Chapter 149
"Look it’s a whanix plant." Tempest rushed over to the small bush and gently cradled the leaves of the foliage.
Mexyn walked over to where Tempest was standing and gave her a tight smile. "That’s a good find. Unfortunately, the fruit isn’t ripe yet. If we ate it now we’d get very ill."
Tempest’s shoulders dropped a bit. So much for being productive. After the awkward interaction with Rynax, Tempest did all she could to put some distance between her and him. Neither Gerax nor Mexyn said anything by the change in the dynamic but Tempest was sure that they could tell something was wrong.
"How are we doing on food? I know the trek has been longer than we all thought it would take."
Gerax was able to rig a machine to clean and collect water so Tempest was good in that aspect but they were getting close to running low on food. There wasn’t much for them to hunt and they didn’t want to go too far away from the cliffs in case there are any other soldiers around that are looking to get rid of Tempest and her small group.
She was still good and keeping her strength up but Tempest knew if they didn’t get to Dron or somewhere else safe soon things would start to get very bad for all of them.
"I’m getting some strange readings." Gerax called out. His wrist device was activated and he scanned the lands in front of him. There was an ominous beeping sound coming from the device.
Tempest released the plant and stood, wiping her hands against the sides of her clothing as she looked in Gerax’s direction. The scientist had been checking that device every few minutes since they started walking that morning, so she didn’t think much of it at first. He was always checking something. The air. The ground. The water. Tempest was starting to think Gerax would scan his own shit if he thought there was something interesting to learn from it.
"What kind of strange readings?" Mexyn asked.
Gerax didn’t answer right away.
That was when Tempest started to worry.
His eyes narrowed as he lifted his arm higher. The beeping increased, becoming quicker and louder until even Rynax, who had been walking several feet ahead of them, stopped and turned around.
"Gerax?" Tempest questioned.
"There’s something interfering with the scanner."
Rynax immediately started walking back toward them. Whatever awkwardness there had been between him and Tempest only moments ago seemed to disappear. His entire demeanor changed as he approached. The easy smile was gone. His shoulders were squared and his gaze moved constantly, taking in the cliffs surrounding them and the narrow stretch of land they’d wandered into.
"What kind of interference?" Rynax asked.
"I don’t know yet."
"That’s not an answer."
"I’m aware of that." Gerax tapped rapidly against the holographic display. "Give me a moment."
Tempest looked around.
Nothing had changed.
At least, she didn’t think anything had changed.
There were still the same dry trees surrounding them. The same dusty ground beneath their feet. The cliffs they’d been using as a guide rose high on either side of them, forming what Tempest had assumed was a natural pathway through this section of Skoq. She’d actually been relieved when they found it because there were fewer rocks to climb over and less chance of her falling on her ass.
Now she realized just how narrow the area had become.
Her stomach tightened.
"Rynax."
"I know."
She hadn’t even needed to tell him what she was thinking.
Rynax pulled the staff from where it rested against his back and moved closer to the women. He no longer looked like the extravagant alpha who wore too much jewelry and spent half his time making jokes simply because he liked hearing himself talk. There was something else there now. Something harder.
Dangerous.
Tempest had known it was inside him.
She’d seen glimpses of it from the beginning, but now she was getting a front-row seat.
"Stay close," he ordered.
"I can fight."
"I know you can."
The answer surprised her.
There was no condescension in his voice. He wasn’t telling her that she was an omega and needed to hide. He simply positioned himself between her and the open stretch ahead of them while continuing to watch the cliffs.
Gerax cursed.
Tempest’s attention snapped back to him.
"What?"
"We need to move."
"Why?"
Gerax’s face had lost some of its color. "Because these readings aren’t natural. Something is bouncing my scans back at me. I thought there was interference, but there isn’t. Someone is intentionally making it impossible for me to see what’s around us."
Rynax slowly turned his head.
Tempest felt her stomach drop.
Gerax looked up from the device.
"We walked into a trap."
The words had barely left his mouth when something moved along the cliff.
Tempest looked up.
For one terrifying second, she didn’t understand what she was seeing. The side of the cliff itself seemed to shift. Rocks moved. Pieces of dried brush separated from the wall.
Then one of the rocks stood up.
"Oh, shit."
It wasn’t a rock.
It was a person.
Then there was another.
And another.
Tempest backed up until she bumped into Mexyn. She didn’t have time to apologize because suddenly there were people everywhere. They wore clothing that blended almost perfectly with the landscape, gray and brown fabric covered in pieces of brush, dust and what looked like thin plates of stone. If Gerax hadn’t figured out what was happening, Tempest knew they could have walked straight through the middle of them without ever realizing they were surrounded.
Maybe that was exactly what they had done.
People started descending from both sides of the cliffs.
Some climbed.
Others slid down ropes Tempest hadn’t noticed before.
"Behind me," Rynax ordered.
Tempest tightened her grip on her staff.
Mexyn moved closer to her side while Gerax backed toward them, still looking at his device as if there might be some scientific answer hidden inside it that would magically get them out of this mess.
"How many?" Tempest whispered.
"Too many," Rynax answered.
That was comforting.
Tempest counted at least twelve before she stopped trying.
"Maybe they don’t want to fight."
Rynax looked over his shoulder at her.
"What?"
"I’m trying to be optimistic."
"Try something else."
Under any other circumstances, she might have laughed.
There wasn’t time.
One of the camouflaged figures hit the ground only a few feet away from Rynax and immediately surged toward him.
Rynax moved so fast Tempest almost missed it.
His staff came around with a sharp crack against the man’s side. The stranger stumbled, but Rynax didn’t give him time to recover. He swung again, this time connecting with the side of the man’s head before driving the end of the staff into his stomach.
Everything erupted at once.
Tempest heard Mexyn shout something beside her, but she couldn’t understand the words. There was too much noise. Feet slammed against the dry ground. Someone yelled from the cliffs. Gerax was shouting at Rynax.
Tempest held her staff with both hands and tried to remember everything Rynax had taught her.
Keep her feet apart.
Watch their shoulders.
Don’t focus on the weapon.
Don’t try to overpower someone stronger than her.
Survive.
That was the whole point.
She didn’t have to win.
She just had to survive.
Rynax fought like a completely different person than the man Tempest had spent the last several days getting to know. There was nothing playful about him now. Nothing charming. He ducked underneath a swinging blade and slammed his shoulder into the attacker’s chest, knocking him backward. Another came from the side and Rynax spun, catching the man across the throat with his forearm.
For a few seconds Tempest thought he might actually be able to do this.
Then three more reached him.
"Rynax!"
"I’m fine!"
He most certainly was not fine.
Tempest wanted to help him, but another figure landed between them.
She froze.
The person was huge.
Of course he was.
Why couldn’t she ever get attacked by someone her own size?
The man stepped toward her.
Tempest stepped backward.
"Stay away from me."
He didn’t listen.
His hand shot forward.
Tempest remembered Rynax telling her that hesitation would get her hurt faster than making the wrong move. She swung the staff wildly. The man moved back and the wood missed him completely.
Great.
Fantastic.
She was going to die.
He reached for her again.
Tempest jumped backward and nearly fell, but she managed to keep her feet underneath her. She heard Rynax roaring somewhere nearby but couldn’t look. She had to keep her eyes on the man in front of her.
The attacker lunged.
Tempest swung again.
This time the staff connected with his arm.
It didn’t do much.
He grunted but kept coming.
"Shit!"
Tempest backed into the cliff.
There was nowhere else to go.
The man reached for her and Tempest reacted without thinking. She remembered standing outside the cave with Rynax correcting her grip over and over again. He’d told her she kept trying to use the staff like some kind of giant club when that wasn’t what it was for.
Use the distance.
Keep them away.
She thrust the staff forward instead of swinging it.
The end slammed directly into the man’s throat.
His eyes widened.
He staggered backward, both hands flying to his neck.
Tempest didn’t stop.
She couldn’t.
He was bigger.
Stronger.
If he recovered, she might not get another chance.
Tempest adjusted her hands the way Rynax had taught her, planted her feet and swung with everything she had.
The staff connected with the side of the man’s head.
He dropped.
Tempest stared at him.
Her heart stopped.
For one horrifying second, all she could see was the soldier she’d killed. She could see the spear going into his chest again. Could feel that terrible moment when she realized she had taken someone’s life.
"No."
She dropped to her knees.
The man wasn’t moving.
"No, no, no."
Tempest reached toward him, terrified of what she would find, and pressed trembling fingers against the side of his neck.
There.
A pulse.
Strong.
Alive.
"Oh, thank God."
Relief nearly made her collapse.
She hadn’t killed him.
She’d done it.
She had protected herself without taking another life.
A roar dragged her attention away.
Rynax.
Tempest scrambled to her feet.
He was surrounded.
There were at least five people on him now, and somehow he was still fighting. Blood ran from the side of his mouth. One of the decorative chains he always wore had been ripped from his neck, but he didn’t seem to care. He slammed one attacker into another before turning and driving his fist into someone’s face.
"Rynax!"
He looked toward her.
That was his mistake.
Someone came from behind him.
A weapon struck Rynax across the back.
He dropped to one knee.
"No!"
Tempest started toward him, but Mexyn stepped directly into her path.
"Don’t."
"They’re hurting him!"
"And you running into the middle will only give him something else to protect."
Tempest hated that Mexyn was right.
Rynax tried to stand.
Two men grabbed his arms.
He threw one off.
Another wrapped something around his throat and pulled backward. Rynax clawed at the material, roaring as another attacker slammed a fist into his stomach.
It took six of them.
Six.
Even then Rynax didn’t stop until someone drove a knee into the back of his leg and forced him onto the ground.
Tempest’s heart hammered.
Gerax had been subdued too. Two of the strangers held him several feet away. He didn’t appear injured, but his wrist device was gone.
They were captured.
Again.
Tempest was starting to think she had the worst luck in the universe.
There was movement all around them now. More people had descended from the cliffs, enough that Tempest finally understood just how hopeless their situation was.
Rynax struggled against the men restraining him.
"Do not touch her!"
One of them shoved him forward.
Rynax growled.
Tempest could practically feel the rage coming off him.
"I’m okay," she called to him.
His eyes found hers.
Something changed in his expression when he realized she really was standing there unharmed.
Then his gaze moved to the unconscious man near her feet.
Even now, bruised and bleeding and being held by several people, Rynax somehow managed to look impressed.
Tempest almost laughed.
Almost.
A woman approached Mexyn.
Tempest moved closer to her friend.
Mexyn had been strangely quiet since the fighting began. She hadn’t screamed. Hadn’t panicked. Tempest assumed it was because she understood how badly outnumbered they were.
Now she realized there was something else.
Mexyn was staring past the people surrounding them.
Her entire body had gone rigid.
"Mexyn?"
No response.
Tempest followed her gaze.
Someone else was coming down from the cliff.
Unlike the others, he wasn’t wearing anything over his face.
Tempest looked at Mexyn again.
The woman had stopped breathing.
At least that was what it looked like.
All the color drained from her face and her lips parted slightly.
"Mexyn, do you know him?"
Still nothing.
The man reached the bottom of the cliff and stopped.
For several seconds he simply stared.
Not at Tempest.
Not at Rynax.
Not at Gerax.
Mexyn.
Tempest had never seen Mexyn look like this before. Not once. The usually controlled woman looked as if the ground beneath her had disappeared.
The man took one slow step forward.
Then another.
One of the guards started speaking to him, but he lifted his hand, silencing the other man without ever taking his eyes off Mexyn.
"Release them."
Rynax stopped struggling.
Gerax looked up.
Tempest tightened her grip on her staff because she had absolutely no idea what was happening.
The men holding Rynax hesitated.
"I said release them."
This time they obeyed.
Rynax immediately surged to his feet and moved toward Tempest, positioning himself between her and everyone else even though he was clearly hurt.
Tempest barely noticed.
She was too busy watching Mexyn.
Mexyn took one tiny step forward.
Her lips trembled.
The stranger’s expression broke.
Tempest saw so much emotion cross his face that it almost felt wrong to watch. Shock. Relief. Pain. Something deeper that Tempest recognized instantly because she had seen the same thing on Dron’s face whenever he looked at her.
The man whispered one word.
"Mexyn."
Mexyn made a sound beside Tempest.
Not quite a gasp.
Not quite a cry.
The stranger moved closer.
Tempest looked between them, her heart suddenly pounding for an entirely different reason. She instantly realized that the man was missing the lower part of one of his arms.
"Mexyn?" she whispered.
Mexyn finally looked at her.
There were tears gathering in her eyes.
Tempest didn’t understand until the man spoke again.
"I thought I would never see you again."
Mexyn’s breath broke.
"Crilium."
Tempest froze.
Crilium.
The name Mexyn had spoken about before they ever left Thraqe. The man she hadn’t seen in so long. The man she still carried somewhere inside her despite having another mate waiting back home.
Her lost love.
Crilium was here.
And judging by the way every armed person surrounding them had immediately obeyed his command, he wasn’t simply living in Skoq.
He was someone important.
Tempest slowly lowered her staff.
They had walked directly into a trap.
Somehow, she had the feeling they had also just found exactly who they were looking for.
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⏸ PAUSE■ STOP