A royal barge.
The Kwado royal barge.
The curse that tore from my throat was raw and vicious. “Fuck!” The word echoed through the trees like a battle cry, sending small creatures scurrying deeper into the undergrowth.Beside me, I felt Jolie tremble with the bone-deep terror of prey that had just caught sight of a predator circling overhead.
I lifted my head toward the trees, my throat vibrating with chittering calls that would carry my warning to Tark and the rest of the Peecha.
“It’s Qurbaga,” Jolie muttered, her voice thick with a disgust so profound it seemed to coat each syllable like poison.
“Is this the ship you took to the Ardeese Valout?” I asked, though I already knew the answer from the way her face had gone pale, her amber eyes wide with haunted recognition.
Jolie gave a jerky nod, the movement sharp and brittle, as if her neck might snap from the movement.
“How many on board?” I asked, my mind already whirring through tactical calculations, weighing odds and possibilities.
She was quiet for a long moment, her brow furrowing as she dredged up memories she’d clearly tried to forget. “About three hundred between the crew and guards.” Her eyes found mine, and I felt the heat of her gaze—worry and faith, trust and terror blending together in a complex dance of emotion. “What are we going to do?”
“Hide,” I murmured, as I pulled her back toward the village.
“Hide?” she repeated. Her voice carried a note of incredulous disbelief. On some level, I understood her reaction. The Kwado weren’t known for their skill in battle. Their reputation was built on political maneuvering and a love of hedonistic pleasures. “You’re not going to....” She gestured around me with her free hand. “You know... shift your scales and try to kick everybody’s ass, are you?” Her question dripped with worry.
A harsh snort escaped me, the sound carrying equal parts amusement and grim realism. “Not even I am that reckless awarrior.” The admission tasted bitter on my tongue, but it was the truth. I would take on twenty, maybe even thirty Kwado warriors without a second thought, my shifted form more than capable of tearing through their ranks like a blade through water. But over a hundred guards, backed by ship-mounted weapons and the tactical advantage of superior numbers? That was suicide, not strategy.
We made our way back to the village to find the Peecha rushing about in frantic preparation for battle. They were not a warrior species, but their courage and loyalty were unmatched. These brave souls fighting with primitive blades and wooden spears against soldiers wielding blasters would face nothing short of a massacre. I could not allow it.
I chittered to Tark, my voice carrying the weight of our situation as I explained the overwhelming number of soldiers and my plan to hide rather than engage in combat. Tark loped to my side, and I didn’t miss the faint expression of relief that flickered across his furry face. He called to his people, his voice booming across the village, and the preparations changed in an instant from that of impending battle to survival.
Tark’s orders were clear: take provisions for many days of hiding. He would lead them to the southern caves. Jolie and Lilibet would be safe there until the Zarpazian ship arrived. I would see to that, no matter the cost.
I turned, my heart already breaking as I took Jolie’s hands in mine. Her brow furrowed in confusion at first, but then, as understanding dawned, her eyes went wide with fear. The color drained from her face, leaving her pale as moonlight. I didn’t need to say a word. She could read the goodbye written in every line of my expression.
“No,” she demanded, her voice cracking as she clutched my fingers desperately, her nails digging into my scaled skin. “No. You can’t leave us. You can’t face them alone.”
I cupped her face in my hands, marveling at how beautiful she was even in her fear. “I don’t intend to engage them—only lead them away from you and Lilibet.”
“No.” Her arms linked around my neck, pressing herself against me as if she could somehow anchor me to this spot through sheer will. “You don’t know Qurbaga. If he catches you, he’ll….” Her voice broke, and my heart cracked along the same jagged lines. She didn’t have to say it. I knew. Under Qurbaga’s hands, I would face torture, possibly worse than what the queen had dished out. But I also knew that I would endure it. I would endure anything to keep them safe.
I slipped my arms around her trembling form and held her tightly, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, memorizing the feel of her warmth against my chest. “He won’t catch me,” I promised, although the words tasted like ash in my mouth—a lie we both recognized. To give my females time to escape, I needed to give Qurbaga something else to focus his attention on.
“Promise me,” she demanded, her breath hot and desperate against the sensitive scales of my ear. “Promise me you’ll come back.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t lie to her. If it took my death to keep her and Lilibet safe, I was more than willing to give it.
Jolie’s lower lip trembled, tears streaming down her cheeks, each droplet catching the light like liquid jewels. “I love you,” she whispered, the words barely audible yet thundering through my soul.
“I love you,” I whispered back, my voice rough with emotion, then my lips crashed down upon hers. A kiss that might be our last, filled with all the words we’d never have time to say. I let my fingers thread through her golden hair, holding her as if she might disappear, as my lips and tongue worshipped hers.
“DeDe?”
Lilibet’s small, uncertain voice came from somewhere near my knees. Reluctantly, I pulled away from Jolie’s sweet mouth and glanced down, my heart clenching at the worry etched across the youngling’s face. Even at her tender age, she was astute enough to recognize that something was wrong. I pressed another short, lingering kiss to Jolie’s lips and went down on my knees, bringing myself to Lilibet’s eye level.
“Hey, qizim,” I murmured softly, as Lilibet stepped into my embrace with the trusting ease of a youngling who knew she was loved.
Jolie knelt beside us, not bothering to wipe the tears that continued to streak down her face.
“Why is MeMe crying?” Lilibet’s face crumpled into a confused frown, her wide eyes darting between us.
“She’s sad because I have to go away for a while.” Lilibet was too smart to lie to. I would not disrespect her in that manner.
