Page 76 of Hooded

“This is a big moment, Strykr says. We get to determine what to do about the Galactic Council,” Klynn says. “I’ve managed to comm one of the other gladiators from the dome, Maxym. He recovered information from there which is enough to show the Council has been complicit in both what happened to the Gryn and a number of other species, including the Sarkarnii.”

“Sarkarnii? Aren’t they the dragon ones?”

“They change their form into big reptiles,” Klynn says. “Showing off, mostly.”

I snort a laugh. My Klynn remains unimpressed by most things, even a planet filled with his species.

A planet which was once nearly the same level of wasteland as Hatul from what I’ve been told, or at least the northern continent. Farther south, some Gryn had survived, including females. It means that, along with the humans, their population is slowly growing again.

“Are you ready, my little fury?”

I ignore the twinge in my back which tells me, yet again, I’m too damn pregnant for meetings with big, burly Gryn warriors, but there’s no way Klynn will go on his own, and I want to see everything which has happened to us to its conclusion before the baby arrives.

Klynn gathers me in his arms, and in a single beat, we’re in the air, flying towards the largest, oldest structure, the Lair of the Gryn.

It’s a great place which rises up over a huge waterfall, where the Gryn draw their fresh water. The churning water below becomes a deep pool where there are a number of males bathing.

Klynn spins us upwards, away from the water, even if I know he loves it. It’s possibly the best thing about Ustokos for him, more bathing and more baths than he can use in a lifetime. Admittedly he’s trying, and usually taking me along for the ride. I adore his enthusiasm, and slowly, slowly, as time goes on, he’s getting better and better in social situations.

Hopefully it bodes well for the future because I know he wants to make Ustokos our home.

We enter through the top of the atrium, spiralling down the structure until two sentries come out to greet us and Klynn lands.

He places me carefully on my feet in front of a pair of ornate carved wooden doors.

“We’re here for szent,” he says.

One of the sentries opens the door, and Klynn takes hold of my hand, walking through without a glance at the other Gryn.

The room we enter is circular, with a commanding view out over the city of Kos. In the center is a massive table, carved like the doors, and it’s filled with massive Gryn warriors. Sat in the largest chair is one of the biggest Gryn I’ve seen. His wings are so dark they could nearly be black. His eyes don’t leave Klynn or me.

“Is this the warrior found on Hatul, Fyn?” he asks.

“Yes, Prime.” Another Gryn, almost his equal in size, glares at us with pale blue eyes.

“Give them a break, Jyr,” a third Gryn says. “He destroyed Proto for vrex sake, something we didn’t manage.”

“Speak for yourself, Kyt,” a fourth Gryn growls. “I followed the vrexing thing through the vrexing wormhole to deal with it.”

“I’m aware of yoursacrifice, Ryak.” Jyr taps onyx claws on the arm of his chair. Judging by the gouges it’s something he’s done often enough. “And you weren’t to know the vrexing thing could come back to life.”

“It won’t do that this time,” Klynn growls. “There was nothing left.”

“Ah, the gladiator.” Jyr stands, and he is truly a huge male.

Klynn’s feathers rise in a flicker I know all too well, and Jyr is not the male he needs to piss off.

“I was a commander before I was a gladiator,” Klynn growls.

My stomach clenches. The last thing I want is a stand-off between my Klynn and the Prime of the Gryn.

“I want to know what you are going to do about the Galactic Council,” Klynn says. “We have evidence of their complicity in the capture of the Gryn, Proto’s involvement on Ustokos, and also the suppression of a number of other species.”

“We?” Jyr responds, looking over at Ryak.

“There were a number of Gryn gladiators, Jyr. One of whom has obtained the data dump used by the Council, or at least those on it who were involved,” Ryak says, propping his boots up on the table.

“Gryn gladiators.” Jyr cocks his huge head on one side. “I like the sound of that.”

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