Cloak & Silence Read Free

rolled until he came to a stop by their side.
    Ignoring Ture, he touched Zarya’s shoulder with a gentle hand. “Zarya?”
    Tears filled her eyes as she sobbed and fell into the soldier’s arms. “Maris?”
    Maris...
    Ture’s heart pounded at the name of the man she’d talked about for countless hours. In her esteem, Maris was second only to her beloved Darling.
    The newcomer holstered his weapon. “Can you walk, honey?”
    Before she could respond, the room was invaded by even more League soldiers.
    Jerking his weapon out again, Maris jumped to his feet and opened fire, forcing the soldiers back into the hallway. Oblivious to the fact that he was wounded, he fought on. Ture had never seen anything like it. How could Maris stand so strong and bleed like that?
    But even more incredulous was the fact that Maris had come to rescue them. Period.
    Zarya had been right. There were decent humans in the universe after all. Who’d have ever guessed?
    As soon as Maris set the League soldiers fleeing, he returned to their side.
    Ture helped Zarya to her feet. She took one step before her legs buckled. Faster than Ture could blink, Maris scooped her up into his arms. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I’ve got you.”
    Ture hissed as he saw the targeting laser appear on Maris’s uniform. Without thought, he jumped in front of it. But no one fired.
    Instead, a man dressed in a black Sentella uniform stood in the doorway as if frozen in place.
    “Zarya?” he breathed. His tone that of a prayer.
    Maris nodded.
    “Darling?” Zarya said, her voice breaking as she reached for him.
    Ture couldn’t move as he stared in total disbelief. God love her, she’d been right to put her faith in her king. In spite of his family name and birthright, Darling Cruel was everything she’d said and then some.
    Stunned to the deepest level, he watched as Maris handed her off to Darling who held her as if she was the most precious thing in the entire universe.
    Gods, to have one person hold him like that . . . .
    “I knew you’d come for me,” she sobbed, laying her hand against Darling’s helmet that kept his identity completely hidden from his enemies. “I knew it.”
    Ture caught himself against the wall as the room spun. For a moment, he thought he’d go down. But by some other miracle, he stayed on his feet. “She never once lost faith in you, Majesty.”
    All of a sudden, Maris was next to him, helping him to catch his balance. He pulled Ture’s arm around his shoulders and held him close.
    Still, Ture couldn’t believe they were here. “I told her it wasn’t feasible. That you’d never find us, but she was right. She said you’d promised her that you would bust hell itself open to get to her. And that you never lied.” Ture tried to take a step, but it was useless. His battered body was through.
    Ture fully expected to hit the floor.
    He didn’t. Instead, Maris swept him up in his arms and held him.
    Maris tightened his grip to keep him safe. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you to help.”
    It was inconceivable. Ture frowned at the blood on his hand that hadn’t come from him or Zarya. “You need a medic as much as I do.”
    Even though he had him fully cradled, Maris shrugged. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
    Yeah, right. At six foot one, Ture was anything but small. And while he was lean, he was all muscle and not light of weight.
    Yet Maris carried him past Darling and Zarya as if he weighed nothing at all.
    Just as they reached the door, a shot went past them.
    Zarya had used Darling’s blaster to drive back another League soldier.
    Maris fell back into the room, spun with Ture in his arms and then set Ture down on the floor. “They’re coming fast and furious,” he warned the others.
    With an obvious reluctance, Darling placed Zarya on the ground beside Ture. “Let them bring it with all they have. You ready, Mari?”
    Maris answered with laughter in his tone. “You know I hate fighting. But I think a little payback