“Holy hell,” Riley said, her voice faltering.
Klaej forced his mind back to the task at hand. To hold one of Negari’s crystals meant certain power. To have all three? In the wrong hands, it would spell certain disaster. This was a major catastrophe waiting to happen.
“They have them connected to some sort of a machine. There are about a dozen scaled ones doing something to them, attaching wires to them. We will subdue the scaled ones first, and then retrieve the crystals when it is safe to unwire them without causing them damage. There are more of them than us. They look more like scientific types than the rougher ones that took us from the jet,” Rujali said.
Rujali settled a serious gaze on Riley. Before he spoke, she opened her mouth as an adorable scowl crossed her face.
“Don’t tell me I’m not goin’ in.”
“I was going to say nothing of the sort,” he said.
She tilted her chin, but her shoulders relaxed a fraction. “Because I’m not hiding in the shadows like a coward.”
“You, mate, are the bravest female I know. What I was going to say, as you’re the lightest and stealthiest of us all, that while we attack, you dart in and snatch the crystals once we have dealt with the scaled ones,” Rujali said.
Her brows flickered up and down. “So, you want me to get the crystals?”
“You are the obvious choice. You are fast. Lithe. You’ll take the scaled ones by surprise. We are slower. We’ll go in by force. This operation will be in and out. We go as fast as we can. Once Riley has the crystals, we retreat back into the tunnel and return to open ground. Hopefully we can find a craft and get the hells off this planet,” Rujali said.
She gave a sharp nod. She understood. She was determined. Focused. She was a professional through and through.
Klaej didn’t think he could become prouder of her.
Rujali ran through a hastily put together plan of attack. Rujali would fight those on the right. Setzan would subdue those on the left and Rujali would attack those over the crystals. Klaej listened and committed the steps to memory, seeing each stride in his mind. Rujali was the best tactician, while he was better at, well, slashing.
Rujali caught Riley’s nape in the palm of his hand and kissed her hard and fast. She stiffened for a moment, and then melted into him with a moan.
Klaej’s shaft thickened as he watched his brother kissing their mate. There was something about observing how she melted and went pliant while her mouth was ravaged that set him on fire. He wasn’t surprised how much he enjoyed watching. Rujali and his mate’s pleasure was his.
Rujali ended their harsh kiss and passed her to Setzan. He didn’t hesitate and captured her mouth in his with a desperation born of heading into battle. Riley threw her arms around his neck and the muscles in her arms flexed as she locked him tight against her. Setzan’s hand slid down her back to cup her backside. He gripped a plump cheek and ground her against his growing erection. Her hips twitched in response.
Oh, yes. Their mate was exceptionality responsive.
Setzan withdrew. Riley’s gaze was unfocussed, her lips plump and wet. Setzan smirked and turned Riley towards Klaej. He didn’t bother hiding his erection, grinding it into her soft belly. He wound one arm about her shoulders, a hand resting on her plum backside before slashing his mouth over hers. His tongue dove into her wet heat. She met his movements with a bold sweep of her tongue.
Reluctantly, he ended their kiss. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough, but there was nothing he could rectify about it.
It was not the time for any more kissing. Now was the time for battle.
Chapter Seventeen
Riley
Rujali’s plan was swift, brutal, and, she had to admit, very good. He was a talented tactician. Knowing that made him all that sexier.
And that kiss. From each of them.
Searing.
It had taken her a couple of seconds to ground herself, and then she scurried behind Rujali, following him around the corner into the bright cavern beyond. Everything was laid out as he’d said.
They moved swiftly and quietly as a team should. One monster turned, its beady eyes locking on them, and let out a squeak. The others turned and in that instant her men roared loud enough to just about rupture her ears.
Rujali swiped down with a lazy sweep of his sword. A Reptilian arm bounced across the ground, green blood spurting from the severed end. Setzan stepped next to his brother and rammed his rifle into the underbelly of another Reptile and squeezed the trigger. The creature was blown backwards from the force of the bullet. Her legs went weak. She had to get her hands on one of those. Klaej crashed into another Reptile, sending the creature to the ground before stabbing another in the middle of its chest.
They moved in complete synchronization with each other and made the perfect path for her to dart through. She had her eyes on the prize.
Three of the most beautiful crystals were aligned on a sleek bench. Each was about thirty centimeters high the width of her fist. They let off a subdued light. One was a bright purple magenta, the other swirls of sea-green, and the middle was bright, shining gold.
Once her eyes fell on the golden crystal, she couldn’t take her eyes off it. Somehow, she was at the bench, her hand fisted around the crystal. Only this time it didn’t sear her. A golden light exploded from deep within and encircled her with warmth. Motes of different shades of gold and flecks of silver danced in the light. It was as though, with her touch, the crystal had come alive.
Warmth flooded her hand and travelled through the entire length of her body. A gamut of emotions poured through her: Bliss. Despair. Elation. Horror. She was ripped from one to the polar opposite of the other so fast it was a blur. Her mind reeled in the turmoil, heart hammering as she experienced each and every emotion as they spun through her.
Another burst of light erupted from the ends of the crystal and she was caught in a golden glow of circling dust. She felt as though she was spinning uncontrollably through a supernova. Love so intense she had no name for it left her breathless. She’d never felt a love as powerful. So right. So… everything. She never wanted to stop feeling it. All she wanted to do was lie down, forget everything, and bask in it forever.
A clawed hand raked over hers, dislodging her hand from the crystal. Her breath caught as the golden light and love shattered around her, although the crystal still glowed with an achingly beautiful intensity.
She snapped back to the battle. She rammed her blade beneath a monster’s jaw, the tip of the blade appearing on the top of its snout. Green blood spurted from the wound and down her hand. Its eyes rolled back in its head and it sank to the floor.
Forcing the sounds of battle behind her, she turned her attention back to the crystals. Wires were attached the top and bottom of each crystal. She didn’t know if this was a good or bad thing, but she ripped them all off.
When the last wire came off, sirens screamed so loud they must have been able to be heard in the next galaxy. There would be only one reason for something like that to be so loud—reinforcements.
“Got ’em. Retreat!” she yelled, gathering the crystals in her arms.
Rujali, Setzan, and Klaej fought the slashing tails and kicks from the Reptiles. She dodged one way and then the next, ducking beneath Rujali’s arm and then sidestepping around Setzan. They cleared a path to allow her to pass.
A tail swiped at her. She leaped just as the spike on the end nearly grazed her shin. Claws ripped the back of her vest. She spun and twisted. Material ripped, but she came free, flying the last few steps towards the darkness of the tunnel.
“I’m out!” she yelled before sprinting into the dark.
She didn’t stop to see if the guys followed. They were seasoned enough to know exactly where she was and how to extricate themselves from the battle. The sirens wailed louder in the tunnels than in the cavern.
She came to an intersection. Heavy footfalls and a laser blast at her feet had her skidding to a halt
. A horde of Reptiles were heading in her direction. She stood out in the darkness with the glowing crystals clutched to her torso, heart galloping in her chest. She had no choice but to turn deeper into the tunnel. She could only hope she didn’t come face to face with another worm.
As if born by her thought, the ground rumbled. A breeze brushed past. A screech erupted from the depths of the tunnel.
“You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me.”
Holy Fuck. She had a shitty choice—fight the monster worm, or the Reptile monsters coming up behind her.
She stumbled to a halt, shoving the crystals into her vest and zipping it up tight. She faced the Reptiles coming up behind her, gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands, ready.
The horde of Reptiles descended. She slashed as claws, teeth, and tails whipped at her. She was vastly outnumbered, but she would rather face the monsters than the worm any day. If she could push her way through, she just might be able to backtrack past them. That was her plan, anyway.
A hard shoulder barreled into her. She was caught off balance. A tail swiped her legs out from under her and she smashed to the ground. Pain exploded as she skidded over the rough-hewn gravel. The sword spun out of her grip.
She hooked an arm over the crystals, but a claw ripped her vest and the crystals spilled onto the floor. They tinkled over the rock as they spun and clattered out of her reach. She shoved herself across the ground, toward the golden crystal, and grabbed it up. She hugged it tight against her.
A claw sank into the back of her leg. She kicked. The underside of her boot connected with a snout. Green blood spurted and a couple of teeth fell to the ground, and her leg came free. A momentary wave of satisfaction warmed her, before the Reptile fixed a beady eye on her.
She tried to scramble to her feet, but as she came to her knees, a tail swiped beneath her. She smashed onto her back again. The Reptiles crowded around her. She lashed out, but her fists and boots only glanced off their hard scales. A claw wrapped around her thigh, the tips breaking her skin. She gritted her teeth as the sharp pain raced up her leg.
Another terrible screech sounded.
Her blood chilled. She knew what was on the end of that sound. Apparently, so did the Reptiles. Their heads turned towards the sound, their eyes glinting in the golden light of the crystal she still clutched.
She used the diversion and scrambled to her feet, ignoring the aches and bruises that covered her body. A hissing clack sounded, and claws sank into her arm. Her body locked with the pain.
“Oh, I’m so over you doing that to me.” Even though she knew she fought a losing battle, she formed a fist and drove it into the eye of the Reptile clutching her. The punch glanced off its face with a wet squelch. The Reptile tightened its grip, but she noted with satisfaction that its eyelid was half closed and had already started to swell. With any luck, she’d blinded the bastard.
The screech sounded again, feeling as though it was almost on top of them. She needed to get away. Now. Riley lashed out but several other claws caught her legs and free arm. She was held immobile between them as they dragged her away from the direction of the worm. At least they headed in the right direction.
She screamed out loud. “Get off me. So brave when there’s a stack of you against me, aren’t you. Coward bastards!”
She struggled, but only succeeded in imbedding their claws further. The worm screech was earsplitting now. The wind chopped all around them. The Reptiles weren’t moving fast enough. It would only be a matter of time before the worm got them. She’d barely defeated it before, and that was with her guys and their impressive fighting skills. Here, with these creatures, she’d have no hope.
There was a flash of slick black skin and sawing teeth above her. A Reptile’s head was sawed off mid-step. Green blood splattered everywhere. With a gigantic crunch, the skull shattered into a million pieces. The body fell lifeless to the ground.
The worm dove down at them again, chomping right through one side of a Reptile. Its arm, half its chest and torso, and hip was lost in a moment. The rest of the body tumbled away, disappearing between the body of the worm and the wall.
She could do nothing but watch, arms and legs strung out between the surrounding horde of Reptiles. At least she still gripped the remaining golden crystal. Even if her body was eaten, her hand might still be able to protect it. She’d often seen severed limbs still clutching objects. Maybe then one of the guys might find it.
The worm towered over her. This was it. She struggled against the claws embedded in her body as the giant maw descended.
A flash of silver, and the head of the Reptile holding her leg toppled from a neat cut right through its neck. The silver streaked again and again as all of the claws were detached from her limbs. Arms gathered her and she was crushed against a solid chest.
“Rujali?” Her mind spun, wondering how they were even here, but now was not the time to stop and think.
“Run!” Setzan bolted ahead while Klaej took up the rear.
“The other crystals!” Riley said.
“Leave them. They’re under the worm. There’s no time.” Rujali swept her up in his arms and darted away from the terrible screeching of the worm. A Reptile’s hiss ended abruptly followed by crunching bones. She shuddered as wet sounds echoed off the walls and the worm feasted on the Reptiles. She couldn’t think of a more fitting end.
“In here,” Seztan yelled.
They barreled around a sharp corner, the sides so narrow it scraped her feet and shoulders. Their footfalls pounded on the rough rock as they ran through the inky blackness. She tensed, skin prickling, half expecting another worm to bear down on them from the darkness.
“I think I can see…” Rujali began.
They all spilled out into an open area. Cool fresh air washed over her face and she sucked it down greedily. Stars blinked down from an inky sky. They weren’t just in a large cavern. They were outside.
There was nothing but dark, barren landscape surrounding them for miles and miles. They had escaped, but they were tired and injured and now totally lost. Her shoulders slumped and she closed her eyes, heated tears prickling behind closed lids. One trickled free and she made no attempt to swipe it away.
She knew this would be a suicide mission, but she thought it would be at the hands of the Reptiles. Now it could be at the hands of good old exhaustion and dehydration. They’d just postponed their deaths into a drawn-out, more agonizing affair.
“Now what are we going to do?”
Chapter Eighteen
Riley
She was cradled in Rujali’s arms, Klaej at her right and Setzan at her left. They were halfway up a rocky hill that was dotted with the dark mouths of various caves. The landscape seemed to be woven with tunnels and caves, probably formed by the giant attack worms. Riley shuddered No wonder they could bite through flesh, bones and scales so easily if they could chew their way through solid rock.
They might have escaped the warren of the tunnels, but they were still in the middle of a vast desert that stretched before them. The space port could be in any direction. There wasn’t even a distant glow on the horizon to indicate any life existed at all.
Her surroundings were lit by the golden glow of the crystal she still clutched, and the enormity of the situation hit her. She closed her eyes and let the anger and frustration wash over her.
“I lost them, all but this one, when the worm attacked. I had one job—get your crystals—and now they’re probably lost forever. They could be anywhere by now. That worm might have eaten them and now they’re nothing but worm poop.”
“Will you stop?” Rujali tilted her head back and she reluctantly opened her eyes.
A tremor worked through his body. His face dropped and his eyes widened. “Your eyes!”
She flinched. “What about my eyes?”
Setzan and Klaej rounded on her.
“Gods,” Setzan said, breathless.
Together, the three stared down at her.
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��Will you tell me what’s going on?” she said with an edge.
Klaej cupped her cheek. “Your eyes are glowing with the color of the Ozar, lit by its golden energy.”
“I don’t even know what that means. You’re just trying to take my mind off my complete and utter failure.” Her shoulders dropped. Wasn’t there anything that she could do that wouldn’t go wrong?
Rujali firmed his arms around her and pressed his lips against her forehead. Her mind stilled, and she drew comfort from his scent and his heat. How did that work?
“You were fighting for your life against scaled ones and a gigantic worm. I’m amazed you still have our crystal. You are amazing, Riley,” Setzan said.
“This one… This one’s yours?” Riley asked, holding it up and staring at it.
Klaej stroked a finger down the edge of the crystal, leaving a glowing wake where he’d touched. “This is the Ozar Crystal. We have much to thank you for managing to get it. We have been trying for the past decade.”
“A decade!” she gasped.
“It was lost. We had no idea where it was until we discovered a faint signal and that was what drew us here. To you. We have been following it for a year. To have it now. This is indeed a momentous occasion.” Rujali touched the crystal. It glowed even brighter.
Riley had to shield her eyes. It didn’t react like a normal crystal, or not a crystal she’d ever come across before.
“Is it living?” she asked.
“In a way. The power of our Quads energize it and in return it gives growth to our land and people. And now it lives in you.” Setzan touched the tip of the crystal.
Riley had to close her eyes against the glow. It was like looking into a sun. “Does it always glow so brightly?”
The glow faded. She squinted one eye at it and saw that Setzan had released the crystal.
“This is nothing to how bright it normally is. It powers our city and our entire region. All can see it from the Ozar Tower. When we return it, you’ll see its true power,” Rujali said.
The Ozar Triad Page 13