Jardun's Embrace

by Rayna Tyler

  The structure was the only one with light peeking out around the edges of several partially concealed windows. Because the occasional storm had a tendency to drop large amounts of water and cause flooding, the floor of the building was a foot off the ground and supported by thick braces. A wide platform similar to a covered porch extended along the front of the dwelling.

  “This sand is worse than the stuff back home,” Celeste whined, then stomped her boots, leaving a trail of reddish-gold clumps on the covered platform.

  Zaedon chuckled and stepped onto the platform behind her. “Do not worry, zyrdena, the mud will fall off easily once it dries.” The teasing words that translated into little princess in our language seemed appropriate for the female who was overly concerned about her footwear.

  “Sure it will.” Celeste rolled her eyes and stamped her feet a few more times.

  Uneasiness washed over me as I waited for the remainder of the group to join me before approaching the entrance to the building. I glanced at the surrounding area and didn’t see any movement, nothing suspicious. “I find it strange that the rumble of our vehicle’s engine has not drawn the attention of those inside.” I directed my comment to Garyck and Zaedon, knowing they would use caution and ensure the females remained behind me and safe.

  After receiving a brief nod from both males, I gave the door a hard rap, then pushed it open. As soon as I stepped inside, a ketaurran male growled, “Who the draeck are you? And what are you doing here?”

  He’d been sitting at a rectangular table in the center of the room and immediately shot to his feet, knocking his chair backward in the process. The disregard he held for his position was apparent in the way he was dressed. His feet and chest were bare, the dark pants of his uniform rumpled. The sword that should have been attached to a leather belt at his waist was nowhere to be seen.

  The human male on his left barely flinched. Dressed in drab tan pants, he remained seated with his long legs crossed at the ankles and propped on the end of the table. His light brown hair brushed his nape, and his prominent jaw was clean-shaven. His gaze remained alert and wary as he inched his hand under the table, no doubt fingering a weapon hidden from view on his hip.

  “My name is Jardun, and we are in need of a place to stay for the evening,” I said as I scanned the rest of the room. Other than a few pieces of furniture, the area had been stripped of any personal items that would enhance its dull appearance. It was also in need of some cleaning. A thin layer of dirt coated the floor, and a stench filled the air. Several platters covered with food crumbs sat haphazardly on one end of the table.

  The sound of hasty footsteps preceded two more soldiers before they entered the room from a corridor on the opposite wall. It appeared as if the males had taken the time to cover their feet with boots. Otherwise, their appearance was no better than the male glaring at us.

  I pursed my lips in disgust. These males were a disgrace and lacked the discipline of true ketaurran soldiers. Judging by the flicker in Zaedon’s dark turquoise gaze and Garyck’s grunt, their assessment of the males closely matched mine.

  The vryndarr did not wear uniforms or articles of clothing that advertised our existence. I had no idea what we would encounter during our trip, nor did I want Doyle or his men alerted to our presence. Following Khyron’s suggestion, we had traveled under the guise of a soldiering unit ordered to make random inspections at the outposts along the Quaddrien. It was why Zaedon, Garyck, and I had dressed in military attire prior to making the trip. We also had a fabricated story about Burke and the females being stranded in case anyone asked why they were traveling with us.

  To make the tale believable and because the females’ long blades would draw attention, they had agreed to leave their swords in the transport. I did not stop them from hiding a blade or two within their clothing.

  “This is an outpost, not a boardinghouse.” The male with bare feet stomped around the table to stand with the new arrivals.

  I stripped out of my long hooded coat, allowing them to see my vest, which designated a rank high enough to intimidate. One soldier gasped; the other widened his eyes.

  “I will relay your response to the drezdarr. I am certain he will be pleased by your attentiveness to your positions.” I took my time glaring at the face of each male in turn, ending with the human, who remained seated.

  The human studied us through a narrowed gaze, giving the females an appreciative glance before letting his focus linger on Burke. He dropped his feet to the floor with a loud thump, then grabbed a mug from the table and drained whatever liquid was inside. “Tarzel, I think I’ll head out and let you see to your guests.” After slipping on the coat draped over the back of a nearby chair, he gave me a brief nod as he stepped around me on his way out of the building.

  It was obvious the human was on friendly terms with the soldiers, which made me wonder what he was doing at the outpost. The location was isolated, too far from any cities, not worth a trip without a purpose. Being this close to the wastelands, there was always the possibility he was involved with or worked for Doyle. If I was correct about the latter, preventing the human from leaving and asking him questions could jeopardize our mission.

  I decided it would be better to question one of the other males, preferably the one in charge, about any recent activities. “Which one of you is in command?”

  “I am the leader here.” Tarzel, the male the human had addressed before his departure, was the tallest of the three males and also the one wearing the least amount of clothing. “There are additional beds in the back of the building that you can use. I will have one of my males accompany you while I show the pleasure females to our rooms.”

  The other two males were openly stared at Laria, Celeste, and Sloane. The way they puffed out their chests and leered had my tail twitching. Their lack of surprise at the females’ presence made me wonder if this wasn’t the first time human females had visited the outpost.

  During the war, I’d heard rumors of females being stolen, sometimes bartered or sold as slaves to be used for sexual pleasure. There had been a recent whisper or two that it might still be happening.

  The idea that the males of my own kind would participate in such a horrible act disgusted me now the same as it had then. Once we returned to Aztrashar and Khyron’s health was repaired, I planned to have a lengthy discussion with him about the situation and investigate it further.

  Tarzel moved closer to Laria, grazing her arm with his fingertips. “Come with me, female. You can share my bed for the evening.”

  My rational mind knew Laria was more than capable of handling Tarzel’s advances. But all logical reason escaped me the instant his hand circled her wrist.

  “Hey, get your...” was all I heard her say before I snarled and yanked him away from her. After shoving him against the nearest wall, I collared him by the throat. “Do not touch her. Ever.”

  Tarzel made a strangled noise and clawed at my wrist. His tail slapped against my leg and thumped against the wall.

  I squeezed a little tighter. “Am I clear?”

  Since my actions barely allowed him to breathe, his acknowledgment came out garbled. After I released Tarzel and shoved him toward the other males, I noticed that Garyck and Zaedon had taken protective positions on either side of the females. They had their hands inches from reaching for the blades at their hips. Burke stood off to one side, wearing an amused grin, yet maintaining a wary stance.

  “The females are under our protection and will be accompanying us when we leave in the morning. They are off-limits and will be provided with private sleeping quarters.” Zaedon and Garyck had also removed their coats and were reinforcing my words with scrutinizing glares of their own. “Are we understood?”

  One of the lower-ranking males kept his gaze trained on the floor. The other bobbed his head. Tarzel pinned me with an angry glare and rubbed his neck. “Understood.” Disdain edged his cracked voice.

  A few seconds later, the door burst open and a
fourth, much younger male came rushing into the room. Water dripped from his dark hair, the strands plastered to his face. “I finished walking the perimeter and heard a transport.” He tugged at the loose-fitting pants of his uniform. The males in my group went completely unnoticed as soon as he saw Celeste. “They brought more females.” His voice turned breathy, and lust filled his gaze.

  Had my suspicions been correct? Were the males expecting someone else, someone who would be supplying them with females?

  “Be quiet, fool.” The male standing closest to the young one warned through gritted teeth. He elbowed him in the ribs, then tipped his chin in my direction.

  It was easy to determine the instant the young male noticed the dark green shade of my vest and realized the rank of my uniform. His excitement instantly faded to fear. He respectfully bowed his head, then moved backward and closer to the others.

  The vryndarr did not have ranks, nor did we follow the protocols of a soldier. We were elite warriors, our main purpose to serve and protect the drezdarr. My friends and I had done many unpleasant yet necessary things. Things we would gladly do again if it meant giving all the inhabitants on our planet a chance to survive. Some of our directives, the roles we were required to perform, had changed as a result of the war. I was glad that our current performance appeared to be working.

  “Are there any other males under your command, anyone else outside?” The question was one that would be asked during a regular inspection. Knowing the exact number of males we’d be dealing with was important information to have if things didn’t go the way I’d planned.

  “No, this is everyone,” Tarzel said.

  “What are the other two buildings used for?” I wanted a secure place where the females would be safe and away from the scrutiny of the soldiers. It would also provide us with privacy to discuss our plans for infiltrating Doyle’s compound.

  “Everything here was left over from the humans who farmed the settlement before the war. The other two buildings are similar to this one, only smaller.” Tarzel ran his hand through his hair. “Occasionally, humans traveling to the city will pass through here. We let them use the building on the right because it contains multiple sleeping quarters. The other is used to store additional supplies.”

  The lands surrounding the Quaddrien were not safe. I did not believe humans with families would travel through this area. Mercenaries or those who’d been loyal to Sarus and wanted to avoid capture were more likely the visitors he was referring to.

  “Can we assume the male who left was one of these travelers?” Zaedon seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

  “You mean Rick? He stops here on his way back and forth to the city.” The young male’s helpful answer gained him a low snarl from Tarzel.

  I was about to ask where Rick had been coming from when Burke interrupted. “Why don’t we head over to the other building? It’s been a long day, and I’m sure the women would like to get settled.”

  I got the impression Burke had something important he wanted to share but did not want the other males to overhear the conversation. “I agree.”

  “But there’s not much over there.” The young one was staring longingly at Celeste again. “She, I mean they, might be more comfortable...”

  I cut him off. “I am certain the quarters will fulfill our requirements. If we need anything else, we will let you know.” It was obvious the outpost lacked some of the luxuries found in the city, but as long as we had food and a place to sleep, I wasn’t worried.

  Burke and Garyck left the building first, with Laria, Sloane, and Celeste falling in behind them. I knew Zaedon remained by my side in case any of the males were foolish enough to try anything.

  Once we reached the safety of the other building, Garyck and Burke returned to our solarveyor. They moved it closer to the structure before retrieving the bags containing the additional blades, clothing, and supplies we had acquired for the trip.

  Zaedon appeared at my side shortly after Laria and her friends left the main room in search of sleeping quarters. “You are once again contemplating your theory that Sarus is still alive, aren’t you?” He lowered his voice so we would not be overheard in case the females returned.

  It was a topic Zaedon and I had discussed several times. Sarus’s body had never been found. Since the war had ended, my friends and I had encountered those who were still loyal to the male on more than one occasion. The attack on Khyron’s life and Vurell’s kidnapping were too well planned. Sarus was the only one who would gain anything from his death. “Perhaps.” I crossed my arms. “I am more concerned with the possibility of females being furnished to the outposts.”

  “We both know Khyron would never allow his soldiers to be supplied with females, willing or otherwise.”

  “I agree and believe he is unaware of the situation.” Khyron, like the rest of us, was a man of honor. He would protect any and all females with his life.

  “Do you think this has anything to do with the rumors we have been hearing about the disappearing human females?” Zaedon asked.

  “I do not know.” It was bad enough dealing with mercenaries and their treacherous ways, then wondering if any of the soldiers were involved. It would be even worse to discover that someone was abducting human females and forcing them to be sex slaves.

  “If you plan to investigate when this mission is over, I wish to be included,” Garyck said from the open doorway as he carried more supply bags into the room. He dropped the bags on the floor, then returned to the platform outside.

  “I assume you wish to be included as well?” I spoke to Zaedon, then glanced over my shoulder at Garyck, who was closing the door behind him.

  “Me, miss an opportunity to rescue young damsels? Never.” Zaedon laughed.

  “Damsels, huh?” Burke smirked at my friend’s use of the human term.

  “Anyone hungry?” Garyck held up the carcass of a small reptilian animal he’d taken the time to hunt for our evening meal.

  “Come on.” I clapped Zaedon on the shoulder. “We can discuss what a bad decision it was to let you read the Earthers’ history data later.”

  Chapter Seven

  LARIA

  Shortly after Garyck retrieved our belongings from the solarveyor, Celeste, Sloane, and I set off to find a place to sleep for the night. There were several darkened rooms at the end of a short hallway. I chose the one to my right, then felt along the wall inside until I found the switch for the glow emitter. After giving it a single tap, the interior filled with light. “At least they kept the solars charged.”

  It was obvious the males manning the outpost hadn’t expended any energy maintaining the buildings. A thin film of fine-grained sand coated the floor, and a stale smell lingered in the air. The inside of the building may have lacked a recent cleaning, but the furniture and bedding appeared to be in decent condition. The room contained four separate beds, each designed to accommodate one person. Two of them were shorter in length than the others.

  Finding the varying sizes wasn’t uncommon. Nor was having more than one family live and work together on the small farming settlements. I walked over to the bed closest to the door, then set the bag containing my belongings on the floor.

  “Looks like whoever lived here before had several young children.” Celeste skimmed her fingertips along the shortened bed mat as she moved across the room.

  “We can check out one of the other rooms.” I was afraid being reminded of children made Celeste think about the sister she’d lost.

  “No, this is fine.” There was a tightness in her voice that I wished I hadn’t heard. “Besides, there’s no way the guys will fit in these beds.” She glanced at me over her shoulder, a half smile on her lips.

  Sloane giggled and wandered toward one of the smaller beds. “Yeah, can you imagine one of the ketaurrans trying to squeeze their big hulking frames onto one of these?”

  Thinking about a bed, any bed, and Jardun at the same time had heat rising on my cheeks. I quickly
pushed the thoughts aside and removed the blanket from my bed. I gave it a thorough shake to make sure no little crawly things had made a home in it. I especially hated the crognats.

  The pale gold creatures were a cross between a beetle and a miniature lizard. They liked to find dark, cool places to hide. Most of the time, they were harmless unless you happened to roll over on one in your sleep. That’s when you discovered they had a sharp stinger and knew how to use it. They might not be poisonous, but the nasty red welt from their sting burned for a couple of days.

  After doing the same with her blanket, Sloane knelt in the middle of the bed she’d selected beneath the room’s only window. She pushed aside the two sheets of faded and worn fabric used to keep out sunlight, then stretched out the accordion-style interior shutters that formed a protective panel across the panes. After securing the pin-type locks in place, she reached behind her back and retrieved the two thin knives she’d hidden inside her boots.

  “What are you planning to do with those?” Celeste asked.

  Sloane jammed one blade on each side of the frame between the wall and the shutter. “It’s an extra precaution in case the creepy guys next door get any ideas.” She spun around and plopped on the edge of the bed, then flashed Celeste and me a mischievous grin.

  Using the knives as reinforcement was a deterrent. They wouldn’t prevent someone determined to get inside from entering, but they would rattle against the pane and provide us with a warning. As an additional precaution, I planned to sleep with one of my blades tucked under the bed’s padding.

  “Definitely a good idea.” I shuddered, remembering what Tarzel had planned for us. Prior to our arrival, we’d agreed to let Jardun and the other males perform their imaginary roles as the drezdarr’s high-ranking emissaries. After seeing the so-called soldiers and their human friend Rick, my warning senses were tingling that there was something extremely wrong with the situation. I was glad I’d tucked a thin blade inside my boot for protection, and was even happier when Jardun announced we’d be spending the night in a separate building.