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Rokai didn’t even bother to answer. The claws on the tips of his fingers extended and he punched Mir’ Ahn’s chest so hard his fingers sank into his flesh. Rokai withdrew his fist hand, pieces of torn flesh stuck to his claws, and blood staining his entire hand and struck him again, this time going even deeper.

Mir’ Ahn sucked in a struggling breath, his eyes wide and terrified.

“Do not ever make the mistake of threatening my people again. Do not ever leave a female behind to accept the blame for your own behavior. I thought that perhaps I’d take you back to face my brother, Sovereign Zha Quin for justice, but no, you deserve this more. Do you want to know what I’m going to do?”

Mir’ Ahn continued to struggle to breathe, gasping, as blood streamed from the open wound in his chest.

“Hmm. Seems you’re not so chatty now. I’ll tell you anyway. I’m going to tear out what remains of your chest and take your heart as a gift to my brother on his ascension to the throne.

A high pitched squeak left Mir’ Ahn’s throat as he tried to scream for help.

“First, though, I’m going to remove your head,” Rokai said.

Elspeth handed Rokai a short handled scythe she’d been hiding in her over-sized breeches, and stepped back to try to avoid most of the blood.

“Thank you, Elspeth,” Rokai said formally.

“You’re welcome, Rokai.”

Rokai held the long curved blade up and examined it in the light. “Perfect, don’t you think?” he asked Mir’ Ahn.

Mir’ Ahn’s eyes had begun to clear a little as he focused on the blade and tried to shake his head.

“Funny how pain and fear can clear a clouded mind so quickly, isn’t it?” he asked Mir’ Ahn. “So glad you could be aware to experience it with us.”

Mir’ Ahn opened his mouth, his lips opening and closing like a gasping fish out of water.

Rokai drew back his arm and brought it down toward Mir’ Ahn’s neck.

Elspeth stepped behind Rokai at the last moment to avoid the arterial blood spatter.

Mir’ Ahn’s head hit the floor with a thud and rolled a couple of feet while Rokai hacked his chest a time or two to get to the heart.

“Bag!” Rokai said.

“Here,” Elspeth said, taking a rough, woven rolled up bag out of her jacket pocket and handing it to Rokai.

Rokai shook it out and dropped the heart into it, then grabbed Mir’ Ahn’s head by the horns and dropped it into the bag also. “Glad he’s got short horns. If not, I’d need a larger bag.” Hoisting the bag over his shoulder, he turned and smiled pleasantly at Elspeth. “Ready?”

She looked at him, a semi-horrified expression on her face. “I have to admit that even I’m a little disturbed at that. I had no idea what you planned to use that bag for.”

“I told you how I won over my Ehlealah — bag of heads and hearts? Remember?”

“Dear, gods. I thought you were exaggerating.”

“I never exaggerate. Actually, I’m lying. Yes, I do.”

Someone tried the door, and Elspeth looked at Rokai, covered in blood. “It’s going to be hard to hide that.”

“Most won’t even notice. Let’s just go. I have an Ascension to attend.

Epilogue

Quin sat at the huge ornamental desk in the office that now belonged to him. He looked around what had been his father’s office — the official office of the Sovereign of Cruestace — and was flooded by memories of himself as a child watching his father as he guided the planet and her people to the best of his ability. In less than two hours he would take the oath to accept the mantle of Sovereign and all the powers and responsibilities that came with it. This was something he never thought he’d accept. In fact, he actively sought to avoid it, until Vivian came into his life. Since then his only goal was to keep her as safe and as happy as was possible. Ruling his own planet was a good way to do that.

A strong knock sounded on his office door.

“Come!” he called out, his deep voice booming resonantly through his office.

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