Page 15 of Vindicated

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Zarn One? You named an evasive pattern after yourself?”

He slid me a wink. “Easier to remember.”

I bit back a groan. Zarn had always been the charming one, the one who used his smiles and wit to get out of sticky situations, the one who did not seem bothered by destiny. Before I could remind him that his job was serious, the doors glided open behind us.

Mymajaktook his place at my other side without looking at Zarn. “All our new guests are in their quarters, Raas. Food has been sent to your quarters for the female, but I told her I was unsure if you would be joining her.”

My brother’s head swung to me, his eyes wide. “Which female?”

“Not the one with blue hair,” I said quickly.

“No, she seemed to prefer our battle chief,” Dawz added, as he kept his gaze forward.

Zarn wasn’t so easily distracted. “The dark-haired beauty then.” Irritation spasmed his features before they smoothed again. “Why is a female from the planet in your quarters, brother?”

Once again, I was reminded why I should have chosen another raider as my battle chief. Despite my brother’s talent for battle and strategy, he was still my younger brother.

“Because I am Raas,” I said through gritted teeth. “I may bring aboard any female I wish.”

Zarn eyed me. Another problem with having my brother on the bridge was that he also knew how often I’d railed against taking a mate. I had been outspoken about not taking a Raisa when other warlords did, and I’d been especially dismissive ofother warlords who’s taken human mates. But my brother also knew why better than most.

“The Raas has chosen to take a war bride,” Dawz added.

“Like Raas Wrexxon?”

Mymajakfinally turned to my battle chief. “Exactly. It is an excellent negotiating tactic.”

Zarn’s tail slashed the air behind him. “And what were you negotiating for, brother? I thought you, of all people, knew the danger in forcing matches.”

I didn’t bother to answer him. I couldn’t. Every word he spoke was justified and true. Like him, I had witnessed firsthand the misery of mates forced together.

Instead, I turned to Dawz. “I will join the female in my quarters.” I flicked a gaze at Zarn. “We have more terms to discuss.”

As I left the command deck, I heard Zarn volley orders for the attack on the Zagrath fleet. I didn’t need to stay to know it would be successful. My brother might be cocky—even for a Vandar—but he backed it up with impressive strategic prowess. There was no doubt that we would strike our targets and escape unharmed.

“Which is why he’s your battle chief,” I said under my breath, as I left the command deck and began to wind my way through the warbird again.

Despite all the reasons why it would be wiser not to have my younger brother serving under me, the fact remained that he was the best at what he did. And what he did was come up with bold and sometimes reckless plans like descending through the clouds to rescue our away team.

I shook my head, trying to think less about my brother and the battle with the Zagrath and more about what I was going to say to Athena.

Chapter 10

Athena

“Vaes,” Lorken’s second-in-command said as he waved for us to follow him, although the word wasn’t barked with as much intensity as it had been in Kashara.

“I think that’s Vandar for ‘move it,’” Lettie said in a stage whisper, as she sashayed beside me and behind the warrior leading us from the hangar bay.

I thought she was probably right, although I doubted the translation was entirely accurate. As our group followed themajakup a spiraling staircase, Vallia joined us. She darted her gaze up and back as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

Lettie patted her arm as the metal stairs shook beneath their feet. “You’re okay, chickadee. Be grateful we’re up here and not back on the planet.”

Vallia nodded but didn’t seem convinced. I didn’t blame her. The Vandar warlord might be safer than battle-ravaged Kashara, but it was far from my ideal destination. Aside from the chill in the air, the place was loud and dark. Booming voices bounced off the steel that surrounded us and rattled as bulky Vandarthundered from one place to another. The aliens might have saved us, but this was no sanctuary.

“Do you think we’ll ever see Kashara again?” Vallia asked, her high voice swallowed almost instantly by the clangs and thumps of the ship.

“Course we will, hon.” Lettie paused at the top of the stairs to catch her breath, resting a hand on her waist. “Once the Zagrath are gone, it’ll be back to its old self again. Remember what it was like before the Empire crashed the party?”