King of Eon by Anna Hackett ePUB)

Chapter Fifteen

Gayel yanked on the harness, anxious to get it off.

Cren. Cren.

He had to get to Alea.

His explora-pod had landed in a small clearing, but Alea’s damaged pod had hit the trees. He could see it, tipped upside down in the nearby vegetation.

With a grunt, he yanked free of the chair and the side of the pod retracted.

The scent of the jungle and humidity slapped him in the face. There were so many different, lush, exotic scents, and it almost overwhelmed him. His helian pulsed.

He ran to Alea’s explora-pod, his gut tight. It was dented, and the clear shell was decorated in a web of cracks. He saw her inside, hanging upside-down in the harness.

She was still. Not moving at all.

“Alea!” He tried to open the door, but the dent prevented it.

Cren. He morphed a large battle hammer.

Gayel swung.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The side of the pod tore open. With a thought, the hammer dissolved. He gripped the edges and ripped the pod open. When the hole was big enough, he leaned inside.

“Alea! Talk to me.”

There was no movement.

The pain inside him was like being strangled. Was she breathing? He strained to listen. There. He heard her faint breath. And the beat of her heart.

“Alea?” He unfastened the harness and caught her dead weight.

Awkwardly, he maneuvered her out and laid her flat on the damp, jungle floor.

He cupped her face. She had a cut on her temple, a smudge of blood, but it didn’t look bad.

“Alea, wake up.”

Her eyelids fluttered and her eyes opened.

He stared into her golden-brown eyes and relief punched through him.

“Thank the warriors.” He pulled her up and kissed her.

She cupped the back of his neck. “I’m okay,” she whispered against his lips. “Hell of a ride.”

“Yes.”

A crack of thunder sounded overhead and the wind picked up, rattling the nearby branches. A flock of some sort of birds took flight, squawking in distress.

They both looked up.

Alea froze and Gayel’s hand clenched on her.

By Ston’s sword. In the distance, the clouds were churning and spinning in a giant vortex. They were dense and black, and as they watched, forked, red lightning lit up the clouds.

“That looks bad,” Alea muttered.

“That’s where the Kantos weather generator is.” He helped her up. “We need to head there.”

She nodded. “Let’s get the agent.”

He tugged her back in for a kiss. “Don’t get hurt, Alea.”

She nipped his lip. “I don’t plan to. And the same goes for you, Your Highness.”

They packed the canisters into their backpacks and pulled them on.

Gayel eyed the storm overhead. This was not going to be an easy trek.

They headed off.

The vegetation was dense, but Orzon was packed with wildlife, so there were plenty of narrow, winding trails through the trees.

Alea followed behind him. He formed a heavy sword, occasionally cutting vines and bushes out of their way.

They stopped briefly for a drink and a snack. Rain had started to fall lightly. Alea moved well, keeping pace.

“Have you spent much time here?” she asked.

“As a young warrior, yes. These days, I mostly visit the base for graduation ceremonies.” He looked up at the trees above. “It’s been a while since I’ve hacked through the jungle here.”

There was a distant sound and she cocked her head.

“There’s a river nearby,” he told her. “And by the sounds of it, a waterfall. One of the dozens in this area.”

They continued on, and the rain got heavier. They came out of the trees and saw the river.

“Wow.” Alea murmured.

The water was crystal clear, but with liquid strands of bright blue and green in it. It looked like iridescent paint had been mixed into the stream. Large plants with giant leaves larger than Gayel lined the riverbanks.

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

“It is. But don’t let it fool you, this planet can be dangerous too. We send our young warriors out here to train. Those who underestimate Orzon end up bleeding.”

Gayel heard a noise and froze.

Alea tensed and they scanned the wall of green.

“What is it?” she whispered.

“I’m not sure.” He let his senses expand. There was so much life that it was hard to pick everything apart.

There.

The sound of bodies, moving swiftly. He picked up faint clicking sounds.

Gayel swallowed a curse. “Kantos.”

“Fuck.”

He took her hand. “Come on.”

They broke into a run, keeping to the edge of the river.

Gayel pressed his lips together. “They’re hunting us.” No doubt, they’d found the wreckage of their pods.

“Well, let’s give them a good run.” There was a sharp edge to her smile.

They picked up speed. The roar of the waterfall got louder.

Gayel suddenly stopped.

“Gayel?”

“Cren. I can hear more Kantos coming in from the other direction.”

They were trapped in the middle.

“Shit.” She looked around. “We could climb? Hide in the trees?”

He turned. The Kantos were getting closer.

We will hunt you down, Eon.

The Kantos elite’s voice echoed in his head.

He wasn’t going to let them get their hands on Alea. He felt a driving, protective need to keep her safe, above all else.

Then he glanced down at the water.

“We can hide in the river.”

At this point in the river, the water churned around some rocks, making it harder to see into it.

Alea dragged in a breath, then sloshed into the river.

Gayel followed.

Clicking filled the air. Bushes rustled close by.

“Hurry,” he said.

Together, they plunged deeper into the water, up to their waists.

Then they both took deep breaths and plunged under the water.

The colored waters of Orzon were all different temperatures. The blues were cooler, the greens warmer. It wrapped around their bodies.

Gayel held her hand and through the water, he saw the distorted images of the Kantos soldiers burst out of the trees.

* * *

Pressure built in her lungs,but Alea stayed relaxed.

She’d undergone training to hold her breath in low-oxygen environments.

Through the wavy vision of water, she watched the Kantos soldiers.

They moved easily on their four legs; their bodies made of hard, brown shell. Their blade-like arms were weapons themselves.

Her lip curled, even as a part of her tried to remember that these aliens weren’t born hardened killers. She watched them keep searching, her lungs burning now.

She looked at Gayel. It appeared easy for him to hold his breath. His brown hair floated around his face. God, he spoke to every part of her.

She was falling for him—totally, irrevocably.

He nudged her. She looked back and saw that the Kantos soldiers were gone.

They slowly rose, just the tops of their heads above the water.

Everything was still, quiet, except for the beat of the rain. Even the wildlife was silent.

They both sucked in quiet breaths.

“Wait,” Gayel murmured.

Thankfully the water wasn’t cold, and her suit protected her. They waited. The rain continued to fall, and the clouds were even denser now. God, how long until they unleashed the plague?

Her belly tied into knots. They had to hurry. The young warriors were in hiding, but they couldn’t outrun the pathogen that would destroy them and their bond to their helians.

Slowly, the wildlife started up again, chirping and twittering, moving through the undergrowth. Gayel nodded, and they climbed back up the riverbank where they’d entered the river. She squeezed the water out of her braid.

“We need to be vigilant,” he said. “They won’t stop searching for us.”

She nodded and tightened the straps on her backpack. “Let’s go.”

They moved at a slower, more cautious pace. Alea ducked under some low, twisted branches. The vegetation was thicker, the rain heavier. It ran down her face, and she blinked the water out of her eyes.

Suddenly, Gayel stopped. Her boot slid in the mud, and she ran into his broad back.

He was stiff, staring ahead.

Through the sheet of rain, it was hard to see anything.

Then she saw movement. A sleek, small bug the size of a dog appeared. It had red-and-black stripes on its shell, several antennae wiggling madly.

“A Kantos scout,” he whispered.

The bug turned in their direction, antennae vibrating faster, then it darted away.

“Cren, it’ll alert the soldiers. Run.”

They sprinted. It wasn’t long before they heard crashing through the jungle and clicking in the air.

We have your trail, Eon. Soon, you will die.

Alea’s pulse tripped. Oh, fuck.

“We’ll cross the river,” Gayel barked.

They splashed into the water. Halfway across, she could no longer touch bottom, and she pulled herself through the water.

Suddenly, sharp barbs hit the water nearby. She glanced back and saw Kantos soldiers were firing barbs from their arms.

“Dive!” she cried.

They dived into the water, kicking hard. Gayel was a strong swimmer and pulled ahead of her.

He stood in the shallow water on the far side of the river, and as she made her way closer, he morphed a large blaster on his arm. He turned back and fired a blast of pure energy at the Kantos on the far bank.

Alea rose. Then she spotted movement in the trees.

More Kantos soldiers raced out on their side of the river.

“Gayel!” She yanked her blaster off her hip and fired.

She heard his curse, and he strode to her, pulling her back into the river. The current caught them, dragging them downstream.

But the Kantos kept pace on either side of the river.

Her chest burned. How the hell could they get out of this?

Then the roar of the waterfall got louder, and her breath hitched.

They rounded a bend, and Gayel grabbed a rock, holding them in place. Ahead, the water plunged over a cliff.

Oh, no.

Kantos or the waterfall? Not much of a choice.

“Gayel?”

Face grim, he looked to the Kantos. Three soldiers were splashing into the water, aiming at them.

He met her gaze, the strands of purple glowing. “We don’t know what’s on the other side of the waterfall.”

It could be rocks, or dangerous wildlife. She bit her lip.

The moment of indecision cost them. The Kantos rushed in, and grabbed Gayel.

They almost ignored her—clearly, she was not considered a threat. One soldier kept an arm aimed in her direction and she raised her hands.

Then one of the soldiers rammed a sharp arm into Gayel’s gut. He grunted.

The elite on the bank stared at them.

Kill them.

Alea’s eyes widened. “No!”

All the Kantos gazes turned her way.

“Alea,” Gayel growled.

She couldn’t let him die. She could at least give him a chance.

“Don’t you know who he is?” she yelled.

The elite stared, pinprick eyes glowing gold.

“He’s the king of the Eon,” she said.

The elite straightened.

Solann-Eon.

Gayel cursed.

At least he had a chance now.

More Kantos rushed into the river.

Bring them.

She met Gayel’s gaze. “We survive. We fight.”

She saw pride flare in his eyes. His gaze roamed her face, then something else bloomed.

“You have to survive, Alea.”

He lifted his foot and kicked her.

Alea teetered backward, and threw her arms in the air.

But her backpack pulled her off balance. No.

“Live, Alea,” Gayel said.

Then she tipped over the waterfall and plummeted.

The falling water hit her and she tumbled over and over. A second later, she hit the pool below.

Alea plunged deep, fighting to stay calm.

Then she kicked her legs and broke the surface. She looked up at the waterfall, fear and anger a wicked mess in her belly.

Damn him. He’d protected her. Now he was alone with the Kantos.

And they knew who he was.

Fighting her fear, she kicked to the side of the pool. She stayed close to the waterfall, kicking away from the dangerous eddies and rocks.

She used the waterfall for cover, in case the Kantos were looking for her.

She pulled herself onto a long, flat rock and sat for a moment, just sucking in air.

Dammit. Damn him to hell. She was in love with Gayel Solann-Eon. She pressed a shaky hand to her cheek.

Hell of a time to work that out.

And now he was a prisoner of his worst enemy.

Okay, think, Alea.

A downpour of rain hit, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. She pulled in another shaky breath. She needed a plan.

She had to rescue Gayel.

She pulled her backpack off and stared at the canisters. Then she pulled out some water and food.

As she nibbled the nutrition mix, she heard a rustle in the bushes.

She yanked out her blaster and aimed it at the vegetation.

Nothing.

She pushed her wet hair out of her face. Wait. A pair of teal eyes peered at her from the bush.

She swallowed. “Hey.”

They kept staring. She took a slow mouthful of food.

Then another.

There was a rustle and the creature crept out.

Oh, wow. It was stunning.

It was the size of a large cat, colored bronze with touches of brilliant blue and green, like the colors in the water. Two thin tails extended behind it, waving like snakes. And its teal eyes were magnificent and luminous.

“Hello, there,” Alea breathed.

The feline hesitated, then slunk closer.

Alea held out her food, and hoped it wouldn’t harm the animal. It sniffed, then delicately ate off her palm.

Then, it regally crawled into her lap and brushed against her.

She felt a pulse of calm and relief, and blinked. It was coming from the animal.

Wow. She stroked its soft fur gently.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go. I need to get to the Eon base and rescue the man I just realized that I’ve fallen in love with.”

The creature blinked its extraordinary eyes.

Then it rose and walked away. It paused and looked back.

It was like it wanted her to follow it. Alea froze.

She pushed to her feet and the cat continued on.

Okay. “You know the way to the base?”

Its tails flicked.

Maybe she hit her head on the way down? She shouldered her backpack. What did she have to lose?

I’m coming, Gayel.