by Marie Harte
With any luck, Synster wouldn’t live past the next few weeks, dying alongside the crew of Mara’s Light. Because like Canunn, Mathim was not known for tolerating mistakes.
“Enjoy yourself, Synster, because before long, you’ll be handling Erin no more.”
Catam rejoined the Raggas waiting outside the club for him.
“They take the bait?” Nu Fas asked.
“We in?” Set, his brother, added.
“Yeah. They want her back, badly. And we’re only supposed to bring her back to those two idiots, so either Blue Rim isn’t in on what these scientists are doing, or they are and want it kept quiet.”
Catam strode with them back to the ship, where his captain waited with her husband. Once inside the ship, they left the planet in no time.
Catam turned to his captain. “Thanks for doing this, Mara. Don’t worry, Sernal’s going to pay us big time for our help.”
His captain snorted. “He’d better. I turned down thirty thousand beks for this.”
Catam grinned and handed her the cred chip. “Then you should be thanking me for getting us a fifty thousand advance.”
The others shared their thanks, and he filled them in on the details.
Mara frowned. “What exactly did Sernal say this woman did? Why are two scientists involved instead of local Eyran government? We’re doing this as a favor to peacemakers, you know.”
“Yeah,” her husband, Lurin, agreed, a grin on his face. “So they’ll forget about that last job we pulled.”
Catam snorted. “Well, it wasn’t my idea to bring the entire clan down. Thank the rock heads.” He angled his thumb at Nu and Set. “I was all for taking our bounty in alive. Those two destroyed him and everyone around him.”
Nu shrugged. “Not my fault, Set—”
“Catam,” Mara interjected loudly, “please answer the question. We’ll play the blame game later. Now what exactly did Sernal tell you about this besides that he needs our help?”
“Well, it wasn’t Sernal I talked to. It was Gar.”
Everyone groaned.
“What?”
“Catam, your brother is five times worse than Sernal. Sernal’s a pain in the ass, but he’s an official pain in the ass. Most of what Gar does is illegal, no matter how he spins it. And he doesn’t care who he pisses off to get what he wants. Hell, if Sernal knew even half of what Gar was doing, he’d probably lock him up, peacemaker or not.” Mara shook her head.
“Yeah, but this is on the level, I swear. Gar’s actually helping Rafe out of a tight situation on an official case.”
“Another Mardu brother involved?” Lurin sighed. “There are only four of you, right?”
“Don’t forget Isa and the girls,” Su offered. “But if she’s not talking to him, does that count?”
“Thanks,” Catam answered dryly, not needing any reminders about his pissed off mate right now. “Look, somehow the operation Gar was involved in, to track down some shady happenings around Eyra, snagged Rafe in the middle. Sernal’s not answering his com unit, and Rafe’s got his hands full tracking this fugitive that Blue Rim wants so badly. Gar seems to think she might know something about the prison ships that keep disappearing near the outer rim.”
“So why don’t the peacemakers handle it?” Nu wanted to know. “Seems like they’re always dragging us into their messes. And I don’t know that I want Mara’s Light associated so closely with the law. Right, Cap?” He looked to Mara.
She nodded. “Right. But though it pains me to say it, the Mardu brothers are an exception. And frankly, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Gar, and especially Sernal, owing us. What I want to know is what you aren’t telling us, Catam.”
Damn. The woman could spot a lie a mile off. “Not telling you?”
“Stop stalling,” Lurin said. “Gar wouldn’t involve us in this if there wasn’t more to the story.”
When Catam said nothing, Mara glared, and the Fas brothers stood with threatening expressions.
“By Flor’s dagger. All right. But we have to keep this quiet.” Catam sighed. “Gar has reason to believe the fugitive might be a…” He cleared his throat, knowing this information wouldn’t exactly endear him to the crew. “A Creation.”
Everyone stared at him in amazement.
“Are you serious?” Set barked. “The last Creation the System tracked down had three hundred heads stashed in his ship, with arms and legs decorating his galley.”
“It wasn’t three hundred,” Catam protested. “An exaggeration, surely.”
“Yeah, it was more like two-fifty,” Nu muttered.
“Don’t tell me a Ragga’s scared of an artificial humanoid?” Catam teased.
No one smiled.
“You’re damned straight,” Nu answered. “We’re strong, but Creations aren’t natural. They live for one purpose—to kill. Remember that war a thousand years ago? Death and carnage ring a bell?”
“Yeah, well, Gar’s not sure if she’s a Creation or not. Rafe’s apparently spent time with the female, and he thinks she’s normal, mostly.”
“This just gets better and better,” Mara said sourly.
“Come on Mara. I already know where she was last seen just two days ago. It won’t take long to find her.”
“But that’ll delay picking up Isa and the girls.”
Catam grimaced. Isa would kill him for this, but he had no choice. A little more time with Mother shouldn’t stress his mate too much… He forced a smile. “Just more time for my family to grow closer.” Dear Flor, don’t let Isa kill Mother.
“I can’t wait to hear this vid call.” Lurin grinned.
“For that alone the job’s worth it.” Mara shared her mate’s amusement and joked with the Fas brothers while Catam set course for Mardu.
Hell, Isa and the others could be as annoyed as they wanted. He’d make sure to keep them out of danger, even if he had to take down this Creation by himself. Because he couldn’t refuse Gar anything. Not when his brother had barely talked to him in two long years. That Gar had called him meant the world to Catam, and hope that Gar might finally be open to bridging the gap between them made helping a promise Catam intended to keep.
Hell, maybe the female wasn’t a Creation. Maybe Sernal was just on an undercover mission and not in serious trouble somewhere out of reach. And maybe this extended visit between Isa, the twins, and his mother wouldn’t result in yet another argument about Catam leaving the bounty hunting business.
“Catam, first watch. And it’s a long one,” Mara ordered as the rest of them settled in. Nu and Set chuckled, Lurin shot him a look of sympathy, and Catam sighed. It really wasn’t his day.
12
Rafe caught the faint impression of a boot print in the soft dirt. The sparse moonlight gave his quarry that much more cover, and damn her, but Erin knew how to avoid capture like nobody’s business.
For two days he’d been tracking her through the Eron Forest and into the Fields of Flor. At this rate, she’d enter the jungle by dawn, considering she hadn’t yet stopped for a break. An impossible feat for anyone not Xema, or apparently, not a Creation.
The little witch had thoughtfully left him half their provisions, and once he’d woken from her incredibly powerful chokehold and broken free from the rope holding him tight, he’d furiously chased after her.
Perhaps if Erin had known about Rafe’s heritage, and thus his capabilities, she wouldn’t have knocked him out…again. The Xema never quit. Rafe would pursue her tirelessly for as long as it took. Mardu huntsmen had a reputation as tough, but the Xema were legendary for their tenacity, daring, and ruthlessness.
The rare clan of warriors accounted for a mere two percent of the entire Mardu population. But that two percent could do what normal System inhabitants couldn’t. With enhanced physical senses, they could forego sleep and rest when keyed up, their bodies on autopilot while they hunted.
That Erin had run for as long as she had both surprised and thrilled the predator wit
hin him. Rafe loved a challenge, and Erin proved to be the best he’d ever come across. She constantly intrigued him, and he used the time tracking her to ponder the many problems she presented.
First and foremost, Erin shouldn’t exist. Every now and again the scientists on Eyra toyed with nature, and they lost. Their first group of Creations had almost destroyed the System. And the few subsequent attempts to manufacture unauthorized humans met with death for both Creator and Creation. But those instances had involved true monsters. Erin was anything but. She had the strength and skill to destroy. Three times now she could have killed him. But she hadn’t. Instead she’d run.
By rights, as a lawman, Rafe had a duty to terminate a Creation. But he tempered that obligation with the fact that Erin was the key witness in an ongoing investigation. Her escape from Blue Rim made her the one person who could bring down that monstrous conglomerate, if the truth of her story could be believed--that Blue Rim kidnapped and exploited prisoners for the sake of science. Exposing the lab would be a battle because Blue Rim had connections System-wide as well as the currency to fight the law for a very, very long time.
Rationally, the excuse that Erin was a witness made more sense to keep her alive than that he felt something for a woman he’d just met. Because beyond all explanation, Rafe felt affection for Erin, a Creation, for Flor’s sake. She’d taken him to wainu. She was in so many ways a stranger yet as familiar to him as his own soul. And it made no sense any way he looked at it.
Rafe nimbly dodged a huge tree root and skirted a gaggle of poisonous nettles, anxiety for Erin angering him even more. The little fool might be quick and strong, but she didn’t know the vegetation like he did. And the wildlife grew bolder with the coming dark.
Thankfully, he hadn’t heard any kethra or raptor cries, or he surely would have encountered one by now. Another glance at the diminishing distance between Erin’s footprints showed her lagging pace. Finally, fatigue slowed his quarry. Pleased, Rafe lengthened his stride, nearly panting with excitement, the scent of victory within reach.
He had every intention of claiming his prize. Through several brief conversations with Gar using his com unit, Rafe had learned many interesting details about Creations he hadn’t previously known.
Gar, never much a talker, had filled Rafe’s head with minutia about Eyran science and their mistakes. The early attempts at Creation hadn’t worked. Their initial subjects displayed too many submissive tendencies. They’d been intended to serve as sexual surrogates, military tools, and basic helpers in varied fields from construction to law enforcement. But their inability to function independently on any level marked them as failures.
Unfortunately, Eyran science struck pay dirt on their next batch, or so they thought. Their second wave of Creations had the intelligence, backbone, and power to accomplish the tasks assigned them. They also possessed such a strong will to control everything that they devolved into genius psychotic killers with a need to destroy everyone around them. In months they had effectively enslaved nearly half their planet before anyone else in the System caught wind of what had been happening.
With the Eyran scientists forced to duplicate more and more of the humanoids using advanced maturation, chemical and mechanical construction and stimulus, the Creations built a formidable army in no time at all and nearly wiped out a good portion of the System’s population before the peacemakers stepped in and stopped them.
Rafe ducked under an overhanging branch and swore he caught the scent of Erin just ahead. As he ran, he wondered just where Erin fell in Creation evolution. In their short time together she’d wanted to be in control at all times…until she experienced a woman’s pleasure.
He nearly stumbled as the notion dawned. Erin had been incredibly firm with him on every front, up until he’d given her ecstasy. In his arms, she melted, becoming a softer, malleable woman who catered to his needs. Rafe hadn’t thought much of it at the time, too involved in feeding their desires. The excitement in finding such a strong yet pliable woman overwhelmed the intriguing contrasts in her behavior.
But as he neared her, he thought he may have found his answer. In Erin, it seemed the Eyran scientists had created a masterpiece. She functioned on her own and had the presence of mind to call her own shots. Yet with the right stimulus, she’d been his for the taking. Rafe sped up, the jungle around him a blur of heat flashes and darkness as he sought his prey.
Finding her now was only half the fun. Because when he caught her, he intended to get the rest of his answers, and teach Erin a thing or two about obedience in the process.
Erin couldn’t move another step. She’d pushed herself to the limit, sure Rafe would be hot on her trail the moment he regained consciousness. And since the last time she’d put him down he’d revived much sooner than she’d expected, she’d made extra sure to give herself the advantage by tying him up. Surely those knots had given him fits.
She bent over at the waist to catch her breath. Hopefully, Rafe wouldn’t be too upset about her escape. Erin still couldn’t believe she’d confessed the truth of her identity. Why the hell had she admitted to being a Creation? The prison ploy was perfect. Experimented on with those other hapless souls. When pressed, she’d mask most of her abilities to lend credence to such fiction.
The smart thing after leaving Rafe would have been to kill him. No one else but Blue Rim and her siblings knew how she’d come to be. Erin’s childhood had rushed by her in a blur of animated lessons and chemically stimulated cell development. After a year, she’d advanced to the physical level she currently maintained, that of a healthy, mature female. The next three years had been spent in constant training. Perhaps that was why Canunn had insisted that she, Anin, and Ryen forge close ties. Despite some common genetic factors, none of them were truly siblings. Yet that closeness—the love—between them all had made their constant tests bearable.
Love.
Erin sighed and sank to the ground, feeling astonishingly close to tears. Not because of what she’d lost in her youth, but because of what she feared she might lose now. Rafe knew she was an unnatural thing. A Creation. He probably hated her now, and she wouldn’t be surprised to learn he’d summoned an Ari to take care of her.
A Mardu assassination squad, the Ari could conceivably terminate her with no one the wiser of her disappearance. Blue Rim might not be happy about her loss, but they’d deny all knowledge of her if Rafe made known the fact that he’d ordered a Creation killed.
Depressed, Erin wondered if she and Rafe might have continued their association if she hadn’t confessed her ugly truth. She knew she’d given him pleasure. That dreamy state of repletion they shared had been as close to descriptions of a heavenly afterlife as she could imagine. To feel such closeness to another physically, and to have that magnified emotionally… She didn’t know how to feel.
In sharing her body, Erin suspected she’d also shared her heart, something she’d never thought to experience outside of her own family.
For all that Anin had relayed details about sexual intercourse to Erin, she’d never explained the hunger, that fiery sensation of what Erin now knew to be lust, or the emotional upheaval that came from succumbing so fully to another. With Rafe, Erin didn’t want to submit, she needed to submit. And that giving made her feel a part of him.
She’d thrilled to the quick when he’d demanded her obedience and given her pleasure. Odd that Anin had never mentioned the same feelings with Synster, when Erin knew how very many times the two had copulated.
As Erin thought about Rafe, her sex tingled, and amazed she could feel lust in such a tired state, she smiled. Perhaps she wasn’t as different from natural women as she’d once thought. Obviously, her ability to attract others and call upon certain preternatural skills made her different. But if Erin could feel sexual hunger and, to an extent, what she thought might be true affection for another not her family, then maybe she could fit in with society as a whole once she put this mess behind her.
Sadness hit
her hard, and she felt a pain in her chest. Rubbing the ache, she realized that “this mess” included Rafe. In order to have a real life, she could never see him again. Since killing him wasn’t an option—she wanted to cry just thinking about it—she would have to hide herself and her siblings on a remote planet, maybe even an asteroid, and live out the rest of her life there.
She could still enjoy freedom. The knowledge that Anin and Ryen now had the ability to live freely as well brought her joy. But for some reason, thoughts of a life without Rafe bothered her more than she could bear.
Maybe this is why Canunn forbade sexual intercourse. Perhaps, the logical part of her mind argued, this attraction you feel for another male is what most females feel for someone they’re compatible with. Anin doesn’t feel anything for Synster, but maybe if she found someone like Rafe, she’d have similar feelings of despair and anxiety when finished mating.
Erin dearly wished she had another female to confide in, but she’d promised Anin and Ryen no communications until she’d destroyed Blue Rim. They remained in a safe place for the moment, with Ryen guarding Anin every second of the day. Taking her from Synster had been difficult. Without a Handler, Anin didn’t know how to behave. But slowly, Ryen was teaching her to be more independent. Personally, Erin didn’t see her sister ever being able to live on her own, but with Ryen and Erin with her, she wouldn’t have to.
Sudden thirst overwhelmed her, and as her body adjusted to this new rest period, it made its needs known. After tending to her bodily functions, Erin used the nearby stream to clean herself as best she could. She ate sparingly of the small stash she’d taken with her and used only minimal drinking water. The microbes in the river would cause havoc with her digestive tract, a flaw Canunn had never been able to fix, though he thought he had.
Erin and her siblings had kept silent about their sensitive stomachs, not wanting to handle more of the disgusting tests that might have plagued them had Canunn known of their persistent intolerance for the microbes. And thank the universe for that.
