My shoulders sagged as she walked away. I knew what she wanted to me to say to Dax, but I was not ready for him to leave, even though he had this annoying habit of invading my space.
I waved at Dax and walked with him a few feet away from the others. “Will you help us save my Dad and the other people in my group?” I asked, folding my arms over my chest.
His cheeks lifted with his lop-sided smile, and those dimples surfaced again. He reached toward me and pulled my arms apart. “You are so closed off and tense. Take a deep breath, my phantom sorceress. It is safe to let others in to your heart center.”
I glanced down at my chest and then my eyes shot back up to meet his. “My heart center? What in the world, Dax? Will you or will you not help us save my people?” My annoyance was flaring, and his gibberish was frustrating.
He laughed, and I could not stop from slightly lifting the corners of my lips in response. The sound was so genuine, and the sparkle in his eyes enchanted me.
Get a grip, Alex.
“Yes, I will assist you, my fair lady.”
I grimaced at his ancient day reference to women. Who was this man? He was causing my emotions to spiral in ways I had never experienced before.
“Let’s go,” Henry said, beckoning for me to follow.
I gave Dax one more pointed look and hurried after Uncle Henry, with this new mystery man on my heels. We crept past my parent’s half-built home, which stood on the edge of our town, then we made our way down the darkened path, pausing next to each home as we drew closer to the center.
I could hear voices as we closed in. A man screamed obscenities at the top of his lungs. He was not afraid to be found, but then he probably believed there was no one near enough who would save my people. They obviously did not do their homework.
Dax stood uncomfortably close to me, with his hand resting on the small of my back. I threw him a dirty look, but he just winked in return. I stepped closer to Mom. He followed suit. Rolling my eyes, I tried to ignore the tingly feeling of enjoyment from the attention he was giving me. And the nickname he had picked for me wasn’t so bad either.
Ugh. I am ridiculous, I scolded myself.
The shouting quieted, and Uncle Henry waved at everyone to separate into three groups. One to stay here, the other two to circle around from opposite directions and close in from the sides. I breathed a sigh of relief when Mom stayed put and motioned for me to remain with her. Dax followed after me, but Uncle Henry dragged him in the opposite direction.
“You can join my team,” I heard Uncle Henry whisper to Dax. “That way I can keep an eye on you.”
Dax just grinned, then turned and blew me a kiss. There were so many reasons he was driving me crazy, and most of them were in his favor. He was growing on me every second I was around him.
I watched them leave, a little disappointed Dax was no longer my guardian.
“Are you ready?” Mom asked, tugging me closer to her.
We settled behind the others crouching next to the squat structure.
I shuffled my feet, kicking loose the dirt underneath them. “Not really, but I am not leaving your side, so you don’t have to worry.”
She nodded, then patted one of the weapons sheathed under my arm. “You’ve got this, Alex. I believe in you, and so does Dad.”
She had a way of calming my fears. I was not skilled to fight, but seeing her confidence in my abilities was stirring a desire to learn. I did not want to let my parents down.
One of the women near the head of our team waved at us to follow her. I leaned down and crept past the home, drawing in a shaky breath to drown out my pulse pounding in my ears. Mom glanced over at me and smiled, then nodded toward my weapons.
I pulled out the two that were nestled next to my arms and held them in front of me. Cursing under my breath for not listening to Dad when he’d shown me how to use these when we were orbiting Earth, I really hoped those green buttons were the only trigger needed to make them function.
We moved past a few towering trees and pressed our backs against another home. Dad was now lying on his stomach, and the anaman had his foot pressed into his neck. Andy stood a few feet away, with his weapon trained on Dad. My stomach churned with fury, and it took all my self-control to hold myself back. Forget my nonexistent training. I was going to throttle Andy with my bare hands.
The rest of the attackers surrounded Dad, with our other people kneeling near Andy. Their fingers were laced behind their heads, clearly in discomfort from their long-standing hostage situation. A few had tears streaming down their faces, while others looked exhausted, angry, or both.
Eshah was nowhere to be seen. My heart ached. Where had they taken her body?
I heard something thud to the ground, and my gaze shot over to the intruder on the farthest end. He was flat on his face. Then another followed him. The anaman looked up in horror as the entire group burst into chaos. Cretin, another anaman from our group, jumped up from his knees and smashed his fist into Andy’s face, then yanked his weapon from his grasp. Suddenly the entire scene was awake with blasts from firearms and shouts to run.
The anaman who was standing on Dad hauled him up from the ground and strangled him from behind as he pulled him away from the fight. The anaman was whispering in Dad’s ear as they shifted down the pathway. I yelped and pointed, but everyone else was in the action already.
I glanced around frantically, searching for someone to help me, but everyone was engaged in their own battles. A rising ball of terror made it nearly impossible to breathe. My hands shook as I pointed the weapons at the anaman holding Dad, but they shook so hard, I could not take the shot. My arms dropped to my sides in defeat.
An energy burst inside my chest, and I straightened with a chill that rushed through my veins. My eyes bored into the anaman and I rushed forward, pointing my weapons at the dirt. I did not want to accidently shoot Dad or someone I cared about. From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of movement, then suddenly Dax was sprinting in front of me. The anaman saw us approaching and yanked Dad in front of him. He was going to escape if I did not run faster.
Without another thought, I flew by Dax, bounded into the air, and flipped over both Dad and the anaman who held him hostage, then landed like a cat on the other side. I whirled around, tucked my weapons back into their holsters, grabbed the stunned anaman by the neck, and tossed him to the side like a ragdoll. Dad sucked in a lungful of air, while Dax stood frozen where I had left him in my wake.
I was fairly certain his stunned expression matched mine.
“Alex!” Dad yelled. “Look out.”
I ducked just as the anaman’s fist breezed above me. Kicking out, I struck him in the calf, then swiped over and knocked him on his back. A flash of chilling ice filled within my chest, and suddenly the anaman was shivering, his lips as blue as my eyes.
I could not move. What had just happened?
The anaman pried his leg from what looked like a frozen puddle on the ground and leapt to his feet, shot me an icy look of disdain, and bolted into the darkened woods.
“Wow!” Dax exclaimed. He raced to me and helped me off the ground. “Your moves, my phantom sorceress! The ice storm you created was a nice touch, and where did you learn to fight and flip like that?”
I glanced at Dad over Dax’s shoulder. He was stooped over with his hands pressed in his knees, but his gaze locked on to mine. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Beginner’s luck, I guess.” I shrugged my shoulders and pushed past Dax, running into Dad’s arms.
“Way to go, baby girl,” Dad whispered in my ear. His large hand swept down my hair, then he squeezed me tight. “I knew you had it in you. You will have to fill me in on that handy ice trick.”
“But I don’t know how I did it,” I replied, leaning back to look him in the eyes. “The adrenaline came out of thin air, as well as the freezing sensation. I didn’t mean to do whatever I did. Why are these abilities so difficult for me?”
“You will l
earn. Be patient with yourself.” Dad kissed the top of my head.
We turned around. Two of the invaders were lying dead, and one was captured as well was Andy, but the others had escaped.
“Jax. Henry. Adina. Anyone?” Someone called over our coms.
We all stopped and lifted our arms in unison, but Mom spoke first.
“We are here, Chance. What is it?” she asked as she sprinted toward me and Dad.
“The ship has been ransacked,” Chance blurted. “The cloaking device is gone, and it looked like they attempted to hijack the entire ship. We need you all to return now.”
I glanced at where Dax had been standing, but he was gone. My gaze traveled around the area, searching for his face. My heart sank into my stomach. He really had played me. This entire act had been a charade to keep me busy and away from the ship while his friends stole the cloaking device and whatever else they could get their hands on.
Once again, I was the naïve one. Uncle Henry’s shoulders sagged, and exhaustion spread down his face. This was my fault, and I had to find a way to fix it.
CHAPTER NINE
Imprisoned
KIA LYNN
“Zoe Dawn!” I shrieked, bolting upright in bed.
It was dark, and the room around me was unfamiliar. I blinked several times, trying to recall why I was not at home. Zoe Dawn’s surprised expression was all I could see in my mind, as well as the massively huge man who was dragging her away.
As my eyes adjusted to the room, some awareness came back to me. This looked like the infirmary back home. Had the mating ceremony been a bad dream?
I rubbed my eyes and shifted out of the bed. My left calf burned, and for some reason it felt like it had been cut again. A breeze danced through my legs, lifting the gown I was wearing slightly. Someone must have left the door open. I looked around at the other beds, but could not see anyone else. Something felt wrong.
Why was I in the infirmary? And what had happened to Zoe Dawn? Even though the man dragging her away seemed like a nightmare, in my gut I knew she was gone.
My gaze landed on a covered window. A beam of moonlight was streaming through an opened slice in the fabric. I hurried over and swung the covering to the side.
I could see the village center. There was a low fire dancing in the fire pit and a few people sitting in chairs around it. I could make out Sister Nikita’s long hair from the light. She had been in my dream as well, but I could not remember why.
My toes curled away from the cold rock floor, reminding me they were bare. I glanced back at the bed I was lying in. Next to it on a chair was my folded clothes, and underneath were my boots. I needed to go after Zoe Dawn.
I dressed quickly, pulled on my boots, and gathered my few items left on the chair. One of them being the tiny white horse I had given Alarix. When had he returned it and why?
I groaned. My memory was shot.
Slipping out of the building, I kept my eyes on the three situated around the fire and crept toward my house, not wanting anyone to stop me. I stepped lightly along the dirt path and nearly shrieked when a figure moved out of the shadows.
Rafael’s lips twitched into a smile. “You should be in the infirmary,” he said, leaning against a tree only a few feet away.
“I am fine,” I snapped, rushing around him.
His hand shot out and grabbed my arm. “Not your wisest move. Sister Nikita needs you to stay in the infirmary.”
“Why?” I hated asking anything from Rafael, but I needed to know what was happening.
“’For your own safety’, is what I have been told. After Zoe Dawn’s abduction, they believe you will be next.”
The breath in my throat stuck against it like molasses. I gulped it down and turned to face Rafael. “Zoe Dawn has really been abducted? That was not a nightmare?”
He chuckled as if he were enjoying my confusion. The traitorous keefie would never change. I pushed him away from me and stomped toward the fire pit. I needed answers, and Sister Nikita seemed to be the only one in charge these days. It irritated me more than anything that I was listening to Rafael and heading toward a woman I no longer felt safe around.
Scenes flashed in my mind, broken pieces of memories or dreams centered on Sister Nikita betraying me—betraying all of us. I just was not sure which were true and what ones were dreams.
Sister Nikita and a tall, thin man rose from their chairs when they saw me. He looked familiar.
“Kia Lynn, you have awoken,” Sister Nikita said, holding out her hands for me to take. “I have been worried about you.”
“How long have I been sleeping?” I ignored Sister Nikita’s hands and kept my distance. My gaze drifted toward a male anaman who was still sitting. I stepped back in surprise, not expecting to see one of our enemies lounging as a visitor on our lands. “And who are these strangers in our village?”
“Please sit.” Sister Nikita tapped the chair next to her.
I glanced her way but did not move.
“These are our guests, Kia Lynn. Do you remember Rork, from the mating ceremony?” She pointed toward the lanky man still standing on the other side of the fire pit.
My eye narrowed in recognition. “You knew we were going to be attacked.” I pointed at him as memories flooded my mind. “You looked right at me and winked, then chaos broke loose. What did you do with Trix?”
“Trix has passed on, little lass.” Rork smiled, revealing his missing tooth.
His accent was unmistakable. It was just like the voice of the man who had cut me in the woods.
I clenched my hands into fist. “Is that so? I do not believe you.” I looked back at Sister Nikita. “What did you do with Zoe Dawn? Why did you want me to leave the ceremony early and not choose a mate?”
Sister Nikita’s brows lifted, but her composure did not falter. Her shoulders remained back and her head held high. She had always been perfect in everything she did, but her empathic kindness was all I had ever cared about. Now I knew it had only been a ploy to gain my trust.
“Kia Lynn, you have a gift—”
“Enough,” the anaman shouted, interrupting Sister Nikita, then rose from his chair at the same time I swiveled to look at him. His eyes were dark green like the trees, and they shot through me like daggers. I noticed a fresh scratch that started on his right cheek and traveled to his neck. “This is a waste of my time. Preparations need to be made to stop the faction whom Zoe Dawn has run off with. She cannot be bonded to that anaman girl.”
I blinked at him in confusion.
“Kia Lynn does not know the consequences of their activation.” Sister Nikita stepped up beside me and rested her hand on my shoulder. I glared at her, but she ignored me. “That it will bind her to this dimension for the rest of her life. And that her mother would be furious with all of us if we allowed it to happen.” It was then she turned to look at me.
“What?” I stared at each of the men, before returning to look at Sister Nikita. “My mother? Where is she?”
“That is difficult to explain,” Rork said. He was settling into his seat again. “We can tell you this; she is alive, and we intend to reunite you both soon.”
I could not believe what I was hearing. Elation bubbled in my stomach at the thought of seeing Mama again. “I want to know more. Is this why you insisted I not pick a mate? And what about the marking that lunatic man gave me two days ago? Why did you not just tell me all of this instead of embarking on this elaborate scheme?” I sank onto the nearest chair and waited for them to continue.
Sister Nikita nodded and sat on the edge of her seat. “Yes, this is why we did not want you to pick a mate. Tying you down with Alarix—yes, we know about him—would have made this transition to a new dimension more painful. He had agreed to mate with another, then betrayed us.”
“And you would know all about betrayal, wouldn’t you? You are the reason he broke my heart.”
A burst of wind swept around us, and the flames danced toward Rork, blasting him with ash and sm
oke. He shot up from his seat and stepped behind his chair, looking at me with fear etched in his features. Sister Nikita’s head shook slightly, then turned back toward me.
I pretended I did not see their exchange. Instead I held up the white horse. “Why do I have this?”
Rork laughed and rolled his eyes heavenward, having regained his composure. “Because the ridiculous lovebird beat us to you, and as we were pulling you apart, he pressed that into your hand.” He balled his hands into fists as his smile melted from his face. “It took several tries to pry it from your grip. Word of advice, lass, love is not worth it.”
I did not like him.
“Kia Lynn, your mother was a friend of mine,” the anaman said. He had returned to his seat as well but was leaning forward and had turned toward me. “She grew up in a time and place where people were not kind to her, for various reasons, but she and I connected with ease. When I discovered her daughter resided here, I made arrangements with these other friends of hers to bring you into our fold. We are sorry your friend betrayed you in the process.”
He was lying about Zoe Dawn. “What is your name, friend of my mother’s?”
“You may call me Tatum,” he replied, and his mouth set in a hard line.
“Well, let me tell you, Tatum.” I leaned forward in my chair and clasped my hands together, before setting them in my lap. “Zoe Dawn would never betray me, not in a million years. I do not know you, nor do I trust you just because you claim to be my mother’s friend. But Zoe Dawn is off limits. Do you hear me?”
His jaw tightened, and the crimson flush rising up his neck brought me more joy than I thought it would. He quickly composed himself and whooped with a loud and unexpected laughter.
“You are more like your mother than I realized.” He shook his head and sprawled back in his chair with a wide grin. “I miss that woman.” His gaze met mine, and his stare became as sharp as a dagger. “Zoe Dawn is off limits to you. There will be no misunderstandings on this. We broke your bond with her, and we will not chance that connection by allowing you to be together again.”
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