Cloud Riders (Lord of the Planets)

by Debbie Behan

  The Princess Kidnapped

  Kayden was frantic. Cassie was in so much trouble and death was imminent if they did not get to her on time. He was freaking out as Cassie screamed and then ducked. He ordered his men to forget every other order and just grab Cassie. He could see that she had another slice across her shoulder as well and his guts twisted that she had been put in so much danger.

  He’d had no idea that this nova was this far gone. Zoren’s people were getting sloppy with their reporting and heads were going to roll this time. Where Cassie was concerned there could be no margin for error like this.

  No more Mr Nice Guy, no bloody way.

  He grimaced as he heard the men suck in their breaths, realising that a portion of it was going to slam directly into Cassie and her horse. Waiting for the impact seemed to take forever as their adrenalin kicked in and everything around them seemed to go into slow motion. Kayden used every ounce of power to speed up the horses to reach her and as his hands went to grab her a shadow fell over her and she and Starburst disappeared.

  Unable to think past cleaning up the rest of the mess, they formed a star shape around the rest of the Supernova crust disintegrating what was left. They all sat, shocked at what had happened, glad she was safe but wondering if she was alright and mystified about where she had been taken. Kayden was sure Covin was responsible but it had happened so quickly that he couldn’t be sure.

  He instructed the horses to head for Aldebaran. As they landed the butler raced out. ‘Quick! The Lord!’ was all he said and scurried back inside, forcing them to dismount quickly and follow him. Inside they found the butler who was leaning over someone. ‘Lord Aldebaran!’ he was calling, trying to get a response.

  The wall had been smashed so Kayden realised that Aldebaran had been slammed into it and was still unconscious on the floor. A nurse was now at his side, checking his vitals and waking him up. Kayden bent down beside him to listen to what he was trying to say.

  ‘Conom, he sounded more angry than hurt! She was injured. I tried to stop him but he was too angry with you for letting her get harmed. I don’t know where he’s taken her.’

  Kayden felt sick to the stomach already and it wasn’t helping. ‘Please calm yourself, Ald. Let the nurse check you out. Conom won’t hurt her, she’ll calm him.’

  He looked pained. ‘But he’s in love with her.’

  Kayden nodded. ‘I know.’

  ‘But I don’t know what he’ll do! He’s so powerful, Kayden.’

  ‘He won’t hurt her. I’ve been watching. Give her time to sort it out.’

  Aldebaran groaned as his head was being wrapped to stop the bleeding. ‘How are you staying so calm?’ he moaned again.

  ‘I trust my wife,’ he confided as he helped him up and to the armchair. ‘Now, tell me everything that happened.’

  He seemed a bit embarrassed. ‘We couldn’t help it, we were watching. Conom was angry enough when she had her arm cut the first time and I tried to switch off the communication then but he wouldn’t have it and argued with me. Cassie was hit again and this time her shoulder was sliced. He just freaked out, swearing at both of us and saying neither of us deserves her. He said we were reckless for letting her do what she does. I had just about settled him when that last portion of nova headed for her. That’s when he literally picked me up in a fury and flung me off him. I don’t think he realised his own strength: so much mixed passion and protective concern. He damned near threw me through the stone wall, the mongrel bastard.’

  ‘I’m grateful she’s safe, Aldebaran and as much as I’m twisted with guilt for what I had to put Cassie through, our job is to prevent any damage to the stars when under attack. Cassie is a soldier and in battle as you are well aware, there are sometimes unavoidable injuries. She was coping and yes it was touch and go but hell or high water I would have made it to her in time.’ He sighed. ‘I’m damned annoyed at Conom for taking it upon himself to have such little faith in me that he felt it necessary to abduct my wife from the tyrant he thinks I am. He stood abruptly, putting all emotion aside. ‘Sorry to leave you like this, Aldebaran but we have to get back to the mission and the mess it has become. Keep me informed with any news you find out about my wife.’

  Aldebaran sat up, holding his head that was aching. ‘She was hurt and I tried to let her be. I have to admit though, Kayden, I was terribly relieved when I came round just now and found she was alive, even if the traitorous bastard has taken her from us. He’ll have her at a hospital somewhere. I’ll make inquires while you’re gone and try to find out where,’ he offered.

  Kayden thanked him and left with his team to finish what they had started. His men quietly followed him out and Kayden injected a feeling of calm through them and instructed them to keep their minds on the mission until it was completed. The last thing he needed was for them to freak out as well. He linked with the men and sent Cassie some healing once they all mounted their horses before heading off to Pyxis, after which he would make a quick stop at Hydra to assess any damage, before heading to Alpha site where he hoped Zoren’s team had monitored it and had a fix on where Cassie had been taken.

  They arrived at Pyxis and landed on the star Velorum, the home world of Captain Rogers. After greeting the Captain, they followed him inside his ship. The ship had been dug out underneath and he had built a mansion underground. The walls were of a sandy appearance, giving them an authentic look. Magnificent handmade ships and boats where displayed in glass cases around the room.

  The one he was working on sat prominently on his workbench. ‘Just a bit of a hobby of mine,’ he chatted as he poured them a drink.

  Normally Kayden would have refused alcohol as they still had a lot to do but he was too annoyed with how this had all gone down and needed something a bit stronger to drink. Woody had resumed control with the men and was holding it together for Kayden’s sake. His composed authority was helping him keep his mood in check.

  Captain Rogers grinned as he handed the drinks around. ‘That girl of yours is a little powerhouse. I watched you on satellite and noticed her injuries. I hope she’s well.’

  ‘Yes, Cassie received a slight injury and is having it attended to. I’ll pass on your kind words,’ Kayden said, not wishing to discuss private issues with the stars. ‘The danger is over for now. If you wish to put in a personal complaint towards the Raven or Leon, I’ll send Woody back later with some papers for you to sign. Otherwise it will be in my report and as normal, be dealt with by the authorities at Alpha site.’

  ‘Kayden, it’s not the first time you’ve helped me out and I trust you to proceed as usual. You are so much better with detail than an old seadog like me. My days of keeping logs are well over.’ He sat back in his chair, lighting his pipe.

  He motioned to Woody to hand around the cigars and sat back comfortably, giving them the details of what he knew of the argument between the perpetrators. Woody could see Kayden was in no mood to deal with petty bitching so he engaged with the captain and left the boss to his thoughts of Cassie and Conom.

  Woody nudged Kayden when they’d finished the cigars and the drink, letting him know they were itching to move on. Kayden stood up, taking his glass over and placing it on the tray. ‘I’m glad your world is safe, Captain Rogers and when we’re not so time-poor we’ll pop in for a more enjoyable chat. I’ll draw up papers and have them dropped off for your signature. This wasn’t a direct hit on you; nevertheless the nova could have caused you much damage the way it was so out of control. You’ll be asked to testify when the perpetrators are asked to answer to the charges if that’s not too much of a bother.’

  He was a jolly old soul. ‘It’ll be a pleasure. I’d expect it out of the cunning Raven but was shocked Leon was involved. He definitely needs to rethink his friends or he’ll make more enemies up here than just me,’ he croaked out with annoyance.

  Next stop was Hydra, the home of the water snake that may have received some slight damage after Cassie had been snatched from them. His men
cleaned up all but a couple of chunks and those he had seen head for Hydra. He needed to check out the damage, if any.

  Zaine was now the ruler of Hydra. His father had been accidentally killed in an attack many years ago. Zaine was the spitting image of his dad and had the makings of a worthy ruler if he would stop following his father’s stubborn views. However, he was only young yet and even though sometimes a little foolish, Kayden liked his strong will and ability to get on with the job. Knowing him well, he knew that Zaine would be getting a little impatient waiting for their visit.

  Arriving on Hydra, they had spotted from above that there had definitely been some damage and it had caused a fire in the bushlands. The fortress had no apparent harm done to it that Kayden could see which made his job a little easier. Claiming damage to structures was always so messy and at times dragged out for years. Materials used in the constructions in the sky were so very expensive. A lot of the castles and palace furnishings were of solid gold and decorated in a selection of diamonds and special gems.

  Woody joined Kayden as they walked around assessing the damage. From the air they’d already spotted where the nova portion had landed. Where it had exploded, it had left a crater of black and smouldering terrain. The flames had jumped the river, heading up towards the fortress. Even though the fire was now contained, smoke from smouldering embers floated in the air. Zaine came up to them. He had black smeared all over him where he’d worked beside his men to extinguish the flames before they caused any damage to his home.

  He was annoyed with whoever it was that had taken Cassie. She had blasted every piece before it reached them, bar the one that did this damage. He was hoping to meet her to thank her personally. He said it would have been a hell of lot worse if she hadn’t hung in there with her injuries to protect them.

  ‘She was cut pretty badly on her right arm and shoulder and is getting her lacerations seen to,’ Woody intervened, seeing the look on Kayden’s face.

  Each time Cassie’s name was mentioned, guilt plagued him and worry for how she was consumed his thoughts. Not wanting to discuss Cassie further for fear that he might just get back on Zoltan and do what he really wanted to be doing which was to search for his wife, he tactfully changed the subject.

  Speaking to Zaine, Kayden found that even though he was upset about the number of water snakes destroyed by the fire, he was taking it extremely well. He wasn’t too concerned about the burnt bushlands either as they normally did a burn at that time of year. He was just a bit peeved that he hadn’t had time to move the snakes further down the river before the final blast hit them.

  ‘I’m going to be claiming this time, Kayden! I’ve had just about as much as I can take from that damned Raven.’ He was annoyed but in control. Kayden realised he was finally starting to grow up and knew his dad would be proud of the hard-working man he’d become.

  Kayden smiled and shook his head. ‘We have talked about this many times, Zaine. There is only one thing that will end this feud between the two of you and that is to let the Raven visit the cup every now and then. Otherwise this argument will continue to simmer and blow up intermittently as it has been doing, for many years to come.’

  As usual he felt like a broken record, repeating himself. However he put a little jest in his tone, not really wanting to fuel an argument. Today was not a day he wanted to spend revisiting the topic and spending the next four hours debating it. He told Zaine he’d be back in the next few days. That would give him time to take stock of his losses. Then they could go into it more thoroughly once he knew the exact extent of the claim.

  ‘Bring your female Cloud Rider back with you, Kayden. Join us for dinner and a night of festivities if she’s feeling up to it. It’s been far too long since we enjoyed your company,’ he offered as they mounted their rides and left.

  Ophiuchus Palace–King Lepius

  Covin was leaning beside the fireplace, viewing them as they came downstairs.

  ‘Cigar, Lepius?’ Covin asked, opening up a box on the coffee table and offering one to him and then to Conom. They had enjoyed many a night, just the three of them. Covin would be hoping that by relaxing Conom with a drink and maybe a cigar, this would hopefully help them make sense of what this was all about. Give them insight as to how he ended up caught up in a relationship with Cassie, putting him in deep trouble with the Cloud Riders. Considering they were on totally opposing sides, none of this made sense to either of them.

  Lepius lit his cigar and sat at the table with Covin and Conom while the butler poured them a drink each. Conom refused at first. ‘Cass might wake and need me. I don’t want to go up there smelling like a bloody brewery and frighten the shit out of her,’ he said, aggravated.

  ‘Trust me, Conom. With the painkillers I loaded her up with she’ll not move until morning.’ He prodded him on the shoulder with the glass and made him take the drink.

  Conom drank it down in one quick movement. ‘Shit, I can’t think straight,’ he said, getting up and pacing. He sat back, sipping the second.

  Dinner came and went. During the meal, even though Conom ate very little, he entered into their conversation every now and then if something took his interest. Later they sat outside on the lounges and even though the maid kept a good eye on Cassie, Conom still checked on her himself a couple of times before he started to relax, realising that Lepius was right.

  ‘She’s barely moved,’ he said after he came back down the third time. He was becoming approachable and actually sat down, confiding in them the whole story. They were stunned to find out that Aldebaran had a daughter.

  Covin leaned over the table with a warning gaze. ‘Jeez, Conom, you’re bloody game taking the wizard’s kid and knocking him out in the process! Why not take her back in the morning, apologise, and take on the chin whatever he dishes out. Leave it too long and it’ll be far worse. Stop being so stubborn, man.’

  Conom leaned forward towards Covin so they were almost touching and Lepius felt by the glare between them, they might just have a go at each other. Not that it would be the first time his hot-headed Commander and Conom hadn’t gone at it.

  Conom hissed. ‘They do not deserve her! She’s not going back to them until they can promise me that they will keep her out of danger. I don’t give a shit what they do to me and I told Ald so when I called him earlier.’

  Trying to defuse the two hotheads, Lepius intervened, putting a different spin on it. ‘What do you think Cassie’s going to do when she realises she’s a captive and you won’t take her home? Will the hate in her eyes not be worse?’ Lepius asked, trying to make him see his actions were wrong on so many levels.

  He spun his head around and considered the question, then breathed out heavily. ‘Then so be it. Sooner she hates me than be dead.’ He sounded exhausted and agitated. His voice had a lethal undertone. He put his glass down, stomping off back up the stairs to be with her.

  Lepius looked at Covin and shrugged. ‘We can’t push him much further. He’s at breaking point and too worried about her for anything to make sense. Maybe I should call Ald and at least let him know she’s okay,’ he suggested.

  Covin shook his head. ‘Stay out of it, Lepius. If Ald finds out she’s here he’ll bring an army and then I’ll have to protect us. Someone could get hurt. Let’s just play it out and see what happens. You said Cassie seemed more than what she looked. Don’t underestimate her. After all she is a Cloud Rider and as is their code, will want to sort this out peacefully. That’s what they do and they’re damned good at it. Kayden wouldn’t have had her join his team or married her because he’s only in lust. He is no fool. There is definitely a lot more to Cassie than just her good looks. Don’t get me wrong: Kayden’s going to be stewing good and proper and won’t be impressed with what Conom has done, but will have full trust in his soldier as I do in all of my men. It’s a different world she lives in. Just do what you’re doing. Give her a protected haven here to work through it.’

  Covin was right as he always was when it c
ame to matters of strategy. She’d have to be not just good at what she did, but outstanding for Kayden to have her join his elite team. He grinned at Covin. ‘Out of all the planets and stars he had to pick my door to knock on. As if we haven’t enough problems of our own!’

  He shrugged. ‘Ah well, one more won’t hurt.’ He tried to stay good-humoured.

  ‘You got it in one, Your Majesty,’ he stirred him. ‘You have big shoulders and a sucker’s touch. Just like you to drag in another security risk. I’d better call the other officers together and get them to make sure we’re doing everything we can in the event of an invasion. Christ knows what Aldebaran’s sorcery will conjure up if he knows she’s here. You better hold on, King Lepius, we could be in for a bumpy ride.’ He was almost excited and looking forward to a test of their strengths.

  Lepius raised his glass to him and laughed. ‘Just the way we like it. Bring it on, I say. This may be one fight worth fighting for: a woman.’ Covin laughed with him as they both sculled their drinks.

  Covin went to organise his officers and Lepius went to bed. He wanted to be bright enough to deal with whatever was going to go down tomorrow. He stopped at the door, not surprised to see Conom had dozed off in the chair. The maid had been kicked out. However, he had left the door open to let them know he meant nothing by staying at her side. He was at least being honourable with her.

  Lepius looked at Cassie in the shadows and thought how innocent she looked, just like a child. What did a man like him ever see in such innocence? It was all too hard to imagine. He walked back into his room and left his door open just in case she needed help in the night, then threw himself on the bed fully clothed. How have I ended up getting mixed up with a bloody kidnapping with one of Zoren’s team members? I must be crazy. He mumbled silently into the night before drifting off to sleep.