“I am satisfied for the time being,” I respond. “I wish to see my mate, then I will take refreshments.”
Dyana growls under her breath as Deus empties out the rest of the pitcher into his mouth.
“Go see where Dyris and the others are with Lord Dalox’s mate,” she growls at another warrior. “Tell them to hurry.”
I watch the warrior leave out of the rear of the ship, my eyes wandering over the metal hull.
“Food,” Deus says.
Dyana snaps her claws, and several large platters are brought in, covered in a selection of fresh meats.
Deus doesn’t even look up, ploughing into the food as if he hasn’t eaten in a nova-century.
“You might like to see something,” Dyana says to me before shooting Deus another disgusted glance.
I suspect I probably don’t, but there are still pulsar disruptors trained on me, and in this confined space it would be very messy if one went off. I get to my feet and follow Dyana to the front of the ship. Around halfway along, there is a heavy curtain of metaled fabric, the type used in insulation on a starship. With a smile I could cut myself on, she pulls the fabric aside and reveals a pit filled with cushioning.
“For mating,” she says. “I know what males like. All of my warriors are prepared to be mated in Sarkarnii form if that is your preference.”
Accelerant fills my sacs. I want to burn this place to rivulets of metal. I can’t even look at Dyana. This is an abomination of everything the Sarkarnii are.
But she has my mate, and until I see Gillian, until I know she is unharmed, I have to play along.
“Very good,” I respond.
“And you are to be the first male to service my warriors,” Dyana says. “We will use the…other…when necessary.” She glances back to where Deus is still eating like a horc.
“Once I see my mate,” I respond.
“Then you will do anything I ask of you.” Dyana lifts her chin in triumph.
I repress a snarl and instead incline my head. “I will do anything you ask.”
GILLIAN
“Nev!” Dyanii grabs hold of my arm and pulls me close against her.
Dyris and Dyoti are on high alert, and I’m looking everywhere for the danger, when another Sarkarnii female bursts through the vegetation in front of us.
“Get a nevving move on,” she growls. “Dyana wants to know where you are with the female…creature. She has the males and she’s getting impatient.”
Males?
“We’re coming,” Dyris says. “The mechanism got stuck.”
The warrior huffs out some smoke at us all and then ducks back into the jungle, her tail waving for an instant before she’s gone completely.
“Nev,” Dyris says. “I thought the males would get further away.”
“Like her mate is going to abandon her.” Dyoti glares at Dyris.
“I didn’t want them to get away. I wanted them not to be Dyana’s captives,” Dyris grumbles back at Dyoti.
“You helped them get away?”
“This continent is full of interesting features and plants,” Dyris says. “At least one of them is an antidote to Sarkarnii female venom.”
“It is?” Dyanii asks.
