Page 70 of Taming Chaos

When he channeled his ferocity into sex, she actually liked it.

And his secret disquiet, that which he usually hid so well—the distress he’d felt at having to slaughter his own people even though he’d warned them—well, it was still there, but being with Seph took away the grinding bitterness of it all.

For her, he would do it again and again.

Torin’s obsession became a wild, gleeful thing, and the time they spent holed up in these strangely decadent rooms quickly turned into the best experience of his life.

He locked Relahek in a storage chamber and made the noble’s quarters his own, barricading the entrance corridor with large pieces of expensive furniture, some of which he had to cut into pieces into order to get them to fit. If anyone tried to enter, they would have to hack, shoot, blast, or incinerate their way through that mess, and the commotion would alert Torin long before they reached the other side.

There he would be waiting with his swords drawn, and they would not get past him.

But somehow, the Bartharrans left them alone, probably concluding that trying to draw Torin out of his lair would cause more trouble—more death—than it was worth.

It was exactly the outcome he’d hoped to achieve.

But now, something wasn’t right. Something felt… different.

He stood in the cold room, watching the barricaded entrance, waiting for something to happen. Seph was asleep on a couch in one of the inner chambers; he’d left her nestled in a swathe of soft fresh blankets, her proud features soft and peaceful as she slept.

Something had changed in the past few sivs. He’d woken from sleep to the sense that the Skalreg Va was altering its course. Veering sharply, changing speed…

Going faster, as if imbued with a sense of panic.

Torin could tell such things by sound and vibration alone. It had been an important part of his training.

In other circumstances, he would have gone straight to the command center and demanded to know the reason for the sudden erratic flying, but he couldn’t leave Seph here alone, and taking her with him would be too dangerous, even if the Bartharrans thought she was the goddess Salu herself.

There was something Bartharrans did to their gods and goddesses, something sinister… but he couldn’t quite remember what it was.

Regardless, there was no fucking way he’d allow Seph to set foot out there again. This was his fortress now, and he would defend it to the hilt.

But still, the ship was flying strangely.

What to do, what to do… Torin started to pace. By his estimates, they should be nearing the War Planet soon, and as soon as they landed, he planned to cut a path out of this convoluted mess, taking them straight to the outside.

Callidum swords could be useful like that.

So for now, what choice did he have but to stay put and…

Boomboomboom. Deep groans reverberated through the metal walls. The floor shook, tilting slightly. Torin balanced on the balls of his feet, shifting his weight as the room rocked from side to side.

Fearing the disturbance would only get worse, he ran, sprinting toward Seph.

Boomboom! There was that sound again, followed by a bone-jarring tremor.

Torin knew that sound, that sensation. It was the impact of a missile smashing into the Skalreg Va’s metal hull.

They were under attack.

He slowed as Parrus and Kvorae emerged from their sleeping bays, panicked and shouting. Pieces of furniture that weren’t anchored to the floor flew about, smashing into the walls.

“Where are the landing restraints?” he thundered, catching Kvorae by her tail just before she tripped over a wayward footstool. Most reputable space vessels had some sort of safety restraint facility, where passengers were required to sit during landings and take-offs. Torin cursed himself for not identifying the safety protocols earlier. He’d been more than a little distracted.

Kvorae shook her head. “Th-there aren’t any.”

“Tch.” Cheapskate pirates. Torin released her and moved ahead, building speed. “Find something solid to hold onto,” he called over his shoulder.

As he passed the storage chamber, frantic banging reached his ears.

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