Supreme Leader of Anstractor: A Sci-Fantasy Space Adventure (The New Phase Book 3) by Greg Dragon Read Free Book Online

brig for trying me. You’re lying to me and it’s unnecessary. Rafian can’t die. You guys do that cloning thing … so where the hell is he?”
    Tayden shook her head and forced a smile. Aurora was the best at catching people off guard when they underestimated her. She knew what the woman was capable of, but she needed to get downstairs to grab her sword, and Aurora was in the way.
    “He’s not picking up his comm; that’s the big panic,” Tayden said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to central command to take the lead in defending our city.”
    “THE LIZARDS ARE HERE?” Aurora asked and looked around frantically.
    “Yes, so get upstairs, soldier,” Tayden mocked. “You may be an officer, but you’re a new mom, and that baby needs you safely out of the way of the brain-biters.”
    Once Aurora was gone, Tayden got on her comm and summoned Marika Tsuno. The assassin had been extremely quiet since returning from Luca with Marian, but she assumed that it was due to her spending time with Val Tracker. She asked the Phaser to meet her in the command center and then trotted down the stairs to where Marian, Frank, and Dott were looking over a map of the city.
    “Reports are saying that a number of the lizards have died due to the atmosphere,” Frank said to her as soon as she entered. She smiled at him and he returned it, a rare gift that he only reserved for the woman that held his heart.
    “I don’t know why you two continue with the façade,” Marian said under her breath, and Tayden turned a bright shade of red and stopped in her tracks. “We’ve known you two were together since the day we took that trip to meet with the leaders on Meluvia. Frank, Tay, this isn’t the military. Phasers are expected to be with Phasers, so stop with the thyping act and just come out in the open with it.”
    Realizing that in her grief Marian was trying to pick a fight, Tayden tried to remain quiet but as the air grew more uncomfortable she couldn’t help herself. “It’s not easy for me, okay?” she said quickly, cutting off Frank, who was moving in to deny everything. “I know that you guys know, but military protocol has been embedded in my DNA. It’s not something that is easy to get past. I love Frank, and I am his, yes … but kissing him in public, holding hands, that sort of thing – it just, it just feels odd!”
    “Well, you two make a beautiful couple,” Dott offered, hoping that Tayden would not scream at her for being in her business.
    “Thanks Dott, that means a lot,” she said. She strolled forward to peer at the map and quickly move past the discussion. “Any word on how we’re going to get our Phasers home?”
    “Camille has a crystal but she wants to hang out on Helysian for a day to see if they are okay there,” Dott said. “Yuth is taking some time and will fly back here as soon as he is needed.”
    “What about Rafian? Have we heard anything?” Tayden asked, and the three Phasers shook their heads negatively. Tayden felt a lump grow in the back of her throat and she swallowed hard against it. “What about the kids, Erlaine and the other two?”
    “Klemise died,” Marian said quietly. “I’ve made arrangements to have his name added to the memorial wall, and I set up a time to notify his family.”
    “I’ll take care of it, Rhee, if there’s no chance at cloning him. I thyping blew us up, so it should be me to make that call.”
    Marian shrugged solemnly and continued, “The others are helping to patrol Zallus. We have them running the grid, looking for any lizards that are sneaking around.”
    Tayden turned away from the map and faced them. She looked as if she had aged ten years since the incident. “I’m going to find Rafian and bring him home, Marian, I realize that my words don’t mean squat. I just want you to know that I’m on it, and nothing will take me away from that mission.”
    Marian stared at her stoically. Her eyes revealed the pain that she