Taken by Storm

by Anna Argent

  “Don’t you think I should have some say in this decision?” She dragged her feet, kicking up plumes of dust. He ignored her struggles and kept her moving.

  “None. It is done. Talan is dead.”

  She jerked her arm out of his grip, wincing in pain as she did. Before he could figure out her intent, she grabbed his phone from his belt and sprinted for the truck.

  His second of shock was enough to allow her to slip away. By the time he caught up with her, she’d slammed the truck shut and locked the doors.

  He held up the keys. “This tantrum is futile. You can’t leave without me.”

  She ignored him as she operated the phone. Every time he hit the button to open the locks, she pressed the one to relock the doors.

  “What are you doing?” he demanded, his breath coming out to fog the window.

  She didn’t answer him. Instead, she spoke into the phone. “This is Isa. Don’t kill Talan. I’ll do it. Just tell me where to meet you.”

  “No!” Warrian bellowed.

  Isa nodded. “I’ll find it. I’ll be there as soon as I can, and don’t you dare hurt him. If you so much as look at Talan funny, then the deal’s off.”

  Warrian had no idea what the Raide said to her, but her face suddenly went pale, and her breathing became fast and shallow, fogging against the cold glass.

  He was finally fast enough to get the door open. He pulled the phone from her slack grip and disconnected the call. “What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded. “You will not trade your life for Talan’s.”

  “My life. My decision,” she said, but there was no heat in her tone. It was bleak and empty of all hope.

  “What did he say to you? What did the Raide tell you?”

  She swallowed hard. “That he’d already started removing pieces of Talan, and if I wanted there to be anything left to save, I should hurry.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Talan had been in tight spots before, but never anything as serious as this. All of his equipment had been stripped from him. His clothes and shoes were gone, leaving him completely naked and freezing his ass to a metal folding chair. The heavy bonds of rough Dregorg rope cut into his skin, tying him in place. He wasn’t strong enough to break them, especially not after all the blood loss.

  The Raide had removed strips of skin, one by one, demanding Talan tell him the location of the next window.

  So far, Talan had resisted his questioner, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he was no longer able to keep his eyes shut, and the Raide’s pain gaze out of his head. Once that assault hit him, he wasn’t sure if he’d be strong enough to resist selling out his own mother to make it stop.

  Through the plastic casing of his cell phone, he’d heard the empress’s voice. He couldn’t make out her words, but the Raide had given her a meeting location, as if she’d actually be stupid enough to go there.

  “You might as well kill me now,” said Talan as soon as the Raide hung up. “She’s not coming.”

  “She will come. She values your life, such as it is.”

  “I’m fond of it as well, but it looks like you and I are both going to have to deal with some disappointment tonight.”

  The Raide’s sharp fingernail scraped over Talan’s scalp, cutting through his skin. “Where are the other children of Loriah?”

  Talan stifled a flinch as he felt his family’s legacy being torn to shreds. Blood dripped down his spine, warming his skin for a moment before the frigid air turned it to ice. “She’s the last one. Sorry. You should have come sooner. They’re all safely tucked away where you fuckheads can’t find them.”

  The cut sliced deeper, until Talan could feel the Raide’s fingernail scraping against his skull. “There are more. Where are they?”

  The pain was intense, but it was only physical. Talan’s body did not control him. He would find a way to shove aside as much pain as the Raide could dish out, so long as he kept his eyes closed.

  He clenched his jaw and thought about home and how much he missed being there. Even with the war raging, there were still little pockets of normal life among the Imonites. Sanctuaries where the Builders fought to overcome their enemy with technological advances. He’d been assigned to guard one of those sanctuaries before coming here—this tranquil little settlement surrounded by rock walls and armed guards. There was safety there. Children still played outside with no fear of attack.

  He’d still been an outsider—a warrior among creators—but he’d felt useful there. Necessary.

  And there had been this woman…. He’d never spoken to her—she was married—but he’d watched her on her daily walks, marveling at the way she saw the world as if for the first time every day.

  He wondered if that’s what it would have been like to be born normal, instead of defective as he was.

  The pain along his skull eased, jarring Talan enough to drag him from his memories. He heard a click, followed by a quiet hiss, and it took every scrap of his will to keep his eyes shut. He didn’t need to look to know what that hiss was. He’d seen gas-powered torches. He knew the Raide’s affinity for fire. It was just a matter of time until this fucker got around to a little flame work.

  The heat neared his skin, singeing away the hairs along his arm. He smelled the stench left behind, mixing with the musky smell of nearby Dregorgs.

  Talan shoved himself back to memories of that little, isolated sanctuary he called home and stayed there as the Raide set the flame to his skin.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Isa was sick. She could still hear the emptiness of that Raide’s words as he told her in vivid detail what he was going to do to Talan. Knifes. A sledgehammer. Fire.

  She couldn’t let that happen. She didn’t want to die, and she sure as hell didn’t want to put herself in that alien asshole’s hands, but she couldn’t let him torture Talan.

  Warrian’s face was tight with rage as he climbed in behind the wheel. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into his arms and have him tell her everything was going to be okay. But not only would it be a lie, she was certain he was way too pissed at her to offer even a little comfort.

  She faced him as he started the truck. “I order you to save him.”

  “No.”

  “He’s your friend. You can’t let him die.”

  His expression was stony. “He will be honored in death for his sacrifice.”

  Isa couldn’t let this happen. If he wouldn’t save Talan, maybe he’d at least save her. “If an innocent man dies because of me, the guilt will destroy me, Warrian. Please don’t do that to me.”

  His grip on the steering wheel tightened even though they hadn’t yet begun to move. “You will be strong. You will survive for your people because they need you.”

  “You don’t know that. You don’t know me.”

  He turned to face her, his jaw bulging as he clenched his teeth. “Whoever you were before now is irrelevant. If you were weak or flawed, those days are over. You will be strong because there is no other choice. Just as I will let Talan die because there is no other choice.”

  “You’re not even going to try to fight for him? You’re not even going to give him a chance to survive?”

  “The Raide has him. That leaves no chance.”

  “He said he’d trade Talan for me. He wasn’t lying. I would have known.”

  “Did he say he’d give you Talan back unharmed?”

  “No, but—”

  “Did he say that Talan was still alive?”

  “No, but—”

  “I know these creatures in a way you do not. If Talan is still alive, he almost certainly wishes for death.”

  She couldn’t believe that. She had to believe that there was still hope. “I don’t care how well you know these assholes. I need to save Talan, or at least try. Why not let the Raide believe we’re willing to make the trade. We can set a trap and free Talan—fight to get him back.”

  “No. The risk is too high.”

  “Fuck the risk.
You need to do this. So do I.” She pulled in a long breath, hating what she knew she had to do. “And if you do this—if you help me—I promise to go to Loriah willingly, no matter what I’m going to face there.”

  He eyed her with suspicion. “No more running? No more fighting me?”

  “Exactly. I’ll go back. I’ll find a way to defend myself from anyone who tries to touch me. I’ll power the cannon that killed my mother and do whatever it takes to save your world.”

  “Our world, Isa.”

  “Fine. Our world. Whatever you want. Just help me save Talan.”

  He stared at her for a long time, his whole body vibrating with tension. Sparks exploded in his eyes. After what felt like an hour, his wide shoulders dropped, signaling his surrender. “That you would sacrifice yourself for one man gives me hope that Loriah will survive with you as her champion.”

  “Why is that?”

  “You hardly know Talan, and yet you would risk your life for his. Once you see your people—once you meet them—you will become as protective of them as you are of Talan, only there are millions of them.”

  Isa fell back against the seat, suddenly too weak to support herself. She hadn’t considered that she’d feel anything for a world of anonymous people, and yet Warrian was right. She didn’t really know Talan. How many other people would she meet who would drive her to feel the need to save them? And if she did what they wanted, what would the cost be to her?

  Now wasn’t the time to worry about the details of what tomorrow would hold. Today was full of enough shit to occupy her complete attention.

  “We need a plan.” she said. “Please tell me you have one.”

  “Where were you instructed to meet?”

  “There’s a dark green house near the last window that opened. He said I can see it from there.”

  “I know the place. It’s not far from where the window will open in a few hours.” Warrian dialed his phone. “Talan needs us. A Raide has him. We are going there now. Will you join us?” He went silent, his forearm tensing. “Yes, we. I’m aware of the risk. It will be less with your aid.” He listened again, then spoke again in a language she didn’t understand. His tone was sharp and cold, his anger apparent in every clipped word.

  Warrian hung up the phone and tossed it to the seat.

  “That was Radek?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s not coming?” she asked, hardly able to believe Radek would abandon his friend.

  “He will come.”

  “Then why are you so upset?”

  “Because he’d located one of his own people and was moving to extract him. We interrupted his ability to do so.”

  “He can go back after Talan is safe.”

  “That assumes too many things.”

  “Like?”

  “First, that we can free Talan at all. Second, that we survive the rescue. And third, that if we fail, Loriah will survive long enough without you for it to matter who Radek finds.”

  “If I don’t help you save one single man, then I’m pretty much useless for saving a whole world.”

  “Your logic is flawed, Your Imperial Majyr, but your spirit is fierce. That will serve you well in the days to come.”

  Isa sure as hell hoped so.

  *****

  Warrian said nothing as he drove, knowing that if any word came out of his mouth, Isa might be able to sense the lie within it.

  He wasn’t going to let her risk her life for Talan or any other single person. Loriah needed her too much.

  Besides, while valiant, her desire to save Talan was foolish. Chances were the warrior was already dead. Or well on his way.

  Anger flared in Warrian’s chest, burning with the need for revenge. He would find the Raide who’d done this—the same one who’d inflicted pain upon his Isa—and he would slay the beast. It was not part of his mission to hunt and kill the Raide who had managed to find their way here, but he no longer cared. He would continue to find the lost children of Loriah, but he would not turn his back on Talan. As soon as he knew Isa was safely on her way to the gate, he would avenge his friend.

  It was the least Warrian could do. Talan was a good man. An honorable man. His loss would leave a hole in the soul of everyone who’d known him. Including Warrian. Already he bled for the man, for the torture he faced and the suffering he endured.

  Feeling grief for Talan was a futile waste of energy. It wouldn’t save him. It wouldn’t even prevent the death of others. And yet, as the tears of loss wept from his soul, Warrian couldn’t seem to make it stop.

  No matter how much Talan would be missed, Warrian had to remain strong and focused. Isa had to be the priority, not his grief. There were no others who could operate the Loriahan defenses. Only her. And because of that, Warrian’s silent lies were necessary.

  At some point along the drive, she’d curled up on the seat and gone to sleep, wrapped in the sleeping bag. Her cheeks were flushed against the shiny blue fabric, reminding him of just how lovely she’d looked laid out naked beneath him, her skin painted with the stain of desire.

  Seeing her safe and warm eased some of the grief streaking through him, giving him a little room for hope.

  Perhaps Talan still lived. Perhaps Warrian would find him in time, before the damage done by the Raide was too great. Talan could recover and continue his search. They would find more of the Taken and drive the Raide from their world.

  It was a beautiful thought that compelled him, keeping the darkness at bay for a while longer.

  Warrian reached out and found a lock of Isa’s hair. He wrapped it around his finger as he drove, reveling in the silken feel as it glided over his skin. There was something about her that eased him, driving away bleak thoughts. Maybe it was simply that she represented the best hope his world had for survival, but she’d been that since before he’d met her. These feelings he had now were new. He felt tied to her in a way that went well beyond what was normal and proper.

  He had to find a way to let go. There were only hours left before the window opened, and once it did, she would pass through without him. He would remain here to rescue Talan. Or to avenge him. Isa would have no part in something so dangerous.

  As soon as she realized what he was going to do, she would be furious. He wouldn’t be surprised if she came at him with her mother’s blade, anxious to do him physical harm.

  The warrior in him grinned at the idea. Let her come at him dagger raised. Any excuse he could find to get his hands on her again, he would take. He knew it was wrong to lust after her. He simply didn’t care. For one single night she’d been his, and that knowledge would never cease to thrill him down to his bones.

  A rush of lust flooded his veins, driving away a layer of fatigue. He could still feel the tight, slick grip of her body around his erection. He could still hear her soft cries of release as he’d moved within her.

  That pleasure was one he would never experience again. And while he reveled in the thrill of having felt all she had to give, he also berated himself for tasting something he would now deny himself forever.

  Isa could never be his. Bedding her would be considered an act of treason. The council would not care if it was her desire as much as his own. All they would care about was his station as a warrior—well beneath the man who would ultimately claim her.

  She hadn’t cared. She’d wanted him, unconcerned by his station. She’d seen him as a man, not a duty he performed. Even the women who sometimes fought by his side had never been able to separate who he was from what he did. Only Isa had such a gift.

  Warrian slowed as they neared the place he was to meet Radek. The roads were deserted, thanks to the weather and the late hour. The freezing rain had stopped, but an icy sheen hung over everything, glinting under the truck’s lights.

  Radek’s bike sat on the side of the road. He stood a little way off, leaning against an ice-covered tree. His bare arms were crossed over his naked chest, making Warrian envious of his ability to tolerate the cold. />
  Warrian left the truck running so it would stay warm for Isa, and slipped out to greet the other man. “Thank you for coming.”

  “I came for Talan. He would have done the same for me. What’s the plan?”

  “The empress must not miss the window. You will take her there while I go after Talan.”

  “Wrong,” said Radek. “The woman is your problem. Besides, you were pretty clear about the no touching policy earlier. You want her to go through, you take her.”

  Warrian didn’t want to see the look of betrayal in Isa’s eyes, especially if it was going to be the last time he ever saw her. “Please, Radek. I ask that you do this.”

  “I’ve already disobeyed orders by leaving that man sitting at home when I should have taken him. I’m not about to break imperial law by putting my hands on Her Imperial Majyr.”

  “She doesn’t know the laws. She’s not going to charge you with any crime.”

  “So you say. I’m sorry, man. I know we’ve been working together for a little while, but I don’t know you well enough to trust you with my life or Talan’s. Now, are you going to tell me where he is, or am I going to have to beat the info out of you?”

  “No beatings required,” growled Warrian. “Talan is being held near the last window site, in or near a dark green house. But you should know that the Raide is expecting the empress.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she offered to trade herself for Talan.”

  Radek let out a low whistle. “The woman may be stupid, but she’s got balls.”

  A pulse of anger shot up into Warrian’s throat, making his voice come out as a scalding threat. “Isa is not stupid.”

  Radek smiled, holding up his hands. The leather cuffs he wore were dark with age and scarred from battle. “Sorry, but anyone who willingly puts themselves in a Raide’s hands is an idiot. I don’t make the rules.”

  “It hardly matters what you think. I’d never let her risk her life. She knew that, which was why she was willing to use herself as bait for a trap.”