The Unexpected Bonding Vow

by Michelle Howard

  Garik grabbed her bag from the floor using his free hand and slung it over his shoulder. “I don’t know how Maurin found out we’re here but someone had to tell him.”

  The look he sent Depphi was full of retribution and the Chamele whined, his skin flashing several different colors in rapid succession. “I didn’t tell, Denikon. My promise. My word.”

  Saedra wanted to believe him. He was clearly petrified. Garik’s fingers squeezed hers once before he dropped her hand and spun around. He gripped Depphi by the throat and slammed him against the wall. Saedra gasped and Depphi let out another low whine.

  “You told someone,” Garik snarled, leaning in close.

  Depphi tried to shake his head but the fingers locked on his throat didn’t allow for much movement or so Saedra assumed since the skin around Garik’s fingers were a frightening shade of yellow against the Chamele’s current green tone.

  “I didn’t,” Depphi squeaked. “I owed you. I wouldn’t risk it.”

  Garik clearly didn’t believe him if the dip in his brows was anything to go by. “You think I’m a fool, Depphi? Its all about credits and currency for you but you betrayed the wrong person.”

  “Nooo,” Depphi managed to moan. He kicked his heels against the wall but Garik didn’t let up and kept him suspended on his toes by the hold he had on him.

  “I will pay you back. Not because you risked me but because you risked her.”

  Since Depphi couldn’t move his head, only his eyes rolled in Saedra’s direction. He blinked rapidly. “I—I didn’t tell Maurin.”

  Garik snorted and flung Depphi away from him. The Chamele stumbled and fell to the floor on a sharp cry.

  “You might not have told Maurin directly but you told someone who in turn told him or his people.”

  Dismayed filled Saedra as she noted the guilty look that flashed across Depphi’s face. “Are you going to kill me?”

  Saedra flinched and slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the denial on the tip of her tongue. After clicking a glance in her direction, Garik glared at Depphi. “What I do will make you wish for death. You won’t be able to hide.”

  He stepped over the Chamele to place a hand on Saedra’s lower back to guide her away. “Let’s go.”

  She didn’t protest and they rushed outside. Saedra lifted a leg over and straddled the hover-cycle. The motor vibrated beneath her. Garik climbed on in front and shrugged into the back pack. “Hold tight, sesi.”

  “Where will we go?” she asked as she followed his instructions.

  “Deeper in the city center and lay low if possible.”

  Chapter 14

  Garik didn’t fool himself into thinking they’d be able to evade Maurin’s guards until the designated time they left Quantoon. He couldn’t tell Saedra that and watch the terror spread over her face as it often did when they spoke of Maurin. For now, he’d have to figure something out. He revved the cycle and switched to hover mode and merged with the few vehicles on the roads.

  Their best bet was to try and remain hidden while in plain sight. In order to do that they had to go deeper into the city where they could blend in with the crowds. As they drove closer, the louder it got with noise from conversations, laughter, and an occasional yell from someone selling their wares.

  He slowed the hover-cycle even more as walkers intermixed with the vehicles on the narrow road ways. Brightly colored flags streamed in the air. Located at the center of the city Maurin had created was the marketplace. It did a robust business on Quantoon and many of the individually owned stalls provided what the residents needed from food to tech.

  On a typical day, no one would pay much attention to them. Those who made Quantoon their home were usually in hiding themselves and stuck to the mantra of minding their own business. Too bad, Maurin eliminated that with his reward for any information leading to the capture of Garik and Saedra.

  He activated the wheels and they bumped on the ground as he neared a clothing merchant. The proprietress was out front, her purple tentacles waving at customers to entice them inside. Disguises would help their goal to remain off Maurin’s radar. Garik stopped and climbed from the cycle. “You need to remain here. I’ll only be a sec.”

  Her eyes held a bewildered look as she glanced from the shop then back to him. “But...”

  He pressed his finger to her mouth, stalling any questions. “Wait.”

  Her lips firmed but she nodded. Her narrowed gaze caused a smile to curl his lips. Never one to waste time, he left on the unspoken agreement. Inside, Garik made quick work of bartering for a hooded jacket and a low brim hat. Fortunately, the proprietress accepted he was good for the payment.

  Once outside, he handed the jacket to Saedra and she immediately drew the hood up to cover her hair. He tugged on the hat to shadow his features. It wasn’t much but it would do for now.

  “What next?” she asked.

  “Stop! You there!” Saedra jerked around to look over her shoulder while Garik threw his leg over the cycle and revved it.

  Maurin’s guards. Two that he could see mounted on hover-cycles.

  “Hang on!” he instructed Saedra.

  He took off on a roar and flipped to hover mode. Saedra clutched his shirt at the mid-section, silent, and Garik vowed again that Maurin would pay for the terror he instilled in her.

  Shoppers and shop owners scattered at their hectic approach. Screams sounded around them as purchases flew in the air due to the guards now dodging traffic but with less care than Garik.

  They dipped and zoomed through narrow roadways and streets, pebbles and debris swirling up in the air despite the moderate speed he maintained. Ahead there was a passage on his right between two shop stalls. Garik aimed in that direction and leaned the cycle so low to the ground his knee skimmed the surface. Saedra screamed but didn’t lose her hold.

  Curses fell from his mouth as he straightened. He didn’t have time to reassure her. If Maurin caught them, Garik didn’t want to contemplate what he’d do to Saedra. It was obvious he wanted a public execution for Garik. Saedra was a different story. With her scarred face and limp the very idea of Maurin getting his hands on her again turned Garik’s thoughts nuclear.

  He needed to find somewhere to hole up. They couldn’t keep running. No sooner than the thought crossed his mind, the guards behind them opened fire. Saedra jerked behind him, her fingers curving into claws that dug into his stomach. Ignoring the tiny bites of pain, he pushed for more speed. The shots were wild without care for the pedestrians or early morning customers.

  The sounds of their cycles straining to keep up with the beast Saedra had purchased was small consolation.

  “What are we going to do?” Saedra yelled over the hover-cycle noise.

  Garik was about to answer when something ahead caught his attention. An old woman tugging a cart full of vegetables strolled into the road ahead. Her gray head was down and she barely looked up at their speedy approach.

  Garik was so focused on avoiding her that he missed seeing the hover-cycle coming up on their left. It shot forward, straight in their direction with the intent to ram them. He tightened his grip on the steering rod and spun to the right. The back of the cycle careened around the tight turn.

  Impact was unavoidable. The opposing hover-cycle slammed into them. Pain splintered up his lower leg. Garik gritted his teeth against the agony and fought to control their hover-cycle. Metal whined against metal and Saedra’s scream ripped through the air.

  The other rider lost control and skidded into the wall of someone’s store. The following crash and boom drew more attention. Fire rolled up and the cycle and rider ignited in a blaze of flames.

  Garik fought for control as he and Saedra swirled around. He did his best to direct them toward a soft landing and clear area but the market was too crowded. He shifted, using Saedra’s arms about his waist to pull her to the front. He tucked her close and kicked off at the last minute when the cycle flew from under him.

  With his arms locke
d about her, Garik tucked his chin over Saedra’s head and did his best to protect her from the brunt of the crash. They rolled over and over on the ground, his back screaming before coming to a stop.

  ***

  Saedra screamed as the whole world flashed in a blur around her. One of her father’s guards had crashed into them. Shock gave way to fear then confusion as Garik ripped her from his back and curled about her. She barely had time to suck in a breath before they were flung off the hover-cycle.

  Air whistled beneath them but all she felt was the heat of Garik’s body around her. Then they slammed to a stop. She panted in the sudden stillness. Garik was curled over her, his chest rising and falling in time to hers.

  “Garik?”

  Saedra blinked and tried to orient herself but Garik’s large frame had her pinned to the ground. Her ears were still ringing and the scent of smoke and fire burning filled her nose.

  “Are you hurt?” Garik rasped against her hair.

  “No.”

  He rolled to the side on one knee then launched to his feet and pulled Saedra up beside him. “You sure?”

  His gaze covered her from head to toe, lingering on her leg. Saedra glanced over her shoulder and cringed at the wreckage behind them. “I-I’m fine. Really.”

  It was the truth. Now that her shock was wearing off, she realized she didn’t hurt. She looked Garik over and her stomach twisted. Blood dripped from a slash across his cheek. His shirt was torn at the shoulder and there were scrapes visible on his forearms.

  His battered state was the reason she wasn’t hurt. She touched the side of his face. He’d suffered to protect her. “Garikkkk.”

  “Don’t worry.” He gripped her wrist and squeezed.

  Shouts carried over the marketplace. Pivoting, she saw four guards on foot rushing and weaving their way through the crowd.

  Heart pounding and mouth dry, Saedra didn’t know what to do. Garik pulled them into a brisk jog as he dodged and navigated the walking paths. Customers and shop owners stared but no one intervened. The hold Maurin had over Quantoon was iron clad. No one wanted to risk his wrath. Saedra hoped Garik had a plan or knew some way to hide in the marketplace.

  Two guards raced toward them from the front. Garik jerked her to a halt and turned. Another guard popped up from a side street. Garik’s grip shifted from her wrist to her forearm as he moved backward, tugging her along.

  “Give it up, assassin,” one of the guards growled as he edged toward them.

  “This won’t go well for you,” Garik returned in a low deadly voice.

  Goosebumps pebbled Saedra’s flesh up and down her arm. Sweat dampened her palms and her pulse thumped madly. She hadn’t heard him use that tone since the night she’d freed him from his cell.

  The guard, who’d spoken, grinned. “It will go very well when we take you both back to Maurin.”

  Terror shrieked through Saedra’s spine. Her father would come up with an unimaginable punishment for this. Going back was looking more and more like a death sentence. Her fingers tightened around Garik’s hand.

  “He will never touch you again, Saedra,” Garik murmured so only she could hear.

  Calm descended over her. It was as if he read her mind. Though the odds were against them, his relentless stare toward her father’s guards gave her strength.

  A man with darkish blond hair stepped into the small side street where they all stood. The newcomer wore a long, brown jacket which stretched to the top of his scuffed boots. There was a worn gauntlet on the arm he held up while his other hand was shoved deep into the pocket of his black pants. Though he carried no weapons she could see, Saedra had the sense he was a dangerous new player.

  Green eyes glittered as his gaze moved over Garik, assessing, then the guards, dismissive. “What’s going on here?”

  Garik tense beside her, his face an unreadable mask. Before she could decipher the meaning of the blank expression, explosions went off on the right. Reflex had her crouching. Garik burst into motion and wrapped an arm about her shoulder, hustling her against the wall of a rickety lean to with barrels of grain stacked inside. “Move! Go, Saedra!”

  Another explosion went off but this time was met with a blast of firepower from Maurin’s men as they scattered to seek cover. Every sound had Saedra flinching. Garik placed a hand on the middle of her back and shoved her forward when she would have slowed to look behind. “Don’t stop.”

  The snap in his voice had her instinctively following the command. Now was not the time to play offended at the abrasive rasp. Behind them a mini-stand off of some sort was taking place. The guy who’d interrupted launched from the roof of a stall and landed in front of them with a thud, one knee braced on the ground.

  He surged to his feet and the cable connected to the gauntlet on his wrist retracted with a sharp click. He studied Garik with in interesting curl of his lips that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Lucky I recently had a hyper-drive installed on my ship and decided to arrive early, Denikon.”

  Garik stiffened, his arm a tight clamp about Saedra’s waist. Tension rippled along his frame. “Was it luck, Xyman? Or are you here to profit?”

  Now Xyman’s lips twisted into a pale facsimile of a smile. “We have history, Garik. I would never take credits from Maurin for your recapture.”

  Garik snorted. “You left the Guild, why should I trust you?

  The two men eyed one another as if they were enemies. Saedra was undecided. Anyone who helped them against her father wasn’t quite enemy status in her book. She waited avidly for Xyman’s response. Instead, he shrugged his broad shoulders beneath the long coat and slipped his hands casually into his pockets. “I guess you’ll have to decide that.”

  “Can you get us off Quantoon?” Garik huffed beside her. Sarcasm dripped from his next words. “With our history and all.”

  At that, Xyman laughed outright, his green eyes losing the deadpan expression. “You turned out exactly as I hoped, Garik Denikon. The Guild has a way of doing that for those of us who’ve lost a bit of our soul.”

  Chapter 15

  Garik’s frenemy, for lack of any other description, navigated them through the marketplace with no trouble. They walked the streets, shoulders back in broad view of everyone and not a single customer or shop keeper stopped them, nor did they see any more of her father’s guards.

  They arrived at the shuttle/transport station with the same minimum fuss. Garik kept one hand at her waist the entire time and Saedra clenched her fingers in the fabric at the bottom of her shirt to hide their shaking.

  Xyman pointed to a sleek black shuttle at the far end of the station. “That’s me over there.”

  Saedra wasn’t sure of the make and model, but it looked like the type of spacecraft capable of great speed. The double mounted plasma cannons located on the lower front dip of the nose made it very clear it wasn’t just a pretty ride either.

  Looking over her head, Garik scanned the transport bay. He shifted his hand to cup Saedra’s shoulder and slowed down her instinct to follow Xyman. There were maintenance workers with data pads going from ship to ship.

  “Nevo?” Garik muttered.

  Nevo didn’t turn. “Yeah?”

  “You picking up on what I’m getting?”

  Nevo snorted and rocked back on his heels as he tipped his head to the side to smirk at Garik. “Absolutely. Feels like the start to a party.”

  Saedra had no idea what they were talking about but when she focused her attention, the uneasy quiet of what was usually a hub of activity began to stir a sense of self-preservation within her. No sooner had she parted her lips to beg Garik if they could leave, men flowed forward from the exits on both sides of them. Armed men wearing a very distinct and familiar uniform.

  What made chills ice down Saedra’s spine was the tall, gold skinned man with the piercing eyes who entered last on the left. Every step his massive boots made reverberated against the metal floor of the station. Stars, stars, stars. He shouldn’t be here. Her h
eart thrummed a determined beat and perspiration immediately broke out on her forehead. How did he find them so quickly?

  “Well, this is a nice welcome, Lord Maurin,” Xyman taunted, not looking the least intimidated as he shifted his stance. “You shouldn’t have.”

  Her father shot a glare in his direction before turning a hard stare toward Garik. Saedra’s breath caught in her throat when his gaze finally landed on her. His brows lowered and an intense rumble started low in his chest and rolled forth.

  “You don’t stand a chance in holding us here, Maurin.” Garik’s statement caused her father’s dangerous growl to break off.

  He faced Garik. “How did you get out, assazi?”

  Saedra was afraid he’d reveal her part in it but she shouldn’t have. The growing smile on Garik’s face was full of arrogance. “Did you think my reputation was exaggerated?”

  There was only a beat of quickening silence. Maurin was visibly enraged. His gaze swung toward Saedra. The truth clicked in his eyes and lit with a golden fire. “You!”

  He signaled the guards with an angry swipe of his fingers in the air. The low whine of lasers hummed to life. With a roar of rage, Maurin took a step forward.

  Saedra stumbled backward but Garik caught her at the waist.

  “You insist on being trouble for me. First, your mother and now you,” he snapped.

  “Leave her alone.” Garik assumed a protective stance, blocking Maurin’s view of Saedra. “If you let us go now, I won’t kill you now.”

  Maurin sneered. “Us? You plan to take the girl with you?”

  “Yes.”

  Her father laughed. “This is rich. She belongs to me and you’re not taking her anywhere, Denikon.”

  Garik pulled Saedra under the shelter of his arm, tucking her in close to his side. “She doesn’t belong to you. She’s my bond mate.”

  The stare he cast their way was incredulous until he burst into laughter and exchanged a look with the small number of guards with him. They joined in with awkward laughs. “This is rich. You bonded with her? With Saedra?”