Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 51862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Zain
Before Emily, I did not need Emily. After Emily, I cannot think about anything besides Emily.
“Pets are replaceable,” Kahn reminds me.
“Get out of my face, before I punch you in yours,” I snarl.
“Agreed,” Jennifer adds. “I’ll punch your face too.”
“You should be tied up,” Khan tells her. He does not approve of Jen’s wild ways one little bit, but in these close quarters we must all tolerate one another.
I do not mind Arkan’s spoiled pet. She has more sympathy for the loss of Emily than anybody, which I appreciate. Arkan might care, but he certainly cares more about stopping the humans from landing their ship on the Earth. Privately, I know he will destroy it before he allows that. That makes my brother a mortal enemy to my pet, something I am trying not to give too much thought to. We have enough enemies as it is without making enemies out of one another.
I hate everything about this situation already, and with the arrival of Wrathelder ships, I hate it even more.
“Wrathelder is here,” Arkan announces, moments before Phenix’s loathsome voice comes over the speakers.
“Permission to come aboard, captains.”
The sound of his voice alone makes me absolutely furious. Phenix Wrathelder is the reason any of this is happening. If he had not sent a ship to go abduct a large number of humans twice… I would not have met Emily. The humans would call that a silver lining. They would also call Phenix Wrathelder lunch.
“Stay on your own ship,” Kahn says.
“If you want help, we’re coming aboard. We need to talk, all of you, and me.”
“He’s going to pull something,” I say. “We can’t trust him.”
“At this point, we don’t need to trust him. We just need to use him,” Arkan responds.
“I can hear you,” Phenix sighs. “We are a telepathic species, and yet you three are becoming so hopelessly human in your conduct you cannot help speaking what should be your inner monologue out loud. A good father would discipline that out of you.”
At the mention of father, we look at one another in a moment of shared fury. Phenix Wrathelder either killed our father or had him killed. For him to so much as say the word is a red flag to three bulls, and he knows it.
“He is trying to unsettle us,” Arkan messages telepathically.
“It’s working. If he comes aboard this ship, I’ll kill him with my bare hands,” I reply.
“Time is of the essence, boys,” Phenix says, still in that smug tone which suggests he has all the power in the universe. “I don’t intend to sit here all day. I am eager to return to the loving arms of my wife.”
“He is fucking with us,” I growl internally. His wife, of course, is our mother. Calling Phenix was the worst idea we have ever had.
“Let him,” Arkan responds calmly. “Remember, there is nothing to say he walks away from this. He is a very long way from Euphoria, and he wishes to board our ship. That is an arrogant, short-sighted action, and he will live to regret it. I intend to beam him over.”
Phenix says, “Need I remind you, the last time I was in the presence of your least civilized brother, I was nearly killed. I will be coming aboard, and I will be doing it with a contingent of armed soldiers. If you want my help to retrieve the humans, you will do what I say. If not, I will follow their ion trail myself and simply destroy them.”
“No!” I speak up immediately, and stupidly. Advertising care to this creature is the same as advertising weakness. He will exploit any kindness in our hearts.
He laughs.
“Of course, one of you has become attached to one of the humans. You should really stop fucking the merchandise, Voros. It is becoming quite the scandal back on Euphoria.”
“We’ll transport him here. What is he going to do? He will be outnumbered by us, and we can control the conversation,” Arkan says.
“If you think he flew the entire way here without that occurring to him, you’re insane. Leave him on his ship.”
“Kahn is right,” I say.
Arkan initiates transport.
BOOM!
There is a blinding flash as Phenix Wrathelder and his men arrive on our bridge. We are all rendered instantly deaf and blind, and before any of us know what has happened, we are being manacled and chained.
By the time my head stops ringing, I have been fastened to the wall of the bridge, while Arkan, Kahn, and Jennifer have been taken elsewhere. I see them being hustled out between multiple guards wearing helmets to protect them from the effects of the weapon, even as I am being secured at Phenix’s feet.
I look up at him, cursing Arkan’s stupid notions of civilization. Arkan thinks things can be talked through. I know he met with Phenix many times back on Euphoria and everybody walked away. That’s not going to happen this time. We are in open space and the laws of our world no longer apply.