Daughter Of Ethos: The Ascension Book 7

by L M Lacee

  She waved her hand to quieten Darby as she went to speak. Together they helped Peyton to the couch as the kits and children piled around her. Hope told her. ‘We are here, Mama.’

  ‘Wonderful, I will need you to help me.’

  ‘Kay Mama, what can I do?’

  ‘Can you ask Grammie Helen for some coffee? Not for you, for me!’

  The worried tone left Hope’s voice as she giggled then said, ‘Kay.’ And ran off to find Helen.

  Peyton breathed a sigh of relief then said. ‘Bendrix, Domard, you have the Embassy. Gunner hunt out the ones who dare to trespass. Everyone else relax and settle in for a wait.’

  ‘We will Madam.’ Bendrix asked. ‘Domard is everyone here?’

  ‘Yes, we lost four of our staff. They appear to have abandoned ship, so to speak.’

  ‘Rats or traitors.’ Gunner murmured.

  Bendrix wiped a hand over his face and said. ‘Makes no difference now. We will settle with them later. Gunner, you and your males will take...’

  Peyton tuned them out as they talked strategy, while she sipped the coffee Helen passed her with a gently kiss to her forehead. She focused on concealing Kardan and the others and shielding her Embassy.

  Darby and Avana along with Esther, Kenera Rita and Teelu, and several others made sure everyone was comfortable. The room was filled with people. It took them a while before they settled enough to find a place to sit and wait. Several females helped Helen and Brenda make food and deliver it to those wanting something to eat.

  Finally Darby sat beside Peyton and took her hand in hers, her tablet in the other. ‘I absolutely hate this!’

  ‘I know hon, I know.’ Peyton sympathized as Heather walked around comforting where she could. Her eye always on Peyton, monitoring her. Peyton turned her head, even though she could not see her, she could feel her concern. ‘Heather, I am okay, I swear.’

  ‘You will tell me when you are not.’

  ‘I will, calm please, it is not good for my niece or nephew for you to be so tense.’

  Heather laughed at the absurdity of the comment. ‘Fine.’

  She settled next to Patty, who sat with Keylan on her knee. Jean dropped onto a couch by Ipeara as Avana sat with Koana. Penny and Miko sat by the window as others drank tea or coffee or just paced around.

  Trina stood listening to the plans Bendrix and Gunner were making as Larson and Marlo and Cemeru listened. Jerthem said. ‘He is good at this.’

  Trina nodded. ‘He and Gunner should take over the security of the Embassies. You think they would do it?’

  ‘That is a conversation I intend to have with them when we return home. You sound like a Warrior?’

  She grinned as she rubbed her baby bump. ‘I was a Warrior.’

  Jerthem pushed her gently forward, saying. ‘You still are, go add your opinions, they will need all the help we can give them. I will make sure no one is overlooked here.’

  She looked around at the pale Peyton and the others sitting around, tense and scared.

  ‘They are mine to protect.’

  ‘They are mine now as well, go.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She said as she kissed his cheek, then walked over and said as she pointed to the display of the Embassy. ‘You missed here.’

  Gunner said. ‘Dayam, okay, let’s do this one more time. Then we go hunting.’

  FIFTY-THREE:

  Fox and Klune led Rata and several members of their family as well as a few of Bendrix’s people, carefully down to the utility level of the Embassy.

  In a single file, they moved quietly and swiftly toward the hidden exit Harm and Fox had discovered when they had first arrived at the Embassy.

  Moving soft-footed along the dim corridor that would lead to the underground exit, they almost stumbled onto the intruders. At a signal from Fox, everyone halted and waited for him to discover what the enemy was doing.

  Within seconds he was back. He whispered to Klune. ‘I could not get a count, but there are more than twenty, less than a hundred. It appears they are waiting for more arrivals.’

  Klune grunted, then asked. ‘You know of another way for us to get out of here.’

  ‘Uncle, really! As if I would not. We will have to skirt around them and go out another exit.’

  ‘Why did we not use that one already?’ Asked Kern Mentu, Bendrix’s cousin.

  Fox grinned. ‘I forgot about it.’ Was all he would say causing more than one person to grunt with dissatisfaction and Rata to smile, Klune motioned Fox to move.

  He had them backtrack the way they had come until he came to a section of wall he wanted. Slowly, he ran his hands over the edges of what they assumed was a door. Within seconds, the wall swung inward to reveal stairs leading down into darkness.

  Rata asked softly. ‘Where does it go?’

  Fox replied. ‘Down to the underground, it is safe but watch out for the last three steps they are loose.’

  Klune ordered Fox to slip back upstairs to inform Gunner where the intruders were while he led the others from the Embassy. ‘Nephew stay safe.’

  Fox grinned. ‘Always, I will be with you soon.’

  ‘Make sure you are.’ Klune nodded and stepped onto the stairway. Once he secured the door, Fox raced back the way they had come and informed Gunner and Bendrix where they had found the intruders. With that done he slipped from the Embassy through another secret door which he had conveniently forgotten to tell anyone about.

  Gunner’s plan was simple, now he knew where the intruders were. Bendrix would secure the Embassy with his people and Larson, Marlo and Cemeru, and anyone else who could hold and shoot a blaster. The plans of the Embassy showed on the utility floor, there were four hallways that converged into one. What Gunner planned was to have four teams drive the intruders to a room Trina had called a ballroom. Where they could corral them and be given a chance to surrender.

  His team consisted of himself and two of his unit Mark and Perez. The second team was made up from his other three Warriors, Argo, Roman and Vic. Dantara, Waseo and Frand with Riim would be the third team. Leaving Willian, Peneria and Ipeara with Boaks as the fourth.

  Bendrix believed most of the intruders would fight, Gunner was counting on it. Anger burned a hole in his stomach at the audacity these males had to invade their Embassy and threaten his family. The days when he had to account for any death he caused were gone. Hawk had taken him and his unit aside before he had left and told them. ‘As Warriors we live by one maxim when we go into battle. Kill or be killed. Do not be killed!’

  Gunner took that as his new code, as he eased down the hallway with Mark and Perez.

  FIFTY-FOUR:

  Ipeara and Peneria raced soft-footed along their hallway, knowing Willian covered their backs. Peneria could see the cloaked figures moving stealthily away from them. So far Gunner’s plan was working. She and Willian had decided to use the age-old scare tactic of Poho’s, using Boaks as the Poho. So far it was working.

  Ipeara whispered. ‘Think they are far enough away?’

  Peneria kicked up the corner of her mouth as she asked. ‘Think they are scared enough?’

  ‘Yep, sure run like they are.’

  ‘Well then, yep as well.’ She turned her head to see Willian, who should have been coming around the corner. ‘Where is he?’

  Boaks slowly trotted from the opposite corridor. He had been chasing a small pocket of males who thought they could hide in a storage room.

  ‘Did you get them Boaks?’

  They are running from the big scary poho as we speak. Where is Willian?

  Peneria replied with a touch of worry in her voice. ‘He said he would fall back and cover us.’

  ‘Sheesh! What a pair of old mama’s you two are? What has happened to you sister?’

  ‘Shut up, sister until you are mated to a male that has a brain and dayam well uses it. You know nothing.’

  ‘Oh my, you actually let him use it!’

  Peneria looked down at Boaks. ‘You can bite
her, you know.’

  I enjoy her humor.

  ‘Well of course, you would.’

  Shall I drop back to check on my bondmate?

  ‘If you would please, it is not that I don’t trust him.’

  Of course not, although our sister’s laughing indicates something other.

  Peneria was sure she heard a snicker of laughter from him as well. ‘Shut it Ipeara, our quarry has scurried ahead. Let’s go do some more scaring.’

  ‘Oh, goodie!’

  Boaks left the sisters as he doubled back the way they had come to find his bondmate. Knowing like Peneria, that it was possible Willian may have become distracted, as he so often did.

  He had discussed this penchant of his bondmates with the Beloved. She had explained distraction was an occupational habit, which Prowlers such as he and Honor must watch out for in bondmates who were geniuses. When he had asked why Willian had not been this way before. She said he was always like that, but his injuries had caused him to concentrate his mind on just moving through a day. Being released from that prison allowed him to be the male he was destined to be, just like Sister Darby, except not so grumpy.

  Peneria worried her bottom lip as they came to a stop and Ipeara looked around the corner. ‘Nothing!’ She looked back to see her sister looking the way they had come and hissed. ‘Go back, if you are worried.’

  ‘No, they will be fine. I worry for nothing.’

  Ipeara shrugged. ‘Not really, considering who his sister is. She will not be happy if her brother was to get hurt.’

  ‘Wow, way to make me feel better.’

  Ipeara laughed as she started walking again. ‘We are herding, remember?’

  ‘That is a disgusting description.’

  Her reply was to laugh and say. ‘It’s what Commander Marlo called it.’

  ‘It’s still disgusting.’

  ‘Yeah… yeah!’

  FIFTY-FIVE:

  Willian had watched his mate and her sister jog ahead of him along the dim hallway. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, whittling down as Marlo explained the stragglers.

  Curiosity had him slowing when he heard soft noises coming from a room at the end of a short, dark corridor. Padding on silent feet until he came to the door, he placed his ear on the surface and listened. Two muffled voices were coming from inside the room. Logic said they had to be standing or sitting away from the door. He hoped he was right as he eased it open and slipped inside.

  Flicking his eyes open and shut several times brought online his sight. He was in what looked like an abandoned storage room; it was stuffed with used and broken pieces of furniture. Weaving carefully around the objects, he headed for the voices coming from the back of the large room. He could just make out two cloaked figures sitting at a table. Stepping between two tall cabinets, he now had an unobstructed view of the males hunched over a comp’.

  Frowning, he watched them for a minute but still could not understand what they were looking at on the screen. It occurred to him to just ask them and he thought about the consequences of doing that for a minute.

  Just as he decided to call for back-up, namely Boaks. He felt a blaster tap the back of his head and a human male say in a voice no louder than a whisper. ‘Take two paces back.’

  Willian complied as the male ordered in the same soft voice. ‘Now slowly release your blaster.’

  He whispered. ‘And if I don’t?’

  ‘You die.’

  ‘Illogical, you would be foolish to kill me when you have not questioned me about what I know.’

  ‘You cannot tell me anything that I cannot learn for myself.’

  ‘I see your point.’

  ‘Oh, you have to be one of Gunners?’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Nice try, release your blaster and disarm.’

  Willian called out to Boaks. Where are you bondmate?

  Where do you think I am?

  Ahh! Standing behind me?

  Right in one! Step to the side. You know how blood upsets Peneria.

  Yes... and remember no noise please!

  Willian, this is far from my first rodeo.

  The male snarled. ‘Boy, I won’t ask again.’

  Willian grimaced as he asked Boaks. Why do you think he calls me boy?

  To humans, you look like one. Now drop!

  Willian dropped to the floor as he growled. See, I find that offensive, I am a Warrior.

  Boaks tapped the male’s legs out from under him and then wrapped his enormous jaws around the male's head as he fell to the floor. With a twist and snap, he crushed the male’s skull, instantly killing him.

  Boaks looked down at Willian. You may rise.

  Willian jumped to his feet and whispered.

  Why are you here?

  Our Peneria worried.

  Ahh! I see. Thank you.

  You are more than welcome. Are we to investigate these other males?

  Yes, I think they are the ones who have corrupted Jax.

  I enjoy Jax.

  As do I. Let us find out what they are so interested in.

  Willian primed his blaster and stepped around the large cabinet with Boaks by his side. They found the two males still concentrating on the comp’. Which was now emitting beams of blue lights dancing in patterns on the walls and ceiling. Willian stunned both males as Boaks took them to the floor.

  He asked as he sat and studied the screen. ‘Are they dead?’ Just as he heard two crunches in quick succession. ‘Never mind.’ Then he muttered. ‘Now what have we here?’

  A comp’ Willian.

  ‘Your wit astounds me. I think this is beyond my skills, we need Jean.’

  Shall I get her?

  ‘Amazing, you are playing on a comp’, while your females are doing all the heavy work.’ Frand asked with a smile as he walked into the room.

  Willian grinned as Riim asked Boaks. You saved none for me?

  Sorry brother, next time.

  Riim snorted in disgust as Frand stated. ‘I don’t know why you are annoyed, your count is good. I keep telling you, you have to leave some for the others.’

  And I keep telling you, they are too slow.

  Frand laughed as he said. ‘Willian, what have you found?’

  ‘The reason Jax is unwell.’

  ‘Do we need Darby?’

  ‘No, I think this is for Jean.’

  ‘Can you talk to your sister?’

  ‘Oh, I forgot.’ Willian mind-sent to Peyton. Knock… knock.

  Willian, you are well?

  I am, I have Boaks, Frand and Riim with me.

  Peyton, we need Jean. I think I have found what is causing Jax to be off line.

  Where are Peneria and Ipeara?

  Scaring males who think they are tough.

  He sensed her laughter, then she told him. I talked to Jean, she will come to you. Marlo and Larson are escorting her.

  Tell them to take the stairs to the right and Frand will meet them.

  Alright, they have just left.

  Good, stay well, Peyton.

  You too sweet boy.

  He stared at Boaks as Frand and Riim left to meet up with Jean and her escorts. There is that word, boy again?

  I cannot kill them all.

  No… no, that seems extreme.

  Peyton tipped her head to the side as she had a thought, then with what Netta, if she had been there, would have called her getting into trouble smile. She mind-sent to Peneria and asked sweetly. Peneria hon, how are Willian and Ipeara handling the hunting, are you all doing okay?

  Ahh, we are good, thank you.

  Wonderful. I cannot seem to reach Willian can you ask him to contact me? I need to give him a message from Jean.

  Peneria opened her eyes wide at Ipeara, who stared back at her and mouthed, you are so in trouble!

  Peneria narrowed her eyes at her sister and answered Peyton. Well… Ummm!

  Is there a problem?

  Ahh no, not exactly a problem.

  Well, w
hat then? I do not have all day.

  No… No, I understand it is just…

  Willian sighed loudly and said. Sister, why do you want my mate to kill you?

  Aww Willian! I was just having some fun.

  And yet I am not laughing.

  Perhaps it is because you have no sense of humor.

  Or because it was not funny.

  Nah, it’s because you have your head up…

  Stop talking now or I tell Netta.

  You know I’m not scared of her.

  And yet!

  Yeah… Yeah!

  Willian grinned at her grumpy tone.

  Ipeara laughed and pointed at Peneria. ‘You should see your face. Wait… where are you going? Why do you have your blaster out?’

  ‘Kill!’

  Ipeara jumped in front of Peneria, putting her hands up. ‘Stop Peneria, you cannot kill the sister of your mate.’

  Peneria snarled. ‘Kill now!’

  ‘No… no! Absolutely no killing the Star Daughter. You may tell Netta and Melody, but you cannot kill her.’

  Peneria nodded as she put her blaster away and pulled her sword from its sheath. ‘Come, let us go. I need to kill something. Then I will have Melody lecture her for many, many hours.’

  ‘On what?’

  Peneria turned her eyes on her sister, who took a step back. ‘Got it, you do not care.’

  ‘Exactly!’

  ‘Okay.’ Sighed Ipeara as she followed behind her sister muttering. ‘Seriously, mated people, so touchy.’

  FIFTY-SIX:

  Gunner drove the last cloaked male into the ballroom and slipped around the walls until he stood by Peneria. ‘Where is Willian?’

  ‘He found what is hurting Jax and sent for Jean.’

  Waseo moved closer. ‘Frand is helping him.’

  ‘Okay, did we lose anyone?’

  ‘Nope, all accounted for.’ Ipeara told him.

  ‘So how many did we end up collecting?’

  Peneria reported. ‘One hundred and forty-eight, twenty-three will not make it here. Dantara feels there are more in hiding.’

  Gunner looked to where Bendrix and Dantara stood in front of the cloaked males, standing in the middle of the room surrounded by Warriors and Gunner’s people. He asked Waseo. ‘Are they surrendering?’