Rescued by the Alien Warrior Hope Hart (literature books to read TXT) 📖

up my sword, so I lash out, kicking at him. My movements are clumsy as I recover from the jolt of his weapon, but I’m lucky, my foot catching him in the jaw.

Frustration courses through my body as another Dokhall replaces him. I snarl as my arms tingle, finally working again, and this time I manage to swipe my sword off the ground before beheading the creature in one movement.

The ground shakes, and my ears ring as Rakiz’s next roar is echoed by something much more dangerous.

Dragix.

Charlie is on his back, a long knife in her hand. The dragon swoops, blowing fire at the Dokhalls at the edge of the group attacking us.

They turn to ash.

Dragix banks, cutting through the sky as he turns for another dive.

Dokhalls scatter, screaming. I don’t bother chasing them. Instead, I attempt to discern which direction Zoey and Nevada were taken. The attack has likely made it much more difficult for us to find them, the Dokhalls erasing any tracks.

I grind my teeth.

Kroniz reaches me. His color is slightly better, but he can barely meet my eyes, and I know he is filled with shame at his failure.

“There were no reports of Dokhalls in the area,” I tell him. “Our sentries failed. Our guards failed—”

“And I failed.”

My hands fist as I think of the karja, who warned us of a scent he didn’t like in the forest. I planned to talk to Rakiz about it but hadn’t yet found the time.

Because I was too busy figuring out how to get out of my mating with Malis.

“We all failed,” I grind out.

“You were working with the information you had,” Jozet says as he approaches us. “There was no way for you to know you should have been closer to the females.”

Kroniz’s jaw tightens. “I failed them. But I won’t fail them again.”

I survey the area as Dragix flies in Rakiz’s direction.

Hewex arrives, out of breath after fighting alongside Rakiz’s group.

“There is a small cave northeast of here,” he murmurs, closing his eyes, and I know he’s picturing a map of this area in his head. Few people know directions like Hewex. He has spent most of his life away from camp.

“A cave?” I attempt to picture it, and he opens his eyes with a nod.

“It’s in what used to be Voildi territory. No Braxian would choose to go there unless they were specifically hunting any remaining Voildi in the area.”

My stomach muscles clench. “If the Dokhalls have taken the females to the cave, any Voildi who still believe it is their territory may also attack.”

“There is also another cave to the west,” he says. “It’s a karja’s lair.”

I tense. A karja in the wild will fight any who attempt to claim its territory. If it’s full-grown, we will need to be on our guard.

“What else?”

He closes his eyes again. “If we continue north, we will be heading toward the Colossal Water.”

I don’t believe the Dokhalls can travel across the water, but I remember the sentry telling Rakiz they were seen speaking with the Zintas. Could this kidnapping be part of some larger plan?

I glance at Jozet. “Send one of the younger warriors back to Rakiz. Tell him we are moving north.”

Zoey

I watch out of half-closed eyelids as the Dokhall with the broken nose takes a cup of water.

Maradoza berries taste bitter, but the Dokhall doesn’t seem to notice, guzzling the water down and dipping his cup for more.

I chew on my lip. Maybe I didn’t squeeze enough juice into the water?

There’s nothing I can do about it—it’s not like I have any more berries to add.

One Arm follows him into the cave, muttering about the Dokhall that left earlier. He still hasn’t returned, and it seems as if their plans are now falling apart.

That’s what you get, motherfuckers.

Nevada clenches my hand, and my heart aches at the pain and fear on her face. Labor is the most vulnerable time in a woman’s life, and if the warriors don’t find us soon, Nevada might be giving birth in a cave.

One Arm follows his friend’s lead, drinking a cup of water. He doesn’t take any more, and I chew on my lip. I only had a few berries, and there was a lot of water. I need them to at least fall unconscious, although honestly, I wouldn’t be all that upset if they fell over and died.

Nevada groans again.

“Be quiet,” One Arm says.

I glare at him. “She’s in labor, asshole.”

I turn back to Nevada, and I don’t see his fist coming. It slams into the side of my head, and fireworks appear in front of my eyes.

“Zoey,” Nevada gasps, and I take a moment, wrestling with the pain that explodes through my brain.

“I’m okay.”

The Dokhall sneers at me, walks back to the front of the cave, and sits down, waiting.

Long Horns is clearly enraged, pacing back and forth in front of the cave entrance, shooting Nevada and me furious looks. If he didn’t need us, I have no doubt we’d already be dead.

Where are you, Tagiz?

I’m not allowing myself to imagine the worst. That this was part of some bigger attack and Tagiz is lying somewhere, dead.

“Where the hell is Rakiz?” Nevada growls. “I’m going to kick his ass when I see him next.”

I laugh softly at that, and Broken Nose glowers at me from where he’s leaning against the cave wall.

Do his eyes look blurry? He blinks, and my heart stutters in my chest as it takes him a second to reopen his eyes.

Nevada lets out a wail, and Long Horns glowers, stepping back into the cave.

That’s when Broken Nose slumps to the ground.

“Zoey,” Nevada gasps, hunched over. “Reach under my dress and hand me my knife. Cover my body so they can’t see.”

Long Horns is standing in front of his friend, nudging him with his foot. One Arm steps toward him and stumbles, his brow furrowed in confusion.

I shove Nevada’s dress up, my hand searching for the hilt of the knife. I grab it,