Asteron

ASTERON

T he entire dining hall is destroyed. It's a smoking ruin. My guards and staff are combing the remains while I do my best not to charge in and make things even worse.

I confine myself to slamming my horns against a wall instead.

I've lost her. I've lost her guards. I've lost everything.

"Sire." A young bull hands me a screen. On it is Phinade, who is looking wretched.

"Phinade?"

"The good news, sire, is the analysis of the data sent to me shows your queen was not in the building when it was…blown up." He wrings his hands.

My heart skips into life, until reality sets in.

"And the bad news?"

"We have received a…demand from the Habosu. They have Queen Ginny, and they want a ransom to release her, or she will be killed."

I feel like all the blood has drained from my head and shoulders, pooling in my legs, making them like rock.

"They want what?" I say, amazed at how even my voice is.

"A ransom for her safe return."

The screen cracks where I am holding it.

"Sire?" Phinade queries.

"No," I respond.

"Sire?" His voice has gone up a couple of octaves.

"No, I will not pay a ransom for my queen to be returned," I snarl at him.

His eyes widen and all around me goes silent.

"King will not be cowed by threats to him or his mate. I will never give in to cowards who believe in hurting those weaker than themselves." I glare about me, not caring who hears me. In fact, I want as many of my subjects to hear my words as possible.

The rage which rises within me is like nothing I've ever known, nothing I've ever experienced. It is like the unstable regions of Xnos, those which still boil with fire and molten rock. I am enraged by the audacity of the Habosu.

Is this what it has come to for the royal family of Xnos? That an outside force believes they can walk onto my planet and take what they like, including my fated mate?

It will not do.

"Ready my fleet," I growl at Phinade. "I'm coming back to the palace, now. I want you to find the Habosu who took my mate and I want to…talk to them."

I end the comm, dropping the screen at my feet and slamming a hoof into it.

"Where is my captain?" I snarl at the nearest guard. "I want to be in the air a nova-second ago."