Free Woman Bewitched by Tianna Xander Page B

know if you tried to stop me from going, you’d piss me off. She needs closure. Let her go.”
    Artu gave his sister a level stare. “If you must, but please, stay near me or Kyl.” He glared at Kyl again.
    Suppressing a grin, Kyl patted Marti’s arm. “Yes, love. Stay near us. We will protect you with our lives.”
    “As all of us would protect her with our lives,” Ga’briel said as he stood abruptly.
    “I meant no offense.” Kyl waved his hand. “I merely sought to make Marti feel safe.”
    “Feeling safe is an illusion.” Marti stared down into her plate as she took a small bite of food.
    “No. Their feeling of superiority is the illusion. We are about to shatter it.” Artu stood and held out his hand. “If we’re finished here, I think we should go. We’ll discuss our plans on the way.”
     
    They had been on Katkari for two days when Kyl noticed the weakness. “I can barely lift this cup.” He glanced at the others who all looked worse for wear. “Do you suppose they have taken to kidnapping their victims directly now?”
    “No,” Marti said. “They’ve recognized me.” She reached up to stroke the red hair they’d given her with the hope of hiding her identity. “The prince still wants me. They have targeted you all.” Tears streaked down her cheeks. “All of your worlds are defenseless now, because of me.”
    “No, love. It’s not because of you. This is not your fault.”
    Someone pounded on the door. “We are the palace guards. Open this door immediately!”
    Marti dropped the glass she held when they pounded on the door again. It hit the floor, shattering into tiny pieces as one of the guards knocked the door from its hinges.
    “You are all under arrest!” The leading guard held his weapon, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. “Since you are all powerless now, you are all our prisoners.”
    Grinning, he moved closer to Marti and grabbed her arm. “You will come with me. Prince Valko has been awaiting your return.”
    Kyl struggled against his captor, his strength waning, but not failing quite yet. As a defender, he still had superior strength, though it was failing fast.
    He shook off the man and drove his fist into his face. He couldn’t help the feeling of immense satisfaction as the man fell to the floor unconscious. One asshole down, a few hundred to go. With luck, he might get to beat the shit out of a lot of the men responsible for mistreating his mate. “We have no choice but to move now. We’re running out of time.” He shook his hand, feeling pain for the first time in his long, long life. “It won’t be long before we all lose our advantage and become next to useless.”
    He glanced at Marti. “Maybe you should have stayed on Torus.”

Chapter Eighteen
     
     
    Marti struggled against the guard who held her. She felt stronger than she had in years. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she’d had plenty to eat over the last several days. Whatever it was, she felt great.
    “Take your stinking hands off me, you goon!” Drawing back, Marti fisted her hand and let it fly. She wasn’t giving up without a fight. Not this time. Not when her happiness was within her reach.
    The guard flew backward when her fist connected with his jaw. Eyes wide, she stared at her fist for a moment, and then grinned. “It’s back!”
    In a flurry of motion, she jumped into the air, drew back and laid into the men who attempted to subdue her mate. “I don’t know what was wrong, but I guess a few days away from here cured me of it. If we get you all off-world again, maybe we can have your blood tested and see what it is they do to people to capture them.”
    “It must be some sort of drug,” Lena said with a frown.
    “Or a virus.” Ga’briel drew his sleeve across his forehead. “I’ve been running a fever since we got here.” He glanced at Marti. “And she was ill when she first arrived on Torus. Perhaps her stay here helped her body produce an antibody