I sat there in shock, still not believing what I was seeing. Women in Unduthia didn't fight. They didn't handle weapons. They – just didn't. Not even on the fringes where I was from. It was unheard of. They were the gentler of the sexes, the more refined.
Wyn grudgingly tossed his weapons to the ground at my feet. I looked at them, too stunned to even pick them up.
“So, what's your plan now, little girl?” Wyk growled.
She didn't say anything, but in one smooth motion, she lowered her knife hand at the same time she raised her other hand. I saw the baton in her hand the moment she brought it down in a thunderous arc. I heard the impact with Wyk's skull – the mere sound of it made me cringe. Wyk simply went limp and crumpled to the ground.
With murder in his eyes, Wyn growled and jumped to his feet. But Hatare was too quick for him. She deftly spun away from his rush, leaving him grasping at the air she'd occupied just a moment before. When he turned back, he found her standing before him, the point of her blade at his throat – much like it had been at his brother's.
Wyn's eyes grew wide, but his face was dark, his eye markings glowing with his contempt for the girl.
“Now,” she said. “Here is what is going to happen. You are going to sit down in that seat. You are going to take us to Optorio. Once we are there, I will pay you the amount we agreed upon and then we will never see each other again. Am I clear?”
Wyn narrowed his eyes, his hands clenched into fists at his side. He remained silent, undoubtedly trying to figure out how to disarm her and take control of the situation. The girl pressed the point of her blade into his flesh a little bit harder, drawing a bead of blood. He grimaced and sucked in air through gritted teeth.
“I said, are we clear?” she repeated.
Grudgingly, he nodded. “Fine,” he said. “Just know, this isn't over.”
“I'm sure it's not,” she said. “Byr, are you okay?”
I nodded – and then realizing she had her back to me said, “Yes. I'm fine.”
“Good. Hand me one of the weapons.”
I reached down and picked one up. Standing, I took a couple of steps forward and put it in her hand. She sheathed her blade and sat down in the chair Wyk had been occupying and pointed it at Wyn.
“I need you to do something, Byr,” she said, her eyes never leaving Wyn.
“What do you need?” I asked, cursing myself for the tremor in my voice.
She reached one of her legs out and kicked Wyk's still body. “I need you to drag this one to the back of the shuttle and tie him up. Make sure he's secured tightly.”
I looked at her a moment, not believing how cool and calm she was. She seemed detached, as if this whole episode were no more remarkable than a discussion about the weather. I looked down at Wyk and honestly, didn't know whether he was dead or alive. The girl had opened up a nasty gash in the back of his head with that baton she'd used on him. He was completely still. Lifeless looking.
“Can you do that for me, Byr?” she asked, snapping me out of my head for a moment.
I nodded. “Yeah, sure,” I said.
“Good,” she replied, her eyes still fixed on Wyn. “Now, pilot this ship to Optorio.”
As I dragged Wyk's body to the back of the compartment, Wyn got the ship moving again. I couldn't believe what had happened – what she'd done. She was obviously very well able to take care of herself and had some rather unusual talents. Especially for being an Unduthian woman.
I found some sonic cuffs and put a pair on Wyk's wrists and ankles. He wouldn't be going anywhere, anytime soon.
“Is he secure?” the girl asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. He's secure.”
“Good. Now pick up the rest of the weapons and put them in my bag.”
I did what she told me to do and then sat back down in my seat, watching her. She was staring intently at Wyn – who was trying his level best to avoid looking at her entirely. I shook my head and tried to process the million questions running through my mind.
The most important question being – who was this woman?
Chapter Four
Hatare
They were big. Big, strong men. But they didn't know how to fight. I got the feeling they used their size to intimidate other people. And it probably worked on some. But when it came to actually fighting – it was obvious they didn't have the first clue what they were doing.
“It really is amazing that you and your brother have survived this long,” I said. “Considering how terrible you are at fighting. I mean, you do realize you were both beaten – by a girl – don't you?”
Wyn looked at me with a dark anger in his eyes – one that promised retribution. It was stupid and it was petty, but I couldn't stop myself from rubbing it in. They'd underestimated me. In all fairness, most people did. But the sheer nerve of these two cretins, trying to break good faith and extort me like that – it filled me with a rage I don't think I'd ever felt before. And had certainly never before expressed.
Nobody was going to take advantage of me like that. Nobody. Never again.
And if I were being completely honest – it had felt really good to assert myself like that. Standing up for myself and refusing to be taken advantage of felt liberating. It felt amazing. I felt like I was transforming – finally becoming the woman I wanted to be.
I pointed the weapon at Wyn and looked at him. “Now, fly,” I said. “To Optorio.”
He scowled, but got the ship moving again. Soon, the stars were streaking by and we were leaving Unduth further and further behind.
I looked back at Byr, who was staring at me wide-eyed. He looked at me like I was some terrifying monster or something. I stood up and walked back to the seat I'd been sitting in and dropped back down. Right next to him. His body tensed and I could feel his discomfort radiating from him like heat from the sun.
“I'm sitting right behind you, Wyn,” I said. “So, don't get any ideas. Do anything funny and I will kill your brother. You have my word on that. And remember, I am a woman who keeps my promises.”
He turned and looked over his shoulder at me, his expression dark and malevolent. “You are going to pay for this, little girl.”
“Just fly the ship.”
Wyn turned back and busied himself with the controls. Byr looked at me and pitched his voice low.
“What if he has the authorities on Optorio waiting for us when we arrive?”
I shrugged. “I doubt he'd do that,” I replied. “He's a smuggler. I would be willing to bet he has some things aboard this ship he wouldn't want the authorities on any planet finding.”
“That's a big gamble.”
“Seems to be a fairly safe assumption though.”
Byr leaned back in his seat and avoided my eyes. He was tense and I didn't know how to break through that wall between us. I didn't want him to fear me. He was nice. I liked him. It was strange, given that I hardly knew him, but I felt safe with him. He was a tall, strong man. His skin was a blue a couple of shades darker than mine, and his hair was long, in the Unduthian tradition, and as black as the universe around us.
He was handsome – in a rugged, rough around the edges sort of way. Far more handsome than I bet any of the pampered and powdered potential suitors my mother and father had selected for me were.
There was silence between us for a few, long moments. The air between us was growing awkward and uncomfortable – and I didn't like it. I had no idea why it was so important to me, but I wanted Byr to like me. To be as comfortable around me as I was around him. But it was more than evident that he wasn't. He wouldn't even look at me.
I sighed. “What's wrong, Byr?”
His gaze still fixed at the stars beyond the windows, he spoke. “Why did you lie to me?” he asked. “About your name and who you were?”
“I lied to you about my name because – I was afraid,” I admitted.
“I was helping you,” he replied. “I got you out of that marketplace when your father's guards were closing in.�
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I nodded. “I know. And I'm sorry,” I said. “But I am running for my life here, Byr. I didn't know who I could trust. But I swear to you, my name is all I lied about. Everything else I told you was true.”
Wyn scoffed. “You didn't read that bulletin, boy,” he said. “You don't know exactly what she's running from, do you?”
“Shut up,” I said, my voice cold.
“All you know is what she's told you,” he continued. “And how do you know anything she's said is the truth?”
I was on my feet with the barrel of the weapon pressed against his head in the blink of an eye. “I said, shut up and fly this ship, Wyn.”
He turned and looked at me over his shoulder. “You gonna shoot me, girl?” he asked. “Because if you are, go ahead and do it. And good luck getting to Optorio after that.”
My anger was rising, but I managed to hold it in check. “Shut up and fly this ship,” my voice was low. Cold.
Before turning back, he cast his eyes at Byr. “Ask yourself this, boy,” he said. “How does a woman know how to fight like that, huh? How does she know her way around weapons like she does? Because she's a killer, that's why. Ask her what she's really running from.”
He was right in that I couldn't shoot him. But I could smack him, and so I did. I delivered a vicious backhand that rocked his head to the side. A thin stream of his blood ran from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away and then looked at the dark blue smear on his hand.
He smiled. “See?” he said to Byr. “What normal, upper class Unduthian woman does that?”
I glared at Wyn a moment longer and he continued to smile, tipping me a wink before turning back to the ship's controls. I looked back at Byr and he just shook his head. He looked as if he didn't know what to believe. I knew exactly what Wyn was doing by spewing all of those lies, but I wasn't sure how to counteract any damage he may have done.
I moved slowly to the seat beside him and sat down on the edge of it.
“Wyn is right about one thing,” I said. “I'm not a normal, upper class Unduthian woman. I refuse to be hemmed into a life that I don't want – which is why I ran. I ran for no other reason than that. And I hope you can see what he's trying to do”
“What is he trying to do?” Byr asked, looking down at his hands in his lap.
“He's trying to drive a wedge between us with his lies and insinuations,” I said. “He's trying to pit us against each other.”
“And why would he do that?”
“I don't know,” I admitted. “Probably because he thinks he can get you to turn on me and help him get out of this. Maybe he'll even offer to split the reward with you if you help him get me back to Unduth.”
I noticed that Wyn shot a quick look over his shoulder at me. And I could tell by the fury in his eyes that I'd hit the mark. He looked back at the controls quickly when Byr raised his head.
“Don't let her fool you, kid,” Wyn said. “This one is not what she seems.”
The urge to smack Wyn was strong. But I realized that the more I went after him, the more it seemed like I had something to hide. As tempting as it was though, I restrained myself and did nothing. Said nothing. Continuing to harp on him would only give credence to what he was saying.
“Look,” I told Byr, my voice soft, “you can either trust me and believe that the only untrue thing I told you was my name. Or you can believe him and help turn me over to my father. The choice is yours to make.”
I held the gun out to him to emphasize my point that the decision was his. Byr looked at it for a moment before shifting his eyes to Wyn, and finally back to me. He reached out and I thought he might actually take the gun, but he surprised me. Instead, he put his hand on top of my own, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“I believe you,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “And I would never send you back to live the life I know girls in your station are forced to live. It would be a kindness to simply kill you myself.”
I gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Byr.”
“You just made the worst mistake of your life, kid,” Wyn said and shook his head.
“Shut up, Wyn,” Byr snapped.
I leaned back in my seat and quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Chapter Five
Gravus
I sat in the large library, waiting for my audience with Minister of Defense Borask. It was a large, comfortable chamber, filled with enormous shelves of books and plenty of places to sit. One wall was made entirely of glass and overlooked a vast, meticulous and intricate garden. It was the perfect place for quiet contemplation – or scheming. The latter of which, I had no doubt the good Minister engaged in plenty of.
I sighed and looked at the timepiece on my wrist. The longer I waited, the more irritated I was growing. It was he, after all, who had asked for this meeting. I leaned back in the soft, plush chair and sipped the wine his servants had plied me with.
I sighed and contemplated my glass of wine. It was delicious. A very fine vintage. I would have expected no less from a man of his position and wealth. Although, the standing of his house had taken a hit thanks to his daughter. The fact that she'd run away on the night of her birth year celebration, on the eve she was to leave for the Academy, was unprecedented in Unduthian culture.
Truth be told, I found it somewhat amusing. I had no time or patience for politics and societal machinations. It held no interest for me, nor did I find them particularly useful. It was a benefit of being a man in my position. I was paid to do a job – taking my men into the field to engage whatever enemy I was being paid to fight, and that was it.
I found it much better for my own peace of mind to leave all of the backroom dealing – and back stabbing – to those happy to play those games.
The door to the library opened and I set the glass of wine down on the table beside the chair and got to my feet. Minister Borask strode in, the door sliding shut behind him and locking with a soft beep. He was a large man, standing just a shade taller than me. He had broad shoulders, a thick chest, and a fairly pronounced midsection – clearly, the wealthy lifestyle agreed with him. Perhaps a little too much.
Still, the man had a presence about him. Without even saying a word, he was compelling. Forceful. Imposing. But I could tell that he was also a man who was not hardened. Tested. He relied on his physical size to overpower people and make them cower – something I had no trouble believing they did. Unduthian society folks were notoriously soft.
So, while he might appear to be intimidating and not somebody you'd want to tangle with, I did not fear him.
“General Gravus,” he said, holding his hand out in greeting.
“Minister Borask,” I replied, pressing my palm against his – the standard Unduthian greeting ritual.
It sometimes paid to be able to speak their “language.” And I had been around long enough to know that politeness, courtesy, and social etiquette was the lifeblood of this species. Because I relied on their fat pocketbooks to live my own comfortable lifestyle, this was a part of the game I had to play. As distasteful as it was.
“Thank you for taking this meeting,” Borask said as he dropped into the chair across from me.
I nodded as I took my seat. “Of course,” I replied. “I am honored. It's not often I am summoned by a man in your elevated position.”
He picked up the glass of wine that had been left for him and took a sip before answering. “Well, I know that's not true,” he said. “Your list of exploits and successful campaigns is near legendary. You come highly recommended to me.”
I gave him a small smile. “I am flattered, Minister,” I replied. “And humbled.”
He laughed, a dry, rattling sound. “Humble is not a word I've ever heard associated with you, General,” he said. “But the sentiment is noted and appreciated.”
I cleared my throat, already anxious for this meeting to be at an end. “So, what is it I can do for you, Minister.”
His face grew dark, his expression grim.
“As I'm sure you've heard, my – willful – daughter, Hatare, has run away from home,” he said. “On the eve of her birth year celebration.”
I nodded. “Yes, I've heard of the situation,” I replied, doing my best to feign sympathy. “A very disagreeable situation.”
“Indeed,” he said. “Unheard of in civilized society.”
I nodded and took a sip of my wine, not really sure what to say to that. Not that I thought his comments required a response, since I got the impression he was simply venting, and not really asking for my input anyway.
“She's always been a headstrong girl,” he went on. “Determined to do things her own way. She never had any regard for the rules and norms of Unduthian society. In fact, she pretty much had an open disdain for them.”
“That must have been difficult,” I said.
He snorted. “You have no idea,” he said. “We always thought it was something she'd grow out of. A youthful rebellious streak. We never believed she'd do something like this.”
“Of course not,” I said, growing weary of playing my role in this little performance. “And how could you?”
He sighed and drained the last of his wine, looking at the empty glass with regret. “I would like to engage your services. I need you to retrieve my daughter and return her to me. It is time this child is brought to heel.”
“I believe I can help you, Minister.”
He nodded. “Good. Hatare has caused considerable damage to my house's reputation. A reputation I've worked long and hard to build. I will not have it all ruined because of one defiant child. When she is returned to me, she will be punished and she will be sent to the Academy. I am going to make her a useful part of Unduthian society.”
And by useful part of Unduthian society, the Minister meant that he would sell her off to the highest bidder – the one who would give his house the most prestige in return. Of course, given her behavior – and the blemish on his house's reputation – the Minister might not get the return on investment he was hoping for.
But that was for them to sort through. It was not my place to comment on such matters. The only thing that I needed from this meeting was his willingness to sign a contract – and more importantly, pay my fees.
Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3) Page 82
