The Alien's Equal (Drixonian Warrior #7) - Ella Maven Page 0,55

I recalled correctly, that meant he was part of the Dryad clavas.

“How are you feeling?” I asked him, which felt like a ridiculous question.

“Like I lost my foot,” he grinned at me dopily. “You’re pretty.”

“And you’re high,” I murmured. “What’s your name?”

“Pruett.”

“I’m sure Hap will design a badass prosthetic for you, and you’ll be walking again in no time.”

“Pros-what?”

I patted his head and my fingers carded through his thick hair. “Get some rest, Pruett.”

“Mmmm,” his eyes closed. “That feels good.”

So, I stayed at his side, finger-combing his hair until his breaths turned deep and even and he began to snore softly. After that, I visited a few more wounded Drix, who seemed irritated they’d been sidelined from the action. But one was temporarily blinded from an explosion, and another couldn’t hear anything and just kept yelling, “What?” in my ear until I told Rokas he might need some sleepy juice too.

After completing my rounds, I returned to Shep’s side, where he sat watching the gates of Alazar. The city no longer rang with explosions and gun fire. Every now and then, a cry or a shout rang out, but it had mostly fallen silent. The battle had taken its toll on the city as fires continued to smolder. The east-facing wall was mostly caved in, and I felt a bit like I was watching the end of Game of Thrones when Daenerys lit up King’s Landing with her dragons.

“What are we waiting for?” I asked. “A signal?”

He wiggled his comm at me. “Already heard from Daz the battle is over. The remaining Uldani commanders have surrendered.”

“Now what happens?”

For a moment, Shep’s face showed every one of his three hundred cycles as he heaved a heavy breath. “Now, Daz decides their fate.”

I turned my face toward the gates, and knowing the drexel of the Night Kings, I didn’t expect much mercy.

Nero

The four remaining Uldani commanders representing the once plentiful Uldani army now knelt in a line at Daz’s feet. Their hands were tied behind their backs, and their once pristine uniforms were splattered with dirt and blood.

Kuala Renner, the supreme commander of the Uldani army, had never been seen before, until now. He’d preferred to remain behind his safe walls and send his commanders out to battle. Even when us Drix had worked for the Uldani, he’d never used us as bodyguards. He hid behind his technology and weapons. Without them, he was just another flesh and blood body, capable of breaking like the rest of us.

He was older, his hair snow white and his face lined with age. I could tell he’d once been strong, as the hint of corded muscle remained on his slim body. Without his protection, he stared up at Daz with a mixture of disgust and fear. Even in defeat, he thought he was superior to my drexel. It made me want to beat him into the ground.

We stood in the center of the Alazar near their hub building. All around us, the city smoldered amid the crumbled walls. A small handful of civilians huddled together with their children, but we had no intention of hurting them. Daz had sent some of our warriors throughout the city to root out any remaining enemy soldiers and also to ensure there were no innocents trapped in the rubble. The rest of the Drix army hung back in a silent group, watching as Daz stared down the last of our enemy. The Kaluma stood around us and while Bosa was visible, I suspected a few remained blanked.

“We have surrendered,” Kuala spat at Daz. “What are your terms?”

Daz, standing with his feet braced apart and forearm machets dripping with blood, looked down his nose at Kuala. I thought I saw a bit of brain matter clinging to one of his horns, but I’d tell him later. “Terms?” His lips curled. “You expect me give you Uldani scum terms?”

“We surrendered.” Kuala sneered. “Your precious honor won’t let you touch me now. And that’s what you Drix are all about, isn’t it? Honor?”

“I, for one, don’t give a fleck about honor,” said Bosa as he slammed a booted foot into the commander’s back. With a pained cry, the Uldani pitched forward face first into the dirt and writhed as he gasped for air.

Daz shot Bosa a tired look before he gripped the Uldani’s hair and placed him back on his knees. The commander wiped his face with his shoulder and panted. “This is outrageous. You killed our Kulks and our army. We’re