by Ann Raina
“I just…” He managed to sit up, grimacing at the sudden impact of pain. He swallowed. His head felt as if all his brain cells were shaking in a wild dance. “Ray?”
“Yes?”
“Did you send me images this time?”
A tentative and slightly insecure smile crept across her face as she cocked her head.
“No, not that I know of. I still wait for the nightmares to come, or however you call that. I’ll let you know when I get attacked.” She frowned. “What did you dream about?”
Sajitar took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. There had been something strange with this dream and he was not sure what it meant. Is that a way of remembering? Does my brain juggle my experience and my wishes? He reached out to her.
“Come here, please.”
She moved closer.
“Saji, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I think. I dreamed of kissing you…like this.” He placed a gentle, chaste kiss on her lips, half expecting her to move away and reject his approach. She giggled when his beard touched her skin, then looked at him, eyebrows raised.
“Oh, did you truly imagine it like that?”
Sajitar hesitated. The amusement had been a trap in the beginning of their acquaintance and he distrusted her lightness. She was an actor who had lured him in and made him drunk. Still, the memory of the dream lingered like a fine scent. He felt very bold.
Rayenne purred.
“I would imagine it like this.” Ray gently cupped his face and kissed him eagerly, letting him know that she was not holding back. He kissed her in return, feeling a sudden release of feelings like a wave crashing over both of them. His hands were in her hair suddenly, then they reached down her shoulders to pull her closer and into his lap. For the moment the pain in his side was forgotten. He fell prey to the rush of hormones and did not want to think about anything but the feel of Rayenne’s skin on his, of her hands in places he wished them to be, of touching her as if he was exploring new lands.
He helped her out of her jacket and pulled the shirt from the waistband to cup her breasts. She wore no bra and when he touched them, she gasped. Still exploring his mouth with her tongue, she had her hands at his waistband and fumbled to get his pants down.
That was the second Sajitar’s mind pulled the emergency stop signal. He put his hands over hers, panting.
“No. No, Rayenne, please! This is much too fast.”
Rayenne was unruffled. She laughed at him like an experienced woman dealing with a nervous student while she freed her hands in a practiced move. Her nose touched his, tickling him. She laughed when he moved away, an awkward move since she sat across his legs.
“Hey, we’re both grown up, and I want you. Now.” With the last word she had the buttons open and the pants and boxers halfway down. “Don’t tell me that wasn’t on your mind.”
Sajitar fought her hands and the pain in his side rose to the occasion.
“Ray, no, wait.”
She sat back, still smiling, still unwilling to accept his rejection. “Is it a religious thing? Do you have to pray or perform a certain ritual before…?”
“No.”
“I know that one part of you wants me, too, badly.” Ray looked down and right before he could pull up his pants again, she frowned and stopped his action. “Wait a moment.”
“Ray, I said—”
“I heard you.” She pushed down the cloth again, revealing the sign of two circles with two letters. “Sanjongy,” Rayenne gasped and fell back on her butt, a step away from Sajitar, who hastily covered himself. “You carry the sign of the Sanjongy gang. I can’t believe it!” She shook her head, set aback. Her face lost all color. She wiped her mouth as if Sajitar had soiled her. “You belong to that gang!”
“No, I don’t!”
“Don’t you lie to me! I’ve seen that damned sign often enough!”
Sajitar ran a hand through his hair. He felt as if he’d been thrown from one of the gigantic trees. The crash was hard and left him breathless and out of words.
“But where did you see it? Where do the killers wear it? Where?”
Rayenne crept away from him, still panting as if she was trying to escape more than the truth.
“In the neck, yes, but—”
“No but!” Sajitar cried. “Think again! All of those men you saw wear it with pride because they chose to belong to that gang. I was marked! Do you want to see it again? It’s a brand, not a tattoo!”
“That doesn’t change anything. You are the criminal we all took you for and you know Sananda Wang closer than you would ever tell, obviously.”
“Oh, by the uncut trees! Is that all you see? A sign and then the man is guilty? Won’t you even try and think before you condemn me?” He closed his eyes for a second, praying for the right words, for patience on both sides. “Rayenne, please, let me explain.”
She pressed her lips tight and he saw the inner fight on her face. She pulled up her legs and hugged her knees, eyeing him angrily. There was a tear in her eye, but she blinked it away.
“Go ahead, explain,” she clipped.
“Thank you.” Sajitar breathed deeply. The inner turmoil ripped him apart. He had wanted Rayenne to kiss him, but he had not wasted a thought about further actions. I haven’t learned anything! “When I came to Belson Park, I was blinded by the big city. I had never before seen a place like that. I searched for a job and sooner than later, I had found one at the spaceport.” Rayenne’s brusque snort told him to cut the crap. “To sum it up, two men took me to a bar, a meeting point as I learned later. There I came to know Sananda Wang.”
Chapter Five
“You said you never met her.” Rayenne lifted her chin to strengthen the accusation. Her words were tinted with bitterness. “You said you could not imagine her pursuing you. I was so close to believing you.”
“Hear me out, that’s all I ask for.”
Her voice was grim.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
Sajitar’s heart sank. He struggled for words. The memories were a strangled, hurting mess in his mind and he did not wish to recall them. The planet’s not big enough to escape. I should have taken a space ship instead of a B-horse.
“Sananda’s a very clever woman. She can tell you that there are six moons above and you nod and believe it. That’s her strategy. That’s all she does. She talks people into believing her scheme so that they don’t know if what they are doing is illegal. She never dirties her hands.” Again he paused. There was no mercy in Rayenne’s eyes. He had to avoid staring at her or knew he would falter. “She made me believe that she wanted me, but she has…a very special way of showing her affection.”
“Are you trying to tell me that you became her pet?” And upon his pained expression she nodded. “It’s not unheard of. She’s out for dominating her partners and you were a willing—”
“I was a victim, Ray. On that last night, she had me lured into her playroom and before I realized what she was doing, she had me bound, and the iron in her hand. When I was able to have a clear thought once more, all I wanted was to get away from her.”
Rayenne smiled bitterly. “You want me to believe that you were seduced, misused and are hunted because she wants her pet back in her playroom? Sorry, but I’m not drunk enough to believe that.” She shook her head when he nodded. “By what I know, she can seduce every man around to stay with her. Why should she want you out of all of them?”
“You don’t know her, Ray, believe me.”
She frowned. “I’ve been on her heels since the day I set foot on Belthraine. That’s why I came here in the first place—to catch Sananda and her gang because local police were said to be involved too much in her crimes. And of all the things colleagues told me about her, there was no word that she might be fixed on one single being. She’s a player. The more the merrier.”
“Yes, but she plays the cards well that she holds. And she doesn’t like losing one single card in her complicated game.”
&nb
sp; “Ah, so you were more than just a lap dog? What was your position? Something like an admiring follower who’d run errands? What kind of jobs did you do for her aside from licking her toes?”
“You misunderstand me on purpose. She had seduced me, I agree. And my rejection, my escape from the city and therefore from her grasp angered her. It angered her the moment she realized that the brand had not brought me closer to her but had chased me away.”
Rayenne opened her eyes wide in mock surprise. “Why would she think that it made you want to flee her? It’s such a loving gesture, is it not? I always wanted to be a lover’s special pet. My, what did I miss?”
Sajitar’s shoulders sagged as he recalled the long days and even longer nights he had spent at Sananda’s home.
“If you are in the game, Ray, everything’s allowed. I’ve seen men kneel at her feet and kiss her toes and they were in heaven if she patted their heads. They wanted to live like that and a brand is the sign of deep devotion. It is only given to a few. She expected the same from me. She expected me to fall at her feet and thank her for her generosity. I disappointed her. The card game, to stay in the picture, was suddenly lost, the knave dropped under the table.”
Rayenne sucked in her lower lip, looking at him.
Sajitar wanted her to believe him. Nothing seemed as important as having her back on his side. At least he wanted to be back on neutral ground, where it would be possible to convince her of his honest intentions.
“She sent two men to my door then, two days after I had left. First they were polite and invited me to Sananda’s home just to talk, but I knew I wouldn’t leave once I was inside. I had seen her sanctuary. I could imagine what waited for me.” He shook his head, caught in the memory. “Have you ever been there? No, of course not. No one has who wasn’t invited. It’s like no place on this planet. She takes only those men there she really trusts. Business and such is dealt with in town, but once she’s closed business for the day, she meets with men she loves most.”
“And you’ve been there?”
“More than once, yes.” Sajitar paused and averted his eyes from her inquiring stare. Her tone was harsh and he wanted the explanation over. Yet, the signs of lenience were scarce in Rayenne’s face. “No one had told me how special it was to be invited. I was taken there by one of her drivers in a closed carriage and she offered me hospitality. She made me feel like the only man of importance.”
“You were flattered.”
“Who wouldn’t be?” Sajitar pleaded for understanding and found skepticism at its best. “She’s a beautiful woman and very influential. Everyone said so, even if they didn’t say it aloud. I followed her into the trap willingly, yes. Being with her was a reward and other men envied me. For me, a young man from a village without a name, this was overwhelming.”
“I get the picture.”
Sajitar took the grumpy tone as a sign to quicken his monologue.
“I learned that she wanted to be in control, first just with words, later with tethers. Her approach was subtle enough to make me feel good. I gave her what she wanted. Willingly. Then the day came when she said…” He ran a hand through his tousled hair. His heart beat fast just thinking of how helpless he had been. The pain had not been the worst, but the knowledge of being under her heel. “Well, she took me to her special room, and I knew that rejecting her wishes would spoil the mood and, at the worst, cast me out for good. I didn’t look around close enough to realize what she had planned. She tied me up, then all of a sudden she held that branding iron in her hand.” He swallowed. The memory stuck in his throat. He still heard her soft voice and the sizzling coming closer to his naked body. “I begged her not to do it, but she just smiled, telling me that I would be her special lover forever. The next day, I fled her sanctuary, properly taken care of, of course, but with the knowledge that I could either leave for good or stay at her place until she would grow weary of me. Do you understand? I escaped, risking my neck to get away from her clutches.”
Sajitar looked at Rayenne and held her stare. He had poured out his heart to her and hoped she would believe. He realized he held the waterskin in his hands and changed it for the wine flagon. He needed a drink, badly. Rayenne watched him, eyebrows knitted, lips pressed tight. To Sajitar, her expression had somewhat softened. The harsh rejection of the first minute had made way for a more controlled review of the whole story. Sajitar felt as if he stood in front of her, naked. The irony almost made him smile.
Rayenne broke the silence, her voice down to business.
“You know, this sanctuary as you call it, it’s not in the police list of her properties. Where is it?”
He screwed the flagon and put it back.
“Somewhere close to Beechtree Pride. But I don’t know the exact location.”
“Why do the police not know about this place at all?”
“Because she doesn’t want anyone to know it. She uses secret paths to get there.”
“Underground?”
“No, not that I know. When I was guided in I had to drive in a carriage with the drapes down. The same way I escaped—under a carriage that left the premises.” He was glad to be on a safe subject. If he could help her he would. “I just heard them talk about new ways to protect the hideout and how they had framed the police.”
“Oh, that explains more than you think.” She took a deep breath. “Once we get to Belson Park, you will describe exactly where this sanctuary lies. You hear me? If you want my trust, you will earn it.”
“Certainly. You can count on it, I want this bitch behind bars as much as you do.” Rayenne scrutinized him and he feared he’d gone too far.
“If it’s true what you say, I tend to believe you.”
He wanted to say thanks, but the word stuck realizing that she could use this knowledge against him. She could tell the judge that he had shared Sananda’s bed and that he must know more about her business than just the inside of her secret home. Suddenly, his heart raced. Is Rayenne trustworthy? Will my secret stay a secret once we reach Belson Park? Will she press me for more information or blackmail me if I don’t tell the judge in detail?
He wiped his face with both hands. Exhaustion gripped him. He was tired and not even hungry. With his eyes half-closed he waited for Rayenne’s decision. They would be together on their journey to town, for better or for worse.
“The fish is cooked,” Ray said beside him. “Do you want to eat? I’m starving.”
He licked his lips, trying desperately to read her face. He needed to know what she thought, but she had closed up to him.
“Yes, dinner would be great,” he lied and took the bowl she handed him.
“Good. We’ll be on our way shortly after sunrise.”
“Sure. As you wish.”
Chapter Six
Sajitar woke with a headache throbbing like the pulse of a giant through his body. He turned, moaning, pressing both hands flat against his temples. Flashes of pure white light came with the pulse and in between were the flitting images of Horlyns standing their ground against people in orange camouflage jumpsuits, pointing air pressure guns at the insectoids. The semi-dark wood exploded in light and pain and high-pitched screams. Winged Horlyns crashed down on the men, smashing their bodies on the moist soil. Guns scattered on the ground, shouts rose and more Horlyns appeared in the crowded space, pressing hard on the opponents. It was a swirl of shapes and colors, as numerous as the plants of all Belthraine forests combined. The men tried to retreat, but there was no way out. In their panic some tried to climb trees and were pulled down roughly. Shots went astray, then all of a sudden, all weapons were down.
Silence returned. The Horlyns examined the dead. Two of their kind were taken away while the hooded men stayed where they had fallen for the carrion eaters to fill their stomachs.
The white light behind his closed eyes remained for a few heartbeats. Sajitar panted so much that his chest hurt. Clenching his jaw tight, he hoped the headache would abate so he could leave the
tent without stumbling over his feet.
Rayenne was still sleeping beside him, brows knitted as if she was thinking about something unpleasant. He smiled feebly. At least he hadn’t tossed and screamed at the end. That was an improvement.
Slowly, he crawled away from the tent to empty his first wine flagon. With the taste still in his mouth, he searched for the second one he had haggled for on the way to his last hideout. His grandpa had told him that the mix of herbs and roots would keep ghosts away. Sajitar had only recently found out that it helped the headache following a vision. While he allowed himself another drink, he looked around.
First light touched the quiet wood and he saw the outlines of their B-horses close by. They leaned their heads on each other’s neck, half sleeping. He envied them for their simple minds and the few troubles they had. Putting back the flagon, he turned to find a Horlyn staring at him from ten feet away. He held his breath, unable to move, unable to look away. If possible, he wanted to stop breathing and melt with the surroundings. How could it get this close without me knowing?
The Horlyn’s large antennae—if they were antennae at all—twisted in his direction as if to take in his scent. Its head turned to the right and the compound eyes seemed to keep him in their stare. The Horlyn changed ever so slightly with every blink of his eyes. With each ray of light that reflected on the carapace the outer appearance changed color, form, and even the antennae. Every part of the alien creature floated, as if it could not decide which form it wanted to present.
Sajitar turned slowly, swallowing nervously. He did not want to agitate the creature, but he felt the urge to ask what it wanted. For lack of a better way, he closed his eyes and imagined the Horlyn attacking the tent with Rayenne and him. He frowned then added the B-horses to the alien’s meal.
