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Tegan ran behind him, but there was no way her legs could keep pace with his significantly longer ones. When she reached the top of the stairs, she glanced around but didn’t see him down either of the two hallways that extended to both sides. There were sounds of fighting and blasters firing from all directions now, and she didn’t know where to turn.
Making a wild guess, she ran down one of the hallways, peering into the open doors. Dead Zevrians, but no Zaandr. She reached the end and spun around just as a Zevrian stepped in front of her. Blood trickled from his mouth as he swiped it away with the back of his hand. Tegan peered into the open doorway he’d just left, and her stomach lurched when she saw the resistance fighter who’d given her the blaster lying on the floor in a puddle of blood.
The Zevrian fixed his black eyes on her. “Looks like you’re next.”
Tegan fumbled for her blaster but was knocked to one side by a violent movement. When she righted herself, her leather bag was in tatters, and she was standing beside a hulking, green beast with scales and a long tail.
Terror arrowed through her until the creature slid his gaze to her, the eyes so familiar she gasped. “Pog?!”
Chapter
Seventeen
Zaandr heaved in a breath. His blade dripped blood as he stood over the Zevrian he’d just dispatched. Rose stood behind the dead alien, her eyes wide and her blaster at her side.
“Thanks for the save,” she said. “I didn’t hear him sneak up on me.”
Zaandr inclined his head to her. “That’s two floors cleared. Rixx is on the third.”
Rose furrowed her brow. “Where is your girl?”
Zaandr looked over his shoulder. He’d thought Tegan was right behind him when they’d been running up the stairs, but he hadn’t checked when he’d raced down the hallway and seen Rose about to be ambushed. The intensity of the fighting had muddled his mind, and all he heard was the rushing of blood in his ears. Until he heard the roar.
“What was that?” Rose asked. “Are they keeping some sort of beast in here?”
Zaandr didn’t hesitate. Now he could sense Tegan’s fear, but also…surprise?
He retraced his steps, following the sound of the second roar down the opposite corridor and turning the corner just in time to see a burst of fire engulf a Zevrian warrior. The enemy combatant was instantly consumed by the flames and staggered into an open doorway flailing his arms and screeching.
Zaandr assumed a battle stance as he peered through the dissipating smoke, and he prepared himself for whatever beast had unleashed that fire. But his gaze went to Tegan, who stood calmly next to a green creature who had smoke curling from its mouth.
“It’s Pog!” Tegan yelled. “He transformed and saved my life.”
Zaandr shook his head. Had he heard her correctly? He squinted at the green beast. That was the tiny Lycithian glurkin? He knew that Bexli’s pet was a shape-shifter, but he’d never witnessed him shift.
He carefully approached the beast, holding out a hand. The creature nuzzled him with his scaly head and purred. It was Pog.
Rose skidded up behind him. “Whoa. Where did that come from?”
“This is Pog,” Tegan said, rubbing the creature’s back. “He’s a Lycithian shape-shifting pet, and he just saved my ass.”
Rose blinked a few times. “Well done, Pog.” Then she eyed Tegan and Zaandr. “You all continue to surprise me.”
Zaandr was still processing the strange turn of events, but there was no time to dwell on the bizarre fact that tiny, fluffy Pog was now larger than him and covered in scales and spikes. “We still need to find Rixx.”
Rose cast her gaze heavenward. “One more floor to search.”
Zaandr knew his friend was on the top level, so he led the way as they all hurried down the corridor and up the tight staircase. They didn’t encounter any more Zevrians, and Zaandr suspected they’d all rushed to the sound of the fight. He knew better than to count his sand hens before they were hatched, but he hoped that they’d encountered the last of the enemy.
Using Rixx’s thoughts as a guide, he ran past the first few closed doors. His friend was in the room on the end that faced the front of the building, and he didn’t even pause before hurling his foot into the wooden door.
The door flew in, splintering from the force of the blow. Inside, strapped to a chair, was Rixx. His face was bruised, and dried blood caked the side of his head, but he grinned when he saw them.
“It sounded like you were killing everyone in Kurril before coming upstairs,” he said, meeting Zaandr’s gaze. “Did you have all the fun without me?”
Zaandr shook his head, not surprised that his friend was still in good spirits. It would take more than a few mercenaries to subdue Rixx.
Rose and Tegan entered the room behind him, and Rixx’s eyes widened. “I like this rescue party. I didn’t think you had it in you, brother.”
