Her Commanders - M.K. Eidem Page 0,76

instinctively slither toward its victim. From a different slit, she removed another inert viper and repeated the process. She'd specifically designed her dress, so the vipers remained dormant until she needed them. It hadn't been that difficult, especially since she'd separated them from their dame.

Again and again, she revived her pets, gleefully watching as bite marks began to appear on Jamis’s and Taarig’s bodies, and their breathing started to slow. When her pets were satisfied, she would arrange the two arrogant, uncaring, murdering Apre in a position that would not only destroy their reputation but shame them in death.

Triumphantly, she began to revive her last viper, knowing that soon she'd have her revenge for what these two did to her sestra. The nearly silent opening of the resting room door had her spinning around in shock.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"What the ruk!" Cali exclaimed, stunned by what she found in the room. It wasn't what she'd expected. Yes, Jamis and Taarig were naked in the bed, but they weren't having sex. Instead, they were lying on their backs as if they were asleep, except their eyes were open and staring straight up at the ceiling.

The movement to her left had Cali turning. She caught whatever was hurled at her, thanks to her Zagreus reflexes. Stunned for a moment, she couldn't believe what was writhing and hissing in her hand. A Sion Viper? Really? How the ruk had someone been able to transport one onto a Star Base? Even one as small as this. When the viper reared back its head, preparing to strike, Cali grabbed it by its snout and separated its head from its body.

"No!"

Dropping the dead viper, Cali found the source of the screech. A Si female was standing at the foot of Jamis’s bed, her elongated eyes filled with insane rage. In an instant, the female was charging Cali. Her nails extended like deadly daggers. At the last moment, Cali ducked, and the female flew by.

"What the ruk do you think you're doing?" Cali demanded.

"I'm getting my revenge!" she spat out triumphantly, pushing herself away from the wall. "And there'sss nothing you can do to ssstop it!"

The absolute certainty in the female's voice sent a chill up Cali's spine. Looking back at the bed, she noticed four more vipers, and they had already delivered multiple bites over Jamis’s and Taarig's bodies.

"No!" Cali gasped in horror.

"Yousss too late!" she hissed gleefully, moving to attack Cali again. "Yousss too late!"

Knowing there was no time to waste, Cali touched her link, then turned and struck the chortling female in the mouth with all her strength. She was beside the bed before the other female hit the floor or her link connected.

"What do you need, Cali?" Xanto teased through her link, the noise from The Brink easily heard in the background.

"Help," Cali told him as she grabbed the closest viper and quickly decapitated it before moving on to the next.

"Where are you?" all the humor fled from Xanto's voice along with the noise telling Cali he had left The Brink.

"Jamis’s resting quarters." She crawled over Taarig's unnaturally still body and pulled off the viper that had sunk its fangs into Jamis’s bicep. "He and Taarig have been attacked by Sion Vipers. I have the culprit incapacitated but need help."

"I'm on my way."

"Good, make sure the lenses see you. I deactivated Jamis’s doors. All you'll need to do is touch the security panels." Another viper slithered out from under Jamis as Cali spoke and sunk its fangs into her hand.

"You rukking piece of shit!" she cursed and, ripping it away, disposed of it as quickly as she had the others. Closing her eyes, she used one of the gifts she'd received from her father and sensed there were no more vipers about which she had to worry. She was also able to sense how quickly Jamis and Taarig were succumbing to the vipers’ venom.

She wasn't going to let that happen.

Placing a hand over one of the multiple wounds on each male, Cali allowed her power to flow through her unrestrained for the first time in her life. She just hoped it was enough.

Chapter Sixteen

Xanto moved as quickly as he could without drawing undue attention. He needed to be seen but not seem rushed. He had a hard time believing Cali had actually seen Sion Vipers because the adults were nearly impossible to capture, and their young didn't survive long without their dame.

Reaching the Commander's door, Xanto placed his hand on the panel