Darkside Blues: SciFi Alien Romance (Dark Planet Warriors Book 4.5) (2 page)

BOOK: Darkside Blues: SciFi Alien Romance (Dark Planet Warriors Book 4.5)
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Kalan grunted, half-annoyed and half-amused. “What am I supposed to do when all the females decide they want a ‘night out’ to enjoy what passes for entertainment on this planet?”

Jia made eyes at him as the other women joined them. “Don’t be such a prude, love.
Lunar Baboon
are playing tonight. They literally
invented
the post-synthetica astro-funk movement.”

Kalan’s blank stare mirrored Zyara’s confusion. The things Humans did to entertain themselves never ceased to mystify her.

They were a remarkably creative species.

“They’re good,” Sera added, giving her a sly look. “They come on at midnight. Keep an open mind. You might just enjoy them.”

Kalan snorted, a skeptical expression crossing his hard face. He exchanged an indulgent look with Rykal and Xalikian, and some sort of secret, silent male communication passed between them.
 

The three women, oblivious to the covert signals of their mates, sipped on their brightly colored drinks and smiled.

Zyara took a deep breath and steadied herself against a wall, her vision blurring slightly. The music seemed louder than before, and it was starting to get damn hot in here. She began to regret drinking that glass of wine.

It was becoming quite obvious that Kordolians didn’t have quite the same tolerance for alcohol as Humans.

“I’m going outside to get some fresh air,” she blurted, struggling to keep her voice even. She was starting to feel queasy, and the deep bass that pumped through the club had triggered a throbbing pain in her temples.

“Are you okay?” Sera was by her side in a flash, full of concern.

“Come, let’s go.” Arin was draping an arm around her shoulders and sounding sympathetic.

“I’ll get you some water,” Jia declared, before darting off into the crowd.

“Is it that obvious?” Zyara groaned. She was used to being the one who looked after others. Having others take care of her felt strange. “I swear I’m never touching a drop of your infernal Human alcohol again.”
 

As Arin and Sera started to lead her towards the exit, Zyara found herself flanked on both sides by three large Kordolian males.

“What are you doing?” She tried to glare at the Kordolians, but her vision was still swimming. A strange emotion worked its way into her chest.

She had never felt so embarrassed in her life. When it came to all things medical, she was used to having her orders obeyed without question. But now, the warriors had caught her in a rare moment of weakness.

Curse the Goddess for making her lose control like this.

“Zyara,” Xalikian held up a placating hand. “We’re just coming to keep an eye on-”

“I don’t need an escort,” she snapped, her voice slurring a little. “Thanks all the same, your Highness.”

Sera nudged her mate. “Give the lady some privacy,” she said softly into his ear. With her sharp Kordolian hearing, Zyara could just make out the words. “Go and watch the DJ or something. We’ll be fine.”

“But what if something happens?”

“This is Earth, not Kythia, love. The last I saw, there were only a bunch of Humans out on the streets. You think Arin and Jia and I can’t handle our own? Besides, security’s swarming all over this place. They won’t let anything happen. It would be bad for business. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. We’re only going to stand on the sidewalk. We’re not going anywhere.”

Bless Sera and her female intuition. The last thing Zyara wanted was for a bunch of overbearing males to witness her in her moment of vulnerability. It was bad enough that the Humans had to see her like this, but at least Sera and the others were being discreet about it.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the smells of the club. The air was stale and laced with the scent of strange perfumes and the musk of Human bodies.

Jia appeared by her side, a glass of iced water in her hand. Zyara accepted it gratefully and took a long sip as the males reluctantly stepped back, responding to the fierce glares of their mates. They peeled away, leaving Zyara in the care of the three women.

An odd tension existed between the Kordolians and their mates. The warriors were naturally protective, but the women valued their freedom and independence. Freedom versus protection. It was a constant tug of war. Zyara had first become aware of this dynamic when she realized General Tarak had taken Abbey as his mate.

No-one could sway his opinion as easily as the vivacious Human.

It was a glorious thing to behold.

They walked down a long dark corridor until a welcoming draft of fresh air caressed her face. They’d reached the exit.

“Sorry, chicka,” Sera murmured, as they passed through the huge glass sliding doors. “I had no idea that a single glass of wine would have such an effect on you. I thought you Kordolians were supposed to be super-strong and impervious to everything.”

“Well, now we both know that’s not the case,” Zyara said wryly, as she became a little unbalanced on her feet. “You Humans are freaks when it comes to digesting drugs and toxins.” She blinked, realizing she’d just said that aloud.

Zyara couldn’t believe it. How had she allowed herself to get into this state? She thanked the Goddess that General Tarak had stayed behind to be with Abbey and their newborn baby. She wouldn’t have been able to live down the dishonor of her boss seeing her in this state.

“Whoa, there.” Arin steadied her. “Don’t worry. This has happened to all of us at some point.”

“It has? What is happening to me, exactly?” Zyara’s words came out a little slurred. Her thoughts were becoming fuzzy.

Jia gave her a conspiratorial wink. “Congratulations, doc,” she said. “You are officially wasted. Don’t worry. The effects of the alcohol will eventually wear off. But until they do, we’re not going anywhere. Relax, Zyara of Kythia. We’ve got your back.”

CHAPTER TWO

Zyara leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. The cool night air was a welcome relief after the hot, crowded atmosphere of the club, but she still felt a little intoxicated.
 

She shook her head as she took another sip of water.

“Feeling better?” Sera regarded her with a concerned expression, her dark brown eyes widening.

“Yes. A little.” Zyara looked up and saw an endless stream of people flowing past. The street in front of them was busy, even at this time in the darkness-cycle.

Bot-cars and Humans on small personalized hover-transports drifted slowly through the throng, people parting before them like swarms of those silver aquatic Earth creatures.

What were they called again?

Fish.

Everything around her was bright and colorful and loud. The people rushing past turned into a blur, and the riot of colorful signs and holograms adorning the walls of nearby buildings turned the streetscape into a hyper-colored picture that was both surreal and jarring.

Everything was moving too fast.

Zyara watched in fascination as the crowds gave way to a convoy of black bot-cars. The vehicles had darkly tinted windows, and there were four of them in total. They rolled down the Glory Strip at a slow, even pace.

The vehicles looked implacable and menacing, as if they wouldn’t stop for anything or anyone. The swarming pedestrians had all but disappeared from the street, providing the convoy with a clear thoroughfare.

But to Zyara’s surprise, the cars rolled to a halt.

A large group of Humans had surrounded the vehicles, seemingly appearing from nowhere. These Humans didn’t look like ordinary citizens. They wore a uniform of sorts; they were all dressed in dark suits, and they all carried weapons.

“What the hell?” Arin, Jia and Sera stared at the unfolding scenario, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “We’d better get back inside.”

“What’s going on?” Zyara’s foggy mind was taking a little longer than usual to process the scene unfolding before her.

The Humans in suits drew their blades and guns and waited. The bot-cars started forward again, but a dark-haired woman raised her gun and fired though the front window, shattering the tinted barrier.

Screams erupted from the crowd. Ordinary Humans started to flee. Zyara was being dragged back towards the club, the three Human women surrounding her protectively. Even though she could more than handle her own, she appreciated the fact that these ladies were instinctively looking out for her.

“It’s a fucking gang war,” Arin growled, shaking her head as they pushed against a tide of panicking Humans. “I can’t believe the nerve of these guys. Let’s get out of here. We need to get inside.”

Zyara looked behind her and saw that a small army of Humans had flooded out of the bot-cars, brandishing an assortment of knives, swords and bolt-guns.

A battle broke out in the middle of the Glory Strip. Mesmerized, Zyara couldn’t tear her eyes away. Underneath the crazy neon lights, the Humans were locked in a bloody dance. Those who fought were oblivious to the melee of fleeing Humans surrounding them.

“Come on, Zyara.” Human hands tugged her away with increasing urgency.

Zyara wobbled on her feet. A frantic Human bumped her in his haste, making her drop her half-empty glass of water. It disappeared into the stampede as she stumbled.

Shots were fired and as a whole, the crowd ducked for cover. The collective shouting and screaming of hundreds of Humans became a deafening roar.

This night was definitely not going to plan.

Zyara stole a glance at the convoy. The Humans were locked in a fierce skirmish. She couldn’t tell the difference between the two groups; it was hard to know who belonged to which side, because they all looked the same.

Something caught her attention. A flash of blue amongst a sea of black. There was a person stuck in the middle of the fighting; a small person who obviously didn’t belong there.

Even though her thoughts were dulled by the effects of alcohol, Zyara’s eyesight was still keen, and she could tell that the person was Human, female, and young, no more than an adolescent. She was just a child. She wore a short blue jacket and tight silver trousers. Fear was etched onto her pale face. She was unarmed and terrified.

The girl glanced back and forth, searching for an escape route as black-suited figures rushed towards her. Zyara didn’t know if the Humans were trying to attack or protect the girl.

The gangsters were yelling in some Human language Zyara couldn’t understand.

The girl started to back away, screaming in fright as a man lunged for her.

Another shot rang out, and a flare of highly concentrated energy hit the man. He fell forward, onto the girl.

The girl cried out in pain as she stumbled back, directly into the path of a wayward blade.

The tip of the blade pierced her left shoulder from behind. Zyara cried out in dismay as the girl fell to the ground, the blade still protruding from her body.

A man rushed to her side and yanked the blade out. He screamed at his comrades, who fought their way through the attackers to surround the girl.

Clearly, she was important to them.

“Apply pressure,” Zyara yelled at them in Kordolian, unable to help herself. No matter what the species, the basic principles of trauma management applied to all creatures, and the first priority was to stem the blood loss.

But there was no way they could have heard hear above the screaming crowds. A dark pool of blood was forming underneath the girl. One of the men tore off his jacket and tried to wrap the wound, but he was thwarted by an attacker who swung at him with a blunt metal pole, hitting him in the back.

The girl was losing too much blood.

Zyara swore profusely in Kordolian. She might be under the influence, but she was a damn good medic, and there was no way she was going to allow an innocent to bleed to death in front of her very eyes.

“Excuse me, ladies,” she said, breaking away from the grasp of her friends.

“Wait, Zyara!” Someone tried to hold her back, but Zyara easily broke free. She was stronger than most Humans, and she’d received training in basic hand-to-hand combat from the very best.

She pushed through the crowds until she reached the street, whipping a small Callidum dagger from a discreet sheath hidden underneath her blouse.

She always carried the concealed blade, just in case.

She ran towards the injured Human, knocking a man out with a swift punch to the chin and dodging another attacker who shouted something unintelligible at her.

She slipped past three men who were engaged in a vicious struggle, dropping to her knees as she reached the girl. Zyara’s movements were a bit slower and a bit less co-ordinated than usual, but she’d made it to where she needed to be.

The girl stared up at her in surprise, her dark eyes going wide with fear. “K-Kordolian! What are you-”

“Quiet.” Zyara cut away the lower part of her blouse and folded it up into a thick wad. She pressed it against the Human’s wound. The girl winced, clenching her teeth.

Her face was pale and slick with sweat. She was breathing rapidly. Zyara dropped her weapon and felt the pulse at her neck with her other hand. It was thin and thready. She cursed and wished she had access to a trauma kit. Some basic fibrogel would come in really handy right about now.

But all she could do was apply pressure to the wound while the Humans around them fought their crazy, incomprehensible battle.

The girl whimpered in pain. She began to struggle, but Zyara held her down with a firm hand. “Be still, Human,” she said, her tone stern but gentle. “You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

“Ungh.” A whimpering cry escaped the girl. Zyara kept her hand on the girl’s shoulder as she looked around, trying to catch the attention of one of the dark-suited Humans.

She still had no idea what was going on, and she hoped there were at least a few friendlies amongst the fighters.

A tall, lean man managed to break away from the battle, locking gazes with Zyara. “She needs urgent medical attention,” she shouted in Universal. He responded with a sharp nod before turning to intercept a vicious stab, getting inside his attacker’s reach and twisting the man’s arm. His attacker gasped in pain, doubling over as the man picked up the knife and hurled it at another attacker, who was about to shoot him.

BOOK: Darkside Blues: SciFi Alien Romance (Dark Planet Warriors Book 4.5)
5.21Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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