No one met my gaze. It wasn’t unusual for a Raas of the Vandar to take a bride as payment, even a human one, although I fully understood that Kolt would have preferred no human ever set foot on our warbird. His grandfather’s death due to the betrayal of humans was something that haunted him, even if it was never spoken about by any of us.
“During the first defeat of the Zagrath, all the victorious warlords had claimed a human bride for themselves,” Venik said, always the rational one. “Vandar-human offspring are common among our population now, and the first children of the pairings are already in training to be the next generation of warriors.”
Kolt scowled, this reasoning clearly doing nothing to change his mind.
"It is necessary," I said, thinking of the concept I’d devised and the contract I’d drawn up for the colony on Lexxona. The contract that promised Vandar defense of their planet in exchange for a single female to be taken onto our warbird. The contract that stipulated a war bride be given to us as a promise they would not shift their loyalty to the Zagrath. The contract that gave me permission to claim any female on their planet for myself.
Venik cleared his throat, a sign I recognized as a preface to a warning. “When Raas Kratos took his bride--”
“He was considered a brute,” I interrupted. “A savage. A marauding raider who stole a woman for his own pleasure. But he was none of those things.Iam none of those things.”
“It has taken years for us to shake off the reputation the Empire branded us with, Raas. Do you think?—?”
“I think people will believe what they wish. Only we know the truth of our honor.”
“He is right,” Kolt said with a curt nod. “Those who think us monsters will never be dissuaded, but those who know the truth, know we are heroes.”
“Demanding war brides from those planets we protect ensures they will not betray us.” I turned to face mymajakfully, meeting his concerned gaze with my resolute one. "Their loyalty is bought with this bond. Her safety depends on their cooperation. It is strategy,majak. Nothing more."
He didn't look convinced, but he nodded and returned his attention to the view of the barren planet.
What I told him was the truth, but it wasn’t the entire truth. I hadn’t told him about the execution list I’d received from the spy we had embedded within the Zagrath or that the random lottery to select a war bride would be anything but random. This I’d kept to myself, although I was not entirely sure why. I could convince myself it was to keep our spy’s intel as protected as possible, but I was very aware that revealing the true nature of my plan would invite challenge from both mymajakand battle chief, for entirely different reasons.
The transport touched down with barely a shudder, and through the front glass I could see the colony in clearer detail now. It was barely more than a cluster of buildings around a central square, although the houses that hunched shoulder-to-shoulder were at least built of stone. Gray stone that was as dull and cold as the sullen sky.
Despite spending years on a stark warbird built for battle and not comfort, the desolation of the colony sent a shudder through me.
"I want to see this place for myself.” I turned on my heel toward the transport’s exit. "Before the ceremony."
Kolt fell into step behind me. "You should bring a guard detail."
"Iam the guard detail." I didn't slow my stride. "And I am the threat. If there's danger here, it runs from me, not toward me."
The ramp descended, and the cold slammed into me. Even prepared for it, even being from a species resistant to cold, the wind that knifed through me was vicious. One of my warriors stepped forward, offering me a heavy fur cloak. I wrapped it around my shoulders but left it open in the front, the wind whipping at the leather of my battle kilt and chilling my bare legsand chest. The cold might be bitter, but it sharpened my mind and honed my battle instincts.
I descended the ramp, my boots crunching on frost-covered ground, and headed toward the colony, which was still shrouded in darkness and slumber. The platform in the central square stood empty and bare. No welcoming committee had assembled yet, because we'd arrived earlier than announced.
This was no mistake. I wanted to see the place before it had prepared for the fearsome Vandar raiders.
I walked the snow-packed road, feeling the weight of unseen eyes. Curtains twitched as I passed, and I caught glimpses of faces fogging glass before quickly disappearing. Fear had a particular energy, and it radiated from the gray stone houses like heat from a forge.
Did they know who I was or was their fear for all Vandar? Did they know I was known as the Qeth’rex?The Scourge? Did they have any idea that I had burned Imperial outposts without mercy and scattered their fleets, that I had avenged a hundred massacres and protected a dozen colonies? Did they know I was the most feared Raas since Kratos and his brothers had torn across the skies along with the Mad Raas and then the Lost Vandar who’d been reunited with the clans?
I gave my head a shake, pushing aside thoughts of those long-fought battles and even the one that had claimed my father’s life. These colonists knew none of that. They’d played no part in it. But they would still be required to make a sacrifice.
Guilt twisted my gut at the thought of the female who had no idea how her life was about to change. With a growl, I crushed the feeling immediately, grinding it beneath mental boot heels.This was weakness, sentiment, sympathy. All luxuries I could not afford. I had a duty to the Vandar who depended on my leadership and my willingness to do what was necessary, as well as to the galaxy I was protecting from Imperial control.
Then I spotted a single window glowing with warm light in the pre-dawn darkness. Through the frost that webbed the glass door, I could make out a simple line drawing of a loaf of bread. The universal sign of a bakery.
My stomach clenched with sudden hunger. When had I last eaten? Not that morning as we’d approached the planet and launched the transports. I touched a hand to my rumbling stomach, the skin bare and cold.
Then I caught the scent of yeast, faint but unmistakable. Suddenly, memories rushed over me unbidden. Memories of my mother that were tangled in the savory aroma of baking bread and the heat of ovens and the soft touch of hands. I could no longer picture her face easily, but when I inhaled the scent of baking bread, I was back beside her, cocooned in warmth, safety, and love.
I moved toward the aroma and the glass door as if propelled by memory alone. Through the iced glass, I could make out three figures moving inside. I hesitated. Rarely was the appearance of a Vandar Raas met with welcome.
Then I remembered who I was. The Qeth’rex. The Scourge. I had no reason to concern myself with what others thought of me. Even if I did, I would have been helpless to resist the pull of the familiar aroma and the sense of comfort it triggered within me.
I pushed open the door.
