Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
It was the bottom half, as it happened. One moment he was standing there and the next, there was only a blackened stump at his waist and his legs were gone. The top half of him thumped to the carpet, letting out a hissing scream of pain and disbelief before his eyes rolled up in his head and he died.
The other four Varians looked down at their fallen comrade and then stared wildly around, as though trying to figure out where the shot had come from. They looked up and down the hallway and into to the stairwell, but there was no one there.
No one they can see, anyway, Vicky thought and a wild hope bloomed in her heart. Another shot came from a different direction. This time the Varian it was aimed at was cut in two lengthwise, carved from the flat, scaly top of his head all the way down to his crotch. His right and left halves fell in two different directions like a tree split by lightning and the Varians hissed angrily and redoubled their search.
“What’sss happening? Where isss it?” they asked each other, their forked tongues flickering as they waved their blasters wildly from side to side.
Suddenly one of the remaining Varians seemed to trip over something in mid-air. There was a grunting sound and then a human head was suddenly floating there.
No, not human—Kindred! Vicky thought. It was Chain—he must have been wearing his scatterlight cloak when he killed the first two Varians but now he was revealed.
And there were still three left—four if you counted the one holding her—and Chain had lost the element of surprise. The Varians hissed and one of them shrieked,
“The thief! It’s the thief!”
They rushed towards him but Chain was ready. He ducked and dodged as they shot wildly at him. Then, using his blaster almost like a really long laser sword, he mowed all three of them down in one sweeping blow.
He took most of the banister that went with the staircase with them, but Vicky didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything but the fact that Chain had come for her—that he cared enough to risk his life to save hers and that everything was going to be all right.
Well, maybe.
Because at the sight of his three remaining comrades being cut down, the Varian holding her hissed in anger and tightened his grip on her throat.
“Tell him to ssstop,” he hissed in Vicky’s ear. “Tell him to sstand back or you die!”
“Chain!” Her voice came out choked and hoarse because her captor was barely giving her enough air to breathe, let alone speak.
Chain looked up. The cloak was pushed back from his shoulders now, showing his impressive physique. His broad chest was heaving with anger and his eyes were molten, glowing red.
Vicky stared at him, shocked.
Red eyes? But doesn’t that mean…Oh my God, is he going into Rage for me, like Lizabeth and Kat said?
It seemed that he was. Chain seemed to be working hard to control himself, though, because he spoke in low, measured tones.
“Release my female and I’ll allow you to walk out of here and go back to your own world,” he growled, glaring at the Varian. “That is my best offer.”
“Your offer isss not accepted,” her captor hissed. “Now listen to mine, thief. You will give me the T’lix-Kruthe at once or watch your female die ssslowly before your eyesss.”
As he spoke, one of his long fingers—tipped in a curving nail—rose from her throat and drew a stinging line down the side of Vicky’s face.
Vicky gasped and cried out as she felt warm, slippery blood sliding down her cheek. God, that was going to leave a scar—not that a scar was what worried her. Right now she was a little more preoccupied with the question of whether she would live or die.
“You dare to hurt her? I’ll kill you!” Chain roared. He charged forward and the Varian, who had Vicky by the throat with one hand and was holding her wrists with the other, released her hands and drew his weapon instead. He pointed it at Chain and a deadly bolt of energy flew right at the big Kindred.
Things were so mixed up and confused that at first Vicky was certain the energy bolt had missed Chain. But then the big Kindred clutched at his chest and toppled to the ground at her feet.
“No—NO!” Vicky screamed and kicked back at her captor, who was behind her now. She knew very well that he might shoot her too but at that moment she didn’t care—didn’t give a damn about anything but getting to Chain and seeing how badly he was hurt…or even if he was still alive.
“Let me go!” she screamed, kicking again. This time she seemed to connect with something solid because the alien grunted and released her neck. Finally she was able to get away, though his long claw-like nails left bleeding gashes on her throat.