Page 46 of Touch the Stars
The floor vibrated under her feet in a creepy, T-rex-approaching kind of way, and her heart sped up to hummingbird fast.A gigantic, and familiar, figure dressed in white appeared in the right-hand archway.It was him—Rocky the Grand Fucking Asshole, or Emperor, depending on one’s point of view.
He seemed ahellof a lot larger in real life than he had as a hologram.If only she could scoot behind Baatar and pretend she didn’t exist.But, it was too late for that now.
“My liege.”Nak fell onto his back again.“Warrior Baatar has returned.”
And he would leave again soon.Then she’d be on her own with only her memories to keep her company.She moved her fingers over her shirt pocket, and the vague outline of theshadakshe’d used to feed Baatar.A crazy keepsake thing that she’d shoved in there when she’d changed into the stupid outfit.Kind of pathetic now, but what was done was done.
Baatar stepped forward.“Grand Emperor, I present to you Kaitlyn Bergh of Earth.The chosen heir of the Gharan Empire.”
“Why have you brought this outsider into my presence, Warrior?”Each word was spoken louder than the last, rumbling like an approaching landslide.“She is not of the empire.”
Um, huh?
“She is the heir.The one you—”
“You seek toreplace me?”All three of the emperor’s hands curled into fists.
Okay, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
“Sentries, arrest Warrior Baatar for treason against the Gharan Empire.”
What the fuck, Chuck?
This was one scenario they hadn’t discussed.
A pair of Ragatians appeared in the archway behind the emperor.They wore thick, brown…was that leather armor?It had to be, because every other guard or attendant they’d passed on the way here had been dressed in those lame, orange-trimmed white uniforms.
“Go, Kaitlyn.”Baatar closed his hand around her left biceps then pushed her in the direction of the doors.“I am behind you.”
Ifthey could get out of here.She turned and ran…smack into a tall, unmoving body.Wearing white and orange.Shit, somehow another attendant had snuck up behind them.The stranger spun her back around and pinned her arms to her sides with its thin, knubby-skinned arms.
“Baatar—" Where was he?
All she could see was the archway in front of her, and Rocky to her left.
“Shall I kill her, my liege?”The voice squawked and chirped the words from behind her.
What the hell kind of alien was it?She arched her neck back for a better view.Almost as tall as Baatar, but without his muscle mass.Kind of humanoid, with feathery, turquoise plumage floating around its head, and a beak-like nose that resembled a peacock’s in the same way the grand emperor resembled a boulder.
The creature squeezed her tighter, forcing her to face forward just to breathe.How could anyone so bony be so strong?
The sounds of a struggle punctuated by grunts came from behind her, and Bony, and Rocky moved toward it, out of her line of sight.
“Submit, Warrior Baatar, or her life will be forfeit.”
The sound of hand-to-hand combat died.Fucking Rocky knew just what to say to control her warrior.
We can’t escape if we’re dead.
A smack of flesh against flesh, followed by a crack, and Baatar’s grunt broke the quiet pause.They’d hit himafterhe’d stopped fighting.A spark of fury burned in her heart.
Chicken shits.
She tried to twist around to see what was going on, but Bony’s grip held her in place.
“That’s better.”There was a smug tone in the emperor’s voice.“Your brother did not react well to his charges either.I wonder if you will also die in the dirt, begging for mercy?”
Treason.Just like his brother.Bile surged up to sting the back of her throat.Would they execute him right here?
