And Ackhlen attacked.
Arghet had been waiting for the barbarian to move. Armed with a scitia against an unarmed opponent. Not very sporting. But then, Ackhlen had never been one for equality. He wanted Arghet because he thought Arghet came close to his skill with a sword, as no one else had.
Arghet hadn’t liked Ackhlen from the first. Not the way he watched Arghet with lust or envy. Or the fact he considered himself entitled to whatever he wanted because he thought himself superior to everyone else.
It had come as no surprise to see Ackhlen disrespecting his alpha. But then, any barbarian who would throw his lot in with aliens deserved what he got. It was one thing to join an offworlder in love and communion, another to join with the intention of stealing from the planet.
Ackhlen’s energy wasn’t tied to Ussed anymore, yet he remained strong.
“What is inside you?” Arghet wanted to know. “You are not tied to the planet. Or to your kind. What have you done?” He jumped back to avoid being skewered. Apparently whatever surged inside Ackhlen had increased his speed and strength.
At the thought, Arghet felt a burst of energy from his mates, his clan, and even the cats.
One hissed while the other two growled.
Skehl laughed. Figured his berserker of a mate would enjoy the battle.
“I am more, Arghet. More than any of you can understand.” He slashed at Arghet and scored a hit. But the moment Arghet started to bleed he healed, at one with the world around him. “But perhaps you comprehend more than I’d thought.” Ackhlen dropped his sword arm. “This world is not the only sentient planet in the universe. When the alien raiders came, we told them to go home. We fought them.”
Arghet glanced around. “This doesn’t look like fighting them. This was us fighting them—and you.”
Ackhlen sighed. “We tried to fight back, but their tech worked. We didn’t understand it. And then the leader took Fehlen aside. I do not know what was said, but Fehlen made him a deal. I went with the aliens back to their homeworld. And it was something else.” His eyes seemed bottomless. “It hurt, being away from Ussed. I had not wanted to go, but Fehlen promised them my service in exchange for the protection of our clan.”
“You are no possession to be bartered. He should have protected you.”
“He did what he thought right.”
Yet Talzec had stood up for Arghet, even in the face of their elders.
“I grew to adapt to the planet. It was different, but like Ussed, it needed a host.”
“A host?”
“It’s parasitic, living in me. Through me.” Ackhlen smiled, and a black stain veined through his arms, up his throat to his face. “It is an eternal hunger. And now I give it a new place to feed. And all I want in return is you.”
The chorus ofnoesin his mind gave him a headache while making him want to smile.
“You were always meant to be mine,” Ackhlen said. “Yet you resisted. And you didn’t realize that made you even more perfect. Only something unattainable could possibly fulfill someone of my worth. For I am a god. And soon I will be your god.”
To his shock, Arghet watched the black overtake Ackhlen. As it started pouring over him onto the ground, it ate at the goodness that was Ussed.
Which was not acceptable. Arghet dove at Ackhlen, coming in contact with the dark stuff that tried to eat away at his spirit. The rush of energy that belonged to his mates held it back, but not enough. He felt it eating away at his insides, heard the yells from his clan as it poured over him. Then he sensed Skehl and Raia pulling him back, their hands on his flesh, touching him. Touchingit.
He growled, ignored the pain, and prayed to the Maker to protect his mates while he reached for the scitia. He yanked it from Ackhlen’s hand and ignored the crazed laughter of the barbarian who was no longer mortal. No longer a warrior, but an alien predator.
Then he threw his mates from him with a strength he borrowed from Skehl.
“No, stop,” Raia commanded.
Skehl bellowed, “Arghet, come back.”
Arghet saw the form that used to be Ackhlen and watched as the golden eyes of his rival returnee for a brief moment. Then he plunged the blade deep, biting into his heart.
Ackhlen shrieked, and the expulsion of power tossed Arghet up through the air. Expecting to break as he landed against a tree or rock wall, he was surprised to find himself caught by Skehl, who cradled him close. Raia hurried to their side and laid hands on him. The scitia remained in his hand, scoring his palm with pain that faded into a steady buzz of energy. The scitia attracted the blackness into the metal, where it burned it away.
Raia and Skehl’s power continued to pour into him.
The black all around raced into the blade and disappeared, until all that had been Ackhlen and the black rot vanished.
