Page 20 of Taming Chaos

No fucking way.

The warrior hooked his thumb under the soft material around her right wrist. Shik. His blade made barely a sound as it sliced through. With a feather-light touch, he did the same with her left wrist.

Like a knife through butter. How sharp was the damn thing?

The Ephrenian restraints dropped to the floor with a soft plop. Seph swung her arms around, sighing in relief. Her shoulders ached, but she was free.

She turned to face her rescuer, reflexively pulling her travel cloak tighter so it covered her body. As she did so, her hood slipped back, revealing her hair.

The Kordolian’s eyes widened a fraction, but he quickly masked his surprise.

Yeah, I know, buddy. It seemed it wasn’t just on Earth that she was an oddity. Even when it was tightly bound atop her head, her curly red hair made her stand out wherever she went. It was both her curse and her blessing, but despite the attention it drew, Seph had never been tempted to change it.

It was who she was. Besides, with her complexion and her freckles, she’d look ridiculous rocking any color other than her natural Titian red.

So now she would be a space oddity, alongside her dark, dangerous savior, whose smile was as brilliant as the morning sun on Earth.

“So… where do we go from here?” Seph glanced at the two Ephrenians, who stared at them from the corner of the room. Weaponless and helpless, their body language betrayed their silent fear. The Kordolian ignored them.

“I’m not entirely sure,” he murmured, his gaze lingering on Seph, his eyes tracing the contours of her face. He studied her in the most intense manner, not bothering to hide his curiosity. “You’re a long way from home, human.”

“So are you, Kordolian.” Seph blurted the words before she could think, feeling a little defensive. Perhaps it was because deep down, she knew their mission had been poorly planned.

How embarrassing.

“My name is Torin,” he offered, his eyes narrowing. “I might be far from home, but the difference is, I can take care of myself. You humans, on the other hand…” A bitter laugh escaped him. “Did you really know what you were walking into on Zarhab Groht?”

“It was a risk we were willing to take.”

“For a bunch of second-rate plasma weapons?”

“You’re not the only species in the Nine Galaxies that has the right to own plasma guns. If we don’t modernize our weapons capabilities, we’re practically sitting ducks.”

“Sitting ducks…” His brow furrowed. “As in helpless?”

“Yes.” Seph blinked, realizing she’d hit him with a distinctly human analogy. Did he even know what a duck was? But somehow, he understood.

“Why should you feel helpless? The human-Kordolian protection treaty is in place. What need do you have to arm yourselves with plasma when you have us?”

That’s just too much of a power imbalance, if you ask me. Seph didn’t dare speak her mind, though. Although the warrior’s easy manner had put her off guard, she was still wary of him. “It might seem trivial to you, but having the ability to protect ourselves is important to us.”

“Oh, I know. I had a look at Earth’s history. You humans are actually quite a warlike people, but you have us now.”

“Warlike? This coming from a Kordolian?”

Torin laughed. The sound seemed all the more surreal—and amazing—because of how unexpected it was. Rich, deep, and laced with delicious irony—that was just the way she liked it.

No, no, you’re not going to fall for this just because the man has a nice way about him. Seph mentally kicked herself. Perhaps the shock and terror of being sold and abducted had made her a little bit delirious.

And in that instant, Torin’s face changed.

It turned into a terrifying mask; vicious, cold, and utterly alien. “Persephone, don’t move.”

Before she could speak, he became a blur. A blade appeared. Someone—the Ephrenian—crashed into his side. Torin spun. He was everywhere at once, creating a storm of violence around her.

A body flew, smashing into the wall. A slender Ephrenian arm reached for a plasma gun. Torin’s sword moved in a silent, almost invisible arc.

A scream of agony split the air. Warm green liquid sprayed across Seph’s arms, shoulders, and face. She coughed as a strong chemical smell invaded her nose and throat.

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