Soul of Eon (Eon Warriors #8) - Anna Hackett Page 0,6

to this helian thing, but it was starting to get easier.

The scaled creature rose again, then launched through the water, lightning-fast.

Thane cursed and Kaira lifted her sword.

All she could see was an open mouth, full of needle-sharp teeth. She slashed.

The creature screeched and thrashed. Thane’s long sword speared down through the creature.

It went still, floating in the dirty water.

“Back up,” Thane warned, pulling his sword free.

They backed up.

Suddenly, the water started to churn. Drawn by blood, other things attacked the dead creature.

“Oh, God.” Kaira grimaced as the feeding frenzy began.

Thane pulled her back farther. She really, really wanted off this ship.

“I’ll see if I can scale the wall up to one of the vents.” He pointed to the closest one. “We need to get to the hangar. Stealing a swarm ship is still our best bet.” He gave her a faint smile that lit up his handsome face. “Or we can try the escape pods, like Sabin and Finley did.”

Kaira made a sound. “Float around space in the equivalent of a coffin? No, thanks.”

“Like I said, a swarm ship would be better.”

“The Kantos will come after us.”

“Yes, but if we’re in a swarm ship, it’s equipped with weapons. We’ll have a better chance.”

She nodded. “Let’s—”

An earsplitting screech of alarms started blaring.

“What the hell?” she yelled over the cacophony.

Thane’s jaw was a hard line as he looked around.

That’s when Kaira realized something.

The feeding frenzy had stopped. The half-eaten carcass was floating, green blood spreading around it.

“Where did they go?” she asked.

Thane’s arms clamped around her and she looked up at him.

“Thane?”

“Hold on,” he growled.

There was a giant whoosh of sound.

A scream lodged in Kaira’s throat as they were sucked out into space.

No. Fuck.

She clung to Thane as they tumbled, end-over-end, and debris whooshed past them. She got a view of the Kantos ship, then nothing but the blackness of space.

Debris streamed past them.

Thane pulled Kaira close. He generated a pulse of propulsion from his helian to slow their spin.

Thank the warriors they were in armor, and his helian was providing air for them.

“God.” Her fingers flexed on his arms.

They finally stopped and he steadied her. They both looked up, watching the Kantos ship slowly moving away from them.

Leaving them hanging in space with no planets nearby.

“Jesus, what do we do now?” she said.

Thane’s mouth firmed. “We need to find a way to contact the Rengard, or another Eon ship.”

“Thane, how?” She turned her head. “There’s nothing out here.”

“I’m not sure yet.” He had no emergency beacon. They were only supplied to warriors on missions. He’d been on Earth for a celebration. He hadn’t expected to be abducted by the Kantos.

“Right now, let’s put some distance between us and the Kantos.” He generated more propulsion from his helian. The blast helped them fly away from the battlecruiser.

“Okay.”

“Keep your arms by your side,” he said.

She adjusted her stance to be more aerodynamic. “Sorry. I’ve only been in space a couple of times. During my space modules at the Air Force Training Academy. And once I visited my dad on his ship.”

“Your father is Space Corps?”

A pause. “Was. His ship was destroyed by the Kantos.”

There was a tremble in her voice.

“I’m sorry. You lost your husband and your father.”

“Yes. Thanks.” Her voice was husky.

Thane looked ahead. All he could see was the dense black of space. No stars or planets in view. Frustration rose. He kept his arm tight around Kaira. He had no way to protect her.

They were stuck. Helpless.

“Thane… Hey.” She tapped the side of his helmet.

He looked at her.

“We’re in this together,” she said. “Whatever happens.”

He nodded. “I know our mating was a shock, and not what you wanted, but I’m thankful.”

Her lips parted. “You don’t even know me.”

“Sabin spoke highly of you. And he rarely speaks highly of anyone. I don’t need to spend weeks with you to know you’re honorable, kind, and good at your job.”

Even through the helmet, he saw the light flush in her cheeks.

“The kind of mate any man would be honored to have.” He dragged in a breath. “I am sorry this mating was thrust on you.”

“You can’t have wanted this instant mating either,” she said.

“Mating has become rare for the Eon, so it’s revered.”

“Oh. Why has it become rare?”

“We aren’t sure. Lots of Eon doctors and scientists have studied the problem. Mating is required for us to be fertile, so conception rates decreased rapidly. We switched to focus on medical ways to allow couples to conceive.” He paused. “Now, with so many Eon-Terran matings,