Page 31 of Alien Knight Steals the Bride

Juliette’s eyes popped open, fully alert this time. “Oh my god. They’re coming.”

“Yes,” he nodded, helping her stand. “Are you strong enough for transport? The experience can be a bit disturbing.”

She turned her head and saw strangers, all but the one she’d spoken with during her communications with Dr. Jorvin. These were huge alien warriors, all wearing strange black camouflage material that flickered in patches in and out of sight like shadows in the night. Juliette turned back to Torrin, questions racing through her mind at the speed of light.

Greig interrupted. “Enemy ship approaching! Straight ahead! Get down!”

“I’ll explain later,” Torrin promised, pulling her back down into a running crouch. “For now, let’s get you out of here. I don’t want you anywhere near here when the A’nua Na-KI and their Vilitos friends find us.”

Juliette looked at Torrin with love in her eyes and dug her heels in, refusing to go. Refusing to run. “No. They’re just as responsible for Balinora’s death as C’bor. I won’t go. I can’t pretend to know what just happened, but I know we are one. If you die, then I’ll die, too, so I might as well stay and fight.” She looked at her hands as hot sparks tickled her fingertips, her eyes glazing with inner fire. “With your help, I can do this. I know I can. Just guide me through it.”

Torrin’s heart dropped into his stomach as a large black ship appeared directly in front of them. There was no time to argue with Juliette. The time for choosing was gone.

“I’m right handed, so stay to my left!” he ordered Juliette. “If you think you can control those flames, we could use you as a sort of human flame-thrower. I should be immune to it now that we’re together, but dangerous all the same! We could die here today if we stay and fight!”

“I won’t let my friend die in vain, Torrin! I have to fight!” she yelled over the sound of the ship’s enormous engine thrusters.

Juliette took a moment to figure out how to direct a stream of white hot flame through her hands, but once she figure it out, there was no stopping her.

Torrin nodded to Taeger and Falden, then led the way toward the enemy ship, hacking and slicing their way through Vilitos scum as Juliette spread her flame across their forward path, incinerating everything it touched.

On and on they fought until they reached the ship. “Get back!” she shouted.

“What are you doing?” he yelled, fear for her uppermost in his mind.

Juliette put both hands on the dark ship and closed her eyes. Soon, the metal began to heat. Burn. Melt. Inside, they could hear inhuman shrieking.

The ship’s engines roared to life. In an instant, it was gone.

Juliette fell to the ground, unconscious. Torrin sank to his knees, covering her protectively with his body as he, too lost consciousnees, as much of the energy she’d used had come from him. They were one.

Juliette yawned.She tried to stretch, but something heavy was on top of her. Birds chirped at the window. She slit one eye open, too comfortable to move far. Torrin’s heavy leg was draped over hers. She was in a big, soft bed. Snuggling closer to his blessedly cool frame, she opened her other eye and looked around.

“Great! You’re awake. I’m Sasha,” a young woman’s voice greeted her.

“Agh!” she screamed, completely disoriented. Without thinking, she shot a ball of fire at the strange voice, realizing too late that the ethereal beauty and the huge alien warrior standing protectively next to her were no threat.

Blue flame engulfed the woman as Juliette’s fireball hurtled toward her face. The fireball hit the wall of blue and fizzled out. “Oh,” exclaimed Sasha. “That was unexpected. A bit tingly.” She smiled sweetly.

Juliette shoved at Torrin’s arm until he groaned sleepily. “Torrin,” she hissed under her breath. “Wake up.

“Mmm?” he mumbled. “Come back to bed.”

Juliette shoved him again. “Wake up. We have company.”

With one smooth motion, Torrin rolled out of bed, instantly on high alert, ready to kill. “What?”

Juliette hissed in aggravation. “And now you’re standing there naked.”

Torrin shook the sleep out of his eyes, finally focusing on what was really happening. Dagan, the Caldorian King, was standing in front of him, grinning like a Cheshire cat. And next to him, a tiny little Lumerian female. He stared. No. That wasn’t quite right. She had markings across her forehead that sparkled like crystals. He’d never seen anything quite like it before. He didn’t want to be rude to his king, but he needed answers.

“Dagan,” he frowned. “What’s going on? Where are we?”

“You’re on Earth, my friend,” Dagan rumbled. “You’re in my home, at least until I can get a more permanent one built. And this is Sasha,” he squeezed the tiny woman next to him. “Like you, we went through the yielding.”

Torrin looked around. “How did we get here?”

This time Sasha answered. “We were going to bring you in our ship, but the big warrior named Taeger insisted he bring you here,” she said, scrunching up her nose. “I think he and Falden are still downstairs arguing over who’s going to protect you now that the cat’s out of the bag and all.”

---