Page 32 of His Brazen Bride

Imake it to the spot the hooded man spoke of, a thick square block of stone just beyond the back gate of the Palace.

The atmosphere out here is much like Earth’s—maybe slightly less oxygenated, since I’m winded after only hiking downhill a small distance. There’s less pollution, too, though, which is nice. The plants, rocks, and streams are all a host of strange and vibrant colors. Sweet and earthy unfamiliar smells have my senses struggling to place them. It’s all very beautiful.

I hide behind the stone when I hear a craft nearby, thinking it might be a guard, but when I turn to look, I see no Ydris symbol on the front.

This must be my ride.

I stand and show myself to the oncoming ship. It slows and lowers to the ground.

Here we go.

I walk toward it and notice the markings—snake-like vines encircling massive machetes with jagged edges. Pretty menacing, if you ask me. Maybe that’s just my perception?

When the hatch opens, I get my answer. Nope, not just my perception.

Three towering aliens with onyx horns, blue muscular bodies, and dark iridescent armor emerge. They look like Zadren. But these guys are scary…with scars and obsidian eyes that stare at me hungrily, like I’m raw meat. They’re holding various weapons—guns, daggers, chains with spikes.

Fuck me.

Did the hooded dude set me up?

I turn to run, but before I can take a step, a thick chain wraps around my waist, digging into my flesh.

“Help!” I scream, hoping against hope someone might be out here to hear me.

I pull and kick, but the chain’s too strong. I’m yanked backward until I lose my footing and fall to my knees. One of them grabs my arm, their rough skin scraping mine as I try to get away. “Stop it!”

“Shut up and quit fighting, bitch,” a gravelly voice behind my ear rasps as a hand closes around my throat.

“Where…is the…hooded man?” I ask, realizing even as I say it how dumb that sounds.

“What hooded man?” The guy with his hand around my neck replaces the chain around my waist with his rock-solid arms. “We’ve simply come to retrieve our boss’s purchase. Those double-dealing Belran took off with you to sell to another buyer.”

I blink. “Did your boss buy Iris and Lacey, too?”

He cackles. “He buys a lot of humans. We don’t bother with names.”

He pulls me harshly into the craft, another guy closing the door. “The Ydris will be on our tails in seconds if we don’t get moving, Drak.”

I’m shoved to the guy called Drak. “OK. Toss her into the cell and let’s go.”

I struggle, but this Ocrevv is even stronger than Ryz. Definitely bigger, and way angrier. He kicks me forward through the oddly illuminated craft. Multi-colored LED lights are everywhere, like a disco.

A door opens and I’m thrown into a cell and down to a floor as hard as concrete.

“Disable her comm,” says one of them.

When Drak reaches for me I grab his arm and twist it behind his back with all my might. He roars, backhanding me with his free arm, sending me skidding across the floor. I hit the bars on the other side, and they spark on impact.

I yelp, scurrying away from them.

I can smell my singed clothes.

The other alien laughs at Drak shaking out his hurt arm.

“Shut up, Cirn,” he replies.

Drak snatches my wrist roughly. His eyes flash like bolts of lightning, and this time I smell my own flesh burning. Then he drops my arm.

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