Chapter 41

Chapter

Forty-One

" Z ala!" Myrria didn't waste a moment once the Zevrians were gone. She rushed to the end of the alleyway where her daughter had gone and was almost knocked over as the girl ran headlong into her.

She took a few steps back from the force of Zala running into her and throwing her arms around her waist, but then she wrapped her own arms around the girl.

"I'm sorry," Zala mumbled into her stomach. "I know you're angry, and I know I shouldn't have run off, but I couldn't—"

"It's okay." Myrria stopped her daughter's rambling apologies. She had been mad and shocked, but now she was so relieved to have her back safely that all the other emotions evaporated. "I'm just so happy we found you."

Zala lifted her head and tipped it back to meet Myrria's gaze. "We?"

Serena and Velen walked up, with Velen wiping blood from her chin.

"You gave your mother quite a fright." Serena gave Zala and stern look, and Myrria was surprised by how maternal the madam seemed.

Zala dropped her gaze. "I know. I'm sorry." Then she glanced back up, her eyes flaring. "I didn't know she would get you to help her find me."

Serena touched a hand to her mussed blue hair. "I have many hidden talents, child."

For the second time that day, Myrria wondered how much she didn't know about the madam.

"My talents are not so hidden," Velen said with a wink and a flash of her teeth that were still dripping blood.

As Myrria fought the urge to shudder, Rose ran up from the other side, skidding to a stop when she saw Zala with her mother.

"She got away from me," she said between snatched breaths.

Zala lifted her chin defiantly. "I couldn't run and let everyone else get hurt." Then she swept her head from side to side. "Where's Rixx?"

Myrria's joy at finding her daughter deflated at the reminder that she'd lost Rixx. She held Zala by the shoulders and met her questioning gaze. "He sacrificed himself to save me."

Zala's expression hardened into one of fierce determination. "Then we have to save him right back."

Serena exchanged a glance with Myrria. "It isn't that simple, sweetie. We're outmatched."

Rose sighed. "I hate to admit it, but she's right. We only have two fighters in our group and only one weapon."

Serena held up a hand. "Three fighters."

When Myrria shot her a look, she shrugged. "I had a life before Kurril, and it didn't involve sitting around in a fancy house." She flicked a glance at Rose. "How do you think I got connected with the underground resistance? I was part of them on another planet."

Rose's mouth dropped. "Wait, are you the operative they called Serenity?"

Serena inclined her head so slightly it was almost imperceptible. "I have had many lives."

Serenity? Myrria had never heard of an underground operative named Serenity but from the way Rose was staring at her in reverent awe, she knew that she'd been someone important and impressive.

"You're a legend," Rose whispered. "You started the underground movement on Kurril. You established all the pleasure houses that aren't really pleasure houses. You keep females from being exploited and save so many of them from slavery or worse."

Myrria furrowed her brow in confusion. How could a pleasure house not be a pleasure house?

"The network is much bigger than me now," Serena said. "I'm just happy to be a part of it, and to continue tricking the males of Kurril into believing that they have the best time of their lives with my girls."

"Are you a witch?" Zala asked in a hush, her eyes wide and hopeful.

Serena ran a hand down the girl's hair and laughed. "No, my darling. But I did create a potion that convince my clients they had a marvelous time and leaves them with a strong feeling of satisfaction. I suppose that could be considered a kind of witchcraft."

Zala pivoted to Rose. "Between you and Velen and Madam Serena, we can take the bad guys."

"And me," Myrria told her. "I might not be a trained fighter but that doesn't mean I'm not tough."

Zala beamed at her and turned back to Rose. "And I'm just the right height to punch boys in their jiggly bits."

"She's right." Myrria squared her shoulders. "We have to try to rescue Rixx before they hide him away again. I won't be able to live with myself if we don't go after him."

Rose released a breath that told Myrria she was relenting against her better judgment. "Even if we're outmatched?"

"You aren't outmatched. Not anymore."

The group spun around, squinting into the shadows at the sound of the deep voice.