Page 29 of The Price of Peace
Peace—theotherPeace—moved fast, ducking under a blast and countering with a well-aimed kick to the throat—despite her little baby bump. Impressive. The man staggered backward, right into Varroc’s bloody blade.
I hardly had time to register the efficiency of their work before I had to react to a thug swinging at me with the butt of his rifle. Instinct took over. I ducked, spun, and cracked my elbow into his stomach. He staggered, and I seized the advantage, throwing him over my shoulder. He hit the floor hard, rifle clattering away. The next thing I knew, Xyrox’s blade removed his head from his body.
Behind you!I screamed in my head as I gasped.
Xyrox must’ve heard me, because he ducked and spun in the same motion, bringing his blade across the belly of the last thug. As the man screamed and tried to catch his innards, Xyrox saved him the trouble with a clean stab to the heart. He collapsed in a bloody heap, his eyes vacant.
Prince Friðrik didn’t blink. “Move off the grid.” We did as he asked, moving back to the area where the seats were located.
“Eject them.” His normally charming voice was now flat and held an undercurrent of something almost vicious. I never wanted to hear that voice directed at me.
As we watched, the ship’s internal security system engaged, and suddenly, the remains of the invaders’ bodiesdematerialized in a violent transporter recall, a gruesome warning.
But we weren’t safe yet. Lights flashed red.
“Enemy combatant repositioning for another strike,” Julie’s voice calmly informed us over the sirens.
“Buckle in,” Friðrik commanded as his fingers flew over the controls asVictorytwisted sharply, evadingSilverlight‘s fire. The void outside filled with crackling energy fire. The starfield blurred as we spiraled through more evasive maneuvers.
My stomach heaved, and I thought I might vomit. Peace One leaned over to me. “You okay?”
I fought for breath, nodding, my mind racing. I locked eyes with her and something passed between us—call it twintuition, or perhaps it was simple Pleiadian telepathy.This isn’t over, not by a long shot.
Prince Friðrik seemed to be in his element, though, which was comforting.
Rick’s pretty awesome. Between him and Daddy Roc, I’m never worried.Peace One winked at me.
“Lock ontoSilverlight‘s weapons array. Disrupt beams—fire now!“ Prince Friðrik ordered.
“As you wish,” Julie said. She was way better than the autopilot’s my beater ship had.
Apulseof energy streaked forward, slamming into the enemy ship’s starboard hull. Sparks erupted.
Wiping blood from his knuckles, Xyrox stepped closer to me. “That’ll damage them, but if Helos is working for Regent Jökull, he’ll keep pursuing us because Jökull wants you badly enough to pay handsomely for you.”
My nostrils flared. “Well, he can’t have me. Fekk that guy.”
“Yeah! Fuck Yogurt,” Peace One cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
Another blast rocked the ship, but we were ready. Peace One and Varroc worked in tandem on weapons and defense systems. Prince Friðrik controlled the ship with a pilot’s grace, twistingVictoryinto an impossible target.
One last push.
“Target their engines,” Varroc ordered Julie. “They can’t chase us if they can’t move.”
“As you wish. Missiles locked onSilverlight‘s port engines. Missiles locked onSilverlight‘s starboard engines. Firing in three, two, one.”Victoryjerked back from the force of the launch.
The shot connected.Silverlight‘s aft engines erupted in a chain of detonations, blue flame spitting out before being consumed by the vacuum of space. The remnants of the ship curled up like a wounded animal, pieces breaking off and falling into the ice below.
“Time to go,” Prince Friðrik announced. “Get in your seats. We’re hitting hyperspace and getting out of here.”
The ship’s engines roared, the stars stretched, and we left the ice planet and the pirate ship behind.
The sirens fell silent. A beat of stillness prevailed, and I exhaled fully for the first since we were jolted out of bed after my shower.
Then, Peace One took my hand in hers and for the first time since I had met her, I mustered the courage to fully look at her and process my startling new reality.
“What the hell do we do now?” I finally asked.
