Crusader (Battle Born Book 1)

by Cyndi Friberg

  “She told them where to find my mother,” Ashley pointed out. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about the plight of this other woman, but Abigail was her mother.

  “She had no choice,” Letos stressed. “Chandar is as much a victim as—”

  “Chandar?” Bandar and Keyran cried in unison.

  Bandar pushed back from the table and stood, stalking toward Letos with an unreadable yet extremely intense expression. “Show me her face.” He held out his hand expectantly.

  After releasing a shaky sigh, Letos placed his hand on Bandar’s and passed him the image.

  For just a second Ashley saw her too. Long silvery blonde hair, features so delicate she didn’t look quite real and the most hauntingly beautiful eyes Ashley had ever seen. They were pastel blue with bright silver rings. And her smooth white skin had a faint pearlescent sheen that made her look elfin, or what Ashley had always imagined an elf would look like.

  “Who is she?” Ashley whispered.

  “We were told she was dead.” Bandar released Letos’s hand, clearly shaken by the revelation. He looked at Keyran, his expression tormented. “We have to tell Garin. Danvier will be elated. And devastated. How can this be true? Danvier felt her spirt pass beyond two years ago.”

  Keyran looked just as overwhelmed as Bandar. Who was this woman to these men? She obviously meant a great deal to both of them. Make that all of them. Nazerel looked as if he was ready to throw up too.

  “We’ll com him as soon as we’re finished here,” Keyran assured his friends as Bandar returned to his seat.

  Ashley was dying to know who Danvier was and more about this mysterious Chandar, but the situation was already complicated enough. She had to stay focused on her mother.

  “I’ll reveal the location of the Relentless if that’s where they’ve taken Abigail,” Letos digressed. “There’s a small chance they’ve secured her somewhere else, but I have no control over that.”

  “Were you sent by the Integration Guild or do you work for Quinton?” Keyran tried again. His tone was less provocative this time, yet authority and impatience were revealed in every word.

  “We despise that coward every bit as much as you do,” Letos snapped, then more calmly, “I’m not at liberty to explain the details of my mission. I will tell you this. The guild leaders have always been sympathetic to the plight of the battle born. We’re not yet ready to declare our support publically, but Javin believes there is much we can do to assist each other. If you’re willing to keep us informed of your progress, we’re willing to open certain doors and provide assistance whenever possible.”

  Apparently, Javin was one of the Integration Guild’s leaders. Ashley tucked the name away in her ask-Bandar-later file.

  “And how will we keep you informed, if we decide an alliance is mutually beneficial?” Challenge arched Keyran’s brow. It couldn’t have been more apparent that he didn’t like the technomage.

  Letos just smiled. “My escort is here. I’ll be in touch.”

  And just like that, he flashed from the room, leaving only the shield modulator as proof that he’d ever been there.

  “Way to make an exit,” Morgan said with a reluctant smile. Fascination and speculation simmered in her expressive gaze.

  Nazerel reached over and picked up the shield modulator, turning it this way and that as he studied the unfamiliar device.

  Suddenly Ashley’s heart lurched in her chest. “He didn’t tell us how to find my mother.” She scooted to the edge of her chair, but Bandar reached over and took her hand.

  “Don’t ask me how he did it, but he passed her signal to my nanites,” Bandar explained. “Calm your mind and I’ll let you sense her.”

  “You people are going to drive me to drink.” She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

  Ready? His presence was a soothing power within her mind.

  She nodded, too anxious to speak.

  I know you’ll want to call out to her, but Letos is right. We can’t risk her reaction. Just see for yourself that she’s okay and then I’ll pull you back.

  Finally calm enough to send her thoughts, she said, All right.

  A warm wave of reassurance washed over her before Bandar drew her into his mind. She fought back her excitement and fear, forcing herself to remain as calm as possible. Gradually an unfamiliar pathway opened before her. Fear and confusion rushed across the connection, boiling with intensity. Ashley tensed, her emotions surging in response.

  Bandar squeezed her hand. Steady, angel. If she’s afraid, she’s alive. Do you sense any pain?

  She didn’t, just a churning ocean of loneliness and the hollow ache of betrayal.

  Guilt tore at Ashley’s heart and she instinctively reached for her mother.

  Bandar pulled her back and quickly shielded the pathway. “This is not your fault.”

  Ashley understood the precaution, but it didn’t keep her from shouting, “We can’t leave her like that! She’s terrified and she blames me for…” Sorrow closed her throat and she couldn’t complete the thought.

  Bandar reached for her hand, but she snatched it away. “She’s angry and afraid, but she is unharmed. We have to focus on that and get her off the ship without endangering her further.”

  “If it were just Abigail, Nazerel could flash in and bring her back before they had any idea we knew how to find them.”

  Ashley heard the “but” in Keyran’s tone and glared at him.

  Bandar reached for her hand again so she scooted over to the empty chair next to her. It was obvious she was alone in her priorities. Everyone else was more concerned about the elfin harbinger.

  As if to confirm her conclusion, Nazerel said, “Chandar’s involvement makes this much more complicated.”

  Tears of anger escaped her eyes and she clasped her hands beneath the table to hide their trembling. “So we just let my mother rot while you plan a rescue for this other person?” She wanted to scream and throw things, but these people were her only hope of ever seeing her mother again.

  “Of course not.” Bandar shoved her original chair out of the way and pulled her, new chair and all, back into position beside him. “It will take more planning, but we will get them both back. We would never abandon your mother.”

  Shaking with trepidations, she couldn’t hold back the question, “But Chandar’s a harbinger. Is she more important than my mother?”

  “Harbingers are another product of the Integration Guild,” Keyran told her, sounding gruff and impatient as usual. “Chandar is rare and extremely powerful, but she’s not more important than your mother.” He swallowed with obvious difficulty then added, “She is, however, in infinitely more danger.”

  Bandar covered Ashley’s hands with one of his, drawing her attention. “Your mother is protected by Akim’s goals. She’s a means to an end; it makes no sense to harm her. Chandar is caught in the middle. Akim will expect her to help him, to use her powers to ensure his plan succeeds. Knowing Chandar, she’ll resist him, perhaps even sabotage his efforts.”

  “And each act of defiance will result in—” Keyran’s voice cracked and he couldn’t complete the thought.

  “Chandar is Keyran’s niece,” Nazerel told her. “Keyran and his brother Kotto vowed to protect her and Danvier when their father was murdered by—”

  “The details aren’t important,” Keyran snapped. “All that matters is my vow.”

  Again Nazerel offered her more information. “Blood vows are sacred to Rodytes. They must be honored at all costs.”

  “I failed her before. I will not fail her now.” Keyran sounded more resolute than ever.

  “Danvier is Chandar’s brother, your nephew?” It was a trivial detail, but it momentarily distracted Ashley from her dread, her fear.

  Keyran nodded, his gaze shimmering with unshed tears. “He’ll be thrilled to learn she’s alive, but serving Akim is a fate worse than death.” He blinked back the tears and his expression hardened, determination driving back his pain. �
�You’ve been on that ship. Do I really need to explain why it’s so important that we get her out of there as quickly as possible?”

  He was right. Akim was ruthless and his brother was a sadistic pig. Chandar needed rescuing even more than Abagail. Ashley’s soul shuddered with the realization. “Then how do we get them both back?” Her heart fell into a tense yet steady rhythm as she reluctantly accepted the compromise.

  Keyran rubbed his chin, apparently sorting through options. Bandar and Nazerel also seemed lost in thought.

  “Do you want us to contact Garin?” Morgan asked. “Revealing your position is the last thing we need right now.”

  Keyran shook his head. “As long as we stick to audio only, the signal is untraceable.” He heaved a long, ragged sigh and molded his features into an expressionless mask. Ashley watched the transformation with a mixture of compassion and pity. Only years of discipline and loss could instill such a tragic skill. Keyran activated the control panel in front of him and everyone fell silent.

  Moments later a deep, male voice filled the room. He spoke in rapid Rodyte, but thanks to Irron, Ashley could now understand what was being said.

  Bandar leaned toward her and whispered, “I’ll explain everything when the conversation is finished. We need to keep this fast and focused.”

  She nodded, comforted by her secret. It would give her a chance to see if her faith in these people was justified. Bandar had earned her trust, but she wasn’t nearly as sure about Keyran and Nazerel. Her mate trusted them both implicitly, which was to their credit. Still, Ashley was glad for this simple test.

  “Your update isn’t due until tomorrow,” Garin stated without any form of greeting. “What’s wrong?”

  “Akim snatched Ashley’s mother,” Keyran told him. “Letos has given us a way to track her, but there’s a serious complication.”

  “Which is?”

  Keyran hesitated. “Is Danvier with you?”

  “No. Does he need to be?”

  “No. He needs to know what we’ve learned, but I’d rather you break this to him gently.”

  “You know I hate this tactful shit. Just spit it out.”

  So far they’d proved trustworthy, but Ashley still found it hard to breathe.

  “Chandar is alive and Akim has her.”

  “Esintaka! Len ti for.” Apparently, there was no direct translation for those words. But his tone was easily capable of communicating his displeasure.

  “We have to move and move quickly,” Keyran cautioned. “We’ll only get one shot at this. We need to take it now.”

  “Absolutely not,” Garin snapped. “The science team is ready to depart. I’ll send reinforcements as well. You cannot attempt this alone.”

  “Respectfully, sir, I disagree.” The tension in Keyran’s face made it obvious that few dared to disagree with General Nox. “A small, targeted strike is the only viable approach to this situation.”

  “I’m aware, but you need a much larger support team at the ready in case things go sideways. I can have three ships to you in less than seventy-two hours. You will wait until they arrive.” When Keyran didn’t immediately agree, Garin’s tone changed, becoming more personable. “Keyran, I know what she means to you, but you cannot do this alone.”

  “I’m not alone. Bandar and Nazerel are two of the best operatives I’ve ever—”

  “You will not risk their lives without proper backup.” The flash of compassion evaporated and he was back in general mode. “Don’t test me on this, Commander Tarr. Unless the situation significantly changes, you will wait until the other ships arrive.”

  Static crackled over the speakers. Apparently, Garin had terminated the connection.

  “Fuck!”

  Ashley cringed. Keyran was still speaking in Rodyte, but her nanites found an English equivalent this time.

  “He doesn’t want to wait?” She looked at Bandar as Keyran got up from the table. Bandar narrowed his eyes and she realized her mistake. So much for her surprise.

  “You understood that.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Irron gave me a translator microchip while Keyran was shouting at you in the hallway.”

  “They’re nanites, but close enough. Was there some reason you didn’t tell me?”

  She shrugged. “There are advantages to being able to understand what people say when they don’t realize you can. I trust you, but not everyone has earned that privilege.”

  He let it go with a stiff nod. “I suppose that’s only fair.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Nazerel’s passionate outburst drew their attention back to the others.

  Standing near the door but facing the table, Keyran had his hands locked behind his back. “We won’t need backup if we keep this quick and clean.” Without warning, he released his grasp and snatched the shield modulator out of Nazerel’s hand. Then he twisted out of reach as he slipped it into his pocket.

  “We’re waiting for backup,” Bandar stressed. “End of discussion.”

  Keyran flew around the table and jerked Bandar’s chair back, glaring down at his onetime apprentice. “This is my ship, which makes it my choice. End of discussion!”

  Very slowly, Bandar pushed to his feet, reversing their perspective. He towered over the older man as determination etched his features. “Rushing in, filled with rage is how good soldiers die.”

  “I can’t lose her again. I can’t…”

  Bandar placed his hands on Keyran’s shoulders as the older man shook with barely suppressed emotions. “You won’t lose her. We won’t lose her, but we have to do this the right way.”

  Keyran clenched his fists, nostrils flaring as he fought for composure. He took two steps back, obviously needing more space between him and his stubborn colleague. “Can you sense Chandra or just Abigail?” The pain in the old man’s face broke Ashley’s heart.

  “Just Abigail, but her signal has been strong and steady. If I sense any change, we’ll immediately contact Garin.”

  For a long, tense moment they stared at each other in silence then Keyran shook his head and averted his gaze. “Then we plan every aspect of this rescue. I want you both ready to stream two seconds after those ships arrive.”

  “Agreed.”

  They returned to their seats and resolute calm gradually replaced the crackling tension.

  “Three days,” Keyran muttered, clearly not at peace with his decision. “I’ll go mad if we wait three days.”

  “Not if you focus on what’s ahead,” Nazerel suggested. “The ships are identical, which gives us an advantage. We can plan multiple options, be ready for anything they throw at us.”

  “Let’s start with the basics,” Keyran said.

  Nazerel nodded. “I’ll flash with Bandar into the holding cell and you can use our signal to stream Abigail off the ship. As soon as she’s safe, we’ll go find Chandar. I can make a short jump with two, but I’m not sure I can make it through those shields if I try to teleport all three of us. We need your help or none of this will work.”

  “Three?” Ashley objected. “Don’t you mean four? There is no way you’re doing this without me.”

  Morgan tapped her thumbs on the tabletop, drawing Ashley’s attention. “I was trained by the FBI and I’d only slow them down on this one. You have to trust them enough to let them do their job.”

  “I can’t just sit here and twiddle my thumbs while they…”

  Bandar stilled and color drained from his face. Worry rolled across their link a millisecond before Bandar shielded his mind.

  “What?” Keyran demanded. “What’s wrong now?”

  “I’m not sure.” Bandar looked at Nazerel. “Can you boost the signal? I can barely sense her now.”

  Ashley gasped then covered her mouth with her hand, refusing to give in to the panic. Still, she was painfully aware of the stakes. If Bandar lost contact with her mother, they’d have no way of locating the Relentless.

  Nazerel stood and hurried around the table, his gaze suddenly bl
azing with blue light. “Is that better?”

  “Yes.” Bandar left his chair and moved toward Nazerel. They faced each other, close yet not touching. “It’s still fluctuating like crazy.”

  “Are they jamming the transmission?” Morgan pushed back from the table but remained in her chair.

  “I felt a surge right after Letos passed me the link, but I thought it was just stabilizing. The signal had been steady until now.”

  “They must have detected the transfer.” Frustration crept into Nazerel’s tone, yet his expression remained calm. “If they locate the com-bot Letos planted on her…” He didn’t need to complete the thought. They all understood the consequences.

  “That’s it. We go now,” Keyran declared with absolute finality.

  Bandar whipped his head around and glared at Keyran. “We contact Garin and let him—”

  “Stop hiding behind your brother!” Keyran’s fist slammed down on the tabletop and he pushed to his feet. “By the time we argue this out with Garin that signal could blink out. He said the order was final unless the situation changed. Well, the situation just changed. We act now.”

  Bandar looked at Ashley, conflict clearly written on his handsome features. His gaze searched hers as the urgency inside her swelled. She fought back tears, not wanting to sway his decision. If he agreed to immediate action, he disobeyed a direct order. She had no doubt Rodytes took insubordination seriously. Yet if he hesitated they might lose the ability to locate their target. It was an impossible situation.

  He released a sigh then squared his shoulders. “I’m in.”

  “Me too,” Nazerel said.

  Before Keyran could react to the victory, Bandar insisted, “But Garin must be told what we’re doing and why.”

  “After,” Keyran dismissed impatiently.

  Bandar refused to bend. He looked at Morgan and asked, “Will you contact Garin and explain the situation.”

  “Of course.” She pushed to her feet as Nazerel returned to her side of the table. “Be careful.”