by S. E. Smith
Ha’ven gave a brief nod. “Talk with Salvin. I trust him to keep the issue quiet,” Ha’ven replied. “I need to review a few things before Adalard and I leave in the morning for Valdier. A trap has been set for Raffvin. It is my understanding that things have changed that makes it likely we will soon eliminate another major leader in the rebellion.”
Melek drew in a deep breath and released it. “I will be glad when the rest have been brought to justice. I will work with Arrow to continue to uncover those here who are still working against the royal house.”
“Thank you,” Ha’ven said, turning to continue down the path.
“Ha’ven,” Melek called out quietly. Ha’ven turned and looked back at the dark shadow of his father. “Be careful. Your mother made me promise to tell you that.”
Ha’ven didn’t bother trying to stop the small grin that curved his lips as he looked back at the man who was fighting to find his place in his adult son’s life. He could see the concern, the pride and the worry. This was one reason why he wanted to avoid all serious relationships. He had enough to worry about without adding a female into the mix.
“Now, where is the fun in that?” Ha’ven replied with a chuckle as he turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Melek released a sigh and shook his head. “That is exactly what your mother said you would say,” he muttered before he turned back toward his own living quarters.
Chapter 2
Ha’ven maneuvered the transport ship through the thick clouds almost ten kilometers from the royal palace on Valdier. He had left Ceran-Pax several days before with Adalard as his only companion. Only a select few on the planet knew he and Adalard were arriving. He had made the decision after talking extensively with Creon Reykill. Both men had decided it would be prudent if as few people as possible knew of his and Adalard’s presence.
Normally, he preferred traveling alone when he could but Adalard had insisted on traveling with him. Ha’ven knew that his brother wanted to make sure for himself that Mandra had recovered from the wounds he had suffered while fighting Raffvin and his forces not long ago. His younger brother had taken a shine to the human woman Mandra Reykill had taken as his mate.
Personally, Ha’ven was beginning to think it best to avoid the species. When he had first heard about the females and had met Carmen, Creon’s mate, he had been curious. After all, it wasn’t often that he found himself hanging upside down from a female dragon’s tail or trapped under a pile of bodies with her sitting on top of him and taking a nice size slice of his hair as a prize. It was just the more he was around them the more he saw the pull they had on the other species and it worried him. He liked his freedom, and while he wouldn’t mind playing with one for a night or two, he had no desire to become entrapped by whatever spell they cast.
He honestly didn’t know what it was about them but every single one of the Reykill brothers had fallen for one of them. If what Creon told him the other night was true, it wasn’t just the female of the species either. Ha’ven had been shocked when Creon had informed him that his mother had been claimed by the father of the human female called Trisha. Ha’ven just hoped there weren’t any more of the species running around. If there were, he planned on avoiding them at all possible cost.
“I want to see how Ariel and Mandra are doing,” Adalard commented breaking into his reverie as he switched on the landing gears. “You should have seen Bahadur trying to sweet talk Ariel away from Mandra.”
“Bahadur?” Ha’ven repeated in surprise, looking at his brother in shock. “That cold bastard wanted Mandra’s human mate for himself?”
Adalard chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I think he is making plans to take a break when all this is over. He was fascinated by her and has been asking me to find out the location of her planet.”
What Adalard didn’t tell his older brother was that Ariel had mentioned a female back on her planet that she thought would be perfect for him as well. He wasn’t interested in anything permanent, like a life mate, but he wasn’t opposed to having a little fun. If this Samara that Ariel was talking about was half as interesting as Ariel, he wouldn’t mind meeting her and exploring the differences between her species and his own for a short period of time.
“Well, tell Bahadur no. I know I mentioned it might be interesting to play with one or two but I’ve changed my mind about wanting to meet any of them,” Ha’ven said with a shudder. “The last thing we need is a bunch of this human species on our planet. You’ve seen how fast they have brought the Valdier royals to their knees – literally. Creon told me his mate beat him up and Mandra’s knocked him out!”
Adalard’s husky laughter filled the cockpit of the transport at the thought of the tiny females beating up males over twice their size. He joked with Ha’ven about some of the other stories he heard from members of the crew traveling with Mandra. He related tales from Ariel’s collection of pets to his own observations of watching her beat up the traders in the bar on the Spaceport where they had picked him up.
Ha’ven listened with half an ear, wondering what had happened to the huge dragon shifters that could change them. From what Adalard was telling him and from the little that he had seen, there was definitely something about the species that played havoc with his friends and their symbiots.
Hell, even Vox had fallen head over heels for a human female the Antrox had! The damn cat-shifter was as deadly as any of them and known to like having his women hard and fast. The human female had his furry friend so mixed up the Sarafin King was practically chasing his own tail the last time he had talked to him!
“If that is not enough, now they have younglings to worry about,” Adalard was saying as he finished the landing procedure as Ha’ven guided them to a clearing just large enough for the transport. “I know they are worried Raffvin or those working with him might try to attack them.”
Ha’ven looked sharply at Adalard before he turned his attention back to the final approach. Hovering over the thick grass, he set the transport down in the center of the small meadow. He turned off the engines with a wave of his hands, pulling the swirling bands of energy back into his body. Another benefit of traveling in the transport was he could use his own energy to power it thus reducing the chance of a repeat of the other night.
“Creon told me of his daughters,” Ha’ven admitted. “I will do everything in my power to protect them and his mate.”
Adalard just nodded. He knew his own powers were considerable, but they paled in comparison to his older brother. Adalard and his twin had always looked up to Ha’ven who had protected them against Ben’qumain when they were still young and vulnerable. He had encouraged them to work together to develop the power held inside them. Since his captivity on the asteroid prison known as Hell, Ha’ven’s powers had grown until both he and Arrow worried about its effect on him.
“Ha’ven,” Adalard said turning to look at his older brother as he started to rise. “Are you alright? The other night I felt…” Adalard’s voice faded as he studied the huge male across from him.
Ha’ven saw the concern on his younger brother’s face. His eyes swept over the long scar marring Adalard’s cheek. His brother refused to have it removed, stating it reminded him of the dangers around him.
“I’m fine,” Ha’ven said with a short nod. “Let’s see what plans have been set up. Raffvin is not the only danger. We still have traitors of our own to deal with.”
Adalard nodded and stood up. He followed his brother down the corridor and out through the small hatch located under the belly of the spacecraft. Once Adalard was clear of the transport, Ha’ven pressed a button on the belt wrapped low around his hips. The transport shimmered for a moment before disappearing.
The Curizans used a combination of technology and ‘magic’ as some of the worlds called it. In reality, they were able to gather energy from the world around them and harness it within their bodies. Once there, they could manipulate it to do whatever they desired. Each Curizan was born with a diff
erent ability and level of control. Some used it for healing, some became better pilots, some better warriors. Those that ruled in the Royal House of Curizan could contain and manipulate it in ways beyond the limited abilities of most of the citizens of Ceran-Pax.
The Ha’darra family had ruled for centuries. Their power was boundless as Ha’ven was discovering. Never had the full extent of what they could do been explored as there had been a fear that, if unleashed, it could destroy not only the one who wielded it but the world itself. Ha’ven had always thought it was a myth passed down through the centuries to warn those that followed of the dangers of absolute power. After all, a dead man could not rule a dead planet. Now he knew the warnings were real. If he was unable to find a way of controlling the power building inside him soon, there would be no other choice but to eliminate the threat to his world.
“Ha’ven, are you ready?” Adalard asked touching his arm. “The transporter room is ready when you are.”
“Give them the go,” Ha’ven said as he jerked and muttered a low curse as he realized that Adalard was still looking at him with concern.
Seconds later, he and Adalard were in the central transport room inside the palace. If he had been on one of the larger Curizan warships, he would have just materialized down to the room but there was no way they could leave the transport in space uninhabited. It contained new technology that he and Adalard had recently developed. The small yet sleek transport was perfect for missions like this. It was designed so a small crew of two or three could travel for months in it quite comfortably if necessary or for stealth missions like this one. They had designed it to work specifically with the power they could manipulate. The weapons, navigation and shields were enhanced as they fed their powers directly into it.
He mostly used the transport for short trips such as this, preferring to travel alone when possible. At first he planned to travel by warship with Bahadur and Adalard but after a lengthy discussion with Melek and his brothers, they had decided to send several of their trusted generals, including Bahadur, to deal with some of the rebel bases that Arrow had recently discovered.
Arrow would lead the effort while Adalard and he worked with the Valdier. Raffvin was one of the key instigators behind the rebellion and one of the most deadly. He needed to be stopped once and for all.
He breathed deeply as he felt the energy surrounding him as the controller locked onto his position. His eyes narrowed as he felt the energy of the transporter beam meld with the energy inside him. He did not feel the disorientation that many others complained about at first. He could see and feel his body breaking into the smallest form and reveled in the sense of freedom it gave him. He almost groaned as he felt his body rematerialize on the platform.
I really need to figure out how to do that on my own, he thought before his eyes met the dark golden ones of Creon Reykill.
Chapter 3
“Zoran has called a meeting,” Creon explained as they walked through the corridors of the Valdier palace. “Dola’s mate will be there as well. He has a plan that he believes will work. Have you found out anything else about those on your world that were working with Ben’qumain?”
“Yes, it would seem even in death my former stepbrother is causing trouble,” Ha’ven said heavily.
“I’m just glad he is dead,” Adalard said running his fingers along the long scar on his cheek. “I wish I had been there when Zoran burned him.”
Ha’ven didn’t respond. He had been there. In fact, he had been the one to draw Ben’qumain’s power away from him so he could not use it to attack Zoran. While his stepbrother had been royalty, he had not been very powerful. That was one of the things he had been jealous of Ha’ven. Unfortunately, Aria had been and had known how to imprison Ha’ven. What neither of them expected was the power that she would unwittingly unleash during his time on Hell.
The men strode down the long, gleaming hallways. Glossy white and black marble glistened on the floors and walls. Ha’ven shot his friend an amused look. He didn’t want to say anything but his friend looked like he had been held on the asteroid and tortured as well. Lines of exhaustion showed around his eyes and mouth, not to mention his hair was bound crookedly behind him as if it had been done in haste.
“How is mated life treating you?” Ha’ven couldn’t resist asking. “You look...” He finished his comment with a wave at Creon’s hair instead.
“What?” Creon responded distractedly before he released a small grin. “Mated life is great,” he said ignoring Adalard’s choked cough of disbelief. “It is being a father that is… challenging. Having two tiny females is nerve-wracking. They are so small. I fear I’ll hurt them just picking them up. Carmen insists they are tougher than they look but I do not understand how that is possible. You should see Trelon,” he added with a huge grin. “If you think I look bad, he looks a million times worse. I don’t think he has slept more than a few hours at a time since his two were born.”
Ha’ven’s shook his head. “I am just glad it is you and not me, my friend,” he said in distaste. “I can’t believe you and Vox have fallen for this species. What is it about them that made both of you lose your control?”
Creon stopped in the hallway and studied his friend. He wasn’t the only one looking tired. Something was wrong with Ha’ven. He knew the huge Curizan warrior well enough to know better than to ask though. If he was patient, he would learn what was bothering his friend. Despite the tiredness, he could also see curiosity shining in his intense stare as well.
“She fills the empty space inside me,” Creon said quietly. “I was worried when I returned with her to her world.”
“Why?” Adalard asked moving to stand next to his brother. “What happened?”
Creon looked down the long corridor for several long moments before he turned back to face both men. His face was grim. He glanced around once more before he nodded toward a small alcove near a set of windows. He walked over to it and leaned back against the wall near the long windows that looked out over the central garden.
“Carmen needed closure,” Creon began looking fiercely at both men. “Her first mate was murdered and she was gravely wounded by a very dangerous male back on her world while she was protecting the youngling of another. She was pregnant when she was attacked and lost her babe as well. She wanted…” Creon paused, drawing in a deep breath as he turned to look out over the gardens. “She needed the closure before she could accept her new life. She wanted to find and eliminate the male who had taken so much from her. I knew she would not be able to move on unless she was able to do this.”
Adalard cursed under his breath. “I cannot hold that against her but how could you risk placing her in the same danger again?” He asked in disbelief. “She was carrying your younglings at the time, wasn’t she?”
Creon turned and scowled at Adalard. “Yes, but you have met Ariel. Carmen is even more stubborn than her sister! What do you think would have happened if I had denied her? She and Ariel had already tried to escape once. Do you truly think I would take a chance with her life? It was the only way I could think to keep her with me. She… she came close to ending her life more than once. I was not about to take the chance of it happening again,” Creon retorted tersely.
Ha’ven put his hand on Creon’s arm. “We give no judgment of your decision, Creon. I, better than most, know you would never purposely endanger those you care about,” he said quietly.
Creon’s eyes jerked to Ha’ven’s. He saw no recrimination in them even if it would have been justified. It was his fault that Ha’ven had been captured and tortured. It had been his stubborn refusal to believe Aria, the woman he thought he loved, would betray him. His denial had almost cost Ha’ven his life. He had killed Aria, drawing every traitorous act she committed from her before he gave her the relief of death. After he and Vox had rescued Ha’ven from the prison he had been held in, he had wished he had taken even more time in killing the bitch.
Creon’s eyes flickered to Adalard who
nodded in agreement. “I meant no disrespect, Creon. It is just hard to believe females react so differently. Even our females are not fighters in the true sense. They can be lying, deceitful bitches but they do not know how to fight as a warrior. I have seen Mandra’s mate in action. I can just imagine what your mate must be like,” he said with a twisted grin.
“I made sure she was protected at all times not that it made much difference. She still took matters into her own hands. Shortly after we returned to her world a male she knew contacted her and told her where she could find the human she hunted. I, along with Carmen, Jaguin and Gunner, went to confront him,” Creon paused and his eyes turned a dark gold revealing his anger. “The male had two females in the room with him. Both females had been brutally beaten and tortured. He did this in retribution for an injury that he blamed on Carmen. The human looked for any female that remotely resembled my mate. Once found, he would torture and kill them. According to one of the females we rescued, he had already killed two others shortly before we arrived.”
Ha’ven hissed as he stepped back. He knew all too well what it felt like to be tortured. The feeling of being helpless. The feelings of hopelessness and finally the rage at being at the mercy and control of another. Then came the next wave of feelings. The wish to escape from the pain, whether through death or by any other means. He could not imagine someone inflicting such pain against innocent women simply for the pleasure of causing it. It went against every principle inside him.
“What of the females?” Adalard asked curiously. “You returned with them?”
Creon nodded. “Yes, one of them is Jaguin’s life mate,” he said.
Ha’ven turned as the door across from them opened and Zoran stood in the doorway frowning at them. Mated life must be good for the huge leader of the Valdier because it wasn’t exhaustion causing the frown on his face, it looked more like impatience as his eyes darted down the corridor.
