Page 55 of Taming Chaos

Torin put a finger to his lips. Don’t speak.

Seph didn’t dare say a word. Parrus squatted on his haunches beside her. For the first time since she’d met him, the Veronian’s tail went perfectly still.

Torin gave his other plasma gun to Parrus. At first, the pink alien held up his hands in alarm, but when Torin glared at him, he reluctantly took the sleek weapon.

Torin caressed Seph’s lower back in a reassuring parting gesture, and then he was gone, disappearing into the darkness, leaving her all alone in a strange room with a glowing alien, a plasma gun, and a horde of Bartharran worshippers waiting for her outside.

And butterflies in her damn stomach.

All beyond the soft glow that came from Parrus, there was darkness all around them.

Couldn’t someone just turn on the fucking lights?

No, because these quarters were occupied by a Kordolian, and Kordolians didn’t need the light. She could have activated the guide-light on her link-band, but some instinct told her not to. The thing was so damn bright it might draw unwanted attention.

Seph took a deep breath and steadied her gun-hand, sharing a knowing look with Parrus.

A sharp scream split the air, followed by a gurgle and a thud.

Sounds of death, chilling her to the bone. It was all so fast, and no matter how many times it happened, even if it was Torin doing the death-dealing, Seph would never, ever get used to those sounds.

And then the shouting started, furious male voices washing over her, speaking in rapid-fire Kordolian. Seph couldn’t understand a word of it, but she knew Torin’s voice, and he sounded angry.

Not just angry—enraged.

Parrus shrugged, as if to say: “what are you going to do?” He seemed completely unconcerned that his master might be suffering at the end of Torin’s blade, or worse…

“The Master is very angry,” the Veronian whispered, and Seph wasn’t sure if he was talking about Torin or Relahek.

Torin’s voice rose again, and this time, there was something else mixed in with his anger; an emotion Seph would never have expected to hear from him, not in a billion light-years.

Distress.

His harsh words, which sounded a lot like swearing, were threaded with pain.

His voice cracked; a terrible, vicious, furious almost-sob.

Every fiber of her being reacted to that sound. Before she realized it, she was moving, heading toward him, her gun raised, her cloak flapping behind her.

He’d told her to stay put. It was probably good advice, but Seph couldn’t just stand back and ignore what she’d just heard. What if he was hurt? In danger? What if he needed her right now?

If something happened to him and she just stood back and did nothing, she would never forgive herself.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Parrus danced around her, awkwardly holding his plasma gun. “Leave the Kordolians to settle this. They are too vicious when it comes to fighting their own. It’s best not to come between them.”

With the blood rushing to her head and her heart jackhammering away, Seph strode past with her gun raised, waving off the Veronian’s concern. Her decisions were no longer her own. All she could think about was Torin. “Hold the fort, Parrus. If anyone comes this way, just shoot them.” How ironic. It was the same advice Torin had given her not too long ago.

Stealth was pointless now. “Bright,” she said softly, activating the guide-light on her link-band. In an instant, the shadows were obliterated.

Everything became sharp and bright and vivid, even more so as she reached the inner chamber.

As she entered, a riot of opulent color assaulted her vision. The drab walls were concealed behind elaborate hanging weavings and framed artwork. Amidst the gleaming finery, a Kordolian screamed, and it wasn’t Torin. In the same breath, the stranger laughed.

So this is Relahek!

And there was Torin, standing over the Kordolian with his boot on the man’s chest, the trembling point of his sword resting against his swallowing neck.

She couldn’t see his face. His back was to her, and any trace of the emotion she’d heard in his voice was gone. Instead, he radiated a terrible cold stillness.

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