Page 289 of Evil Hearts

“Do not engage,” Ryxin snapped. “Use your Luxbands.”

He raised his own paw, slamming it against the opal-white tear-gem nestled in his bracelet. The gem pulsed once, flaring with ethereal light that enveloped him and his charge.

The icy wilderness and its dangers gave way, replaced by the warmth of his castle’s tele-landing pad. The glowing stones underfoot hummed with power, their pulsing light a welcome contrast to the dangers outside.

The shaky breath against his neck and the weight of the fragile, trembling strange figure remained, a reminder that his night’s work was far from over.

Ryxin’s fur bristled as he exhaled sharply before carefully lowering the figure and cradling it in his arms.

Their small form fit awkwardly against his broad chest, almost weightless in his hold. The creature’s face came into view, once pale but now red and streaked with frozen tears. They clung to their cheeks like shards of ice, glittering in the castle’s soft glow.Their lips were faintly blue, and their breath came in shallow, uneven bursts.

Something twisted in his chest—an unfamiliar, unwelcome feeling that struck like a blow. “Healer!” Ryxin roared, his voice reverberating off the stone walls.

The creature stirred weakly at the sound, their lips moving as if to speak, but the words came out garbled and incoherent. Their head tilted against his chest, and their body went limp, all traces of fight draining away.

The sight—this fragile surrender—was like a crack through his iron will. He clutched them tighter, needing to give them some of his warmth.

What was this feeling? His instincts roared at him to protect, to shield, to ensure this delicate thing survived. The allure of their scent—sweet and tantalizing, mingled with the acrid tang of burnt metal—wrapped around him like a trap.

Was it a defense mechanism? A trick designed to confuse predators, to make monsters like him hesitate before finishing the deed?

The thought gnawed at him as he stared down at the limp figure, their strained face bathed in the tele-landing pad’s lighting. His jaw tightened, the urge to dismiss the strange pull warring with something… else.

This creature, this invader—their people had crossed unannounced into his territory, and now, one of its emergency vessels had crashed onto his world—their capital.

And yet, as their shivering breaths ghosted against his chest, Ryxin could feel his resolve bending.

Something was telling him—perhaps Lux herself—that he couldn’t let them die by his hand, by his dismissal of their needs.

“Healer!”

Chapter Two

Ryxin

Healer Yarx hurriedacross the glowing tele-pad, his brown fur catching the light as his medpack clanked against his side. Strands of gray peppered the thick coat along his jaw and temples, a sign of his age and years of service. His face was lined with concern, his amber eyes scanning the unconscious figure cradled in Ryxin’s arms before flicking to the other Knights carrying their burdens.

“These are the same species?” Yarx asked, voice sharp with urgency. “The ones you shot down?”

Ryxin gave a curt nod. “Yes, they’re the same ones.”

Yarx’s ears flicked back as he huffed, half frustration, half resignation. “You just returned from that… so-called “battle” two days ago. Tell me we aren’t going to have more escape vessels raining from the sky.”

“Hopefully theirs will be the only one.”

Xar approached, a scowl etched on his face as he carried another unconscious figure slung over his shoulder. The creature dangled limply, its feet bare and its clothing reduced to tattered scraps. “Lux forbid,” Xar grumbled, his tone irritated as he adjusted his grip. “What are we supposed to do with these… creatures?”

“They need the healing ward,” Yarx answered firmly, already scanning Ryxin’s figure with his medscanner. The small device hummed faintly, its pale blue light sweeping over the limp form in Ryxin’s arms. “Strip them of these rags, get them under the healing dome.”

Ryxin’s sharp eyes moved to the other four others, all in varying states of disrepair. Their condition was dire, but his charge…they seemed worse. Their pale face was ghastly against their dark lashes, their frozen tears still clinging to their skin. Their chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, as if their body was losing the fight for survival.

“She’s worse than the others.” The healer’s expression darkened, his frown deepening as he focused on the scanner. “She needs immediate help.”

Ryxin’s ears twitched, and he tilted his head down to peer at the figure in a new light. “She?”

“Yes.” Yarx straightened, his tone matter-of-fact as he motioned toward the figure’s chest. “Mammary glands. She’s female. A human from that Class X planet Earth. Appears to be of fertile age.” His medscanner beeped again, confirming the diagnosis. Yarx turned to the other Knights. “Why are you still here? Take your humans to the healing ward, now. They need warmth and the Lux Tears to stabilize them before it’s too late.”

Ryxin’s claws flexed against the fabric of the figure’s ragged clothing. A deep, primal growl rumbled low in his chest. His instincts screamed that she was fragile, that she needed protection—his protection.

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