Lost Among the Stars (Sky Riders) (18 page)

She recovered soon enough and pushed off his chest to look at him. “Wow! That was incredible!” She blushed a beautiful shade of red.

“Why are you blushing, little one? There is nothing to be shy about between us.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “You are mine now and forever and it will always be like this between us. I plan on having you so many times you will never be able to keep count.”

“Why would I ever want to keep count?” she laughed.

“It was just an idea.”

Chapter 20

Zol’tsa sat in his cell quietly, waiting for his chance to escape. He had a lot of time on his hands to think of the best way to get off Qetera before anyone noticed he was gone.

After the shu
ttle he and the females had escaped in, the female named, Kelly, took out all of his men then had the nerve to put the gun to his head. He did as she asked only because he had been searching for a way to get to Ruehar’s warship that was in battle with one of the Qeteran ships. He debated whether or not to take the female out, but once he saw that all the females had armed themselves with the guns of his dead men, he thought twice about the suicide move.

Unfortunately for him, the youngest brother of the trio showed up just in time to save the leader’s warship that was under heavy fire. His hopes of escaping anytime soon were crushed when he witnessed Ruehar’s warship explode. Anger coursed through his veins as he thought of all the men lost on board that ship. Their numbers were already at a dangerous low, but the devastating blow would cripple the Lephusans. The chances of their race surviving extinction were very slim now.

He had been hauled unceremoniously on board the warship then tossed into a cell after witnessing the end of the battle to await transport down to the surface of Qetera. A heavily guarded shuttle took him down to the surface where he would face a trial he knew would end in his death.

As he was being escorted to the holding cells, he saw the amount of damage his people caused to the main city. It would take the Qeterans some time to rebuild everything that was destroyed or badly damaged. He smiled to himself as he walked handcuffed through the doors of a building he hadn’t been in before. He was quickly processed then placed in a windowless cell.

The only visitors he received were the guards who brought his meals three times a day. After a while the days ran together and he no longer knew how long it had been since he was captured. His only entertainment was gathering together the dirt and dust in a pile and using it to draw pictures. The only pieces of furniture in the cell were a bed that was secured to the floor and the toilet. He would sit for hours trying to figure out a way to use the bed as some kind of a weapon if he could only get a piece of it loose.

His chance for escape came when the guard brought in his midday meal. As scheduled, the guards return
ed twenty minutes later to retrieve the tray. In his haste to get out of the cell, the guard neglected to check the tray for the spoon he was allowed to eat with. As the door to the cell slammed shut, he smiled inwardly and reached for the tool on the floor.

“You are my ticket out of here,” he said to the metal object. He lay back on the bed a
nd let this plan formulate in his head.

He used the tool to pry the wood of his bed apart. He would use one of the wooden supports to bash the guard over the head when he came in with the evening meal. The guard always came in alone and there was no sign of any other guard waiting outside the cell. This would be his one chance to escape and he couldn’t mess it up.

The hours ticked by slowly as he waited to hear the turn of the key in the lock. He went to sit on the toilet to make the guard think he was incapacitated for the moment. When the door opened and the guard walked in, he glanced behind the man to make sure he was alone.

“Ah, another wonderful Qeteran meal,” he said sarcastically.

The guard gave him a dirty look then said to him, “Shut up, prisoner.” He turned his back to sit the tray on the bed.

He jumped off the toilet and swung his makeshift weapon at the guard’s head. The man didn’t even know what hit him as he flopped limply half on the bed and half on the floor.

“Don’t tell me to shut up!” He gave the man a hard kick in the ribs for added measure then went to the door.

The corridor was quiet just as he expected it would be. The Qeterans had let down their guard since the leader of his people was now dead along with most of the men. He slipped out of the cell and crept along the wall listening for the slightest sound. He froze when he heard voices talking far off in the distance. He couldn’t quite place where they came from until he heard a door open and close. He waited to hear if the footsteps came his way and was relieved when they faded off in the opposite direction.

He continued down the length of the wall he pressed his body against until he came to a juncture. The first way he looked was another long corridor that turned again at the end. His heart jumped in excitement when he glanced the opposite way and saw the window at the end of the short corridor. He waited a few precious seconds before he made his move to make sure he didn’t hear any approaching noises. With his trusty spoon in hand, he raced to the window and tried to open it. His hopes were dashed somewhat when the window didn’t open right away. It was night outside and he could see across an open field all the way to the landing pads. More determined than ever, he used the handle of the spoon to scrape away the rust and dirt that prevented the window from opening. It was killing him to move so slowly but he couldn’t risk the sound of the scraping reaching unwanted ears.

The painful task paid off finally when he was able to slip the edge of the spoon between the window frame and the actual window. It gave a small pop as the rust on the inside gave way, releasing the window. It was going to be a tight squeeze but he wasn’t about to let that stop him.

He used the muscles in his arms to pull his upper body up onto the sill. He used his feet to sort of walk up the wall and push his upper body through the small rectangular hole. Bracing his hands on the outside wall, he pushed with all his might. He felt something dig into his back as he gave one last hard kick to catapult the rest of his body out of the prison.

His body landed with a thud in the dirt beneath the window. The wind was
knocked out of him for a bit, but he didn’t have any time to lose. He stood up on shaky legs, looked both ways to make sure it was clear then decided to cross the field on his hands and knees. This way if a guard spotted movement in the darkness of the field he might think it was just an animal. It would take more time to cross that way but it was the safest. He could always run if the need arose.

The night air was cool and quiet. The damp grass beneath his hands and knees made
his knees slip a few times, losing his traction. He also had to watch the sky for any sign of a dragon. Being caught by one of those beasts would be unforgiving. The edge of the landing area neared as he moved up behind a fuel refill station. His eyes adjusted well to the dark area and he was able to make out the shapes of the shuttles parked all cross the landing pads.

He would have to check each shuttle until he found one that had been
carelessly left open. He wasn’t about to crawl over the hard landing pad, so he crouched down and ran hunched over. The first shuttle was locked up tight. The second one was the same way as well as the third. He was about to give up hope and find another way off the planet when the handle on the next shuttle pulled out and opened the door. He silently gave praise to Ruehar for helping him in his time of need. The great ruler may be dead and gone, but his spirit still lived on and he was going to honor that spirit.

The shuttle was dark and lifeless as he slipped inside and closed the door. Now was the time for him to take a moment and catch his breath. So far, so good. He had gone undetected up until this point and he prayed his luck would hold out. A sudden noise outside the shuttle made him jump. Voi
ces were approaching! He needed to hide somewhere fast! The voices were right outside the door and there was at least three. Panic set in as he scrounged for a place to hide.

He looked up just then and saw that the ceiling of the shuttle had moveable tiles. It must be an older shuttle because the newer one
s all had rounded, smooth ceilings. The space between the outer casing of the shuttle and tiles was often used to store baggage to supplies, not a man his size. His only hope now relied on a tiny cramp space where he would have to force his body to fit into.

Reaching up he moved one tile and pulled himself up. He had about sixteen inches between the top of the shuttle to the tiles so he would have to lie on his stomach. Surprisingly, he was able to fit his body and long legs into the enclosure and replace the tile just as the door to the shuttle opened.

“What are they doing with this piece of junk anyway?” came the voice below the tiles.

“It’s going to be refurbished and used as a supply vessel and we get the pleasure of taking her Korin.”  
 

Korin was an industrial planet that made all the material needed to make a warship. He knew the planet only by its name, never having been there. It was a long ride to the smallest plane
t in the Yahiri galaxy, but offered the chance for him to contact his parents.

The shuttle took off at an odd angle which made him have to brace himself against the curved walls. He let out a quiet sigh of relief when the shuttle evened out.

“How long until we reach Korin?”

Damn, this guy must be new or something not to know how far it was to Korin from his
own planet.

“About six hours. Now would you please stop talking? I know you’re new to all this, but damn man, give me a break.” The second voice complained.

“Dang dude, I was just asking. No need to chop my head off!” the new guy said.

“You shouldn’t be so hard on him. After all you were new once too,” the third voice spoke for the first time.

The shuttle was quiet for several long minutes. “Sorry, man. Didn’t mean to be so snappy.”

“It’s all good,” the new guy stated. “I think I’ll sit back and take a nap. Wake me when we get there.”

There wasn’t much talking after that until they neared Korin. He listened to the directions given to the shuttle and stored the information in his brain. The shuttle made its descent by going straight down instead of at an angle. The bump of the shuttle touching ground told him they were now on the surface of Korin.

“Alright, we’re here. Let’s go turn this thing over to the foreman.”

The door of the shuttle opened and the three Qeterans exited. He lifted one corner of a tile to peek down and saw the shuttle was empty. He didn’t even bother to replace the tile before he too exited the shuttle.

He breathed in the smoke filled air and thought nothing ever smelled better. He was free! Now all he needed to do was contact his parents and
have them send someone to pick him up.

As soon as he returned to Lephus he would begin his plans to take revenge on the family that took out the only man he ever truly cared for. He especially wanted to get his hands on the female Kelly. She should have killed him when she had the chance. Now, she would be the one at the end of the gun.

Chapter 21

Etor and Kharis both returned to their normal duties a week after the battle. The rebuilding of the city was moving forward nicely as he toured the city looking at the progress. His father was still away in Nallume, the city Vulmar directed, but would be returning to his city in a couple of days. The work in Nallume was just about complete and Vulmar had returned to his city three days ago.

Rhaegos returned too with news that four dragons had been killed during the battle. The dragons mourned the loss of the fallen but were still dedicated to Qetera and her
residents. The past few days had Rhaegos shifting into his smaller stature so that he could spend time in the house with Maggie. The two were becoming very close and he sensed it was because of the baby growing in her belly.

The day for the Lephusan Zol’tsa’s trial was to occur in four days’ time. Preparations were underway to give the man the fairest trial he could receive. Citizens from Nallume and Ashme were brought in
to stand as jurors.

He was just about to leave for
a survey of the city on Rhaegos when there was a loud commotion at the front door of his home. He found his staff trying to hold back the pack of guards that pushed their way into his home.

“What is the meaning of this?” he roared.

All eyes turned to him. One guard stepped forward while giving a servant a look to stay back.

“Commander, the prisoner has escaped!”

The color drained from his face. “How?” he demanded.

“He killed the guard who was bringing him his food for the evening meal. He then escaped out of a window.” The guard stepped back to get out of the way in case the Commander went into the Rage.

“I want every building searched then researched. Send out a party to scour the fields surrounding the city. I want him found! Do I make myself clear?” He was keeping his anger under control. It wouldn’t do any good to go berserk on his own men.

“Yes sir, Commander.” The group of guards left in a hurry to follow through with their orders.

Etor immediately went to his office to contact his brothers. He opened up a split communication viewing screen so he could speak with them at the same time.

“Miss us so soon, brother?” Kharis joked.

“No and unfortunately this is not a joyful call.” He ran his hand through his hair as he paced the room.

“What is it, Etor?” Vulmar asked.

He turned to face the screen. “The Lephusan prisoner has escaped.” He waited for their reaction to subside before continuing.

“He killed one of my guards then escaped out of a window. The city is being searched as we speak, but he had a good head start. He could be anywhere by now.”

“We will have our cities searched too and inform the dragons to be on the lookout for a single man roaming the countryside alone,” Kharis said.

He stared at his two brothers on the screen. He feared what his head was telling him and was afraid to say it out loud. “You can be sure he will be after the human females. It’s because of them he was taken prisoner.”

“I was afraid of that,” Vulmar said.

“You do still have them there right?” Kharis asked. He wanted to take Kelly back with him to Ashme but she wouldn’t hear of it.

“Yes, for the time being.”

“What d
o you mean ‘for the time being’?” Vulmar asked suspiciously.

“They are all strong willed women and will not listen to anything I say. Frustrating to say the least. I’m tempted to lock them all up and throw away the key!”

“It’s settled then. I will come for Kelly whether she wants to come with me or not. It’s too hard for you to keep an eye on all of them at the same time,” Kharis smirked at the thought of his mate putting up a fight.

“So, be it. I will not tell her you are on your way to get her.”

“I’ll take Hunter and the one called Lexie. This way you will only have your mate to worry about,” Vulmar announced forcefully.

“By the gods, Maggie is going to kill me!”

All three brothers broke out laughing. How a woman of Maggie’s size had such a hold over him he would never know. She would definitely be angry with him for not telling her of their plans sooner, but he thought it best to keep her in the dark too until it was too late.

“When can I expect you?” Maybe if he got Maggie out of the house when his brothers arrived she wouldn’t get suspicious.

“I will be there in the morning,” Vulmar said.

“I too,” Kharis said.

“Perfect. I will take Maggie out on Rhaegos that way it won’t upset her to see her friends leave. Until the morning then.” He nodded and cut the transmission. Now, he just needed a story to tell Maggie in order to get her out of the house in the morning. His best chance was to converse with Rhaegos. He knew the dragon would do anything to protect Maggie.

Right now he wanted the comfort of his mate’s arms around him. He went in search of her and found her sitting in the garden in her usual spot. The book she was trying to read sat open on her lap as he approached her with a smile.

The sight of her made his body tingle with desire. “Really, Etor, how am I ever going to learn to read this?” She gestured to the open book. “I looks like nothing but lines to me.”

He pulled her out of the chair she sat in then took up her spot. Pulling her onto his lap, he inhaled her scent and closed his eyes. She always smelled like fresh rain and female. “Don’t worry, my love. It will eventually come to you. It’s not an easy language to learn.”

“I know that, but
why can I understand you when you talk? I know you’re not speaking my language.”

“Did you have a physical examination
before you boarded the transport?” He ran his hand up the inside of her leg making chills appear on her arms.

“No, they just asked us some basic questions then directed us to which transport we were to get on,” she replied.

“Then the only thing I can think of is that when you went into stasis they must have implanted a translation in your ears. I never thought to ask Jonik to look for one.”

She touched her ears as if she could suddenly feel the microscopic implant. “You think so?”

“Yes, I do, my little love. But you are not going to be to feel it. It’s too small to even see with the naked eye.” He pulled her hands away from her ears and kissed the knuckles of each hand. “How is the little one doing today?” he glanced down at her belly.

“He or she is doing just fine. It’s too soon to feel the baby moving.” She rubbed her belly then looked up to him with questionable eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m
not even sure how long I will be pregnant.” She shrugged her shoulder.

For a moment he was worried that she was talking about possibly losing the baby because their races were not compatible. “What do you mean?”

“Women on Earth are pregnant for nine months, give or take a week or two. But how long is a Qeteran woman pregnant?”

Relief swept through him at such a
simple thought. “Is that all?” He kissed her lips. “Females here usually carry the baby about eight months. It’s not uncommon for one to born at seven months.”

“Seven months! A human baby born at seven months would have so many problems.” She was beginning to panic. “We need to contact Jonik! Maybe he will be able to figure it out.”

“Calm down. The baby will come when he is ready to and I am sure Jonik will be watching you very closely since we do not know what’s going to happen.” He pulled her close until he could plant light kisses down her neck. “Now, that’s enough talk about having babies. I would like to go through the motions of creating one!”

She pulled back to look at him. She tried to pretend she was surprised but he could see the desire building in her eyes. “I think that might be a good idea.”