Page 81 of Taming Chaos

“Chaos?”

“If we do not act, Amanhiel will destroy us all,” he growled.

A series of explosions resounded from deep within the bowels of the ship. When the big Bartharran looked up at her again, there was an unholy light in his black-and-red eyes—he wore the feverish expression of a fanatic.

Oh, no. Why did that expression give her the creeps? She was half-tempted to protest, to tell these fearsome pirates that they were mistaken and she definitely wasn’t this Salu, but she feared what they might do to her if they realized she wasn’t their revered goddess.

Her thoughts whirled. Despite all her studies, she knew very little about Bartharran culture. The Universe was so vast and diverse and complicated that her knowledge felt like small pieces of a giant incomplete puzzle.

Dribs and drabs. On Earth, she was an expert. Out here, she was just another citizen of the Universe.

Torin was right. They think you’re a goddess. They revere you.

Seph took a deep breath and steeled herself. She still didn’t understand what the hell was going on, but suddenly, she knew what she had to do.

She had to pretend.

Imagine you’re this goddess… Salu. Inwardly, Seph cringed. Holy shit, this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done in my life.

Casting doubt from her mind, she straightened and tried to summon her best, most imperious ‘bow down to me puny mortals’ look. She channelled a little bit of human folklore, and a little bit of Torin, remembering how he looked when he was feeling imperious.

“Take me to him,” she demanded, unfolding her arms and leaning back in the metal chair. “I must see Amanhiel.”

The boss Bartharran stiffened, his eyes narrowing in confusion. “We cannot return you to the curse. Do you not understand, blessed Salu? We are here to save you from him, to return you to the place you yearn for in your heart of hearts.”

Earth?

No, not Earth.

Disappointment hit her as she realized these Bartharrans weren’t going to follow her every command. They saw Torin as the enemy, and as for her…

“Now be still and fret not, blessed Salu, because we must prepare.”

“Prepare for what?” she looked around, trying to disguise her alarm. The Bartharrans—around eight or nine of them in total—were crowded around her, blocking any potential escape points. They all wore the same unnerving expressions, their eyes intense and burning… fanatical.

Ominously, the hulking alien didn’t answer. He just stroked her cheek with his leathery hands and whispered something in Bartharran.

It took all of Seph’s willpower to not recoil as if she’d been touched by acid. If this went on for much longer, something was going to break, and she was going to lash out or panic.

Serenity now! On the outside at least, she had to try and appear calm, but how the fuck was she supposed to do that when she was surrounded by a group of menacing Bartharrans who wanted to prepare her for some unknown event?

Think of Earth.

No, that wouldn’t be enough.

Think of Torin.

He was coming for her, and he would arrive amidst a storm of death, but would he come in time?

He will.

She needed to believe it with all her heart.

Chapter Twenty-Five

A wall of Bartharran pirates stood before him, turning the corridor into a sea of green fire. Torin had hacked, slashed, and shot his way through most of the ship, killing dozens of Bartharrans and a few Plutharan marauders in the process, but still they kept coming.

Most of the Plutharans seemed to be retreating, perhaps to where their escape-vessels were docked.

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