Page 33 of Urzra

Dropping the dead prepper, Xathan’s guards lifted their rifles to their shoulders and aimed them at the human.

“Can’t I?”Xathan asked smugly.“For every person of color you and your cronies murder, two of your prepper friends will pay for it with their lives.If you come after me again, I’ll wipe out your family and come for you last.”

Hatred burned in Creel’s eyes when he realized Xathan wasn’t bluffing.“You can’t blame me for every death of someone from a lesser race,” he spluttered.

“Watch me,” Xathan said with a sneer, then nodded for his guards to follow him into the hallway.“Wait for me downstairs,” he said to his guards, then entered Ivy’s office.Color made her cheeks rosier than usual.Her lips were parted and her eyes were shining with admiration.Once again, she’d eavesdropped on the conversation.“It seems thanks are in order, Ms.Roche,” he said as he closed, then locked her door.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Xathan,” Ivy said breathlessly as he stalked over to her.He gripped her by her hips and lifted her onto her desk, scattering notebooks and pens to the floor.His mouth came down on hers as he heard Creel Lawson shouting into his walky-talky, ordering someone to come and collect the dead body from his office.

Chapter Twenty-Three

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URZRA’S HOPES THATXathan would be assassinated were dashed the next morning.The ham radio crackled, then the hairless soldier with a voice as smooth as his dark skin spoke.“Good morning, survivors!This is Xathan, talking to you from Manhattan, the new heart of America.Governor Giamano’s loyal employees are on track to have supplies delivered at the end of summer.If you’re determined to join us before then, make sure to scrounge up as much food as you can.We have clean running water now, so there’s no need to bring a large supply of water with you.”

The radio went silent and Urzra blew out a disappointed sigh.“So much for the humans’ plan to execute Xathan,” he muttered.He’d spent the night on the couch, tossing and turning as he worried about Bria.It seemed his instincts hadn’t taken the hint that the cambion didn’t want him.“I guess not even Fate can force my female to follow her destiny,” he said morosely.

He’d woken up sometime during the night, convinced he could sense Bria, only to realize he was wrong.She didn’t show up on his radar at all.He’d pushed his sorrow to the back of his mind and was determined not to think about his female.Maybe the pain of being rejected would ease if she wasn’t at the forefront of his mind constantly.

Sitting around staring at the walls wasn’t getting him anywhere.He decided to start searching for his commander.It was possible his brothers were based in one of the other boroughs.They would have warded their base so they couldn’t be detected.As long as they stayed under the radar, their enemies wouldn’t even know they were there.

“I’ll start in Queens,” he decided, then used his map to figure out the best way to get there.He would pass through the Bronx on his way there and would scan for them during his trek.Searching during the day wasn’t the smartest move, but he couldn’t stand to remain in the apartment any longer.

Tucking the map into his pocket, Urzra sprinted in a blur of movement along the route he’d chosen.He made it across a couple of bridges without the mercenaries noticing him.Rahab’s lackeys had been waiting for him at the far end of Long Island.He hoped they weren’t spread all throughout Queens as well.

Moving quickly, but cautiously, the warrior began scanning for his brothers.He would sense them even if a ward was in place.Just as he’d planned, Urzra crisscrossed Queens, making sure he didn’t miss any of the buildings.Humans were swarming all over the place, searching for food.They loaded the supplies onto trucks that drove across the partially unblocked bridges to Manhattan.

“Another one of our troops was murdered last night,” he overheard a man say in a hushed tone.Urzra paused to listen, stepping into a building that had already been searched.

“How many of us have died or gone missing now?”someone asked.

“Too many,” the first guy said bleakly.

“Do you think Creel Lawson’s prepper goons are responsible?”a female asked in a frightened tone.

“Nah, it was a white guy who vanished and was found in the East River,” the man replied.“I don’t know who is picking us off, but the poor guy had been torn apart.He was just chunks of flesh.The only way he was identified as one of us was from the white armband on what was left of his arm.”