Page 42 of Caldar
A grim-faced man with one horn watched them from the other side of the cell. This must have been the warlord. “You are not meant to be here.”
Behind the warlord stood a massive man with a dark aubergine complexion, like he could slip into a shadow if he wanted. Everything about him screamed spooky.
Lorran flanked the warlord on the other side. He wore an excited expression, like they were going to get ice cream after the execution. He raised a hand and wiggled his fingers at her.
Sonia mirrored the gesture before she thought better of it.
In her mind, she kept rehearsing the speech she’d give the warlord, trying to find the perfect combination of words to save Caldar. It’d be a big, dramatic moment. He’d see reason. People would cheer. There’d be a freaking ticker tape parade. Now that it was time, her mind went blank.
“Yeah, I, umm…” she said, eloquently.
How’s that ticker tape parade coming?
“Caldar, this is not for a female to witness,” the warlord said.
“She refused to leave. She is a stubborn Terran.”
“They are like that.”
The two aliens nodded in agreement. What was this? Pre-execution banter?
Caldar moved to the front of the cell and kneeled before the warlord, who held a very large knife. The edge pulsed and glowed. It hurt to look at it directly.
“I object!” Sonia suddenly found her voice. She jumped to her feet, ready to throw herself over Caldar to shield him.
“This is not a trial, female.”
“Did he even get a trial? How is that justice?”
“Justice is mine to decide,” he said, perfectly serious.
“Well, I want a trial now. Let me explain what happened,” she said, then added, “and you owe it to me.”
The man raised one eyebrow. “I owe you?”
“Oh, big time,” she said, explaining nothing. She just needed to keep talking because maybe she’d stumble onto a good idea if she kept spewing out words. “What’s the charge?” she asked, like she didn’t know.
“He placed the mate mark on you without your consent,” the warlord said.
“And you got that information from where,” she demanded.
The warlord looked down at Caldar.
Heaven help her, she was about to lose her cool.
“You tookhimat his word?” Sonia pointed to Caldar. “You’ve met him, right?”
“I know the male,” the warlord said.
“The man is a professional liar, and you didn’t think to verify his story byaskingme?”
“The evidence of his offense is on your skin. I do not need to ask.”
Frustration welled up inside her. Much as Lorran had done last night, the warlord completely ignored her wishes and wants. “Well, that’s bull, because I’m an adult with a mind of my own.”
“You were under the influence of a chemical and could not—”
“I was perfectly aware at the time,” she said, talking over him. “We—I—took action to work the drug out of my system. He never touched me when I was compromised.” She blushed as she spoke, but it needed to be said. “After, when I was clear headed, I told him to bite me.”
