The Alien's Revenge - Ella Maven Page 0,40

me in the face and stomach. I broke my ankle trying to defend myself. And it was Drak who killed them to save me.” I lifted my chin in the air and leveled Daz with a glare. I jabbed a finger in Crius’s direction. “He is lying.”

Daz held my gaze, and if I was someone else, I would have been wholly intimidated. His dark purple stare pierced me like a laser, dissecting my words and actions.

I held my breath, terrified he’d believe his warrior over me, when I knew something was wrong about Crius. If he lied about me, then he also could have lied about…

I looked at Drak. His eyes were no longer closed. He watched Crius closely. Gar stood now, and only Ward and Sax held Drak down. His big body was coiled, ready to strike. And I didn’t give anyone an ounce of warning about it.

“Crius,” Daz said in a firm, even tone. “I don’t believe you.”

Crius erupted into a sputtering mess. Gar crossed the room in one giant stride and slammed his fist down on the table in front of Crius. He snarled in the beaten male’s face. “She could have died or worse! I trusted you, and you betrayed me, this clavas, and our creed!”

“I’m not lying!” Crius shouted back, but his voice shook, and his eyes were wild, panicked. “She’s not remembering right. You’d actually believe a human female over me?”

“I absolutely would,” Gar shouted, spittle flying to mix with the dried blood on Crius’s face. “Especially Miranda.”

Drak made his move. With an almighty lunge, he broke free from Sax and Ward’s grip. But Gar was faster. He thrust his hand out, caught Drak around the neck and slammed him against the table.

“No!” I cried. Drak’s head thudded against the table with a sickening crack, and his body went limp.

Wrists burning white hot, all I could after that was scream.

Eleven

Drak

Low voices carried on the breeze, and I froze. I was outside the Night Kings territory, so past Nero’s eyes. Daz, our drexel, had asked us to start scouting past our borders because Nero had seen some suspicious activity in the distance in his eyes. None had been close enough to be distinguishable.

I crouched and crept forward, stepping carefully to avoid sound as the voices drew closer. The familiar sneer of the Uldani raised the machets on the back of my neck. What were the Uldani doing in the western hemisphere? They knew it was a death sentence to be caught here. I needed a full report to take back to Daz, so I peered through the underbrush.

“We need to know the Night Kings activities.” An Uldani official wearing an adorned jacket stood with another Uldani at his side, their backs to me. Nearby stood twelve Kulks.

“I promise I’ll have information,” said a familiar voice. “But you have to give me some time. I’m not on the council meetings, so I don’t hear everything that happens.”

I sucked in breath, barely able to believe what I was hearing. The Uldani shifted his weight, and there Crius stood, one of my warrior brothers, making a deal with the Uldani to find them a human female.

“Remember, you give us information, and we return the favor. Understand?”

Crius glared. “I understand.”

I ached to reveal myself, to tear apart those Kulks, slice the Uldani into pieces, and then shake Crius until he revealed why he would betray all of what we Drixonian warriors stood for. She is All.

I turned and crept back the way I came. Daz must be informed that Crius was a betrayer. We had never been close, Crius and I, but his willingness to work with the Uldani still cut me deep.

I heard them coming, but it didn’t matter. How they heard me was a mystery, as I was silent as night, but one minute I was picking my way through the forest and the next I was surrounded by Kulks. The Uldani stood in the distance. In front was Crius.

I didn’t say a word. There was nothing to say.

Crius shook his head, and while he looked pained, anger rose in his face, flushing his blue cheeks and igniting in his eyes. “You stupid bastard,” he spat. “You just had to scout beyond the territory today? Didn’t you?”

I didn’t answer.

“I know you heard us.”

I still didn’t say anything. I let my machets loose.

But it didn’t matter. With a shake of his head, he held his arms out at his sides and made a signal with his fingers. The