Defender (Battle Born Book 4) Page 3

  She thrashed and screamed, projecting her desperation physically and telepathically. Make it stop! She had barely escaped with her soul in tatters. If she had to relive every moment of the past two years, she wouldn’t survive again.

  Chapter Two

  Raylon was jarred from sleep by debilitating fear and the muffled screams of a traumatized female. Through sheer force of will, he broke free of the terror and leapt from his bed. He was halfway across the room when he remembered he was naked. Not good. He tugged on his uniform pants and resumed his frantic dash toward Chandar’s suite.

  Remarkably, Indigo had beaten him to the doorway, but she hadn’t been able to trigger the door.

  “Security override, Raylon Lasenger, authorization 649. Open doors.” The door parted and he rushed past Indigo and ran for Chandar’s bedroom. The inner door opened as well, so he reached the bed in record time.

  Chandar had stopped screaming, but her pathetic whimpering was even more heartrending. He sat on the side of the bed and gathered her into his arms. “I’ve got you, angel. You’re safe now.”

  Zilor had joined Indigo by the time Raylon looked up, but they both hung back, allowing him to do what he did best. When Chandar was trapped by fear like this no one else could reach her. Raylon wasn’t sure why she responded to him, but everyone was grateful. A harbinger’s trance could become permanent if they remained semiconscious too long.

  He brushed the hair back from her ashen face as he supported her back with his other arm. “Chandar, open your eyes. Let me know you’re all right.” Tense silence descended as Chandar remained motionless. “Come on, angel. Find your way back to me.”

  Nothing.

  His heart thumped faster and his hands began to shake. This had happened before, but each time he’d been able to bring her out of it. He rocked his arm, moving her body without actually shaking her. “Chandar.” Fear made his voice sharper than he’d intended.

  “Let me try.”

  He’d been so engrossed in his efforts that he hadn’t even realized Danvier had joined them. The male harbinger stood in front of him, his features composed, expressionless, as always. Raylon just nodded, his throat too tight for words.

  Danvier bent to one knee and pressed his hand against his sister’s forehead. “Chandar, you must awaken. Follow my voice out of the darkness.”

  She moaned and rolled toward Raylon, pressing her face into the heat of his bare chest. Then her hand stroked up his arm and across his shoulder, fingers splayed to maximize contact. Raylon tensed, barely able to breathe. She was comforting herself, nothing more. She would have done this to anyone. Raylon had just about convinced himself when her lips parted and her tongue brushed against his skin. He sucked in a ragged breath and forced himself to blink. Had Danvier seen what she’d just done? Females craved touch and taste when they sensed a potential mate.

  He shook away the tantalizing coincidence. The farthest thing from Chandar’s mind right now was mating. He was being ridiculous.

  “Kiss her.” The sudden tension in Danvier’s voice confirmed that he had witnessed his sister’s actions and understood their implications.

  “No.” Raylon shifted her within the cradle of his arms, easing her face away from his chest. “She doesn’t realize what she’s doing.”

  Rather than argue with his conclusion, Danvier said, “Kiss her,” in a firmer tone.

  Raylon’s immediate reaction was to throw Danvier out of Chandar’s suite. Chandar had chosen Raylon as her protector not her stoic brother. But Danvier knew more about harbingers than anyone on the outpost. He was one, for gods’ sake.

  “Chandar,” Raylon used a warm, intimate tone. Hoping to appeal to her feminine instincts without crossing the physical boundary he’d established for himself. “You need to come back to us. Do it now.”

  She pushed her fingers into his hair and moaned, arching restlessly as if she were searching for something just out of reach.

  Shit. Maybe Danvier was right. This was taking much too long. Raylon pressed his hand against the side of her face and brushed her lips with his thumb.

  “Just kiss her,” Danvier snapped. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll try something else.”

  With a frustrated hiss, Raylon admitted that he was acting like a girl-shy adolescent, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. He’d been fighting the need to kiss her ever since the first night she spent in his cabin, curled up so trustingly against his side.

  Bending his head, he brushed her lips with his and waited for a response. She murmured something he didn’t understand, but didn’t open her eyes and didn’t respond. So he covered her mouth with his and pulled her more snugly against his chest.

  Gradually, she stirred, her fingers loosely fisting the back of his hair. He deepened the kiss, easing her lips apart with the tip of his tongue. She pressed her breasts against his chest and sought out his tongue with hers. Desire inundated his being, scalding hot and unexpected. He couldn’t want her like this. It was wrong. Utterly inappropriate. She wasn’t ready for a male friend, much less a demanding lover, and his basic nature made any other approach impossible.

  He pulled away, panting, dizzy with desire. “Chandar.”

  Her eyelids finally opened, but confusion still clouded her gaze. “Where am… What happened?”

  “You had a dream or a vision, but it didn’t release,” Danvier told her. “Do you remember what you saw? Were the images prophetic or historic?”

  “Are you all right?” Raylon glared at Danvier, frustrated by his all-business approach to every situation. She was clearly still dazed and uncertain. Danvier could have given her a minute to recover before badgering her with questions.

  Chandar’s hand slipped out of his hair and she touched her lips. “Did you…” Rather than finishing the thought, she answered her brother’s question. “Vinton Tandori is dead. His daughter witnessed the murder.” Danvier opened his mouth, obviously ready to bombard her with more questions, but Chandar raised her hand as she scooted off Raylon’s lap. “If you’ll give me a minute to dress, I’ll explain everything.”

  Chandar scooted off Raylon’s lap, and then the men filed out of her bedroom. Indigo stayed behind. “We don’t have to do this tonight. Say the word and I’ll throw them all out on their asses.”

  Chandar smiled, knowing her feisty friend would do it. Indigo’s hair was primarily blue, but pink and green strands drew attention to her pretty face. They hadn’t known each other long, but they’d spent many hours together working through Chandar’s frustration and fear.

  “The vision came for a reason. I need to explain what I saw.” Her legs felt shaky, almost liquid as she tried to stand.

  Indigo rushed to her side, supporting her until her strength returned. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Why did he kiss me?” She looked into Indigo’s deep blue eyes. “Or was that part of the vision?”

  A knowing smile rolled across Indigo’s lips, curving without parting them. “Do you frequently have visions about Raylon kissing you? I thought you didn’t think of him like that.”

  “My interest was never the problem.” She eased away from Indigo’s light hold and moved to the closet, still feeling a bit shaky. “He doesn’t think of me like that, so whatever I feel is irrelevant.”

  “Then why did he kiss you?” Indigo’s tone was warm and teasing rather than challenging. “He looked pretty interested to me.”

  “He was trying to draw me out of the trance.” She parted the closet doors and removed one of her harbinger robes. “I mean nothing to him.” She slipped the robe on right over her nightgown. A sleeveless tunic was usually worn over the underdress, but she didn’t bother with the decorative layer. “Why would Raylon be interested in…”

  “Someone like you?” Indigo shook her head, clearly displeased with the question. “Let’s see, you’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen, male or female. And that’s saying a lot on this outpost.”

  Chandar foug
ht back a smile. It was no secret that humans found Rodytes physically attractive. Problem was, Raylon wasn’t human. He was Rodyte. And Rodytes were strong and tall, with dark hair and darker eyes. She was the antithesis of the Rodyte standard of beauty.

  Before Chandar could argue the point, Indigo moved on. “You’re smart, brave and talented.”

  “And terrified of my own shadow.” She sighed. It hadn’t always been like this. The memory fragments had been horrific, but they’d revealed one thing clearly. There had been a time, not that long ago, when she faced her tormentors with defiance and courage, refusing to be broken. The question was, could she ever recapture that spirit, reignite that fire? “Raylon needs someone like you. Someone bold and unique.”

  “Well, I’m already taken and he sees only you.”

  Rather than argue with her friend, Chandar went into the outer room, leaving the bedroom door open as a signal for Indigo to follow. Zilor sat on the sofa, clearly waiting for his mate to join him there. Danvier sat in one of the matching chairs, while Raylon had dragged one of the dining room’s chairs into the sitting area. That left the final armchair for her. She crossed to the chair without a word and sat down.

  They all stared at her in silent expectation. She’d asked them to stay. It was her responsibility to guide the conversation. After filling her lungs, she began her explanation. “Raylon programed a series of images for me to study. They were places I’ve been, situations that should have been familiar. One of those images caught my attention from the very start.”

  “The forest scene?” Indigo deduced. Then she looked at Raylon and asked, “Do you remember which forest you programed into the slideshow?”

  He shook his head. “Harbinger Academy is surrounded by forests. It was just a random image of trees.”

  “I agree,” Chandar told them. “However, my gift attempted to engage each time I looked at the image. I could sense something different about the scene.”

  “You thought something or someone was hiding in the trees,” Indigo muttered thoughtfully. They’d spoken about Chandar’s premonition, but they’d been unable to expand upon the vague sense of wrong.

  “Someone was lurking in the trees, a murderer.” She paused for a second to make sure everyone was listening. “At first I saw the scene from the murderer’s perspective, so all I could be sure of was that she was female. But after Vinton invited her into his cabin, my perspective changed.”

  “You’re certain it was Vinton Tandori?” Zilor asked.

  “This will be easier if you let me explain the entire sequence of events,” she told him with a tentative smile. She hadn’t spent much time with the handsome warrior, but Indigo trusted him and Chandar trusted Indigo.

  “Go on,” Danvier urged, his gaze steady and intense. “We’ll behave.” He followed the promise with a warning look for each of the others.

  Everyone was being calm and friendly, but it was hard to forget they had all been in her bedroom a few moments ago, watching her struggle within the stubborn hold of a vision. They must think she was a freak. “I didn’t hear much of the conversation, but the man mentioned Tandori Tribe. And once the vision shifted perspective, I knew who he was because my host knew him well.” When a couple of nods were the only reactions, she continued. “Vinton and his murderer argued and then he grew suspicious. He trapped her in an energy cloud and the female panicked. She drew a pulse pistol and shot him with it. I don’t think she meant to kill him, but his head collided with a peg sticking out of the wall. That’s when she took off and the dog shifted.”

  “Wait a minute,” Raylon stopped her with an upraised hand. “What dog?”

  “Sorry.” She rubbed her temples. Visons always gave her a headache. Pressure thumped behind her eyes, echoing her pulse. “Vinton had a canine shifter with him. I didn’t realize she was a shifter until my spirit flowed into her body. I thought she was just a dog.”

  “What was the shifter’s connection to Vinton? Why was she there?” Indigo asked.

  “The shifter is Vinton Tandori’s daughter.”

  “Damn.” Indigo shook her head as compassion darkened her eyes. “She must have been devastated.” Then understanding sharpened her expression. “Did you sense the girl’s emotions as she watched her father die?”

  Leave it to her therapist to uncover the emotional angle. Chandar nodded, but the men remained focused on the practical aspects of the situation.

  “Were you able to see the murderer while you were in the shifter?” Danvier asked.

  Again Chandar nodded. “She looked Rodyte. Her phitons were bright green, as were the tips of her short dark hair. But she wore a brown jacket and jeans, not a uniform. I don’t think she came from one of our ships.”

  Danvier seemed to agree. “The only ship with female personnel is the Intrepid.”

  “Does anyone have a datapad handy?” Zilor asked. “You’ve just described Lady M.” He glanced at Indigo as he added, “That’s who I was trying to find when I visited Outpost LA a few days back.”

  “I think the central computer is finally online,” Raylon told him. “Pavilion, display a current image of Milanni, also known as Lady M. She manages Club Norax in Outpost LA.” Raylon looked at Chandar as he rattled off the search criteria.

  Heat spread across her face and her lips tingled. She’d been so dazed, so disoriented as she struggled to free herself from the trance that she’d only been vaguely aware of his mouth moving over hers. She wanted to feel it again, while she was wide awake and fully aware. But even now, all she saw was compassion in his eyes.

  A holobeam smoothly descended from the ceiling in the center of the sitting area. The light gradually expanded and an image formed inside the shimmery column. Tall and curvaceous, like any good Rodyte, Milanni’s angular features were showcased by short dark hair.

  “That’s her,” Chandar confirmed. “Her hair is different now, wilder. But it’s definitely the same person.”

  Raylon deactivated the display with a hand gesture, his gaze focused on Zilor. “Why would Lady M kill Vinton Tandori? I don’t see a motive.”

  “She was likely contracted by someone else,” Zilor decided.

  “I don’t think she meant to kill him,” Chandar reminded them. “It really was more of an accident than coldblooded murder.”

  “Somehow I doubt Tandori Tribe will see it that way.” Raylon’s voice had turned gruff and rumbly. “They step out of the shadows for the first time in generations and one of their leaders ends up dead.” He shook his head. “No one is going to believe that is coincidental.”

  “And you’re certain these events have already happened?” Danvier asked. “If this was a warning, perhaps we can still save him.”

  He hadn’t meant it as a criticism, but Chandar felt reproached all the same. “My powers were affected by the memory wipe,” she sighed and averted her gaze. “I felt the energy stir each time I looked at that image, but I was unable to…I wasn’t ready.”

  “You’re ready now.”

  Danvier’s words had been meant to encourage her, she was sure. Unfortunately, all she felt was fear and dread. “Does this affect your meeting tomorrow?” she asked Raylon. “I’m not sure why I was shown this event.”

  His gaze narrowed slightly and he tilted his head. “How did you know I have a meeting tomorrow?”

  She lowered her gaze to her lap, feeling like a bothersome sibling. “Your voice carries. I heard enough of your conversation with Nazerel to guess that you and General Nox will be meeting with the human taskforce tomorrow.”

  “I’ll have to be more careful with my holocoms.” She couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or amused, so she looked at him. Their gazes collided and held for one breathless moment before Raylon’s version of a smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “Or you need to stop lurking in doorways.”

  There was no animosity in his tone, just the patient sort of indulgence one offered a child. She wanted to shake him and force him to see beyond her vulnerability. She was
recovering. She wasn’t helpless.

  Instead, she whispered, “I’m sorry.” It was an automatic response. One she offered too often in her opinion, and yet she couldn’t seem to stop.

  “How will this affect the negotiations?” Zilor prompted. He didn’t seem surprised by the meeting, so it must not have been as big a secret as she’d feared.

  “I suppose that depends on how the other Tandoris react to Vinton’s death.” Raylon looked at her again, his rugged features expressionless. “Where did the shifter go after the accident?”

  “She sensed danger and ran out into the surrounding forest. If she’d hesitated a moment longer, she’d be dead too. An energy pulse shot from the sky like a massive lightning bolt. Milanni must have had some sort of ship.”

  “She wasn’t subtle about covering her tracks, but she was smart. Or at least she thought she was.” Raylon’s gaze lingered on her even though he was speaking to the room at large. It was strange. He usually avoided eye contact or ignored her all together.

  “If it weren’t for the shifter, this could have gotten ugly fast.” Zilor stretched out his arm along the back of the sofa. Indigo automatically snuggled closer and rested her head against his shoulder. “Kotto and Raina were likely two of the last to see him alive. And their interaction was anything but friendly.”

  “And me,” Indigo reminded him. “I was there too, trying to keep them from tearing each other apart.”

  “The shifter saw everything,” Chandar assured. “No one will blame us.”

  “But who else gains from Vinton’s death?” Indigo tried, and failed, to hide her yawn.

  Chandar pushed to her feet and waved them toward the main door. “Out, all of you. We can talk about this in the morning.”

  The sleepy couple was happy to oblige her, but Danvier and Raylon lingered. Likely because each was uncomfortable with the other remaining in her suite. Despite his cold exterior, Danvier was surprisingly overprotective of her. They’d been separated as children and he’d spent most of his life believing she was dead. Still, familial bonds were hard to break. It was obvious he still cared deeply for her.