Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

Lomax

I paced in the empty room, rubbing the bruise that had formed on my cheek. It throbbed with an intensity that made me feel sick, and based on the swelling and pain, I was pretty sure that asshole Eastolf had given me at least a cracked cheekbone.

I’d woken alone on the floor of the small quarters, and despite pounding on the door and screaming until my voice was hoarse, I hadn’t heard any movement or voices in the hallway.

The quarters had no window, and I had no idea how long I’d been out for. It could have been minutes or hours. Regan could already be dead. My stomach clenched, and I rushed to the small bathroom and retched into the toilet. I hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before, and I threw up nothing but bile that burned my throat.

I flushed the toilet and rinsed my mouth before drinking water from the tap. My cheek bumped against the tap, and I cried out at the pain, staggering away and holding it lightly. Hot tears slid down my cheeks, and I leaned against the wall, trying to stop my panic from turning me into a babbling, frantic mess.

Regan couldn’t be dead. He just couldn’t.

He is, and you’re about to meet a fate worse than death.

I pushed that thought out of my head. No, Regan wasn’t dead, and I wasn’t being fucking sold on the black market by a bunch of shithead aliens. I just needed to get the fuck out of this room, haul ass to the dungeon, and save my man.

Easy, right?

I walked to the door and studied it closely before turning the handle back and forth. I had no idea how to pick a lock and no tools to do so, not even a damn hairpin, even if I had known.

Okay, so I would need to break through the door with brute force. I slammed my body against the door a few times, trying not to cry when it sent shooting pain through my cheek and into my skull.

“Give it up, idiot. These doors are thick, and you’re too weak to break them down like some wannabe superhero. Just take a deep breath and use your goddamn brain,” I said. “There has to be something in here that can break a door down.”

I ran to the small kitchen and searched the cupboard and drawers, looking for something I could use. My ridiculous hope for an axe in the cupboard didn’t materialize. Hell, there wasn’t even a fucking butter knife.

I slammed the last cupboard shut and stared at the empty apartment as the panic thumped and bumped in my chest.

I spun, staring at the door when the lock clicked and the door opened. Noka entered the apartment, shutting the door behind him, and I backed away. He carried the electric stick thingy in one hand and a leather bag over one shoulder.

“Get the fuck away from me,” I said.

He winced and looked behind him at the closed door. “Quiet, human.”

“Fuck you,” I said.

“I am here to help you,” Noka said.

“Sure you fucking are,” I said. “Hey, why don’t you go fuck yourself, you sniveling little rodent.”

“I am here to save you and your mate,” Noka said.

“Regan’s still alive?” My body went still as hope soared through me.

“Yes, but we must hurry.”

I gave him a suspicious look. “Where are we going?”

“I am taking you to the dungeon. You and Regan can escape through the drainage tunnels into the forest. But we must hurry. It is almost dawn, and I do not doubt that Eastolf will remove Regan’s head as soon as there is light in the courtyard.”

My stomach clenched, and I almost barfed again right there. “Why are you doing this?”

He lowered the wand, his shoulders slumping. “All females are precious, Lomax. I cannot stand by and watch as my king deliberately puts you in harm’s way.”

“That’s why you’re helping me? You don’t care if your king gives the humans a bunch of weapons, which, by the way, they’d probably use to hurt women, but handing me over to some dickhead aliens to be sold into slavery is the line in the sand for you, huh?”

He didn’t reply, and I shook my head. “Fuck it, I don’t care why you’re doing it. Let’s go.”

I followed him out of the room, and he said in a low voice, “We must move quickly, human. We cannot be seen by anyone.”

I nodded and followed him through the palace. I was pretty fucking sure I didn’t take a single breath until we turned into the hallway that led to the dungeon. Moving fast, Noka yanked open the door, and I wrinkled my nose at the smell drifting up.

“Quickly,” Noka said, pulling a small portable light from under his cloak. He turned it on, and we descended the stairs, the air growing damper and smellier with every step.

We reached a second wooden door, and Noka pulled it open, leading me down another hallway. Water dripped, and I could hear nails clicking against the stone floor. Something small and hairless darted in front of me, leaping over my foot before disappearing into a large crack in the wall. I gasped, clamping my hand over my mouth and sending stabbing pain through my cheek as Noka glanced back.

“It is only a cassowary,” he said. “They are harmless.”

I nodded, ignoring the deep throb of my cheekbone as we turned the corner. There was another door at the end of the corridor, and Noka stopped. He held the weapon out to me and said in a low voice, “You must use this on the guard.”

“What? Why do I have to do it?”

“Because if the king is to believe my story that you stole the weapon from me and used it to help Regan escape, I cannot be the one the guard sees holding the weapon,” Noka said.

“Right,” I said and took the wand from him. It was small enough to tuck into the sleeve of my shirt, and I indicated for Noka to move in front of me.

“Walk ahead of me and look scared,” I said.

“That will not be a problem,” he said grimly.

We approached the door, and Noka opened it. A few portable lights placed on the floor illuminated the hallway. Wooden doors, their small openings covered with metal bars, lined the hall.

A Draax wearing a king’s guard uniform stood in front of one of the doors, and he frowned when he saw Noka and me. His hand fell to his sword handle. “Noka, what are you doing here?”

“The king agreed to let the little female say goodbye to Regan,” Noka said.

“I cannot open the door,” the king’s guard said.

“I know. They can say their goodbyes through it,” Noka said as we walked toward the door. “Say your goodbye, human.”

I waited until we were at the door and shoved Noka to the side, letting the wand slip out of my sleeve and pressing it against the guard’s abdomen.

“I’m sorry,” I said and pushed the button.

The guard cried out, his body arching, and I released the button, cringing when the Draax dropped to the ground.

I turned to face the door, standing on my tiptoes and clutching at the bars. “Regan! Regan!”

He appeared in front of me, and I started to cry, reaching my fingers through the bars to touch his face. “Oh, honey.”

Noka had squatted and was looking through the guard’s cloak, but I ignored him, staring into Regan’s beautiful silver eyes. “Are you all right, Regan?”

He nodded, his eyes turning the colour of flint when he stared at my face in the dim light. His fingers brushed lightly against my cheek, scowling when even that made me flinch. “Who hurt you, my sadora.”

“That asshole Eastolf,” I said. “I tried to run, and he punched me.”

Regan’s lips thinned. “I am sorry, my mate.”

“Stop,” I said. “This isn’t your fault.”

Noka joined us with a metal key. He unlocked the door, and I yanked it open. I started to cry again when Regan immediately pulled me into his arms. I kissed him, not caring how much it hurt my cheek, before hugging him hard. “I love you, Regan.”

“I love you.” He stared at Noka. “Why are you helping us?”

“The king is sending your mate to the Korceans as an apology. He doesn’t care that they will sell her into slavery,” Noka said.

He handed the leather bag slung over his shoulder to Regan. “There is food and juice in the bag. You can escape through the drainage tunnels. They open up into the forest behind the castle. Head west toward the town of Ormskirk. If you move quickly and the weather holds, you will be there in three days.”

“Wait, we have to walk through the forest?” I said. “A forest that has a lot of fucking creatures who want to eat us, and it’s your cold season.”

“Take this.” Noka handed me his cloak as Regan took the cloak and sword from the unconscious guard.

“Just wait,” I said. “Isn’t it better for us to try to take a ship? Boken has one waiting for us in the landing pad.”

Noka shook his head. “The docking bay is on the far side of the castle, and you will not make it without being seen. They will go after you if they know you have left by ship. Regan is an adequate pilot but not good enough to avoid an attack from the more experienced pilots in the king’s guard.”

“He is right,” Regan said.

“I don’t have my phone, and neither do you,” I said. “We won’t be able to call for help.”

“They will not work in the forest,” Noka said. “Once you reach Ormskirk, your mate will find a communication device to use.”

He pulled a small sharp blade from his pocket. “She needs her tracking chip removed.”

“I will do it.” Regan took the blade, and I pushed up my sleeve.

“It’s right below this.” I pointed to the mole on my arm and hissed out a breath when Regan used the blade to slice open my skin.

“This will hurt, sadora,” he warned before poking the knife into my arm.

“Fuck,” I snarled, trying not to give in to my instinct to yank my arm out of Regan’s grip.

He popped the chip out and crushed it beneath his boot before tearing a piece of fabric from the guard’s uniform and tying it around my arm.

Noka glanced at the wand I still held. “Use that on me and go.”

“Come with us,” Regan said.

“Um, no fucking way,” I said.

“I cannot,” Noka said. “My duty is to my king.”

“Yeah, an asshole king who’s gone insane,” I said.

Regan squeezed my hand, giving Noka a solemn look. “Even if you can convince Eastolf you had nothing to do with our escape, he may kill you anyway.”

“I know,” Noka said.

“Shit,” I said. “Okay, come with us.”

Noka shook his head before giving Regan a faint smile. “May the goddess Krono watch over you, king’s guard.”

“And you, my friend,” Regan said.

Noka took a deep breath before turning to me. “Do it, little human.”

“I’m sorry.” I pressed the wand against his side and pushed the button, wincing when Noka groaned and flailed wildly. I released the button, and Regan caught the unconscious Noka before he could fall to the floor. He lowered him gently and squeezed his shoulder before straightening and taking my hand.

“Are you ready, my mate?”

“Walking three days in the cold through a forest filled with creatures who want to eat us? Who wouldn’t be ready for that,” I said.

He kissed my knuckles. “I will keep you safe, sadora. I swear it.”