“Uh-oh,” the kid said.
Apparently that was universal.
Shit. Mal snatched him up. Still no sign of his parents. She raced to the closest flower stall and pushed the boy up on the roof of the stall.
“Stay there, kid. I’ll be back.”
The boy nodded. “Back.”
Mal turned. Some men armed with weapons raced toward the hexids.
Other people stood frozen.
“Get inside!” Mal yelled. “Lock the doors. Barricade them.”
Turning, she stalked toward the hexids. She watched a man go down in a spray of blood.
Mal circled her sword, warming up her wrist.
She dragged in a deep, calming breath.
The lead beast locked its black eyes on her.
Bring it.
It bounded toward her. Mal lunged into the fight. She slashed out with a sword, catching the creature on its face.
It snarled, shaking its head and sidestepping.
She whirled and ran her sword down its ugly body, seeing its organs under that pale-gray skin.
Blood spilled, thick and black. The stench of rot and decay was overwhelming.
The creature staggered and fell, and she slashed her sword down, cutting deep into its neck.
She turned and saw a hexid take a screaming man down. She ran three steps and attacked, swinging her sword—left, right, left. Blood spurted. The hexid collapsed.
“Up.” She yanked the man off the road.
“Thank you,” he stammered.
The heat of the battle hit her. She narrowed in on her enemy, her prey.
She’d felt the same sensation when she’d flown into battle. She hadn’t realized that some part of her had missed it.
With a roar, she attacked the next hexid. Skin split, more horrid blood spilled on the stone.
Her sword was a thing of pure beauty. As she swung it felt lighter and moved with ease. And it was sharper than anything she’d used before.
Several other men and a couple of women were fighting as well. Soon, Mal was splattered with blood and gore.
Then she heard a child’s frightened scream.
No. She swiveled.
A hexid was menacing her boy. He clung to the roof of the stall, bawling. The hexid gathered its powerful muscles, readying to jump.
Oh no, you don’t.
With a burst of speed, she ran. She felt a swell of energy and leaped, farther than she ever had before.
Mal lifted the sword over her head and brought it down hard, biting into the hexid’s back.
With a vicious yowl, it spun and she tore into it with wild slashes and stabs. She lost herself in the fight. She had to protect the kid.
Finally, she got a clear shot and sank the blade deep into the hexid’s gut.
The creature made a tortured sound, and she watched the light seep out of its black eyes.
She yanked her sword back.
“You’re okay, kid.” She snatched him down off the roof. She set him on her hip, and she saw big tears roll down his face.
“Bastin!” A woman ran over. “By the blooms. Thank you.”
“Mama.” The boy lurched for the woman.
He was safe. Mal released a breath and watched the woman hug the boy. She nodded at Mal, then ran for the buildings. Little Bastin waved at Mal over her shoulder.
She waved back.
Then she heard several growls.
Slowly, she turned, her fingers flexing on the hilt of her sword.
Two huge hexids slunk out of the shadows of the building, hunched over and claws flexing. A third creature was with them. It moved on four legs, had an armored, reptilian hide, and a long jaw with lots of teeth. It made her think of some prehistoric crocodile.
Great.
She lifted her sword.
The beasts rushed her.
Mal swung her sword, backing up.
A hexid leaped at her, claws slashing. She dodged to the side and felt the burn as they raked against her.
Goddammit.
The reptilian thing advanced. She saw implants embedded on its neck. Its jaws opened. The hexids closed in.
She couldn’t fight all three at once, but she’d go down fighting.
She’d never thought that she would die alone on some distant alien world.
Then she heard a strange buzzing noise and a shadow crossed overhead.
She looked up and saw a flyer.
Suddenly, a body dropped from the ship.
A large muscular man landed in front of her with a bend of his powerful legs.
Mal felt the wash of energy over her, like a wave.
The creatures backed up, snarling.
Rhain straightened and glanced at her, his silver eyes shining. Then he reached over his shoulders and pulled out his two lethal blades.
The swords lit up, glowing red.
Chapter Seven
Rhain’s blades were a blur as he hacked at the hexids.
Around him, Thadd and the rest of his elite guard dropped from the flyer above. They all drew their weapons—which lit up with different colors from orange to brilliant gold—and attacked.
A flash of movement at his side. He saw Mal tear into a hexid, swinging her sword. Helping him.
She was coated in dark blood, and he couldn’t tell if she was hurt, or if any of the blood was hers.
If she was injured, it wasn’t slowing her down. Her sword whirled, and she cut the hexid open.
The woman could fight. He’d watched her rescue the child.
A terrified scream cut through the fight.
Both he and Mal turned, just in time to see a hexid drag a screaming young woman around a building.
Gorr.
Mal took off. Rhain ran one step behind her.
They sprinted around the building. The hexid was dragging the struggling woman into the trees.
Rhain gritted his teeth. His gorr-taken father had gone too far. Rhain would never forgive him for killing innocent Zhaltons as part of his sick game.
Mal raced ahead, and they sprinted into the forest.
“Which way?” She scanned around. There was no sign of the beast, but Rhain sensed it not far away.
“This way.” He pushed through the undergrowth.
The birds and creatures had gone silent.
They reached a small clearing that was covered in blooming white flowers like a patterned rug.
Some were crushed.
“Here.” Mal lifted her sword and followed the trail.
They moved through the trees and a small animal—a cute, fluffy ixia—cut past them.
A woman’s scream filled the air.
They swiveled. Mal looked at him and they nodded.
Thadd would be mad that Rhain had run off without him, but he needed to save the woman. He wouldn’t let another Zhalton die.
He and Mal broke out of the trees. They were near the river, the cliffs of Citadel looming overhead.
Mal crouched. “Blood.” She touched her fingertips together.
“They’re close. Somewhere toward the rock face.”
They moved closer and Rhain saw the mouth of the cave in the cliff wall. The mountains were riddled with natural caves and tunnels.
“I feel the hexid.” He spun his blades.
Suddenly, the hexid leaped onto a large, flat rock in front of them, holding the squirming, terrified woman in its claws.
It released her and she tumbled down the rocks with a scream.
“Here!” Mal waved at the woman.
Rhain leaped at the hexid. He slashed and stabbed.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the wild-eyed woman stagger toward Mal.