Page 20

Islae

The flickering lights overhead cast eerie shadows across the cool stone walls as Islae pressed herself against the corridor’s edge of the underground prison.

The stolen weapon, a standard-issue neural disruptor, felt foreign in her hand compared to the familiar weight of her medical instruments.

Another explosion rocked the facility, sending more dust and debris cascading from the ceiling.

“This is my only chance,” she whispered to herself, her heart pounding against her ribs. The chaos above provided the perfect cover for her escape. Whatever was happening up there had drawn most of the Jorvlen guards away from the prison level.

She crept forward stealthily, her worn shoes silent against the cracked stone floor.

The first corridor stretched empty ahead of her, the emergency lights pulsing an angry red around her.

She had memorized the guard rotations during her captivity here—a habit born from years of avoiding Jorvlen patrols in the slums.

A distant scream echoed through the ventilation system, followed by the distinctive whine of plasma weapons. Islae quickened her pace, keeping low to the shadows. The main corridor hub should be two turns ahead. If she could reach it…

“Stop right there!”

The harsh command made her freeze mid-step. Two Jorvlen guards emerged from a cross-corridor, their plasma weapons trained on her chest. The larger one’s filaments twitched in amusement.

“Look what we found here. The little human healer, trying to escape.”

Islae’s fingers tightened on her weapon behind her back, but she didn’t reveal it. Not yet. The Jorvlen guards were too far apart. She couldn’t take both out before one of them shot her. Her analytical mind started kicking in, assessing their positions, and looking for weaknesses on their bodies.

“Back to your cell,” the second guard ordered, taking a step forward. “Now.”

“I heard the alarms,” Islae said, keeping her voice steady despite the adrenaline pumping through her veins. “Something’s wrong up there. Shouldn’t you be helping?”

The guards exchanged concerned glances. Above them, another explosion shook the ceiling. Perfect—they were distracted and uncertain. Just like she had hoped for. She would use this to her advantage.

“Shut up and move back to your cell,” the larger guard snapped back, but Islae caught the nervous twitch of his jaw. Whatever was happening upstairs had them spooked.

She took a careful step backward. Her eyes darted around the corridor as her mind raced through options of how to get away from the guards. The corridor behind the Jorvlen guards led to the maintenance shaft. If she could just buy herself a few more seconds and get around them.

She shifted her weight, analyzing the guards like she would a patient’s injury. The larger Jorvlen’s stance favored his right side—an old wound, perhaps. The smaller one kept glancing upward at the sounds of combat, his grip on his weapon loose.

“I said get back to your cell!” The larger guard took another step forward.

Islae lifted her hands slowly, the stolen neural disruptor concealed against her forearm. “The facility’s under attack. Do you really want to waste time with one escaped prisoner?”

More explosions rocked the prison corridor. Perfect timing. She lunged forward, ducking under the larger guard’s grab and firing the neural disruptor directly into his knee. He crashed down with a roar of pain.

The second guard’s plasma bolt seared past her ear as she rolled on the ground, the heat making her skin prickle. Her healer’s mind kicked in again. She could almost see the nerve clusters beneath their thick slimy skin, the vulnerable pressure points.

“You little—” The standing second guard’s curse cut off as Islae slammed her elbow into his throat, right where she knew the cartilage was weakest. But before she could follow through, the fallen larger guard’s massive hand wrapped around her ankle.

Pain exploded through her leg as he yanked with brute force. She hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from her lungs as she landed on her back. The neural disruptor fell out of her hand and skittered away from her across the cold stone floor.

“Not so clever now,” the larger guard growled, dragging her closer to him. His partner had recovered, rubbing his throat.

Islae kicked out with her free leg, catching the standing guard in the knee. But exhaustion slowed her movements. Her captivity with no food and the brutal beatings she sustained had taken their toll on her body. The larger guard pinned her down, his massive weight practically crushing her.

“You should have stayed in your cell,” he sneered, pressing down harder on top of her. “Now we’ll have to teach you a lesson.”

Black spots danced at the edges of her vision. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t focus. But she refused to give up, refused to let them win. Her fingers scrambled on the cold stone floor, searching for anything she could use as a weapon.

The smaller guard aimed his plasma pistol at her head. “Make one more move and—”

Another explosion cut him off, much closer this time. Debris rained down on them from the ceiling. Islae twisted desperately, fighting against the crushing weight pinning her down, but her strength was fading fast.

Pain suddenly exploded through her body as the larger Jorvlen’s fist connected with her ribs.

The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

Through blurred vision, she watched the smaller guard circle them laughing.

Then suddenly, he struck her face with his weapon.

Her head snapped to the side, white stars bursting behind her eyes.

“Not so defiant now. Are you?” The larger guard’s hot breath washed over her face, making her stomach turn. His slimy hands pawed at her body. “Let’s see how that pretty mouth of yours tastes.”

“Get off me!” She thrashed beneath him, but her exhaustion and injury had robbed her of strength. Her healer’s mind screamed at her about the damage being done to her body—a cracked rib, another possible concussion, and possible internal bleeding. She couldn’t afford to sustain much more.

The smaller guard pressed his boot into her shoulder, pinning her down further. “Hold still and maybe we’ll be gentle.”

Tears of rage and fear burned in her eyes as the larger guard’s rough hands grabbed at the waistband of her pants.

She had survived so much, fought so hard through the years, only to end up here being taken advantage of in the worst way possible.

The thought of these monsters violating her body made bile rise in her throat.

“Such soft skin,” the larger guard purred into her ear, his bulbous eyes gleaming with sick pleasure. “I bet you’ll feel so—”

A deep, primal roar shattered the air, echoing off the stone walls with such fury that even the Jorvlen guards froze. The sound wasn’t human or Jorvlen. It was something ancient and dangerous, promising violence and death.

Islae’s heart leaped. Through the haze of pain and fear, a single thought crystallized: Nirrn had come for her.

The larger guard’s grip loosened slightly as he turned toward the sound. “What the—”

Another loud roar, even closer now. The smaller guard raised his weapon, his hands shaking. “Show yourself!”

Islae smiled through her bloodied lips. These idiots had no idea what was coming for them.

She had seen the change in Nirrn’s eyes before they took her away in Haven—seen the warrior emerging from beneath the healer’s calm exterior.

And now they were about to learn exactly what happened when you threatened someone a Niri had vowed to protect with his life.

Through her pain-blurred vision, she watched as Nirrn’s massive form filled the prison corridor.

Blood dripped from his scaled arms, staining the orange and gold patterns dark crimson.

His muscular chest heaved with barely contained rage, and his usual gentle golden eyes blazed with a predatory gleam she’d never witnessed before.

The larger Jorvlen’s grip on her loosened further as he turned to face the newcomer. “The Niri healer? What are you doing down here?”

Nirrn’s long and powerful tail coiled against the rough stone floor, his upper body rising to his full towering height. The red emergency lights caught the flex of his blood-spattered muscles as he moved forward with lethal grace.

“Take your hands off her.” His voice emerged as a guttural growl that sent shivers through Islae’s body. This wasn’t the soft-spoken healer she knew. This was something ancient and deadly awakening.

The smaller guard aimed his weapon at Nirrn. “Back off! This prisoner is property of—”

“She belongs to no one.” Nirrn’s tail lashed violently against the cracked floor, the impact echoing like thunder. His hand, usually so gentle in its healing work, curled tightly around a warrior’s sword with deadly intent.

Islae felt the larger Jorvlen’s weight shift as uncertainty crept into his voice. “You’re just a healer. We’ve heard about you—the soft-hearted Niri who works in the central surrogacy clinic.”

A dark laugh rumbled from Nirrn’s chest. “You’re right. I am a healer.” His golden eyes locked with Islae’s, and she saw something possessive and primal in their depths. “Which means I know exactly where to strike you to cause the most intense and horrible pain before I kill you.”

The smaller guard fired his weapon, but Nirrn moved with impossible speed. His tail whipped gracefully through the air, knocking the guard’s legs out from under him. The plasma bolt scorched the ceiling as the guard crashed to the ground.

“Last warning,” Nirrn snarled, his scaled shoulders rippling with barely contained violence. “Release her, or I will show you what happens when you threaten the one I’ve vowed to protect with my life.”

Islae’s heart thundered wildly in her chest. She had never seen anything more terrifying—or more beautiful—than Nirrn at that moment, poised to unleash devastation on those who had hurt her. The healer was all but gone, replaced by something far more dangerous—a Niri male protecting what was his.