Defender (Battle Born Book 4) Page 12

  Unable to suppress the carnal hunger, she rocked against him. He widened his stance and grasped her hips, guiding her movements without taking over.

  Their kiss became frantic as their tongues dueled and their bodies rubbed. She felt empty and desperate, the intensity of her need shocking. He was just as aroused, yet concern for her allowed him to control his desire, giving her only what she was ready to receive.

  Over and over she slid against him, rubbing her clit against the smooth hardness of his shaft. He steadied her, supported her, but true to his promise he didn’t pressure her for more. She drove herself closer and closer to release, but it was obvious he wasn’t coming with her. She could sense his distraction and unease.

  She stopped rocking and opened her eyes. It took a moment for him to look at her. “I don’t want to use you like a sex toy.” She unhooked her legs and wiggled free of his hold. “That’s not why I asked you to stay.” She quickly rinsed the rest of the lather from her hair and rushed from the shower. Grabbing a towel on her way out, she left him alone in the utility room.

  By the time Raylon stepped into the bedroom, Chandar had dried off and slipped on one of her billowy nightgowns. Her hair was still wet and tangled, but her comb and brush were in the bathroom.

  He had a towel wrapped around his hips and had finger-combed his hair back from his face. “I don’t understand why you’re upset. Couldn’t you sense how much I want you? You’re not using me.”

  “You’re afraid of me now. I can sense how much you’re holding back.”

  He started to reply then shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She struggled for the words that would make everything all right, but they were overshadowed by doubt and fear. “I can’t… I don’t know how to do this.” She frantically blinked back tears and forced conviction into her tone. “Indigo’s right. I’m not ready for this.”

  After staring at her for a long, tense moment, he nodded. “If you need anything, I’m right next door.”

  Chapter Seven

  Pyre enjoyed her creature comforts more than most, but even she found Keirestine Palace gaudy. The massive double doors leading into the throne room were heaved open by four burly guards. Everything was oversized and sparkly, a glaring contrast to the sovereign who called this monstrosity home.

  “Holy Mother Creator,” Arrix whispered as his eyes rounded.

  That was right, her head of security had never been to court before. His family was elite, but only the upper echelon of pureblood Rodytes were presented to their planet’s ruler. Arrix and his family didn’t qualify.

  Knowing her companion had never seen the palace before allowed Pyre to appreciate the esthetic grandeur of their surroundings, even as she found it all a bit overblown. Thick grooved pillars supported a highly arched ceiling, which was divided into distinct sections. Each section displayed a bloody battle in which the Rodyte army triumphed over their enemy. The walls were constructed of rare sitrian, an off-white stone marbled with veins of ever-changing color. The effect was mesmerizing, which was why the stone had been chosen. If a visitor wasn’t used to the strange iridescence it made one feel rather queasy, giving the crown stirate a subtle advantage. And gods’ knew Quinton needed every advantage he could find.

  As they neared the platform on which the throne was displayed, Pyre and Arrix knelt.

  “What do you want?” Quinton drawled. “You haven’t attended my galas for longer than I can remember. Why show up now?”

  He hadn’t told her she could rise, but Pyre ignored protocol and stood anyway. With obvious reluctance Arrix followed her example. “I have information that could prove mutually beneficial.”

  Quinton insisted on surrounding himself with giants, which only made him look even scrawnier than nature made him. With a long thin face and fondness for bright colors, he seemed lost in the trappings of royalty. “I’m listening, but my attention has a tendency to wander so make it quick and to the point.”

  Truer words had never passed his lips. Quinton frequently flit and fluttered from one subject to another without any rhyme or reason. “These words are for your ears alone.”

  He groaned as he pushed to his feet. “This better be good.” He motioned her toward the doorway to the right of the dais and ordered his guards to stay behind.

  She followed Quinton as far as the threshold then looked at Arrix. “Wait for me here.”

  “Yes, mistress.” A faint smile curved his lips, reminding her of the pleasure they’d shared four nights before. Not wanting him to grow too sure of himself, she’d acted as if nothing had happened for the next two nights. Then last night they’d switched roles and she had submitted to him. Their unique sexual dynamic was almost enough to make her give up her search for a genetically compatible harbinger. Almost.

  Arrix firmly shut the door, enclosing her in a stately office with Quinton. The furniture was dark and boxy, at least fifty years out of date. Somehow, she didn’t think the current crown stirate spent a lot of time in this room.

  “So what’s this about?” he prompted, his tone bland, expression bored.

  Fortifying herself with a deep breath, Pyre prepared for the most important performance of her life. She had every intention of taking control of the Integration Guild. Not directly, of course. As Arrix pointed out, it would be foolish to even try to overpower a technomage, much less a small army of them. She would guide their decisions from the shadows and utilize their influence to accomplish her goals. That way they would retain their mystique while they reluctantly did her bidding.

  With Javin no longer in the picture, it made more sense to manipulate Quinton rather than overthrowing him. At least until her hold on the Integration Guild was solidified. Those close to Quinton knew how incompetent he was, but the backing of the crown still legitimized deals that might not otherwise be taken seriously. This was particularly important when dealing with off-world entities.

  And hopefully, the indirect result from this conversation would be the removal of Haven Tandori. As soon as Haven learned that Quinton was on to her, she would scurry away into the obscurity from whence she’d come. She’d have no choice. If Quinton arrested her, she’d spend the rest of her life in a royal prison.

  Time to launch her campaign. Pyre took a deep breath and began, “I have reason to believe Javin Aidentar is dead and the Integration Guild is going out of their way to make sure no one knows about it.”

  Quinton just stared back at her in disbelief for a long, tense moment. “What led you to this conclusion?” He stood in front of a large desk, elaborately carved like everything in the palace. Without the dramatic backdrop of the throne room, he appeared even more clownish.

  “I sent several messages to IG Headquarters requesting an interactive holocom with Javin. Each request was refused without explanation, so I dug deeper.”

  “Maybe he just doesn’t want to talk to you. It happens, you know. Passion fades and bitterness takes over. When a female can’t accept that she’s been replaced, things become awkward fast.”

  She wasn’t sure if he was intentionally provoking her, but she wanted to strangle him just the same. And how had he found out she’d been replaced? Haven lived in self-imposed isolation to avoid discovery. Pyre was likely the only one outside the Integration Guild that knew Haven Tandori was on Rodymia. “Javin’s reason for refusing to see me is irrelevant because Javin wasn’t the one who responded to my messages.”

  “This you know or suspect?” He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his gaze.

  “Arrix, my body guard, has a sister who works for Javin. She confirmed that no one in his household has seen him for the past four months. Haven made up excuses for the first few weeks but—”

  “Haven? Who in hell’s rings is Haven?”

  Oh shit. Pyre felt the blood drain from her face. She hadn’t planned to identify her rival, had only intended to win Quinton’s support by informing him about Javin’s death. But Quinton’s crack about Javin repl
acing her led her to believe he already knew. Apparently, she’d given Quinton more credit than he deserved. What should she do now? Doubtlessly, Quinton would arrest Haven, but then what? Could he use her to—

  “Answer me!”

  “Haven Tandori is Javin’s new lover.”

  “How long has Haven Tandori been on my planet?” Clearly agitated by the news, he pushed off the desk and paced in front of Pyre. “All of Tandori Tribe was banished by my father. How did she make it through security?”

  “I can’t answer that, sire.” The situation quickly spiraled out of control, becoming worse with each revolution. “She uses a fake name and seldom leaves IG Headquarters. She obviously knows she’s considered a fugitive.”

  “I’ll summon them both immediately.” Arrogance filled every word. “If Javin’s still alive, he’s protecting this Haven person. That alone is treason. If he fails to appear, I’ll raid IG Headquarters. Javin’s followers have acted as if they’re above the law for much too long as it is.” He stared beyond her for a moment, then his gaze snapped back to her face. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

  She hesitated, desperately scrambling for a way to salvage this disaster. Quinton was so myopic it was almost comical. His strategy had all the finesse of a child playing with toy soldiers. Their best advantage was the fact that the IG had no idea they were aware of the problem. If he summoned Javin and Haven to the palace, it revealed that they knew Haven was here illegally and that something was obviously wrong.

  His pointed chin shot up and he stared down his nose at her. “Was there something else?”

  Now if he simply consolidated the elements of his plan, it would be far more impactful. He needed to raid IG Headquarters without warning and interrogate everyone on the spot. That way they wouldn’t be able to hide the truth or prepare their arguments. But she’d be damned before she rescued Quinton Kier from his own stupidity!

  “No, sire. There’s nothing else.”

  “Then you may go.” He urged her toward the door with the motion of his fingers.

  “Thank you, sire. Will you please let me know what you find out? If Javin is truly dead, the other guild leaders will want to know.”

  “Oh, I’m sure they will.” His eyes narrowed and his phitons blazed with blue fire. “But telling them anything is no benefit to me. The guilds have flouted my authority for years. This might be just what I need to bring them all back in line.”

  Pyre struggled to hide her astonishment. She’d known Quinton could be unpredictable, but this was just plain stupid. “You’re already at war with the battle born. Do you really want to challenge the guild masters?”

  “I will be taken seriously,” he snapped. “If Javin Aidentar is dead, as you believe, then this is the perfect opportunity for me to take back control of the Integration Guild. Once I control the IG, the rest will follow. They’ll have no option. Every guild will obey me or I’ll shut off their access to the technologies they rely on so heavily.”

  Surprisingly, it was a damn good plan. In fact, it was exactly what she’d planned to do. Whoever controlled the Integration Guild controlled Rodymia and everyone knew it. She just stared at him silently, making no effort to hide her resentment.

  “You brought this to me and I’ve agreed to take action. That locks you into this deal. You will not speak to anyone about what transpired in this office and everything we spoke about is now confidential. I presume you know the penalty for spreading confidential information.”

  “I do.” Anyone passing on confidential information would be banished to one of the outer colonies, outposts so primitive Pyre would rather be dead than subject herself to the living conditions.

  Quinton’s expression went from thoughtful to smug in less than a minute. “Unless you have other information for me, you may go.”

  She nodded once then strode from the room. She didn’t speak again until she and Arrix were safely inside her ship and the jammer shields were engaged. “Either Quinton’s got a death wish or he’s not as stupid as we thought.”

  Arrix’s fingers flowed through the ship’s holocontrols, activating some systems while assessing the readiness of others. “Is he going to arrest Haven?”

  “Worse, so much worse. He’s going to try to take control of the Integration Guild.”

  Arrix lowered his hands and looked at her, clearly surprised by her answer. “The other guild masters will never allow that to happen.”

  “We know that, but apparently Quinton doesn’t realize how much they hate him.” With an exasperated sigh, she ran both hands through her hair. “This did not turn out the way I expected.” No reason for him to know that the primary reason was a galactic misstep on her part. “As soon as we’re airborne, we have to start making coms. We have to get to the guild masters before Quinton moves on the IG. That’s the only way to avert this disaster.”

  * * * * *

  Five days had passed since Chandar’s restoration and still she hadn’t had a vision. Long, in-depth sessions with Indigo kept frustration from completely overwhelming Chandar, but she still felt useless. Broken.

  “You can’t let this defeat you,” Indigo said as they left Chandar’s suite and entered the courtyard. One of the maintenance teams discovered a program that changed the esthetics of the common area. The fountain and benches remained the same, but the sky and surrounding images could be altered, creating a variety of settings. Currently the program created a cool, autumn scene, complete with the tranquil haze of twilight.

  “I’m not sure what else to do.” Chandar sat on the edge of the fountain facing Indigo, who sat on one of the benches. “I’ve tried every technique I know and my gift still won’t engage.”

  “Not every technique.” The deep male voice came from somewhere behind her.

  Chandar quickly stood and turned around, moving to one side so she could see around the fountain. Vox stood just inside the archway leading to the rest of Lunar Nine. She hadn’t seen him since her restoration, had wondered if he’d returned to Bilarri. “Which techniques have I not tried?”

  “The ones I taught you.” He strolled toward her, his movements smooth yet powerful. Though he lacked the height and obvious brawn of a Rodyte warrior, his body was perfectly proportioned and lean. His red phitons seemed unusually bright, yet she wasn’t sure if it was the color or a reflection of the power at his disposal. The close-clipped beard shadowing his jawline was new. In all her memories of Vox, he’d been clean-shaven. She’d always found him handsome, but now the attraction felt casual, unimportant.

  His clothing, though common on Bilarri, distinguished him from the uniformed Rodytes. A hip-length tunic of red and gold was belted at the waist. His tan-colored pants were tightly braided from something that looked like leather, though she doubted it was actually animal skin. Kneehigh boots completed the ensemble, which was rich yet oddly sedate for a Bilarrian prince. And unlike the warriors, Vox appeared to be unarmed. The thought made her shiver. It was a misleading illusion. A Bilarrian mage was never without weapons.

  “How do you know which techniques she’s tried?” Indigo stood as well and rushed to Chandar’s side. Her overprotectiveness was sweet, but misplaced when it came to Vox.

  Chandar reached over and touched her arm. “I remember him clearly now. He’s more than earned my trust. Just like you, he’s here to help.”

  Indigo nodded though her gaze remained narrowed and watchful, and she didn’t move from Chandar’s side.

  Vox stepped closer, stopping just out of reach. “When your abilities remain elusive, what are the two paths by which you can access your energy?”

  “Pleasure and pain.” Chandar glanced at Indigo. Did she know where this conversation was leading? Had Vox told her about his unconventional techniques? “When you trained me before I wasn’t involved with anyone.”

  A warm chuckle rumbled from Vox’s throat. “I’m not suggesting we resume training. The technique is simple and your choice of partner is none of my business.”
He shifted his focus to Indigo and smiled, the expression did little to counteract the power pulsing from his body. “In fact, Chandar is not the reason I’m here today. I came to speak with you.”

  “About what?” Indigo had taken her suspicion down a notch or two, but tension still thinned her lips.

  “I know you’ve been working with Danvier on basic concentration exercises, but one of my aunts is a soul seer. I’m more familiar with your gift than Danvier. And once I’ve taught you all I can, I’ll put you in touch with my aunt.”

  Indigo looked from Vox to Chandar and back. “You’re willing to stay here and train me or would I have to travel to your planet?”

  “I’d be willing to stay, for a while,” he assured her. “There are many on my planet who are interested in this rebellion.”

  “Interested enough to support our cause?” Chandar suggested with a smile.

  “Unlikely. I’m an observer nothing more.”

  Chandar thought they’d reached consensus when Indigo cleared her throat and asked, “Do all of your techniques require…physical stimulation?”

  He laughed and shook his head. “The techniques I taught Chandar are used as a last resort. You have yet to learn basic skills. There will be no need for anything else for a very long time.”

  Indigo finally relaxed enough to smile. “Then I’d be honored to work with you. I’m anxious to learn all I can about my gift.”

  * * * * *

  Raylon widened his stance and threw a fast right hook. Garin’s head snapped to the side, but the impact didn’t slow him down. He retaliated with a vicious series of jabs. A burst of pain announced the location of each blow: ribs, shoulder, stomach, then ribs again. Raylon staggered back with a grunt then repositioned. They’d been at this for nearly an hour. Padded gloves and protective headgear kept them from doing any lasting damage, but the precautions did little to lessen the pain.