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Reid hummed in the back of his throat in response, his eyes scanning the woods around us with laser focus. He’d been doing that the entire time we’d been traveling, as if he expected trouble. We’d gone in a big, circular motion away from the Sacred Training Grounds by now, easily bypassing both the Thunder Rock and Bitter Storm camps. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be as easy as that, though. Even though the sound of the skyships had not been as loud as I thought it would be, it had been loud enough to draw attention.
I had only just finished those gloomy thoughts when the sound of a twig snapping echoed beneath the trees. It had gotten steadily more hilly as we moved, so the sound had to come from close by. My scales shivered along my spine, and fear made my stomach grow hard in my belly. Was it Bitter Storm? One of the females from Thunder Rock? The only one it definitely wouldn’t be was Khawla; he’d never do something as stupid as snap a twig while stalking someone.
Reid spun toward the sound, his hand around mine twisting to pull me behind his wide shoulders. “Show yourself,” he saidfirmly. “I don’t like that sneaky stuff. It makes me think you’re an enemy, and I don’t treat those kindly.” He had his hand on the knife at his belt, his feet braced apart, and his eyes never left a single point between two trees and a large shrub. He knew exactly where our stalker was hiding.
There was a furious, angry hiss that could mean anything and be from anyone, but it was Astrexa who rose from the bushes with an angry expression on her face. Her dark blue scales caught a violet beam of sunlight and glittered beautifully, sharply reminding me that my much paler azure tone had never been good enough for my mother, even though her own scales had barely been any darker than mine.
“Tell your mongrel to back off and face me, you weakling,” Astrexa demanded as she dared to come out of the underbrush completely and approach us. I should have known that she was going to be our biggest issue; Astrexa had way too much to prove to give up. She, more than any of the others, would need the legitimacy that defeating me would give her claim. Without it, I could easily imagine she’d have to go through all the contenders—and then some—in challenge after challenge. It would be too much for any female, even a fierce brawler like her.
“Don’t call him mongrel,” I said to her, though I kept a tight grip on Reid’s hand, unwilling to get separated from him. “His name is Reid, and he’s a good, strong male.” That was the one thing I was certain of: any female should be proud to call him hers. That they couldn’t see that was their failure, not his, and I wouldn’t stand for any insults. I felt heat curl through my chest, and it was pushing out my fear of a confrontation. I’d fought Astrexa many times in the past—I had lost to her many times and won plentytoo. I realized that if it came to protecting Reid and his honor, I’d gladly clash with this female again. I knew all her tricks.
Astrexa had locked eyes with me, a mean glint in her eyes that shot a shiver down my spine. Okay, thinking I’d defend Reid’s honor was one thing, but honor was meaningless when it came to life and death. That look told me that if I ended up fighting her, it would be kill or be killed. The thought of having to strike a fatal blow turned my stomach. Despite fighting for my spot in the hierarchy ever since my sixth molting, I had never killed anyone—until my mother tried to kill Corin’s innocent and harmless human mate. I never wanted to do it again; it still gave me nightmares, even though I knew I’d make the same choice if I had a chance to redo that moment.
My stare-down with this tormentor from the past had made me oblivious to everything around me. I did not realize it until Reid suddenly disturbed the moment. He shifted between us with an angry, “Back off!” Astrexa was much closer than I had thought; she had drifted closer with stealthy movements. It was one of those tricks fighters used at the start of a confrontation, and I was shocked to discover that I hadn’t caught it. I should have. How could I be rusty already? My last fight for power had been a few weeks ago, right before I’d traveled to the Shaman Training Grounds with the Queen.
“Stay out of this,” Astrexa told him. I had never thought she was stupid or reckless, but she jabbed the tip of her tail at him as if she thought she could knock him out of her way. Hadn’t she gotten smacked into a tree by him the last time they met? Had she not seen how easily he’d defeated Evarah? Reid might not be as tall as a Naga male in fight mode, and he lacked protective scales, but he was not to be underestimated. I knew that now, soit was no surprise to me when he grabbed her tail in his fist and yanked on it.
She swept across the mossy, leaf-strewn ground with a startled scream. I thought Reid might actually pick her up and throw her, but he yanked her sideways and sent her rolling across the moss. “I told you, back off!” he said with an impressive growl. He’d let go of his knife, bracing his free hand on his hip as he towered over the now-prone female with a glare. “Stay away from my girl,” he added.
As my mother’s once-favorite female scrambled back upright, brushing leaves and sticks from her long, dark-blue hair, I found myself smiling. “He says to stay away from me unless you want to taste the dirt a second time.” That made Astrexa hiss, but she did not call me a coward this time for staying behind my male. She did not call me anything, though she was clearly furious and embarrassed, and she did not try to approach a second time.
“Well, this is sure interesting, isn’t it, my mate?” a new voice drawled. Reid twisted his head slowly toward this newcomer, as if he’d known all along they were there. I nearly jumped out of my scales at the sound of Kusha’s voice. She was beneath the trees, right at the spot where I’d first spotted Astrexa, so she’d come from the same direction. Her mate, Khawla, was at her side, his big arms crossed over his chest and his head lowered, a frown marring his brow.
“It is,” he agreed with her. They looked united, but at the same time, I could see something in their relationship that I had never realized was off. When Reid stood next to me, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself; even now, he stood close and held my hand. Kusha and Khawla were next to each other but very muchapart. When the statuesque female moved closer to him, Khawla backed away, like he did not want to touch her.
“Step away, human male. This is Naga business and does not concern you,” Kusha said haughtily and she waved her hand at Reid. Then her dark blue eyes settled on me. “Translate my words for your male, Sazzie. He must control himself and let us handle this like adults. You know this. Fight me, and I promise you I’ll make it quick. One fight, and it will all be over.” Maybe she did not mean to sound so ominous, but it sounded like she intended to kill me, just like Astrexa held only murderous intent in her glare.
“My male understands just fine,” I told her. “And I am not fighting anyone. I am leaving. Defeat her,” I said, pointing at Astrexa and noticing how that made the female freeze in surprise. “Nobody else here will stand in your way.” I knew Kusha understood what I was saying; she was a clever, cunning female. Where Astrexa was blunt and mean, this one always pulled strings with the bigger picture in mind. Honestly, she was the perfect Queen, probably better for the Clan.
I had forgotten why Khawla and Kusha were a match; Kusha was just as much a stickler for the rules as her mate was. She curled her lip in distaste, displaying her fangs to me. She would have said something scathing and angry, something about how much of a disgrace I’d become. I knew it, and I was almost relieved by the next interruption.
Bitter Storm warriors streamed out of the woods, and both Reid and Khawla spun to face them. The Thunder Rock Scout, with his spear lowered and aimed at the nearest threat, Reid, with his knife out. Everyone—including Astrexa—forgot aboutthe throne, focusing only on this new danger. There were six of them, all big and brawny, all male. I saw no sign of their scrawny leader, Aser, but I was certain he was nearby, waiting on the sidelines like a true coward.
I hissed, my claws curling and my scales shivering. Weren’t there twelve warriors? Where were the rest? Nobody said anything. There was a pause before the fight, and then an explosion of motion. Khawla and Reid burst forward at the same time, as if they had fought together before. I did not know what to do; it wasn’t customary for a Naga female to fight alongside her male. We only fought each other—not males, not enemies. We did not even hunt.
Reid was moving uncannily fast, slashing with his knife and disarming enemies with grace. Khawla was also proving to be much more than a simple scout, wielding his spear with deadly precision. But it was two against six, and then the other six showed up from the opposite direction. They could not possibly win. I came to that conclusion at the same time Kusha did, I was certain. The two of us shared a wide-eyed look and then both of us turned to attack. Astrexa was slower on the uptake, but she was left little choice when one of the Bitter Storm males tried to manhandle her.
Flinging myself beneath the guard of the nearest warrior, I clawed deep furrows across his red-and-orange-freckled chest. My claws dug deep, pulling blood to the surface, and he screamed in rage. I had to move fast to avoid a blow from his spear, nearly getting caught beneath the spear of another male. I was out of my depth; I had never fought an armed opponent before, especially one with far superior training to mine. Thetruth was, I had no training except what I’d learned fighting my sisters. All of it was instinct.
“Not her!” a male shouted. “We need her! Damn it!” Aser. I locked eyes with him from beneath the raised arm of the warrior I’d clawed. He snarled but changed tactics, turning his spear to strike me with the blunt shaft. I blocked the first blow with my wrist but wasn’t fast enough to protect myself from the next one. Reid was just suddenlythere, his arm between the spear shaft and my head. His skin gleamed impossibly silver and violet.
He’d left himself exposed to protect me, and a scream ripped from my throat when I saw another spear jab him in his side. Red blood spurted, the scent of copper filling the air. When the spear withdrew, his wound knitted itself back together before my eyes, leaving only a bloodstained gash in his shirt. But it cost him. I knew what it did to him now, when he fought and healed this fast. How long before he collapsed? Before he ran out of the fuel that powered his body and those weird nanobots beneath his skin?
I heard Khawla roar as Reid knocked out the male who had stabbed him with a rapid-fire blow to the throat. My eyes shifted and caught sight of Kusha pinned beneath two big Bitter Storm warriors, her tail restrained by one of theirs. She’d suffered a blow to the chest, and I did not think she was getting up again—maybe not ever.
After that, everything went too fast. I was still scrambling to get back upright and make sense of the battlefield when the tide turned. More warriors streamed from the woods. This wasn’t six males or a dozen—there were at least another twenty males, and they piled onto an enraged Khawla before giving Reid the sametreatment. I no longer saw Astrexa anywhere, and then I had no more time to look, either. All I could do was dodge hands and claw at exposed tails and arms. If they restrained me, it was all over.
I took a big, venom-filled bite out of one biceps, then managed to slap a male so hard across his head with my tail that he collapsed. But then, a blow struck me against my temple, and darkness claimed me—a horrible, rapid descent into unconsciousness I could not stop. My last thoughts were of Reid: did he make it? Did he escape? Had they killed him or captured him?
Chapter 9
Reid
Once they had control of Sazzie, the fight was over. I hated it, but it was my only option if I wanted to live another day. To live was to have another chance. Though my instincts rebelled—my nanobot-enhanced body was riding a wicked battle high—I knew I had to be smart about this. That didn’t make it easy to allow the Bitter Storm warriors still standing to restrain me with my hands behind my back, though.
There was a ticking time bomb in my body, one that would cause me to collapse and possibly die if I did not replenish the fuel my nanobots had burned. I knew I hadn’t pushed myself as much this time as I had last time; I had been in control. But I did not know how bad it was, where my limits lay, or how long I had. There was a hollow feeling in my stomach, warning me with hunger that I needed to refuel, soon.
These warriors did not say anything to me, and they talked freely around me as if they thought I could not understand them. They were rattled by this fight and worried because their leader wanted to take all of us to their home alive. One male, who had his claws around my biceps and was urging me into a walk, was quietly complaining to his friend that things were better when they had a Queen—words that I suspected would get him killed if this Aser fellow, the King, heard them.
I had only just finished those gloomy thoughts when the sound of a twig snapping echoed beneath the trees. It had gotten steadily more hilly as we moved, so the sound had to come from close by. My scales shivered along my spine, and fear made my stomach grow hard in my belly. Was it Bitter Storm? One of the females from Thunder Rock? The only one it definitely wouldn’t be was Khawla; he’d never do something as stupid as snap a twig while stalking someone.
Reid spun toward the sound, his hand around mine twisting to pull me behind his wide shoulders. “Show yourself,” he saidfirmly. “I don’t like that sneaky stuff. It makes me think you’re an enemy, and I don’t treat those kindly.” He had his hand on the knife at his belt, his feet braced apart, and his eyes never left a single point between two trees and a large shrub. He knew exactly where our stalker was hiding.
There was a furious, angry hiss that could mean anything and be from anyone, but it was Astrexa who rose from the bushes with an angry expression on her face. Her dark blue scales caught a violet beam of sunlight and glittered beautifully, sharply reminding me that my much paler azure tone had never been good enough for my mother, even though her own scales had barely been any darker than mine.
“Tell your mongrel to back off and face me, you weakling,” Astrexa demanded as she dared to come out of the underbrush completely and approach us. I should have known that she was going to be our biggest issue; Astrexa had way too much to prove to give up. She, more than any of the others, would need the legitimacy that defeating me would give her claim. Without it, I could easily imagine she’d have to go through all the contenders—and then some—in challenge after challenge. It would be too much for any female, even a fierce brawler like her.
“Don’t call him mongrel,” I said to her, though I kept a tight grip on Reid’s hand, unwilling to get separated from him. “His name is Reid, and he’s a good, strong male.” That was the one thing I was certain of: any female should be proud to call him hers. That they couldn’t see that was their failure, not his, and I wouldn’t stand for any insults. I felt heat curl through my chest, and it was pushing out my fear of a confrontation. I’d fought Astrexa many times in the past—I had lost to her many times and won plentytoo. I realized that if it came to protecting Reid and his honor, I’d gladly clash with this female again. I knew all her tricks.
Astrexa had locked eyes with me, a mean glint in her eyes that shot a shiver down my spine. Okay, thinking I’d defend Reid’s honor was one thing, but honor was meaningless when it came to life and death. That look told me that if I ended up fighting her, it would be kill or be killed. The thought of having to strike a fatal blow turned my stomach. Despite fighting for my spot in the hierarchy ever since my sixth molting, I had never killed anyone—until my mother tried to kill Corin’s innocent and harmless human mate. I never wanted to do it again; it still gave me nightmares, even though I knew I’d make the same choice if I had a chance to redo that moment.
My stare-down with this tormentor from the past had made me oblivious to everything around me. I did not realize it until Reid suddenly disturbed the moment. He shifted between us with an angry, “Back off!” Astrexa was much closer than I had thought; she had drifted closer with stealthy movements. It was one of those tricks fighters used at the start of a confrontation, and I was shocked to discover that I hadn’t caught it. I should have. How could I be rusty already? My last fight for power had been a few weeks ago, right before I’d traveled to the Shaman Training Grounds with the Queen.
“Stay out of this,” Astrexa told him. I had never thought she was stupid or reckless, but she jabbed the tip of her tail at him as if she thought she could knock him out of her way. Hadn’t she gotten smacked into a tree by him the last time they met? Had she not seen how easily he’d defeated Evarah? Reid might not be as tall as a Naga male in fight mode, and he lacked protective scales, but he was not to be underestimated. I knew that now, soit was no surprise to me when he grabbed her tail in his fist and yanked on it.
She swept across the mossy, leaf-strewn ground with a startled scream. I thought Reid might actually pick her up and throw her, but he yanked her sideways and sent her rolling across the moss. “I told you, back off!” he said with an impressive growl. He’d let go of his knife, bracing his free hand on his hip as he towered over the now-prone female with a glare. “Stay away from my girl,” he added.
As my mother’s once-favorite female scrambled back upright, brushing leaves and sticks from her long, dark-blue hair, I found myself smiling. “He says to stay away from me unless you want to taste the dirt a second time.” That made Astrexa hiss, but she did not call me a coward this time for staying behind my male. She did not call me anything, though she was clearly furious and embarrassed, and she did not try to approach a second time.
“Well, this is sure interesting, isn’t it, my mate?” a new voice drawled. Reid twisted his head slowly toward this newcomer, as if he’d known all along they were there. I nearly jumped out of my scales at the sound of Kusha’s voice. She was beneath the trees, right at the spot where I’d first spotted Astrexa, so she’d come from the same direction. Her mate, Khawla, was at her side, his big arms crossed over his chest and his head lowered, a frown marring his brow.
“It is,” he agreed with her. They looked united, but at the same time, I could see something in their relationship that I had never realized was off. When Reid stood next to me, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself; even now, he stood close and held my hand. Kusha and Khawla were next to each other but very muchapart. When the statuesque female moved closer to him, Khawla backed away, like he did not want to touch her.
“Step away, human male. This is Naga business and does not concern you,” Kusha said haughtily and she waved her hand at Reid. Then her dark blue eyes settled on me. “Translate my words for your male, Sazzie. He must control himself and let us handle this like adults. You know this. Fight me, and I promise you I’ll make it quick. One fight, and it will all be over.” Maybe she did not mean to sound so ominous, but it sounded like she intended to kill me, just like Astrexa held only murderous intent in her glare.
“My male understands just fine,” I told her. “And I am not fighting anyone. I am leaving. Defeat her,” I said, pointing at Astrexa and noticing how that made the female freeze in surprise. “Nobody else here will stand in your way.” I knew Kusha understood what I was saying; she was a clever, cunning female. Where Astrexa was blunt and mean, this one always pulled strings with the bigger picture in mind. Honestly, she was the perfect Queen, probably better for the Clan.
I had forgotten why Khawla and Kusha were a match; Kusha was just as much a stickler for the rules as her mate was. She curled her lip in distaste, displaying her fangs to me. She would have said something scathing and angry, something about how much of a disgrace I’d become. I knew it, and I was almost relieved by the next interruption.
Bitter Storm warriors streamed out of the woods, and both Reid and Khawla spun to face them. The Thunder Rock Scout, with his spear lowered and aimed at the nearest threat, Reid, with his knife out. Everyone—including Astrexa—forgot aboutthe throne, focusing only on this new danger. There were six of them, all big and brawny, all male. I saw no sign of their scrawny leader, Aser, but I was certain he was nearby, waiting on the sidelines like a true coward.
I hissed, my claws curling and my scales shivering. Weren’t there twelve warriors? Where were the rest? Nobody said anything. There was a pause before the fight, and then an explosion of motion. Khawla and Reid burst forward at the same time, as if they had fought together before. I did not know what to do; it wasn’t customary for a Naga female to fight alongside her male. We only fought each other—not males, not enemies. We did not even hunt.
Reid was moving uncannily fast, slashing with his knife and disarming enemies with grace. Khawla was also proving to be much more than a simple scout, wielding his spear with deadly precision. But it was two against six, and then the other six showed up from the opposite direction. They could not possibly win. I came to that conclusion at the same time Kusha did, I was certain. The two of us shared a wide-eyed look and then both of us turned to attack. Astrexa was slower on the uptake, but she was left little choice when one of the Bitter Storm males tried to manhandle her.
Flinging myself beneath the guard of the nearest warrior, I clawed deep furrows across his red-and-orange-freckled chest. My claws dug deep, pulling blood to the surface, and he screamed in rage. I had to move fast to avoid a blow from his spear, nearly getting caught beneath the spear of another male. I was out of my depth; I had never fought an armed opponent before, especially one with far superior training to mine. Thetruth was, I had no training except what I’d learned fighting my sisters. All of it was instinct.
“Not her!” a male shouted. “We need her! Damn it!” Aser. I locked eyes with him from beneath the raised arm of the warrior I’d clawed. He snarled but changed tactics, turning his spear to strike me with the blunt shaft. I blocked the first blow with my wrist but wasn’t fast enough to protect myself from the next one. Reid was just suddenlythere, his arm between the spear shaft and my head. His skin gleamed impossibly silver and violet.
He’d left himself exposed to protect me, and a scream ripped from my throat when I saw another spear jab him in his side. Red blood spurted, the scent of copper filling the air. When the spear withdrew, his wound knitted itself back together before my eyes, leaving only a bloodstained gash in his shirt. But it cost him. I knew what it did to him now, when he fought and healed this fast. How long before he collapsed? Before he ran out of the fuel that powered his body and those weird nanobots beneath his skin?
I heard Khawla roar as Reid knocked out the male who had stabbed him with a rapid-fire blow to the throat. My eyes shifted and caught sight of Kusha pinned beneath two big Bitter Storm warriors, her tail restrained by one of theirs. She’d suffered a blow to the chest, and I did not think she was getting up again—maybe not ever.
After that, everything went too fast. I was still scrambling to get back upright and make sense of the battlefield when the tide turned. More warriors streamed from the woods. This wasn’t six males or a dozen—there were at least another twenty males, and they piled onto an enraged Khawla before giving Reid the sametreatment. I no longer saw Astrexa anywhere, and then I had no more time to look, either. All I could do was dodge hands and claw at exposed tails and arms. If they restrained me, it was all over.
I took a big, venom-filled bite out of one biceps, then managed to slap a male so hard across his head with my tail that he collapsed. But then, a blow struck me against my temple, and darkness claimed me—a horrible, rapid descent into unconsciousness I could not stop. My last thoughts were of Reid: did he make it? Did he escape? Had they killed him or captured him?
Chapter 9
Reid
Once they had control of Sazzie, the fight was over. I hated it, but it was my only option if I wanted to live another day. To live was to have another chance. Though my instincts rebelled—my nanobot-enhanced body was riding a wicked battle high—I knew I had to be smart about this. That didn’t make it easy to allow the Bitter Storm warriors still standing to restrain me with my hands behind my back, though.
There was a ticking time bomb in my body, one that would cause me to collapse and possibly die if I did not replenish the fuel my nanobots had burned. I knew I hadn’t pushed myself as much this time as I had last time; I had been in control. But I did not know how bad it was, where my limits lay, or how long I had. There was a hollow feeling in my stomach, warning me with hunger that I needed to refuel, soon.
These warriors did not say anything to me, and they talked freely around me as if they thought I could not understand them. They were rattled by this fight and worried because their leader wanted to take all of us to their home alive. One male, who had his claws around my biceps and was urging me into a walk, was quietly complaining to his friend that things were better when they had a Queen—words that I suspected would get him killed if this Aser fellow, the King, heard them.