Chasing Violet

by Rena Marks

  “Tell me about him.”

  “I met him six years ago. It seems like forever, now. The way I met him was through an elderly friend. Her name was Brenda. She was a senior citizen living in a retirement community that my parents own. I hadn’t heard from her in quite a while and so I stopped by to visit. Turns out the reason why I hadn’t heard from her was that Brenda had a boyfriend. She was very secretive, but as we visited, she let out bits of the story. Turns out he was government militia, one who’d sworn to serve and protect. Since Brenda is at least sixty-five, I asked her how old he was. Only forty. Which wouldn’t be a huge problem on its own, I know a lot of men prefer older women. But in addition to the age difference, he was married.”

  At his look of confusion, she explained. “Humans don’t mate like other species. We choose someone to live with, and make a bond by having a marriage ceremony. He had married someone else, and was sneaking around with Brenda. Hence the secrecy.”

  “She chose to go with him knowing he was married?”

  “He gave her a line of bullshit. He and his wife were separated. They were just sorting out their finances until they moved apart. The kids had to finish school. Blah, blah. Now, as an outsider looking in, I knew he was using her so I reported him. His boss contacted me, and bingo. The boss was Joshua.” She took a deep breath, thinking about her ex. “I thought we were on the same page. He was as appalled as I was that a member of the militia was taking advantage of a senior citizen. We grew closer, but I should have realized it was planned on his part.”

  “Planned?”

  She nodded. “He’d studied me. He knew my likes and dislikes. So while I thought we were getting along, he was playing me.”

  She paused, afraid she was boring him.

  “Go on.”

  “He was militia, and said they didn’t make much. It seemed to pain him, as if he was less than a man to not be able to provide for me. It didn’t matter to me, I have enough money to support a city. I thought nothing of paying for things. Only…things got more and more expensive. He seemed to need a lot, but it came on so gradually, I never noticed. And one day the building manager let me into Joshua’s apartment, knowing it was my money that bought it. That was the day I discovered he was using me. I never accepted another call. I traded in our honeymoon cruise and when I got to know Jilly, she told me Joshua called. I was appalled that he tracked me down here, and I’m still not exactly sure how he did that. I told her not to notify me of further contact, basically to block him. So imagine my surprise when she told me he had called twenty times. In the span of one day. I questioned her further, and she let me know it wasn’t just my room that he called. He was in touch with Draconis.”

  “Why?”

  “Jilly says he promised Draconis that he would give him enough personal information about me to woo me. It would make me choose him, and I would convince the other girls to go with his species. Because I didn’t, they became alarmed and planned to kidnap us. I think they were using the octopus species to do it.”

  “Now they have a ship full of men.”

  “Cadoc, what did they mean by your species are the stealers of innocents?”

  His pupils elongated. “It happened once. Years ago. My father disgraced our planet by trying to sacrifice an innocent. It was during my own trial into manhood. When a boy comes of age, a tattoo of a weapon appears on his body. He must learn how to call the weapon, and use it to defend. My father wanted the flower’s death, so he had her used as bait during my trial. His thoughts were that I was young and doomed for failure. He could wash his hands of the flower and no one would be the wiser. I managed to save her and disgraced him at the same time. In fact, the rest of your females are being told the story as we speak.”

  A male voice cut into their conversation.

  “Cadoc. The rest of the flowers are congregated into the drawing room. They’re demanding answers.”

  “Tell them to be patient.”

  The voice of his second sounded stressed. “We have done that. We’re at a loss as to how to proceed with these…flowers. They’re not as delicate as they appear.”

  “We’ll be right there,” Cadoc growled, grabbing Violet by the hand.

  “Let me go,” she demanded, jerking her wrist away. “You don’t get to touch me like you own me. Not anymore,” she sniffed.

  Cadoc seemed exasperated, but he respected her wishes. “You need to come and calm your sisters. My men are warriors. They cannot take this…drama.”

  “Drama? Your daddy caused a major disgrace that your planet still can’t live down, and a handful of Earthlings are drama?”

  He sighed. “It is horrifying. Please. Just come with me.”

  She decided to come only because he asked so nicely. But she wouldn’t be distracted by how handsome and sexy he was. She still didn’t know if he was the one who planned to kidnap them. He defended them, sure, but she wasn’t going to be taken in by a pretty smile and awesome sex, that’s for sure. Definitely not because of the size of his…

  By the time the doors to the drawing room opened, a film was being played. It was of old-time quality, showing a young boy with black hair and magnificent orange eyes with a tattoo of a sword on his skinny arm.

  “Pause.” Talpin’s voice sounded strangled. The movie froze on the image of the young Cadoc.

  “As I said before the interruption, ladies, this is our birthright leader Cadoc during his christening into manhood.”

  “Pfft,” Jacey yelled. “Advance the film a few years later so we can see what bulging muscles he’s grown into. Preferable a naked shot.”

  “Careful what you wish for,” Talpin said. “Ladies, this is Cadoc.” His hand swept out toward the door where Violet and Cadoc had just entered.

  “Him?” A couple voices raised in alarm.

  “I was young,” he growled.

  “And skinny,” Jacey said, her eye on his bulging chest. But she was brave. “Why are we being held captive? And where did you take Violet earlier?”

  Cadoc sounded shocked. “Rose, I mean Violet, needed rest. She had quite an ordeal. As you can see, she’s safe now.”

  Rest? That was why he locked her into a room? Violet snorted.

  “Ladies, it appears—” Violet stressed the word as she looked side-eyed at Cadoc, “—that the Docadians may have been correct. Thanks to Talpin tapping into my computer, Jilly, I’ve found out that my ex-fiancé had been planning to sell us to one of the species on board.”

  “Sell us?” Josie, a simple blue-haired girl said. Her lip quivered. “But I was going to choose Roxian.”

  Violet blinked. “Who’s that?”

  “You know. He’s with the horned demon species.”

  Jacey, ever the mouth, spoke up. “Remember the dude you gave the handjob to? The horns?”

  “Don’t remind me,” Violet snapped.

  The rest of the Docadians in the room gasped. There were hushed, scandalized male whispers around the room. Next to her, Cadoc stiffened.

  “In my defense, I didn’t know what I was doing,” she said, in a rush to explain.

  “Their horns do look like giant…er, dicks,” Jacey said. “Jutting straight up from their head.”

  “How could you not?” Dahlia asked, patting her own pink hair. “Sweetie, it’s in the handbook.”

  “I didn’t know there was one.”

  “How could you not know there was a manual? It’s required reading.”

  Violet sighed. “Technically, I wasn’t aware because…I didn’t know there was required reading. I didn’t know I was on the mail order ship. I was trading my honeymoon cruise in for the pampering singles cruise. Somehow I ended up on the wrong ship, and just assumed the pampering was coming.”

  “You assumed the pampering was coming?” Jacey parroted.

  “Well, it wasn’t odd,” Violet insisted. “He does cut my meat.” She turned to look at Cadoc like it made all the sense in the world.

  “Females should not be expected to wait o
n themselves,” Cadoc muttered, under his breath.

  “Really?” asked Dahlia, slinking closer to Talpin.

  He appeared star struck. “A flower,” he whispered. “My own.”

  “Why do you keep referring to us as flowers?” Jacey asked.

  “Apparently, they are known as humens,” Cadoc said.

  “I think that’s hymens.” One of his men said.

  “Anyway,” Violet continued. “Joshua, the ex, intended to take our choice away from us. Jilly says the serpent demons need women because the demons get tired of the same women and eat them.”

  “Oh, hell, no,” Jacey said.

  One of Cadoc’s men stepped forward. “You beautiful flowers deserve to be pampered and protected.”

  Trina, from where she was sitting, ran her finger down his thigh. “You’re not wearing a shirt,” she said, in a flirty voice.

  “We do not. It is important to leave our skin bare so we can recall our weapons.”

  “Is that how you managed to get swords on board?” she asked.

  “Yes. Our weapons are always with us.” His tone, as he looked down at Trina, was slightly revered.

  “What’s your name, big guy?” she flirted.

  “Trina!” Violet snapped.

  “What? Everyone here knows I’m looking for a man. We all are.”

  “Well, except for Violet, technically,” Dahlia said.

  All the women in the room looked to Cadoc, while all the men looked down at their shoes.

  “A call is coming in, Cadoc,” Talpin said. “It’s from the Earth Government Militia.”

  “Accept the hail.”

  “Greetings. This is Sergeant Sam Durant with planet Earth. I understand you have kidnapped fifteen of our people?”

  “Kidnap?” Cadoc said mildly. “No, I’m afraid you were misinformed. We have saved your females.”

  There was a pause on the other side of the connection. You could almost feel the confusion.

  “Saved them from what?”

  “There was a plan to sell your females to the planet of Leanthril.”

  “Do you have proof of that?”

  “Proof?” Cadoc’s voice was a snarl, and blew political correctness out of the water. Violet winced.

  “Your females are here with us now. Do you wish to hear from them?”

  “That doesn’t really tell us anything, does it? If they are being held captive, they’ll tell us anything you’ve instructed them to say.”

  “How dare you suggest we would treat females that way,” Cadoc roared.

  “Please, look at it from our angle,” Sergeant Durant said. “Your species, we were just informed, have been known for stealing our kind for prizes in battles.”

  “Who informed you of that?”

  “One of our men is aboard the Galaxy Star Ship.”

  “Would that be Joshua Seatra?” Violet cut in to ask.

  There was a pause on the other end.

  “Yes. He went in search of his fiancé who mistakenly boarded the wrong ship.”

  “My name is Violet Knight and I am not his fiancé! And he did not come to save us. He was the one who tried to kidnap us.” Without proof, she couldn’t be sure this was exactly the case, yet she couldn’t let Joshua get away with sounding like the hero.

  “I am sorry, Ms. Knight. But as I said earlier, you could be forced to say anything at this moment from another ship. Now, if Mr. Cadoc would like to return you to the Galaxy Star Ship, we can certainly believe what you say when you are free.”

  “I told you,” Cadoc roared. “If we take your women there, they’ll never see the light of day again!”

  “Mr. Cadoc, please be advised that per policy number AN-7325-N42, of the Earth policies and procedures, you have twenty-four hours to comply with our instructions. We hereby notify you to return the following fifteen names to Earth property, namely the Galaxy Star Ship. Dahlia Delaney, Jacey Montgomery, Violet Kni—“

  “Never!”

  With one finger, Cadoc broke the connection.

  The room was silent.

  “I never did care for politics,” Talpin said mildly.

  The room broke out in a plethora of raised voices.

  “Silence!” Cadoc roared. “Explain to them why we thought they were flowers.”

  “I was just getting to that with the movie.” Talpin held a remote to the image of a young Cadoc that was still frozen on the wall, and the image of a fight scene fast forwarded. At the last frame, he paused.

  There, in a cage, was a tiny, little…Violet.

  “It’s true,” Violet gasped. The color had washed from her face, leaving her as pale as the wall behind her.

  Suddenly, Cadoc knew. Hell, everyone knew. There was no mistaking that silken mass of hair. The perfect bow lips, the heart-shaped face. It was her.

  On the screen, the almost twelve-year old boy asked her name.

  Her words warbled in her strange language. The baby-plump lips mouthed, “Violet.” The translation came out as, “A flower.”

  “Oh.” For once, Jacey’s voice was toned down. “So that’s why. All these years…you thought it was a species.”

  Cadoc turned toward Violet. He reached out. “Come, Violet. Let’s—”

  “Don’t touch me,” she snarled. “Don’t you ever touch me again.”

  Chapter Six

  Cadoc cringed at the stunned horror on Violet’s face that quickly turned to hurt and rage. The hand he held out to her dropped. The room grew quiet. A flower—no, a female—went to Violet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, shoulders that were heaving as she held back choked tears.

  “We need to speak privately,” Cadoc said.

  “We don’t need to speak ever again,” she coldly informed him.

  “Wait, what’s wrong?” Talpin asked.

  “He kidnapped me! Look at me, so tiny, in a damned cage. Oh, my God, I remember the terror.”

  “Cadoc saved your life. He beat the odds. He was barely twelve. No boy of that age ever fought and won his first battle against a Berserker. He has more honor and courage than any warrior I’ve ever met. Look, look at this and tell me what you see.” The absolute fury on Talpin’s face surprised Cadoc.

  The images of the video came to life as Talpin pushed a button, and were sent spinning back to the fight. The entire battle played out before them all. The Berserker’s appearance caused many to scream and Violet’s back went ramrod straight. Incredulous calls from the females watching were heard. Cadoc saw himself as a child, his passion and determination to save the life of a tiny being he knew nothing about. The moment the weapon appeared in his hands Cadoc knew what to do. Absently he caressed his tattoo. Yes, his arms were a bit scrawny back then, he was a boy after all. The intensity was etched on his young face when he managed to kill the Berserker. After a brief moment with the tiny human, the cage disappeared and he was as bereft now as he was then.

  There was absolute silence in the room. Some of the warriors had never seen Cadoc’s first fight. The shame of his father was supposed to be buried in the archives, not shared to teach others. Cadoc wondered how Talpin got it, and then almost grinned. His second was brilliantly clever when it came to garnering information.

  Cadoc gazed at Violet who was wide-eyed. “You were sent home, little flower. I won but I wasn’t supposed to kill the Berserker. I could not claim you because of that.”

  “I was ransomed.” There were sparks in her eyes that flashed like storm clouds on an angry day.

  His breath caught. “We did not. That is not my people’s way. Capturing you was not our way either. You were the only human to ever grace our planet.”

  “So you would have kept me as some pet?”

  “I was a boy. Had I been allowed to keep you, I would have more than likely followed you everywhere to see to your safety. Females are a treasure. I lost all respect for my father that day. Everyone lost respect for him.”

  “And what will you do with us now?” This time it was Dahlia who
spoke.

  “If you are returned to that ship you were on, you will be enslaved and sold as objects. Your lives as you know it will be over,” Cadoc said in a loud booming voice to make certain all heard.

  “We can’t stay here forever,” Violet said. Then mumbled, “One nightmare for another.”

  She didn’t believe him. Cadoc could see the confusion in her hurt eyes. She thought he betrayed her. It made him wonder more about that event so long ago.

  “Talpin, where was Violet sent after leaving our planet?” Cadoc asked.

  “I don’t know, the records are still sealed. It would take someone incredibly experienced and talented to…oh yeah, that.” He smiled sheepishly after gazing at the banished video he now played. “I’ll get on it.”

  “Everyone, high alert and battle stations. No one is allowed to board this ship. As for leaving, you all have a choice. Choose wisely,” Cadoc warned.

  One female slipped her arm around a warrior who grinned. Well, that one didn’t waste time. Another fell in behind Talpin to watch him work and then offered suggestions, making him smile. The rest began to whisper amongst themselves. Soon only he and Violet were face to face.

  “You can believe me or not when I say it was you, that teeny wisp of a female, who gave me the passion to fight with and the courage to never give up,” Cadoc said. “Your ex is an idiot and a damned fool. And I don’t need anything from you, except you.”

  He turned to leave—he needed to think—but his hurt was building in his gut. This was the second time he battled to keep her, but he was weaponless. Words and emotions tumbled within as a war was waged. Did his father betray him again? Did he want to make certain if he ever found his flower she would hate him? There must be something he was missing. There had to be a reason why everything was sealed tight in the records. Making it as though Violet never existed.

  A warm hand settled on his arm. There was no need for a cloak on his ship, he was bare-chested as were his men. Her hand was so small and rested on a dagger tattoo. Again Cadoc was surprised at her fearlessness. There were bare places on his body females of his world could touch. Each tattoo was in sight, they needed to be. The intimacy—and sensitivity of the touch on a tatt—shot a wave of desire through his veins. He gazed down into her confused face.