by Cara Lake
“So, my duality partner is Dark?”
“Yep. But I won’t make jokes about the dark side, Luc. I know your dad was Earthani and not Darth Vader.”
“Very funny.”
Tani smiled sympathetically at Luc. “You know, at least we know who to look for now. And Dark—it’s not as bad as…” Her voice trailed off as Tani remembered what was to come. Cassi knew what she was feeling and let her know it with a squeeze of the hand. “Tani, this Hate, whoever he is, whatever he is, the Eunomi will protect you.” Tani knew that was true. She had faith in her Eunomi kin. It was more that when it came to fate and destiny, Tani wasn’t sure she would be able to protect herself.
Chapter Two
Destiny
Three days after meeting Luc and Cassi on Earth, Tanith Laska closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. One more step was all she needed to take. One more step toward the destiny that had shrouded her existence since the day she was born. Opening her eyes to the shimmering frosted ripples of the starportal vortex, she took that step, emerging in the bright sunshine of the planet Ophiuchus. Tanith could only pray to Gaia that everything would go as planned. Now that she was actually here the reality of her mission settled heavily on her chest, a pressure from which there was no escape.
Exiting the Rasal Gate starportal, Tanith made her way into the crowded streets of Serpens accompanied by two burly guards, both shedu, a common species of saevici, shapeshifters able to morph from their regular beast form to an Earthani-like alternative. The general population would automatically steer clear of a shedu; even in their Earthani form, they were intimidating with their shaved heads and eyes that flashed yellow. However, Tanith was not the type to be intimidated by size or aspect and was grateful for the protection provided by her hostess as they escorted her through the streets to the home of her benefactress.
The planet Ophiuchus was a dangerous place for anyone with a heartbeat and females in particular, the streets of its capital Serpens rife with thieves, murderers and skin traders. The skin trade in both male and female flesh on Ophiuchus was a well-established atrocity the rest of the universe could do little about. But as a member of the Eunomi Alliance, specifically one of their elite warriors, Tanith was even more vulnerable should her occupation be discovered, the Alliance being the sworn enemies of those who engaged in that trade.
Skilled warriors like Tanith were the fighting arm of the Eunomi Alliance and although their main focus was maintaining equilibrium for The Balance, another part of their mandate included policing the many illegal and nefarious activities undertaken by Discordants in their attempt to incite disorder and chaos.
On Ophiuchus the Eunomi were unable do much other than monitor the skin traders’ activities and throw the occasional spanner in the works from time to time, as this particular planet was strongly aligned to the Discordant cause. The warloki, beings who harnessed dark magick, and other Discordant sympathizers who occupied most of Ophiuchus were a bloodthirsty savage breed. These territorial warlords ruled through brutality and intimidation, their support of the Discordants a continuing thorn in the side of the Concordia, the Eunomi council.
Tanith had, in the past, been instrumental in helping destroy various skin traders and knew well the horrors that could befall the weak and powerless on this particular planet. She needed to keep a low profile. Her presence here was more important for her mission than the need to crush the skin trade.
Outwardly at least, Ophiuchi society appeared civilized, the rich aristocrats hiding their cruelty beneath a thin curtain of protocol and etiquette but as Tanith knew well, this was a fabricated veil of lies. Only the strong and powerful prospered on Ophiuchus. The majority of the population were oppressed, slaves to the whims of their masters. They were expendable, their labor exploited, their freedom stifled and those unlucky enough to be born workers or slaves had much shorter life expectancies and little hope of a way out.
Tani’s path into Ophiuchi society had been organized through Borealis, a Eunomi commander she knew well. He had access to a network of informants all over the galaxy whom he paid well for the information they gave, knowing that if discovered it would not mean just death but excruciating agony, then death, if they were lucky.
Unfortunately these informants were often happy to be paid by both sides. Tanith could only hope that Borealis’s informant had been paid enough by him to not consider a double-cross. She would have to tread carefully.
The cover story was that she, Tanith Laska, was as an old school friend to Morana D’Ath, a wealthy female aristocrat who held property in Serpens, the major city on Ophiuchus and the probable location of the man Tani was searching for. Morana supposedly had information regarding a male who was a possible Esseni and most likely the individual Tanith had been seeking all her life. Once bonded, a pairing such as this working together in balance would help ensure the continuation of order and stability in the universe. If they did not bond—then chaos would reign.
Unfortunately Esseni were notoriously difficult to find. Potential Esseni existed all over the universe but only manifested if they came into contact with their other half and that usually only happened every eight hundred years during the time of Realignment. Many potential Esseni, particularly if they were Earthani, and therefore in complete ignorance of the existence of other life forms in the universe, would never know what they were or had the potential to be. But Tani’s family had a history of Esseni potentials. A distant cousin, Carita, was the last of her family to house an essence eight hundred years ago.
Carita’s story had taught Tani many valuable lessons and was the probable source of her nightmares. Carita had been betrayed by her partner duality who had pretended to care for her, then given her up to the Discordants, having been seduced by their offers of power and wealth. Somehow Carita had escaped but had been so broken she had taken refuge on Earth, too ashamed of her failure to return to Lyra. She had survived on Earth for hundreds of years and had even borne a son only to die tragically at Discordant hands. Long before this, due to the lack of a bond at the last Realignment, the essence she held had faded from her body and passed into the ether. It had probably passed through many potentials until it resurfaced again in her family when Tani was born. She had inherited the essence and Carita’s failure was hers to redeem. Her family honor demanded it.
The shame of Carita’s failure had been an acid growth in her family for the last eight hundred years, the weight of it heaped on her shoulders, the lessons drummed into her insistently by her father. Tani could not understand this shame. Carita had been betrayed—surely the betrayer was the guilty party here. Hate. The personification of hate had lived up to his name and betrayed a woman who would have given him everything. He would also be dead now. Although many species in the galaxy had long life spans, only Esseni who fully bonded could be essentially immortal, their bond tying them to The Balance and keeping their life-force infinite.
So the current Esseni of hate was an unknown. An enigma. A mystery. One thing Tani did know however. Any signs of betrayal and she would have no option but to kill him.
Startled out of her musings, Tani realized the shedu had stopped and were ushering her through a gate toward the entrance of a large townhouse. The impressive double doors flew open and Tani was greeted by the whirlwind that was Morana D’Ath. Bracelets jangling, Morana drew her into an embrace that proclaimed Tani as an old friend or long-lost sister. “Darling Tanith, It’s been so long! I’m so happy you were able to come,” she cooed, hugging her even more tightly. “Follow my lead.” She leaned in closer, whispering the words of caution in Tani’s ear. Drawing back, Morana met Tani’s eyes and acknowledged her understanding, then she kissed both her cheeks and gushed some more. “We are going to have so much fun. Your father wants you to find a rich husband and let me tell you there are plenty here if you don’t mind a few wrinkles!”
“It’s wonderful to see you after so long. I can’t wait to meet those eligible men you were telling me about,�
�� Tani replied, trying to sound excited at the prospect. It was important the servants around them believed the cover story. There were too many Discordant sympathizers in Serpens and plenty of avaricious warlords who would love to get their hands on a potential Esseni. The reward money alone would fill their coffers to the brim and the added prestige would be a bonus.
“Let’s get you settled in and then we can make some plans.” Morana took her hand and led Tani up the opulent winding staircase and into a first-floor bedroom. Everything about the house screamed wealth. The glittering marble floors and walls, the lavish furnishings with gold and jewels decorating various pieces of furniture, all proclaimed that Morana was a member of the upper echelons of Serpens society.
Tani wondered how she made her money. She knew Morana freely sold information to the Eunomi and it was probable that she also provided a similar service to the Discordants. Borealis had assured her Morana would not want to lose the Eunomi Alliance as clients by selling her out to their enemies, but he had cautioned her to watch her back. He had given Morana only the bare bones of Tani’s mission—that she was seeking an Esseni potential, but he hadn’t told her that Tani was also an Esseni and that it was her partner duality she was looking for. They couldn’t afford for the Discordants to get their hands on a pair. That would be fatal.
Recently the Discordants had almost secured the duality of War and Peace. Luckily for the Eunomi, both had resisted the lure of the Discordants and fought for their freedom, escaping and bonding as a couple to ensure War and Peace in the galaxy were stabilized. Tani had been part of that mission and it had served to strengthen her determination to maintain The Balance she was duty bound to protect.
To help ensure Tani’s safety, Tegid, a powerful wiccani sorcerer, had placed a shielding spell over her Esseni signature, hoping to mask her essence from the enemy. As added protection she also wore a bracelet made from the shell of a chemosh, which Cassi had claimed would also help to block out her signature. Unless the Discordants were actively scanning her for her signature, she believed she would be safe.
They entered the room and Morana turned to Tani. “How do you like your room?”
“It’s beautiful.” Tani surveyed the luxurious space. A large four-poster bed was the central feature, a sensuous dream of gold satin and silk sheets surrounded by sheer ruby drapes threaded with silver and gold beads. The whole room was awash with velvet and silk fabrics, the furniture hand-carved mahogany.
At the far end a huge window opened onto a balcony overlooking a lush courtyard garden. Tani felt the bile rise in her throat but tamped it down for the sake of the mission. She needed Morana on her side and therefore could not afford to offend, even though it angered her that so much wealth could belong to one person while poverty was rife in Serpens. She also knew Morana kept slaves, which angered her even more. How anyone could think they had a right to treat others as property was beyond her.
Tani swung around to face Morana, a fake smile plastered across her mouth in an effort not to blurt out a comment that might cause offense. Morana, although beautiful and angelic in appearance, was probably a heartless bitch. She would have to be ruthless in order to have gained such a position of power in this rabid society but even so, gazing at her gorgeous exterior, Tani found it hard to believe there was nothing underneath but greed and selfishness.
Her hostess was a tall female, at least six foot, making her taller than Tani by a good couple of inches. This was unnerving to say the least, as being tall herself, Tani was unused to feeling intimidated by other women. Morana had a heart-shaped face and flawless mocha skin. Her hair appeared dark but as Tani drew closer she caught glimpses of copper and blonde mixed in with the chocolate strands. It was arranged in a bizarre coil, pulled back from her face and twisted around some kind of ornate tiara studded with blue sapphires and other gemstones.
Beneath dark arching brows, Morana’s turquoise slanting eyes flashed with suspicion so that Tani could almost believe she had some inner knowledge of her thoughts. She definitely had warloki powers and it was possible she was psychic but Tani had learned to shield her thoughts, a skill taught to all Eunomi warriors, so she would have felt any intrusion into her mind if Morana was indeed trying to scan her.
“Well, Tanith Laska,” Morana said as she draped herself across the velvet sofa at the foot of the bed. “I do hope your stay here is productive and enjoyable. I will be happy to ensure that your stay brings you much pleasure.” Lifting her red lips at the corners into a seductive grin, Morana ran her tongue along the seam suggestively. She was obviously an accomplished flirt. Her lips parted to reveal two sharp canine fangs and Tani realized that her host was also sanguini, a blood-drinker. Had Borealis known? Not that it worried her too much. One of her best friends was a sanguini healer, but on Lyra most sanguini drank only the blood of lovers or willing volunteers.
On Ophiuchus however, she knew the sanguini were less restrained in their appetites and much more like the Earthani legends of bloodthirsty vampires like Dracula. It had always made Tani laugh that her sanguini friend Ziad was closely related to Drakulus, the sanguini who was directly responsible for spreading those vampire tales on Earth. He had been a sanguini to avoid at dinner parties.
Tani was confident she could fight off any attempts by Morana to drink her blood. It wasn’t that possibility that concerned her. Morana was eyeing her as if she were the next treat in the candy jar and she swore if she came out of this alive she was giving Borealis hell for not warning her that Morana batted for the other team. “I’m sure I will love it,” Tani replied, walking to open the balcony doors. “Can you tell me about this potential Esseni and when we can meet him?”
“I would much rather talk about you,” purred Morana, pursuing her original point. “You are very…delectable.”
Tani sighed, took a deep breath and turned to face her, arching a brow. “You know why I am here, Morana. I don’t have time for distractions.”
Morana pouted. “That’s a real shame. I could certainly introduce you to a great many people who would love your company. Red hair and amethyst eyes are an unusual combination.” She was standing in front of Tani now, playing with a strand of her red hair, rolling it around in her fingers.
Tani withdrew toward the balcony, removing the strand from Morana’s grasp. “How can I put this without offending you?” she said. “I’m not interested in anything other than identifying and extracting the Esseni potential. I’m here on business.”
“All work and no play will make Tani a very dull girl,” laughed Morana. “Have it your way, Tanith Laska, but you will find Serpens a city of many pleasures and they are hard to resist. I am willing to bet that you will partake in some of those activities before you leave us.”
“I’m willing to bet I won’t,” Tani countered. “I have great self-control.” And wasn’t that the truth. It would have shocked many of her friends back on Lyra to know Tani was still a virgin. She had a reputation for being flirty and fun and she had certainly kissed many men, enjoying what they had to offer but only to a point. Her enjoyment of males had always been tempered by that knowledge that she was destined for one man. Each kiss she experienced, even if sweet at first, had only left a bitter taste in her mouth, for what was the point of having a more intimate relationship with a man when she knew it would never be permanent?
Her destiny was to find Hate and to be with him. Or at least to try to be with him. If he would have her. And that rankled too. She had been brought up to do her duty and she would accept whoever he turned out to be. But would he accept her? And what if he were some vile Ophichi warlord? Could she really go through with it? Could she really forget her Eunomi warrior vows and see the universe remain unbalanced and in chaos? Damn! He’d be lucky to have her. Whoever he was, he should be down on his knees with happiness and gratitude to the fates!
“Oh well,” said Morana, a touch wistfully. “I’d love to see you lose that control. What is it about you Eunomi that makes you so stubbor
n and honorable?” There was a hint of regret in her tone that made Tani wonder if there wasn’t more to Morana than the pleasure-seeking, hedonistic façade she projected. “Going back to your original question,” Morana continued, “Lord Phenex and his mistress are throwing a party tomorrow night. All of Serpens’s rich and mighty will attend, including your Esseni potential.”
“So he is one of the rich and mighty?”
“Oh yes. He has connections in high places and runs an export business that is highly lucrative.”
So he was more of a businessman than a warlord. That calmed Tani’s misgivings somewhat. “And his name?”
“Lorcan—Lorcan Rodach.”
Chapter Three
Anticipation
Anticipation was burning at a fever pitch and had been all day. Tonight was the night. Everything she had worked for, trained for, prepared for. Her whole life had been a prelude to this night. Just kill me now. To say she was scared would be an understatement. Tani was terrified, her father’s words echoing in her head. Duty and honor, Tani, the mantle has passed to you. For the sake of our family honor you must fulfill your duty.
Tani tried to relax but her whole body was shaking. She stood on the balcony, breathing in deeply, trying to grasp some semblance of calm. The air was crisp, a slight chill pervading the atmosphere. Serpens lay beneath her. Morana’s house was built high up in the hills, where the privileged few had created a secure enclave away from the riffraff. In the distance Tani could plainly see the ghetto areas of the city, the vast trawl of dirty decaying alleyways where the poor dwelt like rats in a rubbish dump. Poverty was their only crime.
