“Noah is with me of his own free will.” Mingor didn’t want to have this conversation with one of his followers in attendance, but sending her away was simply not feasible. When he looked to her, he saw something he wasn’t expecting. She looked utterly heartbroken. For so long Mingor had been fearful of his own kind turning on him when it was only his advisors who feared that. Somehow, they had infused their fear into him. But no more. “I am not surrendering my sephir.”
“If you don’t give him to me, I will have to take him from you.”
The threat hung between them. Mingor knew he could not fight them off. Given how tiny his world was, they had no defense system of any kind. It had never been an issue when they simply didn’t have anything of value. But now he had Noah, who was more precious to him than any person he had ever known. Noah had given himself to save others, but then he’d proudly stood the most difficult trial because he honestly wanted to be with Mingor. He had not been able to say that he loved him in return, but the laws of love on Noah’s world might be very different.
Silence stretched out around Mingor, tightening his posture. He didn’t know what to do. If he gave them Noah, then his advisors would have the right to demand his sacrificial death. If he kept Noah, the Krase would destroy their world to get him back. In one version, only Mingor died. In the other, many innocent souls would perish.
“Why do you want the water bearer’s sephir?” The woman’s voice was tremulous, displaying her fear, but there was also an edge to her tone. Would she fight for Noah? Had his display endeared him to the populace so deeply?
There was a long pause that made Mingor think the officer wouldn’t answer, but after a moment, he replied, “It is a sensitive matter that I will not discuss over any communication device. I must have the slave Noah Cameron returned to me, or I will take him by force.”
Mingor’s tension suddenly dissipated. He was in the same untenable position that Noah had been in. One for many. If he did not give them Noah, then the Krase would kill many to get him back. If he gave Noah to them, there would only be one death. It didn’t take long for Mingor to realize he had only one choice.
After giving the shuttle craft permission to land, Mingor ensured the communication unit was off. He knelt beside the woman operating the equipment. “What is your name?”
“I am Nirrab.” Her skin was still very light purple, indicating she was quite young.
“Nirrab. I must impart something to you. Without a sephir, I will be marked. Do you know what that means?”
She nodded solemnly. “Without a sephir, you cannot produce children. Therefore the advisors will ask for your sacrifice.”
It was a terrible tradition, but it was the only way to ensure that the water bearer continued the line. That Mingor had chosen a male did not change what was written. Since no water bearer had ever had a same-sex partner, the issue simply hadn’t come up. Mingor was hoping that would keep him in power until he was able to enact change, but that had not happened. Long before the issue of Mingor having children became pressing, he was hoping that all the Thandlings would be educated about their powers. With time so short, and no way for him to reach the masses, Mingor had to rely on the power of one.
“I will go to my sacrifice with—”
“No!” Her arms were open and wrapped around him before he could finish speaking. “All below love you! And your brave sephir.”
Touched, Mingor hugged her, but then forcefully set her away. “You must be brave. Can you be brave for me?”
She nodded rather dubiously.
“You will become the new water bearer.”
Her eyes went so wide so fast it would have been comical but for the seriousness of the situation. “I am not of noble salt.”
Mingor smiled gently at her quaint belief that those who could transform the water were born directly from the salt while the general populace came from the ocean water. The advisors were said to have sprung up from the pure water. It was all nonsense. Each Thandling had been borne by a woman who was impregnated by a man. That was what made them all the same no matter what titles they were given. However, arguing that point with young Nirrab would take up too much of his precious time, so he let that go.
“You are of noble salt.” Mingor took her hand in his. “Come. I will show you.”
Nirrab paced him as he hurried from the working end of the massive area back to where he performed his miracle. Pumps within the belly of the mountain lifted the ocean water up to a platform area that jutted out from the mountain. A large pool was slowly filled. Mingor would lower his hand into the pool and push the purified water out and down a chute to a pool below while the salt stayed behind in the upper pool. After it had dried sufficiently, it was scraped out by a large machine, taken below, and packaged for sale.
Since they had just sold their last supply of salt to the traders who had brought Mingor back, the pool was being filled so that he could perform his miracle anew. In the dark of the night, the water looked black. In sunlight, it would appear clear but for a curious shimmer caused by the dissolved salt.
Without turning on but the most minimal of lights, Mingor took Nirrab over to the water. “Reach your hand in.”
“Please do not tease me so. I know I am not worthy of this.”
“You are. I tell you that you are.” When she resisted, Mingor asked, “Have I ever lied?”
“No.” She bowed her head then slowly lifted it. “But I do not know how and there is so very much ocean water here.”
“We will start smaller.” Mingor knelt and scooped water up with his hands and placed it on the side of the platform. After making a tiny puddle, he placed Nirrab’s finger within. “Feel the water against your skin. There is the wetness, but as you continue to expand your awareness in to the structure, you feel the elements that make up the water.”
Nirrab’s brow furrowed as she concentrated, but it was clear she was too anxious to feel anything other than intense pressure from him. Before he could continue on with his lesson, he had to awaken Noah and tell him that he must go.
“It will come to you if you keep trying.”
Nirrab nodded, but her relief that he was done instructing her was obvious.
“All Thandlings are capable of pushing water.” His open blasphemy shocked Nirrab, but she said nothing. “When I am gone, do not let the advisors continue to enslave you and those below. Do you hear me?”
Even though she nodded, it was clear she was rejecting his words. Mingor lost hope that anything would ever change. But rather than hang his head, he held his up high. He had tried. That he failed was not the point. Just like with Noah freeing a hundred slaves when there were billions of them in the universe, it was a start. The act, as noble as it was, did not cause everything to change in one huge rush, but it was a drop against the ocean. Who knew how far his act of kindness would ripple out into the cosmos?
Mingor had done what he could, which opened the door for another. Eventually, things would change. With that lifting him up, he released Nirrab so she could return to work. She would escort the Krase officer to the receiving room. It was a sleekly designed room that was used when the advisors conducted trade agreements. Mingor had no doubt that they had already been roused and were heading into the room. He returned to his sleeping room only to discover that Noah was gone.
“They came for him,” his servant said. “He went with them only because he thought they had you.”
Mingor rushed to the receiving room but slowed down before he entered. He would not hurry and stress himself more than he already was. Noah would go with the curiously named Krase officer, but he would go without knowing what would befall Mingor. The last thing Mingor wanted was to cause the soul he loved any torment. Noah had suffered quite enough.
Noah was adjusting his robe when Mingor stepped in. His black hair was a twisted tangle of curls, and his always-vivid blue eyes were somehow brighter now. Sadly, Mingor had never gotten to show him the ocean turtles that mimicked th
e stunning color of his eyes. But that was the least of his concerns.
Mingor entered, crossed the room, and embraced his sephir. Noah wrapped his powerful arms around Mingor and held him.
“Noah Cameron must go.” Aido’s voice was practically vibrating with joy. Obviously, she knew there was little Mingor could do. Rather than get angry, he allowed all the strong feelings to simply pass through his awareness. He wanted nothing to mar his last few moments with Noah.
“I told him that I’m here of my own free will, but he won’t listen.” Noah glared at the Krase warrior despite the fact he was much bigger. Just like he had with Hindur, Noah showed little fear.
“I release you.”
There was a collective gasp behind him that Mingor barely heard since the only reaction that mattered to him was Noah’s. His reaction was not one of shock. Noah’s brows lowered until they hooded his gaze, making his eyes dark and angry.
“I survived the trial by fire to prove my devotion to you. I’m not just going to walk away because some big maroon ape shows up saying I have to go with him.”
Honor Vengeance bristled at the slight but refrained from speaking.
“If you do not willingly go with him, he will take you by force.”
“I’d like to see him try.”
As touched as he was by Noah’s bravery, Mingor had to protect his people. Quietly, he spoke directly into Noah’s ear. “He will kill anyone who stands in his way.” When Mingor pulled back, it was clear that Noah understood. He didn’t like what was happening, but he wasn’t about to allow innocents to be harmed when it was obvious the Krase would be successful in their mission.
“I will be back.”
“You may, but you will be too late.” Aido’s tone was triumphant, making Noah look at her with curiosity.
“What does she mean?”
Rather than answer with a lie, Mingor chose to ignore the question. “What we have shared in a very brief time means more to me than all that has come before.”
“Damn it, Mingor. That’s real poetic, but it doesn’t answer my question.”
“I love you.”
“I…I love you, too.” Noah reached for Mingor again, but Mingor stepped back before he could. He was afraid if he touched Noah, he would never let go. “I’ll be back. I’ll take care of whatever this is, and then I’ll be back. I swear it. You know I always keep my word.”
“This I know is true.” Whether Noah kept his promise or not simply didn’t matter, but it was a part of him that Mingor loved.
With halting steps, Noah was taken out of the room and swept across the open area toward the shuttle. He kept looking back, and each time Mingor offered him a smile that he hoped showed that he was not afraid. Only when Noah was within the craft did Mingor allow his smile to fade away. As he looked up and saw the shuttle taking Noah away, Mingor knew had he been capable of crying, tears would have filmed his vision. Instead, he held his head high, kept his pain inside, and prepared himself for the ritual of propitiation.
Chapter 13
“But he didn’t enslave me.” Noah felt he’d made the same argument over and over, but he wasn’t getting through any more now than he had earlier. “I was with him of my own free will.”
“That may be, but you still must return to Krase.”
“Why?” If the big scary alien dude would just tell him what the hell was going on, Noah could do something to get back to Mingor faster. Every moment he was away, he feared what the advisors might try to do to him. That look in Aido’s eyes scared the hell out of Noah. She’d been happy he was going. It meant something. Something damn big considering how Mingor refused to answer his question about what Aido meant about Noah coming back too late. Too late for what? The translation of sephir into shield stuck with him. There was something by Noah being his companion that shielded Mingor. But from what? His advisors, surely, but Noah felt there was something about his very presence that protected Mingor in some way.
“I grow weary of being polite.” Honor Vengeance stood. He was eight feet tall, four feet wide, and had skin as dark as dried blood. He was one scary alien, but that wasn’t about to intimidate Noah.
“Yeah? Boo fucking hoo. I’m sick and tired of everyone in this goddamned galaxy pushing me around like they own me.” Noah thumped his chest. “I own me. I decide where I go and what I do.”
A grimace twisted Honor’s face. His upper lip curled, displaying very sharp white teeth that could easily rip Noah apart. Normally, common sense would have kicked in and caused Noah to back off, but the truth was he knew this guy couldn’t touch him. Honor would have leveled the planet to get Noah off it, but Honor would have done so without harming Noah in any way.
“I want to go back to Thand right now!” Before Noah knew what hit him, he found his back against the wall and Honor’s arm across his neck. Pressure was applied until Noah could breathe but could no longer talk.
“I have suffered enough of you.” With his face so close, Noah noticed that Honor’s eyes were glowing red. Anger fairly oozed from his gaze, his stance, and his entire body. “I do not understand what my kind sees in your kind. I would take much pleasure in killing you and absolutely none in fucking you.”
Noah wanted to ask what the hell that meant but couldn’t get enough air to speak.
Honor held him steady but then seemed to be considering Noah more attentively. His gaze searched Noah’s face while his nostrils flared as he sniffed him. When his mouth opened, Noah feared that Honor was going to eat him, but instead, Honor extended his tongue and licked along Noah’s cheek. It was such a strange thing to do that even if Noah could talk he would have had no idea what to say.
“You would be a terrible slave. All your kind is horrible at submission.”
Noah doubted that very much. He knew plenty of guys who totally loved to give up all their power to a master. Although, to be fair, that was play, and he had a feeling that Honor was talking about something very real.
“Even when one of your kind was tortured relentlessly, he did not become a docile, terrified creature.” Honor pressed a little closer, allowing Noah to feel something of Honor’s squirming against his belly. “Why is that?”
Since he couldn’t talk, all Noah could do was shrug. He had been on a stage with the other Earthlings, but he didn’t know them personally. All he knew was that they were like him and stolen illegally from Earth.
After another long moment of consideration, Honor withdrew.
Noah practically dropped to his knees he was so relieved, but instead he leaned hard into the wall. If not for that bracing presence, he would have collapsed. If Honor’s goal was to scare the shit out of him and make him double-think his strategy of annoying him into returning him to Thand, it had worked. Really, really well. Moreover, Noah realized that antagonizing Honor was not the way to go. What was that old saying about getting more bees with honey than vinegar?
“Explain to me why you Earthlings seem to cause problems wherever you go.”
“I don’t know.” Noah decided to stay pressed against the wall, especially after he looked down and realized the squirmy thing that had brushed his belly was in Honor’s pants. “We don’t make trouble on purpose. Or at least I don’t.”
“No?” Honor moved to a lavishly appointed table and poured himself a drink. Unlike everything on Thand, which was simple and low to the ground, everything here was gaudy and higher up. “Your kind excels at trouble without meaning to. There would be nothing to save us all if you actually intended to spread mischief.”
Noah wasn’t certain, but it sounded almost like Honor had some reluctant admiration for Earthlings. If nothing else, he seemed very curious about them. “Please tell me why I have to go back to Krase. Every moment I’m away from Mingor, my fear for his safety deepens.”
Honor drank his entire drink down, poured another, downed it, then let out a growl.
Noah’s hair stiffened, and goose bumps broke out over his flesh. Primal instincts buried deep in h
is lizard brain told him to run from the grunting beast. Any moment now he would turn and either eat Noah or fuck him. Possibly both simultaneously. Whatever was wiggling around in his pants seemed to be getting bigger and now he was licking his lips.
“I cannot get the taste of you out of my mouth.”
Fear pricked sharp bursts of electricity across Noah’s skin. He looked around the room but realized the doors were closed.
“Even if you ran as fast as you could, you would not escape me.”
Wisely, Noah chose not to argue with him.
“Why did you tell the water bearer that you love him?”
“Because I do.” Noah hadn’t been certain about his feelings until he realized he had to leave Mingor. With that prospect looming, his true emotions had crystalized. “Why couldn’t we have brought him with us?”
“Without the water bearer, the Thandlings would die.”
“He left them to find me.”
“He must have found you quickly.”
That would explain why they were so pissed he’d left without telling them. Of course, had Mingor told them he was on a journey to find himself a sephir, they never would have let him go. As Noah considered, he wondered just how much the Krase warrior knew about the Thandling society. “What did his advisor mean that I would be too late when I returned?”
“I do not know.” Honor poured himself a third drink, but this one he consumed at a more sedate pace. “It does not sound good.”
“Please take me back.”
“I cannot.”
“I’m afraid they will kill him.”
“They will not kill the one who is their god.” Honor didn’t roll his eyes but lifted his brows in a clear show of disdain.
“You don’t believe in a god?”
“No.” His answer was curt and so was the turn of his back.
Enslaved by a King [Sold! 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 11
