by Delia Roan
“She’s selling Mara,” Ancain whispered.
No!
Mine!
Syrek’s blood began to boil. He turned and thundered out of the bridge. He had only made it as far as the external corridor, when Ancain’s voice stopped him. “Take a vehicle. It’ll be faster.”
Though anger clouded his mind, he knew Ancain was right. A short detour to the docks saw him kitted with a hover quad. Better yet, the compact machine had a warning siren, and Haven’s crew scattered as he roared past.
I’ll kill them all if they touch her.
He pushed the vehicle to its limits, and by the time he skidded to a halt in front of Hangar 1576, the engine smoked and the air reeked of burning oil. The engine wasn’t the only thing burning. It felt like his blood had become pure molten magma. All over his body, his scales danced like leaves caught in the wind.
The door sat slightly ajar, where Clez and Mara had entered, and Syrek peered inside. Clez stood to the side, juggling her knife, while Mara crouched at her feet. He wanted to stroke her bowed head, but when she lifted her face, Syrek saw the determined set of her jaw. She wasn’t beaten yet.
Clez clucked in anger at something Ukali said, and shook her head hard enough to send feathers floating down to Mara.
Seems like Dignitary Ukali is driving a hard bargain.
Syrek slipped between the door and strolled across the bay floor. Every inch of his body felt hot, as if he carried the heat of a sun in his chest. If he opened his mouth, fire might spill out. His hands itched for his weapons, if only the hidden blades from his mercenary suit. After looking at the creatures swarming the Sykorian ship, he wondered if bug spray might be better for the job.
Caution, he reminded himself. Do not rush into battle. Caution will keep Mara alive.
“That one,” he called out, his voice loud and even, “is not for sale.”
Heads whipped around to face him, but Syrek ignored the Ykine, keeping his gaze locked on Dignitary Ukali’s withered form. As if sensing his rage, the workers poured down, building a wall of segmented bodies between Syrek and the liaison.
Out of the corner of his eye, Syrek saw Mara straighten, and Clez step back. He didn’t vary his pace, just carried on walking like he had all the time in the world. He pulled up next to Clez and Mara, and, eyes still forward, he tilted his head to Mara.
“Are you unharmed?” His voice stayed low, though he knew the Ykine listened.
“Yes,” she said.
He tipped his chin slightly higher, and Clez shuffled her feet. “You know you will be punished for this, Clez.”
She barked in short, mirthless laughter. “If I am to suffer over a dung-eater like this one, then you will be expected to suffer a hundred times over for what you have done here.” She jerked her chin at the Sykorian ship. “I’m not the only one dealing in slaves. I’m just being open about it.”
Any reply Syrek would have made was lost in Dignitary Ukali’s approach. The elderly Ykine’s antennae waved. “It appears you spoke true, Syrek Ar’Zathris. My gratitude for revealing this incomparable business opportunity.”
Syrek dipped his head. His hands itched to wrap around the ancient insect’s throat, but he smiled as ingratiatingly as he could. “It is always a pleasure to work with such efficient clients. Your payment was prompt and we appreciate it.” He snapped his fingers at Mara, who scrambled to her feet. “We will leave you to collect your… items. We must be on our way.”
Mara pressed against his side, and through the fabric of her overalls and his coat, he felt her tremble. He took her hand, and tucked it into the nook of his elbow. With an elegant bow, he turned and swept her away.
“What are you doing?” Mara hissed. “What about my friends?”
“I’m trying to save you,” Syrek replied. “Shut up and act casual.”
“Please wait,” Ukali’s reedy voice echoed after them. “I have already purchased that one.”
Syrek’s back stiffened, and they stopped mid-stride. He turned slightly, keeping himself between Mara and the Ykine. Movement at their sides told him the Ykine were positioning themselves to surround Syrek and Mara.
“There has been some misunderstanding,” Syrek said. “This human is not for sale.”
“Ah,” Ukali said. “But the funds have been transferred. It is done.”
The look Syrek shot Clez would have melted a lesser woman into the ground, but she crossed her arms and glared back.
“Return the money, Clez,” Syrek ground out through gritted teeth. “You should not have offered what was not yours to give.”
“Make me.” Through his eyes only, Syrek promised Clez a world of hurt. She saw his intention, and she stepped back, but kept her head up. “I need that money, Syrek.”
“I can reimburse you, Clez. With interest. Return the money.”
She shook her head, sending her feathers fluttering. “I want nothing more from you. Nor will I take your pity money.”
“You misunderstand,” Dignitary Ukali said. “We do not want the money back. We want the human. A complete set. Otherwise, the Sykorians will ask awkward and unnecessary questions. She comes with us. Not for negotiation.”
At his command, one of the Ykine soldiers marched forward. Before he could grab Mara, Syrek shoved him back. The Ykine workers surround them rattled their limbs, a skittering noise of warning.
If they attack… He dropped his eyes to Mara’s face. Her usually glowing cheeks were pale. She felt him watching and met his eyes. The fear in her face made his choice for him.
“Wait,” Syrek said, raising his hand in a gesture of peace. “We can talk this through. We need not resort to violence.”
Ukali snorted. “You are in no position to bargain, Syrek Ar’Zathris. Aboard my ship, an entire nest of Ykine wait in hibernation for my command. One word from me, and they will swarm your ship, killing everyone. We hold all the advantages here.”
An Ykine nest could contain hundreds of thousands of spawn. On a ship as big as the liaison’s, that number could multiply exponentially. Syrek’s nostrils flared. It was not an idle threat.
The ancient alien turned and began to hobble away. “Bring the girl.” The Ykine soldier glowered and reached out his clawed appendage. Syrek tucked Mara behind his arm. She clung to the fabric of his shirt, her breath coming in little gasps.
Syrek’s body vibrated, as if he were a plucked string on a troeben, sending out one deep note. “Please.”
The word did not come easily. He had never been the kind to plead. His father had never allowed him to show that level of weakness. Nor had he, in his years as a mercenary, had the chance to show it. Usually, he was the one driving the bargains, and others accepted his terms.
“What did you say?” Ukali turned. The soldier halted his approach, waiting for his master’s word.
“Please,” Syrek said. “She is my Avowed.”
Ukali’s head cocked. “Your Avowed? I did not realize humans and Ennoi could mate.”
“Show mercy.” Syrek licked his lips. “Let her go.”
“She is your Avowed,” Ukali said, tapping his chin with his tarsus. “This changes matters, of course.”
Relief coursed through Syrek’s body.
Before he could speak, Ukali continued on. “Yes, this changes matters indeed. If I take the girl, you will come after us. You will stop at nothing to reclaim your Avowed. It is the nature of the Ennoi.”
The old alien started back toward the airlock. “So you understand why I must do this.”
“What’s happening?” Mara whispered. “What’s an Avowed?”
“Do what?” Syrek asked Ukali.
Ukali spared one last glance over his shoulder before addressing his soldiers. “Bring the girl. Kill the Ennoi.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
MARA
“Kill the Ennoi.”
The bug alien’s words echoed through the room. Mara froze. “No,” she whispered. She r
aised her eyes to Syrek’s face, but he kept his attention focused on the approaching Ykine.
“Syrek?”
“Run,” he whispered. “Head for the door as fast as you can.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“You won’t. I’ll be right behind you.”
The Ykine began to mass together, forming an impenetrable wall of writhing legs and sharp mandibles. The workers to their sides began to close in, closing off their options for escape. They rattled again, sending a spike of terror deep into Mara.
“Now,” Syrek said, his voice low. “Run!”
He shoved Mara behind him, just as Ukali’s personal guard darted forward. Syrek swung his fist, connecting with the soldier’s face, and sending him reeling backward. Beside them, Clez burst out in a stream of curses. She turned and bolted. Her strong legs kicked a gap between the Ykine.
Mara turned and ran, taking advantage of the gap. An Earth-sized stadium could easily have fit inside the hangar, but she couldn’t focus on the size. Just keep going. Clez’s long legs and wide feet sped her toward the exit, and the distance between them opened up.
When outrunning a cheetah, one only has to be quicker than the slowest runner. Mara willed her body to go faster. She strained her ears, listening for Syrek behind her, either his breathing or his steps, but the sound of blood rushing in her ears deafened her to the world around her.
Did she imagine the sound of thousands of pitter-pattering feet racing toward her, or were the Ykine inches away from clamping a mandible down on her calf? Fear gave her strength, and she pounded across the floor, her focus set on the sliver of darkness beyond the open hangar door.
In front of her, Clez peeked over her shoulder. Her steps faltered, and she came to a stop, facing the approaching enemy. Her mouth hung open in shock, and while her chest heaved from effort, she remained motionless, staring over Mara’s shoulder.
Now what?
Mara risked a glance back, and, like Clez, she staggered to a stop.
What the-?
In the center of a ring of Ykine, Syrek swung his fists, beating back his attackers. He flowed from enemy to enemy, stepping and twirling with the fluidity of water. He seemed to be everywhere his enemies were not, dodging their attacks with a side-step, then finishing them off once they were off balance.
Yet Syrek’s deadly grace was not what had stopped Mara in her tracks. His muscles seemed to be bulging, twitching. As she watched, his body spasmed again, and the muscles of his back shuddered. Through the tears in his coat, Mara saw his spine flex. His back stretched, and as she watched, the scales along his body… shifted.
Did he just get… bigger?
Clez stepped beside her, but Mara was too entranced by Syrek to pay attention. “Why hasn’t he let go yet?” she muttered. “They’ll kill him if he doesn’t fight back.”
“What? He is fighting.”
“Not them,” Clez replied, with derision. “Himself.”
“Himself? Fight himself?” Mara asked, but Clez said nothing further. Puzzled, Mara turned back to watch the skirmish.
One of Ukali’s personal bodyguards sprang forward, and Syrek met him head on. The two grappled for a moment, before the guard clamped his mandibles down on Syrek’s shoulder. Syrek bellowed and ripped the alien from his body, sending the soldier plowing into the ranks of Ykine. They scattered, breaking formation and giving Syrek room to breathe.
“Here it comes!” Clez crowed.
Syrek’s back arched, and he raised his head to the ceiling, roaring his displeasure. To Mara’s amazement, his body seemed to rip apart, his limbs elongating and his torso growing broader. His fists loosened, and his fingers cracked as they reformed into claws tipped with talons. His size doubled, and then doubled again, until he dwarfed the Ykine scattered around him.
A tail sprang from his back, as his clothes fell in tatters around him. Scales sprang up along his body, covering him in heavy armor. The swirls of color remained, bedecking his body in bold swashes. The necklace must have been built to expand with his growth because the yellow stone remained fastened around his neck. It flashed as he moved.
His snake-like head darted forward, and he snapped at the Ykine with fangs the length of Mara’s fingers. The long tail swept from side to side, keeping the Ykine behind him at bay. Syrek raised his head and roared. When he turned his head to study his enemies, Mara saw his eyes held the sparkles of blue and gold deep inside.
Mara raised her hands to her mouth, stunned into silence.
“H-He turned into a… a dragon?”
“His Virtue of the Avowed,” Clez said. Her voice held awe. “I never thought I would see…”
Now that they faced a monster, the Ykine grew more desperate, flinging themselves at Syrek. With his new bulk, he crushed them easily under his taloned feet. Soon, the floor grew slick with slime and body parts, and yet, they continued to swarm him.
Clez snorted. “My whole life, I just wanted…”
Mara turned to her, mostly to avoid seeing the carnage in front of her. While she’d never been sentimental about bugs, it was disconcerting to see Syrek handling them with such violence. “What? What did you want?”
Clez looked down at Mara, and her eyes narrowed. “I only wanted what you got.”
“What did I get?”
With another snort, Clez turned and walked away to the door. “You got the universe, fresh meat, and you’re too stupid to notice.”
Mara spun around, outrage plastered across her face. “You just tried to sell me, Clez! I don’t have anything! I have nothing, you… you… overgrown chicken!”
Clez merely jerked her chin backward and kept walking. “Him. You got him.”
“No, you are mistaken. He doesn’t want me.”
“He’s your Avowed.”
“Syrek called me that. What does that even mean?”
“It means he’s your soul mate, dung-eater.”
Mara spun back around to gape at Syrek. Soul mates? With him? W-with that thing? She’s gotta be joking. Yet Mara could not argue the point. Somewhere deep inside her, she felt the rightness of being beside Syrek. She was his, just as he said, but it went both ways. He was also hers.
He told me to leave. He told me there was no room in his life for me.
Being rejected hurt but only because she felt — no, she knew — that they were meant to be together. Syrek knew too, but for some reason, he chose to ignore the depth of his feelings for her.
Think about it some other time.
Right now, she had to focus on getting out of here before those bug-aliens looked up and realized she was gone. She threw one last glance over her shoulder. Syrek still decimated his enemies, but movement at the side of the Sykorian ship caught her eye.
The leader stood with his back pressed to the ship. He raised a device to his mouth, and Mara saw his mandibles working. Then, the leader turned his head from Syrek to gaze at the open airlock from which the aliens had entered.
A chill ran down Mara’s spine. He’s calling for reinforcements. She shot a glance at Syrek. He handled the workers with ease, but who knew what would come through that door next?
Her thoughts faded away as Syrek slipped in the muck and tumbled to the ground. A few Ykine swarmed over his side and shoulders as he regained his feet, but their feet found no purchase on his smooth scales. One crawled over his neck to his head, using the edges of his scales as hand holds. It stabbed at his eyes, until one skinny leg pierced Syrek’s nostril. He roared in pain, flicking his head to the side to dislodge the Ykine.
But it was too late. Sensing that one of their kind had found his weak spot, the Ykine rallied and swarmed him. Syrek slammed his heavy head down onto the floor of the hangar, jolting the Ykine from his snout as they tried to gouge out his eyes and burrow into his nose.
Crap. Oh, crap.
“Clez!” At Mara’s bellow, Clez stopped at the door, and tilted her head. “We gotta close that a
irlock!”
“What are you babbling about, waste-pile?”
“They’re going to send reinforcements. We have to shut that door.”
“Syrek can handle it.”
“What if he can’t?”
Clez lifted her foot and scratched her nose with her toe.
“Please, Clez. He needs our help, and I need your help. I can’t work those doors.”
Syrek roared again, and Clez winced. “Okay, hop on.”
“Hop-?”
With an irritated grunt, Clez seized Mara by the arm, and slung her over her shoulder and onto her back. “Hold on.”
Mara squealed and wrapped her arms around Clez’s neck as the other woman took off across the hangar. The ground beneath flew past in a blur. Mara craned her neck, watching the flow of battle until Clez dumped her on the floor in front of the open airlock.
“You guard me. I’ll hack the door.” Clez turned her focus to the access panel beside the door.
A bent metal strut lay on the ground nearby, and Mara seized it. It had the heft of a cricket bat, and she gave a few practice swings. Across the room, she saw Ukali’s head turn toward the door. When he spied her, his movements became quick and agitated. At his gesture, a couple of the Ykine peeled away from the battle and began to scurry across the floor toward the airlock.
“Err, better hurry, Clez. We’re about to have company.”
“Shut up, puke-eater,” Clez snapped. “Let me work.”
The first Ykine darted for Mara. She swung the metal bar, and the creature dodged back. The second one split away, heading toward Clez. Mara kicked at it, and while she was distracted, the first grabbed onto the bar.
“Clez! Behind you!”
With a curse, Clez spun around and drove her knife into the head of the Ykine creeping up on her. She yanked her blade free, and then returned to her task while the bug spasmed and died.
“I told you to let me work, scum-sniffer.”
Mara kicked the Ykine holding onto her weapon and then slammed the bar down onto the creature until it stopped moving. She brushed her hair out of her eyes, and looked up.