Sentinel: Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone #1

by Hackett, Anna

  “Fuck.” Quinn dived on Jax and they crashed to the ground.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “Anytime, cyborg.”

  As they rose Jax saw large knives shoot up out of holes in the ground farther down the tunnel. In a flash, he realized that they were standing on similar holes.

  “Move.” As the far knives retracted, Jax pulled Quinn closer. Knives shot up from where they’d been standing.

  “It’s like an obstacle course,” Magnus called out.

  “Like the circuit,” Quinn murmured.

  “Everyone up,” Jax said. “Run it.”

  Ahead, Acton bent his knees and leaped toward the roof. He used his cybernetic arms to cling to the ceiling, then climb along it.

  As a block slammed down, Magnus leaped on it and ran across it, diving over and dodging more booby-traps.

  Mace followed along behind the imperator, leaping over some spinning blades. Toren raced down the side wall, jumping and spinning over booby-traps.

  “Go,” Jax told Quinn.

  Her jaw set with determination, she took off at a run. He watched her dive, roll, then leap to her feet. She dodged some swinging knives, then turned sideways, squeezing through a narrow gap between two blocks. She moved gracefully, like a dancer.

  Jax followed her. He raced into the course, leaping over axes that swung up from the bottom of the wall. He sprinted along a block, somersaulting through the air. As he landed, several swinging knives came at him at neck level. Drak.

  Fingers closed on his wrist and yanked him out of danger.

  “God.” Quinn patted him down. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. I’d already memorized the timing of the booby-traps.”

  “Don’t scare me like that!”

  Jax blinked at her. He was a cyborg. No one ever worried about him like she did. “I am very difficult to kill, Quinn.”

  She made a sound deep in her throat, then pressed her cheek to his chest.

  Acton dropped down from the ceiling and the others gathered around them. A loud hum started, emanating from beneath their feet.

  “What now?” Quinn said.

  Suddenly, Acton started sliding along the tunnel.

  “Acton!” Jax yelled.

  “Magnetic force is pulling me—” Acton’s arms whipped upward, his face strained.

  Jax felt the pull on his leg. “There’s a powerful magnet.”

  They raced after Acton. The cyborg had the highest quantity of metal enhancements. At the end of the tunnel, Acton slammed into the wall, pinned there.

  Jax and Mace raced over, gripping Acton’s arms.

  “Watch the magnet,” Jax said. “It must be embedded in the wall.”

  They kept their own bodies clear of the wall and tried to free Acton. Jax heaved, putting all his enhanced strength into it. The veins in Mace’s neck were bulging.

  “Drak,” Mace bit out.

  “The magnet’s too strong.” Jax met Magnus’ gaze.

  “Go on,” Acton said, no emotion in his voice. “I’ll get free and follow you.”

  Magnus glared, and Jax knew his friend was torn. They never left anyone behind.

  “I’ll get free,” Acton repeated.

  Finally, the imperator nodded. “Don’t take too long. If you don’t find us, we’ll come back for you.”

  Acton nodded.

  Jax grabbed Quinn’s hand, and together they followed Magnus and the others into a side tunnel.

  There were no more booby-traps. A second later, they stepped out into a large, cavernous space.

  It was lit by lights glowing from places along the wall and floors. Huge, towering piles of scrap formed great mounds. Some brushed the rock ceiling high above.

  Jax also noticed large pieces of old mining equipment, partly rusted, dotted around the cavern. Remnants of an older time when the mine was thriving.

  Now, it echoed with silence.

  Where are you hiding, Gaarl?

  * * *

  Quinn walked slowly through the mounds of scrap. Sleeja would be in fits of joy if the asshole was still alive.

  She reminded herself that he was gone, and she was free.

  Now, it was time to free Jayna.

  If she was still alive. Quinn swallowed. If she was even here. They hadn’t seen any sign of occupation.

  No. Quinn couldn’t let herself think thoughts like that. They were going to find her.

  Suddenly, she heard clanking echo from deeper in the cavern. Her heart leaped into her throat. It was a familiar sound. The cyborgs all froze.

  A second later, a robot appeared on top of one towering pile of junk.

  Her heart slammed hard against her ribs. “Jax.”

  “I see it.”

  A robo-cat. The damn thing was exactly the same design as Sleeja’s.

  Quinn reached up and pulled her staff off her back. And that’s when she saw more movement in the dim light, heard more metal hitting metal.

  More robotic cats appeared. An entire pack of them.

  A shiver worked its way down Quinn’s spine. So many.

  Then, the lead cat snarled, and the pack moved forward. A pack clearly readying to attack.

  Fury hit Quinn like a tidal wave. Sleeja’s robo-cat had made her life a damn misery. It was time for some payback.

  The cyborgs shot forward, moving fast and with pure power. She watched Magnus slam his cybernetic hand into one cat, crunching its head with the blow.

  Jax picked up some junk pieces from the ground, then threw them like he was a starting quarterback. With the power behind them, they hit another cat so hard that they knocked the cat off the pile of scrap. It went tumbling down the heap.

  One cat leaped at Magnus. The imperator grabbed it and threw it into the air. Mace caught it, and ripped it apart with his bare hands.

  Jeez. These cyborgs weren’t messing around.

  A bolt of neon laser zipped forward, hit one cat, then rebounded off it and hit another, then continued on and hit a third cat. The robots all started shaking, their systems disrupted. She turned her head and spotted Toren, his sleek shoulder weapon aimed. She loved those damn ricochet blasts.

  A robo-cat clanked as it raced toward Quinn. She braced and lifted her staff. The cat leaped off the ground, and she ducked in low. She whirled the staff around and smacked it into the machine’s torso, fueled by her anger.

  The cat flew to the side, crashing into some old machinery. It struggled to get back on its feet. Quinn stalked over it, and landed several more punishing blows until the light in its eyes died.

  She lifted her head and saw two of the cats running at Jax.

  “Jax!” She turned and ran to intercept.

  Jax smiled at her. Smiled in the middle of a damn fight. She shook her head, then saw him kneel down and point at the cats. When she realized what he wanted, she smiled back at him.

  Quinn slammed her boot into his back and he moved upward, propelling her into the air.

  She swung her staff hard. She took down one cat, knocking it out of the air.

  The other landed in front of Jax. A second later, he’d ripped the cat’s head off.

  “More incoming,” Magnus warned.

  Quinn saw them coming, a lot of them. Her gut hardened and she gripped her weapon tighter. She wasn’t going to be afraid. She was done with that.

  As she faced these advanced robots, she felt much as she had when the Helios had been attacked. She’d known they were outgunned and didn’t have the tech to match the Thraxians. In her heart, she knew there was nothing she could have done to save all her crew.

  But now, she was no longer alone.

  Jax threw his arm out and light flowed through his tattoo. Quinn watched his arm glow with a mix of admiration and desire. Damn, her cyborg was hot.

  Now, she had a chance to shake off her guilt and save the rest of the Helios survivors, and then she was going to enjoy the hell out of making a life with her own personal cyborg.

  A cat launched at
him and he gripped its jaws. Electricity ran over it and it shuddered wildly.

  Quinn turned, assessing the situation. Just in time, she saw a cat—one that was bigger than the others—leap at her.

  Fuck.

  She swung her staff up, but the size and momentum of the cat’s body sent it flying out of her hand. Its weight crashed into her, and she hit the ground hard. Pinned, she looked up into a set of huge, metal jaws.

  Her pulse pounding, she struggled, but the damn thing was too heavy to push off. The robot lowered its head…and sank its teeth into her cloak that was bunched at her shoulder.

  It shifted off her and started dragging her away from the fight.

  Hell, no. Memories peppered her. Sleeja’s cat had always dragged her back to him.

  She craned her neck to get a glimpse of the cyborgs, to try to get their attention, but the gladiators were all fighting, so no one had noticed what was happening. With a sudden twist, the big cat rolled her over, and wrapped her up in the cloak. Fabric covered her head.

  “Help!”

  But Quinn already knew the sounds of fighting were too loud. Even with cyborg hearing, they wouldn’t be able to hear her. She wriggled and bucked, but she couldn’t see, could barely breathe.

  She kept struggling, as the robot dragged her across the ground.

  The sounds of the fight faded. Dammit to hell.

  Quinn ground her teeth together and dragged in a breath. Bring it, asshole, because I am done being anybody’s victim.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Quinn tried to conserve her strength.

  Her body bumped over something uneven on the floor. Maybe a doorway. She had the sense of less light around her.

  She swallowed. Jax would come for her. She just had to stay calm and stay alive.

  “Useless, aggravating humans.”

  The raspy voice made her freeze. Whoever was talking was wearing a mask. It had to be Gaarl.

  Quinn played dead, and the cat released her.

  “I know you’re conscious.” A hard kick landed in Quinn’s side and she stifled a groan.

  Suddenly, the cloak was torn off her face. She glared up at the Edull man. Black robes covered his body, and black, black eyes lined with what looked like cracks of silver peered above his mask.

  His harsh breathing—that spooky, mechanical rasp through the valve—filled the air.

  “Gaarl, I presume.”

  “Bringing the drakking House of Rone down on me!” He shook his bald head and went to kick her again. This time, she dodged.

  “Where’s Jayna?” Quinn demanded.

  “I ask the questions, slave.”

  “I am no one’s slave.” Quinn pushed to her feet. “Where. Is. She?”

  “You mean the useless, broken human?” He shrugged. “She was worthless.”

  Quinn stomach went tight. “You cut off her hand.”

  Another careless shrug. “She was worth more to me in bits. I paid good coin for her at Bari Batu, but she was broken. I had to recoup my investment somehow.”

  “She’s a person, not a thing, you asshole.”

  He ignored Quinn’s outburst. “I had a collector lined up for her hand. He enjoys unique things.” Quinn sensed that he was smiling behind his mask. “I am certain he’ll buy other parts of her, as well.”

  Quinn fought to control her monstrous rage. She wanted to leap on him, beat him until he was nothing but pulp. But the robo-cat was sitting nearby, unmoving, its glowing eyes on Quinn.

  “Where is she?” Quinn asked again.

  “Around. Now you…” His gaze ran down her body. “You’ll make a much better slave.”

  She glared at him, fire running in her veins. “You’ve made a big mistake, Gaarl. I’m no longer a powerless abductee, far from my planet. The House of Rone will come for me.” She knew it deep in her heart.

  Jax was her sentinel. He’d stand between her and danger. Or if she asked, he’d hold a weapon and help her fight.

  Gaarl made a harsh sound. “Cyborgs are not sentimental. They prize logic and fact. And I know the imperator of the House of Rone is a savvy businessman. If they can’t find you, they’ll simply give up and leave.”

  “You’re very wrong.”

  She knew that was what everyone saw when they looked at the House of Rone cyborgs—the cool, emotionless exteriors, the enhancements, the metal. But she now knew that the cyborgs felt emotion, although they might not always understand it and kept it well hidden. They were protectors, and the one thing they truly understood was loyalty. Gaarl didn’t comprehend that at all.

  And this alien scavenger certainly didn’t understand her.

  Quinn launched herself at the Edull.

  She managed to get her hands around his neck, squeezing. He grunted and she gripped him harder.

  He made an enraged noise. “Phax!”

  She heard the clank of the robo-cat, but held on. Gaarl started to sag beneath her grip. Then, sharp claws swiped along her back.

  Quinn cried out, her hold loosening. Gaarl staggered sideways.

  She struggled to block the stinging pain, feeling the wetness of blood on her skin. But as her gaze landed on Gaarl, she knew she couldn’t let the bastard get away.

  She threw herself at him again, her hands sinking into his robes. They spun in a circle.

  “Humans, nothing but trouble,” he rasped.

  “Edull, nothing but assholes.”

  He shoved her, and Quinn went back one step.

  “It will be a shame to break you.”

  He shoved her again. She stumbled backward, and felt the rock floor disappear from beneath her boots.

  Quinn gasped and waved one arm for balance, the other clutching Gaarl’s robes. She teetered on the edge of a huge hole.

  Gaarl stared at her, and she could tell he was smiling behind his mask again.

  “I won’t stop until you’re dead,” she spat.

  He gripped her wrist, then squeezed. She gritted her teeth, feeling her bones grind together. Her fingers released his robes and he gave her another shove.

  Quinn fell backward into the darkness and screamed.

  * * *

  Jax almost wished he could block out the emotion choking him. He couldn’t find Quinn anywhere, and panic was a slick burn in his system.

  “I can’t detect her anywhere.”

  Mace lifted his head. “The residual dacton is distorting our scans.”

  “Your woman is resourceful,” Magnus said.

  The group circled around another pile of scrap, searching for any clue of where she might have gone.

  Or where she’d been taken. Jax had no doubt that someone had snatched her.

  They’d finished dealing with the pack of robo-cats, only to realize Quinn was missing.

  “Your woman can protect herself,” Mace added. “She is skilled.”

  “And attractive,” Toren said.

  Jax turned his head to glare at the man, but inside, his gut was tight. Where was she? Gaarl had to have her.

  If he hurt her… Jax blew out a harsh breath. He was going to find her. Blinding emotion filled his chest, and he lifted a fist to rub across his sternum.

  He glanced at Magnus. “What does love feel like?”

  “A hammer to your heart. It can be debilitating, if you let it. It can twist you into something possessive and jealous. Or, it can teach you to savor and trust.” Magnus’ eyes glowed, and Jax knew he was thinking of Ever. “It is both the need to protect her and set her free. To know she has everything she needs. It can make you feel like you’re flying.”

  Mace grunted. “I don’t like flying.”

  “Love is to be your woman’s protector,” Jax said. “Her shield, her partner.”

  “And to soften,” Magnus said. “But only for her.”

  “I’m in love with Quinn,” Jax said.

  “I know.” Magnus had a faint smile on his face.

  Toren shook his head. “I don’t understand the attraction to these Earth wome
n.”

  “Let’s find your woman, Jax,” Magnus ordered. “Spread out.”

  They crossed the cavern, searching for any clues. Jax caught the faint whiff of Quinn’s scent. He followed it as far as he could, twisting through the scrap piles. But then it petered out and he cursed.

  Hands on his hips, he stared blindly at the ground. Time was ticking.

  Then, he spotted scrape marks in the dirt. His muscles tensed. Like someone had been dragged through here.

  “I’m coming, Quinn.” He trusted that his woman would be searching for a way to save herself, but she’d also be waiting for him. He raised his voice. “Over here.”

  The cyborgs walked his way, when, all of a sudden, there was a whizz of sound overhead.

  A medium-sized, flying robot came whirling around one of the tall piles of scrap. It spiraled around like a rotor, looking like a small whirlwind.

  “Watch out!” Jax yelled.

  The flying machine swooped over them, and all the cyborgs dived to the ground. As it whizzed overhead, Jax spotted several lethally sharp, spinning blades.

  Rising, Jax pulled out his sword.

  The robot dived at them again, aiming at Toren. The lean cyborg ran, his body turning to a blur, then dived over some rusted equipment, rolling through the dirt.

  The machine swiveled, then locked onto Jax. It flew at him.

  Jax braced himself and raised his sword. Wait. Wait. He swung his weapon.

  The sword hit the whirling blades and snapped. But it disrupted the robot enough to send it veering sideways. It crashed into the scrap pile, cutting through the scrap. Metal pieces flew everywhere, then the robot flew out the other side. It rose into the air, turning in a wide arc as it righted itself.

  It turned and arrowed straight back at Jax.

  He didn’t move.

  “Jax!” Magnus yelled.

  Jax focused, pulling in a slow breath. Then, as the robot rushed at him, he ducked. He thrust his hands up, grabbing onto the robot, just below the blades. It lifted him off the ground.

  His body jerked as the machine whizzed upward, flying through the cavern, Jax’s body swinging beneath it. It turned sharply, and Jax’s legs hit a scrap pile.

  He felt leather and skin tear. His jaw tight, he released one hand and formed a fist. He punched into the robot’s center. He felt the sting of cutting blades, but blocked out the pain. He punched again.