Flames of Arousal

by Kerce, Ruth D.

  “We have control of those?”

  “Yes. At least, partially. They’re coming back online now.”

  “Fine. Set it up and have the data show on both our screens. I want to monitor.

  What happens if it’s not a missile, but something larger? Are we prepared?”

  She wished he hadn’t asked. “I’d rather not think about it. We’re not prepared for anything beyond medium-class missile strength.” She checked her data. Not good news. “It’ll take approximately ninety-six hours to fix and re-power our main planetary shields to one hundred percent.” They’d have to rely on their fighters, the satellites, and whatever else they could scrounge up until then.

  “How long before whatever it is hits us? Can we take it out?”

  Good question. “Unknown on both counts. I can’t even confirm at this point that it is a weapon. But I don’t know what else would be outputting such a large amount of energy.” Damn it! Why couldn’t she pin down the source?

  “Do you have a location of this energy output on Marid? Is it coming from the Dome? Fly an orbiter or pod over to send back confirmation of the source if you need to. Do we have anything close enough that’s available to transmit back the info in a timely manner?” he asked, rifling questions and orders at her, as he studied the information streaming across his screen.

  “Redirecting a weather pod now. I have a general location. It’s coming from a deserted area on Marid. It’ll take a few minutes for the pod to reach the area and transfer back the data.” She just hoped it wasn’t too late. The Lair and Xylon could survive a lot. But the sense of dread she felt indicated something massive was on its way. How she knew that, she wasn’t certain. Maybe her training in security. Maybe something else.

  She looked over at her brother, working at his terminal, sending orders to their fighters. Swallowing hard, she memorized every feature of the man she so loved and respected. She hoped this wasn’t the last moments of their lives. She had so much more to do, to feel, to experience.

  Love you, brother, she silently voiced in her head, just in case. Of all their family, Torque had always held a special place in her heart.

  * * * * *

  Forests of Xylon

  Halah glanced around as she, Kam, and Pitch materialized into a totally white room. She blinked and raised her hand to shield her eyes. “Damn, it’s blinding.” She wobbled slightly, feeling off balance and more than a little nauseous.

  Kam slid his arm around her waist. “Are you all right? This is just a temporary stop.

  We’ll be moved to the main chamber soon.”

  Forcing the sick feeling aside, she swallowed hard. “I’m fine. It was just unexpected.” And disorienting. She could barely tell where the floor ended and the walls started. The orbiter had landed just fine on the structure in the forest—some sort of makeshift landing pad. As soon as the ship touched down, the pad descended with them still aboard. After the hole above them closed, plunging them into darkness, she’d felt the dematerialization begin.

  Going from no light to a blinding room was quite painful to her eyes. The men didn’t seem as affected. She had probably spent too much time imprisoned in the dim slave cages on the Sand Moon. She wasn’t used to such brilliance.

  “Pitch, are you all right?” Kam asked.

  “Yeah, I’m good to go. What is this place?”

  “It’s an underground security facility. Like an outpost of sorts. Highly secure,” Kam explained.

  “Yeah, I got that. But what’s with this white room?”

  “It’s a precaution. Our bodies and brain functions will be scanned while we’re here to make sure we’re who we’re supposed to be and that we haven’t brought anything down here that we shouldn’t.”

  “Um,” Pitch began. “Who else would we be? And if Laszlo’s worried that we might be armed, well, we are on his side.”

  “It’s not that simple. You know Daegal’s treachery. From the scan, Laszlo will be able to tell if we’ve been turned or not by our brain waves, or if we’re carrying any type of diseases. We don’t want to infect the others here.”

  “We’re not sick, Kam,” Halah pointed out. “Even if we were, our bodies would just kick out the infections or bacteria or whatever might be wrong.”

  “Remember, Josella is here. She doesn’t have the same protection we do. Alexa is also here and ready to give birth, if she hasn’t already. We need to protect the babies.”

  Halah nodded. Yes, of course. He was right.

  “What’s more,” he touched his throat, “I’ll feel better after this device inside me is scanned to make sure it’s nothing other than what it’s supposed to be.”

  She’d feel better about that too. She didn’t trust Frost not to have planted something other than a Sonic controller inside Kam. She looked around uncomfortably as images of medical tables and equipment poking her body fluttered through her head. Just what she, personally, didn’t want to go through, after everything else. Kam seemed to sense her unease, or maybe he’d read his sensor, for he squeezed her waist.

  “Don’t worry. It’s all done through thousands of sensors in the walls and floor,” he explained. “You won’t feel a thing. The data will be transmitted back to Laszlo. Then once we’re cleared, he’ll bring us to the main facility.”

  “Oh.” She relaxed. That was all right, she supposed. “And that’s where Josella is?”

  It better be. She’d waited long enough and been through too much, trying to reunite with her sister.

  “Right. It won’t be long now. I promise.”

  “What are we supposed to do in the meantime?” Pitch asked. “Just stand here?”

  “You can sit.” Kam grabbed Halah’s hand and pulled her down to the floor with him. “We might as well get comfortable. It won’t affect the scan.”

  Halah’s heart rate kicked up at the thought of finally seeing her sister again. But then what? Josella would probably want to go home to Sunevia. Could she leave, now that she’d been accepted back as a Warrior?

  She didn’t want to be separated from her sister again, after everything she’d gone through to find her. She glanced at Kam. But she also didn’t want to be separated from—

  Kam squeezed her hand. “It’ll be all right, Halah. Relax. How about a treatment to my temples? My head’s starting to hurt.”

  Concern for him immediately took over her thoughts. Glad that she possessed the ability to help him, she nodded and rested her fingers against the sides of his head.

  “Close your eyes.”

  * * * * *

  Erik waited, but not patiently. He paced, then stopped and looked over Laszlo’s shoulder while he worked, then paced again. “Where are they?” Though he and Kam often disagreed on issues, they were still friends and he wanted to be assured of the man’s safety. Besides, he had questions. He’d also worked with Pitch on occasion—a good Warrior and security officer. They needed all the good Warriors they could get on their side. Halah, well, she was another matter.

  “Give me a minute,” Laszlo told him. “They’re clear and will be materializing over there.” He pointed to a corner of the room.

  Erik stopped pacing. His gaze flickered momentarily to Josella, who stood anxiously waiting, fidgeting back and forth. The slight, almost imperceptible whine that accompanied the materialization caught his attention. He looked toward where Laszlo had indicated. The air shimmered. Pitch appeared first, then Kam, and finally Halah.

  Josella immediately rushed forward and threw herself at her sister. “Halah!” The two held each other for a long moment, then pulled back and began speaking in hushed whispers, too low for Erik to hear their words.

  While the ladies reunited, Kam approached him and Laszlo, Pitch following behind.

  “Is everyone all right?” Kam asked.

  “If you can call it that,” Erik answered. Kam had to know who all was here. He was too relaxed not to know. Besides, he’d have immediately asked for n
ames otherwise.

  Kam had probably told Pitch everything, for the man just looked around curiously, but didn’t ask any questions either. “How much about all this did you know beforehand Kam?”

  “Good to see you, too, Erik,” Kam replied, clapping him on the back. He looked over at Laszlo and cocked an eyebrow.

  Laszlo responded with a barely perceptible shake of his head, which caused Kam to frown. Frustration rolled through Erik. They were still keeping secrets. He could literally smell the deceit on them. “Well?” he questioned Kam, when the man didn’t answer what he’d asked.

  “We’ll talk later. There are more important things to concentrate on right now. Are the babies here?”

  “Yes. Girls. Very healthy,” Laszlo answered. “You and Halah did a good job.

  Daegal has backed off and many of our Warriors have returned to us.”

  Pitch cleared his throat.

  Laszlo laughed, turning toward the Warrior. “You too, Pitch. Good job. Thanks.”

  “Happy to help.”

  “Pitch did well.” Kam nodded. “I’m happy with the outcome. We couldn’t have done it without Halah though. She saved our butts.”

  Erik wasn’t happy that Kam had put him off. But then, maybe a private conversation later was better. Braden would want in on the discussion. Halah had saved their butts? Hard to believe. “You know, Kam, you’re getting to sound exactly like Laszlo.” Much too evasive.

  Kam smiled, looking from him to Laszlo and back again. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You would.” He couldn’t help but smile back at the man. No matter their differences, they’d been through too much together to let anything stay in the way of their friendship for long. Besides, Kam was Alexa’s brother. They all needed to get along.

  An alarm suddenly blared, drawing everyone’s attention and concern.

  Josella covered her ears. “What’s that?”

  “That’s a destruction-alert alarm.” Laszlo rushed over to his control station. “Shit!”

  “What’s happening?” Erik asked. Destruction-alert? He’d never heard that type of alarm in his life as a Warrior. He’d never even been trained for it.

  “I can’t believe Daegal would do this,” Laszlo said, panic in his voice. He turned off the alarm with a snap of a switch. “Marid has launched a PowerIIRad bomb right at the Lair.”

  “Impossible,” Halah replied joining the others. “I disabled all their weapons.”

  “Yeah, right,” Erik answered. “Sounds like you missed one.” She frowned at him, and he saw the anger on Kam’s face, but he didn’t care. Halah couldn’t be trusted. And this proved it. A PowerIIRad. Shit!

  Laszlo looked over at him. “Can you disarm it, Erik?”

  His mind began working on the problem. “I don’t know.” His training was in weapons control, but he’d never even seen a PowerIIRad except in old technical and weapons manuals. He turned and worked at the control panel, trying to gain access.

  The normal codes weren’t working.

  “Let me help,” Halah said.

  “I think not, lady. You’ve done enough,” he told her, not wanting her anywhere near the controls, where she could lock them out, if she so chose.

  “Halah is a weapons expert too,” Kam said. “She’s on our side. And she’s helping.

  Take the other station,” he told her.

  When Laszlo nodded, she rushed over beside Erik. He cursed under his breath, but said nothing more. Both their hands flew over the keyboards and side controls, trying to deactivate or cause a malfunction in the incoming bomb.

  “Can’t you send up some fighters to intercept?” Josella asked.

  “They’re not powerful enough,” Pitch explained. “Not even combined. Nothing can break through the shielding of a Rad.”

  “What will happen if it hits?”

  “Don’t ask.”

  “I can’t get in!” Erik shouted. Frustration made his fingers feel like they moved in slow motion.

  “I can,” Halah said. “I’m almost there. They’re using an archaic control structure that—I’m in! I’ll try…damn it. There’s not going to be enough time to disarm. The sequencing they’ve used is too long.”

  “Try!” Kam encouraged.

  Braden rushed into the room, followed closely by Brianna. “We heard the alarm.

  What is it?”

  “Daegal launched a PowerIIRad bomb at the Lair,” Erik informed him.

  Shock, fear, and panic all crossed Brianna’s face in the space of a moment, before she masked her emotions. “How?”

  “I thought all their weapons were taken out.” Braden glanced at Kam in inquiry, then Halah.

  “Apparently not,” Erik replied for them. He looked over at Halah who seemed to be working feverishly to stop the bomb. But how could he be certain it wasn’t an act?

  Braden grabbed Laszlo’s arm. “You have to get Torque and Tara out of the Lair.”

  “Torque and Tara are still in the Lair?” Kam asked, sounding shocked.

  “There are a lot of people still in the Lair,” Laszlo said, sweat forming on his forehead. “It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.”

  “Get Torque and Tara!” Braden shouted. “Now!”

  “I’ll try.” Laszlo rushed over to his personal controls and began feeding in commands.

  “Can you get a lock?” Brianna asked.

  “Give me a minute. I’m trying.”

  “Now, Laszlo,” Erik told him. “We’re not going to be able to do this.” He continued to help Halah with the disarming sequence, but even he could see it was a losing battle.

  By hand, they couldn’t work fast enough. And since the normal code bases weren’t working, the computer wouldn’t be able to take over for them and complete the sequencing.

  “I’m locked on to someone,” Laszlo said, sounding breathless.

  “Who?” Braden asked.

  “I can’t tell. I’ll bring them directly to this chamber.”

  The air shimmered and Torque appeared. Erik glanced over at Braden and Brianna and saw them visibly relax. He felt for his friends, who had to be worried to the point of breaking over the safety of their family.

  “What the fuck?” Torque looked around in confusion.

  At Torque’s words, Braden seemed to sober and his whole posture stiffened. “Get Tara!”

  “Hurry!” Brianna replied.

  “I’m locked.” Laszlo worked the controls.

  “The bomb’s going to hit!” Halah screamed. “Everybody down!”

  The room shook, throwing them all to the ground. Lights flickered, but remained functional. Control panels went off momentarily, but then surged back to life. With a last whoosh, the air vents shut off automatically, indicating a problem with the outside atmosphere.

  Erik scrambled back to the controls. “Backups have kicked on.” He switched on the screens, reading the data. No… He hung his head, putting a visual onscreen. “The Lair has been destroyed. The facility took a direct hit. Xylon’s atmosphere is filling with deadly gas. The Rad took out everything.” Their people were gone or soon would be.

  Anyone left in the Lair or on the planet’s surface could not survive.

  “A Rad bomb?” Torque asked.

  “Did you get Tara?” Brianna asked, jumping to her feet.

  “Tara?” Torque looked around for his twin, obvious confusion on his face over what was going on. “Is she here?”

  “Over there,” Laszlo said. “Materializing now.”

  The air shimmered and a form slowly appeared, faded out, but then appeared again, solidifying this time.

  Torque paled and fell to his knees.

  Looking wobbly, Braden reached for the wall to support himself.

  More than one woman’s gasp filled the room.

  Brianna reached out to Braden, burying her face in his shoulder.

  Erik’s heart squeezed tightly. This couldn’t happ
en. Please, not this on top of everything else.

  Laszlo appeared as if he’d aged a century. “Delemar…” he greeted.

  “What’s going on?” the Council member asked, looking shaken up. “Where am I?

  Laszlo?” His eyes widened. “It is you! We thought you dead. Koll? You’re here, too?

  And Rhodes? How’d I get here? I think I tore my robe. What’s going on?”

  The room fell silent. Nobody answered. Nobody seemed to even be breathing. Erik set the computer screens to black.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dome of Marid

  Daegal clapped the Top Commander on the back. “Good work. The Lair and any Warriors down there, or on the surface of Xylon, are history. As are their civilians. The scans are indicating only minor life forms. Def’mals or other lowly creatures, I’m certain. Anyone else, if by some miracle not dead yet, will be within seventy-two hours at the most. The poisonous gases are not escapable. Our survival is now secure.” Well, almost. One more phase to complete, then no one would ever be able to challenge his ruling power again. The heavy stress he’d felt earlier eased in the face of his victory over Laszlo and the man’s Warrior society.

  “We have done well,” the Top Commander agreed.

  “Ask my Healer to come up here. I’m going to need another shot. You?” Certainly by now, the man needed a shot too. If only he had the same endurance as the one who stood before him…

  He collapsed into his command chair, feeling completely drained and ready to drop from all the activity and excitement. His hands had even begun to tremble.

  “Yes,” the Commander replied with a nod. “I could use one.”

  Somehow the man’s weakness made Daegal suddenly feel more at ease. Suffering alone never had appealed to him and the weariness made him feel less of a leader. He needed to be the stronger one. Always.