Chapter Thirty-two
Xairn felt like the marrow in the center of his bones had suddenly frozen. How could he miss his father’s entrance so completely? And how much had the AllFather heard of what they were saying?
“Ssso the Complex is sssecure, is it?” his father demanded, drifting closer in the glistening dravex.
“It’s about to be.” Praying the Kindred warriors would understand, Xairn waved his shocker menacingly and growled, “I told you to hand me your weapons and keep your hands where I can see them.”
Deep and Lock exchanged a look and then both of them handed over their blazers and spread their hands, palm up. “No need to get nasty,” Deep said. “We were just leaving.”
“But now you will be ssstaying, yesss?” The AllFather glided forward, his eyes gleaming with hungry glee. “Of course, it begsss the question—why are you here in the first place, Warrior?”
“They came to find Lauren,” Xairn said, still keeping his shocker trained on the two Kindred. He hoped they would trust him. If they all stayed calm and kept their heads, they might still get out of here alive.
“And they have found her, haven’t they, my sssweet?” The red-black bubble floated over to Lauren who shivered and tightened her grip on Kat. “Sssoon,” the AllFather hissed at her. “Sssoon I will have you, my lovely. And you will bear me many, many daughtersss. And I ssshall have them too—until the entire Ssscourge race is replenished, ssstronger than we ever were before.”
Xairn wanted to kill him—to break through the fragile, glistening shell of the dravik and wring his neck, but he held himself in check grimly. Once released from the bubble of blood and power, his father would be a much greater threat. As it was, all he could do was issue orders for his rather stupid vat-grown guards to carry out. But if the bubble burst…Well, Xairn just hoped it wouldn’t until they were well clear of the Complex and on their way into space. In the mean time, he waited to see what his father would do next.
The AllFather drifted closer to Lauren and Kat. “Ssso beautiful,” he hissed, looking hungrily at Lauren. The sense of dread and horror in the room was almost palpable—the AllFather carried it with him wherever he went like a nauseating scent that permeated everything. Xairn could see that it affected both the human women but neither of them cried or panicked. Instead, Kat raised her chin and looked his father squarely in the eyes.
“Leave her alone.”
“Ah, thisss one hasss ssspirit.” Skeletal hands reached out from behind the bubble and Xairn knew if the wall of the dravik had not been in the way, his father would have caressed Kat’s cheek with his scabrous fingers.
Kat seemed to know it too because she flinched back, ever so slightly, but never broke eye contact. “You’re a sick, crazy bastard and you need to step back before I pop that weird blood balloon thingy you’re floating around in and you go down like a ton of bricks.”
The sense of gleeful lust radiating from the AllFather shifted subtly to irritation. “A bit too much ssspirit, it seemsss. And which of these is your mate?” He looked at Deep and Lock—both of whom were poised for a fight. Xairn knew that if his father came even an inch nearer their human female, they would spring and all would be lost.
“They both are,” he said, moving subtly to put himself between the AllFather and Kat, while still keeping his weapon trained on the Kindred. “I believe they are Twin Kindred.”
“Isss thisss ssso?” The AllFather looked at Deep who nodded shortly.
“It is. Which means both of us are ready to kill you if you so much as lay a finger on her.”
The bubble glided backward and Xairn breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. “I will not touch her,” the AllFather said, still staring at Deep. “But you will not, either. Ever again, my brave warriorsss.”
“What do you mean?” Lock asked.
“You ssshall sssee.” The AllFather nodded at Xairn. “Take them to the cutting lab and prepare the psychic-knife. And bring the girl.” He nodded at Lauren. “Ssshe ssshall watch as their bondsss are sssundered.”
Xairn nodded shortly. “Very well.” He looped an arm around Kat’s neck and waved his weapon at the warriors. “Do as my father says or your female will pay the price.”
Deep’s hands curled into fists and the pupils of his black eyes turned red. “Take your hands off her! Now.”
“I’ll release her when you do as you’re told.” Xairn kept his voice steady and hoped the dark twin would understand. “I believe I know what my father has in mind—you and your female are going to be taking a turn in the psychic-knife.”
Lock touched his brother’s arm. “Be calm,” he murmured. “He won’t hurt her as long as we do as he says.”
“Indeed.” The AllFather nodded within the dravik. “Listen to your twin and behave yourself, warrior. I may even let the three of you go once your bondsss are cut. The thought of having my own bride to breed makesss me feel almossst merciful.”
Xairn was sure the two Kindred would have fought to the death for their female—it was the Kindred way. His way too, he thought, looking at Lauren who was standing beside him shivering. But since a trip inside the psychic-knife was what they had come for in the first place, he was fairly certain they would play along. Up to a point. It was going to be up to Xairn to gauge when they should make their move—he only hoped they could do it before the slimy bubble of the dravik around the Allfather burst, releasing him in a state of supreme metal power.
“My guardsss and I will retire to the viewing area beside the lab.” His father’s hissing voice broke into his frantic train of thought. “The girl will come with usss. Alpha—take her.”
“That is not necessary.” Xairn struggled to keep his voice even as the huge vat-grown guard took Lauren’s slim shoulders in its huge hands. Gods, just seeing another male touching her was enough to send him over the edge! But he had to stay calm. “I have the situation in hand, Father. I do not need help.”
“Of course you do, my ssson.” The AllFather’s red eyes gleamed evilly. “And even if you do not, I feel better with the girl in my own cussstody. Alpha, come.”
Lauren threw a pleading glance over her shoulder as the huge guard marched her away. Xairn could do nothing but watch her go. The muscle in the side of his jaw clenched so hard he could feel his teeth grinding together and his grip on the shocker tightened until he was sure he was leaving fingerprints in the metal itself. He couldn’t even say anything to reassure her—though the AllFather had turned his back and was gliding into the cutting lab, he was still within earshot. Xairn felt like he was being torn in two as he watched her go but he nodded at Lauren as reassuringly as he could.
Trust me—I will keep my promise! Gods, how he wished he had a link with her—the same kind the Kindred were said to have with their bonded brides. Some way to communicate his true intentions other than just his eyes.
But Lauren seemed to understand him somehow. She nodded back and the look on her face became a little less desperate.
She trusts me, Xairn realized, feeling like someone had stabbed a thorn in his heart. Despite the hopelessness of the situation, she still trusts me.
As he watched her go, he swore to himself not to betray that trust.
Even if it meant his death.