Starwalker (Starborn 1) (Sci-Fi Fantasy Romance) (6 page)

He wanted nothing fucking more.

***

The target was in sight. Conditions were ideal to complete the mission. The streets were nearly empty—almost mysteriously so. They would have to be careful. Very careful. There was only one shot at this. And if they failed… well, death would be their reward.

The four men and two women melted into the shadows as easily as if they were made of smoke, moving as silent as a still wind. They quickly found a place where the two paths intersected. And it was quiet. Not a soul around. Each of them took their places, strategically separated by approximately twenty feet or so.

Circular pattern. Easy.

ETA for the target was three minutes.

Yes, she would walk right into their midst. And if they were very efficient, they could be out of the city within the hour.

Scanning the surrounding area: nobody within viewing range. The mission was a go.

ETA: minute and a half.

***

Through the lonely streets, Canna trailed Emmalyn. The maiden had chosen a funny route to get to Ula’s but she probably just needed to clear her head before she went back to work.

Staying back as far as she could, Canna wished she had her bow to go with the arrow stuffed in her pocket. Something felt off. The city didn’t look any different, but still. A feeling of trepidation washed over her. At least she still had her file and the small blade she always kept tucked in her boot.

She passed a childwren and his mother. They were seemingly the only ones venturing out this night. On and on Emma walked, and finally, when they were only two blocks from Ula’s, she stopped dead in the middle of the path. Emma turned to her left and Canna could see the tall body of a wren who approached her. It must be the wren Gilleth since Emma leaned forward with interest.

Canna was about to turn and head back home when Emma suddenly jerked back with a yelp.

Canna ran. As if it were her own life on the line instead of her… friend’s? Oh, she might as well just admit it. Emma was the closest thing she had to a friend.

As she ran, righteous anger replaced the blood in her veins. It didn’t matter that Emma had a soft spot for Gilleth. If he was hurting her, he was going to lose a limb… or an eyeball… or whatever body part Canna could get to first.

She paused for only a second to retrieve the knife from her boot and then ran harder. She was almost there when three other people jumped from the shadows. Emma struggled harder and managed a pealing scream that cracked the night.

Canna had the sneaking feeling that whoever was attacking Emma was not Gilleth.

Her suspicions were confirmed when from out of nowhere he appeared, a dagger in each hand. She barely recognized him for the look on his face: he was fierce, his blue eyes blazing, black eyebrows drawn sharply over his nose, mouth set in a grim line.

Canna never missed a step as she watched Gilleth slit first, the throat of the wren closest to him and then the one who had his hands on Emma. When she was free, he pulled her behind him and crouched to a fighting position. Two women joined the fray, knives drawn. They were so focused on Emma and Gilleth that they didn’t even see Canna as she crept up behind them—

Just as she was about to make her move, the remaining wren sensed her approach and spun around. His eyes widened, flaring with anger before he lunged for her.

“Canna!” Emma screamed. But it didn’t matter.

The stranger tackled her to the pavement. Her head bounced once before his heavy body landed atop her, squashing the air from her lungs. She was momentarily stunned. Her vision flickered to blackness as she struggled to take in air.

Then from out of nowhere, she heard an angry roar and the heavy weight was lifted from her chest. She was able to suck in a breath, though short and not nearly enough. Blinking fiercely, she pulled herself up just in time to avoid the steel-toed boot of a muscled maiden aimed directly at her head. She ducked, rolled away, and came up with her knife luckily still in hand. She had a moment to look around, seeing another wren had joined the fighting. It was Breckken. Both he and Gilleth fought the others.

Wasting no more time, she expertly swept her foot out, tripping the maiden. The female, who was dressed like a soldier—all black clothing, including a mask that covered her face—was quick to get back up.

But not quick enough.

Canna hiked her robe and planted a boot in her face hard enough to do damage. Blood sprayed from her nose and she collapsed back onto the ground, out cold.

Canna turned to find another attacker…

But there was none.

There was only Gilleth, huddled over Emma, shielding her from the carnage. His arms wrapped around her, her head tucked into his chest, his eyes scanning their surroundings. He was… so very protective of her.

And then there was Breckken.

Canna tilted her head. Watching him, as he expertly disabled the remaining two attackers. He was almost… graceful, the way he effortlessly overpowered his opponents. When both were on the ground, unconscious because he’d pinched that certain nerve in their neck, he glanced up at her.

Breathing hard, his eyes beat into her, telling her something she wasn’t ready to admit. Because how could it be true? How could he care for her if he’d abandoned her all these years?

No. She refused it.

“Breck, you done?” Gilleth called out.

“Yes.” He didn’t take his eyes off Canna. “They’re all disabled.”

Gill said something under his breath to Emma and she nodded. That was when Canna noticed the tears streaking the maiden’s face. The way she shook like she might break apart. Emmalyn was terrified.

Canna, still gripping her knife, stalked over to the nearest attacker. Yanking his head up by the hair she went to slit his throat—

But a steady hand stopped her.

“Not yet,” Breckken warned. She froze in his warm grasp.

“They have frightened Emmalyn.” Her tone was steely, determined. “They deserve no less than death.”

Breckken glanced away to Gilleth.

“I’m with her.” Gill nodded at Canna. “They tried to take Emma. They must die.”

Breckken shook his head. “I will take them to the outpost.”

Gilleth glared at Breckken but turned back to comfort Emmalyn.

“Are you okay?” Breckken asked quietly.

Canna’s eyes snapped away from the couple, and she noticed Breckken still had a hold of her wrist. She pulled away.

“I am fine. I want to kill these wrens… and the maidens.”

“You can’t. We need them alive so we can find out why they tried to take Emma.”

She looked around at the fallen attackers. He was right. They needed to be questioned. But she was outraged that they’d gone after her friend.

She looked into Breckken’s eyes. Swallowed hard. And said words that she’d never before given air.

“She is the closest thing I have to a friend. I will not stand for her to be… afraid. She is far too good for that.”

***

Breckken’s heart stuck in his throat as Cannalise spoke. The words were low and quiet—so close to a whisper—but spoken with such ferocity that they were downright deadly.

“I understand. You see Gilleth over there? He is my best friend. Since we were childwren. He cares greatly for Emma. As you do. He won’t rest, and therefore I won’t rest, until she is safe and no longer afraid.”

She glanced at Gill, who ran a soothing hand down Emma’s hair and murmured words that couldn’t be deciphered. Canna narrowed her eyes at Breckken before holstering her knife.

When she stepped back, he bent down to examine one of the two dead bodies. Throat was slit cleanly, no defensive marks.

“You do this?” he asked her.

“I only wish.”

“I did it,” Gill spoke up without even looking at the body. “Both of them.”

Breck glanced at his friend.

“They laid hands upon Emma.” Gill’s voice was hoarse and rigid.

Breckken could only nod. He would’ve done the same thing if they’d attacked Canna. In fact, he’d come close to killing the wren he found atop her. He’d rounded the corner just in time to see the massive male slam his Canna to the ground. He’d wanted to exact revenge. Murder. Only his Guard training had stopped him, brought him back to the realm of logic.

He locked his jaw to keep from growling in frustration, and continued examining the bodies. He flipped the dead wren onto his stomach and lifted his shirt to see his back.

There it was. Just above his hips, the navy blue outline of a helix.

Breckken quickly checked the others. Each of them had the Helix symbol on their bodies.

“What is it?” Gill asked, still sheltering Emma as if he was expecting a second wave of attackers.

Breckken glanced at Canna. Her posture was stiff, her face blank. He wished he could see underneath that mask.

“I have to call in the Guard,” he told Gill as he pulled his medallion from out of his tunic. “They are Helix.”

Emma gasped. Gill’s jaw tightened to the extreme. Canna had no reaction.

Breckken pressed his thumb into the indention on the back of his medallion and it glowed purple.

“I need to take Emma home,” Gill ground out.

“The Nova will wish to question her.”

“They can do it later,” his friend snapped.

“Very well.”

“U-Ula will worry if I don’t show at the kafé,” Emmalyn rasped.

Canna stiffened. “I shall go tell her what has happened.”

Emma stared with watery eyes but Canna just nodded once, urging her to leave with Gill. He ushered her away, one hand gripping a dagger, the other arm wrapped soundly around the maiden.

Canna turned to leave, and watching her go left Breckken feeling uneasy.

“Wait. Please.” She ignored him, and he jogged to catch her by the arm. “Please, wait. There could be others.”

Canna jerked back as if his hand carried a bolt of electricity. “I can take care of myself, wren.” Her eyes burned with emotion and it was the only clue to what she was feeling.

“Yes, I know.” He couldn’t help the slight tweak of his lips. “But I want to go with you.”

Her eyes flared slightly. Otherwise her face remained stone.

He let his hand creep toward her cheek. “I’ve wanted to be with you all this time,” he whispered.

She cocked her head, narrowing her eyes as if trying to measure the truth of his words. But before she could say anything, the sound of boots pounding down the stone pavement brought both of their heads around. Just as Breckken drew his daggers to fight, two Nova guards rounded the corner.

Trellan stopped cold when he saw the bodies on the ground. “You signaled?”

Breckken nodded. “They are Helix. They tried to abduct the maiden, Emmalyn.”

“The Land Dweller? Why her?” the other soldier, Kelston, asked.

“We do not know. Two are dead, the rest are hexed. They’re ready for transport.”

Kellen flicked his boot against one of the limp bodies.

“Why were there no patrols in this part of town?” Breckken asked.

Trellen adjusted his weapons before answering. “There was an incident a couple miles over. We were there. An orchestrated distraction maybe?”

“Is the maiden, Emmalyn, well?” Kelston asked as his eyes landed on Canna.

“Yes. She is shaken, but safe. She is with Gilleth. She can be questioned later,” Breckken told the officer, but Kelston’s gaze remained on Canna.

“Were you present when they tried to take her?”

“Yes,” she answered.

His face turned hard. “And did you even try to help? Or did you sit back and take in the show?”

She said nothing. Didn’t even flinch at his accusation… the accusation that blew Breckken away. Why would Kelston act in such a way toward her? He was an Ice Dweller. Perhaps he’d known her as a child, thought badly of her.

When she said nothing, he kept going. “Did you think it funny? Watching an innocent being attacked? How can you be so heartless? Colder than the ice that coats this cit—”

“Enough!” Breckken fumed like a rabid beast. He wouldn’t let any wren stand there and insult his maiden. Not when she cared so much for the one he was accusing her of betraying. “She very nearly got herself killed trying to defend Emmalyn. She was on her back when I came around the corner. See that helix over there?” He pointed to the one with the cracked face. “Canna did that.”

Breckken turned to her, but she glared at him.

What now? Didn’t she want him to defend her?

Kelston scowled at Canna but spoke nothing more against her.

Trellan took in the scene, not oblivious to the way Breckken bristled. “Are you hurt, maiden? Do you need tended to?”

It was an innocent enough question, but Breckken couldn’t help the territorial sensation that came over him. He stepped closer to Canna throwing a warning over his shoulder. “She is not hurt. And
I
will tend to her. Only me. Understand?” His tone was sharp but he couldn’t care.