Chapter Ten
RAIA WAS JUST about done with the alien ship. She’d killed most of the occupants who hadn’t jumped when they’d seen her. Only about a dozen piloted this vessel, but she’d done enough damage. She fired on the other ship hovering close by, and it blew up, making her heart happy.
Her mates continued to plague the enemy on the ground. She heard the reports, saw the visuals on the feed from the pilots. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t see anything ever again. The ship on the ground, though without anyone to fly it, was still intact. She would have fired on it from up here, but she didn’t want to risk the blast hitting her allies.
Or her mates.
She tingled watching them on the vidscreen. Skehl walked through the carnage like a god, his strength and rage a joy to watch. Arghet was much more constrained, but no less lethal. And the Vyctore with them fought well. Though outnumbered, they would come out the victor.
Talzec had literally ripped Fehlen’s head off.
Very nice, warrior.She could see why Arghet would stay with such a male. Strong, protective, yet he watched his female take on their enemy with pride. So not too smothering in his defense of his people.
Then she saw something that did not belong. Ackhlen, the last remaining Chamra barbarian alive, stood where moments ago the newly grown jungle had thrived. He’d melted it into a black goo, was all she could think.
His energy felt wrong, tainted. It was a decay that infected all it touched.
She didn’t understand it, but she knew it wanted more. More power, more life. It wanted Ussed. None of this made sense. She knew how to kill a person, how much toxin to subdue and Venetian or what pressure points to hit to incapacitate a Frellian. But this seeing beneath the surface, joining with the sentience of the planet?
Unnerving to say the least.
Raia set the ship on auto-destruct, then gritted her teeth and tele-jumped into the other ship. Once on the ground, she ignored the nausea from the jump and raced outside to watch the ship explode, parts raining down, barbarians leaping for safety.
“Sorry. Watch out for the ship,” she yelled.
Talzec frowned at her, but he didn’t move away from Ackhlen facing off against Arghet. And no one tried to stop Skehl from moving closer, coming up on Ackhlen’s back.
“No, Skehl.” She reinforced her denial with a mental no. He ignored her, his lifeforce shining bright, overflowing with vitality. The cats appeared, surrounding him.
Skehl looked as if ready to pounce.
Skye saw her shaking her head and turned to Skehl and narrowed her eyes. The big male tried to move and couldn’t. He took a step, then was pushed back. He roared.
Skye didn’t budge.
Skehl, no. This is my fight. Protect Raia,Arghet sent him.
Raia growled. She didn’t need protection. Yet the distraction worked, because Skehl finally left Ackhlen and Arghet and came to stand with her, the cats in tow.
He nuzzled her neck and sighed. “You smell good.”
She couldn’t help a smile, despite her worry over Arghet. “You do too. I love the smell of victory, love.”We’ll play later. Now let’s watch our stubborn mate kick some ass.
He sighed. “I guess. I wanted to play too.”
She snorted.
The others joined her, their small group watching the new battlefield, one where creation met the crumble of decay.
“What is that?” Skye asked. “And why does it keep trying to creep closer?”
Raia gripped Skehl’s hand. Together, without realizing how they did it, they shielded the others from the bad energy tainting their phelthar.
“Better,” Talzec said with approval.
“Does anyone else find this really strange?” Tattan asked.
Everyone grunted.
