Page 75 of Venomous Heart
“No time to explain.” Arlen fidgeted with his free hand, finding the magnetic key in his pocket and handing it over to the imprisoned Eoks. “Get out, get a transport ready. We don’t have long.”
“You need medical attention, Commander Arlen.” The Eok spoke with alarm, all elation gone from his tone as he studied Arlen.
“A regiment of Ilarian guards are attacking the rebel facility.” At the slight lowering of the young Eok’s shoulders, Arlen reached out and touched his arm. “If we can get on one of these transports and out of here, they won’t chase us. What they want is right here.”
He pointed to the black cylinder in one corner of the room. The negative particle bomb.
“Yes, Commander Arlen.” The Eoks let themselves out of the cells and stood there, looking uncertain. One of them stared openly at Ava and Derek.
“The youngling is sick, he needs immediate care at the main compound.” Arlen lifted his chin to the Eok who was staring at Ava. “And the female is my bloodmate, Ava.”
The Eok’s eyes widened in shock, but he inclined his head deferentially in her direction. It always unsettled her, the way the Eoks deferred to her when they knew she was mate—no, bloodmate—to Arlen. Like his aura of glory somehow extended all the way to her. Or maybe it was only that they were linked to each other in a way humans were not. She had no idea.
Another Eok advanced toward her and extended his arms to her. She gratefully handed over Derek, who had passed out from the raging infection in his lungs. The child was limp in the large Eok’s arms and Ava bent to examine him. As she pressed the interior of her wrist to his forehead, she cursed under her breath.
“His fever came back. He needs another treatment in the next three hours, or he’s going to lose all the progress he made on the last treatment.”
“Nothing we can do for him now.” Arlen spoke behind her as the Eok took Derek to the transport vehicle and secured him to the floor. “We need to figure out how to send a message to Prime Councilor Aav before we go.”
Ava nodded, then turned to join Derek in the transport. The Eoks didn’t need her help in transmitting a message to the main compound. As she climbed to Derek’s side, shouts erupted within the small confines of the garage.
Alarm roared through Ava’s mind as she turned around, shielding Derek’s body with her own.
An ionic blast hit the wall just above the cell, sending a rain of pulverized rock into the air. The Eoks responded by roaring, their long, scary talons shooting out, but there were only two ionic guns between them. More ionic blasts shot through the door, and Ava found herself staring as Arlen and the other Eoks pulled back to face the menace that entered the room.
A dozen Ilarian guards, their uniforms stained with dust, smoke and blood, stormed inside, spreading in a half circle formation. Then a dozen more… and another dozen, until there were more Ilarian guards than the room should be able to contain. They moved with a slow purpose, aiming their weapons straight at the Eoks.
Arlen snarled, the sound a terrible ripple within the confines of the garage, but it was futile. Four unarmed Eoks against three dozen Ilarian guards with ionic guns wasn’t nearly a fair fight. They were so outnumbered, there was not even the shadow of a chance that they could fight their way out.
One Ilarian moved in front of the others, his gun pointed straight at Ava, his eyes cold and calculating as he stared at her. “It’s that one. Knut wants that one alive,” he said to the others, his gun still on her. “Kill the rest.”
Ionic guns lifted, power radiating from them as they aimed at the Eoks. Ava’s eyes stayed locked on Arlen. His shoulders slumped slightly and his hand clutched harder at the wound on his side. The others stood up straight, too honorable to show fear, but it showed anyway. It showed in their eyes; in the way their backs straightened, full of tension.
They were defeated and they knew it, but still, none of them moved to give her up.
Maybe that was why she did it. Because they would never have surrendered her. Because Arlen, with his fierce, broken heart, had given her something she never even knew she’d craved. An unconditional love, a love so strong it refused to let go even in the face of death.
Ava got to her feet silently, moving between the Eoks until she was at Arlen’s side. He shot her a fierce, feverish glance and ordered her to get back.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not letting you all die for me.” She turned to the Ilarian guards as Arlen clasped a forbidding hand around her wrist.
“I’m not losing you to that monster,” Arlen growled between clenched teeth, his eyes crazed with fury. “You think I care about living if you’re lost? Nothing else matters if you’re gone.”
“You will find me.” She lifted her hand to his cheek. It was frighteningly cold because of all the blood he’d lost, and she knew he wouldn’t remain standing much longer. He was going to die from his wound—and soon—if she didn’t buy them the time they needed.
“Get Commander Arlen help.” She locked gazes with one of the Eoks. “Take the boy to doctor Yrakan, he’ll know what to do.”
Ava turned to the Ilarian guards despite Arlen still holding her wrist in a desperate grip. She moved, and Arlen resisted. The guards lifted their guns, pointing them at Arlen.
Then another deafening series of detonations filled the air, but this time, the screams that accompanied them had nothing human.
The leader of the Ilarian guards turned his head just as a monster made of chitin burst through the doorway. Creatures with six limbs crawled over the walls, the ceiling, their claws clacking on the stones like drumbeats of hell. They poured in, outnumbering the Ilarian guards five to one.
Mantrilla. Those were the Mantrilla soldiers.
The Ilarian guards shifted their focus to the attacking Mantrilla soldiers, then back to Ava, but it was already too late. All it took was a moment of distraction.
The two Eoks Arlen had freed attacked, jumping and twisting through the air in a deadly dance, slashing with their talons. Limbs dropped to the ground, splattering blood, and cries of agony echoed all around as the Mantrilla soldiers attacked in tandem. They didn’t need weapons either. Their enormous clawed legs severed the Ilarian guards like twigs.
