by Regine Abel
He resumed his seat on the couch across from us. His daughter held his hand and lifted her chin proudly.
Amalia would like her.
Nhed went on to tell us a story neither of us would ever expect. It began when he foolishly entered a deal with V. At first, I wondered if this was some misdirection tactic. However, the more he talked, especially of recent events, the more plausible it seemed.
“I was going to turn myself in to the authorities two days ago,” Nhed said. “Zhul stopped me, saying he had certain things in motion, and all of this could be over in the next few days. He wanted me to wait until after it was all said and done.”
“He didn’t tell you anything about his plan?” Ghan asked.
“No, nothing,” Nhed said, a sad expression on his face. “But I swear to you both, my son is as much a victim as these poor females. He tried to help them. He cares for Valena and she cares for him, too. They exchanged mating vows. If V suspects Zhul tried to rescue the captives, the Goddess only knows what he will do to him. And with all this blood…”
Nhed’s voice faltered. Sahm Marthen, Zhul’s lawyer, cleared his throat, drawing the attention away from Nhed’s moment of weakness.
“This leads us to the reason for my presence here,” the lawyer said. “My client believed he might fall victim to foul play. He also believed, should that prove true, his family would be in danger.”
Marthen rose from his seat and strolled towards me. He handed me a small keycard. I took it, giving him a questioning look. He resumed his seat while I slipped the keycard into my datapad.
“This was meant for the General. Should something befall him, you were named as his replacement. First Officer Ghan is third should something also happen to you.”
The keycard only contained two documents. My head snapped towards Marthen after reading the title of the first document.
“Legal guardians?” I asked, flabbergasted. “Are you shitting me?”
“In the letter of instructions that Sehr Dervhen left for me, he indicated that V made direct threats against the life of his sister. Lelah Dervhen would be grievously harmed if he refused to cooperate or caused any kind of problems for him.” The lawyer shifted in his chair and cast a sympathetic look towards Lelah and her father. “He has, therefore, appointed General Praghan as Lelah’s legal guardian until he’s either once more able to resume his duties or she reaches legal maturity.”
My breath rushed out of me. I ran my fingers through my hair and gave Ghan a baffled look. He didn’t look back at me, though, his gaze pinned on the lawyer.
“Have you not seen the news?” I asked Marthen. “My Gem and countless good males from the First Division are hanging between life and death. All this for acting on a tip provided by Dervhen. Now you expect me to take his sister under my roof, within range of my mate and children? Are you insane?”
“Zhul Dervhen is as much a victim as all those males,” Marthen argued. “There’s plenty of evidence outside!”
“Evidence isn’t proof.”
I looked at Lelah who held my gaze defiantly. Once more, I couldn’t help thinking Amalia would like her fire.
“I will not put my family’s lives at risk, but I also do not want an innocent child to come to harm.” I faced Ghan. “Compound?”
He nodded slowly. “While I’m not too keen on having any Dervhen near Khel, there are enough warriors on site to keep an eye on her.”
“Actually, there’s another thing,” Marthen said. He pulled on the collar of his shirt as if to loosen it.
Ghan raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
“My client asks that you grant sanctuary to his father and mother as well.”
Nhed gasped and stared at the lawyer with bulging eyes.
“If V can’t get to his sister, Zhul is convinced he will target his parents, even his estranged mother.”
Detective Kromlhen, who had observed the proceedings in silence, spoke up.
“Nhed Dervhen confessed to a crime. He will be arrested and taken into custody at the Xelhen Police Department.”
“That’s too big a risk,” Ghan said. “V has a long reach. If he is indeed going to target Nhed Dervhen, he will get him inside the prison, like he did Dr. Lurphin last year.”
I nodded.
“Detective Gravhin allowed us to keep all other suspects and witnesses in the compound’s brig for their own safety,” I said. “He should be here shortly.”
“That would be an acceptable compromise,” Kromlhen said.
“Then that’s settled,” Ghan said, rising to his feet.
My eyes connected with Lelah Dervhen’s as I got up.
“My brother is not the enemy,” Lelah said. “He cares for Valena and she cares for him. Whatever you may think of him, he trusts you above all others. Both their lives rest in your hands. Please bring them back.”
Easier said than done. At least we knew Valena still lived. It didn’t lessen the horror of the senseless death of all the other females, but at this point, any small victory was welcomed. Amalia could use some good news. However, we were also dead in the water, with absolutely no lead on where either Valena or Zhul could be right now.
I nodded to Lelah, her father, and their lawyers before walking out, Ghan shadowing me.
CHAPTER 16
Valena
They didn’t bother covering our eyes or removing my visual aids. I was both grateful and distraught by this. It was a relief to see where they were taking us, but the anger, hatred, and betrayal in Zhul’s eyes cut me to the core. The blame rested entirely with me. I should have told him. Whatever excuses I could conjure up to justify my delay all sounded hollow, even to my own ears. Trust was a big thing to Zhul. I’d not only betrayed his trust, but I’d stomped all over it.
I need to fix this.
Except we had bigger problems.
I cast a furtive glance in his direction. Zhul’s face showed the early signs of bruising. Blood trickled from his brow into his swollen right eye. Though he kept a stern face, the slight wheezing sound of his breathing indicated his injuries were more serious than he was letting on.
After they’d dragged us out of the house, Zhul wouldn’t speak to me. He wouldn’t even look at me. The only words from him were to mind my own damn business when I asked one of our captors to look at his wounds.
We flew for a long time – over three hours by my estimate. I didn’t know the area but believed we had left the Xelhen District. As we weren’t heading towards Capital District, I could only assume we were now either in Xelhon or Xelhin.
Up ahead, thick vines and overgrown grass nearly swallowed a large mansion near an abandoned ryspak orchard. Such sights were commonplace with so much land still Tainted. To my surprise, instead of flying up to the mansion, we landed at least a quarter of a mile from it. The small clearing in the orchard would be easily missed unless you knew where to look. The landing was a tight fit, but nothing a reasonably skilled pilot couldn’t handle.
The Guldans led us out of the shuttle. A plate covered in dirt and tall weeds slid open between two tall trees, revealing another plate. We stood atop it and the floor seemed to drop beneath me, making my stomach lurch as we began our descent. The speed made me lose my balance. My hand flew out to grab the first thing in range. I hated that it was a Guldan’s arm and that he helped steady me. But I hated even more the look of contempt on Zhul’s face as he watched us. While the lift raced us down into the bowels of the ryspak orchard, the top plate closed above our heads, blocking out the sun. The metal wall panels took on a soft glow, allowing us to see. Although we traveled what seemed like at least half a mile underground, it was a swift ride down.
The lift stopped. One wall opened onto a long corridor with gleaming white walls. This wasn’t some rundown dungeon. It was a state-of-the-art facility. We walked in the general direction of the abandoned estate we had seen topside, but the underground facility started much closer. I didn’t know whether it ran all the way to the estate or if the
latter only served as a landmark. It would make sense not to have an entrance through the house, though, as they would naturally look for one in case of a raid.
We encountered a number of sealed doors along the way – each obviously designed to slow down an intruder or raid. My mouth filled with a sour taste as we cleared the last sealed door and entered the main area of the facility. The layout was sickeningly familiar; a medical lab similar to the one from the breeding compound where I grew up. Only the color of the materials differed. On the compound, everything in the lab, from the walls to counters and flooring, had either been white or a light shade of blue, with silver-colored equipment. Here, everything was varying shades of gray.
If the layout of this place matched the one from the compound, Varrek’s office would lie beyond the door straight in front of us. Next to it, there would be a guard room, followed by the staff room. Then a series of labs, examination rooms, and operating theater would precede the holding area. In the compound, the females shared a dorm. A series of small individual bedrooms lined the wall opposite the dorm room for females to be bred by their paired Korletheans. Between those two sleeping areas, a communal recreation room faced the cafeteria.
I would find out soon enough if my assumptions were accurate. Right now, though, I had to deal with the issues at hand.
My first suspicion was confirmed when the door ahead opened onto Varrek’s office. He walked out, shadowed by Whil Dervhen. He had left ahead while the Guldans handled us and the corpses of their comrades. Zhul made a growling sound upon seeing his cousin. The Guldan guards moved closer to Zhul, no doubt to keep him in check. The look of pure hatred etched on his face as he glared at Whil made me shudder. Unfazed, his cousin smirked with an air of superiority.
Varrek, however, didn’t seem amused.
“What happened to him?” Varrek asked in an excessively soft voice.
Oblivious of the storm brewing, Whil’s smirk broadened into a smug grin.
“He wouldn’t cooperate, so I taught him a lesson.”
Varrek’s obsidian eyes leveled an unreadable stare on Whil. Although it wasn’t threatening per se, Whil’s smile faded, sensing things weren’t quite right. It suddenly dawned on me that I was truly seeing Varrek for the first time. I had gotten glimpses of his appearance from my occasional contact with the guards. But it had never been a true enough contact to get a clear image of him.
It disturbed me to realize he was oddly attractive.
From his mother, Varrek had inherited the Xelixian light gray skin, a subdued version of the crihnin, and enlarged green irises. From his father, a pair of beautiful ebony horns protruded above his brow, arcing over his head with the tips perking back up. Their dark color stood in stark contrast to his shoulder-length silver-white hair. His thin lips had a strangely soft curve to them, nothing like the hard line I’d expected. The skintight white shirt he wore outlined a chest far more muscular than I had imagined.
“The next time I tell you to bring me someone and you damage him like this, I will skin you alive.”
The quiet, matter-of-fact way he spoke the words made it even creepier. Whil swallowed hard but didn’t reply. Varrek’s dark eyes connected with mine and his lips stretched in a slightly mocking smile.
“Like what you see, pet?”
I felt my face heat at being caught ogling him. It was all the more embarrassing that I couldn’t deny he was attractive, though I felt no attraction towards him. Zhul snorted but otherwise kept his peace.
“Don’t be jealous, Zhul.” Varrek’s smile was genuinely amused. “I’m sure her affection for you runs deeper than it does for me.”
“You’re welcome to her,” Zhul said through his teeth.
Although his reply didn’t surprise me, it hurt. Granted, I’d fucked up pretty badly, but we were mated now. Surely he would give us a chance to work things out?
Varrek raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Trouble in paradise? You must have cared to give my pet her sight back. And that certainly earned you her eternal gratitude.”
My hand flew to the discreet visual aid by my ear and my eyes widened in fear. For a brief moment, I kicked myself for not hiding the two halves of the device with my hair. But of course, they would be discovered regardless.
Varrek chuckled. “Do not fret, pet. I won’t take them away. Now that the Blood Houses are history, your ability to see is no longer an issue. Plus, the visual aids don’t enable your secondary mind-control ability.”
Zhul exhaled sharply, his eyes staring at me, disbelieving.
“Another one?” he asked.
I bit my lip and lowered my eyes. The hurt and betrayal in his eyes cut me deeply.
“I only have one now,” I whispered. “Gruuk took away the other ability many years ago.”
Zhul shook his head and looked away as if he couldn’t bear the sight of me anymore. My eyes prickled. I blinked and lifted my chin, refusing to show my vulnerability to Varrek.
“Did my pet keep secrets from you then?” Varrek said, clearly enjoying our conflict.
“Zhul found out when your mercs warned me not to let her touch me,” Whil said, smiling again.
Varrek gave me a speculative glance.
“Good girl. You will have to tell me all the wonders you’ve gathered from his mind during your stay with him.”
I wrapped my arms around my midsection, hugging myself.
Zhul clenched his jaw and fisted his hands. “You two-faced bitch…”
“It wasn’t like that,” I pleaded.
“I don’t want to hear another word from you.”
“Now, now, children,” Varrek said, “play nice with each other. You’ll have to forgive my pet for not knowing she shouldn’t keep secrets from her chosen mate.”
“She’s not my mate.”
That stabbing pain through my chest made it hard to breathe. How could he say that? We exchanged vows. I looked at him, not caring that my pain was plain for the whole world to see. He held my gaze, his was cold and unwavering.
“Really?” Varrek said, closing the distance between us.
My back stiffened as he leaned close to me.
“I can smell her on you. And your scent is all over her. There’s no question you two are mated.”
“I fucked her a few times,” Zhul said, his tone deliberately cruel. “That doesn’t mean we’re mated.”
I couldn’t hold back the tears pooling in my eyes. Lifting my chin, I stared straight ahead, ignoring Whil’s calculating stare and Varrek’s amused gaze.
“Ouch,” Varrek said. “I knew you to be ruthless, but never thought it would be this much.” He gave me a once-over before looking back at Zhul. “For her sake, I hope you have it in you to fuck her some more.”
“And why is that? What do you want from me?” Zhul asked, then gestured at the room. “Why am I here?”
“I told my pet to choose her mate. You appear to be the winner.”
Zhul gave me a contemptuous glance. “Thanks, but I’ll pass on that one.”
“I’ll gladly take on that duty,” Whil said. “You promised me access to the females.”
He took a couple of steps towards me. Lips pursed, he undressed me with his eyes. His lecherous expression made my skin crawl. I instinctively took a step back and looked to Zhul for… protection? But his eyes were on his cousin. The stern expression on his face revealed little of his thoughts. However, the nervous tick of a muscle at his temple gave me hope it was simmering anger at the thought of his cousin having me.
“The females, yes, but not Valena,” Varrek said, studying my face.
Whil’s head snapped towards him, his features twisted with anger. “You’ve killed the other females!”
“I killed no one,” Varrek responded, impassive. “My mother eliminated the ‘evidence’ to protect her clients without my consent. She will answer for it. If Praghan dies, I will kill her myself.”
He would do it, too, without hesitation. Guldans never made idle threats. With them,
you always knew where you stood. A deal was a deal. So was a promise or threat.
“Why would you care what happens to the General?” Zhul asked.
“Who gives a shit about the General?” Whil interrupted. “I want what was promised to me. You have no other females.” He pointed a finger towards me. “I want a Veredian.”
He crowded me and one of the two Guldan guards gave Whil a warning look. My pulse raced, wondering what Varrek would do. He didn’t take too kindly to people trying to dictate his actions. But he also honored his word.
“Make me repeat myself again,” Varrek said, “and you won’t like how I go about it. You want a Veredian? Get the embargo lifted. You are not what I need.” He pointed at Zhul with his chin. “He is.”
“She can cure me!” Whil insisted.
“Maybe, but it’s unlikely. The Xelixian-Veredian matings in the breeding compounds have all failed to reproduce what Amalia has done for her mates.”
Varrek’s gaze slowly roamed over Zhul, an appreciative spark in his eyes. My master exclusively liked males, and I didn’t like his personal interest in Zhul one bit.
“Like Amalia’s mates, Zhul has the one thing you and all the other males we tested are lacking – he’s a Geminate. This might be the key to the mystery.”
“But…”
“Enough.” Varrek leveled Whil with a bone-chilling stare. “Valena isn’t for you. Return to your home and prepare for your new Council duties. The President of the Council and the Capital District Police Department have conveniently received incriminating evidence about your cousin. With Zhul ‘missing’ and soon to be under investigation for treason, mass murder, and sexual slavery, the Dervhen seat will require a new Councilor. Once you are, see that you get that embargo lifted.”
“I’m going to kill you,” Zhul breathed out.
Varrek’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“You’re welcome to try. Just be ready to deal with your punishment once you fail.”
