by Desconhecido
“I’ll try, but this is so far out of my—”
Light flashed through the infirmary. Zane squinted into the glare while Lyrik drew his pulse pistol and turned to confront the intruder. Vee stood in the middle of the room, his gray robes contrasting with his snow-white hair. The shimmering strands interwove into an elaborate pattern and circled his chest, before draping over one shoulder like a souvenir’s mantle. Ageless and elegant, his features held no hint of emotion.
“I will take the female.” Vee glided forward, his emerald gaze focused on Saebin.
“Like hell you will!”
Vee’s brow arched in challenge and his hair uncoiled, trailing behind him on the floor. “You prefer to watch her die?”
Lyrik swallowed hard. “How did you know…?” Vee was damn near omniscient. He knew what he wanted to know. But Saebin had tried to kill him. Why would he save her now? “Treat her here.”
“I need the assistance of other healers.”
“Can’t they—”
Vee shouldered past him and lifted Saebin into his arms. “I had only to ignore her peril and she would be dead. Do not insult me again.” He flashed out of the infirmary as suddenly as he had appeared.
“Okay, that was just creepy.” Zane turned off the medical scanner and picked up a piece of paper from the treatment table. “Where did this come from?”
Dragging his gaze away from the spot where the Mystic had flashed out of sight, Lyrik turned his attention to Zane. “What is it?”
The adhesive backing had caused the paper to stick to itself. Zane carefully unfolded the square and held it so Lyrik could read it. All abominations must die.—NRS
“Tann was NRS?” Lyrik trembled, his adrenaline spike not yet dissipated.
“Not that I knew of.”
The two crewmembers returned with Tann’s body. They placed him on the treatment table and Zane turned on the scanner.
“What the hell is that?” Lyrik pointed to the foreign object grafted to Tann’s skull.
Turning Tann’s head to the side, Zane located the subtle protrusion with his fingers. A thin tail curled downward under Tann’s skin. Zane turned back to the scanner and followed the tail from the skull plate to a larger object embedded in the hollow above Tann’s clavicle. Making a small incision, Zane withdrew the larger object and held it up to the light. Blood trailed across his palm and splattered the side of Tann’s face.
“Whatever it was, it was powered by firestone.”
“What?” Lyrik took the glowing rectangle from his apprentice and wiped away the blood. “Only Mystics can charge firestones. This doesn’t make sense.”
“Even Mystics have their price.” Zane shrugged. “Or the NRS has found a way to bypass the Mystics.”
“If they’ve found a way to charge firestones without a Mystic…” Lyrik tossed the firestone chip onto Tann’s motionless chest and shook his head. “The NRS doesn’t have the funding for body modifications. This stinks all the way to the day moon.”
“I’ll dig out the actual device and see if Hermlin can figure out what it does—or did.”
Lyrik nodded and left the infirmary. He thought he’d chosen his crew carefully. Every one of these men had shipped out with him repeatedly. He felt like such a fool. Anger boiled within him only to be doused by icy dread. He could not lose Saebin now! He’d failed to protect her and rendered himself utterly powerless in the process.
Locking himself in his cabin, he blocked all external controls then accessed the secure frequency Trey had given him.
“What’s going on?” Trey responded with an encrypted audio signal.
“One of my crew just tried to assassinate Saebin in the name of the NRS.”
“You said ‘tried’. Is she all right? How close did he come?”
Lyrik shuddered, unable to rid his mind of Saebin’s pale, pain contorted face. “A lot closer than I would have thought possible. Vee flashed into the infirmary and took her to the Conservatory. I don’t know…”
“I won’t ask how Vee knew she was in trouble, but how the hell did the assassin get that close to Saebin?”
“Tann had some sort of device in his head. It must shield him from Mystic pulses. He should have dropped before he got close enough to mist her.” Lyrik raked both hands through his hair, needing to punch something or better yet someone. But the focus of his rage was already dead. “I can’t believe this happened. I’ve known Tann for years.”
“Are you sure he was NRS? They’re a pain in the ass, but they have little real power.”
“That’s what I thought too.” Lyrik rubbed his eyes with his fingertips. “This could be the overlord hiding behind the NRS or the NRS has a lot more power than we thought.”
“I’ll check into it. There has to be—” An emergency interrupt signal preempted the rest of his statement. “Hold on.” The transmission lapsed into silence for a moment then Trey returned. “Krysta wants to talk to you and only you. She wouldn’t calm down long enough for me to explain. Are you sure Saebin is all right?”
“Vee seemed confident, but Vee always seems confident.”
“Try to calm Krysta down, please. She’s not listening to me at the moment.”
Lyrik smiled. Krysta was a handful on a good day.
“What happened to Saebin?” she demanded without preamble. “Her fear spiked through me like a bolt of lightning. Where is she?”
“Someone tried to kill her. He claimed to be NRS but I’m not convinced. Vee took her off the ship and—”
“I’ll meet you at the Conservatory.”
* * *
Cyrus stood at the window in his spacious office overlooking the City of Tears. The view was spectacular from the top floor of the Warlords’ Headquarters but he found no solace in the majestic vista. Lyrik was out there somewhere with D-159. That damn cyborg had driven an irreconcilable wedge between him and his only son. If it hadn’t been for that…creature, Lyrik never would have betrayed him.
Worse even than the fracture in his family, her escape had created a disastrous loose end. He’d worked too hard for his plans to implode now.
His companel beeped and he walked to his desk, wanting to see who it was before he responded. “Well, it’s about time,” he muttered when he saw Pern Keire’s favorite alias. He activated an audio link. “What can I do for you?”
“I should be asking you the same.” Pern’s voice was randomly modulated. “Jaden is enjoying your gift. You were right. She is perfect for a Rodyte pet. How can we repay your generosity?”
“By not allowing my generosity to distract you from our mutual goals. The agenda we agreed upon leaves no room for error.”
“We are well ahead of schedule.” A tinge of annoyance penetrated the modulation. “Have you managed to recapture the stray?”
“I haven’t received final confirmation, but I’m confident the situation is under control.” It was a lie but what else could he do. Who would have thought he’d be battling Lyrik over the life of an abomination.
“I hope your confidence is justified. As you said, our agenda leaves no room for error.”
The transmission ended and Cyrus stepped away from his desk. Damn Lyrik to hell. Not only had he rescued a D-class assassin, he’d stolen a ship Cyrus needed badly. Heaving a frustrated sigh, he moved back to the window. The tracker teams would find him. Even Lyrik couldn’t stay hidden forever.
Cyrus’ thoughts drifted back to Ensley and he pictured her naked, kneeling with her head bowed submissively. A cruel smile curved his lips. The Rodytes would train her, show her how a female should behave. They would control her with pleasure and pain until she wasn’t sure which she preferred.
Blood flooded his groin and he closed his eyes, savoring the anticipation. She had spurned him, turned a deaf ear to his needs, yet the memory had lost its sting. Taking a woman by force was punishable by death on Ontariese. Not even the overlord was exempt from the rule. So he wouldn’t take her by force. He’d wait until she was properly trai
ned then her Rodyte master would command her to do all the things twisting through Cyrus’ imagination.
* * *
Darkness receded by degrees. Saebin heard voices chanting, their words unknown to her. She moved her arms, expecting to find herself bound. Her muscles protested the exertion but she wasn’t restrained.
“Has Saebin awakened yet?”
“Unless you want Seth to sound like an ancient, you have to modernize your speech pattern.” Krysta’s voice rolled across Saebin’s senses with comforting familiarity.
“I was not speaking with Seth, I was—”
“That’s even worse. Say, ‘I was talking to Saebin, not Seth.’”
“I will ban thee from the Conservatory unless ye show the proper respect.”
Krysta laughed.
Saebin opened her eyes and groaned, only able to make out shapes and shadows. “Where am I?”
Warm fingers closed around her hand. “Close your eyes. They’re covered in a healing salve. That’s why you can’t see.” Krysta’s voice was much closer now. “You’re at the Conservatory. Do you know what that means?”
Saebin nodded. “That’s where we were headed when Tann attacked me.” The incident passed through her mind in slow motion, every kick, every lunge and the burning mist. “My abilities didn’t affect him. He should have gone down with the first pulse.”
“Lyrik said they found something implanted in his head.”
“Where is Lyrik?” Her heartbeat leapt so suddenly her armor had to compensate.
“He’s still on the Gale. Only Mystics are allowed inside the Conservatory.”
“How did I get here?” Every muscle in her body ached and her head pounded. She remembered the panic and disbelief. She had been dying.
“Vee brought you here. Say, ‘Thank you, Vee.’”
Saebin licked her lips. Why would Vee save her life? She had tried to kill him.
“You did not try to kill me,” the male voice responded to her thought. “You were not in control at that time.”
Saebin wasn’t sure she could have been so forgiving. “Thank you.”
“Your armor is counterproductive to the healers,” Krysta said. “You’ll recover more quickly if you let us take it off.”
Saebin stiffened and pulled her hand out of the light grip. Tann shouldn’t have been able to attack her. How did she know this was Krysta? Voices were easy to replicate. Fear and frustration tugged at each other, growing stronger with each turn.
A cool palm pressed against her forehead and soothing warmth inundated her mind. “No harm will come to you here,” Vee told her. “If you wish, you can see your surroundings through my eyes.”
If Vee hadn’t saved her, how had she been saved? Was it easier to believe in an elaborate conspiracy than a stranger’s kindness? A powerful presence hovered beyond her consciousness, waiting, unwilling to intrude.
“I don’t know how,” she whispered.
“May I enter?”
She nodded and the presence eased into her mind. Brilliant, powerful and ageless, Vee surrounded her with his being. Her pulse quickened. He calmed her before her armor had a chance to respond. She saw herself as he saw her, lying on a narrow cot, her hair wild about her face, his hand resting across her forehead. Without moving his fingers, he turned his head. Krysta stood beside him, looking rather disheveled. Her gaze filled with compassion and worry.
“You see,” he said. “There is nothing to fear.”
Relaxing against the cot, she blew out a tense breath. “I released my sensor inputs. It’s safe to take off my armor.”
Chapter Nine
Merry laughter drew Saebin from her restful slumber. The healers had congregated around her cot at regular intervals for the first day. Her body absorbed their energy like a sponge. Light still stung her eyes but they hadn’t felt it necessary to reapply the salve.
“Lor, stop it.” The playful reprimand was followed by another peal of laughter.
Saebin opened her eyes and waited for her vision to adjust to the dim light inside the infirmary. A tall, blond man had a girl trapped against the far wall. If her rosy cheeks and coquettish smile were any indication, she was a willing captive in his arms.
“Give me a kiss and I’ll let you go.”
Saebin smiled. She knew how pleasant it could be to resist such ultimatums.
“If I let you kiss me, I won’t want you to let me go and you’re a heartless flirt.”
He staggered back dramatically. “You wound me. I put my entire heart into my flirting. Why do you—”
“She’s awake, Lor.” The girl motioned urgently.
He turned toward Saebin and the girl slipped through the open archway. Lor was younger than she had first thought, late teens at the most. Crossing to her cot, he produced a less flirtatious smile.
“I hope our playfulness didn’t disturb you.” He had a nice voice and beautiful turquoise eyes.
“Not at all.” Saebin envied his carefree cheer. “Your companion seemed to be enjoying the game.”
“She’s right. I am a terrible flirt.” He raised his hands helplessly. “I see a female and I want to kiss her. It’s simply beyond my control.”
Saebin laughed, finding his candor charming. “I hope you don’t intend to kiss me. I’ve just been through a horrible ordeal.”
“Your ordeal is not what dissuades me. My master told me you belong to one of the warlords.” His voice dropped dramatically. “Is that true? Are you the warlord’s woman?”
She had no intention of discussing her personal life with this bold lad. The Mystics didn’t keep slaves so he must be referring to his mentor, a Master Level Mage. “Who is your master?”
“Master Tal. The High Queen is his life mate. I’m told you are her niece.”
“That’s the rumor.” She shifted the pillow behind her and propped herself up against the wall. “Will you please let Master Vee know I’m feeling much better?”
“Of course, Mistress. I’ll return momentarily.”
He departed through the same archway the girl had used. Saebin released her breath in a long sigh. Was she the warlord’s woman? The thought made her heartbeat speed and tension gather low in her belly. She had been swept from the arms of death. Was she finally ready to live?
* * *
“It’s been three days,” Lyrik snapped. “I want to see her.”
“We thought you might feel that way.” Krysta grinned. “That’s why we had her moved to one of the visitor bungalows.” Krysta took his hand and opened a transport conduit, the motion effortless and graceful. He was amazed by the progress she had made in only a cycle. She was a far different person from the belligerent rebel he’d met back on Earth.
They stepped into the conduit and everything blurred. Shapes became indistinguishable in the rapidly spinning mass of color. Sound faded to static then exploded in a mighty roar as they were propelled through space. Lyrik held tightly to Krysta’s hand, exhilarated by the momentum.
The roaring subsided and the spinning slowed as they reached the other side. They emerged in a grassy clearing and Krysta closed the conduit behind them. A row of cottages marched along the banks of Mystic Brook. Krysta motioned toward the one on the end.
“Isn’t this outside the shield?” He looked around for guards and defensible positions. “I’m not comfortable with this. I’ll take her back to the Gale.”
“Nice try. They expanded the shield because of the protestors. She’s perfectly safe and so are you.” She winked at him. “Vee isn’t taking any chances. Now relax.”
After a perfunctory knock, Krysta pushed open the door and entered the bungalow. Lyrik followed her inside. His gaze moved immediately to Saebin and a thick lump formed in his throat. Rich blond hair framed her face and spilled across her shoulders. Healthy color crowned her cheeks and her eyes sparkled as she met his gaze. Gone was her body armor and in its place was a flowing robe of midnight blue. He crossed the room and cupped her cheek, struggling to believe she was
real.
“You look amazing.” His voice hitched and he shook his head. “How do you feel?”
“Lucky to be alive and mad as hell.”
He smiled. “Understandable on both accounts.”
“We have been focused entirely on her recovery,” Vee said. Lyrik glanced at him, embarrassed to realize he hadn’t noticed the Mystic in the room. “The time has come for answers.”
“What do you need to know?” Lyrik sat in the chair beside Saebin and clasped her hand between his.
“What have you learned about the assassin?”
“He left a note on Saebin giving credit to the NRS. Tann might have been a member, but it’s highly unlikely they acted alone.” Lyrik hesitated, his gaze drifting to Saebin. How much should he say in front of her? She had been through so much already.
“Don’t let the robe fool you,” she squeezed his hand, “I’m tougher than I look.”
“The note said ‘all abominations must die’.”
Krysta gasped. “We are all abominations according to the NRS. Holy shit! What about Seth? Will they target him next? He’s a Level Four, the vilest abomination of all.” Biting sarcasm sliced through her tone and she stepped closer to Vee.
“I’ve heard that phrase before.” Saebin brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. “What does it mean?”
“Seth is the new and improved version of us.” Krysta’s voice returned to normal as she explained. “No one knows what abilities he’ll develop or if he’ll develop any at all. Hydran grew more ambitious with each of his creations. We honestly don’t know what will happen as Seth matures.” She glanced at Vee, resolve hardening her expression. The world might consider her Seth’s aunt, but Krysta emanated maternal ferocity. “The NRS isn’t alone in their animosity. Most of the members of the Joint Council think Seth should have been terminated.”
“I will bring my son to the Conservatory until the crisis has passed.” Vee sounded grim and determined. “We are better able to protect him.”
Krysta gave a stiff nod. “I agree.”
They sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. Lyrik stroked Saebin’s hand, wishing they were alone. His logical nature understood he wasn’t responsible for the events his father had set in motion, but he couldn’t suppress his frustration or his guilt. Saebin should be reveling in her newfound freedom, not fighting for her life.
