Cold Mark (21 page)

"What are you going to name him?" Phila asked over my shoulder as we continued down a bustling street of Center. He reached around me, sticking his arm between Leo and me to pet the top of my new puppy's head. "It has to be a masculine name. This scamp is going to be big."

Leo, nonchalantly, shoved Phila's arm back. "My Soul will name him whatever she wants."

I stared down at my lovely pet, his eyes full of wonder as he took in the sites we passed by. My grin couldn't be erased, his scrunched up face so loveable. I kissed the top of his head, the red fur tickling my lips. With a spring in my step, I stated, "I'm going to name him Sweet Pea."

As one, all of the men surrounding me stopped in their tracks. Including the guards.

I stumbled to a stop a few feet in front of the group, turning back to see why they had stopped.

They were all staring at me. These tough Mian, the leaders of this planet ... had been thwarted by the cute name of my puppy. "What? He is a sweet pea." I lifted him higher in my arms, bouncing him a bit, watching his large ears flop. "Look at him! He's in love with the world! It's adorable."

Leo cleared his throat, turning a wide gaze to the pup in my grasp. "Braita ... when I meant you could choose any—"

"And I did," I stated stubbornly. "This is the end of this discussion. His name is Sweet Pea."

Phila started choking deep in his throat until he couldn't contain it any longer. He threw his head of glistening, long white hair back and roared with laughter. Not even the glares Malik and Leo shot him contained his mirth. He just shook his head and stepped forward between Malik and Leo and then advanced toward me. Bending low, he placed his face right in front of Sweet Pea's face. Lifting a hand to scratch behind Sweet Pea's left ear, he purred. "A unique name ... " his dark gaze lifted to mine, softening, as his voice did, "for a unique owner."

I gazed down at the Mian bending before me, my eyes gentle on his. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Braita."

A sound akin to a growl sounded. And not from Sweet Pea, either.

It was coming from Malik's direction.

"Okay, that's enough petting," I whispered, stepping back.

Phila's voice was so quiet, I barely heard him—I was sure no one else did since there was no bloodshed being had. "
That is not the petting I wish to do with you, Sweetness."

I swiftly turned my heated face away when I heard Jax shout, "Braita! Over here!"

Jax stood in the doorway of the ... Well, the sign said
Lick Me Up Tavern
.

Now that Jax had accustomed himself to the Mian lifestyle, it sounded just like his sort of bar.

Especially since you only had to be sixteen-years-old to drink on Triaz.

"Come on!" Jax held up a glass, silver alcho-brew sloshing over the side. "Live a little!"

My brows furrowed as I glanced down at Sweet Pea, then back up. I hollered, "I can't. I have a pet now!" I shrugged. "And, besides, I don't drink."

Jax narrowed his gray eyes in a special look he only gave me when I was being a prudish bore.

"Fine!" I stomped in his direction, the Plumas following behind with a much livelier step toward the bar. "But they better let Sweet Pea in."

Malik slammed down his sixth cup, just as empty as his others. He grinned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You sure you don't want a drink?"

I lifted my water. "I have a drink, as I've said before." I waved to all of the guards and the other Plumas sitting at our table, everyone had joined in to have at least one alcho-brew. "Besides, you have enough drinking partners."

He pointed his empty at the bartender. "Another round, please."

Leo sipped on his second cup, his lips curving at his partner. "You are such a damn lush."

Malik pointed a finger at him, leaning a bit on the table with an elbow. "
You
just can't hold your liquor as well as I can." His black brows lifted as he leaned toward Leo on the other side of me, invading Sweet Pea's and my space. "Just admit it."

Leo chuckled. "Never."

I rolled my eyes, staring across the table where Jax sat. The more Malik drank, the more flirtatious he became. And not only with me. If I had just seen him drink before, then he and Leo's love for each other would have been obvious. My lips thinned as Leo reached up, right in front of my face, and pressed on Malik's forehead, pushing him back into his seat. I glanced at Malik, agreeing with Leo. "You are a bit of a lush."

Malik politely took the cup the bartender handed him before peering back into my eyes. His grin was lopsided, making my heart pound harder. "I'm merely celebrating." He bent his head and pressed his lips to my ear, kissing softly. "Our Soul has returned to us."

My eyes drifted to Killeg and Phila at the other end of the table, smartly sitting far away so everyone could drink and be merry. I cleared my throat and tilted my head back to stare into a silver glowing gaze only inches away from mine. "Yes, I am back."

Jax choked on his drink and began pounding on his chest.

My regard snapped to him. "Are you okay?" It was still only his first drink.

"Yes." He thumped his chest once more, coughing more gently now. "I'm fine."

I patted the top of Sweet Pea's head, bending down to retrieve a dog treat out of the store bag for him. He nibbled at it with vigor until my hand jerked away. There was no stopping it as I tried to grab Malik's shoulder right before he face planted onto the wooden tabletop. "What the hell?" I patted his cheek repeatedly, but he wouldn't wake up. I turned my attention to Leo.

I froze.

His eyes were shut, and his head was back on his chair. Completely out cold.

That wasn't right.

My attention swung around the bar in a flurry as I hurried to stand from my chair.

All
of the patrons were passing out, one after another.

Their faces hit the tables. Their bodies hit the ground.

Some were even falling body first onto other sleeping patrons.

My gaze snapped to Killeg and Phila, down the long line of guards passing out.

Both had leaned toward each other, their sides of their heads resting against the other.

Hell, they were even snoring quietly.

The only individuals wide awake were the bartender and Jax.

That didn't last long though.

My jaw dropped as Jax flew from his chair and over the long counter of the bar. He whacked the stunned bartender in the left temple with his glass, his 'weapon' breaking and flying in a glory of shining shards across the bar. The place was now silent.

Sweet Pea wiggled in my arms, and I held him closer to my chest. "Jax ... what's going on?"

"Fuck. That took longer than I thought it would." Jax raced across the room, jumping over sleeping Mian. He slammed the front door shut to the tavern, locking it. He hit a button next to the door and the windows automatically shaded to deep black, eliminating anyone's view from the street.

"Jax?"

He snapped his fingers at me. "Let's go."

My brows rose. "Go where?"

"Home." His stare was pointed. "Escape. To Joyal."

I didn't speak for a full minute, and then I shouted, "
What? Have you lost your damned mind?
"

Pure exasperation. "I'll explain on the way." He glanced at his halo-watch. "We've only got a few hours before they wake up. Even less than that if someone finds them."

I blinked. "How did you do this?"

"I stole a few vials from Pluma Creo's room before we left for our outing."

My words were slow, my mind trying to catch up to this madness. "You stole from Killeg?"

"I'm about to steal more if you would get your ass moving."

My brows furrowed. "What about Stiller? He's the other half of your Vaq. He'll know something is—" I stopped, realizing the truth. "You drugged him before you left the fair."

He nodded. "And I poured all of the vials into the alcho-brew system here before you walked in." His gray eyes were staring hard into mine. "You want freedom, right? I'm giving you that option."

I blinked. "Are you prepared to leave Stiller?"

His lips thinned, but he stated with conviction, "I have a mission, Braita. I have to accomplish it before I think of myself. It's more than just me. I have to think of the Humans on Joyal, too."

My brows furrowed, but I didn't ask another question. He would tell me if I went with him.

Instead, my eyes swung to my Vaq, and then to Killeg and Phila.

Could I truly leave Triaz?

The answer was simple.

For my freedom, I would do anything.

"I'm assuming you have a way to get us to Joyal?" I asked, my mind set.

Jax snorted. "Of course."

"Perfect." I bent and rifled through the bag from the pet shop. I found the leash inside and hooked Sweet Pea's collar to it, then wrapped it around the bottom of Malik's chair. I couldn't take a dog on the run. Stealth was a must when hiding from Mian with sensitive ears. Ruffling his ears, I kissed the top of his head before I made my rounds, saying a quiet goodbye to not only my Vaq, but to Killeg and Phila as well, even kissing all of their cheeks once.

Jax stood with his arms crossed, his brows raised in surprise. But he remained mute. Just watching. When I was done, he grabbed my hand, pulling through the back of the building. He stopped at a closet and yanked two tattered cloaks from inside. In a hurry, we put them on, yanking the hoods over our heads.

We were out the back door and running down a dark alleyway. I followed Jax, trusting my best friend to get me back to my planet. To the home I had always known and trusted. Our Joyal.

At the end of the alley, there was a black vehicle sitting in the darkness.

Jax opened the passenger side door, indicating for me to get inside.

I slipped in and fastened my seatbelt. I had an inkling there would be fast and reckless driving in our future. Wherever we were headed, Jax was in a hurry as he slid across the hood of the vehicle to cut time to get to the driver's side door. Within seconds, we were flying down the main streets of Center, heading away from the bustling inner city.

We had ditched the car a half-hour ago, on to our next destination through the forest.

Out of breath, but keeping up, my runs on Joyal having kept me fit for this trek.

Jax was a few feet ahead of me, a bulky bag he had grabbed from the backseat strapped over his shoulder, bouncing against his right hip as he ran like Lavanos were chasing us.

No, worse. Like Mian were after us.

Which they probably were if anyone had stumbled upon the slumbering Plumas.

I jumped over a rock and then ducked under a tree limb, remembering this exact route.

We were headed for the hov-craft. If that was our outlet for exit of Triaz, I had no idea how we were going to find it. Unless we ran smack into it. When we had last left it, the cloaking device had been activated. Jax and I wouldn't be able to see even if we were standing right in front of it.

But I trusted Jax. He said he had a plan. I trusted him with my life, so I continued weaving through trees and jumping over brush to keep up with him, not about to lose him in the darkness.