“Get back.” Deep pushed her behind him and then he and Lock joined ranks, standing shoulder to shoulder to create an impenetrable wall between her and the threat. “What do you want?” Deep said, his voice a low, threatening growl.
“I could ask the same thing of you,” the Scourge returned. “What are you doing here on my home planet without invitation?”
“We didn’t realize we had to wait to be invited,” Deep said sarcastically.
“That’s no answer.” The Scourge sounded agitated now.
“And you’re not going to get one,” Deep snapped back.
“We’re not here to harm anyone,” Lock said, obviously trying to smooth the situation over. “Just let us leave and we won’t bother you again, I swear.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Peeking around Lock’s elbow, Kat saw the Scourge warrior wave his weapon menacingly. “Drop your weapons on the floor and march single file into the medical wing. Now.”
“What makes you think we’ll comply?” Deep demanded. “There are two of us and only one of you. Even if you shoot one, the other will still kill you.”
“You will comply because I won’t be aiming for you,” the Scourge said quietly. “I will set my sights on your female and I promise I will wound or kill her before either of you can kill me.”
“You son-of-a-bitch!” Deep snarled, taking a step forward. Lock put a hand on his arm.
“Deep, I don’t think we have any choice.”
“Listen to your friend,” the Scourge advised. He frowned. “I do not like to make such dire threats. I wouldn’t if I could be sure of you.”
“Sure of what? Because you can be damn sure we’ll carve you to pieces if you so much as touch our Kat.” Deep sounded like he was going into rage and Lock put a hand on his brother’s arm again.
“Deep, please.” He spoke to the Scourge. “What do you want from us? What’s your name?”
The Scourge gave them a level look. “I am called Xairn. And for now I just want to talk.”
“You want to talk? Then talk,” Deep growled. “I don’t see why we have to be disarmed to hear what you have to say.”
“Because my father is here in the Complex as well.” The Scourge raised an eyebrow at them. “Perhaps you know him—the AllFather?”
Deep swore loudly and Lock said,
“Of course we know of him. What is he doing here?”
A grim look passed over Xairn’s face. “Gathering power—soon he will be too strong to stop. If you wish to leave this planet alive you need to listen to me.”
“We’re listening,” Lock assured him. “What do you want to say?”
“Only this—I need your help to leave this place safely and I am willing to offer you mine in return if you’ll trust me.”
“Trust a Scourge? Not likely,” Deep spat. “As if—”
“I think we should trust him,” Kat said, stepping out from behind the brothers.
“Are you out of your mind?” Deep demanded. “Don’t you recognize this male? He’s the same one we saw attacking Sophia during our last joining.”
“I recognize him, all right,” Kat said evenly. “And I remember what we all saw. But I’ve talked to Sophie about what happened aboard his ship—he didn’t want to kill her. He was going to set her free.”
“If you’re speaking of the human female with the green eyes, that is true,” Xairn said, nodding.
“That’s her,” Kat said. “She’s like a sister to me.” She took a deep breath. “Look, we’re really just here to use your psychic-knife thingy—we’re not trying to start any trouble.”
Xairn raised his eyebrows in obvious surprise. “You wish to sever the bond between you?”
Deep scowled. “We were…wrongly and accidentally bonded. This is the only way to sever the bond.”
Xairn nodded slowly. “I see. Well, if you actually want the connection dissolved…”
“We do,” Kat said, throwing a glance at Deep. “Very much.”
Xairn shrugged. “You may use the psychic-knife if you wish—it is nothing to me. But my father may be here at any moment. He is in his Souda now, gathering strength and power. As soon as he feels strong enough he will be here—it may be several hours or a much shorter time before he appears. I cannot tell you for certain.”
Lock had a worried look on his face but he spoke calmly. “This is insane. We can leave and come back later—or possibly rethink the entire thing. But if the AllFather is on this planet, we need to go now.”