"Jasmine." Kaya held up a sticky palm to stop my protest. "We're not stupid."
"We've heard you talking with Skye,” Brielle added, moving to stand beside Kaya in a united front. “No one isthatinterested in the comings and goings of Imperial ships.”
"Plus," Kaya said, "you think we don't notice when you slip out after we've gone to bed?"
“Or that the next morning something has always happened to an Imperial ship or their supplies?”
My heart slammed against my ribs. If my sisters had seen through my careful subterfuge, who else had noticed? I'd been so careful, so meticulous about maintaining the facade of being just a harmless baker. Or so I’d thought.
Brielle's expression softened. "It's okay, Jas. We're not going to tell anyone."
"We want to help," Kaya added.
I opened my mouth, though I had no idea how I was going to tell them that the last thing I wanted was to put them in danger, even when I’d clearly been risking their safety the entire time. But before I could form words, before I could delve into whatwould certainly be an argument for the ages, the bells on the bakery's front door chimed.
We weren't open yet. We wouldn't be for another hour. A fact everyone in the colony knew.
Through the frosted glass door, I could make out a tall silhouette. I tried to swallow but my throat had gone bone dry. The figure outside was too large to be anyone from the colony, which meant. . .
The door opened the rest of the way, bringing in a blast of icy air and the largest man I'd ever seen. Correction. Not a man.
A Vandar.
Chapter 2
Wrexxon
Istood on the transport as we descended through Lexxona's frozen atmosphere, hands clasped behind my back, watching the planet's surface rise to meet us. The endless white of the icy planet was only punctuated by bruised patches where ice gave way to frozen rock.
"This place looks as welcoming as a temporal void," Kolt muttered beside me. My battle chief had fought at my side for as long as I’d been Raas, and he had yet to keep a thought to himself. It was one of the reasons I valued him.
On my other side, Venik grunted. Mymajak, or first officer, did not always agree with my battle officer. “The planet might not look like much, but the colony once supported a significant mining operation. It was abandoned by the Zagrath when their empire first collapsed, but now their forces have started to return.”
Aside from being my first officer, Venik possessed a talent for finding the unique aspects of every planet or colony we encountered, as well as the finest artisans or crafters. It waswhy our horde now employed gifted metalworkers and skilled tinkers, talented herbalists and master brewers.
Kolt rocked back on the heels of his sturdy boots. “Because it’s so far on the Outer Rim, the Empire thinks their incursions will not be noticed.”
“Which is why they need us," I said, my voice flat even as my tail slashed behind me and betrayed my agitation. “The Empire is using the planets on the Rim to regain their foothold.”
"The question is whether we need them.” Kolt pivoted to face me fully. “Our hordes are spread thin as it is, Raas. Every settlement we defend is another resource drain, another potential liability. And this far out on the Rim?"
My jaw hardened, knowing full well that my battle chief’s distrust of humans was another reason he questioned my decision. “That's exactly why we must secure these territories now, before the Empire uses these distant colonies to rebuild.”
Venik folded his arms over his bare chest. “They were all but wiped out a decade ago by the Raas brothers.”
“And the Lunori Raas,” Kolt added, his dark eyes flashing like they did anytime Raas Vassim, the Deranged Raas, was mentioned.
“An empire with so much wealth, so many resources, and so many who feared them would never be quashed so easily,” I said, thinking of the tales of the Zagrath in retreat. “They would always be a threat waiting to awaken. It was why we were summoned to continue the fight.”
Venik made a rough sound in the back of his throat, acknowledging this truth. “The Zagrath are a plague.”
I kept my gaze on the approaching ground, on the humble structures huddled together against the cold like cowering prey. “They are not a mindless swarm, which is why they are so dangerous. The Empire is a shrewd, well-funded plague that slowly absorbs every outpost and colony in its path with promises of protection and riches that never come. Our people have seen it happen before. I will not see it happen again."
The transport fell silent except for the hum of engines and the whisper of systems adjusting for landing. My warriors knew better than to argue when it came to the Zagrath and our mission to cripple them.
But Kolt, blessed or cursed with the courage to speak his mind, pressed forward. "And the payment, Raas?”
“The war bride?”
