by Gail Koger
Haas shook me like a rag doll.
“Do not provoke him, petka.”
“He’s choking the life out of me, and all you got is, ‘don’t provoke him’? Help me or shut the fuck up.” I thrust my palm into the rogue’s nose. Crap. He never even blinked. I hit him again.
Blood trickling from his nose, Haas snarled, “I will drain you dry.”
“That’s his line,” I said, a second before Datlow struck.
“You still die.” The rogue tightened his grip.
I pried desperately at his fingers as my vision dimmed. “A little help here, Zarek!”
Tremendous power roiled through me and struck Haas. His hand fell away and down he went, taking me with him to the ground.
Haas’s huge body crushed me into the goo. I heaved, pushed, shoved, wiggled, and squirmed. Fuck. I couldn’t move him. “Could someone please get this mountain off me?”
Splat! Splat! Splat! Haas shot up into the tree.
Zarek vanished from my mind. I sagged in relief. I was still alive. How amazing was that?
A horrific, guttural cry sounded above me. I opened my senses and took a cautious peek. The Overlord was sifting through Haas’s memories, and he didn’t give a rat’s ass about the pain he inflicted or the damage he did.
Thank God that Zarek had hijacked Datlow’s mind to help with his interrogation. He probably thought my feeble brain wasn’t up for it.
My Siren senses went on red alert. Just my luck, a Rodan was headed for my tree.
Crap. The lowest branch was a good ten feet above my head.
“Hey. Guys. I could use a boost.”
Giggles sounded in my head. Splat! A web smacked my shoulder and jerked me up on the branch. I tottered unsteadily.
“How you have survived this long is a mystery, petka.” Splat! Another web hit my chest. Suddenly, I was flying like Superman. A branch loomed up. I grabbed it and swung my legs over. Yay. I had made it.
Bey snorted in disgust. “You need a keeper.”
Assuming my best intimidating-cop demeanor, I snapped, “I’m a highly trained combat officer.”
He sniggered.
I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Your mate is doomed,” Bey sniped.
The little prick was right. I needed to get my act together, or Talree was a dead man. I turned my attention to the Kotsors’ nest.
Dozens of the eight-legged freaks crawled around the enormous web. One large female wrapped her still-struggling prey in sticky silken strands.
I had never encountered such sick, twisted brain patterns. I didn’t know what to make of the weird blue spikes in their brain waves. For my rescue plan to work, I needed a way into their minds. Time to call for backup.
My oldest brother, Quinn, was the head of the Sirens’ program and my go-to guy. If he didn’t have an answer, Aunt Tess would. I linked with him. “Hey, big brother, miss me?”
“Kaylee!” He engulfed me in a mental bear hug. “Thank God. We’ve been so worried. Has he hurt you?”
Before I could answer, my head was full of family. Brothers, uncles, and cousins all crowded in. Every one of them vied for my attention. Their love and joy enveloped me. How had I gotten so lucky? “Okay. Okay. One question at a time.”
My older brother Caleb demanded, “How in the hell did you hook up with a vampire?”
“Talree isn’t a vampire; he’s Coletti.”
“He’s got fangs. Doesn’t—”
Cousin Tess cut Caleb off. “Hon, you’ve been broadcasting some hot, and I do mean hot images.”
Say what? I went to a private link. “Please, oh God, please tell me you’re not talking about sex?”
“I am.”
“Between Talree and me?”
Tess sighed. “He can warm my bed anytime.”
“Did the guys…ah…see me…ah…”
“Gettin’ it on? Oh yeah.”
My face burned with embarrassment. I’d never live it down.
Bey nipped my fingers. “Are you going to introduce me?”
“Oh, hell no. They don’t like bugs.”
“If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t fucking believe it.” My youngest brother, Jake, gasped. “You’re talking to a spider and not shrieking like a crazy person.”
What did you know? I had the perfect way to get their attention off my sex life. “Everyone, listen up. This is Bey. He’s a Tabor and my bodyguard. Bey, this is my family.”
“It is an honor to meet petka’s family.”
There was a long silence, then Sarah had to ask, “What the heck is a petka?”
“Don’t you dare,” I warned Bey.
A smirking Bey projected the image of a petka. “Kaylee is easily frightened, and it seemed a proper name for her.”
Laughter filled my mind.
“Yuk it up. You’d freak out too, if you saw all the creepy crawlies on this hellhole. Believe it or not, my best friend, Tae, is a Tabor.”
Tae joined the link. “Kaylee is an honored friend.”
The babies chimed in, “We family.”
I tickled them. “Yes, you are. These little cuties are the best bug zappers on the planet.”
“I bet they are,” Tess agreed cautiously.
It was obvious she thought I was a few bricks short of a full load. “A lot has happened since I left Earth. Some good. Some not so good. I’ve met different life-forms and found out we really aren’t that different. The perfect example is the Tabors. Family is the most important thing to them as it is to us.” I quickly filled them in on Tae’s and the kids’ rescue. “Could you leave them to be eaten by the Kotsors? I couldn’t.”
“You did the right thing,” Jake said.
My cousin Ethan gave me a mental pat on the head. “Good work, runt. I’ve got those enlistment papers waiting for you when you get back.”
I could imagine Talree’s response if I told him I wanted to be a marine.
“I’ve got myself into a bit of a jam, and I need your help.”
Everyone groaned.
Caleb griped, “Calamity Jane strikes again.”
Ignoring him, I gave my family the 411 on the situation. “I need to rile the Kotsors up, but their brain patterns are funky, and I can’t find a way in.”
“Jesus.” Uncle Derek gasped as he joined our conference. “They’ll definitely get the Rodan’s attention.”
“If I can control them. Got any ideas, Tess?” My aunt was the family’s expert at critter control.
“There. See those spikes in their brain waves? That’s how we get in.”
I gave myself a head smack. It was so damned obvious. “Yep, don’t know how I missed it.”
Uncle Saul broke in. “What’s your battle plan?”
I could always rely on Uncle Saul for strategy. His masterful defeat of the Tai-Kok squadron in 2020 got him promoted to four-star general. “I’m going to use the Kotsors to kill as many of the bad guys as possible. While they’re distracted—and believe me, having those eight-legged freaks coming at you is a real hair-raiser—Datlow and his crew will sneak into the warehouse for some recon.”
Caleb prompted, “And then…?”
“Once Datlow reports in, we herd the survivors toward the swamp, and I sic the Afulas on them.” I flashed them pictures of the big gators.
Ethan hooted. “They don’t stand a chance.”
“Then, while the monsters are eating each other, we go in and get Talree. Simple. Easy,” I finished.
“Simple? There’s nothing simple or easy about any of this. If you lose control for an instant, the Kotsors and Afulas could turn on you,” Jake interjected.
“Have a little faith,” I retorted.
“It’s a good plan, if you can pull it off,” Uncle Saul said.
“How can I fail with you as my backup?” I could suck up with the best of them.
Quinn added his two cents. “I’m in.”
Haas’s agonized cries grabbed my attention.
Holy fucking shit. Datlo
w and another warrior had their fangs buried in his neck. As I watched, Haas’s skin collapsed until there was nothing left but a desiccated corpse.
Tess cried, “Get away from those creatures. Now!”
“You don’t understand. Haas is a traitor. He sold his people out to Malik, who makes Hitler look like a pussycat. This axis of evil includes the Tai-Kok and Rodan. He deserves his punishment.”
“I agree with Kaylee. It’s a fitting death,” Uncle Derek responded coldly.
Thank God. If my family bailed…
Uncle Saul demanded, “Tell us the truth about these Colettis.”
I would if I could.
Zarek was abruptly in our minds. “Introduce me, daughter.”
I froze. “Pissed” didn’t even begin to describe the Overlord’s mood. His need to kill was overwhelming. Talree’s beast and he had way too much in common. “I’d like you to meet Zarek, Overlord of the Coletti clans. He’s Talree’s father.”
I badly wanted to yell, Run as far and fast as you can. Zarek’s a Warlord bent on conquering the universe, and he’ll soon be paying Earth a visit to take all our psychic females. But if I did that, Talree would die.
Zarek dropped a bomb. “I’m honored to meet my daughter-in-law’s family.”
My entire family blew a gasket. Their protests were a confusing jumble as they shouted over each other.
“Married?”
“Are you nuts?”
“Fucking vampire.”
“…hot sex…”
“After a week?”
Just kill me now. I let out an ear-shattering mental whistle. “Enough! I’m an adult. It was my decision. Deal with it.”
“We can get the marriage annulled,” Uncle Derek said, his concern evident.
The Overlord’s voice was lethal. “Only death can sever the bond.”
That shut them up for about ten seconds.
Caleb literally growled. “I can live with that.”
I had to stop my overprotective family from getting us all killed. But how? Duh. “I love him. We’re soul mates.”
The tension level dropped.
Tess gushed, “I can see why. He’s very talented.”
I dropped my face into my hands. She just had to go there.
Cousin Sarah popped in with, “His equipment is certainly interesting.”
Jake snorted. “If you’re into doing it with a squid.”
My temper flared. “Do you remember that girl in Mexico, Jake? Who wasn’t entirely a girl?”
Jake cringed. “Fuck. I was drunk.”
“Yeah, you were, and who rescued you?”
“You did. I apologize. My remark was uncalled-for.”
“Good. We’ve strayed off the subject. Is there anything you’d like to add, sir?”
“Yes,” Zarek responded. “Once my son and Kaylee return to Tanith, there will be a proper ceremony. I want all of you to attend.”
I cried, “No! You can’t—”
Zarek severed the link with my family. “Do not.”
“If you do anything to hurt my family, I will kill you.”
Genuinely amused, the Overlord laughed. “Such loyalty. You have a warrior’s spirit. Do not worry, daughter. Your family will not be harmed.”
“Or turned into broodmares?”
“That, I cannot promise.”
Uncle Saul reestablished the link. “Did that bastard hurt you?”
Horror knotted my stomach. No one called Zarek names and lived. “No! We were…ah…”
Zarek interjected calmly, “She’s worried about her dowry.”
Tess butted in. “You folks have dowries? How medieval.”
“We are proud of our customs, and I will provide Kaylee’s dowry.”
The always-suspicious Quinn asked, “Why?”
“She saved Talree’s sanity,” Zarek answered.
I jumped in. “Which will be for naught if we don’t get our act together. You guys ready to kick some alien butt?”
Two seconds later, their power poured into me.
“Most impressive, daughter,” Zarek said, a touch of glee in his voice.
Shit. My powerful family had been added to his list of things to acquire. I’d figure a way out later. Now I needed to concentrate on the Kotsors.
With Tessa’s skillful help, I shoved images of the rogues and Rodan into the Kotsors’ psychotic brains. “Invaders. Kill. Protect the nest.”
Chittering like crazed crickets, hundreds of arachnids swarmed from the trees.
“Those buggers can move,” Tess commented, concentrating on increasing the Kotsors’ rage.
“They’re death on eight legs,” I replied, watching the rogues and Rodan jerk their weapons out five seconds too late.
Web balls flew rapidly in every direction. Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!
The rogues’ battle cries swiftly turned into screams. The Rodan fell under the onslaught, their shouts of agony echoed through the swamp.
Damn, the Kotsors were hard to control. I gritted my teeth and fought to hold them, while riling up the Afulas.
Zarek added his strength to ours. Holy cow! The surge of power was off the chart.
More rogue warriors stepped out of the warehouse and started firing at the spiders.
Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!
To my disgust, most of the webbing missed. The rogues quickly teleported out of the way and efficiently decimated the Kotsors charging them.
“We’re in position,” Datlow announced.
“Roger that. You got ’em, Tess?”
“I think so,” she answered.
“Go. We have them,” Zarek instructed.
I released my hold on the Kotsors.
Zarek used his deadly psychic abilities to cloud the rogues’ minds. Suddenly, they couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. The Rodan were equally bad shots. The Kotsors’ ferocity drove them toward the swamp.
Raising my laser rifle, I put the warehouse in my crosshairs and fired three times, punching big holes in the rusty metal. “You’re a go, Datlow.”
“We’re in,” he replied a few minutes later.
Time to get the party going. I focused all my attention on the Afulas. “Sic ’em, boys.” They obediently charged out of the water and started chomping rogues and Rodan. Blood and body parts flew in every direction. What the Kotsors didn’t kill, the gators did.
The sudden silence was jarring.
“Good going, runt. You achieved your goals in less than fifteen minutes,” Ethan said with praise in his voice.
“One for the record book,” Jake added proudly.
Uncle Saul asked, “How many hostiles survived?”
Uncle Derek interjected, “A better question is do they realize the attack was deliberately provoked?”
Zarek responded, “Five rogues still live, and yes, they know.”
“We are in position, and your mate is aware of us,” Datlow advised.
“I think it’s time for me to go down and say howdy.”
“Kaylee?” Talree’s shock was apparent.
“I’m here, big guy, and we’re busting you out.”
“No! It’s too dangerous.”
“Not with your dad on our side.”
“Father?” I could sense Talree’s relief at Zarek’s presence. “My mate takes too many risks. She must be protected.”
“Hey, helpless I’m not.”
“Trouble follows wherever you go, petka.”
“Not all the time,” I protested.
“Your mate is well guarded,” Zarek assured Talree. “What have you learned?”
“Balldar, Haas, and Hotan have joined with Malik. They plan to attack your warbird at Tigre.”
“Haas is no longer a threat, and the hunters are now the hunted.” The pure malice in Zarek’s voice was the stuff of nightmares. A shudder shook me.
The Overlord linked privately with me. “Free my son.”
“Yes, sir.” I h
urriedly broke my link with Talree. He’d freak big-time if he knew I was planning on confronting Balldar. “You ready, Bey?”
“To go into battle with you? No.”
Flipping him the bird, I climbed down to the next branch.
“Be careful,” Tae called.
“I’m always careful.”
Bey huffed in disbelief. “Always?”
The kids scampered after me. “We come too.”
“I need you to stay and protect Tae and her babies. Can you do that for me? It’s a very important job.”
Their fur puffed out. “We keep Grandma safe.”
“Enough of this endless chatter. A warrior attacks in silence,” Bey said irritably.
“Then why don’t you shut the hell up?” A web hit my shoulder, and Bey swung me through the trees like I was Tarzan. “I’m gonna fucking kill you.”
“Poor little petka. Your battle skills are not up to the task.”
The web snapped without warning, hurtling me straight at the warehouse. “Bastard.” The ground rose up to meet me, and I turned my forward momentum into a roll. I somersaulted to my feet.
“That is how a warrior travels into battle,” Bey said from the safety of the roof.
I stroked the butt of my gun. I really wanted to fry his ass, but duty called. I banged on the warehouse door. “Hello? Anybody home? I’m selling Girl Scout cookies. I’ve even got Thin Mints. They’re so yummy.” I hammered on the door. “Hey! I’ve got a quota to meet.”
“Calamity Jane strikes again,” Caleb complained.
Talree growled. “Girl Scout cookies?”
“It’s an Earth thing.”
Dangling on a web, Bey dropped down, grabbed my pistol, and shot back up to the roof.
“Hey! Give it back.”
“No.”
The door swung open. An old Coletti warrior stared down at me. His badly wrinkled skin was covered in a multitude of icky scars.
“Balldar,” Zarek snapped angrily.
“He looks like a good wind would blow him over.”
“Looks are deceiving,” Talree snarled.
In perfect High Coletti, I said, “Greetings, old one. I lied. I really don’t have any Thin Mints. Nasty trick, I know. Ready to surrender?”
Everyone groaned.
“What? Is my High Coletti that bad?”
“Balldar has never been defeated in battle,” Talree said.
“Until now.”