Trained in Blood [Lords of the Expanse 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Honor James

  “Very good, Violet. Talk to us, charm us.”

  It went on like this every day, every hour for eleven hours. She would then have streaming holographs on all the walls surrounding her, increasing her IQ exponentially, giving her not only intelligence but also a will to live, but they didn’t need to know that.

  She was poised, could charm a snake, and was deadlier than any assassin ever created, and that was their mistake. They gave her too much knowledge, too many physical and mental skills, and never increased the dosage of medication they gave her.

  Finally night came. Tonight she would learn just how many watched her sleep. With that thought she lay down in her metal bed and once more began to work on the pipe. They thought she was crying with her back to them, and she had cried, for the first three nights, and then it was anger that fueled her. Working slowly on the joint she had the bed was soon ready to fall apart and tonight was that night.

  No hesitation at all was in her as she grasped one pipe, then the other and threw one at the glass window with all she had in her, cracking the plate glass even as her bed fell to the floor. Rolling and jumping to her feet she raced for the glass and heard the surprised sounds as she took the other pipe and slammed it in with the first, separating the small fissure and widening it to allow herself to enter.

  She heard the charging hum of the electrical floor in her room and just grinned at the night guard. “Surprise.” Without even pausing she heaved the pipe through the man’s skull and grabbed his long lab coat and keys as she raced out the door.

  She knew what she had to do, and how to do it. The idiots of the “training facility” ensured that she was fully able to pilot any craft ever created, and they were nothing if not fastidious in their training. As she ran she hit another guard upside the head with the pipe and grabbed his gun before it was even able to clatter out of his dead and limp hands.

  Behind her Violet left a path of destruction a meter wide. Anything came close, and she destroyed it.

  Running full tilt in bare feet she jumped a transport, crossed over a drainage gully, and finally climbed a metallic fence to the air strip. Commandeering the first ship she came to she got in and programmed it for self destruct in thirty seconds, jumped from it, and ran to the second one in close proximity.

  She hadn’t even cleared the air over the field when the explosion rocked and shook the little craft. Pulling up and into the reaches of space she didn’t know where to go, just that she had to go.

  Her choice was made as she looked at the stars, noted her position and where she was. “Vampire space.” She bit back the laughter of the situation. Here she was, trained in every way known to kill a Vampire, and she was going to them to beg for Sanctuary. How classic was cosmic karma?

  As the little ship moved through space Vi did some reconfiguring of the basics of the ship. She didn’t need weapons, so those were dropped quickly. Rerouting the power from the weapons to the shields and engine made the little vessel faster, and the armament kept it safer.

  In the process of her “improvements” the lab coat was destroyed and sadly the only thing she found when she went rooting for clothing was a long, flowing red silk gown. Granted it went beautifully with her long dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, but it wasn’t something she would wear, ever. It was the gown of a consort, something she would never be.

  She knew that she was cutting it close when the ship’s sensors picked up the Syndicate vessel but the Vampire ship was far superior. She just prayed they would allow her Sanctuary. She felt the pull of the tractor beam and knew she had been brought aboard the Vampire vessel, so calmly she moved to the rear hatch with her hands twined before her.

  When the ramp came down and revealed all of the guns on her she was about to have something very angry to say. However, her tone and words were caught by the large military man before her. His words of “they called out a hunt on a consort” sent fire through her blood, and narrowing the blue eyes on him she said, in a soft growl, “I am not now, nor ever will I be any man’s consort. They tried to make me whore, tried to make me killer, but I am neither. I am Violet Macy, daughter of Lady Macy of the Mystical House of DeLinea on Westonian.” Naming her mother and the fact that she was a Seer might not be the best move, but as angry as she was with being thought of as a consort, she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  “I formally beg for Sanctuary.” Finally that part came to her as she dropped to her knees now before the man who was obviously in charge. She hadn’t even realized she had moved, but she had. She had moved to just inches from him before she found her voice on her request for Sanctuary.

  Staring down at the dark hair, silken in appearance, Titan hadn’t the faintest idea of what the hell had just happened. Shifting his eyes to the vessel at her back and then to the guards he signaled for two to check it out. When they returned moments later with a shake of their heads he knew he now had a decision to make. She was high born, her form of dress obviously due to circumstances and not birth or choice.

  “Rise, Lady,” Titan said in his distinctive voice, lowering his eyes to the petite female. “Because of our alliance with Westonian you need not ask for Sanctuary. We freely extend it to you as our ally.” He’d have said more but one of the guards tapped his own ear frantically just as there was a small jolt up through the flooring of the vessel. “Your pardon, my Lady,” he told her and, turning slightly, keyed his ear and voice piece. “Care to explain what you are doing to my ship, Major?” The question was deceptively soft.

  “The Syndicate vessel fired on us, Colonel.” The major’s tone was understandably shocked and surprised. Much as what happens when the larger predator gets a swipe of claws from that of its tiny prey.

  “You warned them off?” Titan asked.

  “Of course, Colonel,” the major said. “We gave them the standard three shots over their bow and also attempted visual contact. When that was ignored we gave them the standard hails across all bands and have them recorded as saying, and I quote, ‘Return our property or perish,’ sir.”

  “Their property?” Titan said softly as he looked to the woman and saw the flash of anger in her eyes. “Weapons to full power, Major. Destroy them.”

  “Sir?!” the Major said stunned, again, this time by the order.

  “You heard me, Major,” Titan said softly. “They have invaded our space after repeated attempts to make contact and they have threatened us. I want nothing to remain but dust. Are we clear, Major?”

  “Perfectly, my Lord.” The major cleared his throat and disconnected.

  “Take the Lady to my chambers and ensure she is fed and clothed with whatever we might have that is as appropriate as we can manage at this time,” Titan ordered, facing the woman once more. “Once we are finished with the Syndicate vessel, my Lady, we will prepare a short burst transmission from you to your home world if you wish. I’d suggest you figure out what you wish to include in it as it won’t be overly long.”

  She wondered briefly if sending, “I’m not dead so make sure that whoever wanted me that way knows…” would go over well, but in the end shook her head. “I would rather not send anything. Please do not tell them I am alive.” Because she damn well wanted to face her mother in person, in surprise, and see if that conniving bitch had anything to do with her being sent to hell for the last two and a half years.

  “As you wish, my Lady,” Titan said softly. He’d just inform them that they were coming to the planet and to ensure that the appropriate peoples were available to meet him. As he was from a Royal House he’d only get the top individuals, or rather, he’d better get the top dogs scraping and bowing with enthusiasm.

  “Thank you.” She noted the insignia on the man’s uniform and the color. “Colonel, thank you for your rescue.” Because without his ship and his rescue of her she would have been the one vaporized in space, or worse, taken back. The Syndicate was most assuredly going to be pissed that their prized killer had been let off her leash, and she was pissed.r />
  “You are most welcome, my Lady,” he told her and stepped back. “If you would go with the guards they will escort you to my quarters. Please avail yourself of anything and everything in the rooms and if you require anything further alert the guards and they shall procure it for you if we have it available.”

  “Different clothes would be very wonderful. I don’t care if it is one of your uniforms,” she said simply as she looked down with distaste at the consort’s gown she was garbed in. “Again, thank you.” She spoke in only truth and honesty as she was led from him by his guards. She had to admit that he wasn’t what she had anticipated, this Vampire colonel. He was incredibly handsome, had intelligence that seemed to glow from his eyes, and had saved her. In her eyes, he was right up there in her top two favorite people.

  * * * *

  Watching her go, Titan frowned slightly and told the last two guards to stay with the vessel. Keying his ear piece again he ordered his second to send someone down to download the computer of the craft and get anything else they could from it. Walking the corridors he found himself heading for his quarters even as he got a report that the Syndicate vessel had turned tail and ran. They’d taken heavy damage but because they were back in their own space Titan called off the chase and ordered his second to head for their guest’s home planet.

  Chapter Three

  Reaching his rooms after passing along instructions to his crew, he lifted a brow to the guards who stood outside with their guest. Pressing his hand to the scanner he allowed her to enter and signaled the guards to wait outside. “The bathing room is through the arch just behind the bedroom section,” he told her. “If you can’t find anything in my closet I’m sure we have someone on board that is likely closer to your size.”

  “Right now just getting clean and being out of these clothes will be wonderful.” She looked up at him and all the training over the last six hundred and some odd sunrises fled. It was as if he wiped it all away and made her feel like she were fresh and new once more. She would never be the person she had been before becoming a hostage again. Those who had taken her had made sure of it, but even though her innocence was stolen, it had never been given and suddenly she wanted to give it.

  She really had to figure out just what was happening to her before she made her mother’s damn home world, and more than that, she had to figure out what it was about the colonel that seemed to short-circuit her brain.

  “Was there something else, my Lady?” Titan asked with a raised brow while she just stared at him. She was trying to keep any real expression off her face except for a look of serenity.

  “No.” She shook her head and watched him. “Thank you but you have done more than enough, Colonel.” She bowed her head once more and allowed her hair to fall down around her face. “But I believe that a sonic shower really sounds very good to me now.” She let it trail off knowing that he would get it. He would understand it sounded good to her, but only if he left.

  “I shall have food and drink brought up,” he said, heading for the door once more. “If you require anything at all let one of the guards know and they will contact me. You may feel free to make use of the rooms. I shall take another set of quarters for the duration of the trip. We will reach your mother’s planet in a handful of days, my Lady.” He turned at the door and bowed lower. “Good evening.” And with that he left with the silent opening and closing of the door.

  She really hoped it would take more than a handful of days to reach her mother’s home world. She needed time to think now that she was relatively safe, and come up with a plan because if her mother was the one who had sent her into that hell, she would likely try to send her back once the Vampire ship had left their system. No, she wouldn’t go back to that “training.” She would kill everyone in her path first and make them take her down.

  Shaking off the feelings she had building she removed the offending garment and tossed it onto the chair before walking naked through the arch and into the bathing chamber. Taking it all in she smiled and nodded her approval before stepping into the sonic shower, and setting the timer to manual, she simply stood there under the rays and allowed it to soothe the aches and pains that she had.

  * * * * *

  “Sir.” One of the three captains on duty came up to him and passed a data pad over.

  Taking it from the young man Titan frowned slightly and then nodded. “Thank you, Captain,” he murmured as he read the information. “Major, you have command,” he said before he turned and left the command level for his quarters.

  Arriving just as one of the kitchen crew came to the door Titan buzzed twice in warning before he opened the door into the room, though he stayed, and kept the crew member out of sight into the room. “My Lady, your dinner has arrived,” he called in a slightly louder voice than normal.

  The faint sound of fabric moving over flesh in the room beyond the main one had him stepping in and pointing to a table for the tray before dismissing the man. “You may want to come out and eat, my Lady, before we speak on another matter.” He was not sure if she’d want to after considering what he’d just read.

  She walked out wearing one of his robes she’d found in the closet, and nothing else. “I am still waiting on clothing, so I hope that you don’t mind?” She indicated the robe she wore belted around her body. “The food smells wonderful, but what do you wish to discuss?” she asked as she stood there before him. She wasn’t going to sit until he had said whatever it was that he had to say. She could see by the look on his face that whatever it was, it was bad.

  Passing her the data pad that had her face on it as well as a substantial amount under her picture and name he looked to her. “There has been a warrant sworn out on you for murder, theft of an air craft, as well as conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful flight from the law,” he told her straight out. He could have softened the words and thereby the blow of what it all meant, but he felt she deserved nothing but honesty.

  A buzz at his door distracted him from watching the color fade from her face. Grinding his teeth together he went and opened the door, taking the small material bundle from one of the crewmen. With the man’s quick explanation Titan thanked him and shut the door locking it from within. He’d explain to her later about the clothing that the man had picked up for his wife by her favorite clothier that had moved to another world, but for now he had a feeling she didn’t really care about clothing. Setting the bundle aside he collected two glasses and a bottle of liquor, coming back to her as he poured a glass and holding it out.

  She accepted the drink with shaking fingers and tossed back the first drink and then a second. “I would say they were lies.” But they both knew they weren’t. “They are leaving off very important facts, however. Ones that you should hear.” She looked up and added, “Ones that affect your whole race of people. I have information of the highest importance that your command would need. I need to go to your superiors.” She swallowed back the third drink as she added, “I need to inform them of the Syndicate’s training camp, of women being taught every way to kill a Vampire.” She looked at him and nodded. “Every way, Colonel. Not the myths, but the truth.”

  “I see,” he murmured, pouring her a fourth drink before he poured himself a small amount and sat. Waving his hand to the other seat he stared at her for a moment. “I think some clarification would not be amiss, my Lady, as to just what manner of killing us you’ve been taught. If I’m to contact my superiors for this and alert them to the happenings on that world I will need something to go to them with.” And he needed something to keep her from either being executed outright or turned over to the Syndicate who would likely silence her after “reprimanding” her and then move their training operation.

  “I know that the older you are the longer you are able to remain awake in the daytime. However, I also know you all have to sleep between ten a.m. and two p.m., and that the sun will burn your skin,” she muttered and crossed her legs, the bottoms of her feet holding the only scars on
her body. “I know that the Alliance is ruled by seven members. Four senior and three younger who give a fresher point of view.” She tossed back a drink with a burning gag. “I was being trained to remove the threat of Andries Mauricio, and his bride.” Leaning her head back and closing her eyes she continued to drone on and on about the training she’d been given. “They kidnapped me from Naroba and held me on a small barren planet for six hundred and fifty-one sunrises. I don’t know how long that was because it seemed the suns rose quickly, but that’s how long they had me. I was trained to have poise, intelligence, and be deadly. I can fly any Alliance or Syndicate vessel, fire any weapon, but my specialty,” she snorted, “is knives.” She felt ill and shook her head. “If you are going to turn me over to the Syndicate, never trust them, ask your Alliance never to trust them. They are placating you in hopes that they can topple the Vampire Empire.”

  “That we know,” Titan said quietly as he rolled the glass between his hands, his eyes watchful on her. “Your information is relatively accurate but it is definitely faulty on some of the points. And, going for the Lord Colonel and his wife specifically tells me that her father is behind it. He was hoping that the Lady’s husband would be cruel as our people are believed to be and she’d be tortured and eventually killed. The man miscalculated and is now trying to cover his tracks.” Nothing he told her was not already common knowledge. “With what you’ve told me there will be two choices for you,” he said, setting his glass down, not having touched the liquor. “The Alliance will either execute you for being an assassin as well as the fact you knowingly breeched our borders without any notification or plea for assistance. The other choice may be more or less to your palate, my Lady.”