But he couldn’t let anger overtake him now, even though the Rage that all Kindred warriors feel when a female they love is in danger, threatened to overtake him. Brav knew he needed a clear head to go in and get Danielle out alive—which was what he intended to do.
That or die trying.
He studied the situation. He had a blaster and the Riivers didn’t appear to have any kind of advanced technology but there were a fucking lot of them. It was going to be one against the whole cave.
Luckily, he was a crack shot—or he had been, in his past life, before Soluu Four. That seemed like a long, long time ago now but Brav dredged up the memories of past missions when he’d been stuck in a tight spot. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to shoot his way in and out of someplace—he could do it as long as he kept his wits about him.
“I’m coming, little girl,” he growled softly. “Just hold on—I’m coming for you.”
Then, taking a deep breath and saying a quick prayer to the Goddess, he left the cover of the trees and started for the mouth of the cave, shooting as he went.
Thirty-Nine
Danni was dragged into the mouth of a dank and smelly cave. Had she thought the Riivers smelled bad when there was only one or two of them? Here in the dirty darkness, there were dozens and their stench was almost enough to make her pass out or vomit.
She gritted her teeth and held onto her gorge—barely. Luckily she’d only had a single piece of fruit for breakfast and that had been hours ago.
A lifetime ago, whispered a little voice in her head. Back in the sunlight—the light you’ll never see again.
Danni pushed the pessimistic thoughts away. Bravik would come for her—she was certain of that. She just had to stay alive until the big Kindred found her.
The two that had kidnapped her dragged her to the back of the cave where another Riiver—a huge one—sat upon a roughly carved stone throne. He was both more muscular and more corpulent than the skinny, shambling beings that populated the rest of the cave—he looked like he would stand a whole head taller than them if he rose to his full height.
Soon, Danni saw the reason why his large frame was well-padded in comparison with the others of his kind.
To one side of the stone throne was a pile of white things that stunk like carrion. After a moment, her eyes got used to the darkness and she realized what she was seeing were bones—bones that still had ragged scraps of flesh clinging to them. Her stomach turned when she saw several oversized skulls in the jumbled pile that must have belonged to H’rakens. Two of the smaller Riivers were gnawing at the disgusting things—they looked up when Danni was dragged forward.
“So—the H’rakens have had their harvest and we have had ours,” the huge Riiver hissed. “But what is this creature? She is not as they are. Her skin is the wrong color and her head is tiny.”
“She has more meat on her bones, oh Leader!” one of Danni’s captors said appealingly.
“And her flesh smells sweet!” the other added. “But we have not tasted her, oh Leader—we have saved her entirely for you!”
“As well you should,” the leader hissed, glaring at them from his bulging red eyes. “She looks like the tall one, who kept me from my prey some days past. I swore then that I would remember him and make him pay—now it is time for justice!”
Danni felt sick—they must be talking about Brav—about the way he had fought off the Riivers to save Jerber from falling into their clutches. And now they wanted to make him pay by hurting her—or eating her—she had no idea which it was going to be and she was afraid to find out.
But it seemed one of her captors had the same question.
“Oh, Leader,” he began, looking up at the huge Riiver on the throne. “We are so happy that you are pleased with our tribute. But tells us, please, will you eat the female and give us her bones to gnaw when you tire of them? Or will you make her your bride?”
“Truly, our numbers grow thin,” the other Riiver hissed. “We have not had fresh blood in the cave for many suns and moons!”
“What you say is true.” The Leader looked at Danni appraisingly. “We need a breeding female to produce more striplings and she appears to be young enough to bear many of our spawn.”
“What? No!” Danni gasped, finding her voice at last. “No, you can’t…can’t do that to me! I’d rather be killed and eaten!”
“Hmmm, a feisty one, she is.” The Leader rose and stepped forward to push his melted face into Danni’s. He sniffed deeply, as though enjoying her scent.