by Hope Hart
“We are from another planet,” the second female says. “We were separated from each other, and I was kidnapped by the Voildi along with two other women. One of them is safe now, but the other one is responsible for the damage to Killis’s eye.”
I tilt my head at this. Everyone on this part of the planet has heard of what happened to Killis’s eye. And it is a rare person who would feel any sympathy for the Voildi. It would take a fierce female to accomplish injuring Killis.
Rakiz’s mate clears her throat. “Her name is Ivy. She was last seen running through the prexas after she escaped from the Voildi. Will you help us find her?”
The females are so tense that they seem to barely breathe as they wait for my answer.
I take a moment to consider it. Truthfully, I have no need to earn another favor from Rakiz. However, some instinct inside me is urging me to agree to this task.
I have learned to always listen to my instincts.
Rakiz meets my gaze, and I raise my eyebrow.
“If I do this, you will owe me one favor, due at the time of my choosing.”
The king’s jaw tightens, but he nods, and I bow my head.
“It is done.”
The females walk away, and Rakiz watches his queen as she laughs with one of the warriors.
A mate is not for a male like me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wonder what it would be like to have a female of my own.
Rakiz turns to me. “We saved Zoey—one of the females who was taken. The Voildi had almost killed her, and she is still recovering at my camp. But the other female is nowhere to be found. Do you believe you can find her?”
“I would not agree to this task if I did not believe I could do it. There are only so many places an alien female could be in that area, particularly if she has no credits.”
Rakiz tilts his head. “These females are not like any females you have encountered before,” he warns me.
I snort. “You may be enchanted with your new mate, Rakiz, but that does not mean that this female will present any kind of challenge.”
The tribe king stares at me for a long moment, and then a slow smile spreads over his face.
“Good luck, Vrex,” he says softly.
Ivy
I sprint through the forest, well aware that the Voildi will be hunting me. And after that little incident with Killis, he may decide that the pleasure he’ll get from killing and eating me is worth more to him than any money he’ll get for selling me.
Ugh.
I jump over a fallen tree and wince. I rolled my left ankle when I leaped out of that second-story window. I’ll need to suck it up though ’cause I can already hear the Voildi shouting as they chase me.
The air is cool on my face as I run. I probably only have a few hours of daylight left, and I need to find somewhere I can hunker down overnight.
I have no idea where I am. The forest looks the same from every angle, the trees close enough that I almost brain myself on a branch as I whirl, looking for some kind of path.
“The wise warrior avoids the battle.”
Tzu was right about that. And if there’s one thing I can do, it’s run. Even in my half-starved state, with a messed-up ankle, a bleeding thigh, and no shoes, I feel confident that I can run for miles. The problem? I don’t know if the Voildi can also do the same. And since they hunt in a pack, they may find a way to trap me.
I scan my surroundings. Distantly, I can hear the rush of water, which could be some kind of river. Getting wet right before the temperature drops and the sun disappears is not a good idea, however. The trees are high, but even if I climb one of them, I’ll be trapped up there if the Voildi find me.
My heart pounds as I hear them get closer. I’m sucking air so quickly that I’m close to hyperventilation, and I make an effort to match my breath to my strides.
I need somewhere to hide.
I move further toward where I can hear water. At the very least, the sound of the river may cover up the noise I’m making as I crash through the forest.
“Shit!”
I barely manage to make it to a stop before I fall into a hole in the ground. It appeared out of nowhere—perfectly round and without any markers explaining what the hell it could be.
The Voildi are getting closer, and my mouth goes dry. If it’s some huge animal’s lair, I’m about to become dinner, but at this point, I’ll take any hiding spot I can get.
I peer down the hole, and the breath leaves my lungs in a rush. I’m staring at a ladder, and there’s a dim light glowing from within the cave.
At this point, I have no choice. I twist in place before descending the ladder quickly and drop to my feet as soon as I can see the ground in front of me.
I’m about eight feet below the entrance to the cave, which is not a cave at all but a tunnel.
I don’t hesitate. I sprint away from the ladder, desperate to put some distance between myself and the Voildi.
There are only a few things in life that I’m certain of, but I know for damn sure that I’m not going to be sold to a huge, furry guy on an alien planet.
I’m still clutching the hook in my hand, and it glints at me in the low light, covered in Killis’s blood. And likely some of mine. A weapon is a weapon at this point, but I’d give anything for a gun.
I snort. The Arcav outlawed guns on Earth years ago. It was one of the first things they did when they invaded.
I haven’t held a gun in my hand since I went hunting with my dad when I was a kid.
Still, any kind of weapon would be welcome right now.
I can hear voices, and I slow as I come to an intersection. To the right, I can hear males having some kind of argument, and things are getting heated. I hear a thump and a high-pitched scream, and I shiver.
That’s a nope from me.
I head to the left, picking up the pace. Obviously, these underground tunnels are well known on this planet. That means that when the Voildi can’t find me aboveground, they’ll be coming after me down here.
And I bet they know where these tunnels lead.
The tunnel suddenly opens up to some kind of room, with multiple other tunnels leading off it. I survey the people in the room—a woman with dark-blue skin and a Voildi, who narrows his eyes at me.
I raise my rust-stained hook threateningly.
“There is no violence in the trading posts,” the woman says, moving slightly closer. “Those who break this rule are punished by the creatures who call this region their home.”
The Voildi sneers at me but turns to leave. I make a mental note not to choose that tunnel in case he’s waiting for me. He’s dressed differently to the other Voildi, wearing nothing but a thin loincloth, but who’s to say they’re not working together?
“So violence in the tunnels is A-okay, but these rooms are off-limits?”
She nods. “The prexas, yes. The trading posts are neutral ground.”
“Do you know which one of these prexas will get me away from this area and aboveground?”
She runs her eyes over me, pausing at my hair. While this planet may be kicking my ass, she looks beaten down by life. Her dark eyes have circles under them, and her shoulders are hunched as if she needs to constantly protect herself from the world.
“That one,” she murmurs, pointing to a prexa on the opposite side of the trading post, next to the one the Voildi chose. “Follow it until you get to the fifth intersection and then go right. Three intersections later, turn to the left and keep going until you find the exit.”
“Thank you,” I murmur. “I appreciate it.”
“Good luck,” she says, her eyes already moving past me as someone else enters the trading post.
I don’t stick around.
“Right at the fifth intersection, left three intersections later,” I repeat to myself as I break into a jog.
Over the next couple of hours, I alternate between running and walking—needing to conserve my strength but feeling increasingly desperate to get out of here
. These tunnels—prexas—go on for miles, and I’d give just about anything for a breath of fresh air at this point.
There are more voices up ahead, but I’m not turning back now. I don’t slow down, and I’m running through the third intersection when the breath is forced from my lungs as I’m suddenly slammed against the wall.
The creature has dark-gray skin, and his breath smells like a sewer. He bares his teeth in a grin as he leans down, trapping me against the dirt wall.
“You look different,” he grins. “Where did you come from, strange female?”
I wrestle with disbelief as a guy who looks like a leathery gray tortoise calls me “strange.”
“Oh, you know, here and there. Take your hands off me before you lose them.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “You are funny, strange female. We will get many credits for you at the market.”
I glance over his shoulder, my heart sinking. There are two more tortoise men behind him, all wearing the same shit-eating grin.
“Market’s shut down,” I say. “You may need to rethink that plan.”
The man studies me out of black eyes, and I clutch my hook. I’ll never forget what it was like to be stolen by the Grivath and sold like a piece of meat. That will never happen to me again.
I clutch my hook tighter, the metal warm in my sweaty hand.
“Let her go,” a deep voice says, and the tortoise men all turn their heads. I crane my neck until I can see the outline of a huge male, his face shadowed by the light glowing behind him.
“We found her first. This is no concern of yours, Braxian.”
My heart pounds faster. Braxian? They’re the race that the Voildi are so scared of. If he can distract these assholes, I can get the hell out of here. Here’s hoping that the enemy of my enemy really is my friend.
Chapter Four
Vrex
There’s no question that this is the female I have been looking for.
Her hair spills over her shoulders, the ends in tangles, but it still glows like fire in the low light. Her eyes are wary as she stares at me, and her lip is bleeding. I suddenly feel an urgent need to force the Kusa to take his hands off her.
“We found her first,” he says again, returning his attention to the female. She scowls at him, and I step closer as the light catches on something sharp in her hand.
“Vrex,” one of the other Kusa says as he recognizes my face, and this time, there’s a shard of fear in his voice.
I nod. “You know who I am. Think carefully about what you will do next.”
The male steps back, eyes darting. The Kusa pinning the human female to the wall snorts, lifting a piece of her hair between his claws and examining it idly.
“This isn’t your territory, Braxian. I suggest you go back aboveground, where you belong.”
The female stares at me coolly, raising her eyebrow. From the expression on her face and the weapon clutched in her hand, she’s waiting for me to make a move.
I narrow my eyes back at her.
Don’t try anything, female.
“Herz, you know who he is? This here is the Assassin of Agron. You want to mess with him, go ahead. I’m out of here.” The Kusa wisely takes off, abandoning his friends. The other Kusa snorts as his friend leaves, choosing instead to elbow past Herz and stare me down.
My gaze drops to the mace in his hand. A difficult weapon to use in such close quarters. He has a knife in his other hand, however.
“We found her first,” he spits out, striding forward with a swagger.
I say nothing, staring at him silently. Most people cannot deal with silence. They must immediately fill it with their ramblings.
This Kusa is no different.
“I’m going to make you bleed,” he sneers. I keep my face blank, and my lack of response pushes him over the edge. He steps closer, and the light glints off the blade in his right hand. He’s faster than I expected, the knife stabbing the air close to my chest as I move, wishing these prexas were wider.
I hate being underground.
I grab his wrist, taking the knife from him, and he drops into a crouch, swinging the mace wildly. Ivy gasps, and I glance at her, but the other Kusa is still and silent as he watches his friend.
I kick out. The Kusa rolls back, jumping to his feet, teeth bared. I spin, blocking the trajectory of the mace, but the Kusa charges toward me, using the mace’s momentum to pull it back for another swing. It hits my collarbone, and my vision turns black for a long moment as pain shudders through my body.
The Kusa is off-balance, and I thrust his knife into his neck.
He falls to his feet, and I meet Herz’s eyes. His brow creases as he glares at me, ignoring his friend as he chokes on his own blood.
“I suggest you let me go,” the female says suddenly, drawing his attention back to her. I step closer.
Herz is no longer amused, his expression hard. “And why would I do that?”
The female lashes out with the weapon in her hand. Herz raises an arm, not expecting the flash of silver, and the female uses the opportunity to punch him in the throat with her other hand, smoothly sliding under his arm as I stalk forward, placing my sword against his throat.
“Leave,” I say as Herz coughs, massaging his throat. He glares at us but doesn’t argue, slinking down the prexa toward the smarter one of his friends.
“So,” the female says, her gaze dropping to the Kusa slumped on the ground. “The Assassin of Agron, huh?”
Strangely, the title coming from her lips feels worse than it felt coming from Maxis, who was convinced I was there to kill him.
“Vrex,” I say, and she nods.
“I’m Ivy. Thanks for the help. Much appreciated. I’ll just be on my way.”
My mouth almost drops open as she nods at me, turning to stride down the prexa in the opposite direction of the Kusas.
Insane female.
I follow her, and after just a few steps, she glowers over her shoulder at me.
“Let me be real clear, Mr. Stalker. I’m not in the mood.”
“I can help you,” I growl, shaking my head incredulously when the female—Ivy, I remember—simply snorts and continues walking.
I scratch my head as I watch her, and then, with no idea what to do next, I follow her down the prexa.
She seems to know where she’s going, continuing until she eventually turns left. At this rate, we’ll exit the prexas close to my mishua. I’ll just need to somehow convince her to get on that mishua with me.
Other than a few wary glances thrown over her shoulder, Ivy ignores me. This is new. Creatures on this planet have many different reactions when I am near. Fear, loathing, anxiety—they are all to be expected. This female’s reaction is not usual. At all.
Rakiz’s words float through my mind.
These females are not like any females you have encountered before.
Perhaps. But the way that this female is taking the utmost care to pretend I don’t exist is still entirely unexpected.
We walk through the prexa, encountering many of the creatures here. All of them stare at the strange alien female before shifting their eyes to mine and quickly glancing away. Ivy seems to note this, a hint of gratitude in her eyes as she glances back at me.
Maybe she believes my presence is good for something.
Eventually, we come to the prexa’s exit, and every muscle in my body tightens when the female climbs up the ladder, her curvy ass highlighted by the strange, thin, torn clothes she wears.
When I reach the top of the ladder, she’s glancing around, obviously with no idea where to go next.
“Female,” I say, and she raises her eyebrow again. Her skin is creamy and smooth, and there are tiny freckles scattered across her face. My eyes cling to one that’s a little darker than the others, positioned next to her mouth.
“My name is Ivy,” she says.
“Ivy. I am here to help.”
“An assassin wants to help me?” Her tone is lightly sa
rcastic, but her gaze is still cautious as she scans my body.
“I am not just an assassin,” I say tightly.
She smiles, and the breath leaves my lungs as the freckle is replaced by the dimple that appears next to her mouth.
“What are you, then?”
“I am someone who does things that others either can’t or don’t want to do,” I say.
The humor leaves her face, and I feel my brows draw together as it’s replaced by pity.
“Okay, then,” she says gently. “So for some reason, you’d like to collect some karma and help me?”
I do not know what karma is, but I do want to help her. “Yes.”
“You feel like being my hero?”
Her tone is light, but the hope in her eyes… I find myself unwilling to tell her that I was sent by another to help her. For once, I would like to be someone’s hero. Even if it is just temporary.
I nod.
“Okay, then. In that case, we can start by going back to where my friend Zoey is being kept.”
“Why don’t you tell me how you escaped first?”
Ivy complies, turning to pace as she describes being separated from her friend and attacking the Voildi before jumping out of a window. I drop my gaze to her small white feet, which are covered in scratches and bruises amongst the dirt.
“So you see, I need to go back and find Zoey.”
“Do you know where she was kept?”
Her face turns blank, frustration in her eyes. “It was a small village. The houses were tiny and looked like they’d blow over with the first wind.”
“This could be many places in this area. I can help you find her, but we will need more warriors to join us.”
I gesture to my collarbone, and her eyes darken with sympathy.
“After your escape, the Voildi will have increased the number of guards on your friend. It will be difficult for me to kill all of them and carry your friend with only one fighting arm.”
“I can help.”