by Raven Dark
“Kan jun hada,” he said.
I nodded and placed my hand on his cheek, looking deep into his eyes. Letting him know the words I said were meant for him. “Kan jun hada…V’ir,” I said slowly. Giving him my thanks, but also the submission I knew he wanted from me. Truthfully, I needed it too.
He groaned and devoured my lips in a long, hot kiss. When he pulled back, his eyes were full of so much emotion my throat choked. He pressed the blocker, switching the translator back on.
“I will learn your language,” I said softly. “I like hearing it. I want to hear it all the time.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. Especially when you’re fucking me.” My voice was small, suddenly feeling shy for some stupid reason.
He chuckled. “Why?”
“Cause it’s sexy as fuck.”
He roared with laughter.
We reached Gandris Four six days later.
Raul had taken the captain’s chair as we entered what Malek had told me was called the Byx Callian, the safe zone that surrounded the Grandis Four trading station. Tarku sat at his master’s feet, and Malek and Z’pheer sat in their chairs to either side of Raul. I stood right at his left shoulder. Being that the massive trading station was floating in space like its own planet, we simply needed to dock.
“Approaching available dock in four tama,” the computer announced in its absurdly pinup girl voice as we went through a series of garages in the belly of the station.
“You guys are going to have to replace that voice,” I half teased.
Raul smirked and lifted my hand to his lips. “Not a chance. I like the look you get when she speaks.”
“Asshole.”
He kissed my hand again. “For you? Always.”
Malek and Z’pheer both laughed.
Once we were docked, Raul hooked up Tarku’s collar and leash, took my hand and drew me close to him. While Malek and Z’pheer put on their weapons, Raul checked over my clothing. Boots and the usual slave dress was all I had on.
“No muzzle or cuffs this time?” I asked. “Aren’t there going to be a lot of people around?”
He pushed my hair behind my shoulders gently. “Slaves are only cuffed and muzzled when they can’t be trusted to keep silent or not escape. Are you planning to do either of those things?” His eyes teased.
“Nope.” I loved that these men trusted me enough not to put either of those things on me, and I was thrilled not to have to deal with that fucking muzzle.
He cupped my nape and kissed my forehead. “Good girl.”
I ran my fingers over the hammak on his chest. “It’s too bad you’re not going to be king. I like that thing on you.”
He squeezed my nape.
“Speaking of which. Aren’t you supposed to find a successor?”
He released me and slid the holder for his axe onto his back, then slid the weapon in place. “I’ve been trying. The whole three weeks since we left Vunadar, I’ve been trying to get a hold of a friend of mine who I wanted to rule in my place.”
“Who is he?”
“He’s another Atan in the Order. His name is Sivak. We’ve been friends for years. He would make a great leader, and my father would have liked him.”
“So he’s not like you? He wouldn’t prefer to serve in the Order?”
“No. He’s been talking about getting out of it for years, ever since his father was killed in the last Rith attack. The trouble is, I haven’t been able to reach him. I have to soon. I only had a half season to find a successor when we left Vunadar.”
I’d recently learned that half season was roughly six Xandari weeks, and we’d already been gone for almost three. “That’s going to cut it close.” I followed him and the others, headed toward the ship’s exit. “What happens if you don’t?”
“If I don’t present him to Vaka Shar’onne in time, I will have to take the throne until I…” He trailed off and quickened his pace, for some reason not looking at me.
“Until you what?”
“Until he has an heir,” Malek said softly beside me.
“Oh.” My cheeks heated at Malek’s meaningful look, and at the intensely burning look Raul finally gave me. They meant until I produced one for him.
I cleared my throat nervously. “Uh… yeah, best to find him ASAP,” I muttered.
We stopped at the doors to the ship as Z’pheer and Malek picked up two chests from near the doors. Black and metallic, these were almost as big as the one they’d brought with the currency for fuel.
“Don’t worry, Vahashatai. I will not saddle you with a child you do not want.”
Hang on, did I imagine the disappointment in his tone? That didn’t make sense. Every time Raul talked of the Order, I could feel his passion for his service and his need for adventure, his thirst for danger. A life he would have to kiss goodbye if he had a child. Malek had told me before that men in the Order rarely had children, even when births were common and Xandari women weren’t scarce. Their entire lives were devoted to the Order, and a child was an unwanted distraction for a man who, in these war-times, signed on for a life that was always in danger of leaving a child without a father.
The exit doors swished open, and I looked at Malek and Z’pheer, nodding the chests they carried. “Is that money in there?”
“Jewels from Haruuk’s treasury,” Z’pheer said. “Mostly rare ones. Kudar Gavik is a collector. He’s extremely rich, so he won’t likely take money, unless it’s a lot more than we have. The Order has authorized us to give him these.” He indicated the chests.
“What if he doesn’t take them?”
“We’ll deal with that if it happens.”
I swallowed. I had a feeling I didn’t want to know what would happen if the jewels weren’t enough to make Kudar Gavik give the weapon up.
As we walked, I considered what Malek had told me about the weapon while we’d laid in bed together last night. The weapon produced a high frequency soundwave, one of such high frequency that it killed Rith after only several seconds of hearing it. From what I knew of this pirate, I could see why he’d want it, and it didn’t have solely to do with its ability to kill Rith. It was the only one of its kind, and with the Rith pillaging worlds throughout so many galaxies, it was also worth more than any amount of money a lot of worlds could afford. Half of me was afraid Kudar would refuse no matter what the men offered him. If he did, the Xandari were nothing short of doomed.
“Remember—” Z’pheer started, cutting into my worried thoughts.
“I know,” I said out of the corner of my mouth, discreetly touching his fingers with mine. “No eye contact and no talking.”
Z’pheer gave my fingers a squeeze.
Another pang of sadness hit me. It felt good not to be wearing cuffs or a muzzle, but the forced silence would make it impossible to forget what I was.
We entered what appeared to be the main building of the trading station, the halls crowded with every manner of alien and buzzing with talk in as many languages, many of them sounding like little more than clicks, grunts or growls. The whole place was fascinating.
If the universe had a mall, Grandis Four would have been it. Everywhere I looked, there were venues, some inside their own areas, some not, all set up so that the people walking by could browse at their leisure. Clothing, jewelry, technology, even food stood on display.
As with the first fueling station we’d stopped at, I didn’t see any sign of the Rith, thank fuck. With so many people around, I bowed my head and slumped my shoulders, trying to look at least a little cowed, the way people probably expected a woman who belonged to three huge, hulking Xandari warriors to be.
I caught a glimpse of a red dress like I wore, or a collar on a woman’s neck like mine. Some of the slaves were leashed or cuffed, some wearing muzzles, some not. Yeah, most slaves to Xandari men probably weren’t as lucky as me.
We arrived at an entrance to an establishment at the center of the station where a large crowd gathered. Guards stood
watch over the doors, velvet-like ropes sectioned off the area out front, and soft, sultry music drifted from within. I had the impression of some kind of fancy club.
We crossed the large open hall toward the doors. To either side of them, long, wide windows offered me a glimpse inside. From here, the inside looked smoky and dark, with pulsing lights flickering off the walls. The music pounded with a catchy, rhythmic beat, like alien techno.
This was so out of a Star Wars movie.
Raul strode over to where the equivalent of an alien maitre de stood with a tablet in his hand. The alien was beautiful, blue-skinned and tall with long limbs and huge green eyes that covered almost the whole width of his head. Immediately, those eyes went to Raul’s hammak.
“Lesch ad teiem,” Raul said to the blue alien in another language. “Dthu agon Kudar Gavik?”
“He’s in the swan room, Hadu Raul.” The alien gave a deep bow.
Raul frowned. “Ah, news travels fast.”
Ignoring the alien’s bow, he headed into the club, Tarku keeping pace. Malek remained at his side, while Z’pheer and I followed a pace behind. Z’pheer kept a firm hold on my elbow, but somehow I knew it was for show. He didn’t grip as firmly as he would have a few weeks ago.
Around the corner, the room opened up, revealing an architect’s dream. With the exception of the wall behind me, the giant, circular room was wall-to-wall glass, showcasing one hell of a view of space. Onyx-colored marble covered the floor, and tables with iridescent lights built into the surfaces surrounded several dance floors. A sultry beat accompanied by an exotic flute-like melody floated in the atmosphere, making me want to swing my hips. Everything about the place was dark, moody, and fucking awesome.
I was pretty sure my mouth was hanging open with every step we took into the room.
Like in most nightclubs, small groups of club-goers clustered here and there, but the biggest cluster gathered in the back, behind a roped-off area. At least fifty people lounged or stood on a large makeshift dais beyond the ropes. I couldn’t make out much through the dark and smoke, but I assumed this was where we’d find our pirate.
Guards stood a few feet in front of the roped-off area, blocking entry. Raul leaned down and spoke to one of them, but with the music so loud, I couldn’t make out his words. Whatever he said to the guard must have satisfied him, because the other guard started checking each of the chests Malek and Z’pheer carried.
“No one gets in to see Kudar Gavik unchecked,” one of them said, nodding and closing the last chest.
“If I spent my life poaching everything from everyone around me, I’d be paranoid too,” Malek said.
Z’pheer snorted and picked up both chests. The guards gave Malek a nasty look for his remark but waved us on.
In single-file, we made our way through the throng. Before we could reach the steps to the area where Kundar supposedly held court, another blue-skinned alien blocked the way.
“State your business,” the alien said in gravelly Xandari. His voice sounded bored, and he didn’t look directly at us.
“Greetings. I am Raul of Xandar. I have business with Kudar Gavik.”
“Kudar Gavik isn’t seeing anyone today.”
Raul’s shoulders tensed. I wondered if Kudar knew what we were after and was shutting us out. I also wondered if the alien couldn’t see us very well in the dark, or else he wouldn’t have reacted that way to Raul
“Tell that pirate to change his plans. Our business can’t wait.”
“What is it regarding?”
“That is between us and Kudar.”
“I suggest you come another time then.” The blue alien nodded to a nearby guard.
Damn.
Raul lifted the hammak up for the blue alien to see, as if to say, “Look at this, asshole.”
The alien’s eyes widened, peering into the near darkness around us.
Raul let the hammak drop to his chest. “Tell Kudar Gavik Hadu Raul, son of Hadu Haruuk, is here to see him.”
“You are his…” He closed his eyes and his blue chest rose and fell hard before he opened them again. “Forgive me, Hadu. I didn’t know you were Haruuk’s son. Please follow me.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, yet unease crawled up my spine. That alien guard made me feel as if we’d gained audience with the alien equivalent of a Mafia kingpin.
Jesus, I hoped to hell Kudar Gavik would give us the weapon, and fast. When we’d first arrived, this place had seemed like heaven, but now I just wanted to get the fuck out of here.
Something told me this meeting with the alien pirate wasn’t going to go well.
34
The Price of Salvation
The blue alien led us through the throng of dancing extraterrestrial club-goers, toward a large entourage gathered near the back of the dais. The unease coiling in my gut knotted tighter the deeper into the throng we went. Everything about that entourage suggested the followers of some otherworldly and very dangerous overlord.
The throng parted easily for our escort, finally allowing me a good look at the club’s host.
As soon as I saw Kudar Gavik my eyes nearly bugged out of my head.
Nothing about the pirate was anything close to what I expected.
Around him, a gorgeous nebula of red and black spires outlined with stars towered outside the window that stretched behind Kudar’s… was that a throne he was sitting in? His entourage either knelt at his feet or danced nearby, talking quietly, each heavily decked in fine jewels and expensive looking robes.
Four guards with spears stood near Kudar’s throne, a high backed seat from which he watched over the crowd. There was even a woman—a Tara N’a crooning into a microphone on a near-by stage. Two women in next to nothing sat on the steps to the dais, both of them Tara N’a, and both attached to his wrists by leashes.
I only half noticed all of this, though. With the…being sitting on the throne, it was hard to see anything else.
Holy shit. That’s Kudar Gavik?
The pirate looked almost entirely human, except for three things. One, he was huge, almost half again big as Raul, his frame covered in thick, luxuriant black robes. Two, his head was crowned with thick black horns, each over two feet high. And three, long claws that looked like they could slice a human’s guts out in one swipe tipped each finger, some of them plated in gold. In a strange way, he was good looking, even with the horns, with chiseled features and deep, black eyes. He was almost hot, if pale in comparison to my three masters.
He looked bizarrely like the Dark One from Legend, minus the red skin.
Between him and his guards, I could see why Z’pheer had said that if we hadn’t had Malek with us when we came here, we might fail. If this negotiation went bad…
I swallowed. We are so dead.
Obviously, Raul and the others hadn’t been expecting this either, and none of them had ever met Kudar in person, because I saw Malek’s bare back ripple with tension, his eyes going to the guards. I thought I heard Z’pheer curse beside me under his breath. His hand tightened protectively on my elbow. Raul jerked as if someone had electrocuted him.
The men didn’t feel afraid, it was more like...readiness.
They were doing better than me. Thank god I’d gone to the bathroom on the Taricon, because, otherwise, I’d have pissed myself.
Our blue-skinned guide whispered into his master’s ear, then moved to stand next to him and the guards with the spears.
Raul stepped forward. “Kudar Gavik, I presume.” I thought I heard a touch of flippancy in his tone.
Kudar smiled, an expression that was a cross between gorgeous and terrifying, showing fangs the size of small knives. “You assume correct. You are only here because you are the son of Haruuk. You will make this quick.”
His voice was almost soft, a deep rumble. He probably spoke softly because if he didn’t, the walls would have come down. Even so, his voice was as scary as the rest of him.
Raul didn’t seem affected by his demand. �
��If you know my father, then you know why we are here, Kudar.”
“Yes.” He folded his hands across his gigantic middle, looking almost bored. “You have a Rith problem, and you want me to solve it just like last time.”
“Last time?” Malek rasped at Raul.
Raul sighed. “I was afraid of this. My father said you leant us soldiers in the last war.”
“Yes. Most of whom never made it back here.” His voice carried a hint of anger.
“Look, Kudar, let’s keep this simple. You have a weapon that will kill them. We need it. We are prepared to offer you something in return.”
He smiled again, a scary grin. “And therein lies your problem, Son of Haruuk.” He waved his hand at Raul, like he was batting away a pesky fly. “I have everything I could ever want or need.”
Careful not to make eye contact with anyone in the room, I sneaked a quick look at him. Jewels dripped from his neck and wrists, lined his belt, and even gleamed on his horns. His throne looked like it was made of solid gold, but paler in hue and no less rich. Certainly he had no shortage of followers—he was like a fucking celebrity.
“You don’t have this.” Raul nodded to the chests and Malek pushed one toward the throne with his foot.
Kudar jerked his head at one of the guards. The guard stepped forward and opened the chest. Kudar reached in and pulled out a diamond-shaped gem the size of the pendent Raul wore. It glittered, bright blue.
He cocked his head at Raul.
“Most of those are exceedingly rare, collected from all over our solar system,” Raul said. “My father’s collection. They’re worth more than anything you have here. You’ll have two chests filled with them, and you will have saved us. Again.”
The pirate would have to be a fool not to take them. He’d have something no one else had and would be a hero to the people of Xandar.
Kudar dropped the jewel into the chest and it fell in with a loud tinkling sound. “Your father was supposed to pay me in Byx Callian cash last time. But I asked for exactly this. Which means I have a chest full of these. I’m guessing he didn’t tell you that before he passed on.”
