He felt so close to her. Almost as close as he did to his brother.
How was that possible? How had it happened so quickly?
He’d never developed such a strong friendship with a woman before.
Perhaps he might have if he’d consented to live with any of his past lovers. But he had never cohabitated with the women he’d had relationships with because they’d never understood his occasional need for quiet. For solitude. They had instead taken great offense at it, accusing him of needing time away from them.
And he supposed he had.
Oddly, he didn’t feel a need for solitude when he was with Ava in their dreams. Even when he was awake, he began to crave her presence in his mind. He had even, much to his chagrin, fostered a moment of jealousy when his brother vied with him to see who could make her laugh the most until he’d realized that Ziv’ri’s interest in her was not as extensive as his.
And his was extensive. Jak’ri found it increasingly difficult to ignore her beautiful breasts and the glide of her slender curves against his when they swam and cavorted in the water. His body had even begun to respond in ways that the cold ocean had difficulty dampening, something that shamed him. They were prisoners of the Gathendiens. She bore the same fears and concerns and pain that he and Ziv’ri did. The last thing she needed was to worry about him pressing her to sate his desire.
He shouldn’t even be feeling desire.
“I think it’s time,” Ziv’ri whispered.
Blinking, Jak’ri came back to the present and followed his brother’s gaze.
The Gathendien scientists were arguing about something.
Ziv’ri looked at him. “Is Ava listening to our thoughts?”
Ava? Are you with us? Jak’ri called. When no answer came, he shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think she’s still sleeping.”
“Good.” He nodded to the scientists. “Something’s wrong. Saekro and Kunya found some anomalies in Ava’s blood and tissue samples. Significant anomalies they weren’t expecting. Saekro thinks Kunya drekked up the tests. Kunya insists he didn’t and keeps postulating that there must have been some bizarre evolutionary jump in her race since their ancestors released a virus on Earth. Saekro thinks Kunya is full of bura and is just trying to cover his ass. Either way, it sounds as if they’re planning more exploratory surgery for her.”
“Drek that,” Jak’ri hissed furiously. “I don’t want them subjecting her to that again.”
“I don’t either.”
“Then we should act.”
Ziv’ri nodded. “We’re both stronger now that the virus has left our system.”
“And they’re distracted. So they won’t expect it. How do we get Saekro or Kunya to open our gates?”
“Before they began arguing over Ava, I heard them say they’re going to try something new on us tomorrow.”
And whenever they tried something new, they started with Ziv’ri. The brothers had quickly come to recognize a pattern. After removing Ziv’ri from his cell, they would strap him to a surgical table, inject him with their foul serum, then wait to see if he’d have an allergic reaction that would require them to intervene and resuscitate him. Any virus they created that instantly killed the infected party wouldn’t benefit them, after all. They needed their victim to live long enough to spread it.
Lowering his voice to the quietest whisper, Jak’ri said, “We should fast tonight.”
Ziv’ri nodded. “Feign eating and hide the cubes.”
“And don’t drink.” Both believed the nahalae the Gathendiens dosed them with was in the vitamin injections they received every other day. Their first escape attempt had taken place when the Gathendiens waited three days to dose them with the vitamins. Jak’ri and Ziv’ri had both regained some of their telepathic ability as a result and hit them with a senshi that took down multiple guards and came vuan close to liberating the brothers. Hence the two-day schedule now.
But they sometimes wondered if there was also some nahalae in the nutrient cubes or drinks the Gathendiens supplied. The grunarks viciously beat them if they refrained from eating or drinking. The brothers just weren’t sure if they reacted thusly because they needed healthy subjects or something else.
“Not emptying the canteen will be harder to hide,” Ziv’ri said. “You know they monitor our liquid intake.”
“Find a way to smuggle your canteen into the lav and pour it down.”
He nodded. “Hopefully by the time the lav sends them an analysis of our latest offerings they’ll be dead and we’ll be on our way home.” He glanced at the lab. “As soon as they tell me to get on the table, we’ll both try to emit a senshi that will weaken them enough for me to either grab a scalpel or disarm the guard.”
“Agreed.” Reaching through the bars, Jak’ri rested a hand on Ziv’ri’s nape and drew him close enough to press their foreheads together between the bars. “If we fail, know that I love you, brother.”
Face grave, Ziv’ri reached through the bars and did the same. “I love you, too.”
“Find a way to save Ava.”
“I will.” His lips twitched. “If we succeed... I want my hovercycle back.”
Laughing, Jak’ri blinked back tears and released him.
This had to work.
It had to.
CHAPTER SIX
The next day Jak’ri’s heartbeat quickened when Saekro motioned the guards forward.
This was it.
He glanced at Ziv’ri and saw the same knowledge in his brother’s solemn gaze.
As two guards approached the door to Ziv’ri’s cell, Jak’ri’s stomach knotted. But he let none of his apprehension show. Once more, he wished that the grunarks would test their vile concoctions on him first instead of Ziv’ri. He was the older brother. He should be the one risking his life to free the others. He… couldn’t bear the thought of losing his brother.
The guard waved his wrist over the censor and unlocked the gate.
When panic threatened to rise, Jak’ri channeled it into anger and raw determination. This had to work. Not just for their sake, but for Ava’s.
The guard grabbed Ziv’ri by the arm and roughly ushered him forward.
Saekro barely spared them a glance, too busy arranging his favorite torture tools on the surgical instrument hover tray.
Kunya stood beside him, his eyes on the data tablet he held. A few taps activated the medical apparatus in the ceiling.
“Get on the table,” the guard ordered gruffly.
Jak’ri immediately focused his telepathic energy and emitted the most powerful senshi he could produce while drugged, hoping it would be enough. He felt an identical pulse radiate outward from his brother.
The guard gasped. Releasing Ziv’ri, he bent forward and grabbed his head. The guard who’d remained in the open doorway grimaced and folded over.
Yes!
The two scientists winced and swung narrowed eyes on Ziv’ri.
Saekro yanked a laser scalpel from the tray and swung at him.
Ziv’ri threw his hands up to block the strikes that came one after another.
When Kunya reached for the shock rod they always kept handy, Ziv’ri swore and grabbed the hover tray. Dumping the instruments off of it, he raised it and swung it hard.