Page 70 of Taken to Lemora
“The coward is using the pallet of kintarr as a shield. He knows we can’t get close enough to pull him out with Jerrock here and we can’t fire on the kintarr itself without blowing half of Kor into space.”
“Then we need to force him out.” Essmira pushes on my arm, forcing me to either crush her or let her up. Begrudgingly, I do the latter. On her knees, she clutches her ribs. She has smudges of soot and ash on her cheeks, but her eyes have never shined brighter. Adrenaline? Or is this what she looks like when she’s living wild and recklessly?
“What do you have in mind, clan chieftess?” Ashmara shouts, spinning out from behind her safety to fire a few more rounds before ducking back instances before chunks of stone disintegrate in the place where her face just was.
“Let me run!”
“WHAT!”
She holds up her hand, shutting me up. Merquin, on her other side, smirks at that. Reyna and Tana just stare dumbfounded from the next table over. “It’s the one thing Tytohasto punish me for. He won’t be able to resist. Let me run and when he follows, catch up to us quick.” She reaches boldly for one of the blasters in my hands and I’m too flabbergasted to do anything but let her take it.
She plants a quick kiss on my lips, but when I shake my head she leans back and pins me with a look that is pure ferocity that not even her docile scent can diminish. Smoke wafts over the edge of the table and her mouth sets. “Thiswillwork. I know Tyto better than anyone.”
“She’s right,” Merquin, the traitor, adds.
“We’re game!” Ashmara yells. “Tintin says that killing Tyto is the only way to get Jerrock off our shroving backs and he’s right about that, too. Jerrock won’t go after us or the payment if he no longer has a contract. Contracts are what these Sky bastards are beholden to — the only thing. The contract dies with Tyto and…”
BOOM.
An explosion shatters the table to our right — the table Tana and Reyna were behind. “Nob!” Merquin shrieks. “Cover me!” The Eshmiri do just that while Merquin surges forward. Together, we’re able to pull Tana and Reyna behind the shield of our table just before fire sparks and claims the carpets on the floor beneath the shattered table.
“He’s gaining ground. It won’t be long until he’s right on top of us,” Tana heaves, coughing on every other breath. She’s got a cut on her cheek and Reyna’s cradling her left arm, but they look alright. At least, like they will be.
“Meanwhile, I can’t even see him,” Merquin says blasting off another couple aimless shots.
“There’s too much smoke!” Reyna coughs and spits.
“Uhh, yo! You rock folks.” We all turn to see Ashmara wearing a wild grin. Her white eyes are teaming with color, all of them a reflection of her Drakesh heritage.
The colors have different meanings that relate to her emotions and right now they gleam silver, just like the Niahhorru’s. Except on her, that silver means excitement. The ohring psychopath is loving this — perhaps as much as my miriga.
“What?” I bark.
“Your female’s plan is working. I just thought you might want to get a move on.”
My hearts seize and my gaze tracks the line of Ashmara’s extended arm. Tables dot the vast room all the way up to the curved arena-style seats that follow the outer edge of this casino. Passageways lead between them, some to other rooms, some to other exits. And right now, Essmira’s just disappeared down one of them.
I see the flash of her black curls and her tattered green dress…
I also see a male with dark green scales for skin and a barbed tail charging after her.
And then all I see is red.
“Cover me!” I roar.
“Shrov!”
“Ohr!”
They don’t move fast enough because I’m halfway up and already running by the time they start firing. And Jerrock doesn’t miss his chance. Heat lances my spine. It would have been a kill shot if Lemoran skin were any thinner.
Ripples of pain flare down my back. I stagger and it’s only because I stagger that he misses the nape of my neck and hits my right shoulder. Blasts puncture my shoulder twice and they’re fusion ion rounds, or something like them, because they disintegrate the flesh surrounding their entry.
“Raingar!” Tana shouts.
Merquin shouts louder, “Keep firing!”
And I’m grateful for it.
