Marek (The Vartik King Chronicles Book 1)
Page 9
There had to be more to the story, but what? Why would someone send a girl into the universe looking for it? She was cunning and witty of course, but not at all what he would expect as the scout of the most dangerous power held on all of their planets. Half the reason the Vartiks disappeared many moons ago was due to their blood and its healing properties, but the rock was the other reason. His father spoke about the power held in the stone and the adherent danger because of it more than anything else.
Marek sat up, running his fingers through his brown locks as he pressed the button on the dial for his brother, Nojan. His brother appeared, his eyes wide, breathing slightly off.
“Did you find her? Is she with you?” He spoke rapidly, the sound of it off. Nojan was the calmest one of his brothers, the brain amongst them.
“No. Did I interrupt something? You seem… frantic.”
“I am. The more I read about this girl, the more scared I become.” Nojan tugged his fingers through his hair and Marek’s lips lifted. His little brother was an exact replica of him, only much more intelligent and less ballsy.
“It’s the tits, right? You saw her and now you’re all for me getting her back. Those tits are mine. You don’t get to see or touch them.” Marek leaned in, trying to lighten the mood a little. His brother was rarely excited about anything.
“Shut the fuck up,” Nojan grumbled, looking down at something, his finger seeming to move just below him as if tracing something. “I told you I found out about her when you were running through the marketplace, but you ignored me.”
“What?” Marek tried to think back through their highly intense conversation. His heart was almost breaking through the skin of his chest as he raced around Killian looking for the pretty little tart who had stolen his attention, his desire, and—he was pretty sure—his heart.
“You’re as impossible as Dad sometimes, Marek.” Nojan glanced up and smirked. He would get a good wrestling and resounding brotherly beating for that. No one wanted to be compared to Dad—ever.
The words from the marketplace swept through his mind and Marek realized that Nojan had found out information on the blue light surrounding the girl.
“Tell me what you found out about Jaz.” Marek leaned in, turning a knob on the dash to bring his brother into better focus and make him appear larger.
Nojan glanced up and smirked. “Oh, now you want to know?”
“I’ll not ask again.” Marek let the command of his position as the eldest male to the king slip into his voice, warning his brother that he needed the information now. “Stop dicking around.”
“The light isn’t a normal occurrence at all. It only exists within two individuals since the beginning of time, and those same two will carry it for forever.” Nojan paused and sat back. “Did you ask Jazmine her age?”
“I think I did. She’s in her twenties, I suppose. Tell me about these individuals.”
“I will shortly. I want to ask a few questions. You have,” he leaned down and looked at something quickly, “an hour before you port. Placate me as I’ve been looking into this shit for hours for you.”
“Fine. Keep going then.” Marek let out a harsh breath and sat back.
“How long has she been twenty?” Nojan leaned in, his face getting incredibly large. Marek wanted to point out a blemish but stopped himself, working hard to keep his anger down as his brother poked and prodded.
“Twenty years, I suppose, Nojan. This is getting on my nerves. Get to the fucking point.” Marek sat up, pulling the dial the other way.
“She’s part of the old Territhian prophecy from what I can tell. She’s eternal. Always has been and always will be. Her mother made sure of that.”
“She doesn’t have a mother. She was an orphan. All she has is her brother.” Marek shook his head. “Who do you think her mother is and what is this damn prophecy?”
“Am I the only one that studies other worlds? Jeez.” Nojan smiled and continued quickly after Marek growled. “She’s not an orphan at all, but a twin to the light god’s son.”
“What? That old bedtime story that Mother told us?” Marek rolled his eyes. “This is a normal girl we’re talking about. She has no powers other than to annoy the shit out of me and make me so horny I could break bricks with my cock.”
“Yes, well, that’s lovely, but that bedtime story and all the others weren’t tales Mother made up, Marek. They were prophecies from other worlds and other gods.”
“But we worship the water and light gods too.” Marek felt curiosity swell in his belly. “I don’t believe this for a minute by the way. Jazmine is special, but she’s not an all-powerful being.”
“You’re right. She’s only got a small amount of power and no memory of anything until she gets access to the jewel.” Nojan tapped his fingers on the side of his jaw. “Someone knows what her brother is and has him. How much you want to bet?”
“This is all so damn crazy, but let’s say I accept what you’re telling me. What does it mean and why would someone send a dainty female across the galaxies looking for the stone? That’s insane and a horrible game plan altogether.”
“It means that that girl is the daughter of the last true Territhian King and the Goddess of Light. She is partially human, but more so deity. Believe what you want to believe. I’m just telling you what the prophecy says.” Nojan held up his hand as Marek started to tear the theory apart. “Who better to find the stone than the goddess herself? Jaz is her offspring, and whether we like it or not, she will find the jewel. Her mother, or fate, or something will lead her to it. Let’s couple that with her desperation over her brother.”
“I can’t swallow this, Nojan. It’s too much.” Marek stood and moved behind his chair, needing to pace. “What does this have to do with the stone again?”
“It unlocks her power and the boy’s. It gives remembrance to them, but the scary part is that whoever controls the stone controls the light twins.”
Marek glanced up, shock rolling over him. “You’re saying that we control the power of these light twins right now?”
“I am.”
“What the fuck does that mean? What are we to do with that? Can we force Jaz to fight and make it safely back to me?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not willing to dick with it as you so crudely said earlier. Find the girl and bring her home with you.”
“Mom and Dad are not going to be okay with that, Nojan.” Marek shook his head, knowing good and well that anyone else bringing home a stranger would be fine, but the next King of Vartik? No way.
“I’ll talk to Father now and tell him what we know and what you’ve discovered. We’ll leave out the bits that implicate you. I’ll simply say that you’ve found the twin girl of light and you’re working to bring her home with you.” Nojan stood and stretched. “It’s an adventure you wanted. I’m just shocked that you found such a grand one. I’m jealous.”
“I’m not surprised at all. If she is who you say she is, then I didn’t find her, but she found me.”
“Do you think she knows we have the stone?” Nojan asked, turning his shoulders and popping his back.
“No, but if her memories of her past sit in that stone, then she really does believe herself to be a simple Territhian girl in search of her brother. I can’t imagine how this is going to play out good for her in any of the scenarios in my mind.”
“We’ll figure it out together. You have ten minutes until you approach the station. Be careful and good luck.”
“Thanks, brother.” Marek moved toward the console and hit the button that released the call. He didn’t care who Jazmine was or what power she had. He didn’t need to understand the future or the past. He just needed to get her back. She was his in some fashion and form and his instincts to protect her and keep her close rose almost to the level of his need to mate with her.
It was time to make a few mistakes, all of them in the course of making things right and changing the future forever.
Chapter 18
“The Minister of Defense from Vanfia is here today to question you. If she finds you are guilty of taking the jewels of the king and attempting to take his life, they will execute you on the spot. If there is any question to those accusations, you will be taken back to Vanfia and tried.” He glanced back at Jazmine, his expression slightly sorrowful. “I hope whatever you were seeking was worth all of this.”
“Every penny of it.” She gave him a tight smile and turned to study the creature in front of her, needing a slight diversion before walking to her death. There would be no doubt at all that she was the one who had committed all the crimes they were bringing upon her. She was guilty and they knew it.
Jazmine couldn’t imagine the price that the Vanfia King had put on her head. To get the interstellar cops involved was a pricey endeavor. She had to think that it had little to do with losing his jewels and far more to do with his pride. He was known as one of the wealthiest creatures in all of the galaxy. The small bag of jewels she had stolen was increasingly rare and definitely expensive, but it wouldn’t begin to dent his purse, not by a long shot.
She walked out into the warm afternoon, the hub dull and holding only a few small grey buildings. The darkness beyond the platform twinkled with starlight, the brilliance of it causing her breath to catch. Something about the vastness of it called to her, forcing her to reckon with the simple fact that life didn’t have to be fleeting but could go on for the rest of eternity.
“If only that were true,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry?” The guard in front of her turned, his computerized voice leaving her cold and unwilling to interact. She shrugged and continued to move with him to the largest of the four grey metal buildings.
He moved to hold the door open and the Territhian cop moved in first, nodding toward the hall on their left. “Jazmine, take a seat in the first room on your left. I will be in there with the minister shortly.”
Jazmine followed the male’s directives, half expecting the minister to be already seated in the room. The cats were nasty creatures to deal with, her interactions sparse when she was on Vanfia. She had simply caught the attention of the king at an event a few days before her planned robbery of his vaults, her dress low-cut and hair hanging low and slightly curled. With a bit of makeup to make her look more feline, he had fallen for her without much effort on her part.
They were disgusting creatures and yet somehow revered throughout the galaxies. It had to be the ballsy actions of the females. They were known for their strong women, most of them far more masculine in form and attitude than their men. Jazmine took a seat at a small table and pressed her arms to the cold stone structure in front of her. This wasn’t going to be good.
The door opened a moment later, her thoughts having shifted back to Marek almost immediately. A large cat-like humanoid walked in, her body clad in leather and her eyes narrowed in Jazmine’s direction. The Territhian cop followed behind her, pulling out the cat’s chair and sitting beside her.
Jazmine let her eyes roam over who appeared to be the Vanfia Minister of Defense, no expression bleeding through. She had to believe she was going to get out of this situation and soon. She had been in few that were so sticky, such close calls, but with her brother’s life, anything became a possibility. She would do anything to remain alive and able to save him.
“How do you plead, criminal?” the woman purred. The whiskers just beside her nose drew Jazmine’s attention and caused her lip to turn up.
“That depends.” Jazmine sat back, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head slightly.
“On what?” The cat pressed her arms to the table, her hands being small paws with sharp nails.
“The punishment for pleading guilty.”
“It’s death, which you’re more than aware of. We do not take stealing lightly on our planet, human.” The minister narrowed her eyes farther, Jazmine wondering for a minute how the creature was still able to see. The cop sat beside her statue still, not saying a word and barely breathing from what Jazmine could tell.
“Then I’m not guilty.” Jazmine shrugged her shoulders, trying hard to play her cards in a manner that would have her back on a ship and with a bit more time to figure out what the fuck to do. Something had to give.
The cat let out a sound that reminded Jazmine of a sneeze. “Bless you.”
“This is ridiculous. We know good and damn well that you not only stole the King’s jewels, but that you tried to take his life. I don’t need to question you any farther. Your picture has been posted from here to Vanfia. It’s you, and your death will be a delight.”
Jazmine stood as the cat did, her eyes diverting to the cop. Surely, there was more to this conversation than the silliness that had occurred. There should be a fair trial of some sort.
“With all due respect, Minister. Your rules on Vanfia do state that if the criminal in question does not relent and plead guilty that you will hold a trial.” The male cop stood and slipped his hands into his pockets as the cat turned her gaze on him, her ears flattening on her head.
“I’m well aware of what our fucking laws say, human.” She glanced back at Jazmine, her breathing all of a sudden very sporadic. “I’ll have them load you on our ship and we will hold a trial when we return to my planet. I’m quite looking forward to giving you the royal treatment until then.”
Jazmine remained quiet with her façade stuck tightly into place. There was no way she was showing anyone how scared she was. It wasn’t in her nature at all. The minister stormed out as the cop looked over toward Jazmine.
“I’m going to leave here and go into the main lobby to prepare your papers to become property of the Vanfia. You do what you must, but do it quickly.” He moved to the door, turning to look over his shoulder. “Make the punch count.”
Jazmine realized what he was saying and jumped onto the small table as he opened the door quickly, grabbing him and punching him twice in the face with all of her might. The blue light around her intensified as she did, her strength far exceeding anything she might imagine.
“Interesting,” she mumbled, lowering the cop to the floor and touching his cheek as blood ran down his nose.
“Go,” he whispered and closed his eyes.
She slipped from the room, her heart pounding in her chest. There was no way she was getting out of there without a plan. She was on a large floating platform. The only way on or off was on someone’s ship.
She snuck to the end of the hall and slipped out of the building, stifling a scream as she ran into a large male, his hands grabbing her roughly and jerking her toward him.
Chapter 19
Marek jerked her again, calling her name, and yet she seemed to be in shock. The light around her burnt brilliantly for all to see.
“Jazmine. Look at me, woman.” He released one of her shoulders and pressed his fingers into her chin, causing her head to tilt toward him. “Snap out of it and pull your light back in. Not many people know the stories of what your light might mean, but those that do would seek to take you from me.”
She glanced up, a long sigh leaving her as she slipped her arms around him and pressed her face into his chest. Marek slid his arms around her, kissing the top of her head and breathing her in. He almost had expected her to push him away, to refuse his help. She was an immortal half-deity according to his brother’s gatherings, but to Marek, she was a beautiful woman who needed help and wanted it to be him to offer it.
“Let’s go, Jaz. We don’t have much time.”
She glanced up, her eyes filled with tears. “No. Just go without me. If they find you here, they’ll figure out what you are.”
“Did they take you
by force on Killian?” He had to know if she got caught or willingly went with them. His conversation with Nojan left him questioning if he knew the girl at all. He assumed her to be a thief, a greedy little tart that took what she wanted and didn’t give apologies for anything. Nojan saw her as a desperate woman, trying to save someone she loved.
Which reality was right?
“No. I saw them heading toward your ship and…” Her tears spilled onto her cheeks as she whispered her apology. “I’m sorry. Just go. I can take care of myself.”
He smiled, leaning down and brushing his lips by her cheek, the sweet vanilla scent of her left him almost dizzy. “The ship’s in stealth mode. Watch me from a short distance and follow my lead. You will not see it without my assistance.”
She nodded and moved back, her fingers coming up to brush her cheek where he had kissed her. Marek turned and jogged toward the ship, waving and smiling at a few cops. They returned the gesture, though concern seemed to sit on their faces.
She waited until he paused just outside the airspace, his feet moving quickly as he disappeared into the hull. She turned and watched as the door behind her opened. She took off running toward the emptiness that he had effectively disappeared into.
The sound of a guard shouting for help caused her to push harder, faster. A bright blue streak of light raced behind her and several guards moved up to inspect it, one of them looking toward Jaz with wide eyes. The man understood who she was.
She leapt into the emptiness, fear lighting up her gaze. Marek reached for her, grabbing her tightly and pulling her into the ship as the door shut.
“Activate takeoff now!” he yelled, releasing her and moving to the front console. She let out a soft cry and he turned as she sank to the floor, her hands on her face as she wept.