Page 20 of Surrendering Her Heart

“Why won’t they last?” I ask.

“Resources,” he says, shaking his head. “I was a quartermaster before I left the Order, I am familiar, in general with all that the Order has at its disposal. The crystals that power the turrets are very rare as they were imported from off-planet. That supply line was cut at the Devastation.”

We join the line of defenders making their way through the bottleneck of the outpost entrance. People filing out, probably to theirs, or our death. Knowing that I’m probably going to die doesn’t bother me.

I don’t advertise it, but Nyanna and the others know I was a marine back on the ship. I don’t want anyone to know because I know what would follow that reveal. They’d look at me with reproach. Why didn’t I and the rest of the marines protect them when those fucks attacked? Look how many people died? How is it fair I lived when so many didn’t?

And the truth is, I don’t know. We tried. I fought those bastards until I was ordered to retreat. I saw what they were doing. Capturing humans and dragging them off. Worse even. All those memories I keep locked away, but now, marching back intobattle against a different batch of alien assholes, they come flooding back.

The acrid smoke filling the ship halls. The alarms blaring. People screaming in pain, fear or… worse. The wet splash when I blasted one of them who was having his way with a poor girl. I ordered her to an escape pod, but she didn’t land with us if she landed at all. My stomach gurgles, churning acid that tries to climb my throat.

Zamis’ presence is steadying. Cool radiates from his scales and his calmness keeps any hints of my own anxiety at bay. A loudthwooshechoes down the tunnel as we pass through the door of the outpost and into the tunnel. I, along with almost everyone else, jump in surprise, but not Zamis. Him, he grunts and nods.

“The turrets?” I ask.

“Yes.”

I nod, moving faster as the tunnel widens and the crowd thins out. When we reach the crevasse that serves as an entrance to the mountain retreat, I see them. Several transports rush across the sand dunes towards us.

The low thrumming of the turrets escalates into a deafening whine, and then fire.

A streak of light cuts through the air, slamming into the lead transport. A shuddering explosion blooms against the dawn, sending burning debris spiraling toward the dunes below. Another transport jerks sideways as a second blast shreds its left engine, sending it into a violent, uncontrolled spin before crashing in a fireball. A shout goes up from our ranks. Relief, maybe even hope.

Then the guns stutter. A horrible, mechanicalclick.Then another. The turrets fall silent.

“No, no, no,” someone breathes.

I don’t need to ask why. The crystals, just like Zamis said. They’re spent. And the last two transports are still coming, engines howling, dropping fast. Zamis curses under his breath.

“Prepare to defend. Positions! NOW!” Nyanna’s voice cuts through the shock.

The Order’s ships land a short distance away and Zmaj pour out. They’re armed with lochabers but a few also have guns. Those with the guns kneel and the first shots crack through the air.

I sprint for cover, diving behind a jagged outcropping of rock as the first wave of fire streaks past. The ground beside me explodes in a shower of dust and stone. Zamis drops beside me, his tail flicking sharply.

“Stay close,” he growls.

I don’t argue.

The battle has begun.

12

AVA

Blaster fire turns the world into streaks of searing purple light. The sharp metallic scent of burned rock fills my nose as I pop up, aim, and fire. A Zmaj warrior goes down, his body jerking from the impact before he crumples to the sand. Another one seems to leap out of the sand and charges forward, lochaber raised high. I squeeze the trigger but I’m too late. He’s on me.

I roll to the side and the blade slices the air where I was. I drop the rifle, it’s useless in close quarters, and rip my knife from its sheath.

I brace myself as he charges, but he’s fast. Too fast. He lunges, his lochaber thrusting and slicing the strap of my rifle. It drops from my shoulder. I snarl, flipping my blade to stab, but before I can, another force collides with us.

Zamis.

He doesn’t just tear the enemy away, he uses the warrior’s momentum against him, a smooth, brutal motion that sends the lochaber flying. He doesn’t finish him though. Instead he turns,grabs my rifle and tosses it to me, keeping his blade on the downed Zmaj.

“Yours,” he rumbles.

My pulse hammers. He’s giving me the choice, the power. I don’t hesitate. I raise my rifle and fire. The swirling ball of electrical energy slams into the Zmaj, dropping him.

---