by Ravyn Wilde
Raj laughed, careful to keep a non-threatening posture. “I will be happy to explain everything to you,” he glanced around while he spoke. “But it’s a rather long story and one better told when we are hidden and prepared to defend ourselves. I am shielding for now, but my psychic energy has almost been depleted because of the fight with your two would-be abductors and our escape this far. We need to find a cave or at least something solid to put at our backs while we rest so I only have to worry about keeping watch in one direction. Will you be okay while I scout around to find us someplace safe? Once we’re settled, I’ll explain everything to you.”
At her nod, Raj stood to study the land around him and Ahnika took the opportunity to take a good, long look at her protector. Good Goddess, she recognized him! Before her stood the man from her dreams. The one she’d fantasized was her mate. Or…at least she thought he looked like the man. It had been so long since she’d allowed herself those dreams that she wasn’t sure.
As he wore no shirt, her eyes caught and snagged on the smooth expanse of his chest, the deep golden skin and the rippling abs. Her eyes were drawn to the dark, deep rose circles of his nipples. Swallowing nervously, she moved her eyes only to become fixated on the slight trail of dark hair starting at his belly button and running down…she quickly yanked her eyes back to his face.
The man, who’d said his name was Raj, had very dark brown hair parted a little to the left side and falling well past his shoulders. His thick, dark eyebrows covered eyes such a pale, icy blue…the color was startling in its intensity. His face was roughly sculpted with high cheekbones and a broad, straight and almost regal-looking nose. A bottom lip slightly larger than the top, made his mouth look full and sensuous.
Licking her suddenly dry lips, she studied him warily, and wondered if she would be safe with him, if she could trust him with her story. The sudden physical attraction dulled her mind and she needed to be able to trust her senses.
Sighing in resignation, Ahnika realized she had little choice. Able to feel the menace and evil intent rolling off the two thugs in the market, she didn’t believe Raj wanted to hurt her, or return her to Brac. Right now she felt…safe.
She wouldn’t have had the strength to fight off the other men on her own, and she knew they hadn’t given up as the sensation of evil coming closer rolled across her psychic aura in dark waves.
Watching as Raj searched for a safe place to rest, the violet lake caught her attention. Off to one side she noticed sheer cliffs tapering into the little cove where they’d stopped. She got the impression of… Ahnika stood and concentrated, her delicate features caught in a frown. Yes…she could detect a small waterway below the lake’s surface leading into the cliff and a small cave.
Shuddering, she blocked the memories from her mind.
There were thick stone walls that would protect them below, and it would be next to impossible for anyone to trace them through water and stone. But it would be like returning to her underground prison. She was unaware Raj had turned to study her as all of her attention was focused on the cave she’d located.
“What do you sense?” he asked quietly.
Ahnika turned to find Raj watching her intently. Would he believe her? “I am from the planet Zmar. We are a people who have adapted and who thrive in a watery environment. One of my…gifts, if you will…is the ability to trace underwater paths. Out in the water there is a passageway a few steps away from the land’s edge, cutting back into the cliffs. At the end, there is a small cave that should shield us—or if we’re discovered—will be an easier location to defend.” She hesitated to see if he would accept her knowledge.
Raj believed her without question. After all, he had seen how she escaped from Brac’s fortress. “I can’t location-shift through stone walls with the little strength I have left. Can we swim this channel?” he asked.
He believed her! Smiling with relief, she replied, “Yes, it is not overly long.”
“Then let’s get moving. The other Hunters are getting closer by the minon.” He silently thanked the Goddess that Ahnika trusted him, at least in this. He knew she was nervous about going into the water tunnel. It had to remind her of her escape from Brac’s fortress. He could only imagine what she was going through. If they had any other choice—he wouldn’t ask this of her.
Chapter Six
The narrow, submerged passage turned out to be longer than Raj calculated from Ahnika’s swift description. The winding channel took them far into the side of the cliff, with enough pockets of air for them to negotiate its length easily. He believed they should be safe in this cave, he hadn’t been able to sense its existence and he felt sure none of the other Hunters would have the talent to do so either.
Watching her closely as she walked out of the water and up into their haven, he grimaced as her breathing escalated and her eyes grew wide. When she started rubbing her hands up and down her forearms as if she were freezing, he set about making what changes he could.
A small cave, it was dry and had plenty of fresh air and muted light from Zylar’s suns coming through several small fissures in the roof of the cave. Using the last of his psychic power, he called food, dry clothing and a soft pallet of blankets to their hideaway. For now, these few necessities would have to be enough. It was cold in the cave, but a fire was well beyond his energy level at the minon and he couldn’t quite manage the steady output needed to fashion a light orb. Laying the blankets out on the ground, Raj motioned for Ahnika to rest between them.
Moving cautiously, Raj settled himself on the blankets beside her…close, but not touching. He did not want to frighten her or give her any reason to close herself off from him. Feeling a little overwhelmed, Raj could only blame his tension on the fact that he was tired. Physically and psychically tired.
As he sat beside her, Raj noticed Ahnika’s muscles tensing, as if she were waiting for him to strike out at her in some way. Slowly he reached for some food, and held back for her to relax. Guessing this situation would be hard for her, he moved only when necessary, wanting her to become comfortable with his presence.
He was so very aware of this woman, if her physical beauty or his inherent need to protect wasn’t enough to generate an interest—then the added sensual assault of her pulsing aura created a sexual tension so strong it made him want to howl in stunned fascination.
Raj didn’t think he would ever be calm or tension-free around her. Expending dwindling psychic energy to keep even the slight personal shielding in place was necessary to prevent her aura from sending him to his knees. By Zylar’s moons, it was going to be a long night!
“Ahnika, would you like me to make you a cool compress to put on your cheek?”
She shook her head.
For several minons they were quiet, each intent on the food they were eating. After a while, Raj broke the silence. “I promised when we were safe I would explain everything—at least everything as I know it. The problem is, much of what I know is based on suspicions or an instinct the situation wasn’t what it appeared. I am hoping you can clarify a few things for me as well,” he said.
Ahnika looked at Raj, meeting his intense gaze. “Okay, I will try. Were you following me?”
Raj could see Ahnika holding her breath in anticipation of his answer. He decided to get it all out in a clean sweep.
“Yes. Brac hired me as a Hunter over a setnon ago.” At Ahnika’s terrified gasp and her attempt to jump up and flee, Raj gently secured her wrist in his hand and hurried to add, “But—and this is important, Ahnika—Brac didn’t realize who he’d hired for the job. I track people in order to help those in need, not for the money. On Zylar, I am widely acknowledged as one of the best at what I do but it is also understood that I have very strong principles and am rather picky about those I work for. Brac didn’t realize this. When I met with him, I didn’t like Brac or the situation he painted for me. He hired me to find his missing daughter, but couldn’t describe her or provide a holo-picture. And that, along with th
e psi-sensations I picked up from his residence, led me to believe there was more to the story than what he was telling me. Many other things didn’t make sense, and all the conflicting pieces of information intrigued me enough to take the job, despite Brac. I decided to see what I could do to unravel the mystery of the missing daughter. You. If he is your father, I apologize for my assessment of him.”
“I most definitely am not his daughter,” Ahnika said vehemently.
“I never thought you were,” he said smugly. “The telepathic ambiance coming from Brac’s home was comprised of terror and unwholesome malevolence. In my profession, it is imperative I trust my instincts. With my psychic evaluation at odds with his description, and the depressing atmosphere surrounding him, I became very skeptical of the entire situation. You said earlier you came from Zmar. How did you get to Zylar?” Moving with slow care, Raj released Ahnika’s wrist and sat back as he tried to project a feeling of calm acceptance. He hoped she would pick up on his body language and really trust him with her secrets.
Can I do this?
She’d been on her own for so long and the only men she’d been alone with had hurt her. Somewhat reassured that her internal senses weren’t screaming for her to run from Raj, she frowned when she considered her instincts were just the opposite. She felt like all she wanted to do was curl up in his arms and stay with him forever. Now that was crazy!
Ahnika looked closely at Raj and considered trusting him with her story. She closed her eyes for a minon to focus more clearly on her inner alarms instead of the compelling sight of the man before her. Nothing. There were no alarms, no sense of evil or the darkness she’d felt from Brac and the men he’d employed.
Did this mean her newly discovered abilities weren’t effective because she was hidden away from the moons’ rays, or did it indicate she could trust him with her story? Did she have a choice?
Over the last several bi-nons, Ahnika had come to the painful realization she’d never escape Zylar on her own and return to Zmar. Knowing she needed help from someone, she decided to take a chance on Raj. Maybe he really was the man she’d dreamed of, the man whose image she’d seen in her mind and in the water sculpture on Zmar. Maybe her dreams weren’t to foretell the man as her mate, but because he was meant to be her defender.
When those thoughts brought a wave of comfort, she knew she’d guessed correctly. She would just ignore the accompanying disappointment. It was a shame that he couldn’t be both.
She started speaking slowly, but, soon, the words of her story just seemed to tumble out of her. Beginning with her kidnapping from Zmar by men wearing the Zylan Ruler’s crest, she then detailed her long confinement and the absolute atrociousness of Brac’s activities. Without once looking at Raj, Ahnika finished with the story of her escape, and how she’d lived with Gardeil and Nebet in Vidar, which allowed her to research Zylar’s ruling family and how she’d come to find out her captor was Brac. What she still didn’t understand was what role the man played in Zylan society.
“I thought Gardeil could assist me in getting an introduction to the royal family…maybe with the Ruler’s new Earth wife. I think I need to take the chance that Brac used the Ruler’s crest without his knowledge and maybe Tar could stop Brac from hurting other women,” she finished in a rush.
She could feel herself blushing, her already red skin growing flushed and hot as the increased blood flow made her cheek throb where the man had hit her. Pressing her palm to her bruised cheek, she tried to stop her tears from flowing. She couldn’t believe she’d told him everything. Every sordid detail lay open and exposed and she waited silently for his condemnation. She was sure that he would find fault with her—he probably thought she took too long to escape. When he didn’t immediately respond, her anxiety climbed with each breath of silence. When Raj jumped off the blanket and began to pace, she flinched in alarm. His silence and the dark emotion rolling from him in waves unnerved her. She pulled herself into a small ball in case he turned on her.
Raj didn’t interrupt Ahnika’s horrific tale, he listened first in disbelief and then in growing irritation and finally with absolute rage at the chronicle of what had been done to Ahnika. And, it had been happening for many life cycles and to many other women. When she got to the final piece and explained the false links and the sadistic training involved, he wanted to scream in fury.
He would kill Brac. Leaping to his feet, he struggled to bring himself under control. Ahnika drew back and seemed to shrink, refusing to meet his gaze. Seeing his rage, she believed he was mad at her when all he wanted to do was gather her in his arms and protect her from any further harm. Resisting the compulsion to drag her to him in a fierce need to comfort had to be the hardest thing he’d ever done…he was sure the action would frighten her.
“Raj?” Ahnika whispered sadly. “You don’t believe me, do you? I know I should have tried to escape sooner but…I…I just couldn’t…”
“Oh, Goddess, Ahnika, I believe you. And don’t ever think you could have gotten away from him any earlier. I think you were extremely lucky to escape when you did. Look at me, sweetheart.”
When Ahnika finally met his gaze, Raj knelt before her. “I am amazed at how well you have taken care of yourself thus far. Brac is a powerful man with many resources at his beck and call. I’m…just…I am so angry and sickened that anyone, especially a man who is a member of the Council of Ten, could do something so…so…well, words escape me. I wish I had been able to find you sooner.”
Raj leaned forward and reached out to wipe a tear from Ahnika’s cheek with the light brush of his fingers. “I wish…a lot of things had been different. But most of all, I do not want you afraid of me. The rage I feel inside is not for you and I promise I will do everything in my power to protect you and keep you safe from this minon on. My fury is directed toward Brac. To the things he has done and the lives he has ruined.”
The sick feeling in his gut, regretting falling ill and being delayed from finding her when she’d first escaped, silenced Raj. When he was finally able to continue, he could see her react in shock to his words. “Damn, we have got to get out of here and get to Tanar. I am too psychically weak to contact my brother, Mica, by using mind-speak. Mica is Zylar’s High Priest. And Zylar’s Ruler, Tar, has been a friend to both of us since childhood. There is no question about their lack of involvement, Ahnika. When they hear your story, they will be as shocked and sickened as I am about the way Brac has been kidnapping and mistreating all of these women. In fact, knowing those two, I could almost feel sorry for Brac when they find out about what he has been doing.”
Ahnika was elated with Raj’s belief in her. Truly feeling she could trust his judgment when it came to the Ruler’s involvement, she promised herself to rely on her instincts from now on. She was happy to turn the problem over to Raj, it was too large for her to solve on her own and something must be done soon for the other women left in Brac’s prison. Looking at the earnest expression of pain and anger on Raj’s face, she relaxed fully for the first time since her escape. Wondering at the attraction she felt for him, she debated if it could just be a by-product of her dreams. Or maybe she was drawn to him because of the feeling of safety generated in his presence. Whatever the reason—she focused on his every movement.
“We will have to walk for several bi-nons to reach the ruling city and I have a feeling the other Hunters will be on our trail the entire time.”
Ahnika could tell that for some reason Raj was angry with himself.
“So we’ll rest for now and start toward Tanar when your psychic energy has restored itself,” she said.
Shaking his head, Raj laughed bitterly. “No, Ahnika. I’m afraid my psychic skills will be of little use to us. I am Vampen. Food and rest won’t work to recharge my powers. I’ll try to figure something out. I have never been strong enough to initiate mental communications with others but it’s possible that Mica might contact me—his ability for mind-speak is strong enough to hold the conduit open between
us. However, since he is newly mated, it could take nons for him to think of establishing such a link. But, for now, we are safe. We need to rest and allow your body to heal and for you to regain your strength. I promise nothing will happen to you while I’m here.”
Ahnika wasn’t ready to rest and she wanted to understand why he wouldn’t be able to recuperate like most people did. She was also impatient to get to Tanar and get help for those other women. “I don’t understand. What is Vampen? Why won’t your abilities rejuvenate with rest?”
He sighed. This explanation would be difficult and he didn’t want to alarm her so soon after she’d given him her trust. Carefully he searched his thoughts for the right words. “A Vampen is someone whose psychic powers aren’t tied to the moons of Zylar. There have been only two of us born in the last thirty or so life cycles. My mother was kidnapped when she was pregnant with me and held for several bi-nons. She suffered the trauma of a mate’s link separation during this time. Zmarians have the same mating links as the Zylans, correct? And you know linked mates experience extreme agitation and psychic pain if they are away from each other for very long?” he asked her.
Ahnika nodded her understanding and Raj continued, “The only other known Vampen is Tabor, a man of twenty life cycles whose mother’s life was also endangered by a link separation during her pregnancy. My brother is a very skilled healer and he’s been studying this for many life cycles. Consulting with the ancients and other healers throughout Zylar in his search for an answer to this puzzle, they have speculated that, somehow, this suffering our mothers went through breaks a normal bond to the moons. Tabor’s powers differ from mine, but we share one trait—both of us need to feed psychically off another’s energy to restore and to build our mental potency. Most Zylans regain their strength with exposure to Zylar’s moons but this doesn’t work for Tabor and me. We require something totally different.”
