Kraving Dravka by Zoey Draven

Chapter Thirty-Four

Madame Allegria was pissed. Furious. Valerie could hear it in her tone.

She had to know about Gabriel too. About the engagement.

Valerie kept silent though she struggled in her grip, to make a good show of it, which would undoubtedly delight her sadistic aunt.

Madame Allegria motioned forward at her guards, who went down the left corridor and forced open the nearest door, breaking the lock.

Mercifully, the room was unoccupied and Madame Allegria dragged her in there, tossing her towards one of the two chairs that flanked the small table. For a moment, Valerie was disoriented because the room was almost a perfect replica of the one she’d shared with Dravka. Everything was positioned the exact same.

“One of you stay out there and guard the door,” Madame Allegria said. The blond guard nodded his head and stepped out into the hallway while the darker haired one stayed inside the room with them, his hand straying to the stunner on his hip, watching her carefully, though his expression remained blank.

The door slid closed and silence stretched, uncomfortable and thin, as Madame Allegria seemed to regain her careful composure. She frowned down at the only other empty chair in the room, then regarded the bed with the same distaste, before deciding to take a seat at the table.

Her aunt sat straight and rigid, as if every surface in the room was incredibly filthy. She took one deep breath in, one deep exhale out, and then she turned those blue, cutting eyes on Valerie.

But Valerie was immune to such a look now. Once, it might have made her cower. Once, it might have made her afraid to be whipped and abused again.

Now, Valerie had purpose.

“Where are they?” her aunt asked, her words clipped.

Valerie ignored the question.

“How did you find me?” Valerie asked quietly, glaring at her aunt across the table.

Madame Allegria settled back in the seat, keeping her icy eyes on her, narrowed. Observing. Watching.

Valerie wondered what it was that she saw.

“Celine Larchmont is a bitter bitch of a woman,” Madame Allegria said. Valerie’s stomach dropped slightly. Had Celine betrayed them? “She thought she could sneak you all off Everton and I wouldn’t find out?”

Valerie kept her confusion well-hidden.

So…maybe Celine hadn’t betrayed them?

“Though you destroyed your tracker,” Madame Allegria said, her tone changing, becoming light like they were discussing the weather, “maybe you didn’t realize that the last transmission came from the Larchmonts’ private port.”

Relief went through Valerie. So Ravu really had destroyed it after all. Valerie had been mistaken.

It only strengthened her resolve to be free of this disease of a woman. Because if she managed to get away, Madame Allegria would never find her again.

“And pilots aren’t always so discreet, especially when…incentivized,” Madame Allegria continued.

“So you tracked us to the Larchmonts’ port and paid off the pilot when he returned,” Valerie said. “Isn’t bribery a little beneath you?”

“Not when it gets me what I want,” Madame Allegria said, a satisfied smirk crossing her features.

“How’d you know we were here at the inn then? The pilot didn’t know that,” Valerie said, continuing to glare.

“No, but a shopkeeper did. When I told him I was looking for three Keriv’i criminals traveling with a human…well, that would be easy to remember, wouldn’t it? He told me he’d seen some Keriv’i coming and going from here.”

So it hadn’t been the customs agent, Valerie thought. Which meant that her aunt might not know where they were heading. A small relief.

It didn’t matter, as soon as they landed on Nzonito, they would need to take a departing flight off the transport hub anywhere, just to be safe.

“You will be returning to Everton with me,” Madame Allegria said, her features taking on a cold, unyielding expression. “You and the Krave. After what they did to Gabriel, I’ll have them imprisoned.”

Valerie’s brow furrowed. That didn’t make any sense to her.

“Why?”

“Because if they are, we can explain to Derek what happened,” Madame Allegria snapped, her impatience growing. The dark-haired guard behind her shifted on his feet at her tone and Valerie felt the slim sedative injection pressed against her thigh. “We can say the Krave attacked Gabriel and kidnapped you in an effort to escape Everton, using you as a hostage, that Gabriel bravely tried to stop them.”

“That’s not what happened! And Celine would never agree to—”

Madame Allegria cut her off, growling, “Don’t you understand, you foolish little girl? It doesn’t matter what she wants. It doesn’t even matter what Gabriel wants. It matters what Derek wants and what he wants is his little brat of a son to be married and settled.”

Breath escaped Valerie’s lips. Her aunt still thought the engagement and the marriage could be salvaged.

Then again…her words revealed to her that Madame Allegria still had no idea that Celine Larchmont—that bitter bitch, as her aunt had called her—was now in possession of information that would destroy her.

There would be no wedding.

And Valerie had no intention of leaving Nimida with her.

“Gabriel’s pride will be saved, looking like a hero, and Derek gets what he wants,” her aunt continued, smoothing her features once more. A monster in a mask. Like a striking snake. Ugly one moment, calm the next. “We all get what we want.”

“Except me,” Valerie said, catching her aunt off guard with the small, bitter smile that crossed her face. “Except Dravka and Tavak and Ravu.”

Madame Allegria checked the time on her Nu device and Valerie’s fingers nudged into the pocket of her pants, curling around the sedative. She would have to distract the guard somehow before she would get a chance to use it. Or maybe she could use it once they left the hotel, when Madame Allegria’s guard was down and she thought Valerie would go willingly. Maybe then she could run. It would be easier to escape the guards at least.

“Our deal still stands,” Valerie tried, if only to buy a little more time. “If I marry Gabriel Larchmont, you will leave the Keriv’i alone.”

“Our deal was forfeited the moment you left Everton,” Madame hissed, narrowing her eyes on her, standing from the table, making Valerie’s heart jolt.

“You want me to go with you?” Valerie asked quickly. “Then we leave alone. Now. Dravka, Tavak, and Ravu will stay here. You won’t touch them again and I’ll return to Everton with you.”

“Oh my dear,” Madame Allegria said, her tone condescending and overly sweet, “that ship has sailed. From now on, you’ll do exactly as I tell you and if you don’t then I’ll lock you up until the wedding and—”

Her words cut off abruptly when there was a loud thump outside the door, a pained human shout following.

Another thump came, as Madame Allegria edged back from the door, towards the bed.

“Go see!” she hissed at the dark-haired guard in the room with them, waving her hand towards the door, pulling out a stunner of her own from a strap attached to her thigh.

Valerie clenched the sedative in her lap and stood from the table, her aunt grabbing her arm so she didn’t try to flee.

The guard had his stunner in his hand and was just opening the door—

It crashed inwards with a splintering force.

And on the threshold was Dravka, his face furious yet focused. Behind him, she caught a quick glimpse of Tavak and Ravu—and the still body of the blond guard on the ground.

Quicker than she could blink, Dravka punched the guard right in the throat, his fist flashing out, making the human male clasp his neck, wheezing and gasping for air, the stunner falling to the ground.

Tavak came up behind Dravka and used the discarded stunner to zap the guard, who cried out—and then fell limp to the floor, a crashing of heavy limbs and dead weight.

Was he...?

Valerie didn’t have time to dwell on it because Madame Allegria tugged her closer, staring down the three Keriv’i males that were stepping into the small room.

Her two guards were down and dispatched. It was only her and them…and even her aunt knew a losing battle when she saw one. She was no match for the Keriv’is.

“Stay back, Kraves!” her aunt said, her voice hard and cold. “Attacking a human is a criminal offense.”

“We’re not on Everton,” Dravka growled, continuing to approach, as did Tavak and Ravu. “Release her now.”

Valerie tried to shake off her aunt’s grip, tugging, all while trying to uncap the sedative, but it was difficult to do with one hand. She heard the stunner in her aunt’s hand flare to life, the slim black device glowing blue for a brief moment when she powered it on.

Dravka looked at it and then back to Madame Allegria.

“I have never harmed a female in my life,” he said, his voice quiet, his eyes focused, “but I will make an exception for you if you don’t unhand my mate right now.”

“Your mate?” Madame Allegria laughed, her lips twisting bitterly. “How cute.”

“If you think you’re leaving here with her, you are very mistaken,” Dravka continued, as if she hadn’t spoken.

Ravu was edging towards them and Madame Allegria’s eyes flickered, retreating farther into the room. Valerie was still struggling to flick off the cap on the sedative, but her thumb kept slipping over it, adding to her frustration.

She must’ve made a small sound, one that Dravka might’ve mistaken for pain, because her male lunged towards Madame Allegria immediately—just as Valerie finally flicked off the seal!

She saw a bright flash from the stunner, a male grunt filling the room, and Valerie moved quickly, yanking her arm from her aunt’s grip as she plunged the sedative’s needle deep into the side of her neck.

A gasp came from Madame Allegria, her hand flying up to her throat, her stunned gaze turning onto Valerie.

But Valerie was already rushing to Dravka’s side, the scent of burned flesh filling the room. His flesh. Dravka was breathing hard, his hand landing on the wall to steady himself. But he was still standing upright. In his shirt there was a large hole, the edges burned away, and beneath it was a wound, slightly bloodied, on the left side of his abdomen. Thankfully, it looked superficial, not deep.

“I’m all right,” he assured her, wrapping his hand around her waist, tucking her close. It must take a lot more than one stun zap to bring a Keriv’i down…though the same couldn’t be said for the unconscious human guards.

“What—what was that?” Madame Allegria hissed. “What did you put in me?”

Her stunner had been dropped to the ground in her surprise and Tavak scooped it up quickly, destroying it in the palm of his hand, the pieces scattering across the floor.

Dravka was straightening more by the second, though his wound had to be painful.

Her aunt was beginning to blink heavily, reaching a hand out to steady herself on the window ledge behind her.

Ravu was dragging the guard in the hallway into the room just as Madame Allegria slid down the wall, her legs beginning to give out. She landed in an ungraceful heap on the floor, her head lolling around her shoulders.

Valerie stepped closer, her heart hammering in her breast, realizing that…they’d done it. They just might be free of her.

“It was only a sedative,” Valerie said, crouching down in front of her. “But it will keep you under for a good while.”

Madame Allegria’s nostrils flared, her eyes shutting briefly before she struggled to reopen them.

“Be glad it wasn’t poison. You’ll still wake up,” Valerie said softly, sensing the Keriv’i males hovering behind her, watching the exchange. “And when you do, know this…Celine Larchmont—that bitter bitch of a woman, as you called her—has copies of your business records. The ones you had to keep stored in the Nu terminal in the basement, with all your whips and chains and blood, where you thought no one would find it.”

“Wh…what?” Madame Allegria hissed softly, her eyes going wide with disbelief.

“All of it,” Valerie said, though she didn’t quite know what the Keriv’i males behind her had managed to pull from it. “And I have a feeling she isn’t your biggest fan.”

“You…you can’t. That’s not…”

Her aunt’s words were beginning to slur.

Valerie stood, looking down at her aunt. The same woman who shared her mother’s blood, who didn’t lift a finger to help her own sister when she needed help the most.

Valerie didn’t feel sorry for her. She never would.

“You deserve every terrible thing that is coming your way,” Valerie said quietly, feeling her throat tighten. “I’ll be reading about your trial and imprisonment in the coming year, somewhere far away, somewhere you can’t touch us. I would say good luck…but I wouldn’t mean it.”

Madame Allegria looked up at her from her position on the floor, hatred and fear and fury burning in her gaze.

Then her body slumped, her eyes closing, her mouth going slack.

Valerie stared down at her, feeling a familiar, warm hand touch her arm.

“Mellkia,” Dravka murmured. “Are you—”

Just then, they heard it.

The sixth bell…ringing out over Nimida.

Her breath hitched.

The vessel to Nzonito!

They had a flight to catch. And they needed to be on it.

“Let’s go!” Dravka growled.