It doesn’t matter.
The surprise on his face is still satisfying.
I close up my mask so I don’t breathe in the toxic vapor. Brynna seems to figure out something’s going to happen and closes up her helmet with a simple verbal command.
Rage grows in me the tighter he clutches her. He’s not going to let her go.
Five more Talhuskins surround us, creeping into the cargo bay from other passages. There’s only one weapon I have left. I keep my eyes moving as I hold out my hands and gather my fire into orbs in my hands. The moment the first Talhuskin makes a move, I throw the blast and scorch them against the wall. The next fires a gun at me, but my blaze incinerates his bullets.
I smirk and conjure more Inferno grenades, taking the Talhuskins down in a blazing firestorm.
“Let her go!” I snarl.
The Talhuskin shrugs. “No.”
Brynna’s eyes widen, seeing something behind me.
I catch a Talhuskin sneaking up on me from behind. He’s forgotten the reflective surfaces of his own ship. Lifting a hand, I aim backward and thrust a fireball at him. He becomes a simple scorch mark against the wall.
The male holding Brynna shoves her at me, then throws himself into an escape pod and launches it out into space.
I catch my mate. “I want you safe. Take a pod and call DIA. My band is busted.”
“Okay.” She touches my mask. “Go kick his ass.”
Helping her into another escape pod, I seal the hatch and watch her launch. When she’s off, I hike up to the cockpit and take out the guards with two pyretic balls of fury. Grabbing the co-pilot by the head, I snap his neck. When the pilot tries to getup, I grab his wing talons, break them free, and jam them into his sides. I lean in close and whisper in his ear, “For my people.”
Hauling him out of the seat by the talons in his sides, I check the crew count and see I’ve still missed two. I get myself on an intercept course with the pod the Talhuskin took and turn to confront the last of them.
A hand reaches around the seat and tries to grab me. But that’s his mistake.
Anger heats my body to a raging orange fire. He screeches and falls back, smoking.
DIA appears in the sky, scooping up a different pod.
“Jor-sk, DIA. Mate on…oard. Bryn…safe. Egg inte-rity 100 percent.” My cracked wristband flashes with a green light. Relief fills me. DIA will keep them safe.
I track the other pod out toward a Denarsoan ship fleeingMesannok, no doubt hoping to get picked up.
“I don’t think so.”
“Neither do I.” A Talhuskin fires a poisoned ice gun at me. I duck, and the seat’s back shelters me from the frigid blast. I swing a hand over the seat and throw a ball of flames backed with rage through his chest. He staggers and tumbles down the stairs.
Finally.
“Jor-sk, Bryn. As soon…you’re done, come hom…”
Her voice is a beacon in the void.I will.
I familiarize myself with the Talhuskin munitions systems and coat the pod that the Talhuskin took with ice bullets. They suffocate the thrusters, sending the pod careening out into space. I just want him to feel the fear we know so well before he dies.
Switching to missiles, I send one racing out into space. It punches into the pod and bursts ice and metal into space. Then I bank for the Denarsoan vessel that took me to General Kaslok.
The nose glimmers with the first light of a pending portal jump.
“Oh, fuck no.” I release the entire payload of the Talhuskin ship, sending missiles, standard lead bullets, and the remaining ice rounds pummeling their ship.
“For all the females you’ve taken and hurt and all the families you’ve torn apart.”
