Heretic

by Cyndi Friberg

  Unadulterated hatred flared in his eyes as he said the word branded. Dread dropped into her stomach like a stone. “Do you mean that literally?” Her throat was so tight she barely got the question out.

  He stood and tugged his T-shirt out from inside his jeans, then peeled the garment off over his head. Well-defined muscles rippled with each movement, momentarily distracting her from the images displayed on his smooth skin. Horrified, yet mesmerized, she pushed to her feet and lightly ran her fingers over the deep scar centered above his heart. A Rodyte word had been burned into his flesh in stylized letters. The scar was raised and discolored yet perfectly legible. She shuddered, unable to imagine the pain he must have endured.

  “This means heretic?” She knew the answer, but needed to hear him confirm it.

  “Yes.” He said nothing more.

  “How could they... I’m so sorry.”

  He grabbed her wrist and jerked her hand away. “I don’t want your pity.”

  “I don’t pity you. You’ve clearly used the pain they inflicted to make you strong. You took the word they meant to shame you and wear it like a badge of honor.”

  His fingers relaxed around her wrist, but didn’t let go. “If rejecting the lies they teach makes me a heretic, I accept the title gladly.”

  “Someone mentioned a change in the leadership of Harbinger Guild. Are things any better now?”

  He shrugged. “I’ve had no contact with anyone associated with Harbinger Guild since I left the academy.”

  She moved closer, resting her free hand on his chest. “But you didn’t just leave. You were rescued by the people you claim to hate.” His free arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush with his body. He still held her wrist slightly out to the side. The position made her smile. “Shall we dance?”

  “I have a better idea.” He released her wrist and lightly fisted the back of her hair. His head lowered slowly, giving her plenty of time to turn away.

  She didn’t. She wanted to kiss him, wanted to feel the tingling rush that accompanied his other kisses. He excited her, fascinated her, and she was tired of pretending otherwise. Her lips were slightly parted when his mouth settled over hers.

  He made a soft, throaty sound as he accepted the invitation. His tongue teased her lips for a moment then pushed deeper, exploring the interior of her mouth. She rubbed her tongue against his, greeted him with open enthusiasm.

  Her fingers splayed against his side, but his naked torso was too much of a temptation. She ran her hands over his arms and back, savoring the heat and muscular contours she’d been imagining for weeks. He was glorious, lean and overtly male. She wanted him, wanted passion to burn away reality. And he obviously wanted her. Ever since the battle born arrived on Earth she’d been focused on the greater good rather than her personal happiness. Well, she was ready to be selfish, if only for a while.

  They continued to kiss as Arton opened the front seam in her uniform top. The Outcasts had managed to scale their garments for the much smaller bodies of their females, but they didn’t have a molecular pattern for undergarments. As a result, the simple motion bared Lily’s breasts.

  He covered one soft mound, giving her a little squeeze before moving on to its twin. His thumb circled her nipple, then lightly rasped the tip, experimenting until he found which movements made her react.

  Both nipples were hard and tingly by the time he kissed his way down her neck. She arched helplessly, rubbing her belly against the hard proof of his need for her. He felt amazing and she wanted to explore him, wanted to wrap her fingers around him and take him deep into her body.

  “Gods, Lily. You’re so beautiful.” He whispered the words as his lips found one of her nipples. His lips parted and he sucked the beaded tip into his mouth.

  She moaned, the firm suction sending need spiraling through her body.

  He broke away suddenly and caught her wrist. “Not here.” Half leading, half dragging her behind him, he guided her into the adjoining bedroom. He let go long enough to tug off his boots and socks and unfasten his pants.

  Following his lead, she kicked off her shoes and shrugged out of her shirt. Her hands trembled as she reached for the fastener at the front of her pants. Was she really going to do this? He wasn’t a potential mate. This might be nothing more than a one-night stand. The possibility decreased the heat of her passion, threatening to snuff out the flame completely.

  He sighed. “If you’re not ready for this, I’ll wait until you are. I don’t want to—”

  His eyes rolled back in his head and his body crumpled to the deck at her feet.

  Lily let out a startled cry as she knelt at his side. He was breathing, but he was completely unresponsive. Pausing long enough to straighten out the leg twisted up under him, she snatched her top off the floor and ran for the cabin’s main door. She slipped on the shirt, hurriedly reactivating the seam as she went.

  Halfway across the living room the tether band engaged, sending pulses of pain all through her body. She screamed, grabbing her head as her knees buckled. Frantically scuttling backward, she managed to reverse course long enough to deactivate the tether. Pain still echoed through her body, but it receded enough to let her think. “Hello! Help!! Medical emergency!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, terrified that no one would hear her.

  The outer door slid open and the overlord hustled in. He was bare to the waist as he’d been earlier, but without the cape or munitions harness the display was much more noticeable. Arton’s physique was impressive, while Kage terrified.

  “What’s wrong?” He looked around impatiently. “Where’s Arton.”

  “In there.” She pointed toward the bedroom. “He’s having some sort of seizure.”

  Kage rushed across the room, snatching her off the floor by the upper arm as he went. She barely got her legs beneath her fast enough to keep from being dragged behind him. His massive hand let go just as suddenly as it had closed around her arm. He knelt at Arton’s side and felt for a pulse. Then the overlord spread his fingers wide, not an inch from Arton’s face. Pale blue light erupted from Kage’s palm, casting Arton’s features into high relief. Kage slowly passed his hand over his friend, progressing slowly from head to foot.

  Lily stood back and watched in awe as the overlord scanned Arton. “Is he all right?”

  Kage looked up and Lily gasped. His dark gaze was now shot through with ribbons of emerald green. And even more astonishing, the colors seemed to swirl, shifting and changing like the crystals inside a kaleidoscope. “He’s having a vision,” he announced casually. “If he’s still out in an hour, yell for me again.”

  And just like that the overlord strode from the room, leaving Lily fearful and confused.

  The images swirled through Arton’s mind, stimulating his body as well as his intellect. Long strands of opalescent hair slid over a pale white body. Graceful fingers grasped a sleekly muscled back, the pointed nails digging in hard enough to draw blood. The male’s powder-blue hair was short and mussed as if the female had run her fingers through it repeatedly. She straddled his hips, riding him vigorously with an ages old rocking motion. As she tossed back her hair and cried out sharply, Arton was able to see their faces for the first time. They had angular features and wide almond-shaped eyes that shimmered like colorless crystals, slashing cheekbones and nearly pointed chins. They looked like the mythical elves so popular on Earth.

  But why was he seeing them?

  The female climbed off her lover and slipped on a shiny black robe. “You may go.”

  The male looked annoyed and disappointed, but he gathered up his clothing and obeyed.

  Thick furs cushioning her feet as she strolled across the cavernous room. Two massive creatures fell into step, one on either side of the willowy female. Arton tensed and trepidation gripped his muscles, making his heart pound. They were the same sort of predators that had attacked their patrol teams, yet they responded to the female as if they were trusted pets. Roughly the size of Earth’s f
emale lions, their shape was largely feline, yet they had no fur. Instead they had thick, grayish-black skin that was armored like a reptile.

  She stood before a strange device, her hands extended, palms out. Encased in rough-hewn stones, the inner segments were smooth and glowing. Did the strange stones give off heat? Was that why she reached toward them?

  The animal on her left growled and its head snapped toward the door, golden eyes suddenly glowing. The armor plating on its neck stood up, forming a defensive ruff and making it look even more like a weaponized lion.

  She spoke a word Arton didn’t understand and the creature lay down, the ruff relaxing against its muscular neck. It propped its huge head on even bigger paws and closed its eyes, but its conical ears rotated slowly, likely scanning for audible signs of danger.

  She spoke again, though Arton couldn’t understand her and a different male stepped into the room. This one’s hair was blue as well, but the hue was brighter, more vivid. She turned from the glowing devise and watched her visitor approach.

  Must those beasts accompany you night and day? He sent the thought directly to her mind, which allowed Arton to understand him. Arton wasn’t sure why, but telepathic communication seemed to have a common language, at least in his visions.

  Most days I prefer karrons to you, she thought with an unapologetic smile. My battle cats are better behaved.

  The male didn’t react to her provocation. Instead he thought, If you continue with this recklessness, someone will catch you. It’s forbidden to venture above, and you know it.

  The female shrugged, clearly unconcerned. So they catch me. And then what? The Guiding Council is filled with old men and cowards.

  I’m on the Guiding Council, he reminded with a glare.

  She just smirked. I’m aware.

  Well, I wasn’t talking about the council. I was talking about them. If they catch you, you will—

  They are invaders! They don’t belong here.

  And as abruptly as the vision came to Arton, it disengaged.

  He gasped, blinking repeatedly as he waited for his eyes to clear.

  “Oh, thank God. Are you all right?” Lily’s worried tone helped him shake away the shadows from his mind. He didn’t want to frighten her, had no idea why the vision had gripped him so suddenly. His muscles protested as he sat up and looked around. Visions always drained his energy, and this one had been particularly vivid. He was on the floor in his bedroom and she was on her knees beside him. “I’m fine, but I need to tell Kage what I saw.”

  Using the bed for support, he struggled to his feet. She rushed to his side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You’re shaking. Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “The weakness will pass.” To prove his point, he removed his arm and headed for the door on wobbly legs.

  She followed him into the living room, looking concerned and a bit afraid. His jeans sagged a bit more with each unsteady step. He realized they were unzipped and quickly righted them. “Sorry about the interruption.” He smiled at her, but she still looked upset. “Why don’t you stay here? I won’t be long.”

  “I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.” She held up her arm, displaying the tether band. “Besides, I’d really like to hear what you saw.”

  “Fair enough,” he muttered and stepped out into the corridor. His legs stopped shaking, but he still felt horribly drained.

  “Figured you’d be by.” Kage motioned him inside. The overlord was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, making Arton feel underdressed for a change. “Have a seat,” Kage said to no one in particular. “You look like shit.”

  Lily and Arton chose chairs while Kage sat on the sofa, arms spread out to either side.

  “Why did you figure I’d be by?” Arton asked as Kage’s comment registered in his sluggish brain.

  Kage laughed. “Lily screamed her head off when you went down. I thought you were trying to kill her.”

  “I screamed my head off when the tether band engaged,” she corrected. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

  Another chuckle rumbled through his chest. “She does have some spirit I see. Good. There’s nothing worse than a cowering female.”

  “Do you want to hear about my vision or not?” He was honestly too tired to care.

  “Always.” Kage banked his amusement, but his dark eyes still gleamed.

  “I saw two beings, well, three if you count the very beginning. I hesitate to call them humanoid. They were ethereal and...elfish is the only word that fits.”

  “Describe them in more detail.”

  “The female had the most extraordinary hair. Down to her knees, and it shimmered with iridescent colors like a fire opal. And her eyes looked like crystal, colorless yet intensely reflective. Both males had blue hair and the strange crystalline eyes. All three were tall and lithe.”

  “And what do these colorful elves have to do with us?” The question was tinged with mockery, but Arton didn’t take offense. He would have been skeptical too.

  “I wasn’t sure they had anything to do with us until two of the predators that have been attacking our guards appeared at her side.” He gave Kage a moment to absorb the implication. “They’re called karrons, by the way. I’m pretty sure that was their species, not an individual name. She called them her battle cats.” Kage just stared at him, so Arton asked, “How sure are the scout teams that this planet is uninhabited?”

  Kage shook his head. “The science teams ran every scan in existence before they recommended this planet. Both Scarlett and Rhett are uninhabited.”

  “But Rhett hasn’t always been,” Arton pointed out. “Several of their reports mentioned ruins.”

  “Yes, ruins,” Kage stressed. “Crumbling cities from long dead civilizations.” He straightened, rubbing his scruffy chin as he often did when he was deep in thought. Suddenly, he shook his head and said, “It must have been an echo, a psychic memory of the beings that once lived here.”

  Arton wasn’t convinced, but he nodded. “I was able to understand part of what they said to each other, and it sure as hells sounded like they were talking about us. She called us ‘invaders’ and insisted that we didn’t belong here.”

  “I awarded Torak the Relentless. I’ll have him rerun the scans.”

  “The male told her it was forbidden to, how did he put it? Venture above. Do the scans penetrate the surface?”

  Kage scooted to the edge of the cushions and rested his forearms on his knees. “They can, but it’s time-consuming and mind-numbingly tedious.”

  “Give Torak my apologies, but I think it needs to be done.”

  “Understood. I’ll tell him.”

  “Thank you.” Arton stood and held out his hand toward Lily.

  She stood as well, but slipped her hands into her pockets, her gaze darting toward Kage then away. Her expression was tense and uncertain, not intrigued, so he guided her toward the door with his hand at the small of her back.

  The privacy panel slid closed behind them and she shivered. “That man scares me to death.”

  He smiled. “He has that effect on a lot of people.” He scanned open his door and they walked inside before she responded.

  “But not you. Why aren’t you intimidated by him?”

  “I’ve known him forever, long before he was overlord.”

  “Really?” Curiosity burned away her unease. “How did you meet?”

  He sighed, frustrated by their digression. “Are we really going to do this tonight? I’m exhausted and grumpy.”

  “All right.” She didn’t sound pleased, but she let it go. He took her by the hand and led her away from the door. “Is the Relentless a ship?”

  “Yes. It’s the flagship, newest and best in our fleet. The warlords were at each other’s throats until Kage reassigned it.”

  “Reassigned it?” Her steps lagged as they neared the doorway leading to his bedroom. She tugged her hand out of his as she asked, “Who commanded it before?”

  Too tired to confr
ont her hesitation, he just stopped and faced her. “Kage. The Relentless is his pride and joy. It just about killed him to give it up.”

  “When he moved to the Viper.” She nodded finally understanding the sequence of events. “Why does the overlord trust this Torak to take care of his pride and joy?”

  “Like the ship, Torak Payne is our best and brightest. He was the only real choice.” He took her hand again and continued toward the bedroom. The tension in her arm warned him that the passionate moment was long past. “I really am exhausted. I need sleep, and so do you.”

  She motioned toward the sofa. “Can’t we drag it closer to the bedroom?”

  He stopped and framed her face with his hands. “I will never touch you in a sexual way unless you welcome the exchange. There is no reason for your fear.”

  She lowered her lashes as color erupted on her cheeks. “That’s not what I’m worried about. I’m not sure I can keep my hands to myself. Can you put a shirt on?”

  He’d forgotten he was shirtless. “Of course.” It pleased him that she found him tempting, but he’d meant what he said. He wouldn’t join his body with hers until there was no doubt about her willingness. He moved to the inset dresser and pulled out a clean undershirt.

  “Are you considered a warlord?”

  He put on the clingy white garment before answering her question. “I’m a sorcerer. Haven’t you heard?” He punctuated the question with a grin.

  “Warlords and elves and sorcerers.” She laughed. “Sounds like I’m trapped in a video game.”

  “No. You’re just on an alien planet far away from Earth.”

  Her smile faded and she walked to the bed and pulled down the covers. “I don’t need the reminder. Evidence is everywhere I look.”

  Her feet were bare, but she climbed into bed fully dressed. “You’re going to sleep in your clothes?”

  “Yes, and so are you.”

  Knowing better than to argue with the determination in her eyes, he just smiled and climbed in beside her. She immediately rolled to her side, facing away from him. He slipped one of his arms under her neck and wrapped the other around her waist. She tensed, but didn’t object.