Page 3 of Star Crossed Delta

SABA

‘ Shields! ’

Mak’s growl cut through the chaos.

A shimmering barrier of diamond-white light erupted over the altar just in time.

The bolts ricocheted off the shield, exploding harmlessly in midair.

Mak’s brothers and five more of the Signet strong guard prowled into action, surrounding Mak and Saba, clad in sleek black Signet dress uniforms.

‘ Stay, ’ Mak snarled into Saba’s ear.

Like, where else was she going to go?

With a surge of freakish muscle and spectral strength, Mak launched into the sky, powering past the electrified bulwark, heat-seeking the attacker.

It turned its bolts toward Mak, who continued to slice through the air with practiced precision.

Two other Signet strong guards flanked Mak.

The guests ducked and scattered, their shock palpable.

Murmurs of fear and outrage filled the atmosphere as the Signet men converged on the attacker mid-flight.

Saba recognized what it was with a silent intake of breath.

It was a sachem , a were-beast evolved through laboratory experiments, bio-enhancement, gene splicing, and sheer madness.

The sachem fought with feral desperation, claws slashing and energy missiles flying in every direction, but the strong guard moved as one. One struck from above, driving the assassin downward.

Another took the assault to its side, sinking a luminous lance into the creature’s left thigh.

Still, it roared and screeched, swiping as if to disembowel its captors.

The final blow came from Mak himself.

He threw his head back, as a pair of diamond-covered, elongated, pointed canines appeared.

His head dipped, hands flashed, holding the creature still, and then, in a flash, the tips sank into the twisted temples of the sachem .

Another burst and a concentrated blast of white-hot energy arced into the air.

From Mak’s tipped teeth to the assassin’s head, it flashed through it like lightning, collapsing its warped skull into an implosion of atoms and ash.

It disappeared into cinders and embers that rained down on the buckler, while the remains of its charred body tumbled to the ground.

In seconds, it was over.

Saba blinked in shock, staring up at Mak, hovering in the skies, his safin billowing like a silver cloud.

He whirled mid-air, and the temporary domed shield fell away as the ?ar floated back down to the surface.

The second he touched down, he turned to her, his diamond teeth retracting as he raked his gaze over her face to see if she was still standing.

Given his ire not long ago, the level of concern on his face was disconcerting.

Saba shook, shivered, unable to erase the image of what she’d just witnessed from her mind, confirming his infamy.

He was a soul venator, with the ability to hunt and absorb souls into himself.

For years, rumors abounded of the Sauvage family’s prowess, yet to see it in action was something altogether different.

She swayed on her legs, rocked to her core.

Mak’s fellow guards descended in perfect formation, their faces emotionless as they scanned the room for further threats.

His blood brother, Kaal, nodded to the rest of the Signet and Sauvage sentinels, who withdrew to the edges of the wedding ceremony.

Mak stood motionless, his jaw clenched, eyes burning with fury as he stared at the charred remnants of the assassin on the once-pristine floor.

He reached out, and Kaal withdrew an object from his robes, handing the ?ar what appeared to be a bottle of white liquid.

Mak swigged its contents, then strode to the edge of the deck in front of all the guests and spat it into a cluster of bushes.

‘ Hell! ’

He grunted as he wiped his mouth with his hand. ‘ Always so freakin’ foul. ’

He prowled back to Saba’s side, his safin billowing, his face hardened with such menace that no one dared titter, make a comment, or even mutter.

His feat had just sealed his reputation as one of the flotilla’s most deadly killers, yet his nonchalance showed he gave zero fokks about what anyone thought.

Beside him, Saba trembled, but she pressed her lips together to maintain control.

The luminary, also shaken, eyes blinking in shock, dithered, his hands frozen in mid-motion over the sacred epistle of vows.

A rush of strongmen cleared the debris in seconds as the guests witnessed the scene, mouths agape.

Beyond, a soft breeze blew over the stunning lake.

Her heart pounded, blood roaring in her ears, still unbelieving that this charade was even happening.

In moments, it was as if the attack had never happened.

‘ Continue, ’ Mak commanded in a growl that cut through the lingering whispers and murmurs.

The priest hesitated. ‘ ?ar Essen, given the circumstances, shouldn’t we-. ’

‘Proceed!’ Mak repeated, his guttural rumble radiating in a shockwave to her bones. ‘We will not let them disrupt this moment. Not today.’

The luminary swiveled his head between Mak and Saba, then nodded, unable to refuse the Head of the great Sauvage family.

‘ Naam, ?ar. ’

The guests murmured among themselves, rattled and awed.

Mak’s command and his guardians’ quick and ruthless reaction had kept them safe.

Still, why the hell had the sachem attacked?

Saba’s eyes met Mak’s hardened, cold stare as he gave her a slight shake of his head, warning against the question at the tip of her tongue.

They had more pressing matters, like getting married.

The priest nodded and resumed the ceremony, lifting the glowing scroll again.

As the vows began, Mak reached for Saba’s still-shaking hand and squeezed it, comforting her.

Their fingers intertwined in an unexpected, yet profound, connection.

With a sweeping gesture, the cleric declared their bans. ‘Bless these our servants of the Sacred Covenant who fulfill the marriage law today. Make them worthy of the blessings to come. May they accomplish the union without any obstacle to please one another and bear fruit for the gift of life.’

Saba took a shaky breath, which hitched when her groom placed both hands over hers, a visible sign of his protection.

The seer’s voice broke through the thumping in her ears.

‘ ?ar Sauvage, spread your safin over her to uphold your bride as you are now her next-of-kin.’

Clenching his jaw, Mak uncloaked himself and wrapped his sacred mantle around her.

The shock of his warmth and scent, along with a wave of impostor syndrome, overwhelmed Saba.

Still, he kept the charade going, holding her close, his musky cologne wafting over her and his sinewed arms encircling her waist.

The luminary smiled with delight and maybe even a hint of relief.

‘Our ?ar, Makennon Essen Sauvage, is now a man called to devotion and responsibility,’ he announced.

‘His bride, now ?arim S hakhete Lisade, is a woman purposed to love and care for her sacred groom. Under the ?ar’s mantle, they are bound for eternity according to our Akkadian code and tenets. They are now joined in divine unity.’

As per tradition, they turned hand in hand to face the attendees.

The ?ar’s face, cold and recalcitrant, defied anyone who chose to speak ill of what they’d just witnessed.

There was a moment of uneasy silence.

It was the first time Saba had seen the multitude, and her eyes blinked as she took in the sheer number of guests.

The sea of faces stretched as far as the eye could see.

Over five hundred, she estimated, were present.

A Sauvage woman Saba didn’t recognize, seated on the Mak’s side of the aisle, rose to her feet and ululated.

Seconds later, all the women of the illustrious family joined in, their tongues and glottis working, ringing in their nuptials.

As one, the crowd stood and clapped in a rousing wave of congratulatory joy.

White and silver ribbons fell from the sky, along with pearl rice and clouds of sparkling bubbles that burst with rainbow radiance over them.