Chapter 23 ZAPHAROS
The ship’s nav-system pinged: approaching Morrakbarr. Good. One step closer.
I’d had the Space Guardians act as though I was their prisoner so that the Ohrur convoy would carry me straight into the nest without raising alarms. It worked.
The entire trip, I made them sleep, working with the information I’d pulled from the Ohrur computers and one unfortunate Guardian’s mind: hundreds of females were routed to this world for the same program—Ella among them.
I couldn't access the program itself; it was under high security and multiple firewalls.
The Guardian knew nothing about it. A fact that set my nerves on edge.
As the shuttle was docking, I released the Guardians from their sleep so that they could escort me to the building where Ella was being held. Everyone around the spaceport and the hangars stopped and gaped at us, thinking the Guardians had caught a prize. I let them keep thinking it.
And then, just as we were about to enter the building, a new pulse struck me—not Ella’s cry but a presence like a flicker at the edge of a star.
Sloane. Her signature burned faintly across the port’s psychic noise, as unmistakable as a glyph on stone.
What in the seven suns was she doing here?
Was she part of this, or was something deeper at work?
She wasn't alone either. I burrowed into her mind, careful not to alert her to my presence, and recognized another Space Guardian and two Ohrurs. What in the Dark Abyss?
I didn’t have time to unravel it. Ella first. Always, Ella first.
I kept my aura low, my wrists loose in the cuffs, my face blank. My guards ushered me into a room, and I could finally unleash. Nothing was holding my full fury back now. The males who had captured and held me were the first victims of it. But they wouldn't be the last.
I sent my mind out to search for Ella. Incredible relief rushed through me when I felt her presence. She was here. I was just about to move to the door when the other presence made itself known again. Sloane.
I wasn't a male to believe in coincidences, but neither did I suspect she had anything to do with this—even though she was in very questionable company—the only logical conclusion was that a power higher than mine had sent her here.
What and who I needed to determine. But not now —other things were in play, and Sloane might come in handy.
I sent my mind out toward the Space Guardian who came with her and found him different from the ones I had encountered so far. Interesting, but it added to my theory that, whatever the reason they were here, it had nothing to do with mine.
Ella’s presence pulsed, faint but steady, like a star hidden behind smoke.
Sloane's footsteps whispered. Against my impulse to run to Ella, I let my body rest against the desk, barely taking in the carnage I had caused, and waited for Sloane to open the door.
I would not let her see how frantic I was to find Ella.
So when she opened the door, blaster raised, I glared at her. “Took you long enough.”
She took the dead Space Guardians in before her eyes turned on me, suspicion and irritation battled across her face.
“Hello, Zapharos,” she said, with the kind of huff mortals use when they're pretending not to be intimidated, “What do you want?”
Interesting. She wasn’t surprised to see me at all.
I let the observation slide through my mind like a blade across whetstone, testing the edges of her thoughts, quick, bright, already calculating escape routes and contingencies.
So she had seen me step out of the ship. Hmm. Rescue? I could work with that.
I stepped forward. “I need your help.”
“Help with what?” She sputtered.
“I’ll tell you on the way. Let’s go.”
She bristled but followed me. Still, she couldn't resist filling me in, "I have friends waiting for us aboard a ship. We need to get out of here."
If she thought this was news, she underestimated me. I'd already found out the bulk of her plan from exploring the mind of her Space Guardian, Vraax. As I’d suspected, they were here for entirely different reasons, but I realized that they needed to know whatever we were about to find out.
"I know." I didn't even look back at her.
Suddenly, two more Space Guardians came around the corner. Since Sloane was slight enough to hide behind me, they didn't see her at first.
One yelled, "Hold it."
"Sloane?" I commanded in a bored voice, knowing she would take care of them.
She handled them with ease and efficiency, but she was a little slow. “We need to work on your response time.” I needled her.
She didn't rise to the bait, just sent a glare at me that would have easily killed a lesser male. I ignored it; my mind was fully on Ella now. Her presence was growing stronger, and I kept sending her messages to let her know I was here and to stay strong.
"Will you tell me now what we're looking for?" Sloane asked, just when I felt a response from Ella.
Irritated by the interruption, I asked Sloane, "How do you humans say it in your line of work?"
"I have no idea—" She started, but I didn't let her finish.
"It’s a need-to-know basis," I filled her in. Yes, I had read up on human military intelligence—Sloane in particular—while nearly going insane on the flight to Morrakbarr.
The elevator came to a stop. I raised my hand for Sloane to wait before moving her behind my back again, hoping that by giving her a purpose, she would shut up and let me continue to try to contact Ella.
I felt her checking me out, though, and snarled, "Quit staring at me. Your Soulweb Glyphs give you away as someone's mate."
She didn't have the decency to deny it; instead, she went straight for an attack, "What are we doing here?"
I sensed Ohrurs and nodded at Sloane, "Take care of them."
"What? Who?" She fell silent when she must have heard the approaching footsteps. How these humans stayed alive was a mystery to me. She opened fire, and all six ended up in a pile on the ground. That's when I noticed that her blaster was set to stun, not kill. Interesting.
"You're welcome." She glared at me as if I should be grateful that she had taken out the Ohrurs.
Again, I felt a faint echo from Ella ...Zaph… and I grunted a reply at Sloane, irked again by the interruption. Amused, I sensed her urge to kick me between the legs, and couldn't stop myself, "I dare you."
"Fucking ass," she cussed, making me laugh despite myself. I liked her.
Sudden blaster fire lit the hall. Damn, Sloane had distracted me.
Instinct took me; I lunged, pulling her down and covering her with my body, taking the volley on my shield.
I felt her thinking we were done for, and just as I solidified my aura to shield us, I sent out a shockwave that sent the Space Guardians who had snuck up on us flying into the wall.
By the time I stood, I was a god of vengeance.
I sent out a command to two more Space Guardians who had just emerged to knock their skulls together and take each other out.
Her glare speared me. “You didn’t have to kill them.”
“They’re not dead. That’s what healing wands are for.” I retorted.
Another thought crossed her face, and her eyes narrowed as she realized I’d never been a prisoner. “You could have left anytime you felt like it,” she accused.
I let the corner of my mouth tilt, enjoying the small victory.
“I told you. I need your help. It was easier to intercept you here.” I baited her further.
I felt her urge to just take off without me, and I had to figure out a way to make her follow me.
She and Vraax needed to know what was happening here.
We were both brought here for that very reason.
I could feel it in my soul, but I had no idea by whom.
"This whole thing… what is this?" She demanded, clearly frustrated that she hadn't realized my full power sooner.
"I told you—I needed you. It seemed easier to intercept you here.
" Why was it so much fun to antagonize her?
I was just as surprised by her being here as she was when she caught sight of me as a prisoner earlier.
But I wouldn't let her know that. Let her think I had more powers than I possessed out here in Auris Prime.
As long as I kept her engaged and sidetracked, she would follow me to Ella.
She would see what I already feared we'd discover.
"How did you know I would be here?" She demanded, fully exasperated now.
"Oh, Sloane," I tsked, shaking my head as if pretending to be puzzled.
"Well?" She tried hard to keep her composure.
"Some things are already written in the stars," I declared enigmatically, enjoying our little game.
"Don't give me that BS, Zapharos. I want to know."
"Hmm, I think your species has evolved, if that isn't explanation enough for you anymore," was all I said. I learned that once upon a time, the humans had Oracles, just like we did, who liked to speak in riddles. It seemed that time was gone for them.
Ella's presence was pulling on me, and I walked by Sloane without glancing back or saying another word.
Huffing my annoyance, I stepped over the pile of unconscious Ohrurs and Space Guardians.
Wordlessly, she followed me down the hall, around another split-off until we reached a third.
There, I stopped by the corner, sensing more Guardians.
"Take care of them," I pointed around the corner.
"What if I don't?"
She dared to challenge me? She wanted to keep playing games?
Fine.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Answers." She responded, challenging me. Daring me.
“You disappoint me, Sloane,” I said, and it came out sadder than I’d meant. She thought me untouchable. She didn’t understand that every second here with her was a second Ella remained caged, tormenting my heart.