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As Asu walked through the mirror, Zamush examined the gaunt WOTA leader.
Sychar’s pale coloring wasn’t as gray, and the obvious wounds were healed.
The medical pod was more advanced than anything Zamush and his family had on Earth. He would love to take one back to see if it helped ease his comatose father’s condition. When this was all over, he’d ask Abiditan if there was a way that he could get one to take home.
Warad-Mushtal greeted their small group.
A team of healers took Sychar from Asu and transferred him to a hover-stretcher. As they left the room, Jelena made a move to follow, but Katsuki restrained her with an inaudible murmur.
The younger woman winced, her arms slack at her side.
“The raid on the prison was a complete success.” Warad-Mushtal announced with his arms wide. “We’ll brief everyone first thing on the morrow. Now is the time for you to relax and get cleaned up.” He gestured to the saucer-shaped domestic droid hovering at the doorway. “If you have any need, my Guruvash droids will get it for you.” With a slight bow to the group, he turned and left with his attendants.
Clasping his hands behind his back, Zamush followed the group.
Katsuki strolled between Qhasheik and Abiditan, while Jelena walked next to Asu.
Opening his senses, he did his best to probe Jelena, but her psychic blocks were as strong as ever. A sudden sharp tinge of revulsion came and left. Narrowing his focus, he couldn’t be sure who it came from. Not telling who was repulsed by what. His eyes slid to Asu, but the only thing from him was giddy excitement. As for the trio in front of him, they were absorbed in each other. Their underlying emotions were love, along with a healthy dose of lust.
Zamush snorted. What he wouldn’t give to experience the same thing with Jelena. Chasing that thought brought weariness that weighed him down. It was hard to remember the last time he had a dreamless cycle of sleep. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Instead of visiting the lovely Jelena in his dreams, he’d better take advantage of the downtime and get some rest.
Rescuing Sychar under Murduk’s nose turned out to be easier than winning the affection of the woman who walked mere inches from him.
The next morning, Zamush was in the enormous ballroom in Esharra that was packed with Akurns. He leaned against a wall on the sidelines, his arms crossed and his foot resting on the wall behind him.
The group consisted of a heavy mixture of Akurn males and nary a female in sight. Looked like sexism was alive and well among the so-called anti-establishment nobles.
Well, except for his companions.
Katsuki and Jelena nestled between Qhasheik and Abiditan. The four of them were up front and close to the stage as they watched Warad-Mushtal interact with a small group of Akurn noblemen.
Unfocused, Zamush relaxed the block on his psychic powers to get a readout of the general atmosphere in the room. An expected mixture of excitement, anticipation, as well as fear lay thick in the air. A quick pinch of malevolence caught his attention. Damn. With so many people in one room, it was hard to pinpoint where it came from. Too bad his brother Ben wasn’t there. As an empath, he’d have no trouble zoning in on where that hatred came from. It irritated the shit out of Zamush that the Akurn captain he’d taken the blood from didn’t know the name of the traitor. That sure would’ve made things easier.
He frowned. Speaking of his family, maybe he should try to reach out to them again. It was hard to remember the last time he’d been away from them this long without connecting telepathically. If one of his brothers was here with him, it would leave him free to monitor Jelena while they search for Murduk’s spy.
Searching the crowd, he spied Qhasheik leaning to Katsuki as she spoke into his ear. Earliest opportunity, he’d pull the Ibbin aside and see if he could use the communications on the Nergal to talk to his family on the moon base of Azadi. Not only was it important to update his family on where things stood on Akurn, but he wondered how bad things have gotten on Earth. Had his brother Michael found that third sister yet? Any updates on their father?
Watching Jelena laugh at something Abiditan said made his breath catch. Her look of sheer joy loosened something tight within him. He uncrossed his arms and put both feet on the ground. He should be next to her. Heading in her direction, he stopped when Warad-Mushtal raised his hands to hush the crowd.
“My fellow loyal Akurns, I have great news to share!” He waved up and down as the noise in the room died. “As you may have heard, the prisoners and kidnapped priestesses at Erset La Tari have been liberated!”
A thunderous roar of approval boomed. People raised fists in jubilation and whistled and catcalled.
Warad-Mushtal gestured to the crowd for silence. “I have more good news, citizens!” Even with a raised voice, his words were hard to hear over the thunderous crowd. “Citizens, please! There is more glorious news.” He waited until the sound died and eager faces watched him. “I am pleased to announce that not only were our political comrades rescued, but we’ve also been able to snatch our glorious leader, Sychar, from the clutches of that maniac Murduk!”
If Zamush thought the feverishness of the crowd was deafening before, nothing compared to the eruption after that announcement.
Complete bedlam swept through the horde.
He resisted the urge to cover his ears as the screams and shouts pierced his sensitive hearing.
Man-hugs and back thumping abounded.
When Jelena was shoved by an overeager Akurn behind her, Zamush stomped toward her.
Before he reached her, she flicked one of her fingers, sending a stream of ice at the excited young man.
The force of the ice pushed the oblivious fool away. The man was so caught up in the exuberance around him he didn’t react to what had to be a stinging burn of ice on his ass.
