Xilon (Aliens of Renjer Book 3) Page 4

  “Fine. Stay here and keep fighting for your life or let me fly you somewhere safe were you may rest and eat.”

  “And then what?”

  “We'll decide that in the morning.”

  She gave a curt nod. “You drop me or go back on your promise and I'll run my sword through you while you sleep.”

  His laugh rumbled in his chest before he could stop it. He felt light-headed at the emotion. How long had it been since he'd bickered and laughed with someone?

  “Your tiny blade can't penetrate my scales.” He grinned.

  “I've my ways. Besides, there are some parts of you without much protection.”

  Observant and in the little suns’ light we’d had earlier. She'd already sized me up to know the best places to attack him and do the most damage. His assessment of her gained another notch.

  “Shit.” She spun and removed her sword in one smooth motion. “We've got company coming from the forest. Friends of yours, I hope?”

  He moved toward the sound too late. A Tryn’s spear struck him in his flank. His body crumpled as the acidic poison on the tip flooded his veins. His vision darkened. He tried to push up, but his body wasn't cooperating. Terror hit his chest.

  Chapter 7

  Ash ducked behind Xilon's horizontal form as spears whizzed overhead. Demons here had primitive weapons. On Earth, they just used whatever was handy: guns, knives, a long-stretch limo.

  Peeking over Xilon's back, she spotted a wave of hundreds of the monsters rushing toward them.

  Shit! Her stomach clenched. No way could she fight them all. “I'll take you up on that ride now.” When he didn't respond, she nudged him with her boot. “Xilon?”

  A faint whisper in her mind answered, “I can't move. Must have added something to the poison…a paralyzer.

  “Fuck.” She yanked out her sword. “What about your dragonfire? Can you blast them?”

  “If I could've done so, I would have by now.”

  Right. She dashed around Xilon, hoping the creatures would be focused on a twelve foot dragon more so than her. Dodging through trees and purple vines, she slashed through two demons’ heads. Another came at her from the left and she spun low, surprising it, and cutting across the thighs. From behind the trees more swarmed. Legion didn't even cover the amount of demons heading for her.

  Too many. Her stomach knotted. She'd never beat them all, but she had no choice. Get them away from Xilon. He was vulnerable right now and her surprise attacks had been noticed.

  Jumping over a log, she called out, “That all you got? Come and get me if you can.”

  Heavy footfalls echoed around her. She didn't have time to look and see how many followed her. Her hope was that it was enough to keep Xilon safe for the moment. Last thing she wanted was for the first dragon she met to get killed and if she could take out as many devils as she could before she died, she’d be satisfied.

  A demon flung itself at her side, but she paused a split-second before impact. The monster crashed into the ground at her feet. She stabbed it in the chest with her sword then ran forward again.

  Her breaths turned into heavy pants as she fought the fatigue pulling heavily at her limbs. If she stopped, she was dead. Or worse, possessed and spawning more demons.

  Not going to happen.

  A demon launched into her back. Its claws digging into her leather jacket.

  Bastard! She smashed the hilt of her sword into its face. When it slipped off her back with a howl, she stumbled forward.

  Her heart hammered in her chest. She had to get to shelter. A crevice or narrow passage so she could force them to come after her one at a time rather than from nearly any direction.

  “Xilon!” she yelled. Would he be able to hear her from this distance? “Is there somewhere close where I can lead them too and force them into a narrow funnel?”

  The moonlight provided patches of grey against the dark, but seeing clearly was pretty impossible.

  Three demons leaped down from the trees in front of her. Her boots skidded across the ground as she skidded to a stop.

  Beyond the demons was a strip of a clearing and a large shape she couldn't make out in the dark exactly what it was. A boulder maybe?

  Her gasps softened the sounds of twigs breaking behind her as her pursuers stilled.

  She clutched her sword, the hilt digging into her palm. The demon closest to her showed her his fangs and his tiny leather wings fluttered along his back.

  “Hard to impress me after I've met a dragon.” She took a step a forward.

  “Get out!” Xilon's voice was a hoarse whispered in her mind.

  “What do you think I'm trying to do? Waltz with them?”

  “Fir—”

  “What?” She jerked away as one of the demons tore after her.

  A stirring overhead sounded. Bats? The noise came again and the demons around her scattered. What could terrify demons? She didn't want to stick around to find out.

  Her first instinct was to head back to Xilon. He had told her he'd take her to a shelter and he spoke English…well, mind-spoke to her and he might be able to help her get home.

  She kept her sword in hand and raced through the forest. Fire spewed down from above.

  What the hell?

  The flames exploded the tree trunks. Thousands of splinters and fragments of wood shot out in all directions. She ducked as she covered her head with her arms and ran. Screams from the dying demons made her heartbeat triple.

  White-hot fire burst to her left. Its heat hundred times hotter than any flame she'd ever come close to. It singed the hairs on her arms from dozens of feet away. Had to be dragonfire.

  She stumbled over a bush, her knee smashing into the ground. Pain lanced through her leg as she stood. She limped forward, crashing through the foliage.

  Smoke billowed around her. She whipped her sword out in front of her until it hit a tree, then she moved around the obstacle and onto the next.

  Her breaths turned into gagging coughs.

  Was she going the right way?

  “Xilon!” she coughed. “Xilon.”

  She lifted the edge of her shirt with one hand and covered her mouth. Her lungs starving for more air.

  Another blast sounded yards to her left. She limped ahead, using the trees she found for balance.

  “Ash,” Xilon's voice in her mind made her falter.

  Joy that he was alive claimed her heart. No, her emotion had to be hope that he could get her out this inferno.

  “Where are you?” he asked.

  “In the middle of shit.” Would he even hear her?

  “Seriously. Where? Others of my kind flying over the forest now. Do you have anything you can signal with?”

  Yeah, let me get my bike out of the shop and shoot up a flare. She groped around in the darkness for something. But her hands only found dirt and grass. Her coughing started again. Shit, shit, shit!

  Her ankle slipped as she stood. A twinge of pain stole her breath.

  Okay, looks like the dragon isn't going to save the damsel. So, I'll save myself.

  Chapter 8

  Xilon struggled against two Renjerians as they carried him to the mountains. Below them, the forest burned in bright orange and red against the night.

  Ash!

  “No, let me go!” Xilon roared into the minds of his rescuers. “The human—”

  “Was not found,” one sighed. “You've been hit with Tryn poison and are delusional.”

  “I'm not seeing things. She was real. Is real.” And from the section he could see past the trees before these two showed up and set fire to everything, she was a damn good fighter.

  “How did a human get here, then?” the other Renjerian, Vox, asked.

  “She and I hadn't figured that part out yet.” Though if what she said was true, she could have the nanites that his people did which allowed them to travel lightning to other worlds. And he had smelled a faint scent of Renjerian on her, which either meant she had told the truth about he
r dragon heritage or had taken Renjerian blood recently.

  “No, we have to go back and save her.”

  Vox shook his head, shifting his wings to catch the breeze. “We need to get you to Desmonda for healing. The poison not only has paralyzed you, but—”

  “Don’t finish that sentence with anything about the human not being real or I will rip your scales off,” Xilon interrupted.

  “How about you speak to your sister about all of your fantasies when she’s healing you.” Vox smirked and the other Renjerian chuckled.

  Sadness filled him as he cranked his neck to watch the woods burning in the distance, bringing the smell of charred flesh and decay lingering behind. Perhaps Vox was right after a fashion. Ash was real, but no human could survive dragonfire and these two slugs had burned everything within a mile radius of where he'd seen Ash disappear. He'd screamed and rallied to the two Renjerians to stop, but all they saw was one of their princes injured and the forest crawling with Tryns.

  After several minutes, they finally listened to him, but by then it was too late.

  He'd finally met a human woman who didn't scream or faint when she saw him. And he doubted he'd ever find her equal.

  “Take him to the healing chamber,” Taurian ordered. “I'll get Desmonda.”

  Vox and the other Renjerian took Xilon deeper into the labyrinth of caves. Their spiked tails dragging behind them in the dirt.

  In the healing cave, water trickled down the mountain stones. Illuminating rocks of every color lined the outer walls. The stones were put out each morning and brought inside each evening.

  His sister entered, rubbing her swollen belly. “What happened?”

  “A Tryn spear. Get the poison out and I'll be fine.”

  Her scaled brow furrowed. “But you can't move, correct?”

  “No. Once I was struck, I was immediately paralyzed.” Leaving Ash to defend herself and she got fried for her troubles. And she had saved him since she lured the Tryns to pursue her into the woods. No human had ever risked their life for him.

  “And you can breathe okay?” She peered closer at his wound on his leg. “No trouble breathing or hearts racing?”

  “No, both my hearts are fine. Though I did have to concentrate on breathing at first.” When he should've been protecting Ash. As soon as she started to bicker with him, he should have scooped her up and carried her off. Then they'd both be well.

  His sister shook her head, her brow furrowed.

  “What? What is it?”

  “Let me consult with Dena.”

  “Is that Taurian's human?” Xilon snorted. “Why?”

  “She's an animal doctor and helping us to find a cure for our growing fertility problem.”

  “I'm a warrior,” Xilon puffed out his chest, “I don't need to make younglings right now. Why would you seek her out for my fert—”

  “No,” Desmonda waved a hand in dismissal, “No, I worry that Tryns are adapting their poison to kill us faster.”

  He paused. Usually, if a Renjerian was hit with a shot of Tryn venom, it took a while to be effective. He could still fight for hours. This time, however, Xilon was immobile immediately. And if Ash hadn’t made herself a decoy, the Tryns would’ve killed him. He owed her a life-debit. His heart twisted in his chest. Perhaps he could visit Earth and find her family. This Grams and give her the gold rocks the humans loved when he was there last. Did they still value gold?

  Desmonda cleaned his would and asked Taurian to suck out the toxin so as not to absorb any into herself or harm the younglings she carried.

  After Taurian finished, he wrapped Xilon’s leg with Krem leaves to speed the healing. “Desmonda will check on you in a bit. Get some rest.”

  “Wait,” Xilon lifted his head, staring at his brother’s human form. Would it be possible, really, to shift back and forth as Taurian and Kohl had? What would Ash think about that ability? Or what would she have? His heart twisted again, making him wonder if the venom had indeed spread to his organs.

  “Your woman…Dena. H-How did you know she’d mate with you?” His entire life around human females had been after the Tryns had been nearly wiped off their planet and the Earthlings were beginning to call the Renjerians as evil and hunt them down. He’d never even hugged one much less touched one on purpose before.

  “I mean, it’s not as if it’s with Renjerian females, is it?” Xilon asked. Their kind’s tail spikes flattened when they were interested in a male including releasing a pheromone that enticed both to love-making.

  “No.” Taurian rubbed the back of his neck. “Why do you want to know?”

  Xilon shrugged. “No real reason. Just thought it might come in handy if I’m able to transform when I land on Earth and others would need this information too if we are to intermingle with them.”

  His brother narrowed his human eyes at him a moment, then shrugged. “I’m not an expert as humans are different to us. They don’t follow a set of rules for mating. With Dena, I felt it here.” He tapped his chest. “Couldn’t stand the thought of being without her. And that emotion, along with many more, grew and grew. I thought it would suffocate me with its power, but I’ve never been happier or felt more alive than I do when I’m with her.”

  Human feelings increased? Xilon barely knew Ash and already he felt a hole in his heart like he was missing a part of himself. Would that wound heal or would it expand like Taurian’s love for Dena?

  His brother left him alone and Xilon sulked on the flat boulder waiting for the healing leaves to dry so he could go to his cave.

  He had wanted to know more about Ash. About what she thought of his world. He’d promised to take her back to her home and he’d broken that vow. Come first light, damn the consequences, he’d find her remains. He’d find a lightning storm and return her body back to Earth.

  Then he’d ask for forgiveness of her Grams for not protecting the most unique human female he’d ever met.

  Chapter 9

  Xilon flew into the rumbling gas clouds to conceal himself from the Tryns. Irritation snapped along his veins. He hated hiding, but he'd rather hunt for Ash's remains without Tryns poking at him.

  Smoke curled from the forest below while embers glowed in the wreckage.

  Now that nearly all the trees had been demolished, Xilon could land without ripping down the forest.

  “Jemna kerzob yomon, Ash,” he said aloud. I’m so sorry, Ash.

  The scent of wood smoke and charred animals choked the air. He'd never be able to pick up her smell like this. Still, he dragged his talons through the smoldering rubble. He moved a few feet deeper into the woods, stirring up debris and hoping against hope to find her alive.

  Thunder rumbled in the distance. He could take Taurian's blood and ride a lightning bolt to see if it changed him as it had his brother. His people needed this. If it worked, others could teleport to Earth and seek shelter there away from the Tryns. Find mates and continue their race.

  Perhaps the rain would wash away most of this wood and he'd be able to find Ash’s body faster. With a heart heavy, he swung toward home.

  The bolt jarred along his flesh, biting like a creton with razor pinchers into his flesh. His body convulsed and he roared as his skull felt like it was crushed underneath a great weight. His muscles cramped painfully, locking up. Air stuck in his lungs, burning for release. He scratched his throat to no avail.

  His bones snapped. Agony raced through him and he couldn't even scream.

  And the lightning zigzagged him across the sky before dumping him in the middle of a field.

  He gasped. The air scorched his throat and lungs, but he inhaled again anyway. Darkness covered the land. Where am I? He squinted.

  Wait. He glanced down at his…hands. Human hands. He forced them. Then he touched his face. Skin, not scales. He shivered as the rain pelted down on him. His feet sinking into the mud.

  Naked. He laughed. At least his sex was still evident and proportioned larger than the few other human males he'd se
en without clothes in the past.

  Now to get back home so everyone would know the blood and lightning worked.

  He ran, as he'd seen humans do, and stumbled several steps. Thunder boomed in the distance, but the lightning faded.

  No, no, no. He needed to get back to Renjer now. He couldn’t wait here on Earth and without clothes. They didn't have as many storms as his home planet. Without wings, he'd never catch one either.

  He got the feel of his new legs and headed after the storm. City lights flared in the distance in the direction he ran. He'd seek clothes there and a horse to ride to the closets storm.

  Near to the town, the smell of meat cooking made his mouth water. But there were dozens of other odors that he didn't recognize. A mustiness and an almost smoky-stench.

  Overhead, a huge silver bird whizzed through the clouds. He squinted, examining the beast. It was larger than a dragon and never once flapped its wings as it soared through the sky. If he could ride on that bird’s back, he'd reach the storm in seconds. What other marvels did humans have now?

  He strode up into a cluster of buildings. Women gawked at him and the men glowered. They wore clothing similar to Ash’s. Her face with her crooked smile popped into his mind and longing to know her better sliced through him. It was too late for that. He'd failed her and would forever live with his mistake. One of many since the bastards took over his planet. Greif clawed at his insides of all the deaths he’d witnessed. The lives he couldn’t save. The loved ones and friends he’d lost. His heart clenched so hard he thought it would never release the pain.

  “Hey buddy, might want to put some clothes on,” a man in a yellow box said. “This ain't no nudist colony.”

  “Greetings.” Xilon waved as humans in the past had done. “Can you take me to Grams?”

  “Got a full name or an address?”

  “No.” He'd been in such a hurry to take Taurian's blood, find Ash's body, and return here that he'd forgotten to bring any gold. “I have neither.”