Page 76 of Chained

“Don’t kill me!” he murmurs, his tail coiling away from me.

From the color of his belly scales, he has to be a young Oykig and my heart softens.

“I have no intention of killing you,” I say. “I just need help to find my mate and get her out of here, away from the Bogarok.”

“Mate?” He loses the dreamy, terrified look. “Youare mated?”

“Is that such a hard thing to believe?” I say, affronted.

“You’re Maxym, terror of the dome,” he says in hushed tones. “The unbeatable, the feral, the merciless…”

“Pleased to meet you.” I give him a little wave. Unfortunately, it’s the hand with the dagger, and he attempts to recoil but is stopped by the other dagger pinning his tunic to the floor.

I reach down and pull it free before offering it to him.

“And if you’re going to help Maxym the Merciless, you’re going to need this.”

CLEO

“Look into this light,” the lizard says.

“No.” I shut my eyes tight.

He sighs. “Look, for the final time, I’m being forced to work for the Bogarok. They have my family.”

“I don’t care. It doesn’t mean you get to experiment on me.” I fold my arms over my chest and realize it makes my stomach stand out, and I don’t want this creature knowing about my baby, so I drop them to my sides.

“I’m not experimenting on you,” he says, sharp teeth gritted. “I’m examining you, and the longer it takes, the longer it will be before I have to turn you over to Szek.”

“You mean you don’t want to?”

He shakes his head sadly. “Has your species never heard of resistance before?”

“I’m pretty sure we invented it.” I huff. “But handing me over to Szek isn’t resisting.”

“It is if I tell him you have a space virus and have to be quarantined so you don’t infect him and his crew,” the lizard creature retorts.

“Why would you do that?”

“Because you are with young. Because you’ve done nothing to warrant being at their mercy and because I hate them all with the force of a thousand burning suns,” he responds, fists curled up. His body shakes and his eyes close as he rocks on his feet.

I know all of this could be a ruse to get information out of me, but so far, given I’ve met Szek and seen what the Bogarok have done, this seems far too subtle. Far too slow a way of interrogating for them.

I have to take a leap of faith sometime, like I did with Maxym. Like I failed to do with Retah and Tibi. All three of which are my world.

Hesitantly, I put out my hand and touch his. His skin is warmer than I was expecting.

“I’m here with a Gryn and a Remek warrior. We’re trying to get to what the Bogarok want before they find it, and then we’re going to take back Tatatunga,” I say carefully. “Maybe we can help you?”

I hold my breath. I’ve given away more than I should, but it’s enough I should know one way or the other. Bracing for the door to burst open and Szek to shout in triumph or some such drama, I don’t let go of the lizard creature’s hand.

His eyes open.

“You’re trying to save this place?” he says quietly.

“Maybe notsave.” I look around at the walls. “I’m not sure anyone wants to save a palace of violence, but certainly we want to get rid of the occupiers.”

“You and two warriors?”

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