"Were they very pissed when you refused to have a security detail?"
"No," Cade admitted sheepishly. "Mostly because I didn't. I told them that I'd accept two guards outside our suites. They wanted a double detail on you, too, but I managed to convince them that a starship wouldn't require such overkill. Only when you're on the planet will it be an issue."
"Wise choice, Queen. What about when you're conducting business?" With Cade's anger abated, Van turned to stoke up the fireplace while she listened.
"A small detail of no more than four standing guard outside the throne room. Pisa suggested it and the others went along with it, albeit reluctantly."
"Remind me to invite Pisa for dinner some night. Without her, we wouldn't have any kind of personal life."
Cade knelt and hugged her from behind. "You have no idea how right you are."
Cade released her and settled into the chair in front of the fire. Van turned and watched as she warmed her hands in front of the flames. Cade's Alaran physiology responded to the heat, helping her to relax further. Van stepped around behind her and rubbed her shoulders. Cade groaned at her touch and Van felt tingles in her stomach. She decided that sex was the best way to help her truly unwind.
Van kissed Cade's ear. Cade's eyes closed and her breath became irregular. Van scooted around the chair and settled into Cade's arms, resting on her lap. Lips met and parted, tasting. Van unbuttoned the top of Cade's shirt, sliding a hand inside and cupping a cloth-covered breast. Cade's hand cupped the back of her head, pulling Van more tightly against her.
Vaguely aware that someone had knocked on the door, both continued touching and tasting. Cade's fingers unsnapped the top of Van's trousers and then they heard it again, louder. Someone wanted to see the queen.
Cade pulled away reluctantly. "Damn."
"Damn," Van repeated. She climbed off Cade's lap and stood next to her, a hand resting possessively on Cade's shoulder.
"This had better be really important. Come in," Cade ordered harshly.
A man wearing the royal uniform of an Alaran guard opened the door, but he did so for another. Saral Barab, Cade's interim queen, entered the suite bearing a tray laden with a brandy decanter and three glasses. She swept in without any indication that she might have interrupted something, offering Van and Cade a wide smile.
"Welcome home, ladies. I wanted to be the first to congratulate you on surviving the first week of matrimony."
"Your timing could use some work, cousin."
Saral ignored the harsh tones and settled the tray onto a table in front of the sofa, forcing Cade and Van to join her in the seating area. She handed each of them a glass and took a third for herself.
"To the newlyweds," Saral toasted.
They clinked the tumblers together and Cade took a sip of her drink. Still incredibly aroused, Van wasn't interested in the brandy and merely mimed tasting it to be polite. She absently noticed that Saral didn't raise the glass to her lips.
"I haven't been to the Mauti Coast in years," Saral gushed. "Is it still as beautiful?"
Cade nodded and took another sip. "The beach is nice, but I've always preferred the forest. It has such a timeless quality."
Saral's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Cade and an idea occurred to Van with such force that she thought surely her heart had stopped beating. She wanted to believe she was wrong, but the truth was so obvious she couldn't believe she hadn't realized it before. There wasn't any proof, so until Saral did or said something obvious Van couldn't just accuse her of nepotism.
Saral was in the perfect position and had all the resources she would need. She also had motive for wanting Cade and her mother dead. Cade had a brother but males couldn't inherit the throne. Saral or her mother would be next in line. But Cade once told Van that Temis has no desire to be queen; she refused the throne as a child and allowed Dorma to rule. Still, that didn't mean Saral felt the same way.
Cade tasted her brandy again, and Van noticed a slight smile on Saral's lips. She must have poisoned the drink.
"Cade!"
Van reached out and knocked the tumbler from her hand. The glass shattered as it hit the floor and brandy soaked into the rugs. Van lunged to her feet, ready to pounce on Saral, and stood face to face with a laser pistol. Given the situation, Saral had chosen the perfect weapon. Just as deadly as a blast rifle, it was almost soundless.
"Sit down," she ordered, her voice cruel. "Don't even think about calling the guards. I'll kill her before you say a word. You're looking a little sleepy, Cade."
"What have you done?" Cade's eyes drooped and she wobbled a little even in a sitting position.
Saral continued like Cade hadn't spoken. "Too much exercise with your little consort?"
"Van is my wife."
"She won't be for long."
Cade sagged and grabbed the arm of the chair for support. Van wanted to run to her, tempted to ignore Saral's threat. If she hadn't seen firsthand the results of callous efforts to eliminate Cade, she might have.
Van cautioned herself to wait. Saral would make a mistake and Van had to be ready to move at just the right moment.
"Why?" Cade rasped. "You're my family."
"You don't know the meaning of the word. If you did, you wouldn't have accepted the throne. You'd have made sure the true queen was anointed."
"That's not you," Van pointed out strongly. The weapon pivoted in her direction and Van swallowed hard.
"What do you know? You're an outsider. My mother should have been Queen before Dorma, and I would have been next in line. Our traditions say the first born carries the royal line, and that is not Cade."
Van could see Cade slipping away. She was too weak to counter Saral's reasoning and it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Saral was a psychopath and far beyond listening to reason.
"What was in the brandy?"
"An odorless, tasteless, and mostly untraceable poison. If you want something done, sometimes you just have to do it yourself," Saral quipped. "Don't worry. You drank some of it too, although not as much as Cade here. It might take a little longer, but at least you'll die together. After that, I can put you to bed together and make it look like an intruder slipped in and killed you during the night."
"The guards know you were here," Van pointed out.
"Yes, and when I leave I'll tell them not to disturb you. That the queen wants to be alone with her counterpart. They'll think I left because you want to spend some quality time together."
Cade's head drooped weakly. Van prevented her from falling to the floor by grabbing her around the waist. She was frantic that she couldn't do anything to stop this. If she made a move against Saral, she might kill them both outright.
"It's time. Help her up and move into the bedroom."
Saral stood and moved back where Van couldn't reach her. She indicated that Van and Cade should precede her. Van obeyed, lurching past Saral as she tried to hold Cade's weight. Cade was much taller and heavier, making things difficult. Van realized that if she didn't act against Saral, Cade would die regardless. Saral would probably situate them in the bed and wait to ensure they were dead before she left. Since Van hadn't imbibed any of the poison, she would only ensure Cade's demise if she pretended to be affected. She had no choice.
Perspiration dotted Cade's forehead. Her breathing was labored, she could hardly move. When Cade stumbled, Van took advantage of it by allowing Cade to fall to one knee. Van pretended to collapse toward the floor with her.
"Get up." Saral's voice was far too close.
Reacting quickly, Van released Cade and spun around. She swung her arm back and impacted solidly with Saral's hand and the weapon. The laser pistol sailed across the room, landing near the fireplace. The women went down in a tangle of limbs, fists flying as each attempted to pummel the other. They crashed into the table and something clattered to the floor. Saral managed to get the upper hand and straddled Van's waist. Hands were suddenly around her throat as Saral tried to strangle her. She was a l
ot stronger than Van expected.
Cade hadn't moved since she fell, either dead or unconscious. Van wouldn't get any help from her and her vision was going black. Dots of color danced before her eyes. Van kept one hand on Saral's wrist, trying to make her let go. With the other, she searched along the rug, praying whatever had fallen off the table would make a viable weapon. Van felt something hard yet smooth. She struggled to get her fingers around the neck of the brandy decanter. Almost full, the container was heavy. If she could only lift it.
With the last of her ebbing strength, Van swung the bottle, aiming at Saral's head. Her blood pounded in her ears so she didn't hear the container strike the target, but Saral's hands released her as she slumped over. Van drew in great shuddering gasps and her vision cleared. The brandy bottle had shattered and Saral stood drenched. Blue blood ran down her face from where a shard had sliced her skin, but she wasn't out of the fight yet. She dove toward Van and Van reacted on instinct. She planted her feet in Saral's stomach and tossed her over her head. Saral crashed down right on top of the laser pistol.
Van didn't wait for her to sight in on a target. She charged on top of Saral just as the woman turned and grabbed for the hand weapon. When it went off, she heard Saral scream and knew she was hit. A second later, Van lunged backward as the laser discharge set the brandy covering Saral aflame.
For a moment, Van was tempted to let her burn. She wondered why the guards didn't respond to the screams and then realized all of the suites were heavily insulated for privacy.
Van jumped up and grabbed a heavy rug. She used it to douse the flames, coughing from the acrid smoke. Once the flames subsided, Van sprinted for the door.
"Call a medic. The queen has been poisoned and Saral is dying."
She refused to say the same of Cade for fear it would come true. Instead, she bolted back to Cade and turned her over. Cade's skin was ashen and her eyes closed. She wasn't breathing.
HOURS PASSED WHILE Van waited outside the emergency medical theatre. Saral's mother, Temis, had made a brief appearance to ask about Cade, but Van could hardly face her. Temis's concern for Cade struck a sympathetic chord but her grief for Saral's death negated any warm feelings. She didn't care if some would view her behavior as callous. Cade was everything to her and she didn't regret taking Saral's life. After what she'd put Cade through, Van only regretted that Saral was dead so she couldn't kill her again.
The doors opened behind her and a physician wearing a white lab coat entered the waiting area. Grey hair stood out in wispy strands and his pale blue eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. He smiled despite that and sketched a bow in Van's direction, in deference to her status.
"Majesty, I don't mind telling you that it was touch and go for a while, but we managed to neutralize the poison. Queen Cade is awake and asking for you. Please keep it brief. She needs her rest."
Van wanted to sprint to Cade's side but realized that in this instance, she represented Alaran royalty. "Thank you, doctor." She walked sedately into Cade's room, relieved there weren't any medical personnel around to see her tears of relief.
Cade's dark hair stood out sharply against the stark white of the sheets, but her skin was almost the same exact shade. Her lips looked a little blue. Van tiptoed up to the bed, trying hard not to make any noise. Cade surprised her by opening her eyes and offering a weak smile.
"I hear you saved me again. That makes three times now."
Van sniffled and wiped her wet face with her sleeve. She leaned against the mattress, close enough to take comfort from the heat of Cade's body. "Third time's the charm. I'm sorry about Saral. I never dreamed she could be responsible."
A tear tracked from the corner of Cade's eye. "At least it's over now."
Van tensed, wondering if Cade referred to the threat against them or something else.
"What?" Cade took her hand. "Tell me what's troubling you, sweetheart."
Her chuckle broke on a sob and Van replied, "That's just the thing. Am I? Your sweetheart?"
"Why would you think otherwise?" Cade appeared genuinely confused and Van felt a little more confident.
"I know this isn't fair, certainly not so soon after Saral's...after Saral. And I wanted to wait until you were ready, but you almost died, Cade. That's not something I could live with so I need to know how you feel. About me."
Cade squeezed her hand. "Van, stop. Sit."
Van scooted onto the edge of the bed next to Cade, trying to avoid the medical tubes leading to her body. She waited nervously while Cade gathered her thoughts and then began to speak.
"Surely you know after the last week that I'm crazy about you."
"You are?" Van asked tremulously.
"Have I ever told you how soft your skin is and how wonderful you smell? Every time I take your hand, I feel the connection to my soul."
Van smiled upon hearing the words and leaned down to kiss Cade on the temple. She was so relieved she felt lightheaded. "You say the sweetest things."
"Come up here." Stretching out beside Cade, Van rested her head on the strong chest. "The real question is, do you want to end things between us, now that this ordeal is over?"
Listening to Cade's heartbeat, Van answered without hesitation, looking up into grey eyes. "I swore to be with you forever. You should know I never break a promise."
"That's good." Cade smiled and kissed Van's chin. "I intend to hold you to it."
Van settled down with her head on her wife's chest and eyes drifted closed as she considered all the possibilities that lay before them. A smile curled Van's lips, thinking that she'd begun life as an orphan. She'd always wondered if she would ever truly belong anywhere. Lying in Cade's arms, she knew she had found that place. It had been a mighty struggle to get here but she'd finally found her way home.
About the Author
S. Y. Thompson lives in North Texas with her Yorkie and six adopted cats. Her previous fan fiction works (all seventy-two stories) can be found on her website: SYThompson.com. S. Y. spent ten years as a United States Marine before becoming a San Diego County Deputy Sheriff. After an early retirement, S. Y. moved back to Texas and began writing in 2002. Currently, she is a full time student at Texas A&M University with a double major in Sociology and Criminology and a minor in Psychology.
She can be reached at [email protected] .
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Jamison Kessler and Lee Grayson are back in book two of the "Under" Series. Set one year after Under the Midnight Cloak, their adversary is very human. Someone has a fixation on Lee that manifests itself in a series of grisly murders rapidly approaching serial status and child abductions. These crimes are merely warnings, but what happens if Lee fails to interpret their meaning? Jamison, Lee and the Panthera rush to save the lives of the innocent while they struggle to identify the instrument of so much suffering. Strains in relationships cloud their ability to see the whole picture. At the same time, U. S. Park Police Detective Patricia Hex shows up to help out but may soon become a threat to the Panthera community. Jamison's concentration splits between Lee, a mysterious killer and trying to keep Hex out of the Council's crosshairs. Her lack of focus may be all the stalker needs to get to Lee.
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