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Ophilia watched as the man choked on his own blood. His body jerked and convulsed until he grew still.

They wrapped the body up and took it away, just as they slid the cage back on the carrier and sent it back to the dock.

Most of the guards left right away, returning to their stations, including the tower that overlooked the training quarters and the orchard. Few still lingered, just to make sure the alien was secured inside the unit and the door double bolted.

Ophilia could see into the unit through a small window in the door, also barred and electrified. She heard a whirring noise from behind, on the wall just below the tower, and knew they were resetting the turrets to be aimed in this direction. Even if the vrisha somehow managed to escape his cell, they would fire automatically a dozen rounds in several seconds.

And that wasn't their only defense. She saw also the same weapon Tallah had used now resting on the wall between two units, small wisps of ice still puffing out from the tip.

Even though it was only early afternoon, she felt drained. Tired. And as she set her eyes on the dark window, she felt sorry too. Her hands tightened into fists as she stared at the door.

Another one I have to watch suffer and die.

And for the vrisha, as frightening as he was, she did feel for him. She remembered Tajia and how he had fought too in the beginning. She imagined Hendrik would do everything in his power to break this one too. And it made her sick.

"Does he have a name?" she asked aloud as Hendrik came around to assess the cell door.

"They never bothered to ask when they caught him," Hendrik answered with a low chuckle. "Guess we will have to give him one, eh? Or likely Cristan will want to. I'll ask him."

Great. That insufferable prick was bound to make sure it wasn't anything nice or respectful.

"You can go," Hendrik said. "I'll be talking with Rick later about you disobeying my orders, by the way. So, you might want to help him now and get on his good side."

Ophilia bit back a reply that she knew would only get her in more trouble. She decided then she was going to find out this vrisha's real name no matter what it took.

"Welcome to Kingsway," she whispered bitterly toward the door, then turned away.

CHAPTERTWO

Xeda

Caught.

You incredible fool.

The drugs wore off, and slowly, Xeda regained consciousness, blinking once before attempting to lift his head. He knew he was locked in a cell, he could see the sky just beyond the barred window. There was a low hum coming from the window and door. He knew it was likely shielded in some way to keep him in.

Usually, something like that wouldn’t stop him, but as he lifted himself, he became aware that they had chained him too, collaring him and wrapping his tail tightly around his waist so he could feel his own spikes digging into his skin, then chaining it to some kind of metal belt they had secured around him. They had also cuffed his wrists and ankles to a set of chains connected to the back wall. Rage boiled over instantly, and he wrenched at the chains, tugging to each side, rattling against the wall. He tried to roar but found he could only open his jaw so wide. Some kind of metal mouth cover had been fixed in place to keep him from biting. Even more humiliating, he realized they'd covered his hands and feet too in some strange metal that wrapped around each toe and finger, so he couldn't use his talons to rip and tear. He was surprised they hadn’t stripped him of what little clothing he had too, but they at least let him keep his kelva pants, giving him some, if little, covering.

They had taken away his power, his ability to fight. He could do no more than move a few feet across each side of the cell, unable to reach the window or door. He had to crane his neck to see anything but sky from the narrow window and could see nothing but a field of sand and a wall from the smaller window on the door.

The cell was warm at least, though an annoying vent above him blew cold air.

He tried to keep himself low on the dusty ground. All he could do then was wait.

Every so often, he heard voices and footsteps outside. Eventually, he knew, his captors would come.

The light faded and eventually, the warmth went with it. A low red light appeared above, giving off little heat. So little it hardly seemed to matter. The night was freezing, forcing him to curl into a corner and nearly go into toper to conserve heat. It was unbearable.

Wait.

Just wait.

He didn't sleep, but he went into some sort of dreamlike state. He saw his dead queen, black-boned and angry. He saw his brothers. He saw vines slithering across the walls. He hissed at them, not knowing if they were really there. He saw the face of one he hated. A vrisha who had betrayed him. Betrayed them all. But somehow, he couldn't remember his name.

Memories and nightmares broke apart and melded together so perfectly he couldn't tell them apart. He rode through them until he saw light crawl across his window.

The dreams disappeared and with them came the sounds of men.