Page 74 of Infala: Bonded to the Enemy
His impressive mass was stunning. Broad chested, muscles defined and rock-hard. His tattoos were Dohrag in design, but the highlights were golden, a powerful and unusual touch to the runes most of his kind did not possess. His old scars were readily apparent, as well as the new ones. But most shocking of all was the Infala on his chest, glowing bright.
Shalia pulled her shirt off in a flash, her own Infala pulsing in time with his.
The crowd lost any semblance of order it might have had at the sight of this. A Dohrag and their new human visitor Infala bonded? It was unheard of. Impossible. And yet, somehow, the unimaginable had happened.
“But he is a Dohrag,” someone shouted from the crowd.
“Yes, but the law is the law,” another called out in reply.
The elders sat huddled in discussion, the crowd abuzz. Zepharos alone stepped forward, approaching the elders. “Wise ones, I have news,” he said, holding up a data tablet. It wasn’t Oraku—they avoided tech. But just because they chose not to use it, did not mean they didn’t know how to operate it.
“What do you have there, Zepharos?” Tikanna asked.
“The data log from the Dohrag escape pod,” he replied, avoiding Shalia’s questioning stare with all his might. “I hopped a ride to the area Shalia told me they landed and searched for proof of their story. It took some time, and a lot of climbing, but I located the pod, hidden at the bottom of the ravine, just as she said.”
“And?” Rohanna demanded.
“And this proves their story. The Dohrag not only fled his own command aboard an escape pod, but records show he disabled their tracking system in the process.”
The crowd fell silent, all eyes locked on the hulking gray-blue man standing silently before them. For so proud a man, having his actions exposed to all, despite his motivation for them, was an almost physical pain. Zepharos looked at Valin and gave a little nod of respect.
“There is more,” he continued.
“More than abandoning his rank to help a prisoner escape?” Niala asked, an amused grin on her face. This was the most excitement they’d seen in the village in years.
“Yes, more. There was a recording. A message sent out after they abandoned the pod. The system recorded it automatically. I will play it for you.”
He tapped the tablet, keying the recording for all to hear.
“The traitor, Commander Valin, has sabotaged the station’s systems. Any arriving ships must be manually guided in to dock. He has killed several members of his own crew and absconded with a female prisoner. Commander Valin is now considered aBlack Mark traitor and is to be killed on sight. This is a direct order from Admiral Finntar himself.”
Zepharos keyed off the unit. “The message repeats,” he said, placing the device on the table in front of the tribunal.
Valin gave a little nod, man to man. Zepharos returned the gesture, glanced at Shalia, then turned and walked out.
Rohanna’s look had shifted from anger to shock to confusion in the span of less than a minute. All of the leaders had experienced the same.
“You did this?” she asked, assessing their prisoner with fresh eyes.
Valin stood tall and still. “I did.”
“You have forfeit your life among your people.”
“I know.”
“They will never forgive. And they will never forget. Should you ever come across your kind, they will?—”
“I am quite aware,” he said, his words intended for Rohanna, his gaze, however, locked firmly on Shalia, their Infalas glowing in unison. “This is the price, to be with my love, and I pay it willingly.”
Shalia’s heart swelled with love, feeling as though it almost threatened to pop out of her chest. Rohanna looked at her comrades. They nodded as one.
“Release him. Release them both,” she called to the guards, rising from her seat and walking around to the couple, now freed and holding one another’s hands lovingly. “You two, come with me.”
36
Rohanna paced back and forth in her private anteroom. Tikanna had joined her shortly after she led the human and her Dohrag mate away from the public forum.
“Highly unusual. Unheard of. Impossible,” Rohanna muttered.
