Moonlight caught in his short silver hair and Kaden inhaled sharply. It couldn’t be. They’d been told Arton was dead. The stranger took another step forward and moonlight revealed his face. His features had matured, grown harsher, but Kaden knew that face.
“Arton?” He could barely speak the name, was half-afraid this was some sort of apparition.
“Hello, brothers.” His cold expression hadn’t changed. “It’s been a very long time.”
“They told us you were dead.” Dakar made no attempt to hide his bitterness. “Why would you allow us to believe them?”
Arton shrugged. “I am dead. It’s better for everyone that I remain that way.”
“Then why are you here?” Dakar snapped. “Why show yourself after all this time?”
“Because your people are about to launch an attack against mine.” His voice was as cold as his features. There seemed to be nothing left of the volatile young man Kaden remembered. “I thought you’d want to avoid bloodshed if there was an alternative.”
“Send out Libby and we’ll be on our way.” Kaden recovered enough to remember why he was there.
“Kage won’t allow that.” It was a statement of fact. “He’s determined to have the Relentless.”
“We’re not giving him a ship for one human female.” Dakar waved away the possibility.
“No. You’re going to give us the ship for two human females,” Arton predicted with a cruel smile.
Kaden tensed and took a step toward his oldest brother. “What does that mean?” But he already knew. The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach warned of danger, but why hadn’t their link engaged?
“We intercepted her bio-stream. Your mate is now with her sister inside our compound.”
Kaden frantically reached across his link with Lexie, but felt nothing. He charged, but Dakar garbed him from behind, restraining his flying fists with great effort. “What have you done to her! Why can’t I sense her? I’ll destroy you all if she’s harmed!”
“Beating the shit out of this person will feel wonderful, but it won’t get Lexie back,” Dakar reminded.
“Lexie is fine. The compound’s shields have temporarily blocked your access to her mind. She’ll remain unharmed as long as you convince the others to see reason. You have one hour to deliver the ship or we start amusing ourselves with your women.” Without another word, Arton seemed to melt into the darkness.
“Fuck!” Kaden screamed. “I can’t believe this!”
“No,” Dakar snarled, “we should have seen this coming.”
Once Kaden had calmed down enough for Dakar to turn him loose, they recalled the rest of the recon team and streamed onto the Fearless. Commander Yorak was in the conference room already in a holo-com with Garin and Raylon. The recon team filed in and sat down, without interrupting the conversation.
“Report,” Garin prompted no one in particular. “We know about Lexie, what’s the situation like on the ground?”
“They have five midsized fighters and four large-capacity shuttles,” Kaden rattled off, stubbornly shutting down all of his emotions. This was a time for logic and strategy, not useless rage. They wouldn’t hurt her. Not if they wanted the ship, and it was obvious they did.
“Their ships are the least of our concerns,” Raylon said. “They all trained to be technomages, Kage and several others completed the training. There’s no telling what they can do without ever leaving their encampment.”
“And the encampment is protected by some sort of energy field,” one of the recon team reported. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“What’s their actual number?” Garin asked. “I’ve heard anywhere between ten and a thousand.”
“Just under a hundred, if our scans can be believed,” Kaden told him.
Yorak nodded. “We can’t lock on to anyone inside the compound. That energy field is screwing with our sensors, but I’m relatively sure of that number.”
“So we launch a full-scale offensive and obliterate the entire camp,” Raylon suggested.
“And how do we do that without ‘obliterating’ Lexie and Libby?” Garin asked with a patient smile. Raylon’s solution to any situation was to run in guns blazing.
“We need Vox.” Kaden ran a hand through his hair as a fresh surge of frustration threatened his composure. “The only way to fight a technomage is with real magic.”
“He’s still unconscious, and we only have an hour.” Raylon was starting to sound as frustrated as Kaden.
A long silence followed as everyone scrambled for a viable plan.
Finally, Garin scooted closer to the camera. “The Relentless wasn’t included in any of our plans. I wasn’t sure when, or if, we’d recapture her. I’m tempted to just give them the ship. Creating an alliance with the Outcasts might prove valuable farther down the line.”
“You can’t trust them,” Raylon flared. “They might have rescued Libby, but they kidnapped Lexie. They’re outlaws who disregard any rule that doesn’t suit their purpose at the time.”
“Good point.” Garin stroked is chin as he pondered the alternatives. “Suggestions?”
Everyone looked around, but no one said anything.
“I’m dispatching the Relentless,” Garin decided. “Zilor will never forgive me, but I’ve wanted to open a dialogue with Kage Razel for months. This should open the door.”
“Giving in to his demands is no way to start an alliance,” Raylon grumbled.
“Well, you have fifty-odd minutes to come up with a better idea. Execute the exchange or com me with another plan.” Garin’s holo-image blinked off.
Raylon wasn’t ready to give up on finding an alternative. He paused to look around the table. “You guys were down there. What did you see?”
“Our dead brother,” Dakar muttered under his breath.
“What was that?”
“Apparently, Arton isn’t dead. He’s the one that delivered the ultimatum,” Kaden explained.
“Arton is among the Outcasts?” Raylon looked as dumbfounded as Dakar had been. “Do your parents know?”
Both brothers shook their heads, but Kaden said, “We just found out.”
“Harbingers complicate everything.”
“You should know,” Yorak pointed out and everyone chuckled. Well, everyone except Dakar and Kaden. Neither of them saw any humor in the situation. “Sorry, guys,” Yorak said when he saw their reaction.
“What’s Razel’s obsession with the Relentless?” one of the scouts asked. “They have plenty of ships for the size of their…gang? What are we calling them? They sure as hell’s rings aren’t an army.”
“The Relentless is special and Razel knows it,” Yorak told his crewmember. “She might not be the largest or most destructive ship in the fleet, but she’s got some capabilities that aren’t found on ordinary ships.”
“And a technomage’s power is tied to his ship,” Raylon explained. “Sometimes they work in teams, but more often they’re territorial when it comes to their ships. I suspect you’ve only found a fraction of their fleet.”
“Which strengthens Garin’s position,” Yorak concluded. “We want these guys on our side when the fighting starts. We’re on the brink of war on multiple fronts already. We can’t afford to start a feud with the Outcasts. If the Relentless is what it takes to make them approachable, I say we give it to them.”
“It sets a horrible precedence,” Raylon insisted. “It will make them—and every wannabe rogue out there—that much bolder next time they decide to kidnap someone.”
“That’s a risk,” Yorak agreed. “But I don’t see an alternative.”
“I called you back early,” Kaden said to the table at large. “We have thirty-five minutes to find an opening in their security or some alternative to giving in to these bastards.”
“Yes, sir,” the recon team chorused as they pushed back from the table and headed back down to Earth.
They located twenty-four additional ships and verified the Outcasts’ n
umbers at ninety-six, but no one could think of a solution other than the exchange. Time had just about elapsed when Yorak reported that the Relentless had arrived.
“I’m with Raylon on this,” Dakar told Kaden as they returned to the spot where they’d encountered Arton. “This is a bad idea.”
As a soldier, Kaden agreed with them, but as Lexie’s mate, he would sacrifice anything to ensure her safety. “There isn’t another way and Kage knows it.”
“I know, but I don’t have to like it.”
Arton appeared as mysteriously as he had the first time. Unless he’d developed new abilities since Kaden last saw him, Arton couldn’t teleport, but Harbingers were taught how to harness the power of illusion. “Do you have something for me?”
“Can’t you tell?” Kaden felt nothing but hostility toward his oldest brother. Arton had clearly chosen a band of ruthless outlaws over his own flesh and blood. “You knew my shuttle was there while I was still shielded. Can’t you detect the Relentless?”
“It’s a matter of proximity. If the Relentless is really there, she’s too far out for our sensors to penetrate her shields.”
“Hold on.” Kaden sent a quick message to Yorak, because he wasn’t sure who was aboard the Relentless. “Try it now,” he said when Yorak signaled that the other ship had lowered its shields.
“Good choice.” Arton motioned toward the darkness on his right and the two women came running forward.
Lexie threw herself into Kaden’s arms. By the time Kaden embraced her, Arton was gone.
And so was the Relentless. One quick signal had been all the Outcasts needed to take control of the ship. They bio-streamed the skeleton crew onto the surrounding ships, then took off to a destination only they knew.
“Let’s get out of here,” Dakar suggested, keeping his distance from Lexie. “I still can’t believe he’s alive.”
Kaden glanced at the place Arton had stood moments before. “That wasn’t Arton. As that creature said, the brother we knew is dead.”
Dakar didn’t look pleased by Kaden’s attitude, but he didn’t argue either. “See you back in the moon.” Then he turned to the women. “Nice to meet you.”
“But we haven’t met you,” Libby objected with a flirtatious smile.
“Oh my god. Are you going to flirt with every man we encounter?” Lexie glared at her sister like a disapproving parent. “I saw you making eyes at Kage, and you kept touching the harbinger. He was clearly annoyed by it, but most men see that as an invitation.”
“Dakar Lux.” He stuck out his hand toward Libby, knowing he dare not approach with Lexie standing right beside her. Libby gladly moved to him and shook his hand. “That’s my brother, Kaden. And he’s soon to be your sister’s mate.”
“Seriously?” Libby looked at Lexie with accusation in her wide blue eyes. “Odd that you said nothing about this while we were catching up.”
“I was still trying to convince myself you were really okay. Forgive me for needing a minute to absorb all of this. Do you have any idea what you put me through?”
“I didn’t put you through anything,” Libby cried, hands thrown in the air. “They watched me night and day and wouldn’t let me near a phone or computer. What was I supposed to do? Find a homing pigeon?”
“Ladies,” Dakar said with a chuckle. “We really need to move.” Then he turned to Kaden and asked, “Shall I take Libby with me?”
“No!” Kaden and Lexie yelled in unison.
Then Kaden added, “I appreciate the offer, but my mate’s sister is my responsibility too.”
Dakar bowed to the females in turn then requested transport back to the Fearless.
After motioning the sisters closer, Kaden bio-streamed the small group onto the Phantom. He slipped in behind the controls, but Lexie chose to sit across from her sister.
“It’s over.” Lexie sounded as if she were trying to convince herself. “It’s finally over.”
“Unfortunately.” Libby harrumphed. “I know everyone was worried about me, but I was having fun.”
“No doubt,” Lexie grumbled. “You were surrounded by handsome men who were all focused on you. What more could a red-blooded American ask of a sex fantasy.”
Libby gasped, but didn’t quite succeed in looking shocked. “There was no sex involved, thank you very much.”
Kaden was enjoying their mostly playful banter, but the ship wouldn’t fly herself. Well, actually she would, but he had to at least tell her where to take them. Suddenly, he realized he didn’t know. “Where am I taking Libby?”
“I want to go to Lunar Nine with you,” Libby insisted.
“No way.” Lexie was just as vehement. “Jodi and Amber are frantic, and Connie is even worse. You are going home to clean up the mess you made.”
Libby crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Lexie. “I didn’t make the mess. I told you, they didn’t give me a choice. But you’re right, my friends and family need to see that I’m all right.”
Lexie told him the address and he entered it into the nav-system, setting the shuttle in motion.
A few minutes of tense silence followed and then Lexie asked, “Can we com my sister Connie? She doesn’t live in Colorado, so there’s really no reason to wait.”
“How much can I tell her?” Libby wanted to know. “For that matter, how much can I tell Amber and Jodi?”
“Good question.”
Kaden quickly checked that they were on course, then turned around. “Secrecy is no longer necessary, but Lexie already tried to tell your roommates the truth and they didn’t believe her. Do you think they’ll believe you now?”
“Bio-stream me into the living room,” Libby suggested with a shrug. “That should cure them of their skepticism.”
Lexie nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“All right. What’s Connie’s number and what’s the number you want her to think you’re calling from? If I emulate your cell phone, she’s more likely to pick up.”
“Use Libby’s number. It’ll be more convincing.”
She told him the numbers and he programed the call.
“Libby? Are you there? Is this really you?” Connie sounded as frantic as Lexie had indicated.
“It’s me, Connie.” Libby blinked back tears. “I’m fine. I mean it. I’m okay and I’m headed back home with Lexie.”
“Lexie’s there? Put the call on speaker.”
“I’m here too,” Lexie assured. “We got her back. Just like I said we would. And she looks like she’s been on vacation.”
“Wait. You got her back from where and who is ‘we’. What the hell is going on?”
With a little laugh, Lexie patiently explained the situation, but the dread in her eyes told Kaden she didn’t expect Connie to believe her.
When she finally stopped talking there was a long, silent pause. Then Connie spoke in a tight, angry voice. “I’m thrilled that you’re okay, Libby, but where have you really been? I know your roommates are into all that alien nonsense, but this is me. You can tell me the truth. There’s no need for these childish stories.”
Libby gasped, clearly shocked by Connie’s reaction. “Lex just told you the truth.”
“I expect this bullshit from you, Liberty Ward, but I thought Lexie knew better.” Then Connie ended the call.
“See what I mean?” Lexie looked at him, cheeks flushed, gaze bright with conflicting emotions. “No one believes us.”
“Humans are suspicious by nature,” Libby agreed.
“This is why we need you so badly,” Kaden reminded. “Clearly our attempts at public relations are failing.”
Libby looked at her sister and asked, “What’s he talking about?”
“General Nox more or less hired me as a publicist for the battle born.”
“Oh Libby, that’s wonderful. I am so jealous!” Then in a flash her focus switched back to herself. “You’ll be able to bring me up to Lunar Nine and show me around, won’t you. I’ll just die if I don’t see it really s
oon.”
“I’ll do my best,” Lexie promised with a tired smile.
Libby’s house was in the heart of Fort Collins, Colorado, so landing the ship wasn’t an option. Granting one of her wishes, Kaden carefully bio-streamed her into the middle of her living room, so she could amaze and terrify her roommates.
“She’s just plain exhausting.” Lexie moved to the other forward-facing seat once Libby was safely away.
“She’s that and more.” Kaden chuckled. “I guess I was expecting her to be a little more like you.”
She looked at him and tenderness rippled across their mental link. It felt so good to be able to sense her again. That hour without her had seemed like weeks. “She’s just young and full of herself. Someday, hopefully soon, she’ll grow up.” She sighed and looked around, relaxed enough to smile. “Fyran and his crew are finally out of commission. Will Garin release Milanni now or was this a double-cross?”
“She’ll be on a shuttle to the Fortris Colony first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I’m glad. There was something about her that came off as tragic not evil.”
“Living without her abilities is more than enough punishment for what she did. Secretly, I’m rooting for her too.” She just nodded, so he moved on. He didn’t want to talk about Milanni any more than he wanted to talk about Libby. He wanted Lexie to let go of all her worries and focus on herself for a change. “You did it, love. Clues literally led off your planet, and you still managed to run them down.”
“I had more than a little help from you,” she reminded as she reached over and squeezed his hand.
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be with mates. We’re always there for each other.” He turned his hand over and let her fingers settle in between his.
“I know, and I’m ready to make it official.” She maintained eye contact, opening her mind so he felt the conviction behind her words. “This has all happened so fast. I know I haven’t made it easy, but I know you love me and I’m desperately in love with you.”
The ride would remain smooth for a little while longer, so he unfastened his safety restraints, then released hers. “Anything worth having is worth the fight.”
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