“No!” my Bea screeches. I have never heard such a sound come from her mouth. She pushes past the protection of my wings to try and get to Tyll, but the creatures then point their lightning weapons directly at my mate, and I cannot have that. Dropping my daggers with a clatter, both my arms brace her body to my chest as I try to angle her away from those things. “No!” she sobs.
“Zuul!” I snarl.
He looks at me sharply and simply says. “We need to keep the female. We can have more sons.”
Little Tyll looks from his father, and then to Bea and I, his eyes wide and filled with fear. His tiny, blunt spear is still trembling in his unsteady hand.
Zuul cannot do this. I will not let him do this.
“He is small now,” Zuul continues, talking to the creatures as he grips his son’s small arm tightly. “But he will grow to be strong and capable. I know this because he is of my seed.”
The creatures take a moment to look little Tyll over. At least, that is what I think they are doing - it is hard to tell with their insect eyes. The largest starts murmuring to the other two without turning to face them;
“Mama may be impressed with new, exotic stock…”
“The Xaviaans will-”
“The Xaviaans never purchase slaves. How will they find out?”
“This is not true! Why, Mama sold three to Xaviann royalty four seasons ago-”
“Quiet, Yix!” the large one barks before turning back to Zuul, waving his lightning weapon as he talks. “We will take your son, and we will have the female. You will take us to the otherfemales, and we will be taking them, too. You do not have a choice in this. Simply comply and we will not harm-”
His words are cut short by a small gasp and it takes me only a moment to see that where there used to be two big, bug-like eyes, there is only one now. Instead of an eye, there is a scorched mess. One of his brothers had unleashed lightning upon him from the back of his head.
I waste no time and throw a blade from the ground. I would have liked to aim at either of the other two creatures, but it lodges into the chest of their leader. He falls, leaving the other two completely exposed. I do not know which of them had turned on their Second Spear or why, and I do not have time to figure it out. One of them unleashes their lightning at Zuul just as he launches his spear. The spear hits the creature’s shoulder, making it split the jungle air with an unnatural yowl. It unleashes even more lightning - four blasts one after the other, all hitting Zuul square in the chest. He falls to the ground where Tyll still stands, frozen and afraid.
Shoving Bea back behind me, I reach for Tyll to do the same.
I throw another blade.
It does not find its target.
These things wear such coverings that it is hard to tell what is flesh, and what is hide. I reach for my spare spear strapped to my back and aim at the middle of the creature, just as it turns its lightning upon me.
There is a flash like a falling star.
My whole body jerks backward.
Pain ignites like a fire.
And then comes the blackness.
Chapter 20 - Bea
Zyntarr is down.
Zyntarr is down.
He lies on the ground in front of me, a mess of flesh and feathers.
Tyll whimpers but I hardly hear him. He holds tightly to my arm, grasping it with both hands, but I hardly feel him.
Zyntarr is laying on the ground. He’s hurt. I have to-
I don’t know. Fearful Bea and Angry-as-a-fucking-hornet Bea are warring for dominance in my mind.
Tearing my eyes away from my man, I look up to the scene with those horrible big, bug aliens. They’re standing there with their blaster guns pointing at each other now,not me. The one with two spears sticking out of him is pinned against the wide trunk of a tree. He wheezes, his mandibles spread wide and his antennae going crazy. “You betray us!” he hisses at the other guy. “You shot Yat!”
