“You know, I can’t remember the last time someone held me.”
Jax’s chest rose as he took a deep breath. “Third level of Maslow’s needs.”
Nya half smiled. “Hey, I’m moving up in the world.”
Leaning back, he rested his shoulders against the headboard, settling her between his thighs. She closed her eyes as his feet dipped under hers, nudging them down until her legs straightened out and her body relaxed.
He pulled the discarded covers over them both.
“Why do I remember this now?”
Jax tucked her hair behind her ear. “Often, when we go through traumatic events our mind keeps memories from us until we can handle them. It’s a good sign that you’re starting to remember, but try not to stress about it. Concentrate on the Trials. Your memory will come in time.”
The door opened, and a nurse came in, IV bag in hand. She spoke to Jax in Romanian, something about pain meds and Nya needing to rest.
“They’re giving you something to help you sleep.”
The nurse changed the bag and plunged the syringe into the line. She left, and the room grew fuzzy.
Nya fought to stay awake. “Wait ... I knew you’d be in Carpathia. Just not so soon. Why are you here now?”
Jax sighed. “I told you after the championship. I’m here for you.”
Heat warmed her veins, her eyelids drooped. “Yeah—as my shrink. I bet your female had some choice words to say about all that.”
Jax tilted her head so he could see her eyes. “What female?”
“Xari and I saw you with her—in town.” Nya blinked a few times. “She looked sophisticated, intelligent.”
“Joanna’s a colleague that’s been helping me with some research. Nothing more.”
She took a deep breath and sighed. “It’s okay, you don’t have to lie. I saw the way your hand rested on her back, the way her thumb brushed across your lips. And then she looked at you. Really looked at you. She let you touch her like it was easy as breathin’. I can’t imagine it ... someone touchin’ me like that, I mean.”
“Vtachi.” His voice deepened.
Nya turned and settled back in her spot. “An’ then she turned and smiled at you like you were the only thing in the world ... all soft and feminine. Intimate. That’s what it was. Intimate.” She tried to focus on his hands, so large and strong, encompassing hers. “You deserve someone good at the whole intimacy thing.”
Why did those words feel like someone was knifing her through the chest?
Jax wrapped her in his arms. “You didn’t see what you thought you saw.”
“Saw ‘nuff to know,” she mumbled. “An’ it’s okay. I know the score. You’re my shrink who’s helping me, so I don’ end up killin’ someone when they start touchin’ my pink parts. You’ll go back to your lil’ miss perfect, and I’ll try not to shank my rovni in his sleep.” Her lips turned up in a sloppy smile. “Shank ... that’s a Xari word.”
“I’m not going anywhere, and you’re not shanking anyone.”
“Yeah. My big, badass Tova shrink will make sure of it, huh?” She closed her eyes, her voice barely making it past her lips. “I know what you’re gonna say ... We got this.”
Jax sighed as her head lolled to the side. He rested his lips on her neck.
“Yeah, Vtachi. We got this.”
A wall of monitors flickered in a hidden room just beyond the Madame Chancellor’s private quarters. Alexandra sat in an upholstered chair that looked like something Igor the 1st might have owned. She usually concentrated on a series of screens to the right, which housed all the cameras around the perimeter. Sometimes she viewed the guest hallways, or even a few quarters if she felt there were cause.
But today, her attention was completely fixed on the top left screens of Jax holding Nya as she cried. She rolled the Turkish cigarette between her thumb and forefinger.
“I understand we’ve made a breakthrough.” Victor’s calm voice came from behind.
Alexandra turned the sound down. “Looks more like a breakdown, no thanks to you.”
Victor’s brow rose. “I thought we were trying to jog Anya’s memory, not bury it.”
“I still think exposing her to someone she doesn’t remember is a risk. Now that she’s in the Trials, she must focus on finding her rovni. We’ll have to deal with the issue of Penn afterward.” Smoke rolled from her mouth as she spoke, making her features harsh, ruthless.
“Would it be better to wait?” Victor took a seat next to the chancellor. “Regardless who she chooses, he’ll be a warrior of merit. And he won’t be happy that his mate has been put through such an ordeal, much less at the hands of the Society.”
Alexandra stilled. “And what do you mean by that?”
“You know what I mean. Before young Nya had entered secondary school, she was allowed to have feelings for the son of one of the worst Allos the world has ever known. You shouldn’t have sanctioned it, and her parents should never have allowed it.”
“Ike had it under control.”
Victor kept his eyes on the monitor, watching Jax’s body encompass Nya’s smaller frame. There was nothing sexual about the move, but protection practically emanated from him. She turned her face, resting her ear on his chest, drawing comfort from him. Jax kissed the top of her head before looking at the camera, his angry bitterness glaring in his eyes.
Victor tapped the monitor. “From the way things turned out, I’d have to disagree.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Sir, you’ll need to fasten your belt.” Stephan spoke in a hushed whisper as the red light flashed overhead. The window shades had been pulled down throughout the plane’s cabin, leaving only rims of dismal light. Penn sat alone in the back, his personal guard in the front as far away as possible. Only Stephan was allowed near him, and he strategically placed himself on the other side of the aisle.
The engine roared to life, and Penn buckled in. His eyes ached from the ride over, but the discomfort started to subside. His best scientists were making great strides in lessening the pain wrought from his father’s serum, but so far, the effects of the Phoenix were irreversible.
For a brief time in Ireland, Penn had hoped that he could avoid being conditioned at all. But then his bastard of a father threw him in that hell hole of a camp. His “training” began with a series of tests and then injections. That’s when the blood fires started. At least that’s the only way he could describe the feeling. One wrong thought or memory and every nerve ending blazed, leaving the sensation of being burned alive from the inside out. Death would have been preferable, but that peace only came to those not strong enough to handle the pain. The Drahzdan doctors made sure Penn survived by monitoring his progress. If his pulse became weak, they combined hypnosis and some form of barbiturate to bring him back from the precipice of death. And then they would begin again. Asking a series of questions, bringing up memories they fused with triggers. Over and over, day after day, blood fires ravaged him until his old consciousness had disintegrated. The Drahzda termed the method “Phoenix Conditioning” because out of ashes came a new, ruthless fighter. One worthy to wear a Drahzdan crest.
Even now, with constant medication, the blood fires never truly ceased. Unfortunate that his Ana had to suffer the same affliction. But in the end, when she came to him, submitted to him, willingly allowed him to take her, he would spend his life making sure she never burned again.
“How long?” Penn muttered.
Stephan stirred in his seat. “A few hours in the air, and then another few on land. We should arrive at the safe house before nightfall.”
“And Ana’s new home?”
“Supplies are already rolling in. We should begin within forty-eight hours.”
Pleased, Penn eased his chair back and closed his eyes.
“Um ... Ny?” Xari’s voice gently drifted across the room.
Nya stirred, nuzzling against something that was firm, warm and smelled like heaven. God, she hadn’t slept this we
ll in years.
“I don’t want to train today, Xari,” she grumbled, settling in as warmth tightened around her. “Tell Jax to kiss my ass.”
“Language, Vtachi.” A dark sleep-scratched voice rumbled under her ear.
Nya’s eyes flipped open, taking in Xari’s shocked expression. She tried to sit up, but Jax tightened his grip around her torso, pulling her against his chest.
“Morning,” he kissed the top of her head.
Xari’s eyes were as big as saucers. “I ... uh wanted to make sure you were all right, but I see Jax has everything in hand.” Her faced reddened as she realized what she’d implied. “I mean, I’m glad to see you’re doing better. I’ll ... uh, I’ll see you at lunch.”
Xari closed the door, and Nya groaned. “Well, that wasn’t awkward at all. Let me up.”
“Not yet.” Jax wove his fingers through hers and pulled her closer. “I told you there would come a day when you wouldn’t be able to run. You had a breakthrough last night, and we need to talk about it. We’re staying just like this until everything is out in the open.”
Of course, he’d want to have a session. She didn’t need this shit right now. “Let me up.”
“No.”
“I need to pee.”
Jax huffed in her ear. “Nice try. You have a catheter.”
Mortified, Nya’s head fell back against his chest.
“Let’s start with the obvious. How do you feel?”
“My leg’s much better, thanks.”
Jax rested his chin on her shoulder. “Let me restate. How do you feel after last night’s memory?”
She kept her eyes on the large window across the room, glad she wasn’t facing him. It was easier to talk when he couldn’t see her.
“I’m not sure. Something happened, and I realized that my instinct is screwed up ... like it’s been tampered with. I think you’ve been right all along. This has something to do with Penn. I just don’t know what.”
The door swung open, and Nya froze as the surgeon and a nurse came in.
“And how are we feeling today?” The doctor smiled, acting like it was completely normal that Jax was in bed with her. She lifted the covers from their legs, bypassing Jax’s thick thigh like it was part of the mattress and flipping Nya’s cotton gown up to her hips.
Heat rushed across Nya’s face. Great. Jax had been holding her all night while she was practically naked.
The surgeon took the bandage off the top of her thigh and smiled. Pink flesh puckered around a series of staples, but the wound looked a hundred times better.
“Seems to be healing nicely,” she said. “You’re finishing up the third round of antibiotics now, and if all goes well, you’ll be discharged before lunch. I’ll take the staples out in a few days.”
“Thank you,” Nya muttered, not sure what else to say.
The doctor smiled and headed for the door. “And no more wrestling with wild animals for a while.”
Nya shifted the blanket back to her chest. “Like I was doing it for fun.”
Jax chuckled, and silence settled around them once more.
The longer the quiet stretched, the more fidgety she became.
God, she hated his waiting game.
“My father is the head of Fourth Generation warfare,” she finally stated like Jax didn’t already know this.
“Yes, he is.”
“We used to talk about everything at the dinner table.”
“Where are you going with this, Vtachi?”
She turned so she could see his face. “He once told me about these innocent Allos who’d been mentally conditioned into becoming suicide bombers. I think something like that has happened to me.”
His eyes sparked with interest. “Explain.”
“Last night, when I mentioned Penn, memories flooded my mind. When we were kids, he’d say that when we grew up, he’d protect me. It was sweet in a weird Allos kind of way. Anyway, there was a flash of memory. We weren’t kids. Penn was a man, and he stood over me, taunting me. Like he wanted me to admit I was helpless without him or something.” Nya’s voice became desperate. “But that couldn’t have been Penn, could it? And is that possible? For something like that to happen?”
Jax settled her legs across his, so she’d be more comfortable. “Only you know if it was Penn or not. And yes, it’s possible.”
“But how could anyone condition someone’s mind in just one night?”
“You can’t. They’d need more time.”
He traced her jawline, his thumb skating over her bottom lip, and the world fell away. She became acutely aware of his chiseled features. His scent. His eyes. His hard body resting alongside her hip. And for the first time in her life, she wanted to lean in and kiss someone. Touch her lips to theirs. Connect in a sexual way.
His deep brown eyes, fierce yet tender, searched her face. “You’ll remember everything eventually.”
That calm counselor tone had Nya pulling away. Even though she’d been through some heavy shit the past twenty-four hours, nothing had changed. She’d better remember Jax was here as her shrink—this was a form of therapy, nothing more. After the Trials, she’d be off with her rovni and Jax would be back in the States. With that female.
And wasn’t that a depressing thought?
Metal clanging against metal rang in the stadium as hundreds of warriors sparred. A crowd filled the lower deck, watching as champions roamed through the arena, solely focused on potential candidates. Alexandra usually looked forward to the first round, seeing warriors spar with both modern and ancient weaponry. The tradition had furthered their race, and she loved being a part of it. And yet, today her eyes traveled across the arena floor like it was empty, her mind on Anya, and the potential political firestorm she might cause.
Centuries ago, Scythians created a council that presided solely over the mating ritual. This assured that politics would have no bearing on the Trials. The governing Chancellor was strictly forbidden to influence or rule unless called upon by the council.
Which made the situation impossible to control.
Nya winning the championship had sparked international interest. And now, all Scythian eyes had turned to Romania. If the media got wind of what happened, the political fallout would be more disastrous than the Chevnian riots. Worse, if the young warrior was seen as permanently scarred by her past, the Society itself could split into two factions—one following the traditionalist, the other supporting the opposition, most likely led by Zander, the Tovaris Suveran.
It didn’t help that rumors of her goddaughter’s nightmare had already circulated throughout the infirmary.
Maybe it was time Alexandra publicly reached out with love and support. That would eclipse any hint that something was wrong, and it would give her a chance to judge the girl’s mental state for herself. After all, she hadn’t had the opportunity to officially welcome Nya to the trials.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “Claire, call the Rovni Council, I need to speak with the chair.”
Nya stuffed her hospital gown in a laundry chute and put on her shirt and jeans, wishing she had something other than the clothes she’d worn on the plane. She’d just slipped on her shoes when the door opened.
“Good, you’re dressed.” Victor walked in and picked up her chart, flipping it to the front page.
“Where’s Jax?”
He closed the chart and set it down. “It's nice to see you, too. Come, your official candidates are waiting.”
Nya swallowed a few times as she zipped up her hoodie. “Shouldn’t I be in something, I don’t know, more than just a hoodie and jeans?”
Victor raised his brow. “What would you suggest?”
All right. That was a stupid thing to say. Scythians didn’t give a shit about fashion, but the truth was she wasn’t ready to meet the males yet.
“I don’t know, maybe something that hasn’t been slept in.”
He planted his feet shoulder width apart. “Your clothe
s were laundered while you were in surgery, but if you’d rather, we’ll stop by your room so you can change. Of course, if we’re late the males might think that you don’t want to meet them, and the media, of course, will speculate that you may be afraid.”
Nya scowled. “Afraid? You’re kidding, right?”
“Then let’s go.”
She glared as she limped across the room. “I know what you’re doing. Keep pushing my buttons, and I’ll start pushing back.”
“Duly noted.” Victor took her arm and wove it through his as if they were going to a formal event. “As your official guide, it’s my duty to introduce you to your candidates. You will have a few minutes with each to say hello. From there we’ll go to the arena, where you will have an opportunity to watch all the warriors spar. If I may make a suggestion?”
Cautiously, she nodded.
“Allow your instinct to guide you. Release any official candidate you feel can’t be your equal. This will give you time to look for someone more suitable as well as give the male a chance to find another champion. Honesty is the key to finding a compatible rovni.”
Oh God, she might get sick. Nya kept her shoulders back, head high and lips closed, thankful that her bangs hung to her lashes.
“Do you have any questions?”
She shook her head.
Victor slowed to a stop, his gaze coolly taking inventory. “Are you sure, Anya? Your breathing is shallow, your eyes are dilated, and your jaw is clenched so tightly it’s a wonder your molars haven’t been ground to dust.” His brilliant blue eyes twinkled as his voice warmed. “You’re obviously upset. I’m here if you need someone to listen.”
The reach out. Nya had seen Jax do it a hundred times to warriors before their first challenge. Ironic Victor used the same technique on her now.
“I'm fine, Dr. Ramova. Now, please tell me about each candidate.”
Victor started forward again. “It’s Victor. We’re going to spend quite a bit of time together these next few weeks. If you start with Dr. Ramova, we won’t get past idle pleasantries. And I hate idle pleasantries.”
The Scythian Trials Page 12