PrimalHunger (24 page)

Shyla shot. Pain arced down his arm. Azros jerked from the
impact, but couldn’t work up more than a glance at the wound. A dart. They’d
drugged him. Twice. He almost laughed.

“Oh your little kitty?” Skreeta laughed. “Don’t worry, my
pet.”

Azros dropped to a knee. His strength was failing.

Skreeta leaned close, and Azros swung. His hand met air. A
fist plowed into his jaw, and they both jerked away. She cursed, shaking her
hand. His jaw must have been harder than she thought it would be. He dropped to
all fours to hide his smile. The curls of his hair blocked his view. He didn’t
want to see Shyla’s betrayal. Azros held a tiny hope that she was still working
with them.

A kick to the side knocked him against the wall. Azros tried
to push himself up, but his muscles wouldn’t respond. He stared up at Shyla.
The twisted grimace of her smile was an echo of her mother’s.

“Like mother, like daughter.” His throat croaked the words.
Even his lips grew numb.

She kicked him again, but Azros’ mind was slipping into
darkness. His beast clawed and fought, desperate to regain consciousness.

The flash of a blade sparked concern from someplace very far
away. She jerked the pendant from around his neck. “I’ll take this to your
whore. We’ll see how she takes proof of your death.” Skreeta slapped him across
the face.

“Mother.” Shyla gripped her shoulder. “We don’t have much
time before they notice the Valorians are missing.”

“Don’t worry, pet.” Skreeta brushed her fingers against his
cheek. “I’ll bathe in the bitch’s blood before I’m done with her. Then I’ll
come back and gut you.”

He screamed in his mind, bellowing two words—
Kendra!
Danger!

“Take him.”

The drugs dragged him down into the hell of oblivion.

* * * * *

Kendra! Danger!
Raw horror and rage flooded Kendra’s
mind, jerking her out of bed. She didn’t question. Her senses told her Azros
was gone. She growled. Betrayed meant Shyla. She knew better than to trust that
bitch.

“David.” She jerked her clothes on. David didn’t respond.
She cursed. David was probably not accessible in the client rooms and suites.
She hit the door, impatiently waiting for it to open. The moment it did, she
was running down the hall, buckling her belt as she went. Her knife sheath
would wait.

The subtle odor of Azros guided her. It was too faint to
determine anything but his path. She reached the night-staff corridor, and
jerked to a stop. Fear. Raw and vile. She could taste his blood in the air,
blood tainted with a metallic trace she couldn’t identify. “David!” she yelled
to the ceiling for the AI. Xavier. Azros. Both were here. Both were taken. Her
mind shied away from the alternative.

“Yes, Chief?” The AI responded politely, vocally.
Irrationally, Kendra grew furious at the calm reply.

“Notify critical personnel that two guests have been
kidnapped. Valorian Xavier, and Valorian Azros.” Kendra drew her weapon,
jogging down the hallway. Azros’ scent grew stronger. She was gaining on them.
I’m
not too late.

Affirmative.

She prayed to the fates for mercy. Her cheeks grew cold as
she ran, and her skin grew tight. Sensation prickled all over her body. She
could feel the air slide past her skin with every footfall. Potent rage fueled
her, rising in sharp relief against the fear. She would rip Skreeta apart.

“David, lock down any ships that attempt to leave the
surface.”

I can’t do that, Chief.
His cultured voice slid into
her mind.

“Why not?”

I have to gain permission from the highest authority to
do so.

“Get it. Stop the Sheon ship from leaving.”

I cannot. This particular ship has clearance to leave at
any time.

Kendra reached the bay doors. “Open them.”

Chief, the doors are sealed as a ship is preparing for
takeoff.

“Open this fucking door, or so help me god…” The sound of a
ship’s engines skittered fear down her spine. She went to the panel and with
shaking fingers entered the override code. An error occurred and she cursed.
She’d entered it wrong. She tried again.

Your request violates safety protocols.
The words
slid across the screen.

Kendra reentered the code. The doors slid open and the
stench of burning pyothane assaulted her senses. She aimed at the ship,
recognizing the Sheon emblem. Kendra fired her weapon, emptying her ammo into
the impervious hull. It wasn’t until the ship lifted from the surface that she
realized her voice was raw from screaming. She was still pulling the trigger, but
there was nothing left. Her arms dropped to her sides and she roared her fury.

She turned on her heel and jogged to her service room.

Mase and Reeva met her there. Now more than ever, she was
thankful for her small team.

“What is it, Chief?” Reeva was tying her hair back. She
froze. “You’re crying.”

Kendra impatiently swiped at her cheeks. “They have taken
Azros and Xavier. We need to hurry if we’re going to get them back.”

Mase blinked and looked at Reeva. Kendra had a gut-wrenching
feeling of déjà vu. “What am I missing here?” Her voice was raw, but tight with
pain.

Reeva swallowed. “That was part of the plan, Chief. Azros
was to be taken by force to the ship.”

“What?” Kendra palmed her door open. “Does Destiny know
about this?”

Mase stood by the door, hovering. “She was actually the one
who suggested it.”

Kendra’s rage burned hotter, and she stalked into her room.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” She spun around.

Reeva and Mase locked gazes for a moment before they
followed. The door slid shut and Reeva spoke. “We thought Azros would have said
something.”

Kendra sank down on the bed. “Obviously not.” She glared at
Mase. “What happens next?”

Mase shrugged. “We wait for his call. I have to get the men
ready and inform Jackson that the timetable has been accelerated. We’ll get
them back, Chief.” He turned, glancing back once more before walking out of her
room.

“Chief, how did you know they were taken? We only just found
out about the ship’s departure.”

Kendra let her head fall against her hands. “I heard his voice
in my head. His scream of…” She pressed her fingers against her scalp, suddenly
aware that she hadn’t tied her hair back. They didn’t need to know the fear,
the rage. “He was supposed to be captured.” She looked up at Reeva. “Something
went very wrong. Skreeta will kill him, outright.”

Reeva shook her head. “Odds are the woman will keep him as a
hostage.”

Kendra laughed, a hollow, angry sound. “You don’t know this
woman like I do. Like Azros does.” She sat up and dragged in one breath after
another. “If something happens to him…” She choked on the words. Tears spilled
over and she dragged in breath after breath. Raw pain tore into her chest.

Reeva dropped in front of her. “Don’t think about that.
Think about what you’re supposed to do.” She held Kendra’s hands. “His capture
was part of the plan. It was the only way to get him inside.”

“You do realize we’re counting on the goodwill of a woman
who slaughtered seventeen family members and countless Valorians…”

“I didn’t say it was foolproof.”

“No. It’s insane.” Kendra clenched her teeth.

“No more insane than battling Skreeta in a public fight to
the death. Did you tell Azros what was at stake?”

Kendra stared at Reeva.

The woman’s lips twisted. “I thought not. You two are
ridiculous.” She sighed. “Six hours until show time. Prepare yourself for the
upcoming fight. We’ll need to give the boys as much time as possible if we want
them to succeed.”

Kendra nodded.

The gaping wound of fear throbbed in her chest. “A lot can
happen in six hours, Reeva.”

Her comm specialist squeezed her hands. “He will survive.
And so will you.”

Kendra prayed to the fates that it would be so.

* * * * *

“Ladies, gentle beasts, and all you rock biters out there…”
The crowd went wild, screaming and stomping their enthusiasm. Kendra’s stomach
clenched in nervous anticipation. Her thoughts swirled around Azros.

“Tonight’s main event is about to begin…”

Kendra blocked out the announcer’s voice to focus on the
battle to come. Skreeta’s reign had to stop. She visualized the death of her
parents, and the nightmare run through the swamps. She remembered the burn of
Skreeta’s blade against her skin, and the scars she would wear for the rest of
her life. Azros’ scream in her mind had torn open those memories. They rushed
in like a whirlwind.

She remembered the nearly broken spirit of Xavier, and the
clinic personnel Skreeta slaughtered to get to him. The scars that lined her
lover’s body. Six hours was a long time. Her aunt was going to pay the price
for every moment she touched him. She would pay in blood.

“I’m going to be pissed if you die.” Reeva finished plaiting
Kendra’s hair. “That should hold.”

“I have no intention of dying.” Kendra checked her sheaths,
pulling the knives out for the hundredth time. Their weight was unfamiliar, but
they were well-balanced blades. And sharp. Another bonus. “Communication?” She
sheathed her weapons.

“Simien has jammed incoming message feeds. His gear is some
of the best I’ve ever seen. I wish I could have had longer to look at it.”

They strode down a darkened corridor where light from the
arena spilled in, outshining the hall’s dingy glow.

Kendra dragged in a breath, trying to keep her stomach from
rebelling. Her skin felt tight…alien. She ran her hand over her neck. It had to
be nerves.

Reeva gripped Kendra’s shoulder. “He’s going to be fine.”

Kendra stared across the sand-covered arena. “He’d better
be. I’ll storm the gates of hell itself to kick his ass if he isn’t.”

“Princess Ashamia of the Sheon Empire.”

Kendra stepped out on the hot sands. False light beat down
on her head and the deafening crowd made further conversation with Reeva
impossible. Reeva gave the sign for eternal victory before leaning a shoulder
against the wall. She would be keeping tabs on the Suplato’s security feeds on
a remote data pad.

Kendra held up her hand and pumped her arm in victory. The
crowd went wild. She turned around in a circle and pointed at Skreeta. It was
time to put on a show. Skreeta had to be distracted long enough to give Azros
the three hours he needed. She refused to think about how long Azros had been
out of contact. Faces of the crowd blurred together, but their cheers
increased. Wolf whistles and catcalls followed her across the sand.

She brushed her skirt in a show of nerves. The outfit was
ridiculous. A few scraps of cloth, some leather straps to keep it together, and
bracers that wouldn’t stop a puppy bite, much less a knife blow. The only
practical part of the ensemble was the knee-length boots.

“Her opponent is Skreeta, captain of the
Calypso
.”

Several boos followed the announcement, but most of the
crowd cheered.

Skreeta didn’t look at the crowd. She was focused, stalking
across the sands, wearing the same assembly of cloth scraps and belts. Her
blades were out of the sheaths. The referee eyed her movements as closely as
Kendra did.

Skreeta came to a stop by the referee. “Princess,” she
sneered. Disgust twisted her features. This close, Kendra could see the bright
flames of insanity in her aunt’s eyes. How long had this madness consumed her?

“Captain.” Kendra tilted her head. “I find it interesting
that even here in the back reaches of space, they don’t recognize your assumed
title.”

Her cheeks flushed pink and she glared at Kendra. “My title
as Sheon heir was bestowed upon me by our queen. I will not suffer this insult.
You will die today.”

The referee cleared his throat. “Ladies. I must inspect your
blades before you begin.”

Skreeta smirked and held out the knives. The referee
examined them with a hand scanner, gave an approving nod, and handed them back.
Skreeta sheathed them. The smile she sported sent a chill of wariness down
Kendra’s spine. Smug amusement cloaked the woman. She was up to something.

Kendra’s weapons were inspected and returned. The referee
raised his arm and Skreeta stepped back. Kendra mimicked the action, widening
the gap between them. A whistle blew and Skreeta feinted toward her. Kendra
jerked back.

Skreeta laughed. “A little jumpy aren’t we, Princess?”

Kendra dragged in a breath, then another. She calmed her
breathing. They began circling one another. Each striking and feinting, testing
one another’s skills and precision.

“You’re no match for me little lostling. Your stance is
sloppy, and you hold your blades wrong.”

Skreeta held the blades in the traditional Sheon way. One
blade up, another along her forearm. Kendra had both blades along her forearms.
She’d learned her fighting style from a mercenary.

Skreeta thrust. Kendra blocked and Skreeta swirled in,
swiping a blade across her side. Kendra’s instinctive jerk saved her life. She
brought down her blades and caught air. Kendra shook her head. She needed to
focus. Skreeta had already moved out of strike range.

Fire erupted on her side and she stumbled. Kendra shook her
head. She clenched her teeth against the pain and glanced down.

“We have first blood!” The announcer’s enthusiastic call
sent the crowd into a deafening roar. The stadium erupted in stomps and
applause. Kendra checked her side. It was a minor gash. The pain had her a bit
worried, but it wouldn’t keep her from fighting.

“What’s the matter, Princess? Miss Mummy and Daddy so much
you want to join them?” Skreeta’s smile was too wide, too smug.

“I’m not the one who’s going to die today.” Kendra launched
an offensive attack. Skreeta blocked and dodged, staying one step ahead of
Kendra’s blades.