Aether: Encounter Series, #4

By Joanna Homer

The Secret Is Out.

 

With the Greys gone and Earth in ruins, Eliza and Jack are struggling with the way of the new world. Despite their best efforts, Eliza will never be safe now Conscientia is no longer a secret. And it isn't long before the first bounty hunter arrives.

 

As danger closes in around her, Eliza and Jack flee to Aether in search of refuge, and to ensure the safety of everyone she loves.

 

But Aether is far from the escape to paradise they were hoping for. Increasingly unsure who they can trust, and with more secrets around every corner, they find themselves fighting harder than ever just to survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joanna Homer
• Release date: Nov 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201712990

Joanna Homer

Joanna Homer lives in London with her husband, son and Basset hound. Office worker by day, writer by night, Joanna has enjoyed making up stories from a young age (in a fun creative way, not a compulsive liar way) until one day she decided to finally finish one of the dozens of book ideas she has in varying stages of completion.   Contact is the first book in a series of six. What started out as a trilogy keeps growing, so as long as Eliza and Jack’s journey continues, it may not end there. As well as drinking tea (British stereotype alert!), Joanna is addicted to reading and loves finding a new series which keeps her up reading late into the night. She is always on the lookout for recommendations so if you want to help her out, or want to learn more about Joanna and her books, visit www.joannahomer.com.

Book preview

Prologue

Jack

Everywhere I looked, people were under attack. Any idea of escape flew from my mind, replaced with a single word: survive .

I dove out of the way as a bolt of lightning struck inches from my feet, blasting another hole in the already unstable floor. The way things were going, we had hardly any solid ground left. I could see Eliza up on the platform, so I gingerly made my way in her direction along the edge of the cracked earth. Heat from the red-hot bubbling river below felt feverish on my skin. As I inched along as quickly as I dared, I spotted Freddie shouting to a man who had climbed halfway up a rubbish pile.

Another fireball struck, and the ground shook. A large crack appeared in the crumbling floor, and I lost my footing, sliding down the rocky slope towards the lava. I dug my fingers into the slope, scraping the skin on my palms until I came to a stop. One more blast and I was fried.

I never thought I’d live to see the other side of an apocalypse, but two? Those were crappy odds.

Chapter 1

Eliza

Three pairs of bright, sparkling eyes stared up at me. Three best friends with huge smiles, because they had no idea what was to come. Filled with hope and excited for the future they thought lay ahead of them.

My throat tightened as I ran my thumb across Tasha’s cheek.

I’m so sorry, I whispered.

We’d thought nothing could break us. Life had been far from perfect, but we believed we could get through anything if we had each other. Unfortunately, we hadn’t factored in aliens destroying the world. I took one last look at the photo and set it down on the bed.

Hope was for dreamers. For idealists to take comfort in an otherwise dire situation. I used to think we needed it, and we do, in some situations. It’s justified. Like when tickets go on sale for a Dead Trivia gig or when humanity is on the brink of annihilation. But the Greys had left our planet a broken shell where hope just slowed you down and delayed the inevitable. After sharing a shower block with fifty other people, hope was nothing but a faded memory.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and sat up. My stomach muscles groaned. Lockford had us up every morning at dawn for a full-body workout and combat training.

When I was a little girl, I dreamed I would grow up and move away to university, leaving Burnt Oak in my rearview mirror. The sooner I got out of town the better. At the very least I thought I would get a job in London. My dad used to tell me I could do anything I wanted, and I’d recently set my sights on being a teacher.

But all of that was a distant memory. Instead, I sat on a lumpy bunk bed in a secret army base, surrounded by barbed-wire fences and living on basic rations. The world outside was a zombie apocalypse. (Except, thankfully, without the zombies. Just murderous aliens.) Certainly not how I’d expected things to turn out. Who’d have thought I’d give anything to be back in history class?

Don’t get me wrong—there were a lot worse places I could be. Dead for starters. Or abducted by the Greys, being experimented on, and forced to carry out whatever plan they had in store for us.

My stomach lurched at the memory of the Greys. I flopped back on the plastic-covered mattress and buried my head in my pancake-flat pillow. I focused on the patter of rain against the window as I tried to block out my thoughts. It should have been easier than it was, considering my head felt like an empty husk. Ever since Conscientia had destroyed the Greys, I’d disconnected from it, majorly. Maybe that was the problem. It meant I could no longer hide behind Conscientia, pretending it wasn’t my fault. I’d wanted them gone—and I had destroyed them. My chest tightened. Nausea washed over me every time I thought of it, and I broke out in a cold sweat. Was that normal? How should you feel after you annihilate an entire race of beings?

The door to the dormitory clicked, and I looked up to see Amy. She went over to her bunk and picked up Dane’s hoodie. Hadn’t she seen me? Or was she ignoring me?

The sleeping arrangements at Coldbridge were set up like a kid’s camp. Not that I had ever been, but how I imagined a kid’s camp to look. Rows of army-standard bunk beds and small metal lockers, divided into dormitory-style quarters based on gender.

That was for the humans—an unused storage shelter had been made into a room for Jack, Freddie, Maya, and a few other Aethians in camp. Equinox said it was to avoid fuelling already bubbling tensions. Honestly, I think I would have been put in with them except my dad didn’t want me sleeping with Jack. Not that it stopped me sneaking into Jack’s room as often as I could.

I stared back down at the photo of Tasha, Amy, and me, silly smiles beaming from our innocent faces. We had no idea what we would face. Now Tasha was dead, and Amy and I had fallen on different sides of an invisible line. Them and us. That was how she saw it now. And apparently that included me too. News of my single-handed elimination of the Greys had already spread to Coldbridge. When we arrived, I had been greeted like the grim reaper had come to stay.

But Amy had been my best friend since primary school. I refused to believe our friendship had completely disintegrated.

Hi.

Amy jumped. Maybe she wasn’t ignoring me? The weight on my chest lifted a fraction.

Eliza. Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I didn’t realise anyone was in here.

It’s fine… you didn’t… disturb me, I mean, I said, wincing as I tripped over my words.

Silence stretched between us as I searched for the right thing to say. Something to break the barrier between us and give me my best friend back.

Her eyes fell on the crumpled old photograph on the bed.

I miss her. Amy’s voice was so soft I almost missed it. My heart squeezed, and I blinked back fresh tears.

Me too. I stared down at Tasha’s face smiling back at me. You know if she were here, she’d be strutting around camp, working the army gear look.

Amy chuckled. Checking out the hot soldiers, she added.

The familiar glow of Conscientia tugged at the edges of my mind. Gritting my teeth, I swept it aside and kept my focus on Amy. It decided to come back now? This was the closest we had been since that night on Winding Ridge Road when she found out the truth about Jack, me… everything. Today was the first time I didn’t feel like she was afraid of me.

How have you been? I asked.

She dipped her head in a small nod. Okay. This place is… I’m getting used to things here. Having the routine is good.

It is.

Amy cleared her throat. I saw Daisy this morning at breakfast. She seems to have settled in well. How is she coping without your mum?

I bit my lip. You know Daisy. She’s a trooper. And they say kids are resilient, I guess.

Amy gave a solemn nod. Remember when your mum lost her keys and we got home from school to find Daisy had used a piece of garden wire to pick the backdoor lock? She didn’t mention that the reason my mum had lost her keys was because she’d been blind drunk in the middle of the day, and I didn’t tell Amy that Daisy had most likely used her Thesulia Prime powers to unlock the door.

A sad smile ghosted my lips at the memory of Daisy making Mum a sandwich and a black coffee for dinner. She’s an amazing little girl.

She is, Amy agreed, loosening her grip on Dane’s hoodie. So… what are you doing in here all by yourself? Where’s Jack?

He’s in a meeting with my dad and some of the army guys.

Amy tilted her head. A meeting? What about?

I hesitated, wanting to tread carefully around the ‘us and them’ issue. I’m not too sure of the details. Honestly, it all sounded pretty boring, but they invited him to represent…

His people? Amy suggested.

Yeah. I smiled. The ice between us had begun to thaw. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, but getting things back on track with Amy would mean the world to me.

How are your parents getting along? I asked. Richard and Kate had been in the middle of unceremonious divorce when the Greys attacked.

They are both trying. The current situation has put things into perspective, but there’s no chance of reconciliation anytime soon.

My shoulders sagged. Most of the happy memories I’d had as a child were thanks to Amy’s parents welcoming me into their family. Remember when we were ten and you broke the clay dinosaur Robbie had made for school? You felt so guilty you ran away!

And you packed us flasks of soup and joined me.

We made that shelter near Echo Pond, I said with a laugh, remembering the ramshackle hut, which in reality was a couple of branches covered in leaves and grass.

I swear we thought we were going to live out there forever.

Until your dad had the entire police force out looking for us.

We shared a smile, and my heart soared. Maybe our bond from years of friendship was the key to reconnecting. Our shared history could mend what I thought was broken.

The rippling heat of Conscientia tugged at my mind again, stronger this time. Once more I pushed it away, full of resentment that it had resurfaced to remind me of everything that had happened. Why did it have to show up when Amy and I were finally talking? I didn’t want anything to break our delicate connection.

Are you going on the supply run tomorrow? I asked, keen to keep the conversation flowing.

Amy opened her mouth, then a shadow passed over her face.

What is that? She pointed to my chest with wide eyes.

As I looked down, heat burned through my T-shirt. My necklace was made from animmiaa maotus, an Aethian gemstone that responded to emotions. It tended to glow when a being of the nonhuman variety was near, especially if their emotions were heightened. My hand wrapped around the hot orange pendant, which currently shone so bright it radiated fire through my fingers.

A mixture of fear and understanding crept through me. God, I was such an idiot.

I reached out with my mind and attempted to connect with Conscientia. The sensation had gone. Now all I felt was rising panic tearing up my insides. I closed my eyes and tried again. Nothing. I looked back down at my necklace still glowing like a beacon. Something was very wrong.

Eliza?

Amy, can you go and find Jack for me? I tried unsuccessfully to keep my voice steady.

Why? What’s going on?

I’m not sure yet.

You want me to interrupt the meeting?

I nodded. Mostly I wanted her out of there, but whatever this was he’d want to know about it.

Amy studied me for a minute. Her eyes flicked back to my necklace, then she turned and ran out of the room.

The pendant shone brighter. The moment Amy left I squeezed my eyes shut and tried desperately to connect with Conscientia. Come on. Please.

My eyes flew open as the door swung wide.

Chapter 2

Jack

P artial satellite coverage is back up and running. While this is great news, it is still too early to tell when the network will be completely restored. Things are moving in the right direction. Agent Young, do you have a further update?

Yeah, at a snail’s pace. Much like this meeting. I stretched back in my chair. The harder I fought to stay awake, the heavier my eyelids became. You’d think a meeting led by a fancy secret government agency dealing in ‘alien matters’ would be riveting. But Equinox seemed to only hire agents who were terrible public speakers. Or maybe it was just that I’d been stuck in this meeting for going on two hours.

Agent Young wrung his hands together and cleared his throat. Right… thank you.

I studied Young as he launched into a speech about the reconstruction of the power grid. He was tall and trim, his blond hair combed neatly into a side part. The guy’s awkward, bumbling British charm didn’t work on me. Something in his dark eyes seemed off. In fact, all these agents walked about camp like they had sticks up their arses. I pinched the bridge of my nose. Jeez, I’m starting to sound like Dray. I’m not just a miserable sod who takes a dislike to everyone he sees, I swear. But considering we were all supposed to be on the same side, these Project Equinox guys acted so shady. And sure, maybe I had a teeny problem with authority. What could we do? We were stuck with each other. For the time being, at least.

As the world tried to put itself back together, the full scale of the devastation gradually revealed itself. Earth was a mess. Sure, Clark and his Equinox buddies talked a good game about rebuilding, but I wondered how much of it they really believed in. We certainly couldn’t go back to what we had before. The Greys may be gone, but they had taken so much from us.

Rick’s death was still a gaping wound that would sting every day for the rest of my life. I wasn’t alone in my grief. Everyone at Coldbridge had lost people they loved. That was no consolation. In fact, it made it worse. A mass of suffering and grief, all lost, we fed off one another. Sadly, I appeared to be one of the lucky ones. Most of these people were alone. I had lost Rick, but I still had the rest of my loved ones around me. I tried to cling to gratitude, but the darkness inside weighed me down heavier than ever. My present mindset wasn’t all down to the current circumstances, though. My recent discovery that my standoffish alien warrior father, with whom I had zero emotional relationship, murdered my abusive mother and her equally psycho boyfriend was messing with my head a bit.

As if all that weren’t bad enough, now I had to suffer through these Equinox briefings. I didn’t survive the end of the world to die of boredom. They sure were giving it their best shot. Listening to this guy waffle on about power grids had me considering stealing one of their Tasers to put myself out of my misery.

The invite to the briefings had come under the guise of representing the nonhuman residents of Coldbridge and had been made to sound like we should see it as a privilege. As if any real decisions or information went on here. But we had agreed to play nice. Scarlett had gone to Cornwall to get Lola from a group of Paryeni, who had kept her safe during the Grey attack. We had no idea when she’d be back, so Freddie, Maya, and I agreed to take the briefings in turns, and today was yours truly’s. Lucky me.

… as a result, contact has been received from several worldwide government agencies.

Across the table Callan leaned forward.

Any word from Aether yet?

All eyes swung to Clark. Not that he was an authority on Aether or anything, but I suppose his personal relationship with the queen of Syonia meant he’d be the most likely to be in the know.

Clark smoothed out an invisible wrinkle on his shirt. Funny how the man could still maintain a fully pressed suit even in the apocalypse. Not yet. But now that systems are coming back online, I expect to make contact by the next briefing.

Callan’s glare met my own as we looked at each other from across the room. Apparently he wasn’t on board with the current setup either.

As for any further extraterrestrial sightings, Clark pressed on, they remain at nil for the twenty-second day, and that is of any kind. Even without the poignant look Clark gave me during the last part, I was well aware he was alluding to bounty hunters. When Eliza wiped out the Greys, she had saved the world, but the cat was out of the bag about Conscientia. Everyone now knew Conscientia was real, as well as its precise location. The fact that other planets would come for it was one of the few things Clark and I agreed on.

The meeting rambled on. I stifled a yawn and looked at the whiteboard on the wall of the meeting room. Only one item was left on the agenda: security.

Adam Lockford, Clark’s second-in-command, stood and marched to the front of the room. I am pleased to confirm we now have all the cameras up and running. This will not only enable us to add an extra layer of surveillance but will also ensure everyone is where they are supposed to be. Our primary function is not to babysit a group of hormonal teenagers.

Clark’s narrow glare swung in my direction.

Inwardly, I sighed. Suppose I could say goodbye to Eliza sneaking into my room at night.

Outwardly, I gave Clark a cocky grin and refused to look away.

He might be Eliza’s father, but as the head of Project Equinox, Clark Anderson hadn’t escaped my radar either. Something about him bothered me, and it was driving me crazy that I couldn’t put my finger on it. When I’d voiced this to Eliza, she’d put my anti-Clark feelings down to the time he tried to split us up in order to protect the secret of Conscientia. That would be fuel enough, and if I’m honest, I did hold a grudge over it. But that wasn’t it. Something else niggled me about the guy.

At long last the meeting drew to a close and we were dismissed. I got up slowly, and when Clark took Agent Young to one side, they piqued my interest. They spoke intently, their heads bent low. What I wouldn’t give to be able to hear that conversation.

Problem, Cartwright? A shadow fell over me, as Lockford’s huge, Arnold Schwarzenegger–sized frame stepped into my path.

I pasted on a fake smile. Nope, I’m good.

He folded his arms across his chest and nodded towards the door, showing me his trademark glare. Meeting’s over.

I rolled my eyes and took off before I said something I’d regret.

What’s the deal there? I asked Callan in a low voice as we made our way to the door.

Callan turned around. A look of surprise flickered across his face when he saw it was me. Although things had been amicable since our alliance against the Greys, I had never gone out of my way to initiate a conversation before.

He looked past me at Clark and Young. Their conversation seemed to be getting even more intense; Clark’s brow was furrowed as he listened to Agent Young speaking fervently.

I have no idea, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground.

With a nod we parted ways and headed outside into the camp courtyard, where I found Freddie waiting for me.

It’s your turn to sit through that BS next time, I told him as we walked along the concrete path that ran alongside the high fence and towards the recreation room—a weather-beaten stone building on the other side of camp.

Can’t wait, Freddie said with a grimace. It was that bad?

Worse.

Did they say anything about getting Z10 back? Poor Freddie. Losing access to the network was like losing a limb.

No, but they’ve got the camp security cameras up and running.

Ah.

I glanced at him. What’s ‘ah’?

The reason for your stinking mood.

What stinking mood?

Freddie chuckled, and I narrowed my eyes.

Eliza can’t sneak into our room at night anymore or they’ll see her.

I shrugged and held open my arms. It’s bad enough she can’t just stay with us, but now he’s making it impossible.

I filled Freddie in the rest of the meeting, including Clark taking Agent Young aside at the end.

Something’s going on there, I’m sure of it… what? I asked at the dubious expression on Freddie’s face.

Nothing.

I stopped abruptly in the middle of the path, causing the girl walking behind us to swerve so she didn’t crash into me. Then what’s with the face?

I’m not Clark’s biggest fan, but are you sure you aren’t looking for a problem with him?

This again. Anytime I had an issue with Clark I was shot down. They all thought I was picking fault with him either because he was Eliza’s father or because of my own paternal issues, which was still filed in the Do Not Open box in the back of my mind.

No, I muttered. Fine, if Freddie wouldn’t take me seriously, I’d do some digging by myself. I get why you’d say that. Just don’t underestimate him.

Freddie eyed me cautiously. What do you mean?

Should I tell him? I was dying to. Eliza hadn’t said not to tell anyone. And it wasn’t like I was telling Callan. This was Freddie. I looked around to make sure no one would overhear.

Remember when Equinox had you banged up and you heard the agents discussing a private meeting between with the Greys and Clark at the summit? Freddie nodded. Well, Eliza told me Clark tried to make a deal with the Greys.

Freddie’s jaw dropped. A deal? What kind of deal?

Part of Earth for some of their technology.

What? Freddie whisper-yelled. He tried to trade with them? Is he crazy?

Apparently so.

And he told Eliza?

I nodded, and we began walking again. Yeah, when he came to The Peak to see her. She said he was completely remorseful. Blamed himself for the attack, although from what I just saw in that meeting, he doesn’t act like someone who feels responsible for the destruction of the planet.

The Summit was well before they attacked. He thinks what? He offended them, so they attacked Earth? It seems unlikely.

I don’t know, I said with shrug. But I don’t trust Clark.

Freddie took off his glasses and wiped them with the hem of his olive-green army-issue T-shirt.

I’ve been thinking lately… maybe it’s time we consider moving on.

I jerked my head up. Really?

Maya isn’t happy here. She’s terrified of Equinox after they arrested me. While I’m not thrilled about them either, not being able to use our powers bothers me more. I understand that humans need to feel safe after what happened, but I’d feel much more comfortable staying here if we weren’t completely helpless.

A major drawback of staying at Coldbridge was that, for security, Equinox used an electromagnetic signal to block our abilities, leaving us powerless and with a constant feeling of lead in our veins. The sensation wasn’t new to us. Equinox had used it in their offices too. However, while it had been bearable for a meeting or two at their London HQ, living with it was an entirely different story. The bone-deep ache left us restless and antsy. Every few days we had to go into the forest and release our powers so we didn’t implode.

What about Scarlett?

She has to be on her way back by now. Or we could leave a way for her to contact us?

You’re really serious about this?

Yes, no… I don’t know. My friend looked weary. We had all been through the wringer the past few weeks, but for Freddie, the most levelheaded of us, to be talking like this, it spoke volumes.

I rubbed my forehead. I’m inclined to agree with you, but I’m still worried someone’s going to come looking for Eliza. At least here we are semiprepared, out there…

It’s been weeks. Maybe no one’s coming?

Ah, there was my optimistic buddy.

I’d love to believe that, Fred, but this is Conscientia we’re talking about. Do you really think no one will show an interest?

Freddie gave a resigned nod. If the news got out that the crown jewels were buried in Hyde Park, you couldn’t expect no one to go looking. Did they mention anything about bounty hunters in the briefing?

Only to report no sightings of ET since the Greys ‘left’. I made air quotes with my hands. It means nothing, though—as if they’d give us the full picture.

Maybe we could ask Eliza to talk to Clark and find out more about their plans, Freddie said thoughtfully. Surely he’d be more honest with her?

He won’t want her to leave, though.

If that doesn’t work maybe we can get Daisy to use her mojo on him next time we leave the camp?

Being Thesulia Prime, Daisy was somewhat of an anomaly. Her powers worked differently from ours, as we had discovered when the force field we had put around her and Eliza’s house had no effect on her. Luckily, this meant she remained unaffected by the electromagnetic field as well as the prejudice the rest of us faced.

Good idea. I’ll ask her.

Do you think Eliza would be up for it?

Leave her to me. I grinned. I can be very persuasive.

Freddie pretended to gag and gave me a shove when I cracked up.

We crossed the grass to the dirt path and headed to the canteen. The place was pretty decent… for a postapocalyptic prison camp. I’d been pleasantly surprised to find the food edible, on most days anyway. But once you added in the electromagnetic alien-power blocker and a bunch of humans who looked at you like you were about to sprout antennae, the place’s Trip Advisor rating plummeted.

Are you on the rota to go into town tomorrow? Freddie asked.

I think I’m next week, why?

Maya suggested it might be worth checking out Castle Street because…

He trailed off. I followed his gaze to the fence over by the male sleeping quarters.

What’s that?

It looks like a… hole, Freddie said slowly.

I glanced back to Freddie as my mind started to race. Heavy dread washed over me at the expression on his face.

Jack— Freddie began, but I was already running.

Chapter 3

Eliza

Adark figure filled the doorway. A pair of gleaming red eyes fixed on me—scanning and assessing.

Who are you? I asked, hating the tremble in my voice.

The figure stepped inside, and the door clicked shut behind him. Covered in ragged, threadbare robes, the man’s face was mostly obscured by a hood. The crimson glow from his eyes allowed me make out a pointed chin and jagged teeth.

What do you want? I asked. He still didn’t speak, but I knew. We had all feared this moment. When I had killed the Greys, I had let out the secret. Now others knew Conscientia existed, and they wanted its power. To get it, they’d have to kill me.

My eyes darted to the fire door at the back of the room. The guy was built like a tank. Thanks to Equinox’s electromagnetic field inside the camp, he wouldn’t have any additional powers to help him. If I ducked in between the bunks fast enough, I might be able to make it before he could grab me.

Without giving myself time to overthink, I set off for the door. Diving onto my bunk bed, I tucked into a ball, rolled over the mattress, and sprinted for the door. The bounty hunter might not have his alien superspeed, but he was fast enough. Robes swirling, he lunged at me and clamped onto my arm.

A sharp pain bit into my bicep, and when I looked down, I saw that he wore some kind of robotic glove, and his fingertips covered with little glowing blue pads.

I spun around to face him, using my momentum to knee him between the legs with all my might. Intergalactic weak spot, I heard Lockford’s voice in my head. Not quite the debilitating move I’d hoped for, but a grunt came from beneath the hood, and he loosened his grip just enough for me wrench myself free from his robo-glove.

Staggering backward, I had mere seconds to put some distance between us before he advanced again. Before I knew what was happening, he ducked into a crouch. His leg flew out, knocking my feet out under me and sending me crashing to the floor. My head hit the ground with a thump. Ignoring the crashing wave of dizziness, I scurried away.

Where the hell was Jack? It felt like an eternity had passed since Amy had left to go find him. Surely, he must be on his way by now? I just had to keep out of this thing’s clutches until help arrived.

I yelped as an iron grip clamped around my ankle. I kicked and thrashed as hard as I could, and my rising panic gave me a surge of renewed strength. The figured twisted like a pretzel and loosened his hold. I kicked free and scrambled to my feet.

As I took a step back, a blanket of warmth surrounded me. I watched as a shadow of myself stepped forward and placed my palms on the bounty hunter’s chest. The shadow faded, and tears blurred my vision. Conscientia. It had returned to show me what to do. I didn’t know what would happen when I pressed the bounty hunter’s chest. This was how it worked. Conscientia guided me. I didn’t need to know the next part. With a deep, rumbling growl, the bounty hunter came at me again, and I reached out, my hands trembling.

An image flashed through my mind—the Grey standing before me on the path in the middle of the battle. Its cold, dead eyes stared at me, then it vanished as fast as it had appeared, and the bounty hunter stood in its place. At the last minute I panicked, and instead of stepping forward to touch him, I darted away.

The pressure built up inside my head, like it had done before on the battlefield. The moment the memory slipped into my head the sensation vanished, leaving me drained of energy.

Agghhhh!

A fist flew at me. Pain exploded in my head as the power glove connected with my temple, the blow knocking me to the floor.

I pushed up to my hands and knees, fighting the wooziness as my head spun. The bounty hunter’s heavy boot slammed into my ribs, sending me back to the ground. His powerful grip clamped down on my shirt, tearing it as he turned me over and pinned me to the floor. My heart thundered in my chest as I struggled to get free, but I had no chance as he straddled me. I fruitlessly wrestled to break free, despite hardly being able to move. The air in my lungs rushed out as he loomed over me, and his furious snarl exposed his razor-sharp teeth. Squeezing