by Octavia Kore
“Thank you,” Esme said, slipping one of the bags over her head. “For everything you’ve done.”
With her mates’ hands clutched tightly in her own, Esme stepped forward, not daring to look back. It was now or never, and she wasn’t going to waste another moment on fear.
We’re coming, Eina, she thought as the light engulfed them. We’re coming for you.
Chapter 26
Kythea
One moment they were inside the temple, staring into the blinding light of the open portal, and the next Ky found herself standing on a platform made of shimmering black stone. Her eyes traced the horizon, but there was nothing but massive black rock formations for as far as she could see. The dagger-shaped peaks jutted up toward the sky like the spines of a vouken. Ky had never seen anything like this before.
The ones closest to them were at least ten times her height and had to have been double that at the base where it broke through the ground. It seemed devoid of life, the opposite of Venora in every way. How were they going to find Eina in a place as vast and lifeless as this?
When she’d first entered the dome, Ky couldn’t imagine she would ever find herself in a place more foreign and intimidating, but it seemed like fate was trying to outdo itself. For the first time in her entire life, Ky wasn’t on Venora or in the okeanos. She looked down at Esme and wondered if this was what she felt the day they met.
“Where do we go from here?” she asked, glancing over their female’s head at Xuvri.
“I don’t know. I’ve never actually been to this part of the Tachin homeworld.”
Esme sighed, closing her eyes as she tipped her head back. “Ky? Do you remember the day we met?”
“Yes.”
“I ran from the Grutex ship because I knew Eina was in the forest. I could feel this pull, like there was a rope tied to something inside of me. The closer I got to her, the stronger it became.” Esme’s eyes opened and Ky gazed into them. “She’s so faint, but the moment I stepped out of the portal I could feel her. I know she’s here somewhere.”
“Can you give us a direction?” their male asked.
Esme worried her lip, before pointing off to their left. “It’s strongest that way.”
“Well done,” Ky murmured as they descended the platform.
“Well done? If I’d paid more attention to your lessons, if I hadn’t let him intimidate me, then maybe we wouldn’t be here. If I hadn’t failed, if I’d been better, then they wouldn’t have taken—”
“I will not let you continue to put yourself down,” Ky snapped, turning on their human mate. “You did not fail. You fought for Eina just as any dam would. Even though you were scared and you knew the odds were not in your favor, you still did everything you could to defend her.” Esme’s lip trembled as she looked away. “I am proud of you. We both are,” Ky amended when Xuvri growled. “Without you, we would have no idea who took Eina.”
Esme said no more as they traveled over the uneven terrain, skirting the rock formations. The loose sand in many places pulled at their feet, making it hard for Esme to move. Eventually, Xuvri scooped their female up, tucking Esme against his chest as she protested.
“I was doing just fine!”
“You were,” he conceded. “But this will be faster. You are the navigator now.”
With Esme in his arms, Xuvri and Ky were able to cover more distance, stopping only for food and water, and to allow Esme to express the milk that caused her breasts to swell and become painful. Their poor mate had cried both times she did it, and Ky had felt helpless to ease her fears because she felt the same gnawing uncertainty in her chest.
Ky had never been this scared in all of her life. Even when Gulzar had found himself in trouble, even on the days she’d snuck out to follow him into the forest, Ky’s insides had never twisted as much as they were doing now. Their youngling was alone and helpless with a male who had done unspeakable things to Esme and a female whose motives were unclear.
The soft glow of lights on the horizon sent a jolt of excitement racing through Ky. There was something up ahead.
“We should rest here,” Xuvri said, lowering Esme to the ground.
Ky’s tail twitched as she turned back to frown at her male. “Rest? Xuvri, we are so close to her.”
“Even if she was over there, we’re in no shape to walk into something unprepared. We’ve been traveling for at least a day, maybe longer, and we need to rest. Esme hasn’t lost track of her, which means wherever she is, Eina is alive.”
He was right, Ky knew that, but even as her muscles trembled and her legs threatened to collapse, the urge to storm in and tear everything apart until their daughter was back in their arms warred within her. With a heavy sigh, Ky let herself drop to the ground beside Esme.
“It hurts so much,” Esme whimpered, tugging at the top of her dress until she’d freed her breasts. Ky smoothed her hand over Esme’s hair as Xuvri curled around them, his soft rattling purr working the tension from Ky’s sore muscles. When she’d relieved enough of the pressure to be comfortable again, Esme rested her head against Ky’s chest, counting softly to herself as she released a long breath.
They all slept fitfully, tossing and turning on the uncomfortable ground. Each time Ky managed to fall asleep, she woke with a start from dreams filled with all sorts of horrible visions. Eventually, Esme wriggled free from their tangle of limbs, her face devoid of all of the happiness Ky had become accustomed to seeing since their move to the village.
“I can’t wait any more, Xuvri. I know what they do to people on that ship and I can’t stand not knowing what’s happening.”
Xuvri stood, lifting Esme into his arms so he could press his face into the side of her neck as he began to purr. He was scared. Ky could feel it slam into her a moment before he dropped a mental wall. They continued on toward the glowing lights, picking their way carefully as they approached and trying to stay out of sight as much as possible.
When the moon rose high above them, it brought with it the chill of the night. Even though the sun wasn’t as large here as it was on Venora it had kept them warm during the day. The drastic change in temperature made Ky wonder how the creatures who called this place home managed day in and day out.
If there are any creatures that actually call this place home.
They’d come all this way and had yet to see anything resembling life. There were no animals and no plants, nothing that would indicate this was more than a rock drifting through space. Ky recalled the way Hylanthe told her people of the gods’ displeasure and of how they’d destroyed the portal as punishment. If there was ever a place that looked as if it had seen the wrath of an angry god, it was this one.
“You can put me down now,” Esme whispered, running her fingers over the spikes on the back of Xuvri’s head. “We’re almost there, and you’re going to need your hands free if things get crazy.”
The sky above them was cloudless, and Ky watched as Esme stared up into the dark, star-speckled expanse. “Eina’s up there,” she said.
“Come. Stay in the shadows.”
They followed their male, staying low to the ground as they approached what looked to be some sort of small trading post. Ky may not have seen any creatures out in the wild, but there was no lack of beings here. There were more ships here than Ky had ever seen in her life and like their transports, the aliens who crowded the square varied in size and color. There was a group of six-armed aliens standing near the back of one ship, unloading box after box. Like the Grutex, their bodies were covered in armor, but it was a shimmering black, a stark contrast to the pearly white of their chests. Two short red spikes decorated the top of each shoulder, and the sight of their eight eyes sent a shiver through Ky.
There were so many species here that she wasn’t sure where to look first. There were dark, slender aliens with glowing green patterns, and another species just behind that one covered in fine purple hair with multiple terrifying appendages surrounding its mouth. Huge white wings, n
umerous arms and legs, fur, armor, and every color in existence was represented here.
“Oh, God,” Esme whispered from beside her. “I’m pretty sure those are giant spiders.”
Ky wasn’t sure what spiders were, but by the look on her mate’s face it was clear to her that Esme disliked them immensely.
“This way.” Ky and Esme followed Xuvri down the small incline and around the front of a grouping of larger ships. “Stay here.”
Xuvri disappeared between the ships, and Ky wrapped her tail around Esme’s waist, tugging her farther beneath the nose of the ship when an alien with pierced horns running in a line down his head nearly stumbled over them. There were more horns on his face, two above each eye and one where one might imagine his nose to be. His arms were filled with boxes, and his long red tail slid across the ground behind him, just missing Esme’s leg.
A second alien, this one with a set of long limbs that ended in sharp points and a lower, shorter set of arms filled with a dazzling array of flowers, stepped out in front of the horned alien whose skin turned the same color as the dark ground it stood on.
Ky could hear them shouting at one another, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. A hard hand clutched her shoulder, and Ky nearly jumped out of her own skin. Xuvri pressed a finger to his lips and handed them both heavy black shrouds.
“Put them on,” he instructed, looking at Esme as she did as she was told. “You’re sure Eina is up there and not somewhere on the planet?”
Esme nodded. “I’m sure.”
“How are we going to manage to get to the ship from all the way down here?” Ky questioned.
Xuvri pulled up their hoods, covering Ky and Esme’s faces as he jerked his chin toward a ship barely visible across the square. “There’s a Grutex cargo runner over there. If we can get on board, then we can dock with the Kaia’s ship.”
Was it really going to be that easy? “How do we get past all of these aliens without drawing attention to ourselves?”
“By looking and acting as if we belong here.” He tucked the cloth around their bodies and stepped back to inspect them. “Do not let anyone catch sight of you. If they find out I’ve got a human and a Venium hybrid with me, we’re not going to get anywhere.”
“Surely they have seen both humans and Venium before?” Ky questioned.
“They have, and it’s exactly why we don’t want them knowing what you are. The Venium and the Tachin are not allies and do not trade within the same circles. If someone sees you, if they catch sight of your fushori, there will be chaos.” He reached into the hood to stroke her xines. “Keep your heads down and stay right by my side.”
Although the lights from the ships had seemed bright out in the darkness of the wild, they were dim enough here in the square that Ky was sure no one even spared them a second glance. She kept Esme between her and Xuvri, trying her best to shield their human from any unwanted attention, but as they neared the Grutex ship, Ky’s heart began to race.
What if they were caught? What if they were separated?
Focus, Kythea. Do not let your fear take hold. She could hear her sire’s calm, steady voice in her mind, and she let it soothe her. They were so close now.
The ship in front of them was much different than the one she and Esme had found Xuvri in. It looked much more like the one Esme and the other human survivors had arrived on, with large open doors at the back that led into a spacious interior. Crates of various sizes were stacked along the walls, with even more of them scattered in the center of the floor. The crewmembers were nowhere in sight. Odd.
Esme darted forward before they could catch her, tucking herself between a few of the larger crates, but just as Ky reached her position, someone grabbed her arm and yanked the hood from her head. It was one of the Grutex crewmembers. The male stared down at her, all six of his red eyes roaming her face as a growl rumbled through his chest. He was much smaller than Xuvri, but he loomed over her all the same.
“I don’t know where you came from, female, but I know where you’re going.” Ky jerked away when he reached up to touch her xines. “A little hybrid,” he whispered, grinning as she snarled. “Have you ever been hunted, little hybrid?” The male fisted her hair, yanking her head to the side, but the smile faded from his face as he looked down at her neck. “You’ve been marked?”
Before Ky could respond, a growl echoed around them and an arm slipped beneath the smaller male’s chin, hauling him back. “It’s rude to touch what doesn’t belong to you.” Xuvri snarled before he snapped the Grutex’s head to one side. There was a loud pop as his red eyes went wide, and when Xuvri released him, his body crumpled to the floor.
Ky was lifted up, her chest pressed tightly against Xuvri’s as he crushed his lips to her. The long, thick xines around his face tangled with her smaller ones, gripping and twisting them until he pulled away.
“Who do you belong to?” His breath fanned out along her cheeks.
“You,” Ky whispered, her chest heaving.
“Don’t ever forget that.”
He placed her back on her feet before dragging the body of the other male behind a stack of tethered crates. When he returned, they squeezed in next to Esme and waited in silence as the other members of the crew eventually returned to finish loading their cargo. The big doors closed, and they were cast into darkness.
Ky glanced to the side where she could feel Xuvri pressed against her and shivered. Now wasn’t the time for her heat to rise, but once they were back in the village with their baby safely tucked away inside their home, Ky was going to show her male that there was no chance of her ever forgetting who she belonged to.
Chapter 27
Xuvri
Maybe it hadn’t been completely necessary to kill every member of the small crew on board the cargo ship after it docked, but it had eased Xuvri’s mind. The males would have the chance to go through the rebirthing process, but if Xuvri and his females were caught, they would not. He thanked the gods that the pilot had been instructed to dock in this area as he opened the hatch and scanned the hall. It was a section not commonly used anymore, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be patrolled.
Movement to the left of the exit caught Xuvri’s attention and he paused, using his tail to press Ky and Esme back into the loading area as he turned to face the lone male. He was shorter than Xuvri by a head, but with the way all six of his red eyes sized him up, Xuvri imagined he wasn’t someone any of the other males, not even the warriors, dared to cross.
Erusha was the head scientist, the one in charge of the labs, and Xuvri remembered meeting him after returning from Earth with Laurie. Xuvri glanced toward the cryopod at the older male’s side and frowned.
“Where are the females?”
A snarl pulled at Xuvri’s lip as he bristled. “What females?”
With an impatient huff, Erusha moved toward him, pulling the cryopod along at his side. “I’ve already spoken with Nuzal on an encrypted line. I know about your mates, about Vodk taking your offspring, and that somewhere on this ship is an extremely unhappy Tachin queen.” The door to the pod opened with a soft hiss when he stopped a few paces in front of the exit. “I have disabled the cameras for this dock, but it won’t be long until someone notices. We’ll put your females into the cryopod and hopefully get them through the halls without someone questioning what the gleck we’re doing here.”
“I’m not going in the fucking cryopod again!” Esme snarled, pushing her way past Xuvri’s tail as she stomped out into the hall to face down Erusha.
“Gleck it all, Esme,” Xuvri growled, catching her around the waist. “You were supposed to stay hidden.”
“Getting in the pod is the only way to get you to where you need to be without alerting the entire ship to your presence,” Erusha said, ignoring Xuvri’s grumbled warnings. “If you want to get to your offspring, then you and the hybrid female will get in the pod.”
Ky’s soft growl at his back told Xuvri he wasn’t the only one who
didn’t care for the tone the older male had taken with their mate. He could sense her fear, and he wanted to tell Esme that she didn’t have to do this, that they would find another way, but they didn’t have time to do that. Eina had already been gone for far longer than he was comfortable with, and the sooner they got to Vodk, the sooner Xuvri could rip the male’s head from his shoulders.
“I’m scared.”
The whispered confession broke his heart, and even Erusha’s stern expression seemed to soften some. “I know this is something you do not wish to do, human, but I swear to you I have taken every precaution to ensure we get there as safe and quickly as possible. The unit is not functioning, and if we are stopped, there is a false scan uploaded to the datapad. You will not sleep.”
“I will be there with you,” Ky told her as she touched the side of their mate’s face. “And I will not let anything happen to you as long as I am alive.” She climbed into the pod and looked at their female expectantly.
Esme wriggled in Xuvri’s arms until he placed her on the ground. He watched this little mate walk up to the male and stare up at him. “The others trusted you to get us out of here before and you didn’t deceive us. I sure as hell hope we can trust you now when our daughter’s life is on the line.” She didn’t wait for Erusha to reply, but climbed into the cryopod after Ky, slipping into her embrace.
Ky gazed up at Xuvri as he stood over them, a thin smile on her lips. “We will be okay. Finding Eina is all that matters.”
Xuvri caught Esme’s terrified expression as Erusha began to close the lid, and his heart ached with the knowledge that this must be torture for her. This was the place where she’d lived out nightmares thanks to his people, and now she was back, being forced to relive it. He grabbed the edge of the lid before it could latch, and, ignoring Erusha’s irritated grumbling, Xuvri leaned in to press a kiss to his females’ heads.
