When the threat of tears has passed, I open my eyes, channeling inner zen. Zorc is looking at me expectedly, almost challenging me to lose it, to scream and shout and go after him again, but I’m not going to rise to the bait. His time will come. Even if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make sure Zorc pays for every ounce of pain and hurt he’s inflicted.
And he’s swinging from the cray-cray tree if he truly believes I’ll ever agree to hand power to Jentarr. Why would I take out one evil piece of shit only to relinquish control to another? But, right now, all I care about is keeping the guys alive, so I will do and say what is necessary to get to them. “Fine. I agree to everything, but if anything happens to my protectors, all deals are off.”
He inspects invisible dirt under his fingernails. “Of course. I expect no less.”
“I mean it. They are not to be harmed. And don’t even think about taking them out. I will know if they die. I’ll feel it through our bond, and if that happens, I will end you.” I sit up straighter in my chair and glower at him over the table. “No matter where you go or how you try to hide, I will find you. I will hunt you down and make you pay if you renege on your word. If they don’t survive, then neither do you.”
His amused expression irritates the hell out of me, but I keep my cool composure.
“Your loyalty is admirable, Alinthia, and I hear you. I will make sure they come to no harm.”
“Once we have a clear understanding.” I level a lethal look in his direction. “I will do anything and everything to protect those four guys, including killing anyone who stands in the way between us. Don’t ever forget that, Zorc, because your life depends on it.”
CHAPTER 5
I’m brought back to my chambers by the asshole guard after Zorc agrees to return tomorrow to begin my training. That should be fun. I snort, thinking of how difficult it’ll be to hold back from zapping his ass into outer space. My head is throbbing with all this newfound intel, and I’m so scared for my guys. Knowing Alandra is the true Daughter of Darkness, and that she now has my guys in chains, does nothing to quell my fear. She’s a twisted bitch, who happens to be fixated on Dane, and all manner of sick thoughts are floating through my mind, tormenting me. There are several different forms of torture, and I’m betting Alandra isn’t opposed to any of them.
I’m terrified for them. Especially Beck. If she lays a hand on him, I will make her death a slow and painful one.
I curl on my side on the bed, pulling my knees into my chest. My heart physically hurts at the separation. I miss them all so much, and this is killing me. I’m also worried about Mom. She must be going out of her mind with worry. And don’t even get me started on Kylie. The one thing I always thought I had was my history, my previous happy existence on Earth, but now even that’s tarnished with the knowledge she was spying on me and feeding back information.
For years.
You think you know someone, when really you have no clue.
I wish the guys were here. I need to feel Coop’s arms around me. To witness Beck’s cheeks flushing. To have Maddox flirt outrageously with me. To enter a battle of wills with Dane. If I wasn’t such a failure as an alien, if I’d had more control over my powers, I might be able to communicate with them, to find a way to escape and teleport to them, but I’m still impotent when it comes to both those gifts. Although it most likely wouldn’t make any difference in my current situation. The Tianore cuffs around my wrists probably block that too.
As much as it pains me to admit this, I’ve got to push my worries for the guys aside, because if I don’t, I’m of no use to them. The best thing I can do now is focus on playing my role to perfection. I need to show those in authority that I can be trusted and get these damned bands deactivated again. Then I’ll throw my all into my training with Zorc, and maybe I’ll master my gifts and find a way to get out of here so I can go rescue my guys.
I decide to cling to that plan, because I need something to focus on to get through this alone.
The next morning, the asshole guard is back to escort me to the large room for breakfast. He reprograms my bands with a friendly caution. “I’d love you to come at me like you did Commander Zorc yesterday. So, make my day, Princess. Go for it!”
“I won’t give you the satisfaction,” I retort, rubbing my sore wrists and walking away from him. He joins another guard on duty in the room as I head toward the food counter, trying to pretend like all conversation hasn’t muted again and that everyone isn’t watching me. Swiping a tray, I join the end of the line, drawing deep breaths to keep myself sane.
Ellya and Tavroc approach, smiling warmly at me. “You do not need to stand in line, Chosen One,” Tavroc says. “You can move to the top.” He sweeps his arm out.
“Thank you, but I’ll wait my turn like everyone else,” I coolly reply.
He frowns a little. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t want any special treatment, Tavroc. Please don’t make a fuss.”
He looks completely confused. “As you wish, Chosen One.”
“And can you please call me Alinthia?”
Ellya smiles. “You are not at all what we were expecting.”
“Thanks? I think.” I rub a tense spot between my brows as they join the line behind me, and we shuffle slowly forward. “What exactly were you expecting?”
She shrugs. “I’m not altogether sure, but not someone as ‘normal’ as you.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I reply with a soft smile.
“Is it true you’ve lived freely on Earth since you were sent away from Verron?” Tavroc asks as I load eggs, bacon, and toast on to my plate.
“Yes, and I didn’t know who I was or what I was predestined to become until my protectors found me a few months ago and explained everything.”
“No way!” Ellya says with her mouth hanging open.
I nod. “It’s been quite an eye-opener.”
They pile their plates with food, and Tavroc steers me to a table at the top of the room. The entire room watches my every move, and while there is conversation going on around me, it’s of the quiet, hushed variety. My shoulders are stiff as I slide onto the bench alongside Ellya. Tavroc sits across from us. The other boys and girls at the table instantly get up and move to another table. “Why did they do that?” I ask, scooping eggs onto my fork.
“Out of respect for you,” Ellya says.
I shake my head. “I don’t want to be treated any differently. Can you get the word out? I just want everyone to treat me like they would anyone else.”
“But you’re the savior of the galaxy,” Tavroc says, eyeballing me like I’m insane.
“I’m also just a girl, Tavroc. I’m just a girl.”
“You can call me Tav, and you’re not just any girl. No matter what you say. Everyone in here has been waiting for you to show up.”
“How come?” I say, after I’ve chewed my food.
“Because of the alliance with the humans,” Ellya says, very matter-of-factly.
I tilt my head to the side. “You know about that?”
They both nod their heads. “It’s probably the only thing the humans could say to get us to cooperate. Knowing they knew where you were and that you would one day be free to fulfil the prophecy convinced everyone to keep the peace.”
I shift uncomfortably on the bench. “They were using that to coerce everyone into coming here?”
“It’s not like we had any choice,” Ellya says. “I screamed bloody murder when they first took me, but once they explained and showed me the compound, I came around.”
“How long have you been here?” I take small sips of my juice as I listen to her story.
“Three human years. I was on a fact-finding mission with my father on Earth when we were ambushed by human soldiers. Everyone else got back to the ship in time, but I injured my leg in the chase and got left behind. I was terrified at first, and I fought them, but once I came here, I realized I didn’t have much of a choice and that
it was easier to cooperate than to continue to fight.”
“What about you, Tav? How long have you lived here?”
“A long time.” His blue-green eyes penetrate mine. “My family was one of the few older generations to have remained on Nantor. Things have altered considerably since the glorious days of the past, when Nantor was the leading power in the galaxy. Our people don’t have much anymore, but we were largely left alone after the Great War. However, once General Arantu gained more control of the galaxy, and he sent troops to our planet, my parents decided the time had come to leave.” He looks all around him before lowering his head and leaning in closer to me. The glyphs on his skin are going crazy, swirling up and down his arms and across his face. I want to ask him about them, but I don’t want to appear rude either. His voice is barely more than a whisper. “My father knew about the secret society, and rumors said they had relocated to Earth, so we came here in the hope of finding them.”
“Secret society?” I ask in a quiet tone, as tendrils of excitement form inside me.
He nods, looking surreptitiously around again. “The keepers of the real prophecy.”
My mouth is dry, and I put down my fork, staring at Tav. “What do you mean?”
His Adam’s apple jumps in his throat, and he glances around nervously. “You don’t know?” I shake my head, and he exchanges a look with Ellya. “I’ll tell you everything I know, but not here, not now. It isn’t safe.”
I bob my head even though I don’t fully understand. A guard approaches our table, narrowing his eyes as he watches us huddled together, and we instinctively separate. I pick up my fork and resume eating.
“We arrived on Earth when I was three,” Tav continues his story, and the guard walks away. “My parents didn’t find who they were looking for, and then the humans captured us. My parents were killed in the ambush and they separated me from my sister. I’ve been here ever since.”
His facial expression and his voice betray nothing, but the glyphs on his skin are going haywire, and that reveals his true feelings. “I’m so sorry. Have you seen your sister at all?”
He shakes his head. “She wasn’t brought here.”
“Are there other compounds like this one?” I ask, shoveling bacon in my mouth.
“We don’t know,” Ellya supplies.
We are all quiet for a bit. “What do they do here? What do they want with everyone?”
Ellya and Tav go deathly still, and an ominous sense of foreboding washes over me. A muscle clenches in Tav’s defined jawline.
“They study us,” Ellya whispers.
“And they experiment on some of us,” Tav adds, anxiously scanning his surroundings again.
“Those who are useful, who have gifts they need, are trained as soldiers. Others, who have different skills they can manipulate to further their aims, are kept alive, but anyone who is surplus to requirements is terminated.”
A shiver dances over my spine. “My God. That’s awful.” And Zorc and Jentarr willingly gave the humans the ability to entrap and capture these species? I don’t know how they live with themselves.
“Now do you see why we’ve all been waiting for you?” Tav whispers. “You’re our only hope, Alinthia. You are the only one who can set us free.”
CHAPTER 6
I’m mulling over Tav’s words as the asshole guard, Officer Smith, walks me to my first training session with Zorc. He escorts me deep into the belly of the compound, and once we pass through a myriad of different doors and checkpoints, we emerge in a wide, empty, cavernous room. Rubbery, black flooring squelches underfoot as we walk toward the assembled crew—they are in a small glass enclosure at the very far end of the room. I examine the surroundings as we make our approach. The walls in this space are constructed of some odd, transparent Jell-O-like substance, and the air feels a few degrees cooler. Long, boxed-off rectangular fixtures adhere to the ceiling, running the full length of the room.
“Do you need me to stay, sir?” the asshole guard asks Sergeant Green when we reach the small greeting committee.
“You may leave, Officer Smith. I will escort Alinthia back to her chambers after the session has ended.”
Asshole Smith salutes the sergeant, tosses a flippant look at me, and then walks off. My shoulders relax a little once he’s gone—that guy always has me on edge.
“We expect your full cooperation today, Alinthia,” Director Tanner says, issuing a warning in place of a cordial greeting.
“And don’t even think about any funny business,” the sergeant adds. “Dr. Lanter will be sitting in on the session, and she can reactivate your bands instantaneously and adjust the Tianore volume accordingly. No one wants to hurt you, but you will not be permitted to use your alien powers to inflict injury on anyone in this compound.”
I’m tempted to flip him the bird, but that wouldn’t set the right tone. “You don’t need to caution me every step of the way, Sergeant Green. I gave my commitment last night, and I intend to honor it. I understand what is at stake, and I will not take any chances. The lives of the men I love are at risk, and I won’t jeopardize their safety.”
The good doctor looks like she might keel over at my admission of multiple loves, and my lips fight a grin. “And there is the bigger picture to consider. Preventing all-out war in the galaxy is not just in the interests of my people but in the best interests of Earth.” I level them all with a solemn expression. “Earth has been the only home I’ve known to date, and I care about what happens to it. I won’t take any action which could potentially drag Earth into this conflict.”
The director regards me with interest. “I’d like to believe you mean what you say, but how do we know we can trust you?”
“Yet you trust Zorc and Jentarr?” I fix them with a look of sheer disbelief.
“They have proven their trust over the years,” he grits out.
“Why did the government do it?” I ask, not really expecting any of them to reply. “Why enter into an alliance with aliens? It can’t be as straightforward as you explained yesterday.”
“It is for all the reasons outlined, and…” The director sighs. “Sometimes it’s best to keep your enemies close. Sometimes one evil is the lesser of all others.”
I nod. “I appreciate your honesty.” Mulling over his words, I tap a finger off my chin. “The more I’m around other species, the more I understand how everyone, and everything, is a pawn in the game with the winner assuming full control of the galaxy.”
“It’s eat or be eaten,” Zorc says, stalking toward us. We all jump a little, not having heard him step into the room. He scans my yoga shorts and tight training top. “You dressed appropriately. Good.”
What, did he think I was planning on wearing a pretty dress and high heels? Practically every word out of Zorc’s mouth rubs me the wrong way. It’ll be a miracle if we get through this training session without me throwing him through a wall.
“This training room enables you to use your gifts freely; however, the construction materials will keep it contained and stop you from injuring anyone. These walls,” he says, pointing at the quivering, transparent walls, “will absorb your firepower, extinguishing it upon contact. The overhead panels are filled with water or liquid Tianore.” He pins me with a look. “Liquid Tianore is like nothing you’ve experienced to date. It will burn upon contact, and you’ll feel like your skin is being picked clear from your bones. Let’s hope I don’t have to use it.”
“I’m here to train. I need to do this for my guys. I’m not going to jeopardize anything.”
“Very well. Let’s get started.”
Dr. Lanter, Director Tanner, and Sergeant Green take seats in the small glass enclosure, securing the door behind them, while Zorc and I head out onto the main floor.
Zorc is wearing some weird all-in-one black jumpsuit, and he lowers a transparent mask down over his face. “I’d like to start with some basic combat moves, to test your level of ability. And then we’ll finish up with some mental exerc
ises.”
I assume a fighting stance, like Maddox showed me, smiling at Zorc. “Ready whenever you are.”
He lunges at me without warning, but my reflexes are fast, and I dart sideways, quickly spinning around as he moves to attack with his fists. I duck down, using my leg to swipe his feet out from under him. He falls fast but jumps straight back up, thrusting his arm out and glancing the side of my jaw. I push off my feet, soaring into the air. The superior look on my face vanishes when he jumps up, flying to the same level and swinging his arm into my gut. I shoot through the air, across the room, at speed, struggling to maintain control of my body as my arms and legs flail about. Zorc flies after me, a look of gleeful determination on his face. “Use every power you have available to you,” he yells. “I’m protected. And I need to see what you can do.”
Now it’s on.
Fire ignites in my veins, and a red layer coats my retinas. Tingles reach the tips of my fingers, and fireballs erupt on the palm of my hands. Straightening up, I throw balls of fire at him in a steady stream, but he expertly deflects each and every one, infuriating me.
Dropping to the ground, I hold one palm up and blow on the flames, directing a flow of fire at Zorc as he flies toward me. The fire consumes him, and, for a moment, I panic that I’ve obliterated him. I need him to take me to where the guys are being held captive. Panic subsides when Zorc lands on the ground alongside me, completely fine. Whatever his suit is made of has deflected the fire. Although, I’m hoping it’s at least made him sweat underneath. He deserves to suffer a little.
He swings for me again, and we go head to head, throwing blows, ducking, and diving. Soon, I’ve worked up a sweat, and I’m grateful for the cool air swirling around the room now.
“Let’s take a break,” Zorc says, easing back, but I can’t resist landing one final blow to his jaw.
His head whips back, and I’m expecting him to tear into me for my sneaky behavior, but he surprises me by emitting a loud guffaw. “Devious, but I approve.”
The Warrior Princess: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (Alinthia Book 3) Page 4