Assassin

by Cyndi Friberg

  Arrista paced the confines of her cabin, resenting the solitude. She felt useless and forgotten, restless and annoyed. A beeping sounded, and a life-size image of Torrin formed in the middle of the living area.

  “I was hoping to share dinner with you, but I’m needed elsewhere,” the image explained. “Someone will bring you food and some clean clothes in a few minutes. When the computer announces that you have a visitor, say ‘visitor approved’ or just walk over and trigger the door. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  The image flashed out as suddenly as it had formed and her heart sank. He was avoiding her. Despite his claim to want her, he was clearly minimizing the time he spent with her.

  She crossed to the door a short time later when the disembodied voice told her someone was waiting for admittance. She triggered the door, and Heather greeted her with a smile.

  “Hey there.” Heather indicated the tray in her hands. “I brought you a nice veggie wrap and some sort of fruit. Don’t know what they’re called, but they’re delicious.”

  Arrista looked at the yellowish orange fruits on the tray and told her, “Those are fritinttos. And I agree. They are delicious.”

  The red-haired human placed the tray on the table across the room, then paused to look around. “Wow. This cabin is way nicer than mine.” Her gaze narrowed and gleamed. “Is this where Torrin sleeps?”

  “Torrin’s cabin is farther down the hallway. I was told no one would bother me here.” Unlike Sara, Heather was rather abrasive and insensitive. Arrista regretted that Heather had been subjected to General Alonov’s brutality, but that didn’t change her basic personality.

  “I’m supposed to teach you how to use the matter generator so you can print your own uniforms and personal items. I’ll also activate the entertainment module so you can watch movies and play games. They’ve compiled a pretty good selection of American films. You’ll go crazy in here with nothing to do. Believe me. Boredom has been a big problem since we arrived on this planet. The males don’t want us to leave the Wheel without an escort, so we’ve all been scrambling for things to do.”

  Arrista payed close attention to Heather’s instructions but didn’t encourage her to stay. Talking with her was awkward at best, and Arrista’s thoughts were much too troubled to share. After printing a clean uniform for the following day and consuming the food provided for her, she watched several “trailers”, but none of the advertisements convinced her to activate the actual file. The three-dimensional games were a bit more distracting, but even they didn’t hold her interest for long. Her time was generally packed with tasks from the moment she woke up until she fell into an exhausted sleep. This lack of direction made her feel lost and useless.

  Frustrated and lonely, she took a long, hot shower, then crawled into bed wearing the oversized undershirt Heather had suggested she print in place of a nightgown. The loose garment was much more comfortable than the ugly, masculine uniform, but sleep refused to free her from the strange, confusing world that was now her home. She tossed and turned staring up at the ceiling and at the smooth, manufactured walls. So much in the world above was artificial, unnatural.

  Anxiety gathered around her until she felt each surge of blood through her veins. She needed a master or mistress. Each moment she spent without serving compounded the driving need. She tossed from side to side, muscles cramping, insides aching. Frequently she felt a strange sort of urgency, a need pulling her toward Lady Isolaund. She didn’t understand it, had never felt it with any of her other masters or mistresses. But none of the others had been as powerful or important as Lady Isolaund.

  Arrista lay flat on her back and slowly filled her lungs with air. She needed to calm down, to accept that her life was on a new path. She could not return to the underground, at least not while General Alonov was in power.

  So how did she ease this consuming need? She must have a new master, or she would go insane. The answer was simple and clear, if only Torrin would accept it.

  Unable to lie still a moment longer, she tossed back the covers and strode from the bedroom. She didn’t care that she wore only a clingy oversized shirt. If snapping his control was the only way to make him reasonable, then she would gladly give him use of her body.

  She hurried down the corridor, not wanting to be discovered before she reached her destination. Unwilling to risk rejection, she stopped before she triggered the proximity sensor by the door and turned to the wall instead. It was unusual for the Niffal to possess magic powers, but many of the females in her family had some sort of abilities. This anomaly was what had brought Arrista to Lady Isolaund’s attention. Pulling energy into her center, Arrista extended her arms out to each side and slowly “flowed” through the barrier, emerging between Torrin’s sitting area and the table where he ate his meals.

  She paused, making sure her actions hadn’t triggered any sort of alarm. The cabin seemed to be empty. It wasn’t horribly late, but he should have returned by now. She crept across the living area and approached his bedroom. The door slid open automatically, but the bed was undisturbed.

  With a sigh of frustration, she started to leave when the door to the bathing room slid open and Torrin froze in the doorway. His hair was wet, his face devoid of whiskers and a towel wrapped around his lean hips. His smoky green eyes narrowed as he growled out, “How did you get in here? My door is always locked.”

  Ignoring the question, she slowly approached. “I do not want to be alone. I need you. I need this.” She ran her hands up his bare chest, thrilled by the strength so apparent in his shape and the firmness of his muscles. He caught her wrists and pulled her hands away from his skin. Pressure erupted behind her eyes, throbbing so hard, she moaned. “Please,” she persisted. “Do not turn me away. I choose this. I choose you.”

  He moved both hands to her face and stared at her oddly, searching her gaze and examining her features as if to diagnose an illness. “You barely know me. Why are you being so insistent?”

  The urgency drove her onward. Her hands began to shake, and her mind only registered one thought. “I must serve someone,” she stressed. “I want you, only you.”

  “Why must you serve someone?” His tone softened, though his gaze remained sharp and assessing. “You are no longer bound by Sarronti rules, so what will happen if you refuse to serve?”

  “I will...I must serve. I must!” His questions confused her, made the buzzing in her head intensify. The throbbing was nearly blinding now. She grasped the hem of her shirt and dragged it upward.

  Torrin caught her wrists and used her hands to push the shirt back down. His gaze narrowed as he slowly stepped back. “Havier to Razel, emergency interrupt.”

  “This is Razel. What’s wrong?”

  What was he doing? This had nothing to do with the overlord. Panic surged through her, speeding her pulse and respirations. He was going to throw her out or give her to the overlord!

  “Can you come to my cabin immediately?” Torrin asked the unseen leader. “I think we have an unwitting spy.”

  “On my way.”

  It took Arrista’s sluggish mind a moment to absorb the implication. “I am not a spy,” she cried. “Why did you call the overlord? I have harmed no one.”

  “Arrista, this isn’t natural. Something or someone is controlling you.”

  She pressed the heels of her hands against her temples, rocking back and forth. “I need you. Please, just accept me, and this will pass. I must...I need...”

  Her knees buckled, and Torrin swept her up into his arms. He carried her into the bedroom and placed her on the bed.

  Arrista wept, blinded by pain and tortured by rejection. “All I wanted was to serve you. Why is that so bad?”

  He said nothing, and she no longer sensed him nearby, so she forced her eyes open. He stood a short distance away, fastening up his uniform pants. A buzzer sounded, and he called out, “Visitor approved.”

  Too upset to face another stranger, Arrista rolled onto her side and tightly closed
her eyes.

  TORRIN MOTIONED KAGE into the bedroom, tense and uncertain. “My readings are erratic, but I’m not sure what’s wrong with her. She’s barely coherent and utterly obsessed with ‘serving’ someone.”

  “Do we need a medic?” The overlord moved into the room but didn’t approach the bed.

  “This is metaphysical. I don’t think a doctor could help.”

  Kage nodded and turned toward the female lying on the bed. Arrista had curled into the fetal position, and her hair completely covered her face. She was muttering under her breath as she rocked back and forth. Torrin knew Kage had mystic powers, but they’d spoken more about his abilities than the overlord’s. Kage knelt beside the bed rather than sitting on its edge. Extending his hand, he ran it from her head to feet, then back to head, never actually touching her.

  “Oh yeah, there’s a powerful compulsion driving her behavior. I don’t sense a psychic tether, so I don’t think she’s being used as a spy.”

  “Can you neutralize the compulsion?” It felt wrong to step aside and allow someone else to tend his female. He should be able to meet every need of his—his what? Arrista didn’t belong to him. She might hate him once the compulsion was destroyed. He had no way of knowing how much it controlled her personality.

  Kage grew still and silent, hands hovering over her body, eyes tightly closed.

  Arrista cried out, rolling to her back, head tossing wildly. “Stop,” she yelled. “You must not—” Her shrill scream interrupted the objection, and she arched nearly off the bed.

  “Steady.” Kage took her face between his hands and pressed his forehead to hers. “Release.” The steely command in his deep voice sent a chill down Torrin’s spine. “Let go!”

  Another scream escaped Arrista, and her entire body began to shake. “No. Please, stop. I will not survive if you...” She went limp, and her pleading ended in a shuddering sigh.

  Kage jerked back, then forward with a deep sigh. “It’s gone.” He wilted, resting on his heels as he lowered his arms. “Whoever implanted that compulsion is incredibly powerful.”

  “Arrista faithfully served Isolaund for years. Is there any doubt who did this to her?” Bitter anger propelled the words from his mouth with more vehemence than he’d intended. If he ever encountered that bitch again, his face would be the last thing she ever saw.

  “Isolaund benefited from the compulsion, but that doesn’t guarantee she was the one who created it. She is rich and influential. She could have commissioned the spell. We’ve seen evidence that she possesses basic telepathy, but nothing else.”

  Torrin just nodded. Either way Isolaund was responsible, which meant she would pay for harming his—there he went again. His mind was determined to stake his claim on the lovely elf. He’d been attracted to her from the start, but this crisis left him feeling possessive and intensely protective.

  Arrista lay still as death, sprawled on her back. “Is she all right?” Torrin asked the overlord.

  “This reaction isn’t unusual. Let her sleep, but don’t let her wake up alone. She’ll likely be confused and frightened. Someone should be here to explain what happened.”

  “I won’t leave her side.”

  Pushing back to his feet, Kage looked deep into Torrin’s eyes. “Do you sense the pull with her? Is she your mate?”

  What was the point in denying it? He’d known the first moment he saw her. Something inside him opened up and flooded his senses with life. He’d wanted her ever since. “She is.”

  Kage looked back at her and sighed. “I know I’ve encouraged you to explore the attraction, but this changes my attitude. You need to determine if her reaction to you was the result of the compulsion before you begin a serious courtship.”

  Torrin barely kept himself from rolling his eyes. “Give me some credit. I’m not a mindless animal. She is my potential mate. I have never encountered one before, and I’ve been searching for years. I won’t do anything to harm her in any way.”

  Accepting Torrin’s assurance with a nod, Kage moved toward the door. “Update me in the morning. I’d still like to interview her, eventually.”

  Torrin moved to the bed and sat without bothering to reply, so Kage saw himself out.

  Unable to resist his need to touch her, Torrin brushed her hair back from her face. She moaned softly and followed the warmth of his fingers. Her deep blue lashes fluttered, and then she opened her eyes.

  “What did he do to me?” she whispered. “I feel so strange.” He tried to remove his hand, afraid he was upsetting her. She caught his wrist and pulled his hand back to her face. “Don’t let go.” Tears escaped the corners of her eyes as she whispered the plea. “You are the only thing holding me together right now.”

  He crawled onto the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. “I’m right here, love. I’ve got you.”

  Her next sound was a ragged sob. She wrapped her arm around his back and entwined their legs, slender body trembling. He pulled her even closer, ignoring his body’s immediately reaction to her nearness. She needed comfort, and only comfort. Anything more was unthinkable.

  She cried for a long time, clinging to him as her tears dampened his skin. He stroked her hair and back, unsure what else he could do for her.

  “I had served her for nearly a season cycle when she enslaved my mind,” Arrista finally broke the silence without lifting her head from his shoulder.

  “Then it was Isolaund who created the compulsion?”

  She nodded, her soft hair swishing against his shoulder and arm. “I served her willingly. Why did she take away my freedom?”

  He curved his fingers beneath her chin and gently tilted her head back so he could see her face. She was so lovely, it made his chest ache just looking at her. “Did your tasks change after she anchored the compulsion?”

  She gazed past him for a moment, likely searching her memory. Then her eyes widened. “She allowed me to accompany her into the world above. I had never been beyond the underground before.”

  “Apparently, she was afraid of what you’d discover up here, so she made you her slave.”

  She blinked furiously, stubbornly keeping a fresh rush of tears at bay. “Now that it’s gone, I can feel how limiting it was. But while it was still in place, I would have argued with my dying breath that I served her by choice.” She shuddered. “It’s so twisted. Most slaves can see and feel their chains. She didn’t even allow me that much dignity.”

  Her lips trembled. She looked so lost, so miserable. Acting on instinct, he leaned down and kissed her tenderly, caressing her lips with his. “You’re free now. Free of all of them,” he spoke softly, easing away just a little.

  Her hands suddenly tangled in his hair, and she pulled him back down. Her mouth sealed over his, and her tongue traced the seam between his lips. He tensed, hesitating. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to unleash his need and lose himself in her sweetness, but now was not the time. She needed to determine what she really wanted.

  “Kiss me,” she whispered, her lips moving against his. “Really kiss me. Please.”

  Desire flooded his system, demolishing his good intentions and urging him on. It was a kiss, just a kiss. He tilted his head and slanted his mouth over hers, providing a better angle. His tongue was in her mouth before he could decide how far to take this. Her hands stroked him boldly, taking full advantage of his shirtless state.

  Suddenly, she pushed him over onto his back and climbed astride his hips. He groaned as the heat of her sex settled over his aching cock. This was insane! He was supposed to be soothing her, comforting her.

  I need this more.

  Her assurance was so in keeping with his raging desire that it took a moment for him to realize their mouths had never separated. How long have you been able to hear my thoughts? Transmitter nanites amplified his natural telepathy. Without them he was only able to communicate with blood relatives, and none had survived the war with Bilarri.

  The compulsion also bound most of my
abilities. She wanted to— Pushing off his chest, Arrista sat up. “The last thing I want to think about right now is Isolaund.” Then to accent her point, she tore her shirt off over her head and smiled. “I am finally free to do whatever I want, and I want to be with you. Do you have any objections?”

  He searched her gaze and analyzed his ocular readouts, but all he saw was rebellion and desire. She was no longer bound by the compulsion. Was it really so surprising that she wanted to act out? “It would be wiser to wait until you’re less—”

  “You keep saying I can do whatever I want, that no one will force anything on me. So don’t force me to be alone tonight.” She rubbed against him, and challenge filled her gaze. “I’m pretty sure you want this too.”

  He sat up and framed her face with his hands. “I want you more than anything, Arrista. But not like this. Not to spite Isolaund. When we share pleasure, I want you focused entirely on us and the future we’ll build together.”

  She covered her face with her hands and released another harsh sob. “I hate her! I hate them all. I need to destroy something. I want to feel something other than fury!”

  “Hit me.”

  Lowering her hands, she shook her head. “I do not want to hit you. I want to hit her.”

  “I’m all you’ve got right now, so hit me.”

  She swung and lightly punched his shoulder.

  He challenged her with a look. “My bones are reinforced with magnalium alloy. You can’t hurt me. Now hit me!”

  Her little fists struck his chest and shoulders, the determination in her features making him chuckle. “You’ll have to do better than that.” She growled low in her throat, then let loose with a flurry of surprisingly hard punches. He made no move to stop her and desperately tried to keep his gaze on her flushed face. Clearly, she’d forgotten she was naked and straddling his lap. Each blow jostled her breasts and rocked her lower body against his. Gods, how he needed to be inside her.