Mage

by Cyndi Friberg

  The females exchanged conspirators’ smiles, then Emily said, “I think it would be fun just to wander around. I’ve never been good at staying on designated paths.”

  Protectiveness surged through his annoyance, catching him by surprise. Unlike Rodytes, who were at the mercy of their genetics, Bilarrians chose their mates, agreeing to form a life-long bond only after careful consideration and extensive compatibility testing. But Emily was human. She couldn’t possibly be his mate. So why did this overly independent female make him feel so protective, so…primitive?

  “You cannot wander around Lunar Nine unescorted,” he objected. “It’s forbidden.”

  Lexie laughed and pushed to her feet. “I thought Bilarrians were more civilized than Rodytes. You sound just like the battle born.”

  “I’ll remain with Emily until you can make other arrangements.” Vox tried to sound putout, but he was looking forward to some time alone with Emily. He wanted to explore his strange reaction to her.

  “That’s not necessary. I’ll just wait for the shuttle too,” Emily decided. “I’m not sure I want to teleport all the way to the moon anyway.”

  Indignation welled inside Vox, eclipsing his other emotions. She doubted his ability to deliver her safely to her destination. That was absurd. “I am fully capable of teleporting you anywhere you want to go. That is not the issue.”

  “Three days ago, we weren’t sure you were going to live,” Lexie pointed out.

  He glared at her. That pointless fact wouldn’t build Emily’s confidence in him. “I am fully recovered, and you know it.”

  “That’s not what Dr. Mintell said.”

  The reminder earned Lexie another glare. “Dr. Mintell is not Bilarrian. I was restored by the most powerful healer alive today.”

  Lexie snickered behind her hand, then told Emily, “He means his daddy.”

  Emily smiled, but her lovely eyes remained warm rather than mocking. “Your father’s a healer?”

  “Among other things.” He stood, pushed in his chair, then faced Emily. “Will you please trust me to deliver you safely to Lunar Nine? To refuse would be deeply insulting.”

  “That’s not fair.” She looked to her cousin for reinforcement, but Lexie had her own agenda.

  “He’s right.” Lexie responded to the concern with a negligent wave. “According to Kaden, Vox zaps back and forth between planets all the time. The moon isn’t even challenging.”

  “Then why are you staying here?” Emily reinforced the challenge with raised eyebrows. Clearly she didn’t appreciate Lexie’s sudden change of heart.

  “I want you to make your own decisions about the battle born. If I go with you, I won’t be able to keep my opinions to myself. I know my own limitations.”

  Emily’s eyes appeared more blue than green as she looked at her long-time friend. “Neither of us are good about keeping our opinions to ourselves.”

  “I’ll let Indigo know you’re coming and ask her to arrange a meeting with Raina.” Then she looked at Vox. “Are you sure you don’t mind giving her a tour of the outpost?”

  He didn’t miss the mischief still gleaming in her eyes. Apparently, Lexie had picked up on his unexpected reaction to Emily. That wasn’t surprising. He hadn’t really tried to hide what he was feeling. It was a bit surprising, however, that she was assisting him. “It will be my pleasure, and I’ll arrange for a shuttle to pick you up.”

  “Works for me.”

  “Who’s Kaden?” Emily slipped one hand into the pocket of her cargo pants, her gaze fixed on Lexie. “You’ve mentioned him twice now.”

  A guilty blush spread across Lexie’s cheeks and she shot him a warning look before answering. “I’ll tell you all about Kaden after you’ve seen the outpost.”

  “Fine.” Clearly Emily wasn’t pleased with the outcome, but she didn’t argue. “Let’s get this over with.” She turned toward him and held out her hand.

  Vox took her hand and drew her closer, wanting her pressed against his body. “We’re traveling farther, so the disorientation might be a bit worse.” When her eyes filled with dread, he wished he’d kept the comment to himself.

  “Thanks for the warning.”

  She placed her hands on his shoulders, but he shook his head. “Hold on to me. Hold on tightly.” Her warm hands slid down his chest, then across his sides. She splayed her fingers against his back and pressed her breasts to his front, surrounding him with heat and her uniquely feminine scent. His pulse raced and he felt slightly dizzy.

  “Ready?” Why did his voice sound so odd?

  After glancing at her cousin, Emily nodded.

  He opened a vortex and carefully targeted their destination. They lurched forward, driven by his focus and a massive surge of energy. He held her snugly against his body, enjoying the warm softness of her curves pressed against him. Desire swelled like a sun-warmed river, washing away thoughts and muddling his mind.

  He felt his control slip and quickly righted their course, but another wave of lust crashed over him.

  What was happening? He hadn’t lost control of a vortex since the early days of his training. He summoned energy from the depths of his soul, channeling it into the vortex.

  It was too little, too late.

  They spun, then tumbled through the darkness. Emily screamed, clinging to him with both arms. He fought for control, battling his emotions as well as the consuming darkness. He could no longer sense where they were, much less control where they were headed. The vortex sped them along toward some unknown destination.

  Vox sensed the ground rushing toward them and panic threatened what remained of his composure. With the last of his energy, he turned, protecting Emily from the inevitable collision.

  He slammed into the unforgiving ground. Pain radiated through his entire body. His sharp cry ended in a moan, and then he blacked out.

  * * * * *

  Rex Dravon stared at the Linusian hybrid he’d just allowed into his cabin. Expecting his first officer, Rex had casually opened the door and this stranger just barged inside. Rex had several Linusian hybrids on his crew, but this male wasn’t one of them. “Who are you and how’d you get aboard my ship?” The Marauder’s crew was well-trained and cautious. No one was allowed aboard without a legitimate reason. So how had this stranger made it past the sentinels?

  “Relax. I just want to talk.” As the stranger spoke, his features fluctuated then suddenly morphed.

  Instinctively reaching for his pulse pistol, Rex found the bracket empty. Damn it. He’d just finished cleaning up after an intensive workout, so his weapons were still in the wall locker across the room. “Who are you?” It was a demand this time. The bastard had clearly timed his arrival so he’d find Rex unarmed.

  “A potential ally.” The Linusian’s features disappeared entirely and Kage Razel stood before him.

  Knowing who the intruder was didn’t make Rex feel any less invaded. Kage Razel was the notorious leader of the equally notorious Outcast gang. They might call themselves mercenaries, but Rex knew an old-fashioned outlaw gang when he saw one. Mainly because his crew wasn’t much better.

  In person, Kage was every bit as intimidating as his reputation. Topping Rex’s own impressive height by half a head, Kage looked more barbarian than merc. He never bothered with a shirt, regardless of the weather. Instead he wore a calf-length red cape, attached to thick synth-leather straps that crossed his chest and secured a small arsenal of weapons within easy reach. His laser-etched torso rippled with ropy muscles and his jet-black hair had been buzzed except for one narrow section running from forehead to the nape of his neck. Endlessly black, his eyes had no hint of phitons, which only added to their hypnotic power.

  There was no longer a need to ask how he’d managed to look like a Linusian or how he’d gotten all those weapons past the ship’s scanners. Kage was a technomage, one of the best. Implants and remote bots created the illusion of magic, all of it at Kage’s command. Instead Rex focused on the only thing still within h
is control. “What do you want?”

  “You and I have similar interests, and similar annoyances.” Kage moved farther into the room, vicious confidence shaping each movement. “I believe we could assist each other from time to time without creating unnecessary obligations.”

  “I’m a smuggler.” Rex watched the technomage move about his cabin, feeling less comfortable with each passing moment. Kage wasn’t wrong. They both were peripheral players, attempting to find opportunities created by the rebellion without being swept into a more direct role. But that was where the similarity ended. Rex commanded one battered ship and focused almost entirely on contraband. Kage, on the other hand, led a small army of technomages, males with enough integrated tech to make them seem like sorcerers. Why would the leader of such a group bother with him? “If you need something smuggled somewhere, my terms are the same for everyone.”

  Kage shot him an impatient glower. “You’re a hell of a lot more than a smuggler and we both know it. Wasn’t a contract on Garin Nox what brought you here in the first place?”

  “That was a mistake.” His missteps were few and far between and he didn’t like having his face rubbed in them.

  “It was a mistake to take Quinton’s money or it was a mistake to let Nox live?” He crossed his arms over his mostly bare chest, making his biceps bulge even more. The man really was a brute, even by Rex’s standards.

  “Are you here to talk about Nox?” Rex was feeling less intimidated and more curious as the other man meandered around his cabin.

  “In a way.” He uncrossed his arms and seemed to relax a little. “I’m considering an alliance with the battle born, but they have a powerful harbinger working for them.”

  Harbingers. Rex cringed. The psychics were seriously inconvenient, unless they were working for you, which never happened for people like Kage and Rex. “I’m pretty sure you know I’m not psychic, so I’m still not sure why you’re here.”

  “I’m just trying to even things up a bit. The battle born leaders have their pretty profit to warn them about me. I want someone close to them, someone they trust, to warn me about them.”

  Rex laughed. “That ain’t me, brother. The battle born leaders don’t trust me at all.”

  “Not yet, but they will. Because you’re going to prove to them that you’re trustworthy and useful.”

  He’d more or less struck a deal with the battle born already. They weren’t official allies, but they knew Rex was seriously interested in their transformation program and was willing to do just about anything to be included once it got underway. “So, I become your spy. What’s in it for me?”

  Kage lifted one brawny shoulder in a lazy shrug. “What would you need to take it seriously?”

  The Marauder was falling apart. He loved the old girl, but there were only so many times systems could be repaired before they were simply obsolete. Ironically, Kage had recently put the same condition on the release of some human hostages that fell under his control. “I want the same thing you wanted.”

  Kage laughed. “I’m not giving you the Relentless.”

  “I don’t want the Relentless. She’s much too flashy for my purposes. I want a new Marauder, something similar in size, with much newer technology.”

  Kage stared back at him for a long tense moment, gaze narrowed and bright. “Keep your eyes and ears open, and I’ll see what I can do to find you a new Marauder.” Kage drew one side of the ridiculous cape over his shoulder and turned toward the door.

  “Three fourths of my crew is battle born. We want access to the transformation process. That’s why we’re working with the battle born. What do you gain by allying the Outcasts with the rebellion?”

  Kage made a series of gestures in front of his face then down along his chest. His features blurred, rolling and knotting in a grotesque metamorphosis until the Linusian hybrid stood before Rex again. “My concerns are my own.” Even his voice was different now. “You need only concern yourself with our agreement.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small device, and tossed it to Rex.

  Rex barely caught it, not having expected the toss. “What is this?”

  “Squeeze it until it clicks and within an hour I’ll be here.”

  Before Rex could say more, his uninvited visitor disappeared.

  * * * * *

  Pain stabbed up Emily’s arm, making her cry out. Vox’s yell echoed hers and then he went limp beneath her. Stunned and dizzy, she just lay there for a moment, trying to catch her breath and figure out what had gone wrong. The teleportation had started like all the others, staggering speed and utter blackness. Then something happened. They twisted and pitched sharply one way, then the other. All she’d been able to do was cling to Vox and pray that he somehow controlled the landing. At the last second, he’d rotated, absorbing the impact with his body. She’d instinctively put out her hand, which caused her wrist to jam, but the momentary pain was nothing compared to what would have happened if Vox came down on top of her.

  Recovering enough to move, Emily shifted to Vox’s side. He lay still as death in the leaf-strewn dirt. She watched his chest rise and fall before dragging her gaze away from his still form. They were surrounded by trees, mostly pine, but also aspen and birch. Were they still in Colorado? It seemed likely. They’d only been in the vortex for a second or two.

  Identifying their location could wait. She needed to figure out how badly Vox was hurt. Using first-aid training and years of dealing with injuries in the wilderness, she assessed the situation. He lay on his back, arms and legs at natural angles. His breathing was regular, features relaxed. Still, he could have non-displaced fractures or, worst of all, a head or spinal injury. She moved closer to his head and, very carefully, felt along his skull for any sign of impact or laceration. He moaned when she slipped her fingers under his head but didn’t open his eyes. She felt no significant swelling or break in his scalp. Remarkably, all of her findings were good. So why was he still unconscious?

  She didn’t dare move him until she had a better understanding of his condition, or until it became dangerous for him to lie there in the dirt. Neither of them wore jackets and already the temperature felt cool. But then anything felt cool compared to Africa. Did she dare leave him here while she scouted out their surroundings?

  Deciding to wait a while longer, she slipped her sat phone out of the holder on her belt and checked for a signal. As she feared, there were too many trees for the small device to connect with its satellite. The stupid thing worked really well on the open plane, but even inside her tent, coverage was iffy.

  A moan drew her attention back to Vox. He shifted restlessly, then slowly opened his eyes. She rushed back to his side and knelt. “Lie still for a minute. You took quite a hit. I think the ground just knocked the wind out of you, but move slowly. Make sure nothing’s broken.”

  His gaze locked on hers and the rings in his eyes ignited, casting an eerie red glow across his chiseled features. “Are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine.” She patted his shoulder with her good hand, feeling strangely self-conscious. “Jammed my wrist a bit, but it’s definitely not broken.”

  “I’m so sorry.” He turned his head, clearly upset by his loss of control. “It has been many years since anything like this happened to me.”

  “You’ve been sick, sounded like really sick. No one bounces back from death’s door without some complications.”

  “I shouldn’t have risked your safety. It was prideful and foolish.”

  She had to agree about the prideful part. It had been obvious, even to her, that he was struggling. She didn’t know him well enough to decide if it had been foolish or not. “Well, we both survived, so stop beating yourself up over it. All right?”

  He clenched his fists then bent his elbows, rolled each shoulder, then slowly sat up. After bending his knees and flexing his ankles, he said, “You’re right. Nothing seems to be broken.”

  His accent grew more pronounced as he concentrated on his physical condi
tion. She was struck again by the sensual, rolling cadence. It made him seem more exotic, more intriguing. “If you’re sure you’re all right, I’m going to hike to the top of that hill and see if my phone can find its satellite.” He started to stand, but she stopped him. “No. Relax, work through the…daze. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  The suggestion made him bristle, but he was so shaky he scooted back and rested against a nearby tree. “A rescue is not necessary. My strength will return.”

  “Even so, I’d like to at least figure out where we are.” Before he could argue, she hustled up the hill, searching for a break in the trees. Even if he claimed his strength had returned, she wasn’t sure she could believe him. Clearly, the man’s pride wouldn’t let him accept his own limitations.

  The trees thinned as she climbed, but still her phone didn’t register a signal. There was a GPS in the phone that would allow Lexie, or anyone with Emily’s number, to track the device’s location. Unfortunately, Vox hadn’t said anything about checking in once they got to Lunar Nine. It could take hours before Lexie wondered why the promised shuttle never arrived. Besides, Emily wasn’t sure GPS tracking worked if the phone wasn’t talking to the satellite.

  “Shit,” she muttered as she looked around. The hills surrounding her were all about the same size. There were higher peaks in the distance, but she couldn’t leave Vox sitting in the dirt while she hiked for several hours. “What a mess.”

  When she returned to their arrival site, Vox was seated on a fallen log. His color was better and he immediately stood as she emerged from the trees. “Were you able to contact anyone?”

  She shook her head. “This phone only likes wide-open spaces. The technology has improved a lot in the past couple of years, but this was all I could afford at the time.”

  “Unfortunately, my systems are experiencing similar limitations.”

  Pleased by his candor, she smiled. “Your technology is outdated?”