Nojan (The Vartik King Chronicles Book 2)

by Liza Probz

  Please, gods, don’t let that have been a lie.

  She wanted nothing more than for everything he’d told her to be true. She couldn’t understand why she’d been so eager to distrust him. So far, he’d kept his word. Then why had she been ready to turn against him?

  That voice, she thought idly. That voice told me he was plotting against me, and I believed it.

  Her inner voice had built a plot so convincing that she’d been about to end her own life because of it. Now that was a scary thought.

  As sleep began to cover her like a warm blanket, Mayra prayed that the ship was headed to the alien world of Vartik and not back to Vanfia. She hoped with everything in her being that the handsome Nojan was who he said he was and not a liar. She wanted to believe that she could trust someone in this universe.

  Please, let it be him. Let him be the one I can depend on, the one I can come to for protection, for comfort.

  Maybe even for love.

  She wouldn’t go that far, even though she knew in her own heart that she’d already fallen for him. She couldn’t expect him to return her feelings. Instead, she’d settle for his friendship and feel blessed to have it.

  Still, as she began to drift, Mayra let herself wonder what life would be like if Nojan could return her feelings. What it would be like to be loved by a powerful warrior, a male who would always protect her, would always try to make her happy? And one who would bring her to the peak of such delightful pleasure. She felt like the woman who captured Nojan’s heart would be the luckiest woman in this, or any other, universe.

  As sleep claimed her, a vison unfolded before her. Nojan, attired all in white, standing in a field of yellow flowers. Twin suns shone overhead in a cloudless lavender sky. She had neither seen nor smelled anything as beautiful as that sunny field and its inhabitant.

  “Come on,” Nojan said, beckoning. “Come join me. It isn’t every day that a man learns he’s about to become a father.”

  Mayra gasped at his words. A father? She peered down, saw familiar hands holding a belly that was only faintly rounded. A child grew inside her. His child.

  In the vision, she smiled radiantly and gave a carefree laugh. Then she’d run forward, arms outstretched, to the man she loved. When she reached him, she leapt into his arms. He caught her easily and spun her round, laughing and then pulling her in to his kiss.

  “I love you, angel,” the Nojan of her vision said.

  “I love you too.”

  As Mayra slept, she didn’t realize that tears were tumbling down her cheeks. She only prayed that she would never wake up from the vision of perfection that was playing out before her eyes.

  Please, if I can truly see the future, let this be true. Let this be my future.

  There was a sudden crash of thunder. The sky darkened from lavender to violet as storm clouds covered the twin suns. The world became cold as rain began to lash them. Mayra spun around, looking for Nojan, but he was nowhere to be found. The flowers that had smelled so wonderful were gone. In their place, bleached skulls grinned up at her.

  “No.” The sky turned midnight and the thunder rumbled, almost deafening her. “No, no, no!” The rain began to burn her skin, to sear the ground around her so that smoke began to rise in spite of it.

  Suddenly, the ground split open and fire spurted from the rent, blasting Mayra with heat. She stumbled backward, losing her footing and landing in a pile of bones. A voice more powerful than anything she’d ever heard began to speak and she screamed, covering bleeding ears.

  “Welcome to the End,” it said.

  Chapter 26

  Nojan sliced open his thumb, ready to provide his essence to bring Sanri back from the brink. The wound in her stomach was heinous, seeping blood all over the galley floor. He tried not to think about how they’d landed in this predicament, but it was impossible.

  I can’t believe Mayra did this. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he never would have deemed it possible. But she’d done it. She’d pulled the knife from her own throat to stab it into the unsuspecting female who was only trying to help her.

  Maybe that had been her ploy all along. Pretend to threaten suicide, use it as a diversion to catch Sanri off guard, then shove the knife in. But why?

  Sanri’s green eyes opened, startling Nojan. For a second, unfathomable hatred stared out at him. And then it was gone, so fast he was sure that it hadn’t been there at all. “I hurt,” she moaned, shifting slightly.

  “Don’t move,” he said, leaning closer. “And put this in your mouth.”

  Nojan held out his thumb, expecting her to look at it quizzically, to ask questions, to suspect. Instead, she let him place it in her mouth without comment, sucking gently. When she’d had enough, he pulled the thumb loose and concentrated on clearing the blood away from her wound. It was already knitting itself closed, but he smeared his cut thumb over it to make certain it would heal.

  He watched as her eyes slid closed and her breathing evened out. Taking a deep breath, Nojan rose and considered what to do next. He’d ordered Mayra to sleep, and for all he knew, she was snoring away in the bedroom. She would stay that way until he woke her. Sanri would need rest to heal as well. And as for himself, he felt tired enough to pass out where he stood.

  He hadn’t expected such resistance to his powers. Mayra was tougher mentally than most, a surprising amount of strength hidden in such a delicate package. Perhaps it had something to do with her newly unleashed oracle powers. He’d had to use his ability at its maximum yield to break through her opposition. And now he was paying the price.

  At least he felt safe on the journey back to Vartik. No one was going to mess with a squadron of attack fighters. He could put the ship on autopilot and get some rest.

  Still, he wasn’t sure that would be the best option. Sanri was healed, and he thought she was the type who considered revenge a necessity in situations like this. Leaving her to her own devices wouldn’t be smart.

  And there was Mayra to take into account as well. Perhaps her mental fortitude would allow her to push past his powers of persuasion and wake without waiting for him to prompt her. He couldn’t have Sanri and Mayra fighting to the death while he sawed logs, blissfully unaware of the carnage around him.

  His thoughts circled back to his angel. How could someone so sweet, so meek and mild, have acted so violently? It was completely out of character.

  Or was it? an inner voice inquired. The first time you saw her, she was fleeing from the scene of a crime. She’d just stabbed a guard and his blood was coating her dress. Don’t you remember?

  Nojan’s brow furrowed. He didn’t like the sound of that inner voice. There was something foreign about it. Something distant. It sent a shiver through his body.

  He could not deny the truth of its words, however. Mayra had stabbed a guard, but in that case, it was self-defense. The man had threatened to rape her to break in her powers. If Nojan had been there, he would have snapped the creature’s miserable neck himself, so he would never blame her for taking decisive action.

  But on his ship, Sanri had been trying to save Mayra from herself. She’d been unhinged, muttering about returning to Vanfia. She’d called Sanri his girlfriend and accused him of betraying her. Nothing about her reaction made any sense.

  How well do you know your beloved? You’d only just met her before you threw your heart in her lap. Many females are susceptible to jealousy, especially ones who have just given their virginity to their handsome savior. Could you blame her for feeling possessive? For wanting to act out to pull your attention back to her?

  The inner voice was disturbing what measure of peace he’d found in the quiet of the moment. It seemed to find his deepest anxiety and twist it in front of him for its own amusement. But everything it said made sense. Perhaps he was trying to warn himself in a time of high stress. Maybe it was best to listen to what the voice said and forget its creepiness.

  Yes, listen to yourself. Your little angel is a bigger threat than yo
u expected. She’s come into her powers now, and once she really learns to use them, you won’t be able to control her so easily. You’re headed back to Vartik with someone who can see the future, who can predict every move against her. And now she thinks you’ve betrayed her. How do you think this is all going to play out?

  Nojan shook his head. He didn’t know, but that didn’t mean he was going to give up on Mayra. There had to be some kind of explanation for her behavior. Whatever it was, he’d figure it out and fix it. He’d make her see that he wasn’t against her, that he only wanted to keep her safe, to treasure her.

  And when we reach Vartik and you have to give her up? What then? How do you think she’ll take that? Hearing that she’s not good enough for you because she can’t bear your children. Learning that she’ll be helping to make your family whole even as she’s not allowed to become a part of it. You think that’s going to go well, do you?

  Groaning, Nojan ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He may well and truly be in love with the gorgeous Mayra, but his duty weighed heavily. Remembering the moment when he’d been between her soft thighs, ready to plunge into her willing heat, he’d sworn to buck tradition and claim Mayra for his own. It was still his fondest wish to do so.

  You would bring that viper into the bosom of your family when you know how readily she utilizes her fangs? Do you think that’s a good idea? Mayra will have to represent the Vartik ruling family if you marry her. Do you think she’s up to the task?

  His angel was sheltered, easily flustered, and apparently possessed of a violent streak. What would his parents say when they learned of her actions? And would his people accept an outsider who might not be mentally stable?

  It didn’t matter. He loved Mayra, and he knew that she wasn’t unreasonable. She wasn’t prone to striking out. Something had happened to make her snap. Perhaps shutting her in the compartment had done it. It was his fault she’d reacted like she did, not hers. And he would spend the rest of his life helping her get better.

  Ridiculous, the inner voice sneered. You haven’t got a chance of—

  “Shut up,” he said out loud. “I’m not going to listen to you anymore.” He walked into the galley to make himself a cup of tea, working to shut the voice out of his mind. He could feel it scratching around the edges, ready to fill his brain with poison about his beloved. Nojan was beginning to doubt that the source of the voice was his own anxiety. There was something malevolent about it, something full of venom and hatred.

  His thoughts were interrupted by a buzzing from the console. Nojan seated himself in front of the viewscreen and accepted the transmission. He wasn’t surprised to see his brother’s face staring back at him.

  “What’s up, Zelup?” He’d often said that in his boyhood to irritate his brother but now it had become his standard greeting.

  “Just wanted to let you know that Mother and Father are anxiously awaiting our arrival, especially now that you’re bringing home not one but two strays.”

  Nojan rolled his eyes. He knew his parents weren’t going to be pleased. Although they’d expected the oracle, his father was going to make him regret Sanri’s presence. As if he didn’t already.

  “Tattle tale,” Nojan muttered.

  Zelup shrugged. “My duty is the protection of our people. The fewer that know about us, the better.”

  “Believe me, I didn’t want to pick her up in the first place. That wreckage you found was the ship she was on, and I got her off it right before it blew. In fact, the ship’s explosion is what knocked out my cloak. I was about to drop her off on UM-Beta when Kange showed up.”

  “Well now you’re stuck with her. Two Territhians, huh, Nojan? You always did have to one-up Marek.”

  Nojan laughed. “The sooner I’m rid of Sanri, the better. She’s trouble.”

  Now it was Zelup’s turn to laugh. “Trouble, huh? We could always give her to Calabez. He has a knack for taming difficult women.”

  “He has a knack for fucking women. Any women. It’s not a talent. It’s the absence of standards.”

  They both laughed, and Nojan felt some of his tension starting to drift away. He was more tired than he’d ever been, even after staying up all night working in the lab. As good as his intentions were, he wasn’t going to be able to stay awake for the entire journey home.

  “Zelup, do me a favor?”

  “I’m all ears, little brother.”

  “Keep an eye on my ship,” Nojan said. “I need some shut eye. Just keep this connection open and make sure nothing happens while I’m asleep.”

  “Happy to,” his brother replied. “Anything to get you some rest. You’re gonna need all of your strength in your confrontation with Mom and Dad. I can’t wait to watch.”

  Nojan flipped Zelup the bird and rose. He stopped at a storage compartment to pull out a thin blanket and small pillow. Kneeling beside the sleeping Sanri, he covered her with the blanket and put the pillow under her head. The floor couldn’t be that comfortable, but it was all he had. The bed was already full with Mayra and he wouldn’t displace her, no matter how upset he might be.

  In the bedroom, he stared down at his sleeping angel. Her face was worried, her head thrashing back and forth. She seemed to be in the midst of some nightmare. It would be cruel to let her remain asleep to face whatever tortures were afflicting her.

  Nojan slid in behind her, pulling her back to his front. He smoothed her hair away from her face and whispered into her ear. “Wake up, Mayra.”

  Her eyes didn’t open. She began to struggle away, her mouth becoming a wordless O of terror.

  “Mayra,” he said with more force. “Wake up!”

  Still, she wouldn’t wake. Her entire body was trembling, a cold sweat pouring from her pores.

  He began to shake her. “Mayra, you have to wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”

  Her head thrashed back and forth, her hands in tight balls, fingers digging into palms. Her legs started to twitch, tears leaking out from beneath closed eyelids.

  “Mayra!” Nojan didn’t know what to do, short of slapping her. He could never hurt her willingly, so he wouldn’t hit her, but that left him feeling helpless. Gods, please let her wake, he thought, continuing to shake her and call her name.

  All of a sudden, she sat bolt upright, her eyes springing open. “The End!” she screamed, then collapsed backward.

  “Mayra,” he shouted, pulling her face around to his. “Calm down. You’re having a nightmare. You’ve got to relax!”

  Her blue eyes blinked up at him. “Nojan?” she said after a moment.

  He nodded. “Yes, it’s me. You were having some kind of terrible dream.”

  “Not a dream,” she murmured. “A vision.”

  Chills covered his body. If that was her vision of the future, it must be truly terrifying. “What did you see?” he asked, not knowing if he wanted to hear her answer.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, curling herself into a ball.

  Nojan lay beside her, pulling her body straight then nestling her in his arms. “Shh, it’s all right. You’re safe now. Everything will be okay.”

  He thought he heard her whisper something, something like “nothing will ever be okay again,” but he couldn’t be sure. So he held her tighter, planting kisses along her neck. She turned in his arms, her arms twining around his neck.

  “Make love to me,” she begged. “Please. Take my mind off of all this suffering.”

  Nojan stared into her eyes. He couldn’t deny his physical response at her words. His cock was already throbbing in his pants. But he wasn’t certain if that would be the right choice at the moment. She was still in the shadow of her nightmare, and it had been a traumatic couple of hours. It might be best just to hold her.

  “Mayra, I—”

  “Please,” she whispered, kissing his lips. “Please just make me forget for a little while.” She kissed him again, this time running her innocent tongue along his bottom lip. The sensation sent s
parks through him and melted his resistance. He kissed her back with more force than he’d intended.

  Their tongues did battle for what seemed like hours and it still wasn’t enough. She was writhing against him, her body pleading for more. Soon, her mouth was doing some pleading as well. “Please, Nojan. Touch me… there.”

  “Where?” he asked softly.

  “You know.” Her eyes looked away, a becoming blush staining her cheeks.

  “Say it,” he demanded, his cock like a rod of iron straining against the confines of his pants. “I want to hear the words.”

  “Please touch my pussy,” she whimpered, thrusting her hips at him.

  Nojan chuckled softly, his arousal ramping up at the naughty words spilling from her lips. “With pleasure, precious.” He pushed up the shirt she was wearing to expose her perfect pink center. He ran his finger down he slit, teasing her. He could already feel her moisture and it made his cock begin to throb.

  On the point of agony, he pushed inside her, reveling in her heat. His finger rubbed back and forth over her sensitive little clit, then plunged deep inside her. He withdrew it, relishing the pouting mewl that escaped her plump lips. Then he held the finger over her mouth. “Taste yourself,” he said.

  Mayra didn’t hesitate. She opened her mouth, and he slid his finger inside. “See how wonderful you taste.” The sensation of her licking and sucking on his finger pushed him past the breaking point. He removed his finger and quickly undid his pants, shoving his clothes out of the way as quickly as he could. Then he pulled the shirt she was wearing open, scattering popped buttons around the room.

  He attacked her body with his tongue, leaving her moaning and writhing in pure pleasure. Her breasts were worshipped with fervency, her flat stomach kissed, even her navel greeted by his questing tongue. Then he settled himself between her thighs to please her in earnest.

  Nojan lost track of the number of orgasms she had. He was like a madman, nearly feral, wringing climax after climax from her beautiful body. Finally, she used both hands to yank his head up. “I need you inside me,” she groaned.