“Don’t be afraid, Caris. Yes, I know who you are,” he said when her eyes widened in surprise. “My name is Zell and this is my friend Ryker, a Castian warrior. We’re not going to hurt you, we just need to take you some place safer for our people until all of the Annihilators are gone.”
He didn’t release her mouth as she tried to speak to tell him it was all right, that Dranos had helped her. She felt the warmth of a tongue touch her throat briefly before she understood the Castian had bitten her. Caris drifted into unconsciousness.
* * * *
“We have to find her,” Benz howled as he paced.
“They must have had their reasons,” Cobra said.
“I don’t know how much time she’ll have without me,” Benz said with a snarl. “Zell and Ryker are killing my mate.”
“They don’t know that,” Cy said. “I’ve sent for Brave, maybe she knows why my crazy son’s friend would take off with a Castian’s mate.”
“Ryker’s father is on one of our warships,” Cobra said. “I doubt he’d know anything. Are you sure Braylon doesn’t know? Those three are like peas in a pod.”
“My adopted son doesn’t know anything, Cobra, and I’m positive Braylon is telling the truth. Since they left him behind I’m guessing they didn’t say anything to him, we would all know if he lied, his tail would grow because of his Tonan shield. No one wants that, especially a Tonan surrounded by Castians,” Cy said. “I know Zell and Ryker, they must have a good reason for this.”
“Where’s Dranos?” Benz asked.
“He went with the Angano, you know that,” Cobra said. “It’s hard to reach him there. I’m hoping he senses his brother is furious, that will bring him back.”
Benz froze. “She’s scared. Wherever they took her, she’s blindfolded. I can sense her. Damn them. When I get my hands on them…”
Everyone looked grim. Allies turned enemy did not bode well for anyone.
Chapter Nine
Caris blinked when the blindfold came off. She was in a cave filled with florescent light, flowers, and a trickling waterfall. Zell was seated before her.
“Why?” she whispered. “You are supposed to be honorable warriors.”
“Nothing will happen to you here,” Ryker reassured her. He was leaning against the wall looking none too happy.
“You’re wrong,” Caris said. “I’ll die here.”
“I would never allow that,” Zell said.
From his tone she knew he believed that. “You need to know what you’ve done. When I was on that other planet the aliens aged me differently. Without Benz I’ll begin to age. Before long my body will shrivel into an eighty year old approaching ninety. Cobra isn’t certain if aging that fast will cause terrible harm to my organs. I knew of spry women approaching a hundred but they aged naturally. I can already feel the pain in my joints. It hurts because I didn’t gradually begin to feel the pain.” Caris rubbed at her wrists and winced. Too much pain too fast might do damage.
Ryker moved toward her. “What do you mean they aged you in a different way?”
“Without Benz and his shield, I will age until I die of old age or a heart attack, that’s how my grandparents all died, in their eighties. I don’t know how long I have. Why did you do this to me, to Benz? He is a good warrior. Now he’ll die.”
“Shit, Zell,” Ryker said and slumped.
Zell looked thunderstruck. Caris realized there was no malice involved. “Please tell me why?”
“I was afraid for others. Brave is my mate. She is with child, my first. I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life, except her mother. I did this for them.”
“I still don’t understand,” Caris said. “Why not just move them if you fear for them? And what do you fear?”
“They can’t be moved because of my daughter, at least the Zargonnii female can’t be moved.” Ryker said. “I went to Holiday with a Zargonnii female. She’s had a child, my daughter. A female Zargonnii would die if they had to give up their female offspring. My baby has a piece of my shield. That means nothing can harm her or her mother for the next five years. Can you imagine being a baby and a mother in a world with nothing if destroyed by the Annihilators? I can’t take either from the planet. I’m allowed to see my daughter. It’s almost unheard of but the female honored my wishes. If you summon Ankou they will die.”
“But Dranos and the Angano helped me; I can keep Ankou from my dreams. They never would have brought me here if Cobra thought otherwise.”
“If the Angano fail, if Dranos fails, the Annihilators will find our planets and kill for revenge. All females without shields will die along with their mother and then father. It would be a horrendous existence, again, from what my father told me,” Ryker said. “We didn’t want to risk it. Now I don’t know what to do. We thought to keep you here for a short time. We knew Benz wouldn’t allow that. If Ankou finds our planets, my daughter and her mother will be subject to years of being alone and then death. It would be an awful way to die.”
“Why do you think I’ll fail at keeping Ankou away?” Caris asked. “I trust Dranos. He was in my thoughts. He’s very powerful.”
“I love Dranos like a brother,” Zell said. “He’s Braylon’s half-brother. He has formed an alliance with the Angano. If the Angano try to strike a deal with the Annihilators I honestly don’t know what Dranos would do.”
Caris turned cold eyes onto Zell. “Are your people so treacherous they change sides at a moment’s notice? Is that the real reason you stole me?”
“My people are honorable,” Zell said with a snarl.
“Yet here we sit,” she countered. “If I die, Benz will die. You are waging a lot on a maybe.”
Zell grabbed her into his arms and she cried out.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” came a shout.
“Braylon,” both Zell and Ryker cried out together.
A Tonan warrior strode toward Zell. Caris gaped at him. So this is a Tonan warrior adult. The male was massive. He let his shield fall and she gaped harder. He was gorgeous. If she wasn’t so afraid of turning eighty any moment and desperately in love with Benz she would think this an adventure.
“You stole a Castian’s mate, you assholes,” Braylon raged. “Are you insane? Benz is out for blood and I may just help him. You call yourself a Castian? And they say Tonans are the bad ones. Now look at who’s stealing females.”
“This wasn’t for malice,” Zell said and growled while Ryker went red. “It was only supposed to be until the Annihilators were brought under control. Just a few days. We knew you wouldn’t understand. How the hell did you find us?”
“We’re all blood brothers. I was as shocked as everyone when I heard what you did. Thankfully they didn’t ask me if I knew where you might have gone. Don’t you think I’d remember this place? Why did you do this?”
“Brave is carrying. I can’t expect you to understand our concerns,” Zell said. “A female Zargonnii has given birth to Ryker’s daughter. You know we can’t take the female Zargonnii and her offspring off the planet. Her mother would go ballistic and kill anything that came near her, not that it can, the baby is shielded.”
“Well fuck, Ryker, why didn’t you say something?” Braylon asked. “And let that female go you’re scaring the piss out of her. She reeks of fear. I bet Benz is already on your tail. Well isn’t that irony, a Castian with a tail.”
When Zell released her, Caris went to sit on a rock. She rubbed at her wrists. Zell knelt before her.
“Did I hurt you?”
“You kidnapped me,” Caris said but saw honest concern on his face. “It’s arthritis and it’s getting worse. My bones are degenerating. I’m aging. I think what the aliens did was in my system for longer until it wore off. Now it’s getting worse and I’m aging faster. Maybe it’s because Benz isn’t close. I’m—scared.”
“If you don’t return her to Benz, she will die. Then Benz will die. I like Benz, but more importantly so does Cobra. You realize that
, don’t you? You are about to murder one of his warriors, a child he raised. Why did you do this? Dranos said he had this covered,” Braylon said. “Did you not know he helped her?”
Caris saw the guilty look pass between Zell and Ryker. Suddenly Braylon’s shield went up and he attacked Ryker.
“You piles of puke. You didn’t trust my little brother’s loyalty did you?” Braylon bellowed.
Ryker’s shield was up but he didn’t fight back. Braylon slashed at him until he drew blood. Zell tried to interfere but Braylon was on him too.
“Take her back, you piece of filth. Take her back,” Braylon screamed.
Caris could see it was more than just her. The Tonan felt betrayed. She knew how he felt. Zell fought back.
“It’s Brave’s child,” he bellowed. “My child. Why is this female more important than them?”
“It’s not the point,” Braylon yelled back. “It’s my brother’s loyalty you question. How can you after all these years? After everything we’ve been through together? You have destroyed everything in one vile act.”
The three were in a whirlwind of battle. Caris could hear the fear and hurt. She stood up and screamed to get their attention. All three stopped moving.
“I’m so sorry this happened. Maybe Cobra shouldn’t have brought me home. Maybe I don’t deserve a home. It’s been sixty-five years. But I can’t let you kill Benz. We can figure this out.” She closed her eyes and howled while throwing her head back. “Benz.”
A black hole opened and Benz came crashing through. The furious warrior went for Ryker first. The pair battled but it was apparent there was no fight in Ryker. He spoke as he fought telling Benz about his baby girl and the fear he felt.
“You were my friend,” Benz bellowed. “A fellow warrior. When you were born we all took an oath to protect you.”
Caris slumped to the ground. She lifted a strand of gray hair. Her mate was devastated by the betrayal. Benz went to stand in front of Zell.
“You are dead to me,” Benz ground out.
Benz pulled Caris into his arms. Her hurts vanished but she was worn out. As hard as the shield tried it couldn’t take away her emotional hurt. Three alien races were divided. She sensed it.
* * * *
Benz was fuming and nothing his shield did could calm him, especially when the shield was as pissed as he was. Caris was finally asleep in his cabin on the ship. She hiccupped from crying once in a while. Each time he heard the noise he wanted to shred someone. He understood the meaning and reasoning behind Zell and Ryker’s action but there was no excuse—they should have spoken to him.
Everyone was divided. It didn’t help Dranos was a rebel and visited with the Angano, but Benz trusted him; his shield didn’t but he did. His ears still rang from the powerful vocal thrashing Cobra and Cy were giving to Zell and Ryker. Titus, Zell’s father had boarded the ship. It wasn’t anything he said to Zell; his expression was everything. The Zargonnii leader had learned his son betrayed the Castians and he had a granddaughter on the way. The look Titus cast at Benz was so mournful Benz wondered what was going to happen. He would find out soon enough.
A blip at his door sounded and his shield went up. Cobra entered and gazed at him.
“I’m not the enemy.”
Benz’s shield dropped. “My shield is pissed.”
“Rightly so,” Cobra replied grimly.
“What happens now? It would seem everybody has their own opinion on my mate.”
“This is clearly cut for the Zargonnii. Both Ryker and Zell should be banned from the planets. Titus won’t say a word. His son is going to be a father who can never see his own baby. Ryker knows in wanting to protect his daughter he won’t see her again. Braylon was crying. I’ve never seen a warrior cry, I guess it’s his human half. Even his shield is strangely silent.”
“Has Dranos been informed?”
“He’s on board. When the Angano and a human lock minds, a small line of connection is born. They knew something was wrong and sent Dranos back. Everything we worked so hard on could be shattered in mere seconds. We need to let the Angano know we don’t condone what happened. Dranos would never allow an alliance between Angano and Annihilator.”
Though he contained it well, Benz heard the fury in Cobra’s tone. A blip sounded and without waiting Titus entered. The devastation on his face almost knocked Benz to his knees.
“I came to apologize to you and Caris for my son’s actions. I have no excuse.” Benz was always a little surprised by a Zargonnii voice. They didn’t speak the same language but he understood the alien.
“Will he really be banished from his own home?” Caris said, sitting up. She was staring wide-eyed at Titus with tears in her eyes. “I’m not hurt. I wasn’t too afraid. They told me immediately they’d never hurt me. They didn’t know about my aging condition, and when they learned, their own fear was genuine. They both have babies or will have a baby on your planet.”
Benz went to sit with her. “It isn’t something you need to think about.”
“Because of me three planets are in an uproar. Two fathers may never see their children. This is my fault.”
“No, Caris,” Titus said. “Because of Ryker and Zell three planets are in an uproar. Their actions. Their consequences.”
Benz was going to translate for her but to his surprise she responded.
“But some think they were justified?” Caris said.
Titus gave her a small sad smile. “It would seem Dranos felt the need to give you the gift of languages. He’s a smart one.”
“And yes,” Cobra said. “Our offspring are our most important asset. Two little girls, one not even born are at the root of our dilemma. But both children will be Zargonnii on Zargonnii land.”
“What they did was wrong but I’m fine,” Caris said.
“It’s deeper than that,” Titus explained. “They questioned Dranos’s loyalty and created apprehension among our worlds, all three. We should be united now more than ever.”
“What about the mothers of these children?” Caris demanded. “They will lose their mates.”
“Neither is mated, Zargonnii don’t normally mate, at least not with another Zargonnii but in time I suspect Zell will because of his human half. Zell has claimed Brave who carries his child and normally a full-blooded Zargonnii female doesn’t allow a father near, but Brave is half-human. The female who Holidayed with Ryker had an agreement. He is allowed to see his daughter outside of the females’ place while the mother watches from a distance. That is also unheard of but this particular female I think has feelings for Ryker. As I mentioned, Brave is half-human, her mother is human. Her Zargonnii father, my dear friend Citun, was truly blessed to be able to keep his daughter close.”
“Then how do we fix this?” Benz asked. “I would never turn on Dranos. He must be so hurt. I know I am.”
“He is,” Titus said. “So is Cy, my best friend, and my son turned on his son. I banished Cy years ago when he stole my mate, how can I do any less with my son stealing another’s?”
“But Cy came back?” Caris said.
“Yes,” Titus said. “He changed. Zell is Zell. For a long time he and Ryker have gotten away with much. They are very powerful entities. That they hid you from your own mate tells me a lot even for that short length of time. They should have come to me and Cobra. Now instead of a battle raging against the rest of the Annihilators we battle each other.”
Caris cuddled against Benz and he felt her shiver. He knew she blamed herself thinking she should never have come.
“You say the children are Zargonnii but wouldn’t that also make Ryker’s baby part human and Castian? It seems a lot has changed on your planet over the years. Why not rules? Benz has mentioned Ryker’s situation is highly unusual and not your ways.”
“Does the banishment have to be permanent?” Benz asked and sighed. “This will rip so many apart including Caris and me. She will be blamed when it’s not her fault.”
“No one blames Car
is,” Cobra said. “They are however wondering if Zell and Ryker are right. If two of our most powerful warriors have doubt, the people are thinking maybe they should too.”
“Is there a chance they are right?” Caris asked.
“Dranos says no,” Cobra said. “But he is the one with the major connection to the Angano. Zell doesn’t have the same linking just distrust. Cy’s mate was taken by them and if it weren’t for Zell and Ryker when they were still very young, she might have been in trouble. We met up with the Angano again on a wild search for Christmas when Dranos was only five. It was then the connection formed. It was a quiet alliance but after a while it was apparent there was a certain Angano who visited with Dranos. Dranos has grown to care for them. He may even lead them on day.”
“Maybe we are all to blame,” Caris said, head bowed. “We should have been open faster about what happened with Ankou and my connection. Zell and Ryker made uninformed choices. All they could see was their picture not the big one. Ryker said he gave the baby a piece of his shield. He asked me if I could imagine being alone on a dead planet with no one, and when the shield wears off, both the mother and child would die, alone, afraid. What would any of you do to protect your child?”
“That is very magnanimous of you,” Titus said but frowned.
“I don’t need to imagine the fear. I lived it. Only I only lived if for a few moments. It’s devastating. Terrifying. Nothing but dust as far as the eye can see. Despair at being all alone. Dying with no one to even hold my hand. But Benz came. He rescued me. I don’t know what is worse, living through what I did or imagining my tiny baby daughter going through it.” She turned to Benz.
“I know you’re angry. I know why. The thought of you dying because of me hurt more than anything. Maybe we should go somewhere else until this settles. I only wanted a real home with actual friends. Not crazy imaginary ones or holograms. The wall in my mind is still up and will not be coming down. I trust Dranos. We will be safe wherever we go. As long as I have you, I have everything.”
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