by J. J. Green
Nai Nai had also told her that her father was dead. If her mother had ended up married to that evil Sherrerr, it meant that Stefan had probably killed him. Carina shivered then sobbed. She wept for her dead father and in pity for her mother. What had her life been like in the years she’d been gone?
It was no wonder she hadn’t recognized her mother at first. She bore little resemblance to Carina’s dim memories of the happy, gentle woman from her toddlerhood. The poor, poor woman. Nai Nai had warned her so seriously and so often for good reasons. Her mother was living proof of the old woman’s words.
And of course, little Darius hadn’t told her of his mother’s dreadful plight. At six years old, he would have no idea of the true situation of his family. Carina tried to remember what he’d said about his brothers and sisters. She seemed to remember he had four or five. Some of them were mages and some weren’t. That made sense. If only one parent was a mage, some offspring would inherit powers and some wouldn’t. Stefan had bred at least two or three more mages on her mother. Now he would want to add her to his collection.
Carina recalled her joy at seeing little Darius again. Now she understood the connection she’d felt with him. He was more than another mage to her. They shared the same blood.
The door opened. Carina stiffened. Stefan entered the cell. “Wait here,” he said to someone behind him before closing the door. He leaned his back against it, regarding her as he folded his arms across his chest. Amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes.
Stefan’s manner was the most disarming thing about him. If he hadn’t tortured her within an inch of her life, Carina could have mistaken her mother’s husband at first glance for a normal, not-unlikable man. He was very good-looking, and though he was middle-aged he wore the years well. When he wasn’t inflicting pain and cruelty on others, his expression was intelligent. The monster inside him was obviously only visible when the occasion merited it.
Years of surviving alone on the streets and then fighting as a merc had given Carina nerves of steel, yet this man scared her. She couldn’t imagine what he might be capable of, and neither did she want to find out.
“Ah, Carina,” said Stefan. “You have no idea of the joy it gives me to find you at last. I knew your mother had borne a child before she came to me. Though she always denied it, I can tell these things, you know. I knew there was at least one more mage brat running around in this part of the galaxy. But it isn’t only your powers that make me so pleased to meet you.”
He squatted on his heels so that he was at eye level with Carina.
“As I look at you now,” he went on, “I’m reminded so strongly of the first time I met your mother. She was a little older than you then, but just as beautiful. Time has worn her features—strongly as it turns out now that I have the opportunity to compare the two of you, but she was breath-taking then. There’s a special beauty to women who are hurt and despairing. I love their vulnerability. It excites me no end.”
“I’m glad to meet you too, Stefan,” Carina said. “I always promised myself that if I ever found out who had taken my parents from me, I would make them pay. And now I’ve finally found you.”
“Ha! I’m sorry to have to disappoint you on that score, my dear. Your mother has threatened me with her revenge too many times to count, yet here I am. And here you two are, under my control. You won’t be harming me in any way. On the contrary, you’ll be helping me.”
“I’ll kill you first.” Carina stood up, though her restraints pulled at her wrists and her legs could barely take her weight. The after-effects of the nerve torture screamed at her, telling her to be still.
If only he would come closer.
Stefan laughed. “I believe your mother said the very same words. Yet look where her defiance got her.” He also rose to his feet. “Your arrival is as fortuitous as hers was. Through the careful deployment of her powers, my status in my family has risen considerably. I’m looking forward to adding you to my stable of mages now that we Sherrerrs are embarking on our push to destroy our competition and rise to supremacy. I imagine you have abilities that exceed even your own poor, dear mother’s.”
“I wouldn’t fight the Sherrerrs’ war for them even if I could,” Carina replied. “Not after what you’ve done to my family.”
“Hmmm...so you’re also holding to the lie that mages cannot kill. I never believed your mother, and I don’t believe you. You will fight for me, Carina, and willingly. Do you think I can’t make you? You’re mistaken. I have many years’ experience of dealing with your mother. I know exactly how to force her to bend to my will, as you found out earlier. I have no doubt that the same methods will work on you.”
Carina didn’t reply. She was willing him to move closer to her.
And then he did.
His confident swagger as he sauntered across the small space told her what he had in mind. She reasoned that a few moments’ disgust was well worth the result.
“I have another reason to be thankful you turned up just now, Carina,” Stefan said softly. His pupils were wide in spite of the strong light in the room. “Your mother won’t be giving me any more children, but you’re young and healthy. I’m sure you could bring seven or eight little ones into the world with my help. Another brood of mages would cement the domination of the Sherrerr clan, and in time, it would be natural for me to lead it. How does that sound? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be the Lady Sherrerr? First woman of this galactic sector.”
He was so close she could feel his breath on her skin, hot and humid. But she couldn’t act. She had to wait for the right moment. To hide her expression of loathing, she turned her face away. Stefan took her movement for acquiescence. He pressed his body against her, grasped her jaw, and pulled her face around to his. As he kissed her, he squeezed her breast hard while his other hand snaked down between her legs.
Carina twisted her head violently downward and fastened her teeth on Stefan’s neck. She bit him with all her strength, grinding her teeth to reach his jugular vein. At Stefan’s scream, the door flew open. A moment later, something struck her head, breaking her bite on Stefan’s neck and nearly knocking her out.
She sank to the floor, his blood dripping from her chin. Stefan also fell. His hand clutched his neck, and blood ran from between his fingers, but it didn’t run fast enough. She hadn’t managed to reach his vein.
“Should I stun her, sir?” the guard asked.
Grimacing in pain, Stefan replied, “No.” He gasped, “No, leave her be.” The blood from his neck dribbled slowly down to his shirt. Though he continued to wince at the pain Carina had caused him, she was amazed and sickened to see a smile form on his lips. “Thank you for that, my dear. I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to be with a woman who truly fights. I will enjoy our first encounter very much indeed.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Several hours after Stefan departed, the door to Carina’s cell opened once again. This time, two guards entered. While one kept his weapon trained on her, the other unfastened her restraints and hauled her to her feet. After tying her hands behind her back, the first guard pushed her out of the cell.
“Where are you taking me?” Carina asked. Neither of the guards answered. They only guided her through the starship’s corridors.
It was a large, military vessel similar to the one the Sherrerrs had used to blow up Banner’s Moon, no doubt intended to take part in the effort to “destroy the competition” that Stefan had mentioned. She wondered if Stefan had commanded her to be brought to him so that she could Cast in an upcoming battle.
To her surprise, when the guards finally opened another door and pushed her through, she found herself in the entrance to a living compartment. The ties around her wrists were removed and the guards left and closed the door. The low murmur of quiet voices came from the lounge area. Carina followed the sound and found herself looking at a group of children, presumably her new family. A boy and girl of about the same age were playing a 3D game, a teenage girl was
drawing on a holoscribe, a younger boy was wrestling with his sister on the floor, and Darius was lying across a sofa, his feet up on its arm as he read from an interface.
He was the first to notice her. “Carina,” the little boy exclaimed. He threw down his screen and ran over to her, then stopped. “What’s that on your face?
Her mother appeared in a doorway. She turned pale as she met Carina’s gaze. She swept across the room to grab her in her arms. “You’re hurt,” she said. “Come and sit down. I’ll call a medic.”
Carina finally understood what Darius had meant. “It’s okay. It isn’t my blood. It’s Stefan’s.” She rubbed away the dry, crusty flakes.
The relief that swept across her mother’s features was quickly followed by horror. “What did he do to you? What has he done?” Her voice rose to an almost hysterical pitch.
“He hasn’t done anything,” Carina replied. “I’m okay. Really.”
Her mother covered her face with her hands. “Oh, Carina. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I tried so hard to protect you.”
“It isn’t your fault,” said Carina. “None of this is. It’s that Sherrerr bastard who’s to blame. I’m not going to let him get away with it.”
“What’s a bastard?” Darius asked.
“Oh, nothing,” said Carina’s mother. “A bad man.”
“Are you talking about Father? Is he a bastard? He is a bad man. He ordered the guards to catch Carina. I hate him.”
Carina’s mother shushed the child and glanced fearfully into the living room. The teenage boy and his younger sister had stopped wrestling and were watching and listening to everything that was going on. All the children were. The boy and girl had stopped playing their game and the teenage girl was looking at them over her holoscribe. Carina’s mother took a deep breath. She took Carina by the hand and led her fully into the room. “Children, I would like you to meet your sister, Carina.”
After a moment’s pause, the boy and girl who had been playing the 3D game came over and hugged her around her waist. The girl introduced herself as Oriana, and the boy said his name was Ferne. The teenage girl said gravely, “I’m very pleased to meet you, Carina. I’m Parthenia.” She remained where she was. The teenage boy and younger girl ignored Carina and resumed their wrestling.
“That’s Castiel,” her mother said, gesturing to the boy, “and Nahla.”
Now that she heard the names again, bits and pieces of what Darius had told Carina about his family came back to her. She remembered that he hadn’t particularly liked Castiel, and that the boy had no mage powers. She imagined it would be hard growing up among siblings who could do things you couldn’t.
Her mother announced, “Carina has had a difficult time and needs to rest. She’ll be able to talk to you all and get to know you later.” She took her hand to lead her away.
“Awww, Mother,” said Darius. “I want Carina to play with me now.”
“You’ll just have to be patient,” her mother replied. She took her into a bedroom.
After closing the door, her mother clasped her close and held her so tightly she could hardly breathe. Carina hugged her mother back as sobs wracked the woman’s thin body. She felt like if she pressed too hard on the frail back, her bones would break.
Her mother was repeating the same words over and over through her tears. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Eventually, Carina gently loosened her mother’s hold on her and held her at arms’ length. The poor woman looked even worse than she had the last time she’d seen her. Carina didn’t know how she was still standing. She guided her across to a bed and sat her down, wrapping her arms around her.
“I missed you, Ma,” she said.
“I missed you too, darling,” her mother replied, her voice thick with bitter sorrow. “When Darius told me a mage had rescued him and her name was Carina, I could hardly believe it. How could it possibly be you? And yet after he described your appearance I knew it was you—that by some strange, amazing coincidence it was my daughter who had returned my son to me.
“I knew how lonely you must be. Such is the life of a mage. I wanted to send you a sign that you weren’t alone, that someone knew who and what you are. I hoped it would give you some comfort, even if I could do nothing else to help you. But I wish I’d never sent you those the elixir ingredients or one of your grandmother’s stones. That was so stupid of me. I would rather have never seen you again than have you end up here with me and the other children.”
Carina put her hand atop her mother’s. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not a child any longer. I can get us all out of this, and I will. I won’t let Stefan or any other Sherrerr hurt you or any of my brothers or sisters ever again.”
Her mother smiled sadly. “I wish that were possible. I’ve tried so many times. I’ve come so close but each time I failed. Stefan is too clever and his control is too strong. Why else do you think you’re here? Why hasn’t he kept you locked up in a cell?”
Carina had wondered about that. It seemed strange that her mother’s husband would allow them to be together and give them the opportunity to plot their escape.
“It’s because he knows the closer we are emotionally to each other, the greater the hold he has over us,” her mother explained. “He wants you and I to renew our relationship and for you to bond with your sisters and brothers. Then, to force us to Cast as he wishes, all he has to do is threaten to hurt someone we love. For a man with a heart that’s never known anything but avarice and lust for power, he has a remarkable understanding of love. Like when he was torturing you. I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t allow you to suffer that pain, even though I knew you would suffer worse things and for longer, if I confessed what you are.” She began to weep again.
Carina hugged her. “You didn’t make him do that, and your confession didn’t change anything. He knew what I was. He was only enjoying torturing both of us, just in different ways.”
“I know,” her mother said, “but still, I gave in, again.”
“Mother, please don’t blame yourself. None of this is your fault.”
Carina also felt like crying. Her mother’s wretchedness was unbearable. But she wanted to remain strong. Perhaps her mother could draw strength from her own.
“Carina.” Her mother swallowed. “I have to tell you, your father… he’s gone. Stefan swore that he would let him go free if I would only tell him what mages can do. He lied. When I’d given him the information he wanted, he brought Kris in, and… ”
“Please… ” Carina sat and gripped her mother’s hands until she finally mastered her emotions. “I knew. I already knew about Daddy.”
“You knew? How did you know?”
“Nai Nai told me he was dead. She said she didn’t know what had happened to you, but that Daddy had died. I don’t know how she knew. Maybe as she was his mother, she felt it somehow. But that man Stefan isn’t going to hurt any of us anymore. It stops here.”
“I’ve wanted it to stop for so long, Carina. I wished for it so hard. I tried everything I could, but he’s too smart and too evil. All I hope for these days is for everything to finally end, one way or another.”
“Don’t give up. I’ve been in some hard places and I always found a way out. I’ll find a way out of this too, for all of us.”
“That’s the problem. It has to be all of us or none of us. Anyone who’s left behind will be made to pay for the escape of the others. That’s one of the things that makes it so hard to leave.”
Carina suddenly regretted her reckless attempt to kill Stefan. She hadn’t thought about what his family might do to her mother if she’d succeeded.
“Besides,” her mother went on. “I’m not sure if all the children want to be free of him. Parthenia seems to want to please him. And he isn’t mean to Castiel or Nahla. They love him like any child loves its father.”
Carina recalled the non-mage children in the family, who hadn’t said a word when she was introduced. She hadn’t felt the natural emotional closeness she’d imme
diately felt for Darius, the twins, and even the reserved Parthenia. Yet Castiel and Nahla were her mother’s children too. Of course she had to love them just as much as the ones who had inherited her mage powers.
“Castiel and Nahla don’t know what their father is capable of,” Carina said. “If they did, they wouldn’t want to stay with him.”
Her mother’s wan, grief-stricken face sank further. “I don’t know if that’s true.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Stefan’s first move was to try to involve Carina in the upcoming attack on one of the Dirksens’ military bases, a planet called Cestrarth. He brought her to the battle planning meeting.
Stefan was taking no chances with her physical freedom. He had her tied painfully tightly to a chair that was set back a little from the meeting table. Castiel sat next to her. No one had said why. Carina wondered if Stefan was training up his son and her half-brother in his role as a torturer of the mages in the family.
Carina noticed with satisfaction that Stefan’s neck still bore the wound of her attack. The ship’s medic had applied a healing gel, but her bite mark was easy to see, each tooth distinct. Ha, Mother managed to keep the Heal Cast a secret, she thought. She smiled grimly to herself. The next time he gave her an opening, Stefan wouldn’t survive.
She considered it oddly over-confident that he was making her attend the battle planning. She would of course become privy to the Sherrerrs’ strategies and tactics. Either Stefan’s need to show off his new mage to the other Sherrerrs was blinding him to the danger, or she was attending a mock meeting where she was only being fed facts that it was safe for her to know.
The meeting attendees filed in. Unlike Stefan, they wore the Sherrerr uniform. The family insignia was reiterated on their collars at a frequency that accorded with their rank. The officers were all older than Stefan too. A gray-haired woman called Tremoille took the seat nearest Carina, giving her only a cursory glance. One of the woman’s arms was prosthetic. A portly man with a long face arrived next and sat opposite Carina. He proceeded to stare at her unblinkingly. A short, younger woman sat next to him. When the next officer arrived, Carina stiffened.
