Chapter Four

Ignoring the command to lay down his weapon, Magnor grabbed Erika, yanked her close, and kissed her on the lips.

“For protection,” he said before thrusting her behind him. With a warlike whoop, he launched himself at their foe.

His sword flashed in the air. The balding Trollek barely realized Magnor’s goal before his hand went flying along with his disruptor. The beast howled with pain and rage, his intent to murder evident in his eyes. A sweeping backslash from Magnor was all it took for his head to follow.

The quartet behind him snarled in unison. They may have been told to apprehend a Drift Lord, but they didn’t know about his special skills. Magnor was a tribesman of the Tsuran, and that meant he’d trained as an expert swordsman.

Trolleks had their own innate abilities of extra speed and strength. From experience, Magnor had learned how to counter them. Wielding his sword, he blocked his opponents’ offensive actions.

He cut through the Trollek who veered left, aware out of the corner of his eye that one had slipped behind him. Erika screamed, but he knew they couldn’t confound her. However, they could drag her away while he was otherwise occupied.

He whirled around to see her being hauled off by her hair. His plan to aid her derailed when the nearest Trollek lunged forward. Magnor dodged sideways while slicing at the beast’s ankles. With a grunt of surprise, the riff collapsed to his knees. Magnor finished him with one thrust. He must have hit an artery, because blood sprayed everywhere.

Erika’s shrieks tore through the chamber, and he cast a concerned glance her way.

“Don’t worry, these beasts are no match for a warrior of the Tsuran,” he called to offer reassurance. Two more guards remained for him to subdue, but that was child’s play for the men of his tribe.

His loss of attention cost him a steep price. As he turned to the Trollek approaching from behind, a blue disruptor beam hit his sword arm. His fingers loosened, and the blade slid from his grasp to clatter onto the floor.

White hot pain seared his flesh, but he gritted his teeth against it. With a roundhouse kick, he knocked the weapon from the beast’s hand. The movement threw him off balance, and he stumbled as though the ground had shifted beneath his feet.

Regaining his sense of equilibrium, he aimed his next blow at the nerve center in the Trollek’s meaty arm, but it was like hitting a wall.

The thug grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off his feet. His hand closed around Magnor’s windpipe.

Magnor struggled to break free. His cape tangled between his legs, working against his efforts. His heart pounding, he clutched at the beast’s fingers, attempting to pry them loose. They wouldn’t budge.

The guard’s grip tightened, squeezing the life from him.

A whistle of air made it past his tight throat, but it wasn’t enough. His lungs burned, and blood suffused his face.

His vision receded as the beast’s hot breath wafted into his nostrils. Maybe he could still do damage.

He aimed the palm of his hand at the beast’s long nose, attempting to bash it up into his brain, but the Trollek merely leaned his head back with a bark of laughter. It ended abruptly in a choking gurgle.

The hand holding him slackened, and Magnor dropped to the ground. He landed upright, gasping in a needed lungful of air even as he reached for his fallen sword.

It wasn’t there.

And then he saw her, standing behind the Trollek with a horrified expression on her lovely face, her hand on the hilt of his weapon. She’d buried the sword in the Trollek’s broad back.

The beast whirled on her with a howl of fury. Magnor took advantage to retrieve his blade from the sinew and flesh of his enemy. Ignoring the pain in his right arm, he swung the steel with such force that the Trollek’s head went flying.

Erika crumpled toward the floor. He threw down his weapon and caught her, gently lowering her to the ground. A quick check of her pulse told him she’d fainted.

How had she eluded capture by the Trollek who’d had her in his grasp?

He glanced yonder and noticed broken pottery scattered on the carpet along with shattered glass. In her struggles, Erika must have dislodged one of the displays. But how did that shard of glazed clay get stuck in the beast’s throat?

The creature must have fallen on it, Magnor surmised. And then his woman had leapt to his aid without hesitation.

His woman. She’d been brave this night. Having assessed his plight, she had picked up the sword and thrust it into the Trollek. His chest swelled with pride. She was a worthy mate.

Good thing she was unconscious so she couldn’t see what he would do next. He reached down and withdrew the Monix T-6 phase pistol tucked inside his boot. The laser weapon was standard issue for the Drift Lords. Its energy pack was fully charged since Magnor preferred his sword as weapon of choice.

He changed the setting to vaporize. One by one, he fired at each Trollek. They vanished in the sizzling beam in a burst of radiance. The blood spatter took more effort to erase.

Erika stirred with a moan. Her eyes open, she glanced around. “Magnor, are you all right? Where did everyone go?”

“They ran off.” He ignored the way his body responded to her lustrous eyes and full, ripe lips. Even with her luxurious coils of hair disheveled and her dress twisted, she looked ravishing.

Focusing on business, he tucked the phase weapon back into his boot. He used a nearby drape to wipe down his sword before replacing it in its scabbard.

“Hold onto me,” he said once Erika had risen to her feet. “We’ll use my invisibility shield to escape this place.”

Her mouth tightened into a stubborn moue. “I’m not going anywhere until you explain what’s happening.”

“Later. We don’t want to be here when more patrols show up.”

Erika’s sharp glance observed how he cradled his sword arm. “You’ve been wounded!”

He shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’ve had worse.” Fortunately, the beam had cauterized the wound so he hadn’t lost any blood.

Color returned to her pale skin. “You need medical attention. And we should report these thugs to the authorities.”

“Do you jest, woman? What would we say, that we broke into their museum and borrowed one of their sacred scrolls, but just as we were returning it, they sent a security squad after us?”

She grimaced. “You have a point.” Resolve turned her green eyes the color of deep malachite. “But I won’t go anywhere with you until we treat your arm. Let’s go back to our suite. I’ll clean and dress the wound for now.”

Did she have training as a medic? He’d gotten the impression that she worked as an artist. Nonetheless, the look on her face said she’d give it a try even if she were squeamish.

“Fine.” He would comply, but only so he could leave her there while he continued his explorations. Also, he had a tissue regenerator in his bag that would initiate the healing process. Doubtless this wouldn’t be his last battle, so he should use it.

He snatched her hand and pressed the dial on his belt to turn on his shield.

They made it to the boundary of the village, their presence unseen. Hearing booted footsteps, he halted behind a wall and held up a hand for silence. Erika huddled next to him as a troop of Trolleks rushed by.

It appeared they’d deactivated the laser array, certain of capturing their prey. However, a number of armed guards patrolled the corridor in front of the elevator, as he saw upon their arrival.

“We’ll have to take the stairs,” he whispered to Erika. “This way.” When he was certain the beasts were otherwise occupied, he cracked open the exit door.

They slipped through without incident. Once alone, he let go of Erika’s hand, missing the contact as soon as he did so.

What was the matter with him? This bold female, now his bride, was unlike any woman he might have considered for a mate. She continually defied him and surprised him by her actions. Instead of obeying him like a tribeswoman would do, she challenged his commands at every junction.

As he descended the stairs behind her, he couldn’t help his gaze from feasting on her fiery mane of hair, her well-defined curves, and her long legs. He moistened his lips, remembering the taste of her. Ah, if only she didn’t tempt him so mightily.

****

Erika trotted down the steps, aware of Magnor’s hot gaze on her back. It felt as though he undressed her with his eyes, and that notion oddly pleased her.

How absurd. The man was wounded. She’d seen the ugly scorch mark on his arm.

What manner of weapon had hit him? Who were these creatures who’d attacked them? And why was that scroll so important?

Once she’d fixed his injury, she would get some answers.

Magnor took the lead on the way to their suite. He moved as gracefully as a panther, wearing the sword as though it were an extension of his body. Noting his broad back and powerful form reminded her that this was their wedding night. She’d have to remove his upper clothes to care for his wound.

She moistened her lips, eager to see her warrior shirtless. Various methods to divest him of his clothing drifted into her mind.

By the time they rounded the corner near their suite, her already rattled senses had alerted other parts of her body to awaken. Those feelings quickly got doused, however, when he stopped short. She almost bumped into him.

“Trolleks,” he muttered, skittering backwards and dragging her with him.

Her heart pounded. “What? How did security target us so quickly?” The resort must have image recognition software. How else would they know where to find the two of them?

Perhaps they’d compared the video from the historical exhibit upstairs to surveillance footage from the casino.

Or maybe it was the fact that she and Magnor had been the stars in their televised production that had tipped them off.

“We must flee the premises.” Magnor tugged on her arm.

From the reluctance in his voice, she surmised he was none too happy about that decision.

“But my luggage is in there.”

“So is my equipment. Sometimes retreat is the wiser choice.” His cape swirled as he hurried down the hallway.

“I can’t leave,” she protested even as her feet followed him through the twisting maze toward the exit. “The art show starts tomorrow. They can’t know that I have a booth there.”

“Would you risk your life to participate? They can track you now that we have connected.” He scowled as though that thought displeased him, but which one? Their hook-up, or the fact that the bad guys could trace her?

“And how can they do that, exactly?”

He nodded at her wristwatch. “Through your vector device. Our priorities have changed. Escape is paramount.” When she hesitated, he threw her a fierce glance. “They have worse things in mind for you than an accusation of theft and a stay in the local jail.”

The guard’s words from the museum drifted into her brain: The Queen wants the female alive. There’s a price on her head.

Confusion warred with her sense of reason. Those drinks hadn’t messed with her mind, had they? Maybe she was imagining all of this. How could it be real? A caped swordsman. An instant wedding ceremony. Breaking and entering an attraction and lifting one of its artifacts. Strange looking men with ugly features who’d attacked them.

Dazed and bewildered, she hurried after Magnor into the stairwell and up a set of concrete steps.

“Where are we going?” Her breath came short as they climbed from floor to floor.

“To the roof. Too many of the beasts patrol the lobby level.”

“Are you crazy?” She dodged his sword, angled toward his rear. “We’ll be trapped up there.”

He stood aside to let her precede him. “These rooftops may be interconnected. Keep going. It isn’t much farther.”

They burst into the night onto a flat roof, where she huddled over to catch her breath. She wasn’t used to climbing stairs. While her racing pulse slowed and her breathing eased, Magnor scouted the premises.

Neon lights from the Strip lit the sky so they had no need for added illumination. The front edge of the roof facing the street looked Viking in design, with a peaked surface and curved embellishments. Different levels attached to this one, but as they found shortly, the roof ended abruptly at an empty space.

The adjacent Mariner Resort, an aquatics themed complex, rose across a wide divide. Twenty-four floors below on street level, people scurried to their late night shows, restaurants, and casinos. Traffic moved slowly, a ribbon of congestion, while in the distance, the lights ended and the desert began.

Magnor pulled out his portable scanner and reconfigured its settings. Peering at the screen, he cursed under his breath.

“We don’t have much time. The beasts are headed this way.”

Her eyes widened, and she made the mistake of glancing at the empty space yawning before them. “We have nowhere to go except over the edge of this building.”

“Correct.” He eyed the roof hundreds of feet away. “That’s our escape route.”

“Are you crazy? We can’t jump that far.”

His eyes glowed momentarily and he flashed her a grin. “Did I say we would jump?” He glanced at their surroundings, taking in the ventilation hoods, broadband satellite apparatus, and cables snaked along the rooftop surface. His gaze fixed on the latter. “I think that will do.”

He grasped one of the cables and traced its connection while she crouched in place, wondering how she’d ended up in this situation. This had to be a nightmare. That explained it. She’d had one too many drinks and had fallen asleep in her room.

The desert wind whistled through the night, grit stinging her eyes and reinforcing reality. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she’d worn a more sensible outfit. Meanwhile, Magnor worked to make them some sort of tensile line.

She hoped he didn’t expect them to bungee jump to the ground. Her heart would fail from fright.

Banging noises sounded on the other side of the door they’d come through, which he had latched shut.

“Magnor, we have company.”

His brow folded. “I hear it. Look, this cable appears secure enough to hold our weight. Whether it will reach as far as the next roof is another matter.”

She rose and advanced to his location. “Do you mean for us to leap off this building? What if the cable snaps?” She jerked her thumb at the great divide.

His eyes did that glowing thing again. “Consider it a leap of faith.”

Hadn’t she heard that phrase in an Indiana Jones movie?

She glanced at the exit door, where an orange outline was etching its way into an oval shape. The Trolleks must be burning a hole in it so they could storm the roof. She had a feeling being captured by them would be a worse fate than getting squashed on the ground if their makeshift rope failed.

“What are we waiting for?” She gestured impatiently.

I’m going to die, she thought after Magnor positioned himself at the edge of the roof, wound his legs around the cable, and instructed her to hold onto his back.

Standing behind him, she linked her arms around his chest, clasped her hands together, and sank her head onto his neck. His solid form felt reassuring as she pressed against him.

Her thoughts evaporated as they swung out into empty space. Her blood froze, and her breath stopped. She clutched Magnor as though her life depended on it, which it did. What if his wounded arm folded, and he lost his grip?

Wind whipped hair into her face and battered her skin. Magnor let go of the cable when they swung over the neighboring roof. As they tumbled, he rolled under her. She crashed atop him, her landing softened by his body.

They ended up face to face, sprawled on a rubbery surface. Her heart pounded as she got her bearings. Splashing sounds came from the near distance amid the glow of lamp light.

Magnor’s arms wrapped around her. Startled, she realized her dress had hiked up, and her hips rode on a burgeoning part of his anatomy. He grinned up at her, clearly enjoying their compromising position.

Or was it the sense of danger that thrilled him more?

Nonetheless, their desperate escape and safe landing caused her to react without thinking. She lowered her head and pressed her mouth to his.

He stilled beneath her, as though surprised by her action, but then he responded by half lifting his head and deepening their kiss.

Angry shouts restored her sensibility. The man kissing her was a stranger, and a troop of security guards from next door was after them.

****

Magnor surfaced from a rising haze of passion. The woman had bewitched him with her skimpy attire and her tantalizing mouth. He pushed away, switching his focus to their escape.

His arm throbbed as he leapt to his feet. Erika stood and faced him with wide eyes, her curls rioting about her head. Observing how she trembled, he took off his cape and offered it to her as a wrap so she wouldn’t get chilled.

“Wear this. We’ll get new clothing later. We need to get out of here.” He headed for the lighted area at a fast clip.

Assuming the Trolleks didn’t follow them onto this roof, the beasts would be waiting downstairs at the resort’s front entrance. He and his lovely wife needed to disguise themselves.

Even if some of the hotel shops were still open, they shouldn’t linger in this place. Wishing to survey the entrance, he led Erika into an elevator. They emerged at a third floor conference level with an outdoor balcony.

As he peered over the edge, he spotted a number of Trolleks patrolling the resort’s exterior.

He returned to where he’d left Erika, who shivered in the night air even with his cloak around her slim shoulders. Resisting the urge to take her into his arms and provide comfort, he spoke in a gruff tone instead.

“This resort abuts a shopping center. We can escape through there. We’ll emerge onto the street below where they won’t be expecting us.”

She followed him to the edge of the flat roof. “Don’t tell me we’re taking another leap of faith.”

“Indeed. We can use that line strung between buildings.” He pointed to a taut cable that stretched to the lower level next door. “It’ll be easy.”

He unwound his belt and looped it around the cable. After fastening the buckle with a knot, he then grabbed the part hanging down.

“Climb onto my back again and hold tight.” As soon as her weight settled on him, he gripped his makeshift harness and stepped off the roof.