Page 63 of Legacy for the Alien Warrior

“Yes.” His eyes met hers. “But not ‘we.’ I will go after them. You need to stay here with Rory.”

“But—”

“Kara.” His voice was gentle but firm. “You are still recovering from the neuroinhibitor. And Rory needs you. He is already traumatized by what happened—he should not have to lose both his mother and sister.”

She wanted to argue, to insist on going with him, but she knew he was right. Rory stood beside her, pressed against her leg, his fingers twisting in the fabric of her medical gown. His other hand clutched the datapad, the image of the kidnapper still visible on the screen.

“How will you catch them?” she asked instead. “If their ship is as fast as you say…”

“My ship is faster.” A predatory smile curved his mouth. “And I know this sector better than they do. There’s a gravitational anomaly near the third moon—it creates a shortcut if you know how to navigate it.”

“And if you catch them? There are three of them.”

“I have faced worse odds.” He touched her face gently. “I will bring her back, Kara. I swear it.”

She believed him. In the short time she’d known him, Thraxar had never failed to keep his promises. “When will you leave?”

“Now. Every moment counts.” He looked down at Rory. “Will you help your mother get home safely?”

Rory nodded solemnly, his fingers still clutching Kara’s gown.

Thraxar knelt to Rory’s level. “I’m going to bring Talia back. You did well, showing us who took her. You’re very brave.”

The boy reached out hesitantly and touched Thraxar’s face, tracing the ridge above his eye. It was a gesture of trust that brought tears to her eyes.

Thraxar stood and pulled her into his arms, mindful of Rory still clinging to her side. “I will return with her,” he said softlyagainst her hair. “And then we will make sure this never happens again.”

She clung to him for a moment, drawing strength from his solid presence. “Be careful,” she whispered. “We need you to come back too.”

He kissed her then, a fierce claiming that left her breathless. “I will always come back to you.”

Then he was gone, his long strides carrying him quickly from the medical room.

She looked down at Rory, forcing a smile she didn’t feel. “Let’s go home and wait for them, okay?”

The medical worker returned with discharge instructions and a small container of medication for her lingering headache. She barely heard the instructions, her mind already racing ahead to what needed to be done.

The security team provided transportation back to their house. As she stepped through the door with Rory’s hand firmly in hers, the empty silence of the house slammed into her. Talia’s absence was a gaping wound in the space.

In the kitchen, evidence of the attack remained—vegetables scattered across the countertop, a pot of half-cooked stew congealed on the heating unit. A chair lay overturned where she must have fallen.

Rory tugged at her hand, pulling her away from the scene and toward the main living area. He pointed to the large window that overlooked the garden, then to the sky beyond.

“Yes,” she said, understanding his meaning. “Thraxar is up there, finding Talia.”

He nodded, then pulled her to the cushioned seating area. He arranged himself beside her, his small body pressed against hers as if afraid she might disappear too.

Kara wrapped her arm around him, drawing him close. “It’s okay to be scared,” she told him. “I’m scared too. But Thraxar will find her.”

Rory looked up at her with those solemn eyes that sometimes seemed to hold wisdom far beyond his years. He reached for the datapad he’d brought from the medical facility and pulled up a new drawing program. This time, he drew four figures standing together—a tall, broad one with a tail; a medium-sized one; and two smaller ones.

A family. Their family.

“Yes,” she whispered, tears threatening. “We’ll be together again soon.”

As darkness fell outside, she sat with Rory, watching the stars emerge one by one. Somewhere up there, Thraxar was hunting. Somewhere, Talia was afraid and alone.

But not for long. Not if Thraxar had anything to say about it.

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