Orc’s Forbidden Claim (Red Planet Dragons of Tajss #33)

15. Khiara

15

KHIARA

“ G iving up so easily?” I ask taking a step forward.

I stare at the three Urr’ki. I do not know them personally. The middle one takes a slow step forward, his eyes locked onto mine.

“For the Queen,” he says.

I don’t respond immediately. Studying his face, trying to decide if this is some kind of a trick. The Shaman must know we have the Queen. It would make sense for him to try to get her back. Send loyal Maulavi to retrieve her by infiltrating the Zmaj compound, get close to my brother and me, and then snatch her away. How many tunnels have they dug over and under the Zmaj compound?

“Heh,” I grunt. “The Queen is ill.”

The one who stepped forward blinks slowly before nodding agreement.

“So it is told,” he says, but there is a heavy note of disbelief in the statement.

“What is this?” Sek’su asks, stepping up to stand beside me.

The three Urr’ki look at him and their eyes widen, hands tightening into fists.

“Names?” I growl.

The one who stepped forward looks back to me but it’s a clear effort for him to take his eyes off of the Zmaj. The two behind him shift their feet uncomfortably. I cross my arms over my chest and glare.

“One more thing,” he says, switching back into our language. He looks over his shoulder and the other two shuffle closer, moving tentatively, looking between me and Sek’su with wary eyes. He clears his throat, glances over my shoulder himself then speaks. “This world isn’t done yet.”

I stare at him suspiciously, twisting my mouth into a frown. My thoughts are racing. This could be a trap. There is no way to know if the Shaman and his Maulavi have infiltrated the resistance. If they have, they could know the codes. Do I risk it?

Saylor leans against my side, stroking her fingers up and down my arm. Her scent fills my nostrils, and I can’t keep myself from inhaling deeply. Her touch is calming, not dimming my suspicion, but making it easier to think. I decide it’s worth the risk.

“And what does it take to save it?” I ask, giving the counter challenge.

“Everything,” the three of them say, surprising me by speaking in unison.

More surprising is the fervency in their voices and on their faces as they do. If these are Maulavi plants, then they are very, very good. I nod inagreement.

“Fine,” I say. “They are part of the resistance.”

I say the last to Sek’su in Zmaj so he will understand. He doesn’t speak, only stares for a long time then Wren rises onto her toes and whispers in his ear. His lips twist but when she finishes, he gives a sharp nod and a whatever shrug. He turns and walks back down the tunnel a short way with Wren at his side, leaving me to deal with these three.

“I am Khiara,” I say, circling back to get names.

“We know,” the leader says.

“You do?” I ask, arching an eyebrow.

“You and your brother are… well known,” he says, the other two clear their throats and grunt.

“What does that mean?” I ask.

“The Shaman and the Maulavi have issued kill orders for both of you. On sight. No capture, no questions, no one is to talk to you.”

I am not surprised by this. We have the Queen, and he knows it. His grip on my people is predicated on his control of her. I grunt and shake my head.

“Fine, names?” I ask again.

“I am Yodha, this is Karta, and this is Baaz,” he points to them each.

“Why did you join them?” I ask.

“We had no choice,” Karta blurts, speaking for the first time. “We were ordered to go.”

“I had hoped to sabotage the mission, if possible,” Baaz says, shrugging.

“You knew the mission?” I ask. “Did you have a specific target? Why these females?”

Yodha shakes his head.

“It wasn’t specific. The Shaman wanted more captives. The Maulavi who gave the orders said they wanted more leverage to keep the lizards at bay.”

“They seem to think the Zmaj won’t attack if we have enough of the humans,” Karta says.

Saylor rises onto her toes and whispers in my ear.

“Are we safe?” she asks.

There is no stopping my smile. My lips curl up as I turn my head to answer, and then there is motion in the periphery of my vision. Prickles race over the back of my neck as I know, without knowing what or why, that not only are we not safe, butsomething is wrong. Terribly wrong.

“Sek!” I shout and everything happens at once.

Kharta is rushing forward, toward Saylor. The Urr’ki that was on the floor, the one I had thought dead, rises. There is something in his hand.

Kharta is closing, pulling my attention to him. He leaps.

The world explodes.