by S. E. Smith
“Who took them?” Creon asked harshly staring out the viewport in the conference room.
“N'tasha was behind it,” Zoran answered in a deadly cold voice. “If Kelan or Trelon do not kill her, I will. She has committed a hideous crime against her people. I want to know every traitor who is in league with Raffvin.”
“We are headed to Kardosa Spaceport,” Creon said. “Vox was not at the first mining operation. It had been abandoned. Ha'ven and I have some contacts on Kardosa who may know which one he has been taken to. I worry Raffvin may send word to go ahead and assassinate him.”
“Watch yourself,” Zoran warned. “He is getting desperate and if he now has a weapon capable of such atrocities as to kill our symbiots, he is even more dangerous than we originally thought.”
“Have you heard from Mandra and Adalard?” Ha'ven asked from where he was seated at the long conference table. “They should have met up by now.”
“Yes,” Zoran replied. “They met up with him earlier today. Adalard has an informant who knows where Raffvin's main base is hidden. They are traveling to meet up with him. If they have a way to stop Raffvin, they will proceed with their attack. If Raffvin suspects anything, he will order Vox's execution immediately to inflame his brothers and the warriors of Sarafin. We could well have a war on our hands.”
“Did you warn Mandra of the weapon Raffvin has?” Creon asked in concern. “It is too dangerous for him and Adalard to go after him alone.”
“Mandra is aware of what happened and will use his best judgment. It may be the only time we have a chance against Raffvin. He will not proceed unless he is sure he can defeat him. He would not risk his life or that of his mate,” Zoran assured his youngest brother.
“Remember also he is not alone. Adalard can be deadly,” Ha'ven said with pride of his younger sibling. “He already has a reason to want Raffvin's head mounted on his wall. He will stand by your brother.”
“Then, we continue on our course to Kardosa unless things change,” Creon replied heavily. “Inform me as soon as the women have been rescued. I will contact Mandra and discuss backing him up should they find Raffvin.”
“Stay strong and fight well, brother,” Zoran said, quoting their farewell during times of battle.
“You too, brother,” Creon said before signing off. He turned to stare at Ha'ven. “We need to find Vox as soon as possible and back Mandra up. I have a bad feeling Raffvin is going to do everything he can to kill him once he finds out we have joined forces instead of declaring war.”
The grim expression on Ha’ven’s face showed he agreed. “We will split up on Kardosa and see what we can learn. I worry about your brothers' mates. If he is successful in killing one or both of them…” his voice faded away as both of them realized the grim possibility that Creon and Valdier could lose two of their most valuable warriors.
Creon’s jaw tightened. “It will not happen. Let’s go over what we do know. It will help narrow our search.”
*.*.*
Carmen looked at Cree and rolled her eyes. He tried to insist he was Calo at first but finally gave up when she shook her head in disgust. It was actually fun watching him try to figure out how she could tell them apart. She refused to tell him which just made him even more aggravated. As it was, he refused to let her enter the repair bay first.
“You are under my protection,” he insisted, trying to hold his temper when she just looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Creon said as much,” he added defensively not knowing what else to say.
“Whatever,” Carmen replied and pressed the control panel. “If it makes your big boy britches feel better, be my guest. I can always drag your ass out if you get hurt.”
“I would like to show you my…,” he started before biting back a curse. “What I mean is…”
Carmen almost felt sorry for him… almost. “Go on, I know exactly what you were going to say,” she chuckled out enjoying how his cheeks turned a darker red.
She watched as he moved cautiously into the repair bay. He called out to the old man that he had brought a visitor. It was only when Cree saw the old man nod to him as he was coming out of the side room set up for their use that he stepped to one side to allow Carmen to enter.
“I don’t see the boy,” he muttered as she passed him. “Keep your eyes out. They say he isn’t right in the head.”
“I’ll make sure I squeal like a girl if I see him. I’m sure that will make him feel better too,” she responded.
“Smart ass, he is mute. He wouldn’t hear you if you did,” Cree bit out arrogantly.
Carmen shook her head. She wasn’t going to correct Cree’s misunderstanding. Mute meant the boy couldn’t talk, not that he couldn’t hear. She looked at the old man who was staring at her in concern. He moved forward, grabbing the shovel as he did.
Cree reached out to grab Carmen’s arm and pull her behind him but she ducked and twisted before he could, stepping away from him. She gave a warm smile to the man walking toward her. He looked to be in his mid-to-late sixties, though it was hard to tell from the wrinkles lining his face. His eyes were sharp and he kept his gaze not on her but on Cree.
“He’s really a gentle pansy,” she said as she stretched her hand out in greeting. “My name is Carmen Walker. I’m originally from Wyoming.”
The man stopped in front of her. He kept a firm hold on the shovel but had lowered it down so it rested against his right side. He wiped his left hand down along his tattered pant leg before he slowly reached out and grasped her hand in a firm but gentle hold.
“Cal Turner,” he replied. “Me and the boy are from outside Clayton, Georgia.”
Carmen let him hold her hand a little longer than was normal. It was almost as if he was afraid if he let go she would disappear. She squeezed his hand to let him know she understood.
“Would you mind if we sat for a spell?” she asked quietly. “Cree will be a good boy and stay by the door if it makes you more comfortable.”
She chuckled when she heard Cree growl softly under his breath. “I’d like to show you…” he broke off with another curse and just glared at her back.
“He’s huffing and puffing, isn’t he?” She asked in an exaggerated whisper and winked at Cal. “They do that a lot but they really are like overgrown puppy dogs.”
Cree snarled again and folded his arms across his massive chest. The door opened beside him and Creon’s symbiot came through the door in the shape of an overgrown Basset Hound. This time its ears were exaggerated to the point they really did drag on the ground and it tripped over one of them.
A soft giggle broke the sound of the repair bay. Carmen, Cal, Harvey, and Cree all turned toward it, startled. Harvey shook, causing his big ears to fly up into the air around him before he bounded over to the slender shape of the boy half hidden behind a strange creature about the size of a Shetland pony. The figure quickly disappeared again before Carmen had a chance to get a good look at him. She turned startled when she heard a deep rumbling coming from Cree. Turning, she was shocked to see his eyes glued in the direction of the boy. His dark gold eyes had flames in them and he looked like he was having problems with his dragon.
Carmen turned to see what he was looking at. He seemed to be focused on the young Pactor. Perhaps his dragon thought it was lunch. Whatever was going on, it was making it difficult to convince the man standing in front of her he meant no harm as long as he was letting out a low, rumbling growl.
“Cree,” Carmen called out sternly. “Could you please wait for me outside? I promise if I need you, I’ll call. I have Harvey with me so I feel perfectly safe.”
Cree’s eyes were still glued to the Pactor. He was panting and sweating profusely now. She had to call him several times before he reluctantly turned his eyes to look at her. With a pained look twisting his features, he gave a sharp nod of agreement and left, surprising her.
“Well, I guess his dragon likes Pactors,” she muttered. Turning back around, she shook her head in confusion. “Men! I
don’t care what planet they are from, I don’t think I’ll ever understand them.”
Cal chuckled, lowering his shovel again. “I don’t know about you but I could use a hot cup of coffee. I couldn’t believe it when they showed it to me. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.”
Carmen laughed. “You and me both. Actually, they didn’t have it until my friend, Cara, replicated it. She is bouncy enough but by the time she had perfected it I thought they could have powered a dozen warships with her energy.”
Cal turned and looked at Carmen carefully. “They aren’t abusing you and your friend, are they? You can stay with me and Mel if you want. We’ll protect you.”
Carmen laid her hand on Cal’s forearm and squeezed it. “No, they have never abused any of us. In fact, I would be dead now if not for them. If you would share your coffee with me, I’ll tell you the story of me, my sister, and our friends. It has turned out to be a really incredible one,” she promised, waiting for him to decide if she was telling the truth or not.
Chapter 15Later than evening, Carmen sat on the edge of the bed waiting for Creon to tell her what was bothering him. He had come back later than usual and was very quiet. She watched him carefully as he came toward her. Dark lines of worry were etched around his mouth and his eyes held the distracted look in them she had seen in Scott’s before a difficult mission.
“Tell me,” she said quietly, running her hands over his smooth shoulders. “What happened?”
Creon looked away. Carmen knew he was weighing whether to tell her part of the truth or nothing at all. She pushed him back until he was lying down and nudged him to let him know she wanted him to roll over. He grunted but did as she wanted. Once he was lying flat on his stomach, she climbed on top of him straddling his waist. Starting out slowly, she began massaging his massive shoulders working on the tight knots of tension in them. A low, rumbling vibration, similar to a cat’s purring, began as she used her strong fingers to relax him.
Bending over so she could whisper in his ear, she asked him again. “Please tell me, I need to know the truth about what is going on.”
Creon rested his head on his bent arm. Her fingers working into his muscles could be described as nothing short of bliss. He appreciated that she didn’t try to pressure him with tears and tantrums. She waited calmly, as if she knew he just needed a few minutes to get his thoughts in order.
“Cara and Trisha have been taken. N’tasha, one of the women at the palace, was behind the attack. She was one of Trelon’s lovers before he met his mate. They tried to take Abby but one of the guards was able to intercept the man holding her before they could transport off the planet,” he began quietly.
“Do your brothers know where they might have been taken?” She asked, keeping her voice calm even as her heart beat with fear for her two friends.
“Cara had a piece of Trelon’s symbiot on her. It was sending signals to the symbiot left behind. They are pursuing them and should intercept them at any time,” he replied huskily.
“But…” she added.
Creon tiredly rubbed his forehead against his arm. “Raffvin has a weapon unlike anything we have ever known before. It is powerful enough to kill a symbiot, something we thought impossible to do.”
Carmen froze for a moment before forcing herself to continue. “Did he use it against your brothers’ symbiots?” She asked tightly thinking of how horrible it would be if something bad were to happen to Harvey.
He let out a deep sigh. “Yes and no. Two of the guards protecting Trisha and their symbiots were killed. Trisha was wearing a small amount of Kelan’s symbiot. What was left of it was found in their bed where she had been resting,” he told her heavily.
“Do…” she began before her throat tightened in fear for Trisha. “Do they think she was killed as well?” She asked hoarsely as her hands clenched against the hot skin of his back, waiting.
He rolled over so swiftly she found herself sitting on his stomach instead of his back. He gripped both of her clenched fists tightly in his hands. “No!” He said firmly. “She is not dead. Kelan would know immediately if she had been killed. He would feel it all the way down to his soul. There was no blood. They believe she was taken alive. They will find her. Kelan will never give up looking for her,” he stressed, forcing her to look into his eyes so she could see that he was telling her the truth.
“She doesn’t deserve this,” Carmen whispered. “She has been through so much already. Why would they take her? What could they possibly want with her?”
“Raffvin knows that to kill our mates is a death sentence for us,” he replied hoarsely, looking into her beautiful brown eyes. “You are our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. We cannot survive for long if you are taken from us. Our dragons would mourn, our symbiots would lose the necessary essence they need to survive away from the hive, and I…” he paused and took a deep breath. “I could not live with the emptiness of a life without you.”
Carmen nodded as she looked down into his tortured face. “I know what you are talking about. I know what it feels like to lose something so precious that the emptiness eats away at your will to live,” she whispered brokenly.
A low groan was pulled from him at the pain and grief in his mate’s eyes and voice as she remembered her past life and loss. It tore at him that she should ever have to remember such overwhelming grief. He pulled her down to him, crushing his lips against hers in a desperate kiss of need and fear.
“I would take your pain away if I could,” he said with a shudder. “I would give you only happy thoughts and feelings forever.”
Carmen pulled back to look down at him. “You have. You have taken the pain and emptiness and filled it with light, love, and hope. You promised me forever, Creon. I want every second of that time,” she said, tenderly brushing her hand down over his hair and laying it against his cheek.
He turned his head enough so he could press a kiss into her palm. “I would give you nothing less,” he replied before pulling her back down and making slow, tender love to her.
*.*.*
Creon looked down at Carmen again as he pulled her closer to him. He was torn between locking her in their living quarters on board the Horizon or tying her to his side where he could see her at all times. Instead, he was doing neither. His gaze moved to Cree and Calo where they stood in the corner of the large lift with their symbiots. He had given them strict instructions that they were to stay at his mate’s side as if they were a part of her. Harvey was going to be with them as well.
“You will listen to Calo and Cree,” he murmured as the lift started.
They had arrived on Kardosa a couple of hours ago. He and Ha’ven were going to split up and meet with several different informants they had on the Spaceport. Carmen was too unusual not to draw unwanted attention to them. Her fair complexion and unusual looks had already caught the attention of all the crew members aboard the Horizon. Luckily, the warriors aboard knew better than to mess with the mate of a Valdier dragon, much less the mate of one of the Princes.
“I will,” she responded calmly, trying not to let her excitement show. “I am to stay in their sight at all times, not wander off, and if they tell me to do anything than I am to do it immediately,” she said reciting his instructions verbatim.
He tilted her head so he could look into her eyes. “Promise?”
“Of course… I’ll try,” she said mischievously. “Who knows, I may have to save their asses! Besides, I won’t be alone. Mel and Cal are meeting up with us. They both needed some supplies and it will give me a chance to spend some time with them. Mel still won’t come near me. He seems to be curious about me, though. Cal wants to see a real Spaceport. They have been locked up for the past four years, then on the Horizon. I think it will be good for the both of them to get out. It might help Mel, too.”
“He better not attack anyone or I’ll leave his ass here. He started throwing things at Yar yesterday when he went to get some parts for one of the engines,” C
reon scowled fiercely. “I won’t have that youngling hurting you.”
“He won’t. He’s always kept his distance when I visit with Cal. I know he understands what is going on as he listens in to our conversations. I think he is just young and scared,” she reassured him. “Don’t worry. I’ll have Harvey and the Bobbsey-twins with me.”
“One of these days,” Cree muttered under his breath from behind her at her teasing taunt.
“Yes, I know. ‘One of these days, Carmen! POW! Right in the kisser’,” she said, changing her voice to sound like Jackie Gleason before she broke down in giggles, feeling young and free and wild again.
Creon’s eyes widened at the excitement burning in his mate’s eyes. She was having fun! This was the first time he had seen her eyes completely clear of shadows. She was…. glowing. His throat tightened at how truly, breathtakingly beautiful she was when she was smiling and happy. He was unable to resist pulling her against him and running his hand down over her flat stomach. Soon, it would start to swell with their younglings. Closing his eyes briefly, he reached out from the symbiot wrapped around his wrists to the ones on her to connect. He searched deep inside her until he found her dragon curled tightly around the tiny sparks of life inside her. Her dragon opened her wing as soon as she sensed her mate’s search. Warmth flooded him as he focused on the twin beacons. He felt their response to his light touch.
He withdrew as he felt the lift slowing to a halt. Opening his eyes, he glared down at her with a combination of pride and possession. He watched as her eyes crinkled and her lips curved in a knowing smile as she acknowledge she belonged to him.
“Forever,” she whispered before the doors opened and the crowded streets of Kardosa forced them to separate.
*.*.*
Creon watched Carmen head off eagerly into the crowd, Harvey in the shape of the droopy-eared creature trotting next to her while Cree and Calo, and their symbiots in the shape of twin Werecats, followed closely behind. His jaw hurt from clenching it so tightly in an effort to hold back his demand that she return to his side. A dark frown twisted his features when he lost sight of her.
