The Iriduan’s Mate by Susan Trombley
Twenty-Nine
Shulgi didn’t know what to believe now, the revelations that kept coming knocking him off guard. He wanted to hate Molly but knew he never could. Even if she truly had used him the way he’d suspected her of doing, he didn’t think he could forget what she had meant to him.
Now, he watched her devastated expression as one of her companions opened the door to Namerian and a squad of armed security from Ma’Nah. Shulgi hadn’t wanted Namerian to come along on this mission, seeing no need for his presence, but his creche-kin had insisted. Given the humiliation of the past day cycle and what Namerian and the rest of Shulgi’s team had seen of his reckless indiscretion, Shulgi felt like he couldn’t deny Namerian this.
They’d come not only to take revenge on Sha Zaska for daring to attempt to blackmail Ma’Nah, but also to destroy his operation completely and seize all the footage the creature possessed. It had been Shulgi’s plan to take over Zaska’s organization since meeting Molly and learning that the creature kept her as a slave.
Now that he knew the truth—that Molly and her companions were not only free, but had created Sha Zaska to give them power they never could have gained on their own—he didn’t know what he felt about Ma’Nah’s successful hostile takeover. If what Molly said about the missing slaves was true—if she and the others had truly been helping them escape Za’Kluth—then the takeover would be a mistake. There was no way Namerian and the others would risk Ma’Nah’s operations and reputation by continuing Molly’s underground work.
Still, it was too late to change things now. Ma’Nah held the advantage. Zaska’s thuggish minions proved no match against the security force and mercenaries hired by Ma’Nah. The traps around the dock provided more of a challenge, and Shulgi now knew Molly and her people had set up some sort of last resort attack to wipe out an invading force. No doubt many of the minions would slip into the vents for whatever purge they had in place, but many innocent dockhands and ship workers would die.
He was glad she hadn’t given the order to use such a desperate measure to wipe out the invading Iriduans—for her sake. Maybe she had manipulated him. Maybe he really was a fool to believe that she was sincere in her words and her use of the power she’d gained through Sha Zaska’s myth. He wouldn’t deny that his feelings for her blinded him.
Yet, even when he was imprinted on Ninhursag, despite his desire for the woman who’d ensnared him, he’d always known she was evil, had never felt any doubt about it. He didn’t think Molly was evil. Ruthless, perhaps. Clever and cunning, no doubt. But evil?
He couldn’t believe that.
That realization left him in a difficult place when Namerian’s security detail surrounded the three women.
The voluptuous one whose name he didn’t know screamed obscenities in a human language at the guard who grabbed her to pull her towards the door. Another guard bent to grip the shirt of the human male that Shulgi had forced to bring him up into this inner sanctum. The man had been intoxicated and suffering from blood loss and had remained unconscious this entire time.
The Iriduan didn’t bother to pick him up to carry him out, instead dragging his body as if he were already dead, when Shulgi knew he wasn’t.
Yet.
Two more guards approached Molly, who still crouched beside her wounded friend.
Shulgi growled a warning when they drew too close. “I have these two under control,” he said, his tone brooking no argument.
It angered him that they glanced over at Namerian instead of backing away. Namerian lifted a hand to gesture for them to move aside and give him space.
“It appears that one of these females is wounded,” he said coolly, as if they weren’t still finishing off a battle on the docks. “Allow me to tend to her.” He lifted silver brows at Shulgi.
Shulgi nodded and lowered the pistol he’d taken from the one named Jenice. Namerian moved closer to Molly and Jenice, reaching into his robe for his medical scanner.
Shulgi’s attention shifted to Molly, who looked up into his eyes, her own wet with tears that shimmered on her dyed skin.
“You used me,” she whispered.
“I loved you, Molly,” he insisted, still feeling stung himself that she’d kept such a monumental secret from him. It let him know that despite her words, she’d never really trusted him.
She parted her lips to say more, then shrieked in pain and surprise as Namerian grasped her by the hair and jerked her to her feet. He held an injector to her jugular.
Shulgi shouted in rage but froze in place as Namerian pressed the injector tighter against Molly’s neck, backing away as his security force surrounded Shulgi.
“I didn’t want it to be this way,” Namerian said in a regretful tone. “I respect you, Shulgi. I’ve always looked up to you, ever since we hatched in creche. This is not how I would have our relationship end.”
“If you hurt her, I will not rest until you are dead,” Shulgi growled, his grip tightening around the pistol.
“Toss aside the weapon,” Namerian ordered, pulling harder on Molly’s hair.
Her eyes were wide and frightened as she stared at Shulgi, yet she kept her lips pressed shut, like she didn’t want to beg him to save her.
Did she truly mistrust him that much?
Shulgi quickly dropped his weapon and kicked it aside. He could dispatch these fools with his bare hands, if need be, but not before Namerian could inject Molly with a poison Shulgi suspected would be instantly lethal to her. His creche-kin was no fool.
“She already offered to give up Zaska’s data cache, Namerian,” Shulgi said in a measured tone. “There’s no need for this.”
Namerian chuckled bitterly. “As if that is what truly matters! I want the override code, Shulgi. It is time for our people to rise to the top of the food chain again, and that will happen when the High Lords are resurrected. Nothing will stop the Iriduans then.”
Shulgi shook his head slowly, disappointed in Namerian, but not as surprised as he should be. “You have a juvenile’s dreams, Namerian. Perhaps you have been too sheltered in your labs. The high lords won’t help our people. We mean no more to them than any other chattel. Did you not listen when I spoke of Ninhursag’s evil?”
Namerian huffed as he backed further away from Shulgi, dragging Molly with him. “We won’t raise any of the female ancients. In fact, we only need one of the high lords to help us wipe out the emperors and their council. We will be careful which one we resurrect, and all of our citizens will be modified by the time our new lord leads us to victory over all other species in the Syndicate.”
“Namerian—brother—do not do this! You’re not a killer. Don’t let this misguided crusade turn you into one.”
Namerian seemed to tremble, Molly gasping as the injector jerked against her jugular. Shulgi wasn’t certain whether the professor was nervous or enraged. It was difficult to tell with most of his expression hidden behind his mask.
“How ironic coming from you, Shulgi. The resident murderer of the dreg.”
Molly’s eyes widened further as they met his. Her mouth dropped open as if she wanted to ask him what Namerian meant, but now wasn’t the time for explanations. Especially the kind he didn’t want to give.
“Once you start shedding blood, Namerian, it’s difficult to stop. You can always justify it to yourself. You can always pretend that you’re merely working towards a greater good with each kill.” Shulgi slowly shook his head. “But you can’t deny that you’ve become exactly what you hunt when you have to face yourself in the mirror. Trust me, Namerian, I am the one you should listen to when it comes to this.”
“I am working for the greater good!” Namerian insisted, but the quiver in his voice told Shulgi the trembling of the injector was likely fear rather than anger. “Quit stalling, Shulgi. Give me the passcode and once I’ve tested it, this female is all yours.” His wings flickered behind him as another sign of his nervousness. “You won’t need to remain here on Za’Kluth any longer. You can take her anywhere you want to, since your role in the mission will be over.”
Shulgi studied Namerian without allowing his skepticism to show in his expression. They both knew one of them wouldn’t be leaving this room alive. Whether Molly lived or died would determine which of them followed.
Jenice moaned as she struggled to crawl towards Molly and Namerian, leaving a smeared blood trail in her wake that showed she’d already moved several handspans while Namerian’s focus was on Shulgi.
She was trying to get to Molly, but Shulgi knew there wasn’t anything the woman could do that would help. She only risked her own life, because Namerian’s security weren’t all focused entirely on Shulgi and the threat he posed.
When Jenice slid a little further, her body made a slick sound on the tile that Namerian finally noticed. “Get that one out of here,” he snapped, taking another step away from both Shulgi and the wounded woman.
“No,” Molly said, struggling in Namerian’s hold as one of the security guards roughly hauled Jenice up, causing her to cry out in pain. “Leave her alone!”
“Stop moving, woman!” Namerian shouted in her ear, his thumb trembling on the button of the injector. “I will kill you if you don’t.”
And then he would die seconds later, which Shulgi knew Namerian understood. Still, the professor was clearly nervous and that made his fingers twitchy.
“Molly,” Shulgi said in the calmest tone he could manage, “they will heal her and get her back on her feet. Ma’Nah needs you and your companions to aid them in bringing the rest of Sha Zaska’s minions under our control.” He shifted his eyes from Molly’s frightened face to Namerian’s somewhat wild violet stare. “Professor Namerian is well aware of this, and he isn’t foolish enough to destroy Zaska’s most important assets, is he?”
“The women will be safe as long as they cooperate,” Namerian snapped impatiently. “So be silent and quit fidgeting,” he said to Molly. “If your lover gives me what I need, you can both leave this place!”
More security forces moved into the room as the guard who’d grabbed Jenice hauled her wriggling form into his arms while she screamed in protest. She begged Molly to forgive her as the guard carried her out of the chamber. Shulgi ignored the bulk of her screams, watching the fear and sadness play out over Molly’s features. He remained aware of the dozen security guards filling the chamber now, all armed and well armored as they flanked him.
His blood might be filled with combat stimulants, and he might be a highly trained warrior, but even he could not defeat this many opponents without arms or armor of his own. Namerian had the upper hand, and he knew it.
With the last distraction out of the room, Namerian returned his full attention to Shulgi. “So, does this woman die, or do you give me a simple code that has only served to be a burden to you, Shulgi?”
Meeting Molly’s eyes, Shulgi knew what he had to do. He had no choice in the matter.
