by Maven, Ella
“Nero needs my help,” I protested. “And he taught me everything I need to know. Right, Nero?” I turned on him. “Right? Tell him.”
For a long moment, Nero only stared at me. The weight of the world seemed to settle on his shoulders. He didn’t look away, and his gaze held an immense amount of sadness.
With dawning horror, I realized he was going to agree with Daz and forbid me to go. All that talk about letting me be free and about understanding I needed to be in control. It didn’t matter. And worst of all, I couldn’t imagine sending the one man I knew I could love into battle without me there to protect his back. “Nero?” My voice cracked.
Finally, his gaze shifted to Daz, and I closed my eyes as I waited for him to seal my fate.
“She’s coming.”
My eyes popped open at those two words. Nero stood with his chin in the air and his mouth in a thin line as he took on his drexel. For me. My knees threatened to buckle.
Daz didn’t respond but his eyes blazed. A muscle in his jaw ticked.
Nero remained steady in his decision. The silent standoff between the two warriors seemed to go on forever. Finally, Daz dropped his gaze, admitting defeat as he shook his head wearily. “It’s your call then, Nero.” He pointed a finger at me. “I’ll rouse the females to see you off.”
I rolled my lips between my teeth. Oh right. I hadn’t told them yet about my plan to launch myself into this war. I braced myself for the upcoming angry words and tears. “Okay.”
“See you at the gates in two yoras.” With those parting words, Daz left the hut.
Nero didn’t move for a long moment, staring at the closed door with a determined look on his face. Finally, he turned to me, and saying nothing, held his arms out.
I surged into them, and we clung to each other tightly. Despite my confidence I didn’t want a man, I knew I undoubtedly needed Nero. He’d risen above just a man in my mind, to my friend. My partner.
And maybe, just maybe … mate. But I wasn’t going there yet. We had the equivalent of Mt. Everest to climb before we could even think of a future.
“We can catch a few yoras sleep on the returo on the way.” He rubbed my back soothingly.
I hadn’t even thought of that. We needed sleep. Although pure adrenaline was coursing through my system at that moment, I’d need sleep eventually. The returo was the large tank-like hover vehicle driven by the Kaluma. “Okay,” I answered.
“I’m sorry, I wish there was more time.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Thank you for having my back with Daz. That meant a lot.”
He blew out a breath. “I can’t decide if I’m doing the right thing, or if I’m doing the selfish thing, because I can’t imagine you not being at my side.” He cupped my neck and drew me back to face him. “Do we need to talk about what happened before Daz interrupted?”
I shook my head. “I think you made yourself clear.”
“And your response?”
I grinned. “Did my kiss not make my feelings clear?”
“Hmmm,” he hummed as he nuzzled my temple. “I guess it did.”
This was my life though, right? I’d found happiness with someone, and now I was about to throw myself into the most dangerous situation in my life. It was cruel to be taunted with that kiss, of a future I could have if only I completed this mission. A mission which was near impossible, extremely life-threatening, and especially important.
But worse than that? Facing my friends.
* * *
I expected there to be a gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, but when Nero and I arrived at the gates with our bags packed, the women stood in a silent line. There was even a slight breeze which fluttered the fabric of their robes around their legs, as they’d been roused out of their sleep.
Naomi cried quietly while Miranda seemed to be praying. Honestly, the whole thing felt a little like a funeral procession.
I stepped in front of them wearing a pair of pants I’d made with Anna’s help weeks ago—dark cargo pants that wouldn’t win any fashion awards but had a lot of very deep pockets, including my prized knife. My shirt fit snug against my torso, and I’d strapped on the most comfortable shoes I owned which had a boot-like sole but a sneaker-like upper, my version of hiking Chucks. Honestly, I thought I looked a little badass. Like Lara Croft but with less skin, guns, and cleavage.
“I’m not dead yet, guys. Christ,” I sniped. In hindsight, that was the wrong thing to say, but I’d never been good with blatant displays of emotion.
Frankie’s head snapped up. “I can’t believe you,” she hissed. I was about to retort I was doing this for all of them when I saw the flood of tears streaming down her cheeks. Then her face crumpled, and she dissolved into sobs. “Oh Frank,” I muttered as I hurried to her and gathered her in my arms.
She was a little thing—the only one smaller than her was Naomi. Her head dropped to my shoulder where she continued to weep. Our position was awkward with her massive belly between us. “I’ll be back before you know it. With some Uldani scalps or something.”
She snorted and I ignored the mucus wetting my shirt. “If anything happens to you,” she sniffed, “I’m going to burn this planet down.”
I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt the prick of tears. The friendship I’d made with these women meant everything to me. “That’s a deal, you little pyro.”
Withdrawing myself from her embrace, I dropped to a knee and placed my palms on her belly. Her skin rippled beneath my touch as her baby moved, and I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “You be good for your, mama, little one.” I swore the baby gave me a high-five in response.
One-by-one, I said goodbye to the girls. Miranda talked to me about not doing anything risky, Val gave me a few medical supplies I slipped into my pack, and Tabitha wailed in my ear. The two of us had grown close while all the other women found their mates. I’d enjoyed single Tabby, but she was happier with Xavy than I’d ever seen her.
Standing in front of her mom was Bazel, who gave me a red armband like the warriors wore. “Because you’re a warrior now, too, Justine.”
I did cry at that. I blubbered like a fool while Bazel’s little fingers fastened the armband around my biceps. I hugged her and reminded her with a whisper in her ear to fill Mozart’s feeder.
Swiping at my face, I came face to face with a line of warriors blocking our exit from the gate. The whole council was there as well as Tark, Shep, and Hap.
Nero stepped to my side and linked our hands together. He wore a pair of pants, boots, and a vest with lots of inner pockets full of weapons and gadgets. A slim pack sat on his back with supplies, a comm, and his precious tablet which was essential to our mission.
Elsewhere in the clavas was the buzz of warriors preparing for battle. While we were leaving now the entirety of the Drix army wouldn’t be far behind. They’d arrive in the woods surrounding Alazar around sunup to wait for our signal to attack.
“This goes against everything I believe to send you into danger,” Daz said, his deep voice carrying over the silence of the gathering crowd. “But I also have to face that times are changing. We can’t continue to let the Uldani threaten our way of life, all while stealing human women from Earth.”
Daz’s gaze slid to Nero. I could see the conflicting emotions in Daz’s posture and in the tightening of the skin around his eyes. “Brother.”
“Drexel,” Nero answered.
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else with this mission.”
Nero puffed out his chest, pride evident in the lift of his chin. “Thank you.”
“If all goes well, we’ll see you in battle.”
Nero nodded. Daz stepped forward, grasped Nero by the back of his neck and slammed their foreheads together. For the longest time, no one made a sound. The breeze whipped Daz’s hair around them and fluttered the loose threads of their armbands.
Finally, Daz spoke on a ragged whisper. “Be safe, brother. She is All.”
“She is A
ll.” Nero whispered back.
I felt the weight of their words with every beat of my heart.
* * *
Nero
I didn’t like Bosa because he was a dick, as the females would say, but I had to admit, the Kaluma knew how to command his warriors. They respected him, that much was evident, which meant I had to begrudgingly respect him too. Also, I had to trust him, at least a little. He and his warriors were the reason this mission could even get off the ground.
We’d gone over the plan a few times so we both knew it inside and out. After that, Justine dozed, curled up against me with her head on my lap. I slipped in and out of wakefulness, lulled by the vibrations of the fast-moving hover vehicle.
The Kaluma were quiet, watching Justine with a mixture of curiosity and distrust. They didn’t like outsiders, and none more than Bosa, but he also understood what was on the line for his race, as well as ours, if the Uldani were not defeated.
I’d found evidence that Bosa’s friend, who was also the brother of the Kaluma’s new pardux, had been taken by the Uldani and sold to the Plikens on Planet Vixlicin, along with several of our own warriors. Bosa wanted revenge but he also wanted more information in order to return his friend to their home. So, while I didn’t like Bosa, I trusted him, and knew his motives were as pure as mine.
After a few yoras, the returo slowed and the entire vehicle jolted slightly as it touched the ground. Justine woke with a jerk and rubbed her eyes. Sitting up, she braced her hands on my thighs and glanced around. “We’re here at drop-off?”
I nodded. We couldn’t take the returo the whole way to Alazar, as it was too large not to be noticed by Uldani security. We’d travel the rest of the way on foot. That worried me a little, as Justine had barely any sleep, but she was already on her feet and strapping her pack to her back.
With a low hiss, the returo ramp lowered, and the Kaluma filed out. We would be accompanied by ten of them, while two others remained behind with the returo to meet up with the Drix army who would arrive at sunup. I stepped down onto the ground and squinted at the night sky. The moon was only a sliver, which afforded almost zero light. While I could see, I knew Justine’s eyes were not equipped for this level of darkness.
Her little fingers curled into the waistband of my pants. “You lead the way,” she said quietly. Up ahead, the Kaluma were already on the move, Bosa in front.
“I’m sorry we can’t travel with lights.” It was necessary for us to gain entry to Alazar while it was still dark.
“It’s okay,” she murmured. “Is it just me, or are the Kaluma’s white tattoos glowing?”
She wasn’t wrong. What moonlight there was shone on their white markings. “It’s not just you.”
Bosa set a blistering pace which worried me for Justine. I could hear her heavy breathing and a few times she tripped over something on the ground, but she kept up well.
The returo sat at the top of a large hill, which we currently descended to reach the open ground that surrounded Alazar. The bare land was heavily monitored by guards and heat sensors and was nearly impossible to pass without getting blasted by the Uldani’s long-range laser guns or bombs. When we reached the bottom of the hill closest to the back gate, we settled into a small gully to prepare for the next phase of our mission—entry.
Justine crouched next to me, drinking a jug of qua and nibbling on a tein bar. Large solar lights lit the grounds, making it easy for guards to spot intruders, and harder for us to break in—if we didn’t have the Kaluma.
“Grego and Uther,” Bosa barked. The smallest warrior in the group appeared at his side. He was about Hap’s size and corded with tight muscles. He wore his hair shaved one side and long on the other. He remained silent, waiting expectantly for Kaluma’s orders. Next to him stepped another warrior, nearly identical but with his head shaved on the opposite side. I assumed they were brothers, if not twins. Bosa nodded to me, and the two twins faced me, their blue glowing eyes mesmerizing me for a split second before I focused on the task at hand.
“I can scramble their heat and motion sensors for fifteen seeks,” I explained. “They’ll most likely think it’s a glitch or a pivar pack. They will be watching, so you must stay blanked the entire time.” Both heads nodded in unison. It was a little creepy.
“Once inside, kill the Kulk guards at the back gate and temporarily disable the gate’s alarm system like I showed you.”
Again, with the head nods.
“When the gates open, that’s the signal for us to enter. Don’t open the gates until the guards are put down and the alarms are disable, or we’ll be cooked.”
Head nods.
I turned to Bosa, who watched his warriors with pride. His glowing eyes met mine. “After you are inside safely, we’ll return to the returo to wait for the attack command,” he said.
I’d signal Daz when Justine and I had successfully shut down the Uldani defense systems, which could take a few yoras or it could take a few rotations. Either way, he and the rest of the Drixonians would be ready to attack Alazar as soon as they received my signal. I nodded. “If we don’t fail, the command will come.”
Bosa lips curled into a slight smirk. “I would say this is a near impossible task, but I’m learning you Drix are a fearless bunch with favor on your side.” His eyes slid to Justine. “And these stray females seem just like you. With less skill.”
“Hey,” Justine glowered at him. “I’ll show you skill, you big arrogant—”
I placed my hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She clamped her jaw shut but continued to incinerate Bosa, a creature twice her size, with a wicked glare.
Bosa’s smirk grew and he made as if to touch Justine’s hair, but she jerked away from his touch with a swat of her hand.
“Bosa,” I warned.
He held up his hand, palm out, in a gesture of concession. “I apologize to you, human.” He lowered his voice and leaned into us. “You, little female, have a warrior’s spirit. And in battle, that’s more important than skill.” Justine’s eyes went a little wide, and I was stunned speechless at his compliment. He cleared his throat and leaned back. “If you ever repeat I said that, I’ll deny it.”
Justine snorted, and I smiled. “Good to know.”
“Do your thing.” He inclined his head to me. “I’m ready for a break-in.”
I pulled my tablet out of my pack as Grego and Uther lined up at the edge of the tree-line. “Get ready,” I called out as I tapped away. This close to the city, I could force my way into the Uldani’s network, although I couldn’t linger for long without detection. My finger hovered over the security sensor controls. “Ready?”
White hair swished as they nodded.
“And…” I tapped the sensors pause. “Go.”
One minute, they stood in front of us, and the next minute, there was nothing. No sound, no twins. Just … nothing.
Bosa could see them though, as his eyes tracked movement across the open ground. Occasionally, I could detect a barely-there blur, but other than that, the twins were completely invisible.
“Incredible,” Justine whispered at my side.
Along the parapet of the city, I could see guards moving, scanning the grounds as they noticed the sensors had temporarily gone done. “Seven seeks left,” I murmured.
“Doesn’t matter,” Bosa said. “They’re already at the wall.”
“Can you see them?” I asked.
“Only the outline of their bodies.”
“And I thought Drix were fast,” Justine murmured.
“Grego and Uther are the fastest warriors I’ve ever seen. When they run, they look like they’re flying.” Bosa’s eyes gleamed with pride.
He had assured me his warriors could scale the walls with special grappling hooks that were designed to blend in with the background, just like the Kaluma’s skin. He wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t see anything on the walls.
“Almost at the top,” Bosa informed with squinted eyes. He sucked in a breath and then an evil sm
ile slid across his face. “Guards are dispatched.”
“That’s fucking creepy,” Justine whispered near my ear. “They killed the guards without making a sound.”
“I imagined they held their hands over the guards’ mouths from behind and slit their throats,” I said.
Justine swallowed, her skin looking a little pale. “Thanks for the playback.”
“They’re inside,” Bosa announced. “I can’t see them anymore.”
“They should be working in disabling the gate right now,” I said.
We all waited, our breathing the only sound in the stillness of the night until a jolt of metal against metal carried across the plain as the gates opened.
“Squad up,” Bosa ordered.
The Kaluma surrounded us in a circle and blanked. It was eerie to be so exposed, except I knew should anyone look out across the plains, Justine and I would mostly be invisible, blocked by the Kaluma bodies that blended into the background. We’d be visible from above, but we were between drone flyovers. Grego and Uther had disabled the motion and heat sensors for the back gate.
Bosa’s disembodied voice called out in a harsh whisper. “Now.”
I scooped Justine in my arms and sprinted across the open land. I had to trust the Kaluma to run at my pace, and a few times I detected a blur of motion ahead of me, ensuring I was still surrounded. My feet pounded the ground as I ran with Justine bundled in my arms. She clung to my neck silently, knowing this was the plan.
I slipped through the gates and heard a soft. “Be brave, Drix,” in Bosa’s gravelly voice right before the gates shut behind me. Placing Justine on her feet, I ran to the stairs that led to the gate’s control tower. Taking the steps two at a time, I reached the top. The only evidence anyone had been there was a slight drop of blood on the wood-planked floor. I had no idea what the Kaluma planned to do with the guards’ bodies, and frankly, I didn’t want or need to know.
I waited for the signal, and when I saw a flash of white hair and a raised golden fist at the edge of the tree line, I smiled. I turned the gate’s security back on and ran back down the stairs where Justine waited for me at the base as a lookout.