by Liza Probz
His watch buzzed and he slowed as he approached the castle, the large structure resembling a beehive.
Pressing the small red button, an image of his brother appeared, Nojan’s face filled with concern.
“Something’s wrong with Jaz.”
“Jaz? How the fuck do you know her name?”
“We had a long conversation during your nap. Totally my fault.” Nojan was usually laid back and relaxed. The speed with which he spoke caused terror to rise up in the pit of Marek’s stomach. Something was very wrong.
“Where is she?”
“She’s at the port. I can’t seem to get her to answer me, but she’s in distress. I might have put a sensor in her arm when she shared her number with me.” He shrugged, looking sheepish.
“What? What the fuck are you talking about?” Marek looked up and realized several creatures had stopped to stare at him. He smiled and nodded before turning and walking quickly back toward the docks. “Whatever about that shit. Where is she, Nojan, and what type of distress?”
“Her heart is racing and she’s breathing hard as if running, but I don’t sense movement. I assume she’s having a panic attack. I don’t know exactly, but you need to find her. Something is horribly wrong.”
“All right. Talk to me about her location. I’m running back to the docks now. I was just there and didn’t see any sign of her.” Marek let out a shaky breath and ran hard, pressing a button on his watch to move his brother into speaking directly in his head versus out loud for all of Killian to hear.
“East side of the port. She’s at the very edge of the dock from what I can see. I think she’s getting ready to board another ship, but she’s not happy about it.”
“Fuck. I’m a good five minutes from the docks. Could you not have called earlier?” Marek ran faster, turning and ducking through the small streets of the city as he tried to make his way toward the landing dock. He would kill whoever touched her, left her scared or worried. If someone was forcing her on their ship, they would suffer greatly.
No one touched his woman.
He swallowed down the truth of his thoughts and pushed as his brother’s voice filled up his mind.
“I finished researching everything for you, by the way. There is nothing you can do to suppress your powers where women are concerned, other than mentally pull back.”
“I’m aware, thank you,” Marek barked out, hating that he was attacking his closest companion but too far beyond scared to relent.
“I found information on the blue ring too.”
His brother’s voice went soft as Marek jogged into the large port, his breathing loud and labored. He glanced around, trying to spot her blond hair, but got nothing. “Fuck, I don’t see her. Location again.”
“Definitely the eastern part of the port. I can see the sun out of her eyes.”
Marek turned and looked toward the sun, realizing his error in location. He turned and ran toward the eastern side, his movement gathering more attention than he wanted. He caught the sight of her being muscled onto an interstellar security ship. The cops had caught up with her and planned to take her back to their hub or to Vanfia, no doubt.
“Son of a bitch.” Marek stopped as the ship took off, moving fast and making a sharp turn to head back the way he had traveled when bringing her to Killian.
“Did they get her?”
“You tell me. Can you not see through her eyes anymore?”
“No. She turned me off completely.”
“What? Fuck. Why?” Marek screamed and turned, running toward his ship. A long grasshopper as tall as him moved in front of him, the size of the thing shocking him.
“Sir, is something wrong?” The sound of its voice was like a thousand violins playing all at once.
“No, just got a call that my wife is in labor. It jacked me up so bad that I forgot where I parked.” Marek forced a laugh and nodded toward his ship. “I’m over there, so I’ll be gone now.”
“Of course. Congratulations. Come back and see us again soon.” The creature moved and Marek jogged toward the ship, walking in quickly and moving to the control deck.
“Locate her for me, Nojan.”
“I can’t, brother. She’s on that ship, and I will try and track it, but she’s decided to cut contact with me.”
“She doesn’t want me to help.” Marek groaned and hit the dash. “She’s such a pain in the ass. All she thinks of is herself.”
“Actually, I think she’s more concerned with you getting involved and being found out. I believe that she’s much more concerned with others than herself.”
“How do you know this?” Marek hit a few buttons and fell into his chair, helpless to do anything but follow after the ship that had taken the only thing he wanted in his life at present.
“When we spoke this morning, I found out that she is running from planet to planet stealing to fund her trip because she has to.”
Marek pressed a few buttons and pushed Nojan from his thoughts and onto the screen in front of him. “No one has to steal, Nojan. That’s ridiculous.”
“What if someone took me and hid me away?”
“I would find you and kill them.” Marek shrugged.
“But if you couldn’t, you big ass. What if the only way to get me back was to find a precious item that they wanted in exchange for me?”
“Wait, what? Are you saying that someone has something of value that belongs to her?”
“What about someone instead of something? Does she have a husband or mother, father, sister maybe that she’s mentioned?”
“She was an orphan, but she has a twin brother.”
“Maybe someone has him, Marek.”
“She said she lost him a year ago.” Marek leaned over, running his hands through his hair. “Fuck. That’s it. How did you figure that out?”
“I simply asked her about herself and treated her with respect. She’s fighting for someone’s life. I could see it all over her. She’s willing to do anything.”
“Then we get her back and find the item so that she’s not alone in the world anymore. Her brother can care for her and protect her, freeing me to get over this.”
“The item doesn’t exist, brother.”
Marek glanced up, more than surprised that his brother had gotten so much information in such a little amount of time.
“What is it, Nojan?”
“The Bronze Jewel of Gillum.”
Shock rolled over Marek and he closed his eyes, leaning his head back. This couldn’t be happening. “It doesn’t exist because we say it doesn’t exist.”
“I know this, but she will never find it, brother. We are ghosts and our planet is locked far away, beyond the girl’s reach.”
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Why does this have to happen to me?”
“You wanted adventure. Go save the girl and we’ll figure out what to do about the rest later.” Nojan smiled sadly and disappeared from Marek’s view as the world seemed to darken in front of him.
Getting Jazmine back was the least of his worries. He would do that without too much trouble at all. It was telling her to give up on her brother that was going to be the killer.
The jewel did exist, but she could never access it.
No one could.
It was the one thing he and his brothers had sworn to protect with everything, including their lives.
Chapter 16
Jazmine lifted her wrist toward her face, her eyes too glossy to see the small dial that would effectively cut off communication with anyone. She didn’t want to bring another innocent person into the middle of her tragic situation. She snuggled down in the chair the cops provided her. There was nowhere to go, no fight to be had, at least not for the moment.
The angry red light that hovered around her entire body encased her in a prison of sorts. Having dealt with much more dangerous criminals than herself, she understood entirely the need for such means of protection. The interstellar cops weren’t stupid, just annoying to those that dese
rved it most.
She smiled at the thought and ran her finger along the disconnection mechanism on her wrist. She had no clue if Marek had taken down the numbers that belonged to only her. If he had, he could call her, locate her, save her. That was the one thing she wanted to thwart more than anything else. He was too precious and his blood too enticing to allow him to bring down his world simply for the sake of being a good man. Saving the damsel in distress always did weird things to men anyway.
Jazmine pressed her head back and closed her eyes, tears threatening to fall onto her cheeks for the loss of time she wanted with Marek. A few days hadn’t been enough and yet it had stained her soul forever. If she cleared herself of the charges and found a way to wrap up her search for the jewel, maybe she could find him and…
“And what? You’re an idiot.” She let out a long sigh, turning to look at the guard to her left. He was from Territh as well. He watched her with what appeared to be interest, but there was no malice in his gaze.
“I’ve learned not to talk to myself. Seems to make other species a little more edgy than is needed.” He shrugged, his expression deadpan.
“I could give two shits about what anyone else thinks.” She lifted her hands to her face, wiping away her tears as they began to fall. She had almost slipped so far into her thoughts that she forgot that someone sat on either side of her.
“I highly doubt that. You’re wanted for theft on Vanfia. They will kill you, no doubt.” He glanced over at her, a question in his voice. “And yet you literally ran into my arms on Killian. Why?”
“I figured it was better to face the situation and own up. I need to keep moving, and I can’t have you guys chasing my ass all over the galaxy.” She forced a tight smile, her eyes burning from the tears she pushed back.
“You’re a horrible liar.” He chuckled, the expression softening the tightness of his own features. “We were headed toward the craft we first suspected you on and you circumvented us. What was on the craft? The jewels? More stolen trinkets?”
“Someone I love.” She closed her eyes again, knowing that Marek would keel over if he knew she had willingly gone with the interstellar cops to her death. If they had made it to his ship, they would have discovered his identity, and then what?
“That makes little to no sense.” He let out a long breath and quieted down.
Jazmine sank into her thoughts, her body warming at the remembrance of Marek’s lips dragging across the tightness of her stomach, his tongue lapping at her for hours. She stifled a groan, the image so clear in her mind it almost left her racing toward the physical effects that his wicked attack had.
She had seen the future only a few times in her life, but the other night when she witnessed the two of them making love… Taking a shaky breath, she let herself relive the vision, needing something to cling to during her upcoming torture and possible execution. She wasn’t sure there was any getting out of her current situation and it wasn’t going to be without physical and mental scars either way.
“Do you know of any Territhians that are Seers?” she asked, opening her eyes and glancing around. Two male androids with blue skin and yellow eyes seemed to be manning the ship as they moved slowly through space.
“It’s only about five percent of our population that has the gift. I am one of them.” He opened his eyes and glanced over at her. “Are you as well?”
“I am.” She turned to face him. “Nothing I guess I could do to get you to help me get out of here, right? I’m a thief, but it’s not without cause.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m a cop by force. If I mess up, they will take my wife and child as payment. It’s not happening. Ever.”
Fuck.
“What about a Territhian with a light blue light source around them? Ever heard of that?” She rubbed her fingers together absently as hope dimmed significantly. Jazmine felt like shit for having Marek put his people in danger. She wouldn’t even begin to beg or push this guy to cause his family to be at risk due to her. Her brother was all that mattered in the world, outside of her thriving attraction to the Vartik King. Family was everything.
His eyebrow lifted sharply. “There is no such thing.”
“No? I’ve seen her before. She looks just like us and yet a light blue light pulses around her, intensifying when she’s aroused or angry and dulling when she’s sad.” She crossed her arms over her chest, wanting so damn badly to understand herself better before death arrived.
Marek had mentioned the blue light and she had played dumb, but she’d had it all of her life. She wasn’t without constant reminder of it—ever. Never finding anyone like herself, other than her brother, left her curious but unwilling to dig. Something about the anomaly had her brother trapped with the Kanula and buried far beneath their molten lands. She had figured out a long time ago how to stifle her own light. It meant simply not feeling anything too intensely.
Marek was the first man to break those barriers and he would be the last. It was too dangerous. She would coach Caleb, her brother, on how to retain his own light if she got him out.
When, not if.
“I have a hard time believing that.” He chuckled and turned to glance around the ship before whispering softly. “However, when I was a boy, my father would tell a tale of one of our great kings and his mingling with the light goddess. She granted the man one wish after their short affair and he wanted twins, a boy and a girl. They were said to have been gifted and then taken by the crowned demon from hell himself. Never to be seen again.”
Jazmine sat up, her knees touching the red light and causing it to blink violently, a loud electronic warning filling the ship.
“Warning. Prisoner is trying to escape. Warning.”
The Territhian beside her reached over and hit a button on the wall, holding up his hands as his odd companions moved toward them. “It’s nothing. She just moved the wrong way.”
“Thanks. I didn’t realize this thing was so sensitive.” Jazmine glanced down at her legs, making sure her pants weren’t burnt from the heat the light might have provided. She brushed at her legs and glanced back over to him. “I’ve never heard that tale.”
“It’s just an old wives’ tale the women use to keep the men in line.” He shrugged and stood.
“Seems more like a children’s tale to remind kids to behave or the devil will get them.” She forced a laugh, but the sound fell flat.
“No, the return of those kids from the darkest of nights means the end is near. They are the beginning of the end. Whatever generation they show up in again, we all need to be worried.” He moved toward the front of the ship.
Jazmine stood and reached for him, her hand moving through the red light as it warmed her skin and began screaming again. “You don’t believe that, do you?”
He nodded and pressed the button on the wall again. “It’s part of the prophecy of our people, woman. Do you not know our history at all?”
She released him and sat down in her chair, heavy and feeling the weight of the world. Did she believe the tale? Was she a child of the Territhian king and the light goddess? Did she believe in goddesses at all? Not really.
The cop moved to the front, turning and nodding at her as sadness tugged at the edge of his eyes. “We’re about an hour away. You should rest. These Vanfia are violent creatures. Pray to whatever God you believe in and hope he shows up.”
“One more question?” she asked as fear worked its way up from the pit of her stomach. She had lived a hard life and been through a lot, but physically being mauled or molested caused her to panic intensely.
“Sure. Make it quick though. I’m the landing pilot.”
“Does the Bronze Jewel of Gillum have anything to do with any of this story you’re telling?” She tilted her head to the side, something deep inside of her screaming the truth. It had everything to do with it.
“You do know the tale, you silly girl.” He rolled his eyes and turned.
“No wait. I don’t. I just heard
of this jewel the other day and its mystical powers. Please. Tell me the connection.” She took a shaky breath. “Please?”
He let out a long sigh and walked to stand in front of her. “The jewel is the means for unleashing power like never seen before. The only beings capable of controlling that power are the twins, but all of this is a myth of sorts. Why the sudden interest? Do you really believe me capable of accepting the fact that you think you saw the twin girl of light? That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s a good tale, though. Thank you for sharing.” She leaned back and closed her eyes, thoughts racing so fast through her mind that she could barely keep up. Not one to take much at face value, this seemed too good to be true. If the stories were right, she was the twin girl of light, but what did it mean? How could she use it to her advantage?
“No wonder the Kanula wanted Caleb. They knew exactly what to do to ensure that the jewel and the other half of his power would come running.”
Did she believe any of this? No. It was too much. Almost as bad as believing that she would fall in love in two days with a Vartik King. They were ghosts and didn’t exist only a few days ago. If they were real and existed, maybe this tale was more than a myth.
Did she see truth in it?
Chapter 17
Marek sunk down in his captain’s chair after pressing a few buttons on the dash before him. The ship was in stealth mode and not capable of being discovered by anyone. They had the most advanced systems in all the galaxy, the gods of their fathers good to them in their willingness to give knowledge and protection.
The ship was locked onto the larger one that moved slowly ahead of it, Jazmine being on the bigger aircraft. Marek rubbed at his chest and let out a long sigh. It was going to kill him to sit still and simply think through the possibility of something happening to her, of him being discovered, or of his recommendation where her brother was concerned.
She would never gain access to the Jewel of Gillum. It was a means of great power, a source of danger like no one had ever seen. The Vartiks had never touched the large beautiful rock, but they were warned that it would bring with it the end of days if put in the wrong hands. As the guardians of the treasure, Marek was locked into a contract with his father and their gods that it would never be taken.