“Come out, Maxis. I know you’re here.”
“Vrex?” His voice holds a sliver of fear, and I sigh.
“Yes.”
“Thane sent you after me? After all I’ve done for him, he sent the Assassin of Agron?”
I grind my teeth at the nickname. “I’m not going to kill you,” I say. “Unless you force me to,” I clarify, and his snort reaches my ears.
“I’m not going back.”
“Thane doesn’t want you dead,” I say, my tone bored. A branch cracks, and I sigh. Maxis is attempting to escape. He seems to have forgotten that I spent most of my life in the wild. He may also be a Braxian warrior, but according to his tribe king, he prefers to spend his time in his camp.
I slowly circle, my feet soft as I use the light of the moon to avoid stepping on anything that might give away my position. Maxis chooses silence, but I’m standing downwind, and I get a whiff of unwashed male.
You should have paid more attention to hygiene, Maxis.
My senses are heightened after a lifetime of hunting in the forests of Agron, and I creep closer, finding Maxis with his back to a tree, his sword in his hand as he bares his teeth in the darkness.
I don’t feel the need to drag this out. Maxis tenses further at a sound to his right, and I use the opportunity to silently circle around behind him.
When I am almost close enough to touch him, my boot hits a rock, all of my attention on the warrior in front of me. He begins to turn, and I lunge forward, slamming the hilt of my sword into his temple.
He hits the ground, and I lift my fingers to my mouth, letting a whistle loose.
Nari appears, her feet almost silent as she moves through the forest. A lifetime of hunting with me has taught the mishua the importance of staying quiet.
She snorts at Maxis as I take his sword before deftly tying his hands and feet.
I gesture, and she hesitates.
“I know,” I say, “but there’s no other way to get him back to his camp. You’d like to go home, wouldn’t you?”
The mishua lets out a sigh and lowers herself until I can drag the other warrior onto her back. I leave him hanging over the saddle in front of me so I can stop him if he regains consciousness and attempts to flee.
Thane meets me at his camp gates when I arrive. I encourage Nari to kneel again, and she complies, drawing gasps from Thane’s warriors.
Most Braxians have never seen a mishua cooperate in this way, but Nari and I have a bond that is closer than most.
I push Maxis off the mishua, and he rolls to the ground with a groan. Thane stares down at him coldly and then meets my gaze as Nari gets to her feet.
“Thank you for your service,” he says stiffly, and I nod.
“Planning to tell me what he did?”
“After drinking too much noptri, he attempted to take an unwilling female to his furs. That female is my daughter.”
I almost wince but manage to keep my face blank. Honor is everything amongst my people, regardless of their tribe. If Thane allows Maxis to live, the warrior will likely wish he had not.
“Your payment,” Thane says, throwing a cloth bag to me. I catch it, feeling the weight of the credits. Impressive. It’s the words he will speak next that I truly value, however.
Thane raises his voice. “I swear to give you one favor, taken at a time of your choosing. Provided that no harm will come to me and mine with this favor, of course.”
I nod and turn my head. Nari moves, and we leave Maxis to his fate, with yet another assignment completed.
And another favor added.
Ivy
I shift on the cold floor, staring through the bars of my cage. I keep track of the days by scratching tallies in the wall behind it.
We’ve been here for two weeks.
Zoey’s cage is next to mine, and she spends most of her time curled into a ball.
I try to bully her into eating, but from the sweat on her forehead, she has a fever. Combine that with the rib injuries, and it’s likely pneumonia.
Frustration and rage war within me. I need to get her out of here and to whatever passes for a doctor on this planet. Unfortunately, this cage may be made from wood, but no matter how much I kick at the thick slats, they refuse to break.
We’ve been crated. Like dogs.
The Voildi ignore us for the most part. Twice a day, we’re taken to the bathroom, and every second day, one of the Voildi ensures that there is a bucket of cold water in the bathroom so we can wash.
Ironic, considering how badly the Voildi smell, but it makes sense considering Killis is currently in negotiations to sell us.
The Voildi is reading a piece of paper right now, his gaze so intent that I half expect him to start sounding out the words.
“They want to come here?” he asks the Voildi who I’ve mentally dubbed Hook. The Voildi is missing most of his fingers, and his remaining finger and thumb are clutched around a sharp hook, which he uses to carry out everyday tasks.
“Yes, milord. The Zintas have crossed the Great Water to trade on this part of Agron. One of their leaders has learned of the human females and is curious. He expressed his interest but only if he can see them first.”
I silently grind my teeth. One thing’s for sure: I have zero interest in crossing the Great Water. And I doubt Zoey would even survive such a trip.
Killis is silent for a moment, then turns his head, scanning us both. “He may come. Only him. The Zintas are dangerous, and if we are not careful, they may decide to simply kill us and take the females.”
I snarl at him, and
