Page 48 of Touch the Stars
The memory of the emperor’s words in the audience chamber rose up, and a surge of different type of betrayal swamped him.
The grand emperor of the Gharan Empire murdered my brother.
Not by his own imperial hand, of course, but he had certainly ordered Buuren’s execution.The truth of this had shone in the great one’s eyes.It was the only honest thing about that brief conversation.The claim that Buuren died groveling in the dirt, pleading for his life, was a blatant lie.No Undetan warrior would demean themselves in that way.
So, what had led to Buuren’s death?Had he somehow discovered the Ragatian’s duplicity, or was this merely a prelude to something worse?And how did Kaitlyn figure into the devious plot?
If anything happened to her, thingswouldbe worse.Not only for him, but also for the empire.She must stay alive until he could escape his captors and return to her.
Nak will help her.
As long as the Kavian’s loyalty was to the empire above the emperor.He had appeared surprised, then mortified, as the scene in the audience chamber played out.So there was hope.If not, he would kill Nak himself.Once he managed an escape from his current captors, of course.
Attendant Tisna turned a corner, slowed her pace, then came to a stop.His guards followed suit.
“You!”Who had put so much vitriol into Tisna’s single word?
His battle sense tingled at the base of his skull.It was time to pay attention, because something was about to happen.He raised his head and squinted at the being standing at the intersection of another corridor a short distance ahead.An Undetan male dressed in a white, orange-trimmed uniform.It appeared that his golden blond hair was swept back in a warrior’s knot.A most unusual style choice for a supposedly neutral imperial attendant.
“Attendant Tisna.”The mysterious Undetan jutted his chin outward.“This is most unfortunate.”
Tisna made a sharp slashing motion with her hand.“Sentry, take Attendant Daarga into custody.They can share a cell.”
So, this was Nak’s missing Undetan friend?Interesting.
The sentry to his left released his arm and stepped around Tisna.Daarga shifted his blue-eyed gaze to meet his own.
‘Be ready.’
The words, spoken in Daarga’s voice, floated in his mind, yet the other had not spoken aloud.Adrenaline and anticipation surged through his veins, and he shifted his stance just enough to center his balance.For good or for ill, that was as ready as he could be to meet the unexpected situation.
As the sentry closed in, Daarga raised his hand and leveled a disrupter at him.A quick flash of light, and the Ragatian went down in an undignified, and very dead, heap.
‘Now, Warrior Baatar.’
He let his body go slack and fall forward.The sentry gripping his right biceps stumbled under his dead weight.If he could get the Ragatian unbalanced enough to release him, there was a chance…
His head snapped back, and pain burned over his scalp.A deep growl rumbled behind him, then his captor raised him into the air by his hair until their eyes were level.A most unfortunate turn of events.
The sentry drew back his lesser arm and thrust it forward.This would hurt much worse than being dangled in the air by his hair.The huge fist struck home in his gut, sending all the air in his lungs rushing out in a gust.Bile burned the back of his throat.
At least it had not been the male’s dominant arm’s fist, which was still wrapped tight in his hair.If Ulaani ever found out he had failed to factor the strength of a Ragatian’s smallest arm into his great escape, she would be unmerciful in her teasing.
A high-pitched squeal filled the corridor, and something small and brown streaked around the sentry’s legs.The Ragatian swung his dominant arm outward, then released its hold on his hair.He was suddenly airborne, sailing inexorably toward the wall like one of Zaali’s dolls.
Not again.
“Oof.”
The force of impact sent pain shooting from his shoulder and down his arm.Then his body slid down to the floor as if it had neither bones nor muscles.The walls of this place were every bit as hard and cold as they appeared.He should suggest to Kaitlyn the positives of using a softer, more forgiving material for her imperial complex.
If they both survived that long.
He placed one hand on the wall for balance as he pushed to his feet, then refocused his attention on the commotion unfolding in the passageway.The brown blur parrying and slicing at the Ragatian’s calves was Nak, who had commandeered an appropriately scaled Kavian sword from somewhere.The thick gray blood seeping from the wounds on his opponent’s legs proved he was trained in its usage.
A group of five imperial attendants stood a short distance away.Friends, or foes?Since they appeared ready to jump in to assist if the small warrior needed them, he would give them the benefit of the doubt.For now.
A screech like an angry raptor drew his attention away from the fight.Attendant Tisna rushed toward him, a Ragatian fire-knife in her raised hand.This was not good.Once a strike was made, those heinous weapons activated barbs that prevented them from being removed without causing substantial, and often fatal, damage.
