by Reagan Woods
While Zocan and Kiev spoke of communication channels, transmission schedules, coded messages and other logistical concerns, Lyon decided to check the monitors one more time. He tugged Nora with him as he crossed to a nearby workstation and began paging through the data.
“He’s going to be cross with you,” Lyon murmured as he checked each system. Something was scratching away at the surface of his consciousness, and it was making him uneasy. “But it is only because he needs you to trust him to make the right choices.”
“Of course, I trust him,” Nora whispered back, her sweet body a warm weight against his side. “It’s myself I don’t always trust.”
“You have to stop that,” Lyon told her. “I love you. I know your heart is good, and that you worry you will cause others to suffer as you have suffered if you aren’t careful; however, we are more effective if we always present a united front. In all things.”
“You’re right,” she muttered. “I’m such an idiot. I make him look weak if I’m weak. I-it’s just that this whole thing is new to me. I’m not used to thinking quite so…universally.”
“You’re not an idiot.” He dropped a kiss on top of her silky dark hair.
He checked the communications relay system hopeful for some word from the colony. His spirits rose when he saw there was a file in queue that hadn’t been there before. He sent it to text mode and watched the message roll across his screen.
“I have a message from Ssszit here,” he called out. “Kiev and Corey have to go and now.”
Nora, reading over his shoulder gave a distressed cry. “Vaya con Dios,” she murmured, rushing over to pull Corey into a fierce hug. “Go with God, friend. I didn’t mean to insult you or yours. I’m very new to all this.”
Corey’s smile was serene as she returned Nora’s hug. “I don’t know what I would feel or think in your shoes. I’m certainly not in any position to judge. I hope we will meet again under more auspicious circumstances.”
Kiev swept Corey into his lower arms.
“Goodbye, Nora. It’s been interesting.” He extended his upper right hand to her.
Hesitantly, Nora shook it. “It has, War Lord Kiev. Be safe.”
“I’ll see you to the ship,” Lyon followed Kiev down the ladder. Before his mates were out of sight, he told Zocan, “Play the message and dupe it to the tetraglide so Corey and Kiev have it.”
He heard the stranger’s voice begin the audio message as he raced to catch Kiev.
“My name is Ilana. I obtained directions for this coded address from the Tixerian Ssszit. He says you – that is plural, I’m told – must move now. Part ways. Hesitate no longer.”
Chapter 60
The day had started off so well, Nora reflected. Now, the weight of what was happening felt heavy on her shoulders. With Lyon and Zocan, she’d listened to Ilana’s message several times. She still couldn’t believe it.
“At our fastest speed, we are weeks away from Opu,” Lyon murmured into the hair at her temple.
She wished Zocan could be here with them, too, but someone had to watch the bridge he said. So, Nora and Lyon were curled on the big bed in their quarters trying to rest after so much emotional drama.
With her head pillowed on Lyon’s arm, it was easy to turn to him, to pull him into a kiss. She wanted to forget the desperately calm message from the alien woman for a little while.
Reading her mood, Lyon obliged. His thick fingers curled around her upper arm, and he tugged so she rolled on top of his big body.
The kiss that had started as a cool balm soon morphed into a raging inferno of need. His and hers. Nora broke the kiss and pushed up to strip off her tunic top. Free, her breasts bounced as she wriggled from side to side, pulling her legs from her pants, too.
“Mmm,” Lyon made appreciative noises as he reared up to latch on to one enticing nipple.
Nora sucked in a sharp breath and wooshed it out as he set about driving her insane with his teeth and tongue. He flipped so she lay naked beneath him and began a painstaking journey down her body. Every inch of skin, every mole, every dip and curve received his undivided attention.
By the time he arrived at the thatch of curls between her legs, she was more than ready.
“Lyon, please!” Nora wiggled and cried out her desperate need to be filled. She was so ready, but he didn’t waver from his intended path.
“I’ve been craving your taste for days,” he reminded her with an evil chuckle. “Now you’re going to sit back and enjoy while I sate my need for you.”
He parted her glistening folds with the fingers of one hand, eyes intent on her intimate flesh. Nora shifted restlessly.
“What are you doing?” She finally demanded, the fire of embarrassment crawling over her body.
Lyon’s pale, yellow eyes lifted to hers. “I’m admiring my mate’s beauty,” he responded, his face tight with need. “You’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. Every part of you. I am so lucky to have found you, Nora.”
Pushing her shyness aside, she slid her hands into his short blonde hair, savoring the texture and the intimacy. “I think we all know I’m the lucky one.”
He chuckled, his mouth sliding closer to her waiting body. “Wait. It only gets better.”
And he was right. With slow, tender strokes and deep, intimate kisses he brought her to the brink of orgasm and gently pushed her over. He was patient and persistent, working her up again and again. When she lay there, her body wrung out like a rag, he rose above her and kneed her legs apart.
His firm mouth pressed to hers and she tasted herself on his tongue as he dove deep to stir her once more. “Do you want me, now, Nora?” The husky lust in his voice made her whole body clench.
Unable to resist the lure of his thick muscles, the way his body rippled and glistened in the light, Nora ran her fingers over his arms and settled her hands on his shoulders. She looked him straight in the eye. “I always want you, Lyon.”
He was thicker than Zocan, so it took time for him to work his way into her body. It was time he seemed to relish as he pushed forward only to pause for kisses and caresses before claiming another inch. To Nora, it felt like she was the center of his world. Time didn’t have meaning when he looked at her like this with love so bright in his eyes. The sweet words he murmured, the patient, loving caresses elevated the experience to a new level.
“God, I love you, Lyon,” she breathed as he finally seated himself deep within her. Her hips flexed up in response to his gentle thrust.
“Mmmm,” he groaned. “I love you, Nora.”
They made slow, sweet love. When the stars burst behind her eyes, she fell back, panting as the exhausted pleasure took her over.
Lyon pulled the coverlet over them and she snuggled into his arms. He sighed and it was a little wistful.
“You miss Zocan,” she stated softly. “You wish he could be here with us.”
“Our trinepact is stronger together,” he agreed sleepily. “But someone must man the ship. It’s too dangerous to rely on auto pilot.”
Nora turned in his arms as an idea struck. “Why don’t we at least put a bed – er – sleep surface up there so we can all be together? Just temporarily. No one else is on the ship, so what does it matter if we sleep here or there?”
Lyon smiled that wide, white smile she’d come to love. “You’re very clever, my Nora. I think Zocan and I can make that happen.” He frowned and pushed up onto his hands. “Where did I store that hover cart?”
Nora’s eyes widened as she sat up. For warmth more than modesty, she clutched the quilt to her chest as she eyed him. “You’re going to do it now?”
“When you have a good idea, it’s best to act swiftly,” he agreed. He dropped a quick kiss on her mouth and hopped out of bed. His shipsuit seemed to melt into place over his body when he stepped into it.
“I’ve got to get one of those,” she muttered.
His eyes lit. “You’d look very fine in a shipsuit,” he agreed. “And it would be so ea
sy to get it off of you.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “Yeah. That’s what I was thinking.”
He chuckled. “I’ll be back. Don’t move.”
Later, when Nora curled up on the mattress they’d moved beneath the jump seats on the bridge, she gave a sigh of satisfaction. With Lyon at her back and her head pillowed on Zocan’s shoulder, she settled down to get a few hours of sleep.
Even with contentment rushing through her body, she still heard the tinny echo of Ilana’s voice.
The message I send now is for posterity. I must believe that someone will hear this and know the truth. I risked much to get here, to this hidden equipment. I fear my absence will be noticed this time because my death has arrived.
Ssszit assures me this will mean my life can continue, but I know the assassin. I’ve seen his work before. And I know I’m his target, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
I am the daughter of the late Councilor D’mari of Doranos Prime. My mother and I petitioned to Join House C’theri after father’s death. Shortly after we were accepted, I was recruited by Councilors Tegas and Darkan to run intelligence on House C’theri’s possible illegal dealings with Emperor Hash-Han
I’ll never know if Tegas and Darkan use Jorkan C’theri or if he used them, but the three have now planned and executed a coup with the help of Emperor Hash-Han and his War Lords. Jorkan convinced his father to send me to Opu eight cycles ago. At the time, I believed House C’theri had hired a Novink assassin to kill my father, and so embraced the move. I no longer know if that was true, but it was an effective tactic for Tegas to use on me.
My mission here was to observe and report on the comings and goings at the Governor’s palace here on Opu. In alerting the Council to Jorkan’s arrival and the arrival of a great many Earthers, I sealed my own death.
The assassin is here on Opu. Ssszit claims he will not kill me once he hears my story, but I do not believe that for a moment. Jorkan isn’t the only one who can reverse engineer technology to get information.
The assassin is the Warrior Skylan. He is as loyal to Commander Vank as Vank is to General Darvan. I must assume, then, that Darvan and the D’Corians have chosen to give over their rivals to Hash-Han and form a new alliance with the VENTIX Empire.
Ssszit holds out hope that you can get here in time. For what, I am unsure.
I hear the perimeter alarms now. I’m sorry that I won’t be here to greet you upon your arrival. Best wishes for a safe journey. I am Ilana D’mari, signing out.
Heavy sadness threatened to smother Nora. Ilana had risked much to alert them, to carry the message for Ssszit. She’d risked even more to find out what had happened to her father. What had she gotten for it? She was probably dead.
Nora nestled closer to her mates, taking comfort in their solid warmth. No matter what happened, she would find a way to protect them from what was coming. They’d done so much for her.
She’d been ripped from her home, used, abused and scared witless. Lyon and Zocan had been icons of patience and understanding – even when they’d pissed her off. She wasn’t going to let a little thing like fear keep her from helping them to see this thing through.
They were stronger together, she had to believe that. Even if it seemed like a pipe dream, she and Lyon were with Zocan in his quest to lead all Lyarans to peace and safety. They were behind him when it came to making Hash-Han pay. No matter what happened, they were for the king.
Epilogue
Opu
The night was clear and balmy. The last of the four moons rode low on the horizon. Its waning light reflected dully off the gray stone road that led from the mountains back toward civilization. Deep jungle, the native habitat of the Novink, ringed the stone gardens of the governor’s palace.
A pale, half-naked Doranos female darted like an apparition through the foliage along the nearby path. The glistening white of her skin was out of place on a planet of blues, greens and grays, but she’d been using her canny brain to outwit those that would capture and punish her for many moons according to the reports. Now, four Novink, palace guards that had been tracking her movements, were closing in on her position.
Ssszit couldn’t wait any longer. All future success hinged on Ilana D’mari of Doranos Prime living – at least for a time. That wasn’t going to happen without some direct interference on his part.
“Do you see them?” His cousin, Sssvex’s, mental voice sounded in his head.
“I do,” Ssszit answered tensely.
Briefly, he regretted that Ilana’s survival was so vital. She was a soft-skin and she now knew the secret his people had worked for thousands of years to conceal. Tixerians were sentient, psychic beings not the mindless, automatons the rest of the universe believed them to be. They were more than just Hash-Han’s bugs. If she didn’t hold her silence, they were doomed.
But he needed Zocan and Lyon to bring their new mate in this direction if the factions were going to unite and rise against the oppressor. Ilana had been the ideal conduit since Hash-Han had his most powerful psychics in the system on alert for rogue activity. She had the equipment and the know-how to get the message out, but he’d had to reveal himself to her.
He was saved from further indecision by the guard who broke through the tree line in a blur of motion and tackled Ilana to the ground.
“Ooomph!” The delicate-looking female took the full-body hit without the expected screeching. “Get off of me, you brute!” She growled, low and fierce, as she grappled with the guard.
She was overpowered by the Novink, but it was clear he had to work to subdue her. He stood, his four arms full of spitting, livid female. “Your governor will have your head for this, you idiot!”
The other three guards converged on their unlucky comrade and his captured prey. One said, “I wonder why he assigned us to follow you, then?” The others laughed riotously as though the statement passed for wit among them.
One moon-white elbow broke free long enough to slam the Novink holding her in the jaw. There was a sickening crunch when she made contact.
His bellow of pain alerted Ssszit that things were about to go nova. The other three guards laughed as their brother twined a blue hand through Ilana’s long white hair and pulled. The slender column of her throat was exposed to his snapping teeth.
Suddenly, Sssvex slid into the tableau. His presence seemed to shake the War Lords out of their bloodlust.
“Calm down, R’vik,” one of the guards commanded. “You know what will happen to you if you bite her. There’s a bug here. We can send him for the governor now.”
Tears of pain leaked from the corner of Ilana’s eyes, but she didn’t flinch at the open hatred on her captor’s face. As she’d proven time and again, she was brave – if questionably sane.
R’vik brought his temper under control with a visible effort. Massive chest heaving, he nodded sharply at Sssvex. “Go to His Imminence. Tell him we have the star-skinned female and that she’s been very, very bad.”
Sssvex bowed and backed away, toward the palace. Mentally, he told Ssszit, “The assassin is hiding in the trees behind you. Do you sense him?”
“Go,” Ssszit dismissed Sssvex. “Tell the others the time is near. I will handle this.”
Ssszit pushed his claws out of their sheath and prepared to pounce. Novink were tricky to kill but the element of surprise was on his side. Silently, he slithered up behind the closest one and raked his claws across the thick, blue neck.
Using the moment of surprise, Ilana broke free of her captor’s hold and drew the knife at his belt. She raked it up his body and drove it under his ribcage neatly piercing his heart as she deflated his lung. It was a practiced kill that Ssszit didn’t have the time to admire. The other two guards were closing in on them now.
He ranged himself beside her and they turned, back-to-back, to face the oncoming threat.
“What’s this?” One guard asked, his tone indicating he didn’t know if he should be amused or angry. “A bug that needs
squashed?”
His partner gave a half-hearted laugh as he lunged at Ssszit. Ssszit drew him away, toward the thick foliage as he dodged the four grasping, punching arms. A hand seized on his arm, the crushing strength rattling his natural armor.
Here was far enough.
Ssszit went low, skidding across the stone to knock the top-heavy Novink’s legs out from under him. The Novink went crashing into the brush where Ssszit knew he would encounter the assassin. The guard was as good as dead.
Ssszit used his momentum to roll to his feet as he charged the guard that toyed with Ilana. He’d pulled a knife – make that three - to combat her one. She bled from several shallow cuts over her arms and torso, but to Ssszit’s surprise, the blue male sported several deep gashes himself.
“Stay back,” Ilana commanded, her voice shrill with warning. “He’s got a projectile weapon in his other hand.”
The moonlight was giving way to the full darkness that preceded the dawn. Ssszit saw the flash of muzzle fire from the shadows to his left. Blood and brain matter spattered the stone path in a wet, black shower.
Ilana was poised to run before the last drop splashed down.
“I, too, have a projectile weapon,” a cool voice carried through the deepening darkness. “And superior night vision. But you can test it if you like.”
She went still, her eyes flicking to Ssszit and away as Skylan emerged from the shadows. Her eyes went round as she took in her doom. “I must be very dangerous,” she said conversationally, recovering her moxie in admirable time. “For them to have sent you, Warrior Skylan.”
He strolled forward, a large Corian in black tactical gear. It was Ssszit’s first time seeing the Warrior in person. Here was the ruthless killer. Hopefully, Ilana could work her famous wiles on him and turn him to their side. If not, they were all doomed.
Ssszit could see that Skylan didn’t care for the fact that Ilana knew who he was, but he played it off well.
“Only the best to kill the traitor Jorkan’s scheming sister,” Skylan answered mockingly.
