‘That is not an apology.’
‘You are right and I do apologise. I should have trusted you more.’
Sherise remained silent, mulling over his words.
‘Someone supplied those weapons,’ Maaka added.
‘Yes, but it was neither Darkon nor Relic. This has been established.’
‘I accept your findings. Do you forgive me?’
‘I will think about it.’
He chuckled and nuzzled her hair. ‘Tell me what torments you, Sherise.’
Bile rose again, she swallowed and forced it down. Perhaps it would do her good to speak of what she had hidden for so long.
She took a deep breath. She spoke of the war which had started as minor clashes between her people and the Relics over their enforced takeovers of planets. How it had escalated with the involvement of the Elite Forces into many cycles of confrontation until it involved all systems within the Seven Galaxies. Her voice cracked when she told of the unleashing of the virus on the Darkons and how the women and children died.
‘I was fifteen cycles old when this happened. Our Council ordered the outfitting of several long-distance space voyagers. Crewed by older warriors and filled to capacity with Darkon women and children, we left our planet hoping that we would be spared the drawn out deaths that had taken so many of us. But, somehow, our enemies knew of our plans. The Elites engaged us in battle, our weaponry was limited so we had little to defend ourselves. In the confusion, our fleet scattered and we became separated. The ship I was on was boarded. All who survived were taken prisoner.’
‘Aah, now we come to the planet you call Gazood.’
She snuggled into the shelter provided by his body and ran her fingers over the short spiky hairs covering his arm.
‘What happened, Sherise?’
Her voice little more than a murmur, she said, ‘Gazood was a terrible place. Not only did it have fierce storms but it was a breeding ground for draptiles: carnivorous, armoured creatures that drip acid. The only food we had was whatever we could forage from the land and occasional drops from the Elite guards. It was a miracle of Cercis any of us survived. Cycles passed and others were imprisoned on the planet by the Elites, more Darkons and then women from a planet called Earth. This is where I met Bree.’ She pushed at the hair that had fallen across her face.
‘We were insurance you see. The Elite leader believed that, should the war turn against him, he could use us either as bait to trap our warriors or to force a surrender. Sometimes, I had the impression that he wanted us to suffer and relished the knowledge that everyone believed we were dead. Some of us fell ill to sickness from the lack of fresh food and clean water, others from the draptiles. But we had a healer amongst us. Her name was Rachel, another Earth woman, and without her expertise many more would have died. She taught me so much and became a good friend.’
She heaved in a deep breath past a chest so constricted her bones ached. ‘There was a little girl. One of my kind. She was only nine cycles and had spent eight of them in that terrible place. She was dying and Rachel could do no more for her. I knew if I could access a medie tube she could be saved. So I approached the Captain of the guards that lived in the space station orbiting the planet and offered an exchange. My maiden flesh for medicine.’
Maaka’s body stiffened, turning as hard as rock.
This is it. This is where he will spurn me.
But she had said too much to stop now.
‘I was unable to give him satisfaction so he beat me. When he finished, he dumped me back on Gazood, with no medie tube, no medicine, nothing to show for my efforts. And Talia died.’
Maaka fumbled with the furs until he had wiggled his hands inside and caught her by the shoulders. About to shove her away?
‘Wait, there is more.’ Her words came faster now, spewing from her mouth like poison from a thista thorn. ‘On the setting of the next sun, three shuttles touched down. We were ordered to present ourselves and, at threat of laser point, we were shuffled into ragged lines. The Captain strutted up and down until he made his selection. He did not dare terminate any Darkons; we were too valuable as prisoners. But the women from Earth he considered expendable. In all, ten were dragged away, forced to stand before a rock outcrop, then executed. I will never forget the looks on their faces, nor their last frantic messages.’
‘This explains your determination to return your passengers to their families.’
‘Yes. Until the time we were liberated from Gazood the Elite guards fed their blood lust. We had nowhere to hide. All we could do was wait and wonder who would be next to die. I will never forget the day he chose Rachel. She died in my arms and I vowed if I ever escaped I would find her son. I knew from the way the Elite Captain would stand and look at Bree that one day it would be her turn.’ She raised her head from his chest and met Maaka’s gaze. ‘All those women died because of me. He wanted to make me pay because I’d shown up his own inadequacy as a man.’
‘Nay!’ A fierce light blazed in his eyes as he shouted the denial. His hands squeezed her flesh then gave her a slight shake. ‘You did not hold the weapon, or thrust a blade through their hearts, or give the order. This sin lies on another’s soul and it will be he who will face eternal punishment.’ Maaka cupped her face, his thumbs wiping tears from her cheeks. ‘Do not cry so, it pains me greatly to see you in such distress.’
She hiccupped and sniffed. ‘I feared you would view me with revulsion.’
‘You offered yourself in an act of great courage and did something few would ever have done. He could have turned his rage onto you. Then what would I have done without my mate? Have I not said you will be the mother of my sons?’
Sherise smiled a little. ‘How you fixate on this subject!’
‘I like it very much when you scold me, sweet Sherise.’
‘You are impossible,’ she said.
But when he leaned closer and kissed the tip of her nose, she sighed and pushed the pelts aside so they no longer separated her body from his. His heat warmed her and when he pulled a fur up over their shoulders against the chill of the cave, some of the heavy darkness in her essence dissolved, like stardust swept away by solar winds.
Perhaps it was time to put the past behind and move into the future. But what future? Trapped on a planet far from home and caught between warring factions; this was not what she had planned for her life.
‘Close your eyes, Sherise and listen while I tell you a story.’
Exhausted, Sherise capitulated and nestled her head against his chest. His rich, musky scent filled her nostrils and was reassuringly familiar. She slid her hands over his tough skin, delighting in the rasp tickling her palms and wrapped her arms about his waist, hugging him close.
‘There was once a boy, happy within the protection of his family, but arrogant and conceited. His father was a great warrior, a good provider of food and his mother always smiled and sang as she worked. He had a little sister; she was tiny, with a face like a flower and loved to be by the boy’s side. Too much, for one day, she followed him when he left the settlement far behind in search of a fabled lake. If he could return with a plentiful catch of fish, he would be as great a warrior as his father.’ Maaka kissed the top of her head.
His voice a little muffled, he continued, ‘His father and mother and others of his tribe found them on the banks of a dried up salt bed. The lake had vanished long ago. They were about to return home when a contingent of soldiers from the Fortress appeared and surrounded them. Outnumbered and armed with only crude weapons, they could not defend themselves. His sister was dragged from their mother’s arms. Despite the boy pleas for mercy, they beheaded his mother on the spot. His father tried to save her, but he was terminated.’
‘What of the others and the boy?’ But Sherise knew the boy had been Maaka.
‘All were slaughtered as if of no more consequence than an animal bred for food. The boy was gravely wounded and left to die amidst the carnage. But I did not, I survived.’
She imagined that little boy, surrounded by the dead, and how frightened he must have been.
‘Oh, Maaka,’ she whispered and pressed her lips gently against his mouth. He took charge of the kiss, angling her chin for greater access, whirling her away to a world where only the two of them existed.
When he lifted his head, she touched his mouth with a trembling finger.
‘Your sister?’
‘They took her with them and I never saw her again. You often question why I am so determined on throwing down my enemies, why I will not sue for peace. I do not trust them.’
Sherise thought of Bree, Dyrke, Lord Barid and the others who still remained within the Fortress. Or were they safely on their way back to the ship? She moistened her dry lips. ‘Who?’
‘The Corporation and their leader; the one who calls himself the Teacher,’ he spat. His eyes glittered and a snarl curled back his lips. ‘I still remember the one who gave the order to kill. I remember his words, ‘Cull the bastards. I should have dealt with this problem long ago, before these mutants grew in strength and number.’’
Sherise frowned. ‘Are you certain it was the Teacher? Everyone I have spoken to refers to him as a spiritual advisor.’
‘He told me who he was and smiled. While my family and people were butchered, he sat on his transporter and smiled,’ Maaka growled through clenched teeth.
‘I can understand your need for revenge but more people will die if you continue on this path.’
Maaka pinched her chin. His serious expression caused her stomach to roll over. ‘Sherise, the culling has continued until the past few years when they have left it to the Half-dead to get rid of us. Our numbers are dwindling. We must make our stand now before it’s too late. And those responsible will pay for their crimes.’
The need to give what solace she could filled her heart. More than that, she wanted to replace his anguished memories with ones of happiness. She would give him memories of love. Sherise propped herself up on her elbow and traced her finger over the line of his jaw, up to his earlobe which she tugged. ‘Let us forget the misery and pain and take what is left of this night for us.’
‘I find I cannot argue with this reasoning.’
Sherise smiled, a long, slow smile that lit a conflagration of lust in his eyes. She stroked her fingers down his ribs, over the hard ridged muscles of his stomach and down lower, where she drifted one fingertip along his cock. Her thumb smoothed over the rounded head before she enclosed the thick shaft within her hand.
His hissed in a sharp breath and rolled onto his back, his hands moving down her spine, over the cheeks of her bottom to draw skin pictures on her tingling flesh. A delicious tickle spread over her skin and exploded into a sea of need.
She slid lower and pressed wet kisses over his stomach, relishing the furnace of heat emanating from his body. Her fingers greedily pumped his pulsing cock until she raised her head and, his shaft still enclosed within her hand, licked the moist tip. Maaka groaned, his fingers dug into her hair, pressed her closer. She released his cock to cup her hands over his engorged balls and squeezed gently, feeling the weight heavy under her fingers. Then she ran her tongue up and down his cock before opening her mouth and sucking the nob, flicking her tongue over and under. She sucked harder and harder, drawing his sex further into her mouth.
‘Enough, my sweet.’ The words burst from Maaka’s throat in a hoarse rasp.
Sherise lifted her head and stared at him. Was he going to reject her? ‘You do not enjoy this?’
‘Leon’s oath! I enjoy it too much. But I wish to give you pleasure also.’
Tension ebbed from her taut shoulders and she slumped against him, burrowing her fingers through the matt of hair surrounding his cock. ‘You always give me pleasure,’ she mumbled.
‘Of course I do. It is my duty as your mate.’
Sherise reared up and glared. ‘What!’
But a wide grin beamed from Maaka’s face and his eyes twinkled with suppressed mirth. ‘Come here.’ He hauled her over his body until they were level and pressed his mouth against hers in a kiss that devoured all reason from her mind. His hands possessed her aching breasts and he rolled her over till she lay on her back, his body a heavy blanket covering her.
When his lips left hers to suck her ear lobe, she panted to catch her breath, her body shaking with a throbbing desire. She arched, desperate to have him fill her and whispered, ‘You had best perform your duty then, before I change my mind. I have given orders to be awakened in a few hours’ time for my shift with the wounded.’
‘Is that an order you are giving me?’ Amusement resonated in his voice.
She smiled. ‘Affirmative.’
‘What is the punishment if I do not obey?’
‘I will have you shackled to my bed.’
Cupping her face with his warm hands, he stared into her eyes for two long beats and grinned. ‘Now, that is a punishment I could enjoy. But for now, let us not waste any more time.’
Still smiling, he lowered his head and devoured her with a kiss.
***
The next morning passed in a blur as Sherise again tended to the injured while Maaka and his men worked to repair the damage to the settlement. Caves needed to be re-shored, passages cleared of debris and the dead removed. The Freebers also bent their backs in labour, salvaging what they could of the stored seedlings and food, seeing to the livestock and tending the fields. Kondo and his men were given the hardest labouring tasks and Sherise was surprised to hear of no grumblings of resentment from them.
She wandered through the tunnel and out into the communal cave, which now bore little resemblance to the horrific scene which had confronted on her return. But there still remained a great deal of work to be done before the Freebers’ settlement was restored as it was before.
Her stomach growled when she breathed in the scent of warm bread and a spiced meat dish. She called out greetings to those that were now becoming more familiar and inspected the laden tables with interest. Within a few moments, she had filled her bowl with the stew and, carrying a generous portion of bread, found a vacant spot on a bench.
The meat dish was fragrant. She closed her eyes and leaned over to take a deep sniff. The action reminded her of Maaka’s similar behaviour that first night here in the settlement. She shrugged the memory off, only for another worry to intrude.
What was happening within the Fortress?
And what of the message she had transmitted to Dyrke about finding the weapons? Were her friends and crew now safely on board the Quinnie or had they been imprisoned? There had been no response. If her signal has been intercepted, how soon would it be before Dyrke organised a search party for them?
The story Maaka had told her of the terrible events in his childhood played over and over in her mind. His deeply ingrained distrust of the Purideans, or more to the point their rulers, troubled her. Even though she accepted such a tragedy would make a lasting impression on a young boy, she could not help thinking there was something missing, something important eluding her or remained untold. There were times when the question trembled on her lips but always she bit the words back.
The woman next to her passed along a jug of spiced mead and Sherise helped herself to a large mug full. She mopped up the last of the gravy with the bread and chewed while she admonished herself. She should be working out how to return to the Quinnie and her own people. But, though the Freebers were not of her own, she felt drawn to them. Their sturdy resilience and stubborn determination to carve a life out of this desolate land tugged at something she had thought long buried; believed had been annihilated by her sojourn as a prisoner of war.
Then there were the Lycaneans. With each moment spent with Maaka, a healthy respect grew as she learnt a little more about this complex people.
Over the morning meal, one of the Elders had spoken of the world before the Generation War. When he described lands of beauty, rich in resources and such varieties of birds and animals, Sh
erise felt her heart ache for what had been lost. She had glanced at Maaka and seen the duplication of her feelings in his eyes.
And her essence had quaked at another glimpse of his vulnerability.
Sherise suspected that with each passing hour, her determination to leave dissipated a little bit more. If she was not careful, it would disappear altogether and she would be imprisoned once again. But this time it would be of her own choice.
A man’s voice bellowed her name. She looked up to see Maaka striding through the cavern, a contingent of his men at his heels and his brawny arm slung over a smaller man’s shoulders. He lifted a hand. Even from where she sat she could see the white flash of his teeth as he grinned at her. They climbed the stairs and disappeared out through the main tunnel. She stared down into her empty bowl, aware heat had washed over her face and her pulse was zinging through her veins as if uron charged.
‘He is a fine mate.’ The pretty, young woman sitting opposite her sighed and fiddled with her brown hair, her hazel eyes fixed in the direction of the tunnel. ‘So many of us have hoped we would be his choice, and yet he has joined with you, an outsider.’ Bewilderment plain in her voice, she turned back, her gaze sweeping over Sherise.
How to answer when she was not certain of his reasons? Sherise mumbled a response and left the table to rinse out her plate and mug.
She would check on her patients; that should occupy her mind.
When she entered the recovery room, a mother cradling a child waved a hand in the air to attract Sherise’s attention. She walked over and lowered herself onto the furs next to them.
‘She will make a full recovery,’ Sherise said and watched relief flood the other’s features.
The woman rocked her daughter in her arms and smiled when Sherise stroked a gentle hand over the child’s curls.
‘I must thank you …’ began the woman.
Sherise lifted a hand. ‘Please, you have already done so. I am glad we could help.’
‘She is my only child and there will be no others.’ The woman lifted a hand and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. She touched her little girl’s face with fingers that trembled, then hugged her close. ‘My mate, her father, was taken by the Half-dead last winter. He was my heart. I could never take another.’
Quest For Earth Page 26
