, followed by the first who did the same.
“Where do you keep those swords and is every Vayhr equipped with one?” Alexei asked as he looked the room over before closing his eyes. “Don’t watch the sword, Amber; it has the power to mesmerize.”
She nodded her head knowing that Alexei couldn’t see her. “I won’t.”
“No need to watch the sword, we will come for you after this one is dead.”
*~*~*~*
The sound of the swords being twirled in the air was all he could hear at first. Taking a deep mental breath, he concentrated, listening to the breathing of each being in the room. He could hear the quick breaths Amber was taking and the extremely long breaths the Vahyr were taking. The president’s deep breaths also reached him.
They closed in on him; one of the Vayhr’s dropped to its knees swinging his sword while the other swung at neck level. He was dead unless…
He jumped through the two swords one was aimed at his head the other at his knees, giving him just enough room to go through them like they were a circle on fire. Changing forms in order to be suppler as he made it through. The sword aimed at his neck caught him in his shoulder. The stinging pain radiated through his body, the intense pain suggested the sword was treated with a virus or another deadly organism to the Created.
He rolled into a landing. Turning, he kicked out at the Vayhr on his knees knocking him off balance. Rolling to his feet, he made a grab for the Vayhr’s sword while jumping forward to keep the other Vayhr off of him. He hefted the sword favoring his right side.
“That sword won’t keep you alive.”
“Then neither will the one you carry.”
“Retrieve your sword,” one Vayhr hissed at the other.
The Vayhr came at him using his lethal claws to be torn in half by the sword Alexei carried. “So the rumors about this sword are true.”
Alexei stood in the middle of the room breathing deeply once again to clear his mind and regroup. The Vayhr stood across from him close to the president and the door to freedom. Amber stood at his back, several objects hoovering in the air around her. He nodded his approval that she was ready to defend herself if needed.
“The Vayhr I just killed won’t be coming back, maybe there’s a chance for you to live. Give me the information I need and I will plead your case before of the Created.”
“I would not ask for mercy from them even if I thought they were inclined to grant it. We don’t back down and this back water planet Yaksim has decided to make his throne will be his. You should sink to your knees in gratitude that one of his stature would even be willing to dignify this planet.”
“Maybe Yaksim could simply pick another planet and leave us in peace?” Amber’s voice rang out with hope.
Alexei smiled as he pictured her face. Brown eyes sparkling in merriment. Cheeks flushed at her own joke. Her beautiful body giving a hopeful stance as if she truly thought it could all end like that. He needed to touch her.
The Vayhr moved towards him forcing him closer to Amber. She moved along the wall giving him fighting room. He smelled her intoxicating scent as she moved past him going to the opposite wall which put her close to the president.
Alexei lifted his sword to meet the one aimed at him. The clash of metal rang through the room. He stepped back as the Vayhr forced him closer to the wall. He met him sword thrust for sword thrust until he stepped back and fell over a chair lying on the floor.
The sword was ripped from his hands as the Vahyr sword was thrust against his throat. The president roared up and grabbed Amber, who was edging closer to him, around her throat.
“The Created sent children to do the job for them. They have grown weak which is why we will control this planet,” the president said, gloating and showing rows of teeth as he tightened his hand around Amber’s neck.
“You might as well open your eyes, Created. Meet your death looking into the soul of the sword that will kill you.”
Alexei opened his eyes to stare at death. The sword pulsed with a brilliance that made his eyes wider and his breathing slower. A slow languor caressed his body relaxing every muscle. He was ready to die. There would be another plane for him; it was time to move on. The sword mesmerized him.
He struggled to think of answers to understand in part why he needed to die.
“What’s the plan?” The words came out shaky as if he was under water and even saying them threatened him with his last breath.
“The plan? Tell them, Mr. President, what they’re dying for.”
“We will destroy your precious planet and every Created on it. We will send a message to the universe what happens when you defy the Vayhr or harbor the Created.”
“I thought we were supposed to be Yaksim’s throne,” Alexei’s words tumbled out of his mouth as the sword began to steal his oxygen.
“Not everyone in the invasion agrees with him. Some of us have our own agenda.”
“Now!” Alexei croaked, struggling to close his eyes so he could roll from under the sword and change forms. His beast took over jumping to its feet and rushing the Vayhr. It dodged the sword and used its lethal claws to remove the Vayhr’s head.
The knife that was circling Amber’s head cut off one of the president’s arms. His
shout of pain reverberated through the room before the knife separated his head from his shoulders.
Amber dropped to the floor and peeled off the fingers that were still around her neck.
“Bring a knife, Amber, you said” she muttered as she crawled away from the blood and gore. “Of course you won’t need it, I just want you to be prepared. You owe me, Alexei. I’m not sure what I want yet but whatever it is I better get it without a murmur of complaint from you.” She sank into the one clean area on the floor she could find.
“Will they be coming back again?”
“No only the protector had the ability to do that. When I killed him the second time I removed his head, there’s no coming back from that.”
“What about the first one?”
“He was a clone of the second one, unable to reproduce himself.”
“And you know all this how?” Amber asked looking at him.
“Call it quiet time with Dante. I think I might know everything alien.”
“Oh. Alexei, what waits for us outside of the door?”
“I don’t know. Shall we find out?”
Alexei reached down and took her hand, helping her to stand up. He then went and retrieved her knife for her using a bottle of water to clean it off. They moved off to the side while Amber released the lock on the door.
A contingent of soldiers with weapons drawn moved into the room. Alexei raised his hands while motioning for Amber to do the same.
“Surrender.”
“We surrender,” Alexei’s strong voice answered them.
“We have come to see the president and vice president. We carry word from both Aran and Dante of the Created. The president should be expecting us.”
“Stand down,” a hard voice came loud and clear from the hallway.
“Mr. President,” a protest was spoken.
“I said stand down and stand aside.”
The President of the United States walked into the room followed by the Vice President.
“Alexei, thank you for ridding us of the imposters. You will have to explain to me later how you knew what they were.” The president walked up to him and extended a hand in friendship.
Alexei shook his hand allowing a small smile to play on his face.
“It’s good to finally see you again, Mr. President.”
“Not sure if I feel the same way, Alexei, under the circumstances. There is always the fact that you owe me another round of golf after beating Jim and me in several games.” The president nodded to the vice president who came over and shook Alexei’s hand.
“Who do you have with you?” the vice president asked taking in Amber’s flushed face.
“Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, this is Amber. Amber this is the President and Vice President of the United States.”
“Nice to meet you both.” She gave a small nod before approaching to shake the proffered hands.
“We were expecting Aran or Dante.” The president arched an eyebrow at them.
“My dad sent me because I know you. He trusted me to spot an imposter.”
“Sounds like something Aran would do. He obviously trusts you.”
Alexei stood a little taller realizing the president was right; his father did trust him. He saw him as a grown Hybrid not one who needed to be watched any longer.
The president looked around the room. “Is it safe to have my men clean this up?”
“Tell them to wear gloves and incinerate the bodies,” Alexei replied.
The president gave out orders before leading them out the room.
Chapter Eleven
They walked down the corridor now lined with secret service agents until a huge door looming in front of them opened. The agents with them poured into the room making sure it was clear before the president was allowed to enter.
“Please take a seat,” the president waved his hand at the massive table. The room was cut directly into the side of a wall. The rough cave wall seemed to exude warmth.
Amber wandered over to the wall and touched it, feeling the warmth penetrate her skin.
“How is this possible?”
“That’s something our scientists haven’t been able to figure out yet. You may want to ask the being who gifted us the area.”
The president took a seat at the head of the table with the vice president taking a seat to his right.
“Mr. President, may I ask what happened here?” Alexei asked.
“From what I can figure out two of my guards were compromised. When we moved here the two guards shifted taking my appearance as well as the appearance of the vice president. We weren’t killed, something about being made into meals was said. We were all being held in a vaulted room on a lower level. Took a little ingenuity but we managed to escape and were looking for the imposters when the door we opened was slammed shut forcefully.
Alexei shook his head and took a chair.
“Aran and Dante sent us with news. They wanted you to know you are better equipped to fight the invaders than you may believe. The arsenal you have been developing is for such a time as this. None of this will matter unless you’re able to distribute the weapons to your troops. You will also want to try to minimize any contact with the aliens and the human population of your city. Like the Vayhr, the ones who took over your forms, many aliens consider human’s delicacies to be eaten raw and alive. Aran or Dante will be in touch with more information.”
“Are they telling me they think a few newfangled guns will win this war?”
“No, they are telling you to fight with all you have as they round up as many different alien populations as possible. Those who call the Earth home, to join the fight.”
The president threw the vice president a look before focusing on Amber.
“Don’t look at me,” she gave them a big grin, “I’m just as human as you are, just maybe a little more advanced.” A cup floated over the table before being set down again.
‘Show off,’ Alexei mouth silently for her ears only.
Heat curled in Amber’s stomach as she watched the sexy smile play on his lips. She lowered her eyes, no sense in making herself hotter. That wasn’t what she needed.
They were alive, that in and of itself was still something she was coming to grips with. Then there was the fact that she killed the president. Logically she knew it was a Vayhr, but it was disguised as the president when she killed him. More importantly, she had killed. That fact bumping around in her stomach had it curling swifter than soured milk.
She was proud of herself that she hadn’t lost her breakfast, yet. The need to be with Alexei warred with the need to scream she wasn’t a killer even though she already proved she was.
Alexei stood never taking his eyes from Amber. “Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, we need to leave now. One of us will contact you with any new developments.”
“How do I know I’m not harboring another Vayhr in my midst?” the president asked.
“Give me the opportunity to shake everyone’s hands. If there is one, I will dispose of it.”
*~*~*~*
Leaving took a lot longer than Amber thought it would, but they were finally away. The clean air and the open land helped calm her. She promptly found a nice large tree one with a huge trunk and curled up next to it as she dry retched. Placing her hands around her middle, she cried unable to help herself.
Alexei sat next to her pulling her into his arms. “Your strength amazes me, Amber. The way you held it together in there pretending to be unfazed by all that was happening. I saw the respect you garnered from the secret service agents some who have probably never had to hold it together after a kill because they have never killed.”
“I’m rocking next to a tree, not a lot to respect.”
“This is just one of the reasons to respect you, Amber. You’re strong when others think you should be weak. You don’t give up. When I called you my secret weapon, I meant it. Not even you know what you’re capable of, but it doesn’t matter because you find
a way to fight. We’re a lot alike. We both carry untold power within us and that makes us scared of what we may do one day.”
She smiled at him before snuggling down in his arms. “You seem to know me better than I know myself at times, Alexei.”
“It just seems that way. Let’s get out of here.” She nodded and stood.
“Where to now?”
“Back to my house.”
“Shouldn’t we go back to Nicolas or even your parents’ house?”
He turned to stare at her. His eyes were glowing dark and dangerous and his voice lowered not able to hold back the growl inside.
“I can’t go there now, not like this.” His beast sat close to the surface.
She nodded, “Change, I will drive.”
“Amber.”
“Don’t hide from me, Alexei, I don’t know what tomorrow will bring or where we will be, but as long as I’m here, you never have to hide from me.”
His skin pulsed and rippled before the change took him completely. His body was covered with short hair and it was all she could do to keep her hands to herself. His eyes looked at her, the rings blazing with color. He raised a hand allowing one of his claws to rake over her cheeks with tenderness.
She grinned at him. “Right back at you, now let’s get out of here before we’re spotted.
Amber opened the hover car and reached for the keys in the glove compartment. Alexei sat in the passenger seat barely making it in. The half dome closed as she took off.
The heat in his eyes burned her as she hovered in front of the garage dropping the car to the ground as the wheels came out seamlessly. She pulled into the garage and parked. The heat from his stare never wavered. She slid out of the car and moved toward the door leading up the stairs to the house knowing he would follow.
Her steps were loud in her ears as she climbed the stairs. She moved into the gathering room taking a seat on one of his cuddle chairs as she waited for him. He entered the room in human flesh.
He raked a hand through his hair before speaking. “Maybe you should go home.”
“Is that what you want?”
Alexei Page 7
