Mark of Eon: Eon Warriors #5

by Hackett, Anna

  “It’s fine for now.”

  They leaped over several rivers of lava, and then circled to the left, around a toxic lake. When the faint, acrid scent of it hit her senses, she knew it was seeping in through her damaged suit somewhere.

  “The ship isn’t too far away,” Aydin said. “Keep running.”

  Yes. She couldn’t wait to get off this rock. Once they were back on the Desteron, she had plans to celebrate with her warrior.

  They kept sprinting, leaping rough patches and lava. She scanned ahead, searching for the place where they’d left the stealth ship.

  Then she spotted something.

  She stumbled to a stop. “Fuck.”

  Aydin’s shoulder brushed hers. “Cren.”

  The stealth ship was visible. It had been discovered, and was now nothing but a burned-out, melted ruin.

  “The Kantos found it,” she said tonelessly.

  “Cren!” He turned, throwing his arms out, anger pumping off him.

  They had no way off this rock. Her chin dropped to her chest.

  The buzzing of insects filled the air. They looked back and saw waves of bugs coming after them.

  “We need to go,” he said.

  “Where?” she asked incredulously.

  “Anywhere they won’t follow.”

  Both of them turned, scanning the rocky landscape. They couldn’t hide in the lava, or the toxic water. Their armor wasn’t made to withstand either.

  Then Aydin turned, looking into the distance.

  She followed his gaze. Toward the forbidding, dark side of the planet.

  Jamie cocked her head. “The dark side.”

  He gave a violent shake of his head. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “It’s our only chance.”

  “The temperatures are freezing over there. Your suit is damaged.”

  “It’ll have to hold. We’re out of options.”

  He looked conflicted, but as the bugs rushed closer, he nodded. They broke into a run, heading toward the boundary between the light and dark side. Behind them, the Kantos were gaining on them.

  Shit, they were almost out of time.

  The light level began to drop, getting darker and darker. Ahead, the dark side of the planet loomed, looking black and ominous. The temperature dropped rapidly as well.

  Jamie and Aydin ran as fast as they could, moving up a slope and across into the dark side of Veela.

  They kept running, and when she looked back over her shoulder, she saw the bugs had stopped before the dark side. They milled around, agitated.

  They didn’t come any closer.

  “They aren’t following,” she said.

  She and Aydin jogged on a little farther, then slowed to a walk.

  She had no idea what they were going to do next. She shivered, already feeling the cold working through her damaged suit.

  * * *

  The temperature was freezing. Even Aydin could feel the difference.

  He felt his helian compensate, thickening his armor, and adding a warm lining to the neck of his helmet.

  They stopped near a pool of lava, but he could see it was crusted over at the top and not giving off much heat.

  He looked at Jamie and his heart contracted.

  She stood beside him, body stiff, her lips blue through her helmet. He pulled her into his arms, holding her close.

  Cren. Her suit was made for the cold temperatures of space, but it was damaged. That meant there was no way it could hold up to the dark side temperatures for long.

  She pressed her face to his chest, and he rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

  “We need a plan,” he said.

  “I’m…fine.”

  “You are not fine. We need to find some way to get a message to the Desteron.”

  He felt shivers wracking her body. He pulled her closer, his chest tight. He wasn’t going to lose his woman to the cren-cursed cold.

  Aydin evaluated their choices. Go back to the Kantos lab and face masses of bugs out to kill them, or forge on and possibly freeze to death.

  Cren.

  “I wish I could kiss you?” Her teeth chattered.

  “You can kiss me when we get back to the Desteron.”

  She managed a wan smile and lifted a hand, pressing it to his helmet. He noted that the movement was sluggish.

  Worry was like a spike down his spine. He couldn’t lose her.

  “We’re going back to the lab,” he said.

  “Can’t… Must protect the helians.”

  “My priority is you.”

  Her eyes warmed. “I totally like you, Medical Commander.”

  Their helmets clicked together. “I knew it.”

  He grabbed her hand and started pulling her back toward the Kantos lab. She didn’t say anything, her body moving slowly. As they neared the light side, he jerked to a halt.

  Thousands of bugs had amassed on the boundary to the light side. An army of bugs of all shapes and sizes.

  Cren.

  “God,” she breathed.

  Aydin’s jaw worked as he stared at the Kantos.

  Jamie sighed, then dropped to her knees.

  “Jamie!”

  “Sorry, can’t feel my feet.”

  Crouching, he slid an arm around her. “You hold on. Fight.”

  “I’ve loved fighting with you. You’ve never been intimidated by me. Never saw me as too hard, too tough.”

  He lifted his hand to her helmet and wished he could touch her skin. “Mesmerized, but never intimidated.”

  “If there was ever a man I could love, it would be you, Aydin.” Her eyes fluttered closed.

  “Jamie. Jamie.” He shook her.

  Her eyes fluttered open. “Hurts… To breathe.”

  Aydin was a doctor, a warrior, and yet he couldn’t save the woman he loved. He roared out his pain, clutching her to his chest.

  Then he felt a tug on his arm and looked down. Black scales were flowing off him and over to Jamie.

  He sucked in a breath and watched as the scales flowed over her body, forming armor. A new helmet formed over hers, and her Terran one retracted. She gasped, her eyes flying open.

  “What the—?” She lifted her arm. “I feel warmth.”

  Then her stunned gaze moved to him.

  He smiled. “You can’t get rid of me now, Lieutenant.”

  She was fully clothed in black-scale, helian armor. His armor.

  She swallowed. “We’re, we’re…”

  “Mated.”

  She bit her lip. He watched the movement and wished he could kiss her. “Hello, mate.”

  “God.”

  He could see the warm flush on her face and knew her temperature was rising. She let him help her to her feet.

  “I love you, Jamie.”

  Her chest hitched. “Because we’re mated?”

  “No. I started falling in love with you before that. Maybe the first time you yelled at me.”

  She let out a laugh. “I’m going to need a little time to adjust to this,” she said. “A day, a week, maybe a couple of years.”

  Aydin stroked a hand down her back. “We have forever.”

  She made a choked noise.

  “Well, you haven’t hit me and run, so that’s a good sign.”

  She shook her head and grabbed his hands. Her fingers squeezed his hard. “Aydin…God.”

  “We’ll sort it all out later. For now, let’s find a way off this rock before the mating fever hits.”

  “Mating fever?” She swallowed. “You know what, don’t tell me.”

  They climbed up a ridge and looked up toward the lab.

  “Oh, shit,” she said.

  He stiffened. Rows and rows of Kantos soldiers stood at the light boundary. Several of them appeared to be holding the leashes of some ugly, black bugs. These bugs were heavily armored, covered in spikes, and jerking on their leads.

  “What are those?” she asked.

  “I suspect they’re bugs that can withstand the c
onditions on the dark side of Veela.”

  Suddenly, some of the Kantos soldiers released the leashes. Like hunting dogs, the black bugs bounded toward the dark side.

  Toward Jamie and Aydin.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Ah, that’s not good,” Jamie said.

  Aydin gave a quick shake of his head. “Don’t make me want to kiss you.”

  “You can kiss me after we kick some scaly, Kantos ass.”

  Warmth pulsed through Jamie and she almost moaned. It felt so good to be warm again after the bone-chilling cold. Energy poured through her and she gasped. Her gaze dropped to her new, kickass armor before she looked at Aydin.

  Her mate.

  She knew his helian was healing her, funneling energy into her. Despite the circumstances, she’d never felt so good.

  “Here they come,” Aydin murmured.

  She made herself focus. The ugly, black bugs raced toward them, jointed legs moving fast over the rough ground. Jamie wished she could rain down hell on them.

  Before the thought even ended, her arm jerked. A sleek, blaster weapon formed on her forearm.

  Oh, my fucking God. She grinned, then aimed the weapon, and fired.

  Molten-like projectiles slammed down on the bugs running up the hill toward them. Several exploded and others fell back down the rocks.

  A second later, Aydin joined her, blasting at the incoming Kantos.

  “Helians rock,” she yelled.

  Aydin smiled at her.

  The first of the black bugs got close, and she watched as Aydin formed his sword.

  Ooh. Jamie imagined a blade and her blaster morphed into a gorgeous, ornate sword attached to her arm. It glimmered with hints of green through the black scales.

  A bug launched itself at her. It was a big sucker, with a snapping mouth and a strong, powerful body.

  Jamie rushed forward to meet it. She spun, whirling her new sword. It was like an extension of her body.

  The blade sliced across the bug’s face. It reared up, and she skewered it through its softer underbelly. As another one came at her, she dropped, ramming her sword between its front two legs.

  She kept slashing and striking, until green blood and guts splattered the rocky ground.

  She rolled and came to her feet. Aydin was on top of one of the bugs, driving his sword down and severing the bug’s neck.

  Her man was hot as hell.

  Suddenly, a long, mournful sound broke the air. It sounded like a horn.

  She swiveled, just as another wave of black bugs crossed into the dark side.

  Her gut cramped. Shit.

  They’d just keep coming. That’s what the Kantos did, and was how they won. Her chest tightened. They overwhelmed their enemies with sheer numbers and never stopped.

  Aydin finished his kill and strode toward her. He grabbed her hand.

  “They’ll keep sending bugs after us,” she said.

  “We will keep fighting until we can’t fight anymore.”

  “I think I’m falling in love with you.” She squeezed his hand.

  “I know,” he replied.

  “Cocky.” She tilted her head. “Being in love terrifies me more than those bugs.”

  “I know, but the one thing I’ve learned about you is that you aren’t a coward.”

  They turned, lifting their swords. The bugs were getting closer, and Jamie pulled in a deep breath.

  She’d do what she did best, and fight.

  Now, she had something extra special to fight for.

  She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “Let’s fight, warrior. I’d fight for you—” her voice thickened “—I’d die for you.”

  His black-green eyes flashed. “Jamie.”

  The Kantos bugs rushed closer.

  Boom.

  The detonation of sound above them made the ground rock. All of a sudden, laser fire scored across the ground.

  In shock, Jamie watched as the bugs were torn up and tossed into the air.

  She spun and saw the huge form of an Eon warship filling the sky. For a second, she thought it was the Desteron.

  “The Rengard.” Aydin pulled her close to his side.

  Together, they ran up on top of an outcrop. From there, they watched the warship decimate the bugs. Jamie laughed.

  Then she sobered. “We’re deep in Kantos space. How did they get here?” Or more importantly, how would the warship get out? They’d have every Kantos ship in the sector descending on them.

  “Shuttle,” Aydin said.

  A sleek shuttle launched from the Rengard. It landed nearby, and she spied several helmeted figures at the door. She and Aydin jogged toward the ship.

  Jamie recognized Donovan and several warriors in the doorway of the shuttle. Her friend raised his arm and waved at them.

  Together, she and Aydin ran over and climbed inside the shuttle. As soon as the doors closed, their helmets retracted and the shuttle lifted off.

  “I’m damn glad to see you, D.” Jamie slapped the man’s arm. She slipped off Aydin’s battered backpack and shoved it toward a warrior. “Helians.”

  “Nice armor, Lieutenant,” Donovan said.

  She felt heat in her cheeks. “Don’t start.”

  The handsome black man smiled. “I never thought I’d see the day that Lieutenant Jamie Park fell in love.”

  “Well, believe it.” She smiled at her warrior.

  Aydin swept her into his arms and his mouth slammed down on hers. Jamie kissed him like there was no one else in the room.

  As the shuttle flew toward the Rengard, cheers echoed around them.

  * * *

  Aydin stood in Medical aboard the Rengard. He watched the Rengard’s doctor, Medical Commander Thane Kann-Eon, treat Jamie’s injuries. The tall warrior, with silver at his temples, was a little older than Aydin, and one of the most respected doctors in the fleet.

  “You’re all healed.” Thane set his equipment down.

  Aydin leaned in and kissed the side of Jamie’s head. He saw a small smile touch Thane’s lips. “The helians?”

  The other medical commander nodded. “My team are monitoring them. They’re all in healing chambers. Several were in bad condition, but I think they’ll all pull through.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  “You both did excellent work down there to bring them home,” Thane said.

  The doors opened and a small, curvy Terran with a mass of curly, brown hair rushed in. A smile split her pretty face before she accidentally ran into a chair, sending it skidding across the room and knocking over some medical equipment.

  “Oops.” Big, blue eyes looked up at them. “Sorry, Thane.”

  The doctor shook his head. “It’s fine, Wren.”

  She shot the medical commander a beaming smile before turning to Aydin and Jamie. “Hi, I’m Wren.”

  “Hey, nice to officially meet you, Wren,” Jamie replied. “Jamie and Aydin.”

  The youngest Traynor sister pointed a finger at Jamie. “You have the same badass vibes as my sisters.” Then the woman looked at Aydin, then back to Jamie and she grinned. “Your warrior is hot.”

  Jamie’s lips twitched. “I think so.”

  “I’m so glad to see another happily mated couple.” Wren winked. “Speaking of which, my cutie pie, I mean, the war commander, has requested your presence on the bridge.”

  Aydin swallowed a laugh. Wren Traynor called War Commander Malax Dann-Jadd cutie pie? Aydin was pretty sure no one else in the galaxy could get away with that.

  They made their way to the bridge, with Wren chattering to them about life aboard the Rengard. The woman’s cheery mood was infectious. As soon as they entered the bridge, Aydin spotted Malax standing with his second-in-command, Airen Kann-Felis, and Donovan.

  The war commander’s gaze moved to his mate and instantly warmed. Then he looked at Aydin.

  Aydin nodded. “Malax.”

  “Aydin.” They clasped arms.

  “You’ve met Jamie,�
�� Aydin said.

  “A pleasure, Lieutenant.” Malax nodded his head. “Well done on your successful mission, and the recovery of the helians.”

  “Thanks for the rescue,” Jamie said. “We were about to be bug food before you arrived.”

  “It appeared you’d been holding your own,” Malax said.

  “How did you get here?” Jamie asked. “And not get bombarded by Kantos ships in the process?”

  “And how are we planning to get back to Eon space?” Aydin added.

  “Well—”

  “I can explain that,” a bold female voice said.

  Wren gave them a pained look. “Um, meet Sassy.”

  Aydin raised a brow. He’d heard about the helian that had bonded to Wren’s Earth tablet.

  “Wren and I have been working on some interesting technology for the Rengard,” Sassy said.

  Aydin met Malax’s gaze. He was aware that the Rengard possessed some experimental technology with helians integrated into the warship’s systems.

  “We’ve achieved stealth cloaking for the Rengard.” Sassy sounded pleased with herself.

  Jamie gasped and Aydin jerked.

  “For the entire warship?” Aydin asked.

  That was unheard of. Something the Eon scientists had been trying to achieve for decades.

  “Yes.” Malax slid an arm around his mate. “My woman is very smart.”

  “Hey!” Sassy complained.

  “As is Sassy,” Malax added with a long-suffering look.

  “We can only maintain camouflage for a few hours,” Sassy said. “Then the helians and the system need time to recharge.”

  “So we’ve had to hide a few times,” Malax said.

  “But we’ll make it safely out of Kantos space?” Aydin asked.

  The war commander nodded. “And deliver the helians, and the both of you, to the Desteron.”

  “Thank you,” Aydin said.

  “How’s warship life?” Jamie asked Donovan.

  “Enlightening. You?”

  She looked at Aydin. “No complaints.”

  “I can see that.” Donovan shot them a smile, his teeth white against his skin. “I quite like the view around here too.” The Terran’s dark gaze swung to the second commander of the Rengard.