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Several times, Scarlett was tempted to make a run for freedom. She cleaned the front hall for a few hours, the street only a few short steps away. She stood right at the edge of the doorway, watching the passersby and thinking about joining them. When she noticed Genia staring at her, Scarlett quickly went back to work.
Later that day, Scarlett was taking trash out to the dumpsters in the back of the house. A path curved around the nearest wall that would take her straight to the gate. Again, she considered running.
At the last moment, she stopped herself. Scarlett had to plan carefully. She knew that. If she tried to escape and got caught, the Flemlars would lock her up. She might even end up being punished, and that would definitely put her child at risk.
So far, the Flemlars had allowed her to go back to her regular duties. Even though she was given a lot of work, they had allowed her regular visits with a doctor that she had to pay for, decent food, and an actual bed to sleep upon.
To the Flemlars, this was a great concession, probably because they realized a healthy baby would bring a higher bid than a thin or ill newborn. Scarlett knew they considered all others servile to them, and their treatment of her was not meant to imply equality or even consideration. They cared for her as if they were indulging a pet, not as if she was a human being.
That night, Scarlett washed and ate and went to bed early, curling up under the covers and closing her eyes so Genia would think she was asleep. Scarlett waited until all the noises of the palace settled down before peeking out over the blankets.
She checked on Genia, who was leaning against the wall, snoring softly. Everyone must be pretty complacent about her by now, especially considering that she had a very large belly and couldn’t move very fast. Scarlett thanked all the gods for their stupidity in underestimating her.
Scarlett slipped the anklet off and hurried to her balcony. The night was quiet, a soft breeze playing with her hair. She looked around for a few minutes and then, satisfied no one was there to see her, she crept out into the gardens.
She stayed in the shadows of the great trees, hurrying toward the front of the grounds. To her dismay, a whole phalanx of armed guards was stationed at the main gate. She watched them for a few moments, scrutinizing them as they took shifts patrolling the front road and sections of the garden.
They will be there all night. The Flemlars must have put on extra security.
With her heart sinking, Scarlett headed back through the garden. She took a half-hearted walk around the grounds, but the boundary wall was solid brick and stone, over ten feet tall. No way could she get over it.
With a terrible defeat crushing her chest, Scarlett realized she couldn’t escape yet. Going back to her room upset her so much that she could not control her tears. She crawled into bed and slipped the anklet back on, curling up and wrapping her arms around her belly.
Scarlett cried hopelessly, wondering how she was going to survive this nightmare.
The mood on the cargo ship was tense as they entered Xoyosan space. They encountered no resistance, but all of the men knew that if the Xoyosans realized the vessel was full of Lorr, they would be immediately shot down.
They landed at a busy docking bay, all of them wrapping themselves in ragged cloaks so they could disembark. No one paid much attention to them as they unpacked crates and moved goods into the cargo bay.
Dezar set the ship up to refuel, and then they left the dock as if they were heading to a nearby bar to wait. Once they arrived at the sleazy dive, Dezar made contact with one of his moles and obtained the address of the illusive Flemlars compound.
Procuring a hovercraft was not difficult, and Grux felt a growing sense of satisfaction as they continued to outwit the Xoyosans. All his grief, his loss, and helplessness, finally began to abate as they got closer to their destination.
Soon, I’ll hold my mate in my arms again, and this time, I’ll never let her go!
When they arrived at the massive estate, Grux saw the front gates were heavily guarded. Dezar had his men park the hovercraft in the nearby scrub to conceal it, and then the five Lorr warriors crept up on the security forces and took them out.
The Xoyosans barely put up a fight, but Grux knew that to them, it seemed as if the shadows had come alive. No one could see a Lorr warrior coming if he didn’t want to be seen.
The five Lorr warriors crept into the estate in total silence. Concealed by darkness, they entered the building and began searching the servants’ quarters.
Grux and the others managed to check out several rooms without waking the occupants. There were many different kinds of races, as well as quite a few humans. Grux couldn’t hide his disgust. It was as if the Flemlars simply enjoyed collecting living things like they were objects.
Grux was surprised by a tall, broad figure standing right in the doorway of one room. He almost barreled straight into her as he forced his way in but recovered quickly enough to take down the large Xoyosan female with one blow.
Then, he crept toward the bed, wanting to take a quick look and then move on until he found his mate. To his surprise, Scarlett raised her head from the pillow, gasping when she saw him.
It was as if there was no space between them. Grux didn’t even have an impression of crossing the room. She was simply in his arms. He felt her trembling as her voice muffled against his chest. He knew she was trying not to cry for joy.
“You came,” she moaned.
He nodded, leaning back to look into her eyes. “Of course, I came,” he whispered back. They shared a tender kiss while Dezar began to motion frantically from the door.
“We gotta go, now!” Dezar hissed. Grux nodded and took Scarlett’s hand, holding it tightly.
They ran through the palace halls, heading back to the front entrance. Their footsteps were soft on the hard, tiled floor, and the palace stayed quiet. Grux felt sure they had completed their mission without waking anyone.
Until they hit the main foyer. Right in front of the doors, blocking their path to freedom stood the Flemlars themselves, both armed with impressive rifles.
