Destin's Hold (The Alliance #5)(15)

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.

Destin scooted back across the floor under the long table, trying not to disturb the chairs. He could tell that one of the RWDs was the one that had been damaged. It was having trouble staying airborne. A grim smile curved his lips when an idea came to him. He waited while the undamaged RWD hovered over the counter, scanning the area where he had been.

Sliding out from under the table, he carefully crouched and watched the damaged remote wobble in the air. Gripping the lid, he reached for a piece of fruit in the bowl on the table. He wrapped his fingers around one of the pear-shaped pieces and slid back down. Almost immediately, the damaged remote turned back toward his end of the table. Destin waited until it was almost to the end before he rolled the fruit across the floor. Both RWD units turned toward his bait.

Destin rose up when the damaged RWD turned its weapon on the fruit. He grabbed the edge of the RWD with his left hand and swung it around just as the other unit refocused on him. Both RWDs fired. With his right hand, Destin lifted the lid, deflecting the burst of fire aimed at him, just as the damaged RWD’s fire struck the other unit. The unit exploded in midair over the counter. Pieces of flaming unit rained down into the sink. Destin swung the lid up and used the edge of it to slam into the bottom blade of the RWD in his hand, then lifted the sputtering, dying machine and smashed it against the thick stone pillar separating the kitchen from the dining room.

Destin dropped the unit when it started to glow a brilliant red. He ran the few steps back to the table and rolled over it. The RWD exploded, creating small, but deadly projectiles. The pieces cut through the air, impaling shards of hot metal into the cabinets and the wall behind the table.

Lying flat on the floor, Destin peered through the legs of the chairs at the molten remains of the RWD unit. He cautiously pushed up off the floor and stood up, making sure he kept his body hidden behind the wall. His gaze swept over the counter, pausing on a knife next to the sink that Kali had used earlier to cut up some fruit for Ami. His fingers closed around the handle and he turned back to the area where he had last seen Razor.





5





Sula veered her transport out to sea for most of her journey to the cove where she was to meet Destin. The twin moons lit the water below her, the light from them reflecting off the gentle swell of the waves. She enjoyed following the trails of bioluminescence that curved through the water behind several of the larger sea mammals that swam along the coast.

One of the females from the pod rolled onto her back and lifted her long, slender head out of the water. Sula could see the white underbelly before the female twisted back around. The vivid greens and yellows shimmered under the water, outlined by the tiny light-emitting organisms. Her large fins created a wake and the calves immediately swam forward to cavort in the small waves.

Turning back toward shore, Sula realized she had gone further south than she had intended. She retraced her path along the shoreline, approaching from the opposite direction than she had this morning. She wasn’t worried; she would still be earlier than she had anticipated. Within minutes, she was circling around the cliff and into the cove.

The beach at the cove was fairly large and she had plenty of room to land the small transport. As she slid out, the cool wind coming off the ocean welcomed her, brushing against her face and tugging at her hair. The sound of the waves lapping at the shore drew her, just as they had this morning. This time, a peaceful feeling washed over her as soon as she stepped on the beach. She bent down and removed her shoes, tossing them into the transport before she closed the door.

Her toes sank into the sand. It was still warm from the heat of the sun. One day she would have a home of her own on the water where she could spend her mornings and evenings swimming.

Sula wrapped her right arm around her waist while her left hand rose to touch the medallion she was wearing. She had changed out of her formal clothing into something more casual. The black leggings and body suit hugged her figure. She wore the traditional silk covering over it. This one was a dark red with black onyx beading. The red, slip-on shoes were comfortable, but she had always loved to go barefoot when she could. The feel of the sand against the bottom of her feet and between her toes had always been a joy to her. Her mother still despaired about her habit of abandoning her footwear when she was home.

“I wonder what Destin would think of such a thing? A female from the royal house of Usoleum who hates to wear foot coverings,” she murmured to herself with a smile as she curled her toes into the sand.

Sula turned toward the sound of a transport. It was hovering over the forest that lined the rocky landscape above.

She walked back along the beach to the narrow passage between the rocks to see if she could get a better view of it. Her fingers skimmed the rock on the inside as she walked through the narrow tunnel. She paused near the opening, peering down the beach before stepping out. She faced the narrow stone staircase leading up to the top, and her eyes widened when she heard a faint echo of an explosion and what sounded like laser fire.

“Something is wrong,” she whispered urgently, stumbling a few steps back into the shadows. “That is where Chancellor Razor’s dwelling is.”

Sula glanced back up to the top, unsure of what to do. Her eyes widened when she saw another transport sitting further down on the beach. This one was much larger.

She turned and flew back through the cut in the rocks to her transport. Her hands trembled when she pulled the door open and reached under the seat for the weapon she had stored there. Pulling it free, she reached for the communication switch.