“Shit.” That’s Daniel.
I take a step forward, and Donovan pulls on my elbow. I glance at him briefly over my shoulder. “I know what I’m doing,” I whisper under my breath. “Be ready. This could get messy.”
As I walk toward the guards, I go to a quiet place in my mind and search quickly through the threads. I had recognized it previously but I hadn’t yet tested the connection.
“Tav. Can you hear me?” I keep a neutral expression on my face as I advance the last few steps.
“Loud and clear, Alinthia.”
“When I make my move, I want you to grab Ellya and keep her safe. Try to hang back and avoid getting caught in the crossfire.”
“Okay but be careful.”
“Put your hands on the wall,” the redhead says when I stop in front of him. My eyes scan the other guards, noticing how on edge they are. “And don’t try anything, or your friends will pay the price.”
I brush some stray strands of hair back off my face and eyeball him. “I will do as you instruct once my friends are released. Let them go.” I gesture at Ellya and Tav on the ground and the three men at my back.
He barks out a laugh, prodding his weapon into my chest. “You think you can negotiate with me? Who the fuck do you think you are?” He pushes me hard, and my face slams into the wall. Daniel and Donovan point their weapons at the guard, and he laughs again. “Try it, assholes. I dare you. One shot from this gun and she’s nothing. I’d happily die to remove this alien scum from existence, so, go on, try me.”
I subtly shake my head at them, and they lower their weapons.
“Gregson, Ford, and Sloan,” the redhead barks. “Disarm them.”
The men look anxious as they edge slowly forward. I motion Donovan with my eyes as the guard nudges my legs apart and starts patting me down, a little too enthusiastically for a man who considers me alien scum, if you ask me.
This is our best chance, while the guards are split up and the asshole behind me is somewhat distracted. I angle my head until I have a clear view of the guards still holding weapons to Ellya and Tav’s heads.
“Get ready, Tav.”
My arm has been slowly moving at my side, and, in a flash, I reach back, grabbing hold of the guard searching me. My hand circles his wrist, and I shoot a fireball up his arm while invoking my supertouch at the same time. Caught unawares, he drops his weapon, like I’d hoped, yelling out in pain. Daniel and Donovan open fire on the approaching guards while Elder Glennev shoots ice from his eyes, freezing one of the guards on the spot.
Tav jumps up, startling the guards while they look at their friends with horror-struck expressions, throwing his fists out and punching one of them on the nose. Blood spurts, spraying him in the face.
“Down!” I project into his head, and he drops like a hot air balloon that’s just lost pressure.
I shoot lasers from my eyes, melting both guards’ weapons in a nanosecond. Shouting, they drop their guns as Tav snatches Ellya, tucking her protectively under his arm and moving her off to the side.
I keep my grip on the redhead despite his attempts to wriggle free. Flipping my wrist over, I turn around and face him. “I didn’t want to do this, but you left me no choice. You should have let us through.”
The flames lick their way up his arm, and he starts shaking. I release him, stepping back. “I’m sorry,” I say with regret in my heart as I send a wave of fire at him, incinerating him in seconds.
Behind me, the shots have stopped, and when I glance over my shoulder, I see Donovan and Daniel tying the guards up and kicking their weapons aside. Elder Glennev is consoling a weeping Ellya, and Tav still has his arm around her shoulder, offering her physical comfort.
“We need to get out of here. Now.” I walk to the discarded weapons on the floor, lasering them all with my eyes until they are mangled beyond use.
I gently tip Ellya’s chin up with my finger. “I know you’re frightened, but if we don’t go now, we may never get out of here. I’m not leaving either of you behind.”
She nods through blurry tears, leaning on Tav for support as we start moving.
“Follow me,” Donovan says, pushing through the next set of double doors. We run after him, and I’m silently praying we don’t encounter any more obstacles.
“Alinthia,” the elder says, examining the screen in his hand. “The path is clear, so can you go ahead and make sure the envoy is ready to leave the instant we arrive. There is little time to delay.”
I nod. “Hurry,” I say, before the power tingles in my legs and I take off faster than the eye can track. I invoke superspeed as easily as breathing these days, and it takes me mere seconds to reach the rendezvous point. Raised voices and the sounds of arguing tickle my ears as I draw near.
I slam to a halt in front of a large military-style vehicle. The khaki-colored truck has massive wheels and a cloth covering at the rear. Inside, several guards and men in civilian clothes sit on two benches facing one another. The engine is running, and a large man with a pleasant face has the driver-side window rolled down watching my appearance with his jaw almost glued to the floor. I smile and wave as I saunter past.
Three men are outside the vehicle, and they haven’t noticed my presence yet because they are too busy arguing with the petite girl with the strawberry-blonde corkscrew curls.
Shock splays across my face, and all manner of conflicting emotions assault me. Anger is the domineering emotion, and I step toward her with my nostrils flaring.
“What the hell are you doing here, Kylie?”
CHAPTER 17
Beckett
Coop is pacing the cell like a deranged madman. Stopping every minute or so to slam his fist into the wall or grab handfuls of his hair in frustration.
“Coop, man. Will you sit the fuck down! Freaking out isn’t helping anyone. Least of all, Alinthia,” Maddox says, finally reaching the end of his tether.
“Fuck off, Mad Dog,” Coop hisses. “Good for you that you can be so laid-back when we don’t know if she’s safe!” He screams the last part. My brother has a tendency to over-dramatize things, but it’s only because he cares so much.
“She can handle herself, and she has help. Have a little faith,” Maddox adds, working hard to keep his tone level, and I know that’s not easy for him. Being confined to this small space, only staring at the four walls is starting to drive us all a little stir-crazy. But at least it’s preferable to Dane’s predicament.
A surge of guilt waylays me. Every day, I hate myself a little more for encouraging him to do it. Especially when it’s looking like there’s no way of escaping this palace. It’s like a maze, and the security is insane.
“I’m worried about Dane,” I project to my brothers, figuring Coop could use a distraction. “I think he’s going to crack soon. The things she’s making him do …” My cheeks inflame at the thoughts of some of the stuff I’ve witnessed, and I know that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Dane has been trying to shelter me from a lot of it, but recently he’s projecting more and more of it, and that’s how I know he’s losing his hold on his control and his emotions.
Coop pales, and Maddox cusses.
“It’s not your fault,” Coop says, picking up on my guilt and remorse through our bond.
“I should never have encouraged him.”
“Beck. There was no other choice, and you know how Dane is. Whether you supported him or not, he still would’ve done this,” Coop adds.
“We have to do something.”
“We would if we could,” Maddox agrees with an unhappy frown. We know our earlier plans for escape are futile now and that Dane’s decision was for nothing.
“Not for nothing,” Coop says, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, and I realize I inadvertently projected that thought.
“If he hadn’t agreed, that would be all our fates. He spared us that.”
“He can’t keep doing that,” Maddox supplies. “It’s not right. We all need to share the load.”
>
“It’s my fault. You shouldn’t all feel the need to protect me. I know she’s using me to keep him in line. Threatening to make me take his place when he refuses her.” I rest my head in my hands. “I hate it, and I hate being so weak.”
“Beck.”
“Don’t, Maddox. Whatever platitude you’re about to deliver, don’t.” I stand up and start pacing the room. “I need to get over myself. And as soon as we get out of here, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“Being caged twenty-four-seven with your thoughts is a scary-ass situation to be in,” Maddox admits. “And we’re all reassessing things.”
“Wow,” Coop interjects. “Look at us, getting all deep.”
I flip him the bird, and the look of shock on his face makes me laugh. Maddox grins. “We’re all changing.”
“For some, it’s not an improvement,” Coop teases, leveling a look in my direction.
“Oh crap!” I exclaim as Dane projects into my mind.
The brief jokey interlude ends as both my brothers stare inquisitively at me.
“Share it,” Coop demands.
I shake my head. Dane specifically forbid me from projecting anything he shared with me to the guys.
“We’re not asking anymore,” Maddox growls. “We’re all in this together.”
“He made me promise.”
“He shouldn’t have requested that of you. He’s our brother. His pain is our pain,” Maddox continues. “Show us the fuck what’s going on.”
I give up fighting and share the scene. We’re all deathly quiet as we watch Dane self-destruct. He’s in Alandra’s chambers, and Zorc is there, splayed across the bed, looking high, his eyeballs rolling in his head.
“I don’t know why you’re looking so pleased,” he slurs, clearly out of it. “You’re the one who gave me this fucked-up shit.”
“And my supplier will meet his demise for daring to sell me sub-standard shit,” Alandra promises.
It’s interesting that Zorc is keeping the knowledge of Alinthia’s escape from his so-called partner in crime, attempting to pass his drugged-up state as the result of a hit gone wrong. Coop relayed everything Alinthia just told him, so we know the truth—that he was gassed while she was being rescued. I’m still shocked that the secret society has finally shown up, but their timing is perfect.
Alandra kisses Zorc on the mouth. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it all better.” She wiggles her fingers at Dane in a “come hither” gesture. Dane’s emotions slap me in the face as he walks toward her feeling like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. With the strength of his emotions, and the growing scowl on Alandra’s face, I’m guessing he can’t even disguise it anymore—how much he hates her, how much he doesn’t want to be at her beck and call. “Suck the toxins out of his system,” she demands, thrusting a medical bag at him.
Dane doesn’t even bother arguing, and all three of us share worried expressions. He removes the sleeping gas from Zorc’s system, slumping in a chair after, exhausted and defeated. We all feel it, and it only adds to my guilt. I shouldn’t have agreed this was a good idea.
“Did I tell you you could sit down?” she snaps.
Dane is fighting some internal battle, and losing, I’m guessing, as he flips her the bird.
Coop grins. “That’s more like it. You show her, brother.” He’s careful to only project his thoughts to us, knowing Dane would throw a hissy fit if he knew we were all watching. He still hasn’t figured out he’s actually projecting it to me. Clearly demonstrating how distracted and unlike himself he is at the minute.
I shake my head sadly, knowing this won’t end well.
Alandra looks like her head might spin off in fury. She climbs off the bed and slaps Dane in the face. “Don’t you dare disrespect me.”
Zorc chuckles, fully recovered now that all trace of toxic fumes has been removed from his system. He’s lounging on the bed on his side, popping pieces of food into his mouth. “I told you you’d never tame Dekten. You should have taken Brint. He would bow to your every command.”
Anger courses through my veins at his words, and I wish I was there to protest. I might be terrified of being anywhere near her, but there’s no way I’d just cow down to her demands either. Although I’m shy and scared of intimacy, I’m no pushover.
Alandra scoffs. “I need someone who knows their way around a female body. I don’t have time to train inexperienced males, even if he is sexy in a nerdy kind of way.”
“Nerdy and proud,” I say, shoving my middle finger up again as if she can see it.
“She’s a lying slut, Beck,” Coop rushes to reassure me. “Ignore every word coming out of her mouth.”
“Dane, on the other hand,” she muses, gripping his chin firmly, “has a magic tongue and an impressive cock, and he knows how to please a female. His insubordination is almost worth it.” Leaning down, she ravishes his mouth, and I feel a humanly urge to puke.
“I think you’re right, Beck,” Maddox says. “Dane’s not even trying to pretend and that’s so unlike him.”
“His spirit is broken,” I whisper. “We should never have let him do it. He might never come back from this.”
“Dane is the strongest of all of us,” Coop adds. “He’ll be fine. And Alinthia will help him heal.”
“Almost,” Alandra purrs. “But insubordination must be punished. Isn’t that right, Dane?” Our brother doesn’t even look up, keeping his chin tucked into his chest. She runs her hands along his bare chest, tugging on his nipple and tweaking it hard.
“Shit.” That’s Coop. “I don’t know if I can watch this.”
“Oh,” Zorc interjects. “I think I like where this is going.” Dane jerks his head up. Zorc’s pupils darken as he rakes his gaze over Dane in a slow, sleazy perusal.
Maddox roars, dragging his hands back and forth across his head. “No! No fucking way. We have to put a stop to this shit.”
I feel sick to the pit of my stomach as Alandra yanks a weakened Dane to his feet before shoving him down on the bed.
Zorc reaches out, palming Dane’s face. “Has Alandra ever told you how much I enjoy males? And how often we share our bed with others?”
The full extent of Dane’s loathing for Zorc is obvious as his emotions feed through our connection. He’s never liked him, even less so since he manipulated and betrayed us, but the sentiment churning inside Dane right now is the purest form of hate I’ve ever felt.
“Take out his cock,” Alandra demands of Dane, disrobing and untying her hair, letting it flow loose down her back.
“Fuck this,” Coop says, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. “We have to tell him to stop this crazy shit. He doesn’t have to do this.”
But Dane surprises us all before we can make a group intervention.
“Hell to the no,” he rasps. “I am not touching any part of him. Kill me. I don’t care. I’d rather die than touch that asshole.”
Zorc looks amused and a bit pissed.
Alandra stalks to Dane, as naked as the day she was born, yanking his head back, and I mentally wince. “No?” she roars. “You don’t get to say no!”
“I’m done,” Dane says. “I can’t do this anymore. I won’t do it.”
“Then I will make you.”
“Let it go, Alandra. There’s no fun in that,” Zorc says. “Get Fingyl in here and throw that miserable excuse of a protector back in a cage where he belongs.”
“But I want him. I want to break him. I want her to fall apart when she sees what I’ve done.” Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter.
Zorc stands up, rubbing a hand over the bulge in his pants and crossing to Alandra. “You already have, sweetheart. Trust me, the damage is done. Now it’s time for the next phase.” They switch to telepathic communication, and we all trade wary looks. Inside, Dane has numbed himself to all feeling, and I’m severely worried for my brother. I’ve never seen him like this, and I’m concerned for his sanity.
Alandra
captures Zorc’s mouth in a passionate kiss. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.” She slips her hand into his pants. “We’re so in tune, I think you might just be the other half of my soul.”
Zorc grabs her by the ass, pulling her into him. “Does that mean I’m forgiven?”
“What do you think?” She winks before devouring his mouth again.
A knock at the door has them breaking apart, and that jerk Fingyl steps into the room with a self-satisfied smile. We watch as Zorc strips Dane naked and cuffs him to a chair while Alandra and Fingyl start having sex on the bed. Dane zones out completely, going to a faraway place in his mind, when Zorc starts touching him intimately, and we throw our shields up, none of us able to watch that shit go down.
I bury my head in my hands, fighting tears. Beside me, both Maddox and Coop are fighting their feelings too. We don’t speak. The horror we’ve just witnessed is too much. Maddox pummels his fist into the wall repeatedly while Coop sits on the edge of his bed looking like he’s seconds away from crying too. I don’t know how much time passes, but it seems like eternity until our cell is opened and we are escorted to our old prison.
We’re stripped to our boxers and chained to the wall again. A few minutes later, Dane is thrown into the cell, naked and shivering and covered in cuts and bruises.
He curls into a ball, staring off into space, and I wonder if he’s even aware of his surroundings.
“Dane.” Cooper struggles to his feet and moves toward Dane until the chain stops him from going any farther. He crouches a few feet away from our brother. “Dane. Can you hear me? You’re back with us now. It’s going to be okay.”
Slowly, Dane sits up, peering at all three of us. The beginnings of a black eye are already forming, and he has a large purple contusion on his left cheek. I’m guessing he fought back and paid an even higher price. He gulps painfully, staring off into space.
Portentous silence stretches between us. I can almost see Dane’s brain turning over as he ponders something. I exchange troubled looks with Maddox, and his answering expression tells me he shares my concern but to give Dane some time. I subtly nod. When Dane’s gaze finally bounces between us, the look of determination on his face reaffirms that my brother is still in there.
The Warrior Princess: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (Alinthia Book 3) Page 13