Ravager's Redemption (The Argadian Heart Book 3)

by Adrianna Dane

  Eluria turned to look at her. “I must go. If Devon dies, it will not matter anyway. Guardian has tied us and our hearts beat as one.”

  “Devon left your safety in my care,” Jarek bit out. “He’ll skin me like a wild boar if I let you go and anything happens to you.”

  Eluria whirled back around to pin him with a fierce stare. “Your duty is to Kierra, not to me, Jarek. She is your tafai, not I. You take care of your mate and I will take care of mine.”

  “But, Eluria, it is no longer just you. You must take care.”

  “What is she talking about?” Jarek demanded. “Are you ill?”

  “Tell him,” Kierra urged.

  Eluria shook her head. “No. You promised me, Kierra. Devon must be the first to know.” A mutinous expression masked her face. “I will inform no one until I am face to face with my taman and he feels the knowledge.”

  Kierra sighed. “Don’t you realize you are signing your own death warrant by returning to your father’s compound? If he discovers you, and if there is a traitor within our midst as you suspect, it is more than likely he will know of your arrival. What do you think your chances are of getting out alive?”

  “Do you think I don’t know that? That I want to go back there? He is no father to me—he wants me as dead as he does my taman and his brother. Blood ties mean nothing to him.”

  “Then you cannot go there.”

  “He will be expecting you,” Jarek inserted. “He’ll be waiting for you to attempt a rescue. There is a reason he hasn’t killed them yet. You know that.”

  Eluria nodded. “Yes, he wants me to come. I’ll pick my team carefully, only those I know and trust and have worked with in the past.” She turned to Daelyn. “If you wish to help, then I would welcome your assistance.”

  Daelyn felt a strange warmth consume her at the confidence Eluria seemed to have in her. She surmised the woman was pregnant even if she would not say the words. Daelyn was determined to help her in any way she could, even if it meant coming face to face with her nemesis, Alekos Andromeda. Eluria deserved her loyalty and support; she had been a good friend.

  “Do you have any idea how you’ll get in? I’ve heard that compound is like a fortress, even worse than Odon’s compound.”

  Eluria nodded. “Yes, but there is already one advantage—I grew up there and I could navigate it blinded.”

  “What’s your plan?” Jarek asked.

  Eluria turned her attention back to him. “My father has one weakness that I’m sure has not changed over the years. A fondness for women and pleasures of the flesh. And if there is one thing I know, it is how to get past the guards as a twilighter.”

  “They will recognize you. Do you think they haven’t been warned to watch for you?”

  “Jarek, I can do this. I know what I’m doing and what my father’s weakness is. I will use that.”

  “You better be right, because Devon is going to have my hide if anything happens to you.”

  She rested her arms on the table and pushed back her sleeve to expose the markings on her wrist. “Do you see this? We’re tied, Jarek, more closely than most mated Argadians. The rhythm of our hearts is as one. If he dies, so do I, no matter where I am. Whether I’m here in our fortress or on Argadia trying to save the life of my taman and his brother, it will not matter. Already I have felt the pain. I know they’ve tortured him. Do you really think I can stay here knowing that and allow others to do what should be my right?”

  Daelyn saw the torture reflected in her eyes, the pain of knowing her male was suffering. She turned her attention back to Jarek.

  He sighed. “I cannot go with you. With Devon gone I must remain here. I will do what I can to ferret out the spy who has betrayed us. You must be careful.”

  “I will go with you as well,” Kierra inserted. Jarek turned a black look on her.

  Eluria shook her head, then placed a hand over Kierra’s. “No, you will remain here. You aren’t trained as a fighter, and Devon would have my hide if I allowed you to be placed in danger as well.”

  “But—”

  “No,” Eluria’s voice was firm. “Your place is with Jarek. And you are hardly healed after your own nightmares. This is my mission.” She took a deep breath. “If something should happen to us, something of the Andromeda line must remain to go into the Beyond. As much as I know you do not want to hear it, you may be all that’s left. That I will not jeopardize.”

  Tears pooled in Kierra’s eyes. “I cannot lose all of you this way.” Her other hand rose to grip Eluria’s hand. “You must succeed.”

  Eluria turned back to Daelyn. “I have a plan if you’re willing. Come with me.” She rose from the table and moved toward the door. Stopping, she turned back. “Jarek, take care of Devon’s sister. If anything should happen to us—”

  “It won’t because you’ll be cautious. You will return or be assured I will find a way to come after you, Zydon. I will follow you all to Haydon if need be.”

  * * *

  Daelyn retrieved her weapons from her apartment and joined Eluria and the remainder of the hand-picked crew on the deck of the ship.

  It had been a long time since she’d been involved in a mission such as this and in a way it felt good. Even though she no longer had the Nanus block to rely on to bar emotion, she missed the physical and mental challenge of confrontation and the strategic planning it took to mount a successful mission. Already she felt the blood humming through her body. At this moment Daelyn felt more alive than she had in a long time.

  “She wants you in the ready room, Captain,” one of the males told her as Daelyn entered the ship. She nodded and strode past him toward a door at the other side of the deck.

  Sliding her identity card into the slot, she waited for the door to open and stepped inside. Eluria was seated at a control panel, her attention riveted to what looked like a map. She glanced up as Daelyn entered.

  “Have a seat.” Eluria nodded toward a vacant chair. “Give me just a minute. I’m refreshing my memory with the layout of my father’s compound.”

  After long moments, she switched off the terminal, swiveled around to face Daelyn and leaned forward, resting her hands on the desk, threading her fingers together. Daelyn could see the tension in the stiffness of the other woman’s shoulders and the paleness of her skin, even though she attempted to hide it with dark determination in her eyes and the firm set of her lips.

  “Thank you for agreeing to go on this mission. You know it will be dangerous and there is every chance we’ll fail.”

  Daelyn’s lips curled in to a hungry grin. “It’s not the first. I am trained, Commander, you know that. I’m eager to use my knowledge on the mission.” She leaned closer. “And even if it were not for that, you befriended me, Eluria, and I will never forget that—even knowing how many I’ve killed in the past, you’ve accepted me not only as a member of the rebellion, but as your friend. I will not let you down.”

  “I would never ask a friend to put their life on the line the way it will be needed here. Are you sure? I know you are trained, but every time we speak of Alekos, I see something in your eyes.”

  Wariness shift inside Daelyn. Even after everything, she could not share the dark secret in her soul. She leaned back in the chair and shrugged. “I know how he is regarded by the Tribunal. He killed more than one Enforcer in his raids. His reputation is as bloodthirsty as any Enforcer and without benefit of the Nanus block.”

  Eluria sighed and shifted back in her own chair. “I know what he’s become and the price on his head because of it. He was so young when he left and filled with so much rage. But he is still Devon’s brother and I remember the boy. He covered for us when we rescued Jarek from Odon’s compound not so long ago. Devon would not have gone in if he didn’t believe in Alekos, as I do. Alekos is a rogue, but he is family and deserves our help.”

  Daelyn nodded. She’d met the rogue firsthand, and almost melted beneath an attraction she should not have been vulnerable to. Daelyn had failed
in her mission because of it and was reprimanded severely. “I understand. I’m here for you and Devon. Whatever you need, I’ll do my best.”

  Eluria nodded. “As I said in the conference room, I have a plan. I don’t want to discuss it with the others yet. Even though I trust those I have chosen for this mission, we must be careful.”

  “Have you checked the ship to make sure there are no listening devices installed?” She raised a hand to her neck to finger the scar left by the removal of the chip. “Or beamers? If there is a traitor, he or she may have already placed one.”

  Eluria nodded. “The ship has been swept for any sort of device. They found one. Here, in my ready room. It was removed. They’re still checking the remainder of the ship, both inside and out. Once they’re finished, the ship will be sealed, no one allowed in or out.”

  “Good. I hope Jarek is able to discover who the traitor is.”

  Eluria bit her lip. “I worry that there’s more than one among us. We must be more careful than ever. It’s difficult to turn people away or to check their past. In many cases, with those from other worlds, their records have been destroyed. We can only do what we are able to instill loyalty in our followers.”

  “I understand. Now this plan you have. Tell me about it.”

  “Most of the crew I’ve put together are explosives experts. Once we are off the ground I will meet with them and show them exactly where to plant the devices. You and I will go in posing as twilighters called to the compound by the Commander. Once past the guards, we have entry to the building. When the explosives are detonated, there will be turmoil and we should be able to locate Devon and Alekos’ cells quickly.”

  “If Enforcers guard the gates, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to make it past them. Twilighters will have no effect on them whatsoever.”

  Eluria nodded. “My father usually employs regular guards for the gates—he doesn’t use Enforcers in that capacity. If it is as I suspect, he will not have changed the policy.” She leaned forward. “My father has a reputation and it is well known among the pleasure houses, which is one of the reasons he hates me so much—I know all his dirty little secrets. Women go to the compound hoping for a night with the powerful Commander to brag about to their friends. It offers them a higher status, having bedded one of the Tribunal leaders. If the guards think the Commander might find them acceptable, they pass them through. If not, they are offered the consolation of joining the guards for a night of pleasure.”

  “What stops them from keeping all the females for themselves?” Daelyn asked.

  Eluria’s expression grew hard. “A generous bonus for each woman who meets the Commander’s requirements. You see, if Enforcers guarded the gates, without emotion, they certainly would not act as a good gauge of a female’s ability to pleasure the Commander. That is his weakness. And one we will use to gain entry.”

  Daelyn sat back in her chair, formulating a bit different idea in her head, then she turned to look at Eluria. “You have a good plan, but I would make an alternate suggestion. One they won’t be expecting.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Devon groaned and Alekos knew he was about to regain consciousness. There was little Alekos could do for him, with the chains binding his arms and legs, except wait and check his breathing periodically.

  With the number of bruises and lacerations on Devon’s body, he worried there might be some internal damage and remained tense and vigilant to any signs of a change for the worse. Alekos drag Devon to what he hoped was a more comfortable position, stretched out away from the dank corner where water dripped from the ceiling.

  There were no blankets, nothing to be used as any sort of bedding or cushion against the cold stone floor. But then their captors could have cared less whether they lived or died.

  Zydon had apparently made it his primary mission to finish off the Andromedas, and it seemed he found the right men to pay to get the information he needed, because now the commander had both the brothers.

  Alekos also had a feeling he knew why they were not dead yet. Clorial Zydon wanted the whole package. He wanted Eluria as well. If he was able to capture and kill all of them, he had a good chance of breaking the heart of the rebellion.

  Everyone knew that Devon and Eluria’s union was blessed by Guardian. Their union was larger than life, and the couple who fought for freedom remained the focal point of the Freelion fighters.

  He stared at his older brother, so changed by the years. Alekos had been a child when Devon was taken by the Tribunal. The whole family was caught by surprise when the team of Enforcers arrived on their doorstep to carry him off, and the memory was as vivid in Alekos’ mind today as when it happened all those years before.

  The look of pure devastation in Eluria’s eyes, as the Enforcers dragged Devon away, as though they ripped away part of her very soul. He’d never been able to understand that type of love, but he remembered watching them together in their youth—her a young, pure maigen, and Devon, his hero, as an older brother often was. They seemed so perfect together.

  The Andromedas were a happy family, united and loving. Eluria was an anticipated extension because of her devotion to Devon. Until Devon became an Enforcer. And then Eluria had arrived one day with the news that it was her own father who instigated Devon’s fate in tearing him from a loving family.

  Tribunal Leader Zydon personally had destroyed their lives because he hungered for more power and influence, more control. Without Eluria’s knowledge, he had arranged a more powerful union for her and arranged for Devon to be inducted as an Enforcer, guaranteeing he was lost to Eluria forever.

  Eluria had rushed to Devon’s father, heartbroken with the news that she was the cause of Devon being ripped from their home. A headstrong woman, they family had been shocked when determined to forestall the so-called union Eluria’s father had arranged, she took irreversible steps to make sure he would be unable to use her to his advantage. In becoming a twilight companion, she sold her purity to the first house she arrived at.

  Eluria had been unable to save his father, nor had she been able to help Kierra. But she had seen to it that their mother, and Alekos, who was only fourteen at the time, were safely transported to Ednos, the planet stronghold of the Freelion rebellion.

  Alekos never believed there was any hope of an antidote to return Devon to them as he had once been—his beloved brother, who’d teased and schemed with him as youths.

  He remembered watching the old science fiction earth movies Devon was so impassioned with. Even now, he couldn’t help grinning as he remembered the project they entangled themselves with in trying to build a robot like the one that young red-headed Earth boy had on the one television show. They were absolutely certain they would be able to create a servant to do the chores they so hated.

  Unfortunately for them it hadn’t quite worked out the way they planned and, in fact, had ended up destroying every dish in their mother’s kitchen. Their father demanded they dismantle it immediately.

  But it was something they did together, cementing them as brothers, even if it did end up meaning double chores at the time. He’d held that memory close all through the intervening years. Even Kierra’s I-told-you-so look of superiority was now a fond memory.

  It was better than the nightmares of remembering when Eluria had rescued his sister and the Mindwanderer Bakari. She was unrecognizable as his happy, sweet sister. Tortured and abused in bondage at Odon’s compound, she was scarred almost beyond hope, unable to be touched even by the people who loved her most. It was too much for him to stay and witness.

  He couldn’t bear the pain of looking at what the Tribunal had done to his family. Eluria with her driven guilt, his mother with her sorrow at the loss of her husband and children, Kierra with a mind at the brink of shattering.

  Rage consumed Alekos as he grew older. The females in his life had wanted to protect him, fearing his loss as well. But in the end, he had to break away from the smothering love and embark on his own path. He had to fin
d his own way to fight against those who sought to destroy his family, his people.

  He’d learned the hard way. By the time he’d expended at least some of the youthful rage and impotence, it was too late to return to what was left of his family. He was a changed, bitter, lethal man, unfit company for any loving family.

  Even when he heard Devon had returned and an antidote discovered, he could not return to them as much as he yearned to do so. Devon would care for them now.

  And then he heard Kierra had finally found peace and healing, and it gave him some measure of hope for the future of his family, even if he could not be a part of it.

  There was always hope, a brief dream, that someday he could rejoin them. But each time he engaged in another battle, each time the price on his head rose, he knew it was but a dream that he could ever be the person they remembered.

  He had taken many lives over the years, had become very good at it, relished it even. Knowing he was as merciless in many ways as the Enforcers he fought made it difficult to expect any sort of redemption from Guardian in the Beyond. He could not allow his black soul to touch his beloved family. So he remained to fight alone, a rogue set apart from the rest of the rebellion—feared for the most part by both sides, because he followed no rules, allowed for no weakness.

  Devon groaned and shifted.

  “Haydon,” Alekos heard him mumble and saw him grimace. He slowly shifted upward and leaned against the wall. Wiping a hand across his face, he turned, only then seeming to realize he was not alone.

  Alekos saw the dawning recognition in his eyes as Devon focused on him.

  It was difficult for Alekos to see his brother inside the Enforcer. He bore the signature white hair. When his gaze met Devon’s, he expected to see black eyes, not the turquoise he remembered as a child.

  But they were Devon’s eyes, glittering in the dusky light coming from above.