“Brodin.”
His brother was big and strong, and had a wild edge. All Damari did, but as the planet’s emperor, Brodin exuded it from his pores. He was powerfully built, unstoppable in battle, and ruled his wild and dangerous people with a fair but iron fist.
He could also shift into a giant damar-wolf.
“My scouts sent word,” Rhain said. “It is the warlord Krastin leading the raids here on Zhalto.”
Brodin cursed. “That ass is a boil that needs lancing, Rhain.”
“You’ve dealt with him before?”
“Once. He attacked some of our exploration ships on the edge of the system.” Brodin’s scowl said it all.
“You know he killed my mother.”
Brodin bowed his head. “I know. He needs to die, and this is your chance for retribution. Krastin isn’t subtle in his attacks and there is no line he won’t cross.”
There was disdain in Brodin’s voice, and that was saying something. Brodin could shapeshift into a giant wolf, and wielded a deadly axe on the battlefield.
“He has little skill or strategy. He’s like a wrecking machine, crashing through, throwing his fighters and beasts everywhere. He treats them as expendable.”
The screen blinked and their other brother appeared.
Lean, intense, with gold eyes in a sharp, intense face; his dark hair was clipped short.
“Hello, Graylan,” Rhain said.
“Rhain. How are you holding up?”
His other brother had a low voice that held a hint of menace. The kind of voice that made the hairs on the back of one’s neck rise.
“Zavir is nipping at my people, outposts, convoys. Taking their lives and leaving no bodies. We have hexids everywhere.”
And Zavir would never stop. All three of them knew it.
“I’ve heard the reports,” his brother replied.
“I was telling Brodin that we’ve identified Krastin as the warlord our father sent here. He’s holed up somewhere in the Barrens.”
“I’ve heard of him,” Graylan said darkly. “And I know it must be difficult for you.”
“My mother died a long time ago, but I want justice for her.” When she’d been murdered, he’d been a young, hot-tempered man just out of his teenage years. He’d wanted to hunt Krastin down then.
But the nobles had demanded he stay. He’d been the new overlord, his duty to the planet, and calming the people after the death of the queen. The dukes and counts had harassed him until he’d agreed not to leave.
“Do you need assistance?” Brodin asked. “I can send some of my cleavers.”
“Not yet.” It was a generous offer. Brodin’s cleavers were his elite shapeshifters—deadly with both weapons and claws. “I will hunt Krastin down. No matter what.” And send a blunt message to their father. “I wanted to warn you both. He sent Krastin here, and he may send warlords to your planet as well.”
Graylan scowled and nodded.
Brodin pulled in a breath. “I’ve had reports. Sightings of foreigners on Damar. We’ve had people who’ve gone missing while out hunting.”
“Track them down, Brodin. If the Zhylaw are involved, they’ll flood you with their rotten creatures.”
Face grim, Rhain’s brother nodded.
“Now, I have to go,” Rhain said. “We have a suspected agent of Zavir’s in custody. I need to question her.”
“Good luck, brother,” Brodin said.
Graylan nodded.
The projection winked out.
Rhain released a breath. “My father won’t stop, Thadd. He’s ruthless, power-hungry. He wants me and my brothers, not for us, not for any love for his sons, but for our power.”
“Yes. The Sarkans have always been bloodthirsty, and Zavir is the pinnacle of that. Anything to advance the wealth and might of Sarkan.”
“Let’s see what our unexpected guest has to say.”
Rhain strode up the stairs to the medica ward, Thadd a menacing shadow at his side. He lifted a hand and, with a pulse of energy, the medica ward doors flew open.
Tavith spun from the bench where he stood. “Why don’t you just tear them off the hinges?”
Rhain ignored the sarcasm. There were very few people he let speak to him like this, but Tavith had known him since he was a child. “Where is she?”
“In the main examination room.” Tavith nodded to a doorway. “As requested.”
Rhain felt the medica’s disapproval. “She might be a spy, a weapon sent from Sarkan.”
“You don’t know that. I feel like you’ve already made up your mind.”
“I’m not going to hurt her.”
Yet. The darkness twisted inside him. If she proved a danger to his people…
Tavith waved a hand, annoyance stamped on his dark features. “She’s not fully healed. I’m running scans because she’s still showing some symptoms, which I suspect is her body reacting to our environment.”
Rhain turned and held a hand up to the examination room door. It shimmered open.
The woman sat on a chair, one wrist tied to the side of it with an energy band.
Her head lifted.
“Ah, the boss man has arrived.”
Thadd stayed outside and out of sight, but Rhain knew his captain was ready to intervene at any second.
She jerked her bound wrist. “Your hospitality is a little lacking.” Her strange green-gold eyes sparked. “What gives you the right to take an injured woman and tie her up?”
“I am the overlord.”
“Oh, so what you say goes? You can do whatever you want? Sounds like a dictator to me.”
Rhain scowled at her. His father was a dictator, not him. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Then let me go.” She shot a pointed look at her wrist.
“I can’t do that.”
“I need to get out of here and search for my friend.”
Rhain narrowed his gaze. Friend? There’d been no one else in the wreckage. Just a lie to get herself free.
“I have questions and I expect you to answer them.”
The woman’s chin lifted. “Not going to happen. Do your worst, but remember, you aren’t my damn overlord.”
The itchiness and dizziness were back with a vengeance.
Mal shifted on the chair, and felt a trickle of perspiration. She refused to show her discomfort.
They’d been at it for a while now.
The silver-eyed king growled questions at her and she told him to shove it.
“Tell me what your mission is.” The overlord seemed a little ticked. He was losing his patience.
Good. “My mission was to test my new ship. Something went wrong and we crashed. I need to get out of here and find the woman who was with me.”
“No one was with you.”
“Her part of the ship must’ve crashed somewhere else. I need to find her.”
Something moved in his silver eyes.
“You know something.” Mal’s pulse skittered.
The overlord shook his head. “If she crashed, she’s likely dead.”
Mal jerked. “I survived, so she could have as well.”
“Even if she survived the crash, she’d be in the Barrens. It’s wild and dangerous there.”
Mal’s stomach turned. “I won’t give up on her.”
“Gorr, you’re stubborn.”
“I don’t know what gorr means, but right back at you,” she spat.
“It’s just a curse word. No one remembers where it came from.” He sucked in a breath. “Tell me your name, where you’re from, and your mission.”