“We should have never left her in the hand of others. We are the only ones who can protect her properly. If anything happens to her, I swear I will tear your whole family apart.”
“Calm, brother, it will do no good in finding our Kat.” Gol let go of his arm, stood in front of him gripping his neck and pressed his head to his brother's.
“Do you not think I feel the anger, too? Right now, we need to stay calm. We’ll head back to our dwelling and activate the bio tracker. Ric did not leave us without a means of finding her, if this ever happened.”
Hul lifted his head, glaring into his brother’s eyes. “You knew this would happen, didn’t you.”
“No, I prayed it would not, but she is an exotic and not like our females. Once the word got out such a female had come to Galafrax, I feared others would try to steal her.”
“Then why are we waiting here? Let’s go get her.” Hul, followed by his brothers, stormed out. No mercy would be shown if anyone had harmed their treasure.
****
Kat blinked against the bright lights when the sack was pulled from her head. She sucked in a lungful of stale, musty air, stained with the foul stench of sweat and unwashed bodies.
Wherever they had brought her, it was hotter than anywhere else she’d been, since her arrival on Galafrax. Her perspiration trickled down the back of her neck and also from her forehead.
Her throat was dry from trying to breathe through the rotten cloth of the sack, now thankfully removed.
“My, what delectable prize have you brought, this time? What flavor of skin do I see, creamy white as lily’s milk.”
Kat squinted to get a better look at the fat, red, Demos man who lounged on a large, red cushioned chair. Behind him, in the shadows, were two more men, she could only guess to be his brothers.
“I heard from one of the returned, quad soldiers a new pale-skinned beauty had come to Galafrax. I happened by the markets today and there she be, guarded but by two. It was an easy capture.”
She snapped her head around to glare at her kidnappers. Strange there only seemed to three of them, not four.
“Pity to those who cannot properly guard their females. They don't deserve them.” The red boss man grinned.
Kat licked her lips. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but if you don’t take me back right now, my men are going to tear you limb from limb.”
“She has the same fire as one of ours. What is your name, pale one? I am the Great Fir, or otherwise known as the Dark Tear of Galafrax. I deal with the darker side of life, meeting certain needs of the Demos males.”
“I personally don’t care who you are. You obviously have no idea who you stole me from.”
“You were guarded only by lower class servants of the Galafrax High Lords.” Her abductors snorted.
Anger boiled in her veins. Swiftly, she got to her feet and everyone took a step back, when she jabbed her index finger at one of her abductors.
“Who do you think they were guarding me for? Ever stop to think about that, you brainless twit! I am promised to the High Lords X’Hani, and I know they’ll stop at nothing to get me back.”
“Silence, female! It does not matter who you were promised to. What matters now is how wealthy I will be. No doubt, you will fetch the highest price in the history of our smallish operation. By then, you’ll be far gone from here, kept, and never to be found again.” Fir grinned malevolently.
The men laughed around her. “Until then, I’ve never had a female who was not a Demos female. What do you say, my brothers, shall we sample this one’s delights before sale?”
From the back of the room, two men slunk forward, tall, lanky and not as pudgy as their brother. Their deep, almost sunken eyes made her shiver in fear.
“Yes, brother, I would like to test the heat of her fires.”
“Good, take her to our chambers. Do not worry yourself too much, little pale one. Once our business is concluded, we shall be along to keep you company, very soon.”
More laughter echoed, as her arms were seized and she was dragged from the room. She fought the men, but they were too strong. They carried her through dim, dingy halls. Crudely cut steam vents lay along the side of the dirty floors.
She didn’t doubt her men were already out looking for her. She only prayed they could find her before it was too late.
****
“What is taking so long?” Ric grumbled, his eyes scanning their surroundings, while they moved deeper into dark territory, home to the criminal element of Galafrax city.
“There is much interference in the signal; my guess is she has been taken somewhere underground.” Gol tapped at the scanner.
“Are you getting a signal or not?” Hul demanded.