by Ravyn Wilde
“We will talk to Tar and Mica as soon as we are ready and see if there isn’t some way to get word to your family. You’ll want to invite them to Zylar for the claiming ceremony,” Tala replied.
Nika blanched, she hadn’t thought about the claiming ceremony.
“Don’t look like that, Nika. Nyssa has managed to make some very major changes to the ceremony. You no longer have to be brought to sexual peak with the links in front of anyone. When it came time for her ceremony, Nyssa turned the tables on Tar and used the links to make him orgasm in front of the Council of Ten, which proved to everyone that women could use the links just like the men have always been able to. Those actions started a revolution of sorts. The end result of her escapade is that on Zylar drawing on the links for the claiming ceremony has been dropped,” Tala stated smugly.
Nika frowned, she remembered Raj saying something about this, but she hadn’t questioned it at the time. “What do you mean Nyssa used the links? I thought only men—”
Nyssa snorted inelegantly and took a sip of wine. “Of course you thought only men could use the links. In their male smugness, they assumed the all-powerful men would be the only ones who could use them, but it’s not the truth. Women can use them just as well but evidently no one ever bothered to try. When Tar tried to control me with sex, and granted it was mind-blowing sex, I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to be able to use them on him.” She shrugged. “But I did. On Earth, men and women are considered equal. Anything they can do, we can do. Just remember this when Raj is trying to manipulate you with screaming orgasms. You have a brain and you can use the links to persuade him to your way of thinking.”
“Raj would never try to use sex to manipulate me,” Nika said indignantly. “And you did this in front of the Ruling Council?”
Tala snorted. “You just wait until you want to do something Raj doesn’t want you to do, then tell us again how he won’t use the links.”
“Just always remember, you have control of the links as well… Don’t let Raj go all macho on you. And yeah, I used the links in front of the Ruling Council. It caused more than a little friction. Since then, I have met with every one of the Ten’s mates, and several hundred other women who have heard what happened. The reaction is mixed. People are either ecstatic about the changes, or they’ve decided I’m Satan.” Nyssa smirked.
“Except for Brac’s mate,” Tala said softly.
Nyssa looked at Tala questioningly and then nodded. “I met with all the mates of the Ten, except for Brac’s,” she agreed. “I hadn’t even realized she didn’t seek me out.”
Nika heaved a sigh. “I think things make more sense now. Well, not sense but I understand something Brac said. When he demonstrated the links to me that horrible night, he started raving about how the links were never enough to keep the women in line, and a man needed more control. Then he segued into ranting how recently the lack of control became even worse. How certain women really didn’t know their place. Women who thought they had a right to use the links and made no attempt to submit to their husbands. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.”
This time it was Nyssa who turned pale. “Oh My God! He has been doing this because—”
“Don’t even think it, Nyssa,” Tala snapped. “You have only been on Zylar for less than a life cycle. Brac has been doing this to women for way longer than that—he even had Nika kidnapped before you even got to Zylar. You are not to blame.”
“No,” Nika agreed. “Brac is solely responsible for this mess. Which brings up another concern—not only do we have to get the women away who are in the fortress now, but he has been doing this for so long, we need to find the women he has sold at auction and rescue them as well. We can’t leave anyone in his power. And there is one more thing I forgot to mention before.” Nika tried to gather her thoughts. She wanted to make sure they would understand what she was trying to say.
“When I first met Brac, he asked me if I knew what links were.”
“Why did he do that? Zmarians have links just like…oh dear Goddess!” Tala paled.
“What? What am I missing? Why are you both so upset that Brac asked Nika what a link is?” Nyssa looked confused.
“Because any planet close enough for space travel already has the links. It would be a very stupid question to ask unless Brac—or someone who works for him—has the ability to sift space as Mica did to send Tar to you and bring you both back to Zylar,” Tala said.
“I’m not sure I understood all of what you were saying, Tala. But my point is some of the women come from planets that don’t have mating links. Which means Brac’s abduction and subsequent enslavement will be even more of a shock to them. The magnitude of his evil actions just seems to grow the more we think about it.” Nika sighed heavily.
All three women paused and thought about the ramifications of the women out there living a life of cruel subjugation. Nyssa wondered if some of the women could possibly be from Earth. Her reaction to finding herself on Zylar was bad enough—she could imagine how horrible it would have been without having a true mate, and the kindness of people like Tala and Mica to make the transition easier. Add Brac’s depravity to the mix and the experience would have been pure hell.
“Are you feeling better, Nika? I think maybe it’s time to join the guys and discuss the rest of this as a group so we can come up with a plan. I hate the thought of waiting any longer to liberate those poor women.” Nyssa didn’t wait for Nika’s assurance, no matter what Tala said, she felt like Brac did this because of her actions since she came to Tanar.
The women dried and dressed and then walked into the room to see all three men pacing.
As soon as the women entered the room, each man moved straight to his mate and took them in their arms. Each of them felt the need to touch their mates and thank the Goddess for each other and for the bonds they’d forged without the taint and misery Brac had created. The thought of all those women in peril made them realize how lucky they were.
“Tar, we need to figure out some way of letting Ahnika’s family know she is safe,” Nyssa said quietly as she pulled back from his embrace.
Raj started at Nyssa’s comment, realizing that, once again, he hadn’t even considered Nika’s concern for the family she’d left behind. “Nika, love, did your family have a com device in their home?”
Nika looked at Raj, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. “Yes, my father is Chancellor of southern Zmar. Oh, Raj…can I try and get a hold of them now? I don’t know the time difference, but my father was used to being summoned at any nilt for messages. Please?”
Wanting to make up for his thoughtlessness, he would give her anything in his power. He hadn’t even asked about Nika’s family, didn’t know her father was Chancellor or that she had siblings. The only excuse he could come up with was the huge shock he’d experienced when he found his mental thoughts were taken over by the mating frenzy. “Of course you can call them, little one. Tar has a com device in this room we can use. Tar, do you have the coordinates for…” he trailed off and looked at Nika. “What is your father’s name, baby?” he asked softly.
But this time it was Tar who answered. “His name is Ragnor and now his thinly veiled animosity toward me makes sense,” he said disgustedly. “I am sure he thinks I had something to do with his daughter’s disappearance. By Zylar’s Moons, I will make Brac pay dearly for the abomination he has done to the women and for slandering my character!”
“What is a Chancellor?” Nyssa asked the room in general.
Mica answered, “It would be something like a vice-president for your America, Nyssa. Ragnor is responsible for governing a specific region in Zmar under their Ruler.”
Nika and Raj walked over to the com unit while the rest of the group moved to the other end of the room to give them some privacy. They all watched intently as Nika and Raj spoke first to a tall, distinguished-looking gentleman and then an older version of Nika, a woman who couldn’t stop crying. Brief explanations were m
ade and assurances given that her parents and brothers would come to Zylar in the next couple of bi-nons. When they finished talking, Ragnor asked to speak to Tar for a minon.
Ragnor humbly apologized for his suspicions of Tar and offered his planet’s support in dealing with Brac and the aftermath. Telling Tar he was authorized to speak for the Zmarian Ruler in this, Ragnor knew there would be no question in helping with any action needed against Brac. There was a reported twenty-five women who had been stolen from different areas on Zmar over the past several life cycles. Ragnor assured Tar the Zmarian people would be happy to assist in any recovery missions.
After the call, the mood in the room was somber and intense. Mica broke the contemplative silence. “We need to finish this,” he stated gravely.
“Besides rescuing the women who are currently being held in Brac’s fortress, we also need to find all those women who have been sold as well. How will we manage to find all of them?” Nyssa asked.
Nika frowned and replied, “When I was forced to attend the auction, I noticed when one of the men made a selection, Brac gave them some papers to sign. I am sure he kept them. If we could find the papers, we might be able to trace the other women.”
“Yeah, and those papers will be the first thing Brac tries to destroy if we don’t get to him first,” Tala said.
“Nika, do you have any idea how many women are currently in the cells?” Mica asked.
Nika shook her head. “I can tell you there are ten doors, five on each side of the hall which looked the same as mine. The doors to the ‘torture and training’ rooms were larger and more ornate. I don’t know if all the cells are occupied or if someone new was put in my cell,” she stated.
“I know how we can find out how many women are there and maybe find the papers,” Tala said.
“No!” Mica growled. “I will not allow it, Tala.”
Tala shrugged. “I won’t be in any danger because no one will see me or sense me. Even you don’t know when I am in the same room with you when I use far-sight.”
Raj looked at his brother in confusion. “What is she talking about, Mica?” he questioned.
“Tala has an unusual ability to project. The projection causes her body to just, well…evaporate. When her body disappears, she becomes her thoughts. I don’t like her to do it because we haven’t been able to figure out where her body goes when she uses this power. She doesn’t take her body with her, nor does it remain behind like when we soul-shift. It just disappears while she’s gone and she sends her mind wherever she wants it to go. She can see, hear and feel things when she gets there,” Mica growled unhappily.
“Yes, and I will be able to wander around Brac’s fortress without being seen, count the women in the cells as I can go through walls, and I might be able to find where he keeps the papers on the women. I could also figure out how many guards he has and see if he has any other defenses set up. If we don’t know what we are getting into, or where things are, it puts us all at risk. What if Brac has moved everyone to another location? If he doesn’t know Ahnika is with Raj, he has to know none of the Hunters have been able to find her. Wouldn’t he be making plans in case she confides in someone?” Tala argued.
“Raj and I can transport into the fortress and do the same thing,” Mica reasoned.
“Yes, you could. But when you transport, you take your body with you and you could be seen. If you were seen, it would alert Brac to the fact we know what he is doing. And if he has psychically shielded any areas, you would either set off his alarms or not be allowed to see what he has shielded. So far we know psychic shields have not affected my far-sight. We need the element of surprise if at all possible,” she tried to persuade her mate.
Raj interjected, “Brac does have psychic shielding. I tried several times to soul-shift in order to try and find out what was going on. I couldn’t get in.”
“I don’t like this, Tala,” Mica grumbled.
“I don’t like any of this, but we need to use the resources we have, Mica. It won’t harm me. If I need you…if I get into any trouble…you know I can call to you and you can help me back. We practiced having you doing that, Mica, and we know it works,” she stated eagerly.
Mica growled low in his throat, he did not want his mate anywhere near the fortress and Brac’s evil, but he knew she was right. Maybe if he let her do this, she would stay out of the rescue itself. Knowing it was wishful thinking—he decided the bargain was worth a try. “If I allow you to do this, will you promise me it is the only part you will play in this rescue?” he asked.
Tala laughed. “Nice try. No, I won’t promise you. We don’t know what resources we will need to accomplish the rescue and I will not tie myself to any promise I might have to break. I will promise to be very careful, Mica. I do not want to end up in Brac’s hands,” she acknowledged carefully. “We should do it now. It is very late and I would imagine there are fewer bodies moving around the fortress at this time. If I go when the suns are up, the women could be out of their cells and would be harder to count. The guards could also be away from the fortress in the morning. Let me do this now,” she pleaded.
The room stayed silent as they all watched Mica pace and run his hands through his hair, his displeasure obvious. “I hate this, Tala. But you are right…it needs to be done. Raj and Nika, if you would draw a map of what you each know of the fortress, Tala can look at it and get some idea of where she needs to go. Tala, why not take this time to meditate and prepare? I am going to transport outside of Brac’s fortress for a minon and see if I can sense any psychic traps as well as look at the setup.” With the stark pronouncement, Mica disappeared.
Nyssa provided paper and writing instruments for Raj and Nika and then left them to their tasks. Looking for her mate, she found Tar standing outside in their private garden looking up at the clear night sky. The three moons of Zylar hung bright and beautiful in the heavens. The night air was filled with the spicy-sweet scent of moonflower blossoms. When she’d first been brought to Zylar, she’d missed Earth so much. Now she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. This was her home. Her mate. Wrapping her arms around his stomach, she pressed her chest along his back. “We will get through this, Tar,” she whispered softly.
He sighed and covered her arms with his own, taking comfort in his mate’s closeness. “This is such a huge and horrifying mess, Nyssa. It is going to take so much time to retrieve all the women, not just from Brac’s fortress… I know the rescue mission will happen soon. But the time it will take to find all the women he has taken and sold upsets me. I want every one of them found as quickly as possible. I can’t bear the thought of them spending one bi-non they don’t have to in captivity and pain.” Hanging his head, he moaned. “It seems so petty of me to worry about the damage to my reputation. You know there are more planets and people out there who believe I had a part in this. Just as Ahnika’s father, Ragnor, thought me responsible.”
“I know, love. And I have some ideas on all of this. I think it would be a good idea to set up groups of Hunters and healers to search for the women. Groups of both women and men,” she said.
Tar turned in his arms to look at Nyssa with a question in his eyes.
“When women have been traumatized by rape and violence, they will not be happy to have another man around them without a woman to act as a sort of buffer. They will need healing, not only physically but also mentally. My suggestion for recovering the women would be several Hunter-warriors and a couple of Selven goddesses to act as healers for each group. If you have several groups out looking for the women, they will be recovered much faster. Then, I think the recovered women should be encouraged to stay with the Selven for some intensive healing. You know they are going to need to have the false chains removed and they will benefit from some serious therapy.”
Tar looked at his link-mate in amazement. “Good idea, little cat. Do you want to contact Shalan in the morning and explain what is going on here and get her approval to bring the women to the Refuge?
” This sharing of thoughts and responsibilities was a new concept for him. He was learning how to work with his mate as a true partner and just beginning to see the many advantages to having a female point of view.
“I will. Shalan should come here as soon as possible. Once the women are rescued they will need to have their most serious injuries treated at the palace first. They will also need to rest and recuperate a bit before making the several days journey to the Refuge,” she replied. “I also think we should take a few diplomatic trips.”
“Diplomatic trips?”
“Tar, we don’t know how involved this is. If all goes well, we’ll uncover the documentation telling us who bought women, who participated in this obscene service of Brac’s. Maybe it is his project and his project alone. But I am afraid we will find other high-ranking officials have also been involved. Nika told me earlier Brac ranted and raved about women who didn’t know their place, women who thought they had a right to use the links and made no attempt to submit to their husband’s demands. We know he has been undermining many of the changes you and I have been trying to make concerning the place of women on Zylar. We also know others believe you had a hand in this evil. We need to be honest and forthcoming about what happened here, reveal who was involved and what steps you and the Zylan council are going to take to undo the damage. Ahnika also said Brac had asked her if she knew what mating links were. Tala thinks this means either Brac or someone working with him are able to do some sort of planet sifting thing.”
Nyssa sighed. “This whole rotten setup is a mess,” she stressed. “But we need to face it head-on and make sure something like this never happens again and that everyone, everywhere understands we had no part in it.”
Tar shook his head and asked, “How is it you have thought through all of this so quickly? I am just beginning to get my mind around the ramifications and all the horrid tendrils of far-reaching consequences?”
Nyssa snorted in disbelief. “I am from Earth. Political intrigue and serial madness are commonplace where I come from. I’ve never been involved in cleaning up such a nightmare, but I’ve seen damage control done many times. What we need to do is prepare for the worst that could happen and hope this situation falls far short of a universal plot to overthrow your government,” she stated.
