Darkside Blues: SciFi Alien Romance (Dark Planet Warriors Book 4.5) Read Free Page A

Even though she could more than handle her own, she appreciated the fact that these ladies were instinctively looking out for her.
    “It’s a fucking gang war,” Arin growled, shaking her head as they pushed against a tide of panicking Humans. “I can’t believe the nerve of these guys. Let’s get out of here. We need to get inside.”
    Zyara looked behind her and saw that a small army of Humans had flooded out of the bot-cars, brandishing an assortment of knives, swords and bolt-guns.
    A battle broke out in the middle of the Glory Strip. Mesmerized, Zyara couldn’t tear her eyes away. Underneath the crazy neon lights, the Humans were locked in a bloody dance. Those who fought were oblivious to the melee of fleeing Humans surrounding them.
    “Come on, Zyara.” Human hands tugged her away with increasing urgency.
    Zyara wobbled on her feet. A frantic Human bumped her in his haste, making her drop her half-empty glass of water. It disappeared into the stampede as she stumbled.
    Shots were fired and as a whole, the crowd ducked for cover. The collective shouting and screaming of hundreds of Humans became a deafening roar.
    This night was definitely not going to plan.
    Zyara stole a glance at the convoy. The Humans were locked in a fierce skirmish. She couldn’t tell the difference between the two groups; it was hard to know who belonged to which side, because they all looked the same.
    Something caught her attention. A flash of blue amongst a sea of black. There was a person stuck in the middle of the fighting; a small person who obviously didn’t belong there.
    Even though her thoughts were dulled by the effects of alcohol, Zyara’s eyesight was still keen, and she could tell that the person was Human, female, and young, no more than an adolescent. She was just a child. She wore a short blue jacket and tight silver trousers. Fear was etched onto her pale face. She was unarmed and terrified.
    The girl glanced back and forth, searching for an escape route as black-suited figures rushed towards her. Zyara didn’t know if the Humans were trying to attack or protect the girl.
    The gangsters were yelling in some Human language Zyara couldn’t understand.
    The girl started to back away, screaming in fright as a man lunged for her.
    Another shot rang out, and a flare of highly concentrated energy hit the man. He fell forward, onto the girl.
    The girl cried out in pain as she stumbled back, directly into the path of a wayward blade.
    The tip of the blade pierced her left shoulder from behind. Zyara cried out in dismay as the girl fell to the ground, the blade still protruding from her body.
    A man rushed to her side and yanked the blade out. He screamed at his comrades, who fought their way through the attackers to surround the girl.
    Clearly, she was important to them.
    “Apply pressure,” Zyara yelled at them in Kordolian, unable to help herself. No matter what the species, the basic principles of trauma management applied to all creatures, and the first priority was to stem the blood loss.
    But there was no way they could have heard hear above the screaming crowds. A dark pool of blood was forming underneath the girl. One of the men tore off his jacket and tried to wrap the wound, but he was thwarted by an attacker who swung at him with a blunt metal pole, hitting him in the back.
    The girl was losing too much blood.
    Zyara swore profusely in Kordolian. She might be under the influence, but she was a damn good medic, and there was no way she was going to allow an innocent to bleed to death in front of her very eyes.
    “Excuse me, ladies,” she said, breaking away from the grasp of her friends.
    “Wait, Zyara!” Someone tried to hold her back, but Zyara easily broke free. She was stronger than most Humans, and she’d received training in basic hand-to-hand combat from the very best.
    She pushed through the crowds until she reached the street, whipping a small Callidum dagger from a discreet sheath hidden underneath