Under Sunless Skies (Starlight Saga Book 2)

by Sherry Soule

  Jonah strokes Jinx’s fur and squints at Hayden. “Tell me more about the Zetas.”

  “Over a hundred years ago, the Zeta’s ship crash-landed on Earth,” Hayden says. “They came here seeking refuge, but at first, the humans thought it was an invasion. The surviving members of the Zetas were captured and isolated inside a militarized sector. When the government leaders struck a bargain with them, everything changed. Humans agreed to the Zeta’s request of DNA splicing in exchange for help with advancing the government’s computer technology and space travel…”

  Next Hayden tells Jonah about his sister Delta, and then ST and the GB’s opposing agendas. How one group wants to fight for their freedom and the other wants to keep them enslaved so-to-speak. My brother is quiet and thoughtful, and occasionally asking questions. When Hayden finishes explaining, I feel much more informed, but slightly overwhelmed.

  I never realized that ST and GB had so many major issues between them. With the reveal of Hayden’s missing sister, along with him being a future leader, it must make his decision of whether or not to support David’s integration program even more important. He’s not just trying to change things so that he can be with me, and while that’s a romantic notion and all, he has other reasons to get support from the Meleah. For the sake of his beloved sister, Hayden wants to wage war against ST for the Meleahs’ rights, and I admire him for fighting for something that can benefit everyone on this planet.

  Jonah nods pensively. “It sounds as if this situation could be easily resolved if both groups decided to work together for the greater good,” he announces, as if he’s just solved the problem of global warming or world hunger.

  “Not gonna happen,” I say. “They each want different things. ST wants to control the Meleah, and the hybrids want their freedom.”

  “When snakes are born with two heads, they fight each other for food,” Jonah says.

  I frown at my younger brother. “What’re you talking about?”

  “Sector Thirteen and the Galactic Brotherhood are like two snake heads fighting over opposing agendas,” Jonah replies.

  “Your brother’s a whiz kid,” Hayden says with a grin.

  I roll my eyes. “Yeah, well, Boy Genius here still giggles at fart jokes and sleeps with a nightlight.”

  Hayden’s cell rings again. “Zach? What’s up…slow down!” He jumps to his feet, his hand clenching the phone so tight the metal groans. “When? Where?” He nods and his gaze locks with mine. “I’m still at Sloane’s.” Another pause, then Hayden says quietly, “I understand.” Lowering his phone, his brows drawn together in a flat line.

  My organs turn to liquid mush. “What’s wrong?”

  “Zach found Xavier. He’s on his way here.”

  THIRTY-SIX

  A blast of blue light illuminates the living room through the front window. I cross the room and peek through the blinds. Xavier has teleported onto the front lawn. Our gazes clash through the glass, and an oily smile appears on his thin lips. He waves at me, then stalks to the front porch.

  “Jonah!” I yell. “Go upstairs and hide!”

  My brother scampers up the staircase without argument.

  “I think we’re going to need reinforcements,” Hayden says through his teeth. With one hand, he slips the cell out of his pocket and texts someone.

  The front door bursts open and Xavier strides into the house. He points a wicked-looking revolver at us, with a transparent handle that has weird orange goo floating within it. Hayden slides his phone back into the pocket of his jeans.

  Holy crap. Staring at the strange weapon, it seems like I’m trapped in a super cheesy SyFy original movie.

  “What the hell is that thing?” I ask, pointing at the gun.

  “Astounding Zeta technology.” Xavier sneers and lifts a high-tech firearm. “This beauty is a Translocation Neutralizer. It fires a powerful electromagnetic pulse, which affects the gravitational waves and paralyzes a Meleah’s powers.”

  “In other words, the gun keeps us from teleporting…temporarily.” Hayden’s posture taking on a martial arts stance, both fists raised and feet apart as if ready to do battle.

  “Ah, my future son-in-law is a smart lad,” Xavier says condescendingly. “Let’s test it, shall we?”

  Before Xavier can shoot Hayden, he lunges, grasping the Translocation Neutralizer with one hand, then pushes up and clocks Xavier across the jaw with his other fist. The weapon plunges to the floor with a clatter. Hayden flips Xavier around, tossing him over his shoulder. The ground vibrates from Xavier’s weight as he hits the hardwood floor, and I step back. Xavier grunts, placing his hands over his chest as he grasps for breath.

  I give the psycho Maleah a death glare. “Get the hell out of my house!”

  Xavier gets to his feet and dusts himself off with a smirk on his too thin lips. “I’m not going anywhere, Sloane Masterson. Not until you agree to break it off with Hayden for good. You two have no future together.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Xavier,” Hayden replies. “I’m going to turn you into ST. This ends now—today.”

  “So optimistic!” Xavier claps his hands. “A good trait to have as a future leader, my boy. Now agree to marry my daughter, or I will teleport your lowlife girlfriend to a remote location. Iceland, perhaps—”

  “If you think pathetic threats and intimidation are going to work on me, you’re dead wrong.” Hayden clenches his fists, staring down our mutual enemy. “Neela is a nice girl, and I highly doubt she’d appreciate your schemes at securing her a husband. Your family is respected and noble, why do this?”

  Xavier sighs and bends to pick up the weapon. “I am only doing what any good father would do to ensure his daughter’s happiness. She wants to marry you, so I am simply making it happen.”

  “You’re batshit crazy,” I mutter.

  “Once your family finds out what you’re doing, they’re going to be very disappointed in you. And the GB will be furious,” Hayden says, as if trying to reason with this madman. “Not to mention, what ST will do when they find out how you’re using their resources for your own twisted agenda.”

  “I’ll worry about that after we reach an agreement,” Xavier says, lifting the gun and aiming the weapon at Hayden’s chest.

  “There’s no talking it out with this nutjob,” I say.

  “I agree.” Hayden wraps one arm around my waist and pulls me into his side. “Ready, Peaches?”

  Before I can answer, he teleports us in a blinding flash of blue light to the same clearing in the woods where the prom after party was held.

  Within seconds, Xavier appears in his own bright flare no more than twenty yards away.

  “Running off is so cowardly,” Xavier says, clucking his tongue in disapproval. “You cannot defeat me, boy.”

  I roll my eyes. Que, the cheesy commentary from the villain.

  “I’m not marrying Neela,” Hayden says. “So just leave Sloane alone. Once ST discovers how you’re misusing the reapers and stealing their weapons, they’ll send troops to bring you in for mind-wiping.”

  “You think I’m afraid of those imbeciles?” Xavier picks dirt out of his fingernail and sighs. “Hayden, it’s time you came to your senses. Marry my daughter and end this nonsense.”

  “You’re evil and warped,” Hayden replies. “And obviously, you can’t take no for an answer.”

  What a jerk of a father! I’m starting to feel a tiny bit sorry for his offspring.

  “What about what Neela wants?” I ask, glancing from Xavier to Hayden. “Doesn’t she want I husband who will love her?”

  Xavier lifts his chin and stares down his nose at me. “Neela obeys me and she was destined to marry into a noble family.”

  “Like yours is so honorable! You’re trying to kill innocents,” I snap.

  “Sloane, please let me handle this,” Hayden’s says sternly.

  “I thought we’d negotiate new terms,” Xavier says, glancing in my direction. “Soon you’ll see that evil wil
l always conquer the virtuous hero, because being noble is just so passé!”

  “I’d rather do the right thing, then live my life with regret.” Hayden takes my hand and laces our fingers. “And I’d regret marrying Neela if my heart belonged to someone else. Don’t you want better for her? Then a man in love with someone else?”

  “You really love me?” A warmth surges through me at his declaration.

  Hayden squeezes my hand. “With every breath I take.”

  “You two are turning my stomach,” Xavier says. “Perhaps you feel you are being treated...unjustly?” Xavier steps closer, pausing between two oaks. “This defiance of yours is most troublesome. According to your parents, the marriage is still a go. There is no need to fight now.”

  Hayden moves in front of me. “Sloane, this is going to get bloody.”

  Xavier leans one hand against the trunk and crosses his ankles. “Let’s get the girl a quick mind-wiping and move on. I don’t know about you, but I have a tux at home. We could have the wedding this afternoon. Or I guess I could knock some sense into you before the nuptials…” Xavier releases a dark chuckle and slaps his thigh. “Ha! You sneaky trickster! You got me doing the whole villain speech.”

  The crunch of squashing leaves echoes around us. I turn and suck in a breath.

  We are surrounded.

  “Guess what, kids?” Xavier says. “I called for backup. One way or another, Sloane Masterson is going bye-bye.” He lifts an arm and gestures a goodbye at me.

  Six men join us—dressed in protective black body armor that resembles motorcycle gear, except the helmet—walking out of the forest and into the secluded clearing. All Sector Thirteen soldiers. Four of the Doom Squad appear human and the other two males have the gray skin and eerie eyes of the Meleah. Definitely not the cavalry I was hoping for.

  “Greetings, gentlemen,” Xavier says to the new arrivals. “Do not hurt Hayden Lancaster. But I do not care what you do with her.”

  An explosion of indigo radiance brightens the forest behind Hayden and me, announcing the arrival of another visitor to our morbid little party.

  Zach saunters over to us, cracking his knuckles. “Oh, yeah. This should be fun.” He turns to me. “Be sure to stay out of the way while the grownups handle this.”

  If he weren’t here to help, I would kick him in the ass.

  Xavier shakes his head. “I’m sorry it had to end like this, Hayden. I had high hopes that we could work things out. Oh, well...”

  Then everything seems to speed up and fast-forward. Hayden swings at the next person to approach—a stout man that ducks the first strike, but when he pops back up, Hayden punches him in the face. The soldier falls over, knocked unconscious. Zach goes after the third soldier, exchanging lightning-fast punches.

  The boys are throwing down, Fight Club style. The Doom Squad are tough fighters, but they’re no match for the kickass Lancaster brothers. Bonus points for the boys wicked cool use of Kung-Fu tricks.

  I deal with a fourth man the only way I know how. I lift a knee into his groin. The soldier bends over and clutches his junk, and I drive another knee up into his chin. His head snaps back and he groans. I make a fist and jab it into his face as hard as I can, cracking his cheekbone beneath my knuckles. When I give him a hard shove, he slumps to the floor, groaning.

  Owww! I shake out my hand, my knuckles bruised and swelling. Hand-to-hand combat friggin’ hurts. It’s not like how they portray it in the movies!

  Knowing I’m no match for these trained soldiers, I run and hide behind a tree, a safe distance away. Let the brave, genetically evolved Lancaster boys handle it.

  The brawl plays out almost like a scene from a comic book or graphic novel. Crouching down within the dense foliage, I can practically imagine the Pow! Boom! Ka-Pow! sounds as each punch and kick lands on the opponent.

  Someone sneaks up behind me and I whirl around. He’s got a wicked scar on his cheek, and he kicks me in the face with his combat boot. I land on my back, the pain vibrating along my spine and into my teeth. Soldier Scar grasps one of my ankles and yanks me through the trees. The rough terrain and tree roots tear the skin on my palms as I struggle to grab something. Anything.

  “Let go, you smarmy bastard!” I shriek.

  Soldier Scar ignores me, dragging me across the rough ground until my fingers grab hold of a rather large root. He tugs, and I grip harder. When he moves to unclench my fingers, I kick out and miss, then on the second try, I jam my foot into his kneecap. Soldier Scar goes down in pain. I scramble to my feet and turn to run, but I’m decked in the face by another soldier. Cheek bones vibrating, my head snaps back, and stars blink through my vision.

  I wobble on shaky legs, knocking over a stack of firewood near the pit. The logs spill every which way. I snatch one up, and swing it wildly. The soldier ducks and punches me in the gut, and the air rushes out of me. Still holding the log with both hands, I double over. Fighting through the pain, I come up swinging the log again, upper-cutting him in the chin. The soldier falls backward and lands on his back in a cloud of dust. He appears dazed and shocked, so I scramble away from him before he regains his strength.

  “Hayden!” I yell, glancing around for him.

  Xavier appears at my side and rips the log from my hand, then lifts it over his shoulder to strike me. Cowering with my hands covering my head, I brace myself for the impact.

  A weird hissing rings out like a miniature sonic blast.

  I lower my arms and witness an electromagnetic wave striking Xavier’s chest. He grunts like a sea lion and clutches his torso, falling to his knees. Hayden stands five-feet away, lowering the neutralizer gun.

  “Run!” Hayden orders.

  I shake my head. “No way. I’m not leaving.”

  “Dammit, Sloane,” Hayden mutters. “Then take this.”

  He tosses me the firearm and I catch it just as a soldier rushes him. Hayden spins on his heel, kicking up dirt and leaves. With one fist raised, he punches the man in the temple. Groaning, the soldier pitches over. Another soldier tackles him from behind.

  Zach appears next to me, snatching the gun from my hands, and shooting the Meleah soldier brawling with his older brother with a quick squeeze of the trigger.

  The remaining Doom Squad stagger to their feet. Lurching backward, my heart does hard flips in my chest. I have no high-tech weapons now or deadly karate moves.

  Zach blocks me from an attack as a dark-haired Meleah rushes him. The Translocation Neutralizer is pried from Zach’s grip and drops to the forest floor. Zach kicks him in the kidney, and the soldier’s face contorts with pain. The Meleah grabs Zach’s forearm, bringing it down to his knee. Cursing, Zach twists in his grip, then leans back, and kicks with his boot, hitting him in the groin.

  For a second, I watch the events unfold like an action movie. Flying fists, impressive footwork, guns blazing, and gravity defying kicks.

  I spot the clear grip of a firearm handle filled with that orange goop within the foliage. I scramble for it, grasp it with both hands, and roll onto my back.

  I’ve never shot a gun before, but how hard can it be? Point and squeeze the trigger.

  With adrenaline surging through my veins, I aim and shoot at the Meleah fighting Zach. The weird plasm discharges out of the barrel and wallops the Meleah in the back. He goes down fast and quick, his body seizing.

  “Hey, Zach! Did you see that—” A black boot kicks me in the side, and the weapon goes soaring out of my hands.

  Another soldier looms over me. “Get up, girl.”

  Without a neutralizer gun, I don’t stand a chance.

  I throw up my hands in surrender. “Wait! Xavier is just using you guys—”

  “Save it.” The human soldier scowls down at me. “I’ve got orders to take you to the lab.”

  “Orders? You aren’t going to kill me?”

  Before he can answer my question, Zach slams into his side, taking him down. I move out of the way of the fighting and make a firm decision to ta
ke self-defense ASAP. Dating Hayden is hazardous for my health.

  I spot Hayden busy trading blows with two soldiers and Zach is in a bloody boxing match with the only other Meleah still standing. This whole scenario is like the gratuitous action scene from a movie, where the heroes kick some serious bad-guy ass.

  Then within minutes, all of the Doom Squad are lying on the ground either knocked unconscious or too wounded to get up, and Zach and Hayden are the only ones left standing.

  Go, Team Lancaster!

  Hayden moves to my side and puts an arm around my shoulders. “Zach called Arcane and my uncle Niall, and they’re on their way to help us clean up this mess,” he whispers into my hair.

  “Where’s Xavier?”

  “Zach and I overpowered him, then cuffed him to a tree with titanium handcuffs that we lifted from one of the soldiers.”

  A burst of relief floods my entire being. The nightmare is finally over now.

  Zach crouches over the men, binding the soldiers’ hands and feet with plastic zip ties that he took from one of the men’s utility belts. Most likely meant to restrain us—the good guys.

  “Xavier will be taken into custody and convicted for his crimes,” Hayden says.

  I don’t know how alien courts work, but I do know that not worrying about Hayden’s murderous ex-father-in-law anymore is a good thing.

  Another burst of light explodes and illuminates the forest. Two more Meleah recruited by ST emerge from the vivid circle of blue light.

  “Yo!” Zach curses and gets to his feet. “We got more company, bro.”

  “Sloane, go back to the parking lot and wait for Arcane,” Hayden says. “Zach and I will deal with these two asshats.”

  I race through the trees to meet up with Arcane. When I reach the parking lot near a trail into the woods, I spot a lone soldier with his back to me. I cut left, darting into another dense area of the woods to hide.

  Heavy footfalls crash through the oaks. Damn, he must’ve seen me!

  I glance over my shoulder. He charges, head down and arms swinging at his sides. The soldier tackles me with one broad shoulder. The force throws us off-balance, and we crash to the ground. The back of my skull hits the base of a tree and the jolt rattles my teeth, vibrating through my skull. My vision blurs. I can’t think straight.