“And let his blasted Kindred DNA get mixed with mine?” Le’rank demanded. “Why, the resulting child would look nothing like me! No, it cannot be done! You must change me back, at once!” he demanded, turning to Feed’lix.
“You wish to be turned back into a common One-Tail?” The Fenushian leader seemed to have a hard time understanding this concept. “But why? You have been blessed by the great God, PASS’lix!”
“Stop talking nonsense about your blasted god and change me back!” Le’rank roared in the other male’s face. “Do it now, I say—right now!”
“But…I cannot.” Feed’lix raised his hands in a placatory gesture and took a step away from the raving Lord. “Once PASS’lix has laid his hand of blessing on a One-Tail’s shaft and turned him into a Two-Tail, he cannot then revert to his previous, lowly state.”
“I don’t give a damn about any of that—do it!” Le’rank lunged forward. Gripping the handle of the long knife the Fenushian priest wore on his belt, he pulled it free and brandished it in the other male’s face.
“CHANGE ME BACK!” he bawled. “Do it now—NOW I say!”
“It…it cannot be done!” Feed’lix protested, taking another step away. Clearly he feared for his life, as well he should, Sark thought. Le’rank’s narrow, ratty face was nearly puce with fury and he was brandishing the long, sharp knife with abandon.
“Are you saying that I’ll never be able to breed my wife and claim my throne?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing and his voice dropping suddenly to a soft, dangerous tone.
“You…you can still breed your wife,” Feed’lix protested. “Only you will need a One-Tail to help you impregnate her. If you do not like the one you brought with you, why not ask one of my people—”
“So the child can come out striped or spotted? No!” Le’rank snarled. “No!”
He turned and went around to face Isla, who was still frozen in position on her hands and knees on the narrow metal table.
“I suppose you think this is it for us, my dear,” he said, giving her a crazy grin Sark didn’t like one fucking bit. “I suppose you think that since I am now unable to breed you, I’ll let you go. Speak! Answer me!” he roared in her face, causing Isla to flinch, though she was frozen in place and couldn’t jump away as she clearly wanted to.
“I…I don’t know.” Her voice was thick with tears. “But if you have no more use for me, Baslik, then yes—please let me go. If you cannot…cannot breed me as you wished to…” Her eyes flicked downward to the double-sided tentacle still waving in the air. “Then perhaps it is best we part ways. Do you not think so?”
“Actually, my dear, I do think it’s best that we part ways,” Le’rank purred, but Sark didn’t trust his words. The bastard was up to something, he was fucking sure of it!
“You d-do?” Isla choked on a sob. “Then, please, Baslik—let me go,” she pleaded softly. “I promise never to bother you again if you’ll only let me go!”
“Oh, I’ll let you go, all right, my dear. And you’re right—you shall never bother me again—or anyone else for that matter.”
Suddenly, Le’rank raised the long knife he’d grabbed from Feed’lix. He shoved it in Isla’s face, letting her see how the silver moonlight glittered on its razor-sharp blade.
Fuck! Sark’s whole body was trembling with the need to move—to get to Isla before Le’rank could hurt or kill her. Fuck! Have to get to her—have to break the nerve-immobilizer’s hold on me, now! But how?
To his surprise, he heard an answer to his desperate question—an answer that came from inside his own head.
I will help.
It wasn’t the Goddess speaking this time—it was a new voice, a deep male voice like the tolling of a great bell.
Who…what are you? Sark thought at it.
Part of you, I think, the voice answered. How can I help?
Le’rank’s about to kill her! Look through my eyes—see what I mean!
Sark was still staring at the stage where that asshole, Le’rank, was flourishing the long knife. He was poking it in Isla’s face and then yanking it back again, acting like he was going to stab her in the eye or cut off her nose and laughing maniacally the whole time.
Tears were running down Isla’s cheeks but she was frozen in place as surely as Sark was.
You may be frozen, but I am not, the voice of the new entity inside him informed Sark. This female is ours—we must protect her.
Then protect her! Sark shouted mentally. Go on—do whatever you have to do but save her and kill that bastard who’s trying to hurt her!
There was a rush of invisible wings spreading and invisible scales rustling.
It shall be done! the voice told Sark.
And then he felt his body begin to change…