Page 12 of Taken to Heimo
“Think again,” I whisper, and then I lift my left hand and as colors braze bright through me, I end all three of them.
I am controlled and calm as I settle into the battle trance where there is no time, only the next thing and then the next thing and the thing that comes after that. Motions become actions as I grab the leader by the hair and by the plate on his back.
He revolves and takes on a fighting stance — one I xoking taught him — and when he kicks out at me, I have to release him in order to avoid the blade he produces from his training kilt.
He comes at me again, charging, but it’s like he moves in slow motion. I easily step aside, grab his knife-wielding hand and, as he stumbles past, jerk his arm behind his back and break it.
He shrieks and I kick both of his knees in from the side, breaking his legs. I shove him forward, grab the knife and fling it at the coward attempting to run away. It hits him in the lower back, right where I meant it. It severs his spinal column cleanly between the second and third vertebrae, which paralyzes his legs.
He falls to the ground and I turn to the remaining male. He drops into a fighting stance, but the moment I feint towards him, he tries to run away.
I meet him on the threshold, grab him by the back of the head and crush his face against the wall, then again hard enough to shatter the bottom half of his face, ruining his nose, mouth and jaw, but not hard enough to blind him.
Nox, I want him to seeeverything.
I grab the males in Svera’s room and drag them into the hall by the hair. I drag them past the cooking pits out of the house and onto the platform that surrounds it. I do not look at Tur’Roth.
I feel his presence but, if I look at him, I will kill him and I can’t kill this moron for simply being neglectful and stupid. Because then where will I be? Exiled to Kor? Joining the Niahhorru pirates trying to steal females? Because I will have to. Xana leaves me no other choice.
I will always come for her.
As I toss the males into a jumbled pile, I’m aware of the looks I receive from the crowd that’s gathered.Let them watch. Let them spread word of what happens to those who look at Svera and try to wrong her.
I begin removing their armor until they’re each completely nude, then toss their bloodied kilts off of the platform and hear the screech of the animals below as they excite. I hear the sound of larger beasts chasing away the smaller ones, and then the cavra’s unmistakable growl.Xhivey.They will be happy with my next offering.
“Krisxox, our Krisxox, we are your honored fighters,” the coward shrieks. He’s panting, spittle flying from between his teeth as he grabs at the wound in his lower back.
The male with the shattered face tries to say something, but can’t.
The leader screams, “Xok the female! She is worthless. She could not even fight us. All she did was call for you.”
Failure.
The word rings and rings and rings. I reach for the leader, then remember —slow— and I take the male with the shattered face instead. I throw him over my shoulder, rise to stand, and seehisface.
And then I see black. The color is so pure and lovely. Bloodlust. I feel it again. I try to cut it down, but it’s a sturdy werro, able to endure.
“Krisxox,” Tur’Roth says, advancing on me with a weapon drawn. “Easy. Put the…”
“Where were you!”
His jaw works. His gaze flashes to the door to my home. “I…”
“Would have stood outside and listened to her killed.That is where you were.Now if you do not wish to be a feast for the cavras, step the xok aside!”
Tur’Roth falls back like the coward he is. He stumbles away from me, hitting the far rail. He flinches away from it like it’ll grab him and drag him to the feast.
“Run!” I tell him. “And do not return. If I see you again, I will remove your plates and strip your title. You are inept. A xoking disgrace to xcleranx. That I let you leave here with your title at all is only Svera’s grace.”
“I…” He tries to be brave. “You only dare speak to me like this because you’re jealous of the kiss Svera honored me with.”
“You’re xoking right I’m jealous! She is my xoking Xiveri!”The colors in my ridges scream, becoming so bright I’m momentarily blinded by them.
My chest is heaving. I pant, “If you ever come between me and my Xiveri Mate again, I will annihilate you.” I struggle to breathe. I get lightheaded. “I will annihilate you, Tur’Roth.Leave.”
His ridges are plastered white. His mouth hangs open. White radiates from the rope bridge around me. So many faces watching me now, there will be no coming back from this. The whole of Voraxia will know. Svera will know. My sires will know.
Humiliation should be what I feel, but it’s ruined a little bit by another emotion.Pride.
