Cruel Union (Brutal Universe #1)

46. Aurora

46

AURORA

“ L et me go! Let me go!” I kicked out at Hornsby , but he dodged the blow. That was easy for him, since he was no longer holding my arm. The minute he’d gotten me out of the Throne Room , the coward had called two of his personal guards to hold me. They were currently on either side of me, gripping me by the shoulders and wrists, keeping me prisoner.

We were standing outside Hornsby’s space cruiser in the courtyard, which was suspiciously empty. Usually it was full of people talking or going about their jobs, but today there was no one.

“ Shut her up, can’t you?” Hornsby said, frowning at the guards. “ I’m trying to make a holo call!”

“ I won’t shut up—let me go!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “ Help ! Help me! I am a Princess of Royal blood and this man is kidnapping me! He? —”

But my words were cut off by a sharp slap across my face.

I gasped as my head rocked backwards and pain ripped through me. I tasted blood and my bottom lip stung fiercely, letting me know that Hornsby’s blow had split it.

“ Shut up, you little whore!” he hissed at me. “ Do you think anyone cares if I take you away? The whole Court has been wishing you gone from the moment that big Brute dumped you here. You’re used goods—nothing but a dirty slut— nobody cares what happens to you!”

His words stung me, but I refused to be quiet.

“ You’re just angry because Slade punished you for insulting me,” I snapped, wincing because it hurt to talk with a split lip. “ You’re mad because he cut off your fingers and made you piss yourself with fear.”

Hornsby’s beady eyes narrowed and his face darkened.

“ Careful , my dear. I don’t have to deliver you in one piece, you know. That’s not part of the contract.”

“ Deliver me? Deliver me to who?” I asked. “ What are you talking about?”

“ This .” Hornsby’s call had apparently finally gone through. He held up the holo projector, cupping it in the palm of his hand and I saw a familiar figure hovering over it.

“ Hello , little human,” a deep voice said. “ So the Head Enforcer of Clan Cruel decided he didn’t want you after all. What a pity.”

I felt my stomach roll. It was the same Brute I’d met my very first night with Slade . The one who had tried to kidnap me—who had talked about chopping me up for cloning! Skeezix , Slade had called him. I recognized his burning red eyes and red, metallic horns at once.

“ You look so surprised, Princess dear,” Hornsby sneered at me. “ Did you really think I wanted to fuck you? After you’ve been used by a Brute like Slade ?” He made a face. “ I’d sooner stick my shaft in a pile of fresh dung! However , when Mr . Skeezix here contacted me, asking if you were for sale, I realized I’d found the perfect revenge.”

“ But …but you can’t do this!” I exclaimed. “ He wants to…to…” But I couldn’t get the words out.

“ To cut you up for cloning? Yes , little Princess —that’s exactly what I want,” Skeezix rumbled. “ You see, there’s quite a market for Untainted Royal blood at the moment. So many customers requesting a pure human sex slave with only the highest pedigree. And look at you…” His burning red eyes took stock of me. “ Nice and plump, aren’t you? I reckon we can get at least twelve clones from you. Fifteen if we’re careful with the cutting.”

I felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice cubes into my stomach.

“ You can’t do this to me,” I said, but my words came out in a whisper. “ You can’t .”

“ But I can, little Princess . And I’m going to,” Skeezix returned, giving me an evil grin. The holo of him turned to Hornsby . “ You know where to meet me. Take the Space Gate to the Goreth Nebula . I’ll be waiting in the third quadrant of the second quarter.”

“ That’s not very specific!” Hornsby complained. “ Why can’t you at least give me a planet to navigate to?”

“ Can’t risk it,” Skeezix growled, flexing his wings. “ Just come to the coordinates I’m sending you and I’ll meet you there.”

Then his hologram flickered and died, leaving me with nothing to stare at but Duke Hornsby , who was giving me an evil grin.

“ Soon enough, my dear, you’ll experience the same fate you cast upon me,” he snarled, waggling his metal fingers at me—including the rotten, black one. “ Soon enough you’ll be cut into tiny little pieces and I hope it hurts .” Then he pointed with his rotten fingers to the ship. “ Go on—get her inside,” he snapped. “ Let’s hurry it up—no point putting on more of a show than we already have. It’s time for some retribution .”