The Mercenary's Dawn (Renegades Book 1)

by L P Peace

  ‘He knew you would come,’ the creature grinned at him, ‘and leave the tasty female behind.’

  Thanesh drove the other Adunis stick into his second heart. He pulled both sticks free, cutting the blades quickly through the air before slipping them, still blooded, into their sheaths. He ran back into the forest, stopping only to retrieve his bag and hoped he would get to the cave before the Ulidon hurt Alethia.

  It had been several hours since Thanesh had left. Alethia got out some more meat and popped it onto the stone. She wasn’t hungry but knew she needed to eat. She was still recovering, was still weak and shaky from the heatstroke.

  Her gaze was fixed on the entrance to the cave. She shifted in her seat, trying to see farther into the forest. The massive size of the trees made it almost impossible to see anything and that made her nervous. Every gust of wind, every rustle of leaves or swaying of branches had her jumping. She kept imagining black, chitinous armour emerging from the darkened shadow of the forest. Eyes finding her, a bladed tail moving from side to side as they approached. There were three Ulidon survivors at the colony. Their stories were among the worst.

  She was waiting on the devil or an angel, the Ulidon or Thanesh, though that felt wrong. It was more like wondering which shade of devil would reach her first. Immediately, Alethia felt guilty at her thoughts. She was being unfair. Didn’t his actions the last few days, as he took care of her, show her he could be a good guy?

  Beside the meat, another of the root vegetables was softening on the rock. She reached for one of the leaves and jostled Thanesh’s top. Despite being dipped in water repeatedly, it still held onto his scent. It drifted up to her nose and evoked the memory of the kiss shared.

  For a moment, she could feel the heat of his body against hers, the firmness of his arms, the press of his lips. The needy pulse began between her legs again. Alethia shivered and tried to throw the feeling off, tried to forget everything she was experiencing. In all her years, it had been easy for Alethia to smother any flare of attraction she felt. This was different; it wasn’t a flare, a spark or even a flame. There was a bonfire of desire raging inside her for Thanesh.

  She was terrified of what he was doing to her. She had ignored feelings like this her whole adult life, scared of where they might lead. Now they were rising to the surface, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. He made her feel things she always thought she was better off not feeling. Not in a galaxy that used humans so casually.

  He claimed to want a future with her. Alethia didn’t know what to make of it. Her plans regarding the future were all about keeping Tessa safe. It was about keeping and growing her people. Freeing as many slaves—of the vulnerable races, but others as well—as possible. It involved growing enough crops to get through winter and building enough houses to keep up with their growing population. Never once had it included planning a future with any male. Much less a male of the Protectorate, much less High-Protector Thanesh of the Protectorate.

  She remembered their first trek through the plains. The way he had carried her to the forest when her skin burned. To the stream. She turned her head, looking at the same stream running through the cave. She remembered him taking off both tops, the memory making her as breathless now, as she felt seeing it for the first time.

  Thanesh was old. Much, much older than her, but his Cealin genetics meant he didn’t look anything close to his age. Whenever he looked at her, she felt like the rest of the world faded to black around them. When he smiled at her, the world went silent. Nothing mattered but those lips.

  Alethia scraped her hands over her face and then cursed when pain flared up.

  The truth was when he said he wanted a future with her, she had seen it. Easily. If he were telling the truth, her life would be peaceful and happy. No one would ever dare touch her again. No one would ever be a risk to her people again. Thanesh had the power to rearrange systems to keep them safe.

  Images from a life she could have, with him, filled her mind. The future they could have, the home they could build and more.

  If he were telling the truth.

  That was the decision she had to make. The risk she had to take and she wasn’t just risking herself. She was endangering a colony of one hundred and forty-seven ex-slaves and fourteen children that had been born there, free.

  How was she supposed to make that decision? How could she justify their freedom, even if she believed him?

  No matter her growing feelings for Thanesh. She couldn’t.

  Approaching footsteps in the underbrush disturbed her from her thoughts. Alethia turned to the forest and saw flashes of black through the trees.

  Suddenly fearful, she stood and watched. Had the Ulidon arrived, or was Thanesh coming back? When nothing moved again for a minute, she relaxed.

  A spitting noise reached her ears. Alethia looked at the fire. The flames flickered, licked and leapt as the fat from the meat spat into it. She knelt, picking up the vegetable and dropping it into the leaf in her hand. She was reaching for the meat when she heard footsteps once more, this time in the cave. She looked up and saw two huge Ulidon approaching her, their lips drawn back in terrifying grins over their black teeth.

  Alethia dropped the leaf into the fire and turned, throwing herself to the cave floor and grabbing at the pistol she’d left there. Her body, still weak and shaking from her illness, wasn’t quick enough. A weight dropped on top of her. She struggled, trying to move as a Ulidon pressed himself into her. Desperately she reached for the gun, but he grabbed her wrist, his long talons piercing into the tender flesh. Alethia cried out and tried to dislodge the Ulidon.

  ‘Yes, human, move just like that,’ the creature growled into her ear. Alethia froze. His grip tightened, and she was forced to release the pistol.

  Halfway back to the cave, Thanesh picked up the scent of burnt oil and rubber moving in that direction. He sped up his pace, pushing himself and feeling the wound at his side tugging because of it. The increasing power of the smell told him they had moved slowly. Cautiously. As he got closer, the smell became overpowering, burning the hairs in his nostrils and leaving a thick taste in his mouth. He pushed through it. He would not let Alethia down.

  Thanesh was almost at the cave when an agonised scream cut through the forest. Thanesh roared in response, letting them know he was there, distracting them from whatever they were doing to Alethia. Two roars answered him—two Ulidon announcing their presence. Thanesh broke through the brush and saw them exiting the cave. One of them, the same one he had spoken to on his ship, had Alethia by her neck, pulling her roughly out into the fading sunlight. The creature hissed at him, his crest rising and flaring out behind him.

  The other one stood silently to the side. He had a significant, pale green mark across several of his faceplates, a wound that the plates had never fully healed from. Tender, scarred skin broke through in a line. It gave Thanesh a target.

  ‘Capture, don’t kill,’ the Ulidon instructed the scarred one. ‘Kallis wants you back on Teralis.’ He sneered at Thanesh.

  ‘I do not know who the vrok Kallis is,’ Thanesh growled back. He dropped the bag, pulled out the Adunis sticks and ran at the Ulidon. They met halfway. Thanesh ducked and braced himself, crashing into the creature and pushing him back several steps before throwing him off his feet and down to the ground.

  The Ulidon rolled over his shoulder and took to his feet again. Thanesh spun, slashing with both sticks, holding him off a moment while he reoriented, looking for the leader and for her.

  The leader had dragged her to the ground and was trying to pull off her clothes. Alethia struggled, kicking against him. The Ulidon’s bladed tail was thrashing with excitement, getting closer and closer to her delicate flesh.

  Thanesh growled and threw one stick at the leader. It pierced him in the back, and the leader grunted and reached over his shoulder, trying to grab at the bladed stick.

  Thanesh had to finish this fight fast.

  He turned on the scarred on
e and dodged back as its tail lashed out, striking at where Thanesh’s eye had been a moment before. It hovered just shy of his eyes so that he could see the oily green and blue iridescence of his chitin. He gritted his teeth and grabbed the tail, feeling the Ulidon’s tail slice his skin. Ignoring it, he pulled the tail taut and sliced the end off.

  Scarface screamed.

  Thanesh thrust his remaining Adunis stick at Scarface, expecting to plunge the blade into the vulnerable flesh, but Scarface had already dodged out of the way. Thanesh followed him, ignoring the battering of the Ulidon’s impotent tail against him.

  Behind him, Alethia screamed.

  Spurred on, Thanesh stepped into the Ulidon’s space and hooked his clawed fingers under the creature’s jaw, digging deep into the skin and pulling its face, teeth bared, towards him. He felt the Ulidon raking at his chest. Ignoring the flash of pain, he plunged his blade through the scar and into his brain.

  His body stilled, twitched and fell. Thanesh released it and turned to challenge the leader.

  Apparently unaware of his dead companion, the captain had Alethia pinned to the ground with one hand to her neck. With his other hand, he was trying to pull up the edge of her dress. His tail thrashed in excitement close to her tender skin.

  Without warning, Alethia grabbed his tail and thrust the bladed end into his unarmoured throat. The Ulidon went rigid, and a rough, deep wheezing noise left his throat. Alethia pulled the end of the tail out of the wound, showering herself and the ground around her in bright lime green blood. The captain’s body jerked before he fell to his side on the ground.

  Alethia scrambled away from him until her back hit the wall of the cave. She pulled her knees against her chest and stared at the dying Ulidon. Her hands, chest and neck were covered in lime green blood, making the pallor of her skin look sickly. Her wide eyes found Thanesh. He forced himself to move, rushing to her side and spearing the captain in the hearts as he passed. He knelt beside her.

  ‘It was like cutting through a soft vegetable,’ she whispered. Her voice was shaky, her eyes unfocused. ‘I didn’t expect it to work.’

  She was cradling one hand in the other in front of her. Thanesh gently took them in his; they were shaking almost as much as hers. The hand that had grasped the tail was sliced open. He released a shaky breath, closed his eyes and gently pressed a kiss to her undamaged palm.

  ‘Let me tend this,’ he gestured at her hand. Alethia nodded.

  Thanesh gathered her in his arms, and a breath of relief tore from him. He buried his face into her hair, breathing in the scent she had told him was vanilla. A smell that had quickly become precious to him.

  ‘How are you doing?’ Thanesh asked. He could hear Alethia’s footsteps behind him as they returned back to the clearing. The Ulidon ship was still there. He could use the onboard communicator to contact his people, and they would finally be able to leave this place. He looked back, seeing the dark marks that had appeared overnight across her skin.

  ‘I’m good,’ Alethia answered. She had finally found the frond she needed to weave her hat. It had been a fascinating process, watching her cut, weave and plat this hat into existence. She was good at this, survivalism. He would have her design the course all of his people would be required to take. Equipment couldn’t be relied on. Mischievous creatures would be mischievous.

  A tiny six-armed animal sat on its haunches atop a twig which didn’t bow under the creature's weight. Its red and gold eyes watched them as they passed. Its slender tail curled in a tight loop around the wood. It had dark green fur striated with a light grey. Grey hands and prehensile feet clutched at the twigs and branches as it followed them, waiting for an opportunity to rob them. Thanesh was sure it was the same one he had seen last night, stealing the last of the root vegetables they had scavenged. These were the little robbers that had caused such devastation to their first camp.

  Over the previous rote and a half, since Thanesh had buried the Ulidon, little bits and pieces had gone missing. Alethia told him about the creature she saw in the wood, so he went looking for it. It turned out this single creature was just the lookout. He hadn’t been able to count how many there were. They jumped and sprang through the trees, never seeming to cease moving. He knew he’d pick up the sounds of the others following them if he listened.

  ‘They’re just so cute,’ Alethia said, picking out a bit of food from her bag and carefully placing it on a branch of the same tree. The creature watched her warily, its little tongue flickering over its tiny lips as it shifted side-to-side to get a better view.

  ‘Little thieves,’ Thanesh grumbled. ‘Gods forbid they should ever evolve into intelligent life. They will have the galaxy before anyone notices.’ Secretly, Thanesh agreed with her.

  They’d walked a few feet on when Thanesh looked back and found the creature in the exact same place, the food in its hands. Fast little vrokkers.

  ‘We are almost at the tree line. Would you prefer to wait until dark before we cross the plain?’

  Alethia shook her head. ‘No, my hat should protect me,’ she smiled, showing off the wide brim with a caress around its edge. Thanesh wanted to be that hat. ‘Besides, we don’t know what might follow us in the dark.’

  When Thanesh saw what waited for them at the pod, he turned and walked back to Alethia. He carefully put a hand to her waist and lowered his face to hers.

  ‘May I?’ he asked, his eyes flickering between her lips and her eyes.

  ‘I don’t know if I can trust you,’ she admitted.

  ‘I know,’ he answered. ‘But you will. I will give you many reasons to. I promise.’

  It was Alethia who initiated the kiss. Thanesh suppressed a growl even as it tried to force its way up his throat. The Ulidon growled at her.

  When Thanesh released her, she was trembling again. But not from fear this time. He had smelled her fear; the scent around her now was richer, muskier. His body responded, but he ignored it. After a few moments, Alethia opened her eyes.

  ‘What is it?’ she asked when she saw the look in his eyes.

  ‘My people are with the pod,’ he said. ‘They will assume you are my prisoner. I will correct them.’

  ‘Am I not your prisoner then?’

  Thanesh shook his head. ‘You are not,’ he whispered. ‘Never a prisoner. Never a slave. You are mine, and I am yours.’ He refused to phrase it as a question; he would give her time. He was old and patient. He could wait.

  ‘Look into a Cealin called Kallis,’ Thanesh said. He was sitting at his desk scrolling through the updates he’d missed in his time with Alethia. ‘Has word gotten out about a missing Protectorate female on Esra? And do you have news on the Kathen and Kuyon that were with her?’

  Korren stood at attention on the other side of Thanesh’s desk. Thanesh glanced over at him and noted the stoic look and tense body language.

  ‘Out with it.’

  ‘Are you sure about this female, sir?’ The words burst from him like water from a poorly built dam. ‘You said she was trouble. She seems to have become important to you.’ This time his words were hesitant. Thanesh could tell Korren felt like he was overstepping.

  ‘I understand your concerns.’ While Thanesh respected Korren and he liked his subordinates to question him, this felt different; he was questioning Alethia now. But Thanesh couldn’t say he still didn’t have questions of his own. He didn’t doubt his feelings for her or the person he believed her to be. But he couldn’t ignore the circumstances that had brought her to him or the people in her life that he didn’t trust, like the Kathen.

  ‘You have no reason to worry. That said, make her feel welcome, but restrict her access to the places she needs to be. We will update it as her needs change. I do not want her being able to wander the ship too much.’ Korren nodded.

  ‘The Kathen?’ First things first, he thought.

  ‘He was picked up by a team I sent to Esra after your message about the Ulidon.’ Korren pursed his lips. ‘He’s a tough vrokker.
An ex-pit fighter. They’re bringing him in. We expect him some time in the next two rotations.’

  ‘There was no rumour of a Protectorate female kidnapped. We retrieved the ship and container belonging to the two Huan. Some interesting things, the rest were sold. Though the ship was reported missing, all crew believed lost, three solars ago. The Hieladan were happy to pay for its return.’ Thanesh nodded. He needed to have a conversation with his people about their mercenary activities, if they were ever to be taken seriously, it was something they had to leave in their past.

  ‘Kallis?’ Korren asked.

  Thanesh nodded confirmation. ‘Korren, do not mention it to anyone else.’

  Korren nodded his understanding and turned to leave, he hesitated and looked at Thanesh. ‘It’s good to have you back, sir.’

  ‘It is good to be back.’

  The face of the Ulidon came to Thanesh’s mind. Its grin as it savoured some revelation it believed would mean something to Thanesh. Of course, it was correct.

  ‘Kallis wants you back on Teralis.’

  Thanesh pushed the unanswerable questions from his mind. There was no point in speculating on who Kallis was until he had more information.

  The memory of waking up on the gurney, the chains loose, the door slightly ajar, appeared in Thanesh’s mind so clearly it twisted his stomach. He could smell the combination of sweat, blood and the smell of a sterilising agent as though he were still lying there. On instinct, he stood, his seat caught between his legs and the wall behind him. A pale face, large, slanted pale-blue eyes and white hair appeared over him, a sly grin on his face. Thanesh had no memory of this face, but revulsion and fear spiked through him. The face was obviously Cealin. They looked so much like the Protectorate, except Thanesh and his people’s faces were more human in appearance. The Cealin’s features were sharp and angular. Pointed chins and eyes. Their skin was smoother, their frames slighter.