look local, but I don’t know you.”
“You’ve made powerful enemies.” He kept his voice level, well aware every man here was listening. “The bounty on your head is huge with death to all who help you.” That had several men taking a step back.
Helldrick laughed, but Zaxe heard the forced quality of it. “I’ve always had enemies. People have been trying to kill me for decades.” He held his arms out at his side. “Yet, I’m still here.” Many of his men nodded and some voiced their agreement.
“You’ve never had an enemy like the king of Gravas.”
Everyone went silent. They were all aware the Gravasians were the most powerful and lethal military force in existence. They could conquer the universe but preferred to keep to themselves. If someone stepped over the line and thought to take them on, it always ended badly for the attacker. “The king’s personal assassin killed your older son Balthazar.”
“Then why didn’t he send his assassin for me? I say you’re lying.”
“Call it a personal favor.”
“And just who are you?” Helldrick demanded, his face turning red with rage.
“Zaxe.”
“That’s a weapon, not a name.”
The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile. “It’s the name Artemis gave me.” He dropped the name, wondering if the older man would recognize it. Artemis had run the top assassins in the known universe before her untimely death.
“You’re one of her people? I can bargain with her. She knows me.”
“She doesn’t send her regards. The Gravasians killed her for her involvement in your little plot. The body count is huge and still growing. You should never have tried to take tech from them.”
Now many of the men were backing away. One broke and ran. Helldrick drew his blaster and fired. The man toppled forward, dead before he hit the ground. “I’ll kill any deserters,” he bellowed. His remaining men shuffled in place, their gaze darting from their leader back to Zaxe.
“What you failed to realize,” Zaxe went on, continuing to encourage dissension in the ranks, “was that the man you took the tech from, the one your son held captive, was the king’s son.” He had to keep his target talking a little bit longer.
“Oh, shit.” Jamaeh’s soft whisper calmed him. She was alive. It was his job to keep her that way.
“That is an automatic death sentence. The Gravasians don’t mess around with things like that. There’s no trial, no jury, just the executioner.” Zaxe drew his blaster and fired in one quick, practiced motion. The beam hit Helldrick in the center of his forehead. His eyes widened before he toppled back. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Zaxe threw himself to the ground and rolled, firing in quick succession. An explosion ripped through the camp. Right on time. One after another, the tents exploded. Men raced for the sand sleds, but some fought back.
Tamping down his emotions, he fired again and again. The best way to keep Jamaeh alive was to keep the men focused on him. She’d dropped to the dirt as soon as he’d fired, taking her brother with her. A man to Zaxe’s right went down. He didn’t dare glance over his shoulder, but there was little doubt that she’d armed herself.
The battle was short but vicious. He showed no mercy, left none alive. Two managed to make it to the sleds. He knelt on one knee, took a deep breath, aimed, and fired. His shot was true. He took out one and then the other. The sleds continued on a few feet before crashing to a stop.
Silence descended, but for the crackling of the burning tents. As the smoke cleared, Zaxe stalked toward where he’d last seen Jamaeh.
“Stop right there.” Esau stepped in front of his sister, a blaster in his shaking hands.
“Esau, no.” Jamaeh pushed to her feet, her weapon held down by her side.
“I have no argument with you,” he assured the younger man.
Ignoring his sister, Esau pushed her behind when she tried to get around him. “I heard you. No mercy to anyone involved. Helldrick is our father.” His face turned pasty as he glanced at the body. “Was our father.”
“You didn’t volunteer to come here.”
“You heard that?”
“Yes.”
“Esau, put down the weapon.” Jamaeh reached for his hand, but he shook his head, his chin going up.
“No, I didn’t protect you before. I have to now.” He swallowed heavily, his throat rippling. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
“Listen to your sister.” Her brother wasn’t a killer by nature. It wasn’t in his eyes,