Page 133 of Decadence

Ikriss brought his blade down and severed the flexible restraints that bound Eva’s ankles together. The other warriors did the same, and in a heartbeat, the women regained the use of their legs.

“Run!” Ikriss roared.

The humans fled, swarming into the doorway that led to the staircase below.

“Kail, with me,” he ordered. “We’re going to take this thing dow—”

A familiar blue light flickered at the periphery of his vision.

Shit.

He knew that light very well.

Instinctively, he brought his protective helm back over his face, ignoring the agony of his horn-buds.

This was going to be bad.

“Plasma cannon!” both Ikriss and Kail warned in unison. The transport had almost reached the border of the compound. “Take it down, Makhel.”

They were already moving, putting their bodies between the arc of blue fire and the humans as a beam of deadly plasma shot from a dark cannon in the transport’s lower hull.

As they launched themselves into the air, Ikriss and Kail raised their guns, firing furiously at the ship’s cockpit.

From above, the Mhyndin’s plasma cannon roared, spearing through the enemy ship’s hull.

But it was too late to stop the onslaught of pure energy that slammed into Ikriss’s body, turning his exo-armor into a personal incinerator. The heat burned right through his skin, dousing him in agony. He’d never experienced this level of pain ever before.

His vision flared white.

He couldn’t see…

Couldn’t hear…

All he knew was white-hot pain all over his body, but it was worst in his temples, where it drilled right through into his skull. His guns clattered to the ground. His hands rose to the sides of his helm in a futile attempt to quell the agony.

He was going mad.

Surely this was the end…

But then he felt a presence beside him.

“Easy,” a familiar voice rasped, and although they were taut with pain, Kail’s words were somehow perfectly controlled. “You’re okay, brother. Plasma’s gone now. Enemy’s done a dive into the ground. You might feel dead, but your body’s regenerating as we speak.”

Ikriss’s throat burned like crazy. He felt like he’d swallowed a cupful of acid followed by a thousand shards of glass.

He still couldn’t see the outline of Kail’s helm. Perhaps this cursed heat had burned through his sclera.

He blinked.

A shadow appeared in the white of his vision…

A big, imposing shadow, crouching on his haunches beside Ikriss, raising his fist in solidarity. “Always hurts like a bitch when the nanites kick in. You’ll be whole again in a siv.” Kail rose to his feet, extending a hand. “Get up, my brother. There’s still work to be done.”

“You know about the nanites?”

“I am your support on this mission. It is my job to know. And I am no stranger to black nanites, although yours are different to mine. They only know how to heal. Better, perhaps.”

Ikriss took Kail’s armor-gloved hand and allowed the big warrior to help him to his feet. With each agonizing breath, his vision grew clearer.

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