Page 60 of Mated to the Alien Warlord

"Let's retire to the sitting room then," Brogan said. I didn't know him, but his tight lips suggested strain.

Vandor put a restraining hand on me as I was about to follow the group. "You can go rest if you like. You have had a long few months."

"So have you," I replied. "What's happening?" I wanted to know, unable to control my curiosity any longer.

Just then, my eyes fell on a tall, wide man with long, shaggy blond hair, braided in places, and with a long beard. Tattoos sneaked up his thick neck and arms, and I froze. "Is that… a Vandall?"

Vandor nodded gravely. "It seems more humans have arrived from Earth and have attacked the Vandalls. The Vandalls fled their lands and are asking for our assistance."

My heart stuttered. How could that be? Even though I had never met a Vandall, they never made it as deep into Thyre as our outposts lay, I had heard of their brutality and fighting strength. If humans had attacked and defeated them… I pulled Vandor's arm so we could follow the others. I needed to know what was happening.

IwasworriedaboutDamaris. She had been through so much lately, and I wished she had taken the offer to lie down for a while. However, I understood her wanting to be part of this meeting. The news of humans attacking the Vandalls must have surprised her just as much as me when Brogan filled us in.

Seeing a Vandall in his hall had nearly knocked me off my feet in shock, and I still worried about Kendryx running him through at any given moment. His hate for the Vandalls was well known since they killed his brother.

He, however, was the least of my worries now. If he wanted to run King Uthar through, I wouldn't care one bit. My worry was reserved for my mate, who looked pale, with dark circles under her eyes. She needed a good meal, a warm bed, and rest. Instead, she walked by my side into a smaller sitting room off to the side of the great hall.

Nobody mentioned that kallinies usually didn't attend these kinds of meetings. The situation was so beyond normal that nobody could fault them for wanting to find out more.

Besides, it was the human female from Earth, Chrissy, who more or less commanded the meeting. I noticed how both King Uthar and Kendryx hovered near the Earth kallini.

I tried to convince Damaris one more time to retire to our bedroom. "Are you sure you wouldn't be more comfortable in a bedroom, lying down? You suffered a long ordeal, my czira."

"I would be fretting too much alone." She smiled up at me. "It sounds like something terrible has happened and more is to come."

"You are an officer in the human army, come to conquer Thyre," Bryck opened the meeting, eyeing Chrissy curiously, while Ahlana translated.

"We came to free the humans," Chrissy stated. She lifted her hand as if expecting objections. "But," she sent a glare at Brogan, "some things have come to my attention that might indicate I was wrong."

"Might?" Alahna asked with a raised eyebrow, making me think there had been some arguments between her, Brogan, and the kallini.

Chrissy sighed. "I realize I'm a prisoner of war and you have no reason to trust me, but that is exactly what I'm asking you to do. I would like to return to my superiors at the Terran Confederation and fill them in on what I learned here."

When everybody stayed silent, she continued while we listened to Alahna translating. "It seems like a mistake has been made and the humans on Thyre don't need our help. I would like to convince my superiors of that to avoid useless bloodshed."

"A mistake?" Uthar thundered, jumping out of his chair with a darkening face. "Your people killed thousands of mine, and you call that a mistake, kallini?"

A Vandall's temper was not to be underestimated, and I wondered if Chrissy was either very brave or very ignorant, because she showed no sign of backing down from the fearsome warrior. "I need to find out if my superiors have been misleading my soldiers and myself."

"You aremyprisoner. You will go no—"

"And what will you do if you find out your superiors don't care if a mistake has been made but insist on going ahead with attacking us?" Gryck interrupted Uthar and kept Alahna busy, who hastened to explain in both languages.

"There is no need for bloodshed. I will rectify the mistake. There are ways to handicap our army so they won't be able to attack you like they did the Vandalls," Chrissy explained.

"What ways?" Uthar barked and Kendryx shot out of his seat, hand on the hilt of his sword.

As if neither Uthar's reaction nor Kendryx's obvious protectiveness had anything to do with her, Chrissy leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, all the while glaring challengingly at Uthar. "I will not tell you that. Giving you that information would make me a traitor."

"We have ways of making you talk," Gryck threatened, startling me. I had never heard him threaten a kallini before and wondered how willing he was to follow through with his threat.

"I don't doubt you do, but trust me when I say you will have much more success by letting me go." Chrissy turned toward Gryck.

"She ismyprisoner, and she will go nowhere," Uthar stated, irritated, still standing by her chair.

"You are allmyguests," Brogan interjected, giving Uthar a warning glare.

"Uthar is right," I said, not wanting the situation to escalate and trying to keep us on topic. "From all I've gathered, she is the most valuable bargaining chip and informant we have. We cannot allow her to leave."

---