Mortal Flames_The Magical

by Averi Hope

  None of this had gone the way she’d imagined the day she’d left the Garden of Virtue. All she’d ever wanted was to be Raiden’s mate. To finally find happiness.

  Her numb limbs twitched as she struggled weakly against the binds once more.

  Nothing has gone the way I planned, but as long as Raiden still lives, there’s hope.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The first thing Raiden was aware of was the heat.

  Did I black out again?

  He lay on his back, staring at a metal ceiling.

  Where am I?

  For a moment, his heart cried out for Earth. To the place he’d been happiest. But now, now the place I am meant to be is at Saura’s side.

  Just the thought of his mate sent reality slamming back into him. I have to get back to her. But how much blood has this wound at my throat cost me? Can it be ignored until I’ve rerouted the ship—or does it need treatment now?

  He rose unsteadily to his feet and stumbled to the wall of the craft. Hitting a button, he opened the small mirror near the hidden bathroom.

  When he saw his reflection, his knees nearly gave out beneath him. The blood-splattered male that stared back at him was so pale he could’ve still been the human he’d pretended to be on Earth. And the wound at his neck was gaping impossibly wide.

  I shouldn’t be alive.

  This can only be Saura’s work. Her power from the water stones.

  I love you, Saura.

  He reached for her through his thoughts, but got nothing.

  He forced himself not to think of her, to concentrate on the task at hand.

  Although his hands trembled, he carefully held the gap at his throat closed while he reached for the blade hidden at his ankle. He finally managed to withdraw it, then set to work cutting his shirt to shreds.

  When he was finished, he began to wrap his throat. His vision went dark again and again as he gritted his teeth against the pain.

  By the time he finished, he was panting, covered in sweat. He leaned against the wall so his feet didn’t crumple beneath him.

  Aside from the love of my Khara, it must be the gods’ wish that I live. That I take down Kaemon. There is no other reason why I would still be alive. I will not disappoint them. Nor my father.

  Nor my mate.

  His stomach lurched as he thought of her, and the thoughts he’d been pushing away came rushing back. What is Kaemon doing to her? Is she still alive?

  His mind kept reaching for her, but he got nothing.

  He began to stagger toward the front of the ship, propping himself up on the wall and stopping every so often to catch his breath. Too weak. I’ve lost too much blood.

  The front of the ship wasn’t that far, but it still took a painfully long time for him to make it to the pilot’s chair.

  But when he finally took a seat and pressed the button to open the viewshield, his heart plummeted into his stomach. Before him, glorious and brilliant, and much, much too large, was the blazing ball of fire that was the Milky Way’s sun.

  I’ve awakened just in time to burn to death.

  He couldn’t tear his eyes from the sun as his fingers flew over the keys. He tried to reroute the ship back to Hope. There were a few moments of silence. But just as relief crept into his chest, the computer pinged in warning.

  Manual Access Denied.

  That bastard turned off the manual controls!

  When I get out of this, I’m going to kill him!

  When I get out of this. Out of rapidly hurtling toward the sun. To my death.

  Leaning against the console, he closed his eyes.

  Come on, Raiden, think.

  I’m not a damn engineer!

  If only Jaydee were here to help me, he thought desperately.

  It doesn’t matter, there has to be a way out of this!

  But at the moment, he couldn’t think of one.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Saura gave a final cry as she tore her wrists free. Another sob built in her chest as she brought her hands in front of her, placing them in her lap and turning them over. Dark bruises marked her pale blue flesh, and blood dripped from the wounds. But it had to be done. I’m free!

  Rising, she nearly fell, but steadied herself on the chair. If I can find the guards, I’ll be safe.

  Kaemon will be imprisoned for treason, and I’ll find a way to rescue Raiden.

  Hurrying to the door, she grabbed the shredded remains of her gown, hit the button to open the door, and stepped out into the hall.

  But before she could run, large hands grasped her arms on either side.

  Frowning, she looked up into the faces of two guards. “What are you doing? Unhand me! I am your Khara and your Khar is in grave danger. We must hurry to save him in time!”

  The rings around the men’s eyes darkened to scarlet, and suddenly they were backing her into the room.

  The mating frenzy! How could I have forgotten? her mind cried in dismay.

  “No—listen to me!” she shouted, panic filling her as she stared at her escape getting farther away. “You must release me!” She let her voice rise high enough so anyone outside might hear her and help. “I am your Khara. Touching me is treason.”

  The doors shut on her escape.

  How could I have escaped Kaemon only to face this?

  “Aren’t either of you mated?” she asked in desperation. Even if they were, they probably wouldn’t be able to control themselves. I’m barely clothed—radiating my need to be mated.

  She kicked and thrashed as they dragged her toward the bed. She tried to call her magic to her, but they secured her hands behind her back once more, preventing her from using her powers. Then, they lifted and tossed her back onto the bed.

  Her chest heaved as she lay there, sprawled over the mattress, staring at them. Unable to do anything to stop them, as their hungry gazes roved over her bare breasts and womanhood.

  In unison, their hands went to their pants.

  “I am your Khara!” she tried again. “If you touch me, Raiden will kill you! Think! Is this worth your life?”

  To her shock, they looked even more determined.

  The larger of the two spoke, “Right now, you are nothing but a female in her mating frenzy, desperate for a cock.”

  The shorter male started to undo his pants. “Or in this case, two.”

  “We need to hurry and take you before anyone comes to stop us.”

  Her heart sank and her knees began to shake as she realized there was no pity in their expressions. And no one was coming to save her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Raiden squinted to peer through his spacesuit, praying that he’d made the right choice.

  If this doesn’t work how I intend, I could be killing myself. The power might not turn back on. The ship could lose its navigation altogether, and I’d lose both Earth’s location and the location of Hope. That would be the final nail in my coffin.

  But as Rusty always said, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” That old human really was smarter than people gave him credit for.

  It’s now or never.

  3, 2, 1.

  He jerked the three different-colored wires, cutting power to the ship.

  Blackness swallowed him as the lights went out.

  His breathing, loud and fast, filled his ears as he reached up and clicked a button on his visor. Its golden glow a small spotlight in the deathly silent ship. He glanced back at the console and the panel he’d removed to get to the wires to deactivate the ship for a moment and breathed a hesitant sight of relief. I’m still alive.

  But he knew it could still go wrong in more ways than it could go right. And every one of them has death at the end of it.

  Then he lumbered to his feet and shifted the bag of tools higher onto his shoulder.

  But as Rusty always said, “We’re all going to die someday, but I’ll be damned if I don’t go down fighting.”

  Gods, maybe it was all the blood he’d lo
st, but thinking of his old friend from the bar back on Earth somehow grounded him in a way he desperately needed. Especially if I’m going to get out of this mess and save Saura.

  Moving to the airlock chamber, he closed the inner door and set the countdown. He felt the air pressure change and counted to thirty. When the light above the outside door turned green, he took a deep breath, and yanked the door open.

  With careful movements, he stepped out into space, holding onto the door. When his feet brushed the exterior of the craft, he hit the button on his glove, and his boots locked onto the surface.

  He stood frozen for a long moment, staring at the flaming ball that was the sun. The heat was almost unbearable, even with the suit. Blinking and turning away, liquid dripped from his eyes. Staring at the sun, dumb idea number one.

  Turning back to the task at hand, he let his eyes adjust for a moment after the sun’s glare. Then he walked forward in small, awkward steps, picking up one boot at a time. The magnetic shoes felt as heavy as lead as they fought his muscles to stay attached to the ship, but the alternative was risking floating off into space. When he reached the ship-to-ship communicator on the side of the craft, he removed the bag from his shoulder and knelt down.

  Time seemed to pass excruciatingly slowly as he worked to deactivate the device. Time when Kaemon could be hurting Saura. He pushed the horrifying thought away, knowing fear would only slow him down. In theory, disabling the communicator would disable their control over his ship, and he could turn the manual controls back on without their override. Theoretically. I hope.

  But he needed to hurry up. He didn’t know how much heat the suit could take, but it was already more than he’d prefer. When at last he was sure it’d no longer work, he stood, wishing he could wipe away the sweat streaming down his face and into his eyes. He felt light-headed, and he blinked several times, trying to clear his vision.

  Time to fire the ship back up, if I can, and see if I can override the computer and take manual control. Then, figure out how the hell to get back to Hope and heal my damned throat before I pass out from blood loss. These strips of fabric can only do so much.

  Turning, he took a step, but caught a glimpse of motion in front of him. His stomach turned. Crouching between him and the entrance was a Spyre.

  This can’t be possible. No one’s luck is this bad.

  Kaemon wasn’t taking any chances that I’d make it back alive, was he?

  The creature before him was similar to the ones that had tried to kill him back on Earth. Like a giant, metal scorpion, it had sharp legs, and a deadly-looking stinger filled with poison. Yet under all of that is one of those poor creatures he tortured to create this.

  Its legs bunched, lowering slightly to its belly.

  Raiden pushed away his sympathy. I need to fight. For Saura. He reached for one of the tools in his bag, clenching it awkwardly in his gloved hand.

  One drop of that poison will kill me.

  Or if one swipe of its claws slices through this suit.

  Even better, if it knocks me from the ship, I could go tumbling through space to my death.

  And it wants to live as much as I do.

  He looked down at his weapon.

  This tool is almost worthless against that creature.

  An image of Saura’s face came to his mind. My beautiful mate. You gave up everything to save me. We’ve waited too long to be together to lose it all now. He thought of Kaemon and his plan to take her.

  He narrowed his eyes. Whatever happens, I can’t die. Not when she needs me.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The last bit of Saura’s clothing had been torn away. And even though the larger man had blood leaking from his mouth where she’d kicked him, neither of the massive guards seemed to notice she even fought them. They undressed with hurried motions while she struggled against the bindings at her wrists.

  If only I could free my hands, I’d turn these two to icy statues!

  “You can’t do this, Raiden will kill you!” she shouted.

  The larger man grinned, flashing rows of even teeth. “Ghosts can’t kill.”

  She gritted her teeth. “Don’t you have any fear of your Khar or Khara?”

  “Kaemon is our Khar,” the shorter man said, reaching down to grip his manhood.

  These are not simply two unmated males losing control. These men are traitors!

  “Then, don’t you fear what Kaemon will do to you? He has chosen me as his mate.”

  “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Both men crawled onto the bed from different directions.

  Her muscles tensed, ready to fight. I’ll die before I let them touch me.

  But just as that thought flashed in her mind, the door burst open. A voice yelled, “What the hell is this?”

  She looked over the shoulder of the larger man to find her uncle’s wide eyes gazing at the scene before him.

  “Please!” she begged.

  He hurried across the room and stopped inches from them. “Release her this instant!”

  “I can’t,” the larger man growled, “I won’t.”

  Suddenly, blood splattered her face. Crimson liquid coated the guard’s mouth, chin, and chest, and he fell to the bed as her uncle removed the knife from his skull.

  Her uncle struck again and the guard behind her screamed, then he, too, fell to the bed.

  Her uncle stood before her, gripping his dagger in his large hands. Wiping the blade on the bedding, he frowned down at it, then concealed it once more in the sleeve of his red robes.

  “Uncle, thank you. You saved me,” she whispered, scooting slowly, numbly away from the dead bodies.

  He looked up, his expression momentarily blank, as if he’d forgotten her. But he quickly replaced it with a look of concern. “Of course, my dear.”

  His gaze openly ran across her naked body, and she realized she was still in her mating frenzy. She pulled her knees up, her relief quickly replaced by a stomach-turning fear.

  “Let’s get you washed up then.”

  Grabbing her arm, her uncle hauled her to her feet and dragged her toward the bathroom.

  “But we must get away! Kaemon will be back any moment.” She took a deep breath as he pushed her into the bathing area and turned on the water that rained down on her. The icy liquid drew a gasp from her, and her dark hair streamed down into her eyes. “He’s a traitor, and he has harmed Raiden. I believe our Khar is in grave danger. We must tell the others at once!”

  Instead of answering her, he pushed a button on the wall, filling his hands with a soapy substance. She cringed as he began to rub the soap into her hair, then trailed down her back.

  “Stop,” she begged. “I know I am in my Biryut, but I am your niece. Uncle, please.”

  This male should be offering me comfort, not abusing and taking advantage of me like those disgusting animals. This is wrong! Everything I’ve endured since returning is wrong.

  “Nonsense,” he said, his voice thick with desire. “I’m not as sensitive to females during their mating frenzy as I was when I was young. I simply want you clean before we discuss this ridiculous notion of Kaemon being a traitor. And I want to erase the scent of the other males before you are accused of being tainted.”

  She took a deep breath, willing herself to remain calm. “Untie my hands so I can help.”

  He gave a low chuckle. “Listen carefully, you are overcome by your needs. I have found you in an unmated male’s suite, nearly being mated by two males. If anyone else saw what I just witnessed, they would think you were not in your right mind. So I can’t release you before I have calmed you.” And then he reached for her again.

  I don’t think so!

  Kicking out, she caught him in the stomach.

  The older man went flying and hit the ground, banging his head on the floor. Hard.

  Not caring, she turned and ran through the bathroom and back through the room, her gaze trained on the button to the door. She might be putting herself more at risk
, running naked through the halls with more unmated males, but she already knew the danger of remaining in the room with her uncle.

  When she was nearly to the door, a body crashed into her own, sending her tumbling to the ground. Caught beneath her uncle’s large body, she found it nearly impossible to breathe.

  “That was unwise, niece. First I come into rescue you, keeping you from voiding the mating agreement with Raiden. I even killed to keep you pure. And even though you knew what it would do to me to see such a beautiful woman wet and naked, I showered you to hide the evidence of your betrayal.” His next words were barely a whisper. “Now, for your insolence, you must be punished.”

  The sound of the door sliding open was the most wonderful sound in the world.

  “What in the blazing moons are you doing?” Kaemon yelled.

  Am I actually happy to see him? she wondered, her mind filled with confused hatred.

  Running footsteps crossed the room, then her uncle was yanked off her. Rolling onto her back, she took desperate breaths, watching as the younger man stared down at her uncle. Blue flames ran along the length of his hand.

  “Please,” her uncle said, “I found two guards about to defile her. Then, she would have been tainted…useless to you. I saved her, and our plan. Please, don’t kill me.”

  Wait! She stared in shock. My uncle was apart of this? He betrayed his Khar and his family…for what?

  Kaemon’s gaze zeroed in on the bed where the two bodies still lay.

  “So for once the treacherous snake speaks the truth.” His hand lowered slightly. “But still, I cannot allow a male who touched my female to live.”

  Fire streamed from his hand and consumed her uncle. He screamed until it was abruptly cut off. Then his blackened body fell to the floor, ash floating in the air around it.

  Kaemon’s merciless eyes turned to her. “It seems while I have been ensuring my spot on the throne, you have been busy.”

  She shook her head. “Kaemon, you know I didn’t do anything. Just let me go. You can have the throne without me as your mate. Believe me when I say you may steal my body, and even my consent, but you will never have my mind or heart.”