by Bianca D'Arc
He was much closer than she’d thought. She looked up to meet his gaze as he stood only a few feet away from her.
“There’s something we need to discuss. Have you eaten recently?” His expression seemed open enough, though she worried about what he might want to talk to her about in private.
“I could eat,” she said, standing and securing her station. They walked together, off the bridge and down to the galley.
He served them both before he started on the topic he wanted to discuss. Jana realized she was quite hungry, after all, and nibbled on the meal he’d set before her while he got down to business.
“Jana, I think you realize your appearance is going to make it almost impossible to disguise you adequately for this mission. The crystals in your skin can’t be hidden, and we can’t take the chance that members of the collective will recognize you. You were one of their top ship captains. A lot of people will have seen your face.” Darak laid out the facts while they ate.
“I can’t argue with your logic,” she admitted. “If nothing else, the crystal shards are a liability. I can hide the ones on my body under clothing, but the ones on my face…” She trailed off, letting her fingers glance over the permanent jewelry embedded in the skin of her face.
“Right,” Darak agreed. “Which is why I want you to stay on board when I go down to the surface of Mithrak.” He looked up from his meal and sought her gaze.
“I may not remember much about my previous life, but I do remember that I’m not used to inactivity. If there’s a mission happening, I like to be in the middle of it,” she stated truthfully. “But I do realize why you’re asking this. Truly, I do. You want to keep me safe and your concern is something I value highly. It’s been a long time since anybody’s cared about my welfare, Darak, and I treasure that. But I can’t help but think that you might need me along with you on this mission. For one thing, I know how the collective works. I can tell you what they’re going to do even before they do it—both from experience and because…” She took a deep breath before revealing the discovery she’d been fighting against. “Because the closer we get to them, the louder the Voice is at the back of my mind. I can hear them, Darak. They’re getting clearer all the time.”
Darak frowned and reached across the table to take one of her hands in his. “Is it dangerous? Will you fall into the collective again?”
“I don’t believe so,” she answered. “I can hear them, but it’s as if they are totally unaware of me. Maybe the crystals block them from recognizing my mind as a separate entity. I don’t know. But whatever it is, this doesn’t feel the same way the Voice used to feel in my head.”
“Describe it for me,” Darak prompted, not unkindly.
“Before, the Voice was a compulsion. Something I had to obey no matter what. I had no free will of my own, and it was aware of me in every way. It could rip apart my mind and rifle through my thoughts whenever it wanted, or it could take me over completely—which it did for long periods of time.” She shuddered remembering the oily feeling in her mind after those instances. “Now, it’s separate. Like something I’m overhearing that has no idea I’m there at all. I feel no connection to it. No need to obey it. I can just hear it and observe from afar. It seems to have no interest in me.”
“But that could change, couldn’t it? If Kol or someone like him saw you. Couldn’t they use that connection to try to enslave your mind again?” Darak insisted.
“I know they would try, but I think the crystals would stop them. I think they protect me in some way. Isolate me from the collective while still allowing me to hear the Voice.”
“What is it saying?” Darak’s gaze was intense.
“Mostly indistinct murmuring right now, but occasionally I hear words. I believe as we get closer, it will become clearer. I can tell you that earlier, when I was working on Kol’s likeness, I heard a directive to burn something. A farmhouse, I think. The Voice sounded angry. Like it had been thwarted in some way.”
Darak sat back in his chair, regarding her steadily. “We’ll be in range in the next few hours, for long scan. I’ll ask Agnor to check for any fires—or heat signatures—on the ground. Maybe you can help us pinpoint a location to start our search for Kol.” Jana nodded, wanting to help in any way she could. “And I want Agnor to run a few more tests. If your abilities are changing, it would be best to analyze the nature of the change. For one thing, we need to determine if this new skill is coming from within yourself, or being imposed from the outside.”
“You mean the collective, right?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so, but you’re wise to check. I have no objection to more tests. I’d like to be as certain as I can, too. I’d rather die than go back to the collective.” She swallowed hard and steeled herself to ask something of him that she had been dreading. “If it comes to that, Darak, I want your promise. Shoot me yourself before you let me go back to them.”
Darak scowled. “I’ve told you already—it won’t come to that. Which is why I want you here, safely aboard the Circe. She has cloaking technology unlike any other ship in space, right now. Everything on her is cutting edge technology. She will keep you safe, even when I can’t.”
“But what if—”
He cut her off. “No, Jana. If I have to make it an order, I will. Hells, if I have to tie you up myself, I’ll do it. I don’t want you coming down to the planet. Let us handle this. Just do what you can from up here to keep us informed of anything you might hear.”
Jana didn’t like it, but finally she nodded her agreement. “I can do that.”
“Good. Now, when was the last time you slept?” Darak rose from the table, disposing of their trash as he escorted her toward the hatch.
“I don’t really remember. A lot has been happening. I don’t even know what shift it is.” She laughed at her own absent-mindedness, and Darak joined in with a chuckle.
“You know, I don’t either.” He ran one hand through his hair. “I think we both need some downtime.”
She paused in front of her cabin’s door, suddenly realizing that things were changing rapidly. He was going down to the surface of Mithrak, and there was a chance he might never come back. Something inside her refused to believe it, but another part worried. And yet another part wanted to grab what little happiness she could before everything went to hell.
Jana stepped closer to him as he stood with her in front of her hatch. “If I ask nicely, will you come inside?” She didn’t quite know where the words were coming from, but from the widening of his eyes, they seemed to have the desired effect.
“Are you sure?” His voice had dropped to a low, seductive rumble.
“No, but I know I want you with me tonight. Or today. Or whatever time it is.” She smiled and stepped into his embrace, reaching up to kiss him gently. “I didn’t like remembering Kol. Come help me erase him from my mind again. Replace the bad memories with good ones.”
“I can do that,” he promised with a sexy growl in his voice. He kissed her right there in the hallway, pushing her back up against the bulkhead.
The first touch of his lips erased any lingering bad memories, just as she’d hoped. Even more, Darak’s kisses had a way of making her forget everything but the sensations he aroused in her awakening body.
It wasn’t until one of the young yeomen passed by, making enough noise to shake Jana out of her reverie, that she realized they were still in the public corridor. She pulled away, shocked to find Darak had her breast in his hand, thankfully under her shirt. The yeoman hadn’t seen her flesh, though he had to know what they’d been doing.
Even after all her exposure to the casual sharing of pleasure aboard the Circe, Jana still felt uncomfortable. And, if she was honest, a little naughty…in a good way. But she couldn’t just drop the strict ideas she’d been raised with in a few short days.
Jana palmed the locking mechanism, and the hatch slid open next to them. Daring greatly, she dragged a very willing Darak by the collar into her room and mad
e sure the hatch closed and locked behind them. Darak was chuckling when she turned to look up at him.
But he stopped laughing when she dropped her clothing, bit by bit, leaving a trail of garments from the hatch to the bed. His penetrating gaze followed her every move, and when she was fully naked, she struck a pose for him, crooking one finger in invitation.
Darak stripped off in record time, following the short path she had forged, his clothing falling on top of hers. When he reached her side, he was as naked as she, and he wasted no time pressing his body against hers.
His hard muscles and slightly rougher skin made her feel soft and womanly. The almost reverent way he touched her made her feel like a precious jewel he wanted to admire and pamper. When he lifted her in his arms and placed her down on the bed, she felt as if she was flying for a moment out of time, safe in his strong arms.
His lovemaking was soft and gentle, this time. There was no rush once he’d brought their bodies together. He took his time arousing her in every way. He spent long minutes worshiping her breasts, working his way slowly down her abdomen, pausing to swirl his tongue lightly around her navel.
And then, he went lower. He caressed her legs apart, kissing his way between her thighs until she moaned in pleasure. His tongue played over and within her folds, setting up an expert rhythm that brought her to a small completion within moments. But he didn’t let her go. He started over, bringing her higher than ever before, reigniting the fires even hotter, until finally, she was ready to burst into a fireball of need.
Only then did he join their bodies together, taking her with that same gentle strength that made him so different from any other being she had ever known. Only Darak had showed her that sex could be tender as well as passionate. Only Darak had ever wanted her to enjoy the act as much—if not more—than he did. Only Darak made her feel…loved.
Whether it was real or not, she felt the caring of his heart for her with her empathic senses. In this moment, for this small space of time, she was important to him.
That meant something.
Even if it turned out to be false in the morning, right now was what mattered to her. It mattered that the man who took her body also cared for her enjoyment, for her sanity, for her comfort. Darak felt those things. She knew he put her pleasure above his own.
And for that, she would always cherish this special time with him.
CHAPTER TEN
It was hard to leave her. Jana had come to mean so much to him in so short a time. She was fast becoming the center of his universe. But she still carried a heavy burden on her shoulders and in her mind. Darak would do anything to alleviate her pain. Including hunting down the man who had hurt her so badly. Darak hoped Kol would resist arrest. He was itching for a reason to kill the other man.
But first, he had to find him. Agnor had found evidence of several fires on the surface of the planet in recent days. Apparently, the Wizards liked to burn out the homes of those who disagreed with him, or tried to keep their Talented children hidden. From all accounts, that’s what had happened to Jana and Jeri’s home.
Their parents had been killed and the farm burnt to the ground. Jeri had escaped by hiding with the herds of horses their family had raised. Jana hadn’t been so lucky. She’d been swept up in the Wizard’s cull—which is what they called the annual visit by a group of red-robed Wizards on Mithrak.
On Plectar, Darak now knew since meeting Zane, they called it the Tithe, and different traditions had grown up around the collection of Talents by the collective. On Plectar, they took both warriors and Talents. On Mithrak, only Talents, since the native population was mostly herders and farmers.
The fires were a good clue about where to start looking for Kol. Where there was a Talent being collected, Kol would probably be close at hand, ready to subdue the young mind and subvert it to the collective. Such a task would require a powerful mind and couldn’t be left to thralls or soldiers. It would have to be done by one of the puppet masters.
Darak had chosen to take Seta and Agnor with him down to the planet. If nothing else, Seta was perfect for distracting men—and many women, too. A former Virulan sex slave, Seta has certain skills and a willingness to show her body that would easily scandalize the straight-laced natives of Mithrak.
And Agnor, though taller than most people, blended in very well when he chose to be stealthy. He had a way of moving silently and not attracting attention that was the exact opposite of Seta’s skills. She was all about standing out. Agnor was good at concealment. Darak wasn’t sure what would be called for, so he took them both with him.
Parting from Jana was painful but necessary. She meant too much to him for him to risk her safety on this mission. But he hated leaving her behind.
She was just starting to come into her own. Her true personality was beginning to emerge, and he liked Jana on every level. She stimulated him in every way possible, including intellectually, which wasn’t something he found very often. Her strength of character was impressive. She had let him peruse the data crystal Zane had given her while she was in the shower, and he’d zeroed in on the final missions she had run for the collective.
She’d been rejecting the collective’s power over her as much as she could. He could see that in the reports from the Plectaran soldiers. And it was clear those same soldiers admired her leadership. They were loyal to her—not necessarily the collective.
Darak had to stop thinking about her, though. He was on a mission, in the middle of enemy territory for all intents and purposes. Mithrak may not like the way the Wizard’s collective harvested their children, but Mithrakians had no choice. Their planet was firmly under the control of the collective and had been for many years. Darak would find few friends here if they knew he had come from a Council world.
Mithrak was a place of moral strictures and social laws that made no sense to someone raised in the permissive society of Geneth Mar. Mithrakians would never accept the morals—or lack of them, as they saw it—of Council Talents. They preferred the rigid rule of the collective, which did not encourage or showcase what went on behind closed doors.
What had been done to Jana would never be common knowledge, though it probably had happened to many others unfortunate enough to gain the notice of one of the more perverted puppet masters. Mithrak simply didn’t know that their children could be abused in such a way. In fact, once the children were taken, they were never seen again on Mithrak.
Darak wasn’t concentrating when he ran afoul of a red-robed Wizard on the street of a small town. It wasn’t the blue skinned bastard he was after, but one of the others. Darak went quietly when the Wizard demanded his ID credentials and detained him until his status could be clarified. A platoon of soldiers backed up the lone Wizard, and Darak realized he was well and truly caught. For now.
Not even two hours on the surface of Mithrak, and he’d already been arrested. Good going, StarLord.
* * *
“What do you mean he’s been arrested?” Jana jumped out of her chair, shouting at Agnor through the comm.
Trini and the two yeomen were on the bridge with her since the other three were on the surface. She hadn’t been expecting Agnor to comm, but had been standing by, just in case.
“I’m not totally sure what happened. We dare not use our Talents while under such close observation, so I can’t ‘path him to ask. I only know that Seta saw him being arrested by a platoon of warriors under the direction of a brown-skinned man in a red robe.”
“So, at least he didn’t run straight into Kol,” Jana muttered. “But red robes are bad. They indicate higher-ranking Wizards. They usually carry control scepters, like I did.”
“You were one of these red robes?” Agnor asked, seeming unable to stop his innate curiosity.
“No. Wrong branch. I was strictly military. It takes a different set of skills and inclinations to be in collections. But the control crystals were only given to those of high enough power and rank to use them. In collections…well…those
Talents want to be there. They want to be part of the collective and are actively seeking promotion to higher ranks. Most of them aspire to be part of the Voice, and probably are given some of that authority when they’re on collection runs, but I have no idea how that sort of thing is decided long term. I had the crystal only so I could complete my missions. They didn’t trust me with any more than that. I was merely a handy tool to be used and discarded. The red robes are active players in the political game.” She frowned. “Darak being taken by one is a really bad thing. At some point, they’ll try to probe his mind.”
“And find his shielding,” Agnor finished the thought that spelled doom for Darak and his mission.
“I’m coming down,” Jana said decisively.
“I don’t think—” Agnor began, as did the others who were listening in on the bridge, but she cut them all off.
“That’s Darak down there. His life is in the balance, and I can help. I have to try.”
Nobody argued any further. Jana had already dressed ready for action. She’d taken a few things from the armory and ordered appropriate clothing from the fabricator hours ago, including a scarf she could wrap around her head, to hide part of her face and the small crystals embedded there. She had wanted to be prepared, just in case. It looked like her preparations had not been in vain.
She was ready to go immediately and didn’t see the sense in waiting. She stepped onto the pad and gave the nod. Within seconds, she had translocated down to the planet, inside the humble hotel room that Agnor had rented.
“Where’s Seta?” she asked, noting they were alone in the single room.
“She went out to try to help Darak, but she’s been gone too long,” Agnor admitted. “And I don’t think this location will remain safe much longer. We should go.”
“No.” Jana touched Agnor’s arm, stilling his motion. “You should go. Back to the ship.”
