PrimalHunger (26 page)

Kendra’s ears captured the sound of air moving. She rolled
away, narrowly avoiding her aunt’s aimed kick. The sound of every move
thundered in her ears.

She pushed herself up and expanded her senses. It was so
easy. Why did she struggle before? A grin touched her lips. She didn’t need to
see. Her aunt’s heartbeat thrummed. Every breath gave away her position. Every
step, her downfall.

Kendra rose to her feet, gripping her side. “It’s not over
yet.” Her amplified voice rang out in the arena. The crowd went crazy.

Kendra’s muscles cramped and stiffened, but she moved
slowly, carefully, trying to make the woman think she was fine. Her feet
stretched and burned. The scars grew pliant. “What’s the matter, auntie? Didn’t
occur to you that our queen would plan for every contingency?”

“You are soaked in sweat, niece. I see that you’re already
blind. You’ll soon be a corpse.”

Kendra shook her head. “She knows you, how you operate, what
poisons you favor.” Kendra grinned and slipped the bloodstone’s chain over her
head. It was a burning weight against her stomach, pulsing with a life of its
own. Kendra lowered to a fighting crouch. “You’re so predictable. So
expendable.”

Skreeta let loose a battle cry and launched. Kendra trusted
her instincts, letting her opponent’s momentum carry her into position. She
gripped Skreeta’s forearm and twisted it, driving it against her body and
shoving her away.

“I thought you were a great fighter. I’m blind, dying. Are
you so weak that you can’t take me down?”

“I’ll kill you.” Her launch echoed in Kendra’s ears.

Kendra ducked and swirled out of her aunt’s way. She stood
with a flourish and the crowd cheered.

She blocked a strike. The scent of metal and stench of
poison told her Skreeta held one of the contaminated blades. Cramps tightened
across her flesh and she shoved her aunt away. Kendra dragged in one painful
breath after another.

“I obviously didn’t poison you enough the first time.”

Azros’ advice rose up in her mind.
Inhale deeply.

She inhaled. The burning pains from the poison lessened.
Cramps across her muscles eased. Skreeta lunged and Kendra blocked a strike
with her forearm. She moved too slowly, and her aunt’s fist grazed her stomach.
The movement of the air was the lightest feather against her skin.

Draw the scents in and let them roll around on your
tongue.

She drew in another breath and rolled it around on her
tongue. Skreeta struck again, and Kendra heard the knee’s movement. It was an
easy block, one she followed with an uppercut. The satisfying smack of fist
striking flesh echoed in Kendra’s ears. Her aunt’s body skidded across the
sand.

“Oooh. That’s gotta hurt, ladies and gents.” Kendra grinned
at the announcer’s comment. Laughter rang out in the stands.

“Even the audience thinks you’re a joke.”

You will be able to track your prey by the strength of
his scent alone.

Skreeta’s scent changed to anger, and grew fluid. Movement.
Her aunt was trying to sneak behind her.

“Your queen has no more use for you.” Kendra crossed her
arms, grinning from ear to ear. “Even your crew has betrayed you.”

Her aunt struck like a snake, moving in and out of range.
Kendra blocked and lunged, fighting with every ounce of her concentration. Her
muscles cramped and sweat slid down her face. Pain became constant.

Kendra blocked a knee only to be hit across the face with an
elbow. Pain exploded across her face and she stumbled back.

“Your lies are useless. I know who to trust.”

Kendra laughed and spat blood to the sand. She swiped her
hand across her mouth, while her tongue tested damage to the inside of her
cheek. The copper flavor of blood slid down her throat. She could taste Azros
in it. His flavor. His
lambyre
.

“What could I possibly gain by lying?” Kendra rolled her
shoulders and took up a defensive stance. They were both breathing heavily from
exertion.

Her aunt lunged and Kendra knocked her arm back. Skreeta
countered, and Kendra kneed her in the side. Wind rushed out of Skreeta’s
mouth. “To distract me.” She forced the statement through clenched teeth.

Kendra shoved her aunt away. Skreeta dropped to the sand.
Exhaustion pulled at her limbs. “My family didn’t want the crown. You could
have had the damn thing. But no…” Kendra laughed. “You just had to come find
me.”

Her aunt laughed as well, a rough and pained sound. “You’re
such a little idiot. Just like your mother. Head in the sand.” She rose to her
feet, a blurred image in Kendra’s sight. “Remember the way your mother begged
for your life? Her death cries were music to my ears. In the end, she was weak.
Useless.”

Kendra’s gut wrenched. Her aunt threw something. Kendra’s
arms came up to block, and sand sprayed across her face. Skreeta tackled her,
slamming her shoulder into Kendra’s torso, forcing her into the hot sands.
Kendra’s breath slammed out of her body in a rush.

Her aunt’s breath fanned her cheek. “You just don’t know
when to die.” She stabbed her side. Kendra screamed. The blade glanced off
bone. Her rib cage.

Her aunt stood against the lights, a black silhouette she
could see. Fiery rage consumed her. Kendra jerked the blade from her body and
swiped it across Skreeta’s chest, just below the throat. The spill of her
aunt’s blood was warm against her skin.

Skreeta jerked back and Kendra locked up Skreeta’s legs in
one of Azros’ fighting moves. Her aunt tripped, falling back to the sand. “You
bitch! Do you know what you’ve done?”

Kendra stalked across the sand, hunting Skreeta the way
she’d hunted her family. Without mercy, Kendra shoved her aunt with her foot,
knocking her back to the sand. The crowd laughed.

Her limbs were shaking, and parts of her body grew numb.
“Where’s the antidote?” Kendra’s voice croaked from a parched throat.

“There isn’t one.”

Kendra laughed. “Then I guess we’re both dead, aren’t we? I
can chase you around this arena all day.”

Her aunt doubled over. Kendra could smell the movement of
poison through her body. “I cut you close to your heart, aunt. You sure you
don’t want to live?”

“You’ll die before I will.”

“Want to bet on that, Skreeta? You don’t have such a great
track record when it comes to assumptions about me.”

Her aunt stared up at her. “Name your terms.”

Kendra pointed the blade at her. “Concede the fight.”

“And make you the queen’s heir?” Skreeta choked on the words
in a coughing fit.

“I am the daughter of Ashamia the Great, a visionary
scientist of our people. I am queen’s heir by right of my family’s blood, and
this fight.” Kendra’s voice rang out across the arena. “Concede.”

Kendra stepped forward and drew back her arm to strike.

Skreeta stared up at her. “I concede.”

The crowd went insane.

Kendra stared at her aunt, waiting for the antidote. Reeva’s
arms came around her. “The antidote.” She pointed to Skreeta.

Reeva cursed and eased her down to the sands. People pushed
forward, and the toad-like countenance of Simien appeared in her field of
vision. She was vaguely aware of her body’s spasms, the choking coughs. Her arm
burned and her skin itched.

“What is she saying?”

“Her skin itches.”

“Did…we…give…time?” Kendra croaked out the words.

Reeva entered her field of vision. “You gave them more than
enough, Chief. Don’t you dare give up now.”

Relief drained away the last of her anger. It seemed like as
good a time as any to sleep. Her body relaxed, and she slipped into unconscious
oblivion.

* * * * *

Azros came to with anti-gravy bracelets on his ankles and
wrists. He could smell Shyla, and the tainted scent of Xavier. His head hung at
an awkward angle, allowing his hair to hide his expression from view.

“Find out how he escaped. Now.” Shyla’s voice cut into the
silence.

“Ma’am.” One of the men hesitated.

“What is it?” Irritation grated in her voice.

“Is it safe to leave you alone—”

Shyla laughed. “Have no fear of the Valorian. He’ll be out
for at least a few hours. The priority is finding out who is assisting these
animals
.
That person has committed treason against the Sheon.”

“Yes ma’am.” The questioning individual snapped to. He and
his companions rapidly departed.

Shyla blew out a deep breath. “You really are a pain in my
ass, Prince Azros. You and your brother both.”

Her hands touched his wrists. One cuff was released. His
body fell forward. The other released. She never made it to his ankles. He had
his hands around her throat and her in the air. Her weapon smashed against the
wall.

She struggled against him, clawing at his hands and wrists.

“Xavier.” His mouth had difficulty forming words. The man
was gone, and in its place was an animal.

“Safe.” She choked the word. “He’s…”

Azros jerked the key out of her hand and released her.

She tumbled to the floor. Her hand rubbed against her
throat. “He’s safe. I swear.” She coughed, dragging in low gasps.

Azros unlocked one ankle cuff then the other. “You lie.”

She shook her head. “He’s hurt. Skreeta got to him before I
did. He wasn’t part of the plan, but once she found out about him…” Her gaze
lowered. “He won’t be able to escape on his own tonight.”

“Wrong.” He dragged her to her feet and shoved her forward.
“We’re not leaving anyone behind.”

“Mase.” His voice rumbled over the comm.

“Yeah. Heard everything.”

“How long have I been out?” Azros shoved Shyla against the
bay doors.

“Not long. Maybe ten minutes. We’re right in front of you.”

Azros pointed to the doors. “Open them.”

“Not yet.” She glared at him.

“Now.” He stepped forward, crowding her into the corner.

“Not. Yet.” She matched his step, shoving against his chest
in irritation.

Alarms sounded and Azros dropped to a crouch.

“Now.” She hit the door release.

The door slid open. Mase and the crew had taken cover.

Shyla held out her hands. “We don’t have much time before
they realize what’s going on. Get the Valorians out of here.”

Azros gripped her arm. “What about the cameras?”

Shyla held up her wrist. A black bracelet flashed. “It’s a
jammer. I’ve been using it for weeks to interfere with image feed. It’s been
driving the engineers crazy. You have a good twenty minutes before the cameras
come back online, so I wouldn’t waste too much time.” She attempted to shrug
out of his hold. “Now let me go.”

Mase shook his head. “No way, lady. You’re staying with us.”

Shyla huffed out a breath. “You want Xavier? I have to get
him. No one else will make it there and back in time.”

“How do we know we can trust you?” Jackson’s question was
quiet.

“You don’t have a choice.” She shrugged. “I stay here and
Xavier will be trapped in my room. Skreeta
will
kill him. You let me go,
and I’ll get him back to you.” She met Azros’ eyes with solemn appeal. “It’s
your call.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“No man deserves what Skreeta will put him through. I can
use the antigrav bracelets to make transporting him easier.”

Azros dragged in a breath. He couldn’t tell if she was
lying. Instincts battled with fear of betrayal. Instincts won out. He let her
go. “Fifteen minutes.”

She nodded. “Give me the key to the cuffs.”

He dropped it in her palm and watched her disappear around
the corner.

“That was stupid.” Mase stood at his side, staring after
her.

“Yeah.” Azros agreed. “Your chief trusts her.”

Mase scratched his jaw. “Yeah, well. She likes you too.
Makes me question her judgment.”

Jackson snorted a laugh, and Azros shook his head. “We have
work to do, and not a lot of time to do it.”

Mase nodded with a grin. He pointed down the corridor. “End
of the hall. They’re being held close by.”

Jackson held out a weapon. “Already locked and loaded.” He
pointed out different components. “Release.” He turned it over to point at a dial.
“Stun and kill. Here’s a clip.” Pill-like capsules glowed green in the clip. It
was a weapon unlike any other. “Each tube has three shots.”

Azros took the weapon and slipped the clip in his pocket.
“How many tubes per clip?”

“Fifteen. Make ’em count.”

Azros nodded, under no illusions about his role in the team.
Jackson ran the show. Azros wondered how Destiny had acquired so many assets.

Two men remained onboard the cloaked ship. Another two would
guard this corridor.

Azros and Jackson plowed forward, clearing corridor after
corridor while the remaining team split off to run diversionary tactics.

They met no traffic on their way. The stench of captivity
grew stronger, making the hair on the back of Azros’ neck stand on end. Every
door brought him closer. “We’re almost there.”

Jackson glanced over. “How do you know?”

Azros clenched his jaw and dragged in a calming breath. “I
can smell my men.”

Jackson didn’t ask for an explanation, and no words could
describe it. Mase knelt by the door. He plugged his datapad to a card. With a
swipe, the door opened.

It took only a split second to take in the room before Azros
rushed the first scientist. His fist connected with the bastard’s jaw. Jackson
laid down suppressive fire. Azros broke the arm of another. He moved through
the room, tearing them away from his men. Their pain, their misery. His people
were rotting in a hell of Sheon design where they were treated like animals.
Rage was an inferno in his mind. Everything became a red haze. A hand grabbed
his arm.

Azros swung around and barely held back from crushing
Jackson’s throat. He became aware of a cacophony of deafening alarms.