Protected

by Evangeline Anderson

  The loolie flew away but I couldn’t help thinking that we’d had yet another close call. I was beginning to feel extremely nervous here. We needed to get down to business and get away from this temple that sat in the middle of a lake of acid.

  “Thank you so much for having us,” I said. “But unfortunately we’re pressed for time. Can you lead us to the guard who was warding Teeny Kiv’orop?”

  “In time, in time. But I’m sure you don’t wish to question her until you have some of your truth-telling drink. Yes?”

  The ancient Reverend Mother pressed a button on the table, which was made of some pale purple wood. There was a small click and a tray rose up from the center of it. On it was a teapot-looking thing made of pale blue porcelain and painted all over with pink and purple and green flowers. The pot had two spouts and two buttons—one gold and one silver. Fragrant steam curled from both. There were two pale blue handless cups to match the pot.

  “Oh…uh…” I wasn’t sure what to say but the old woman was already pouring both me and Grav a cup of the steaming liquid. She pushed the gold button on the pot and a stream of pale blue liquid came from the first spout to half-fill the handless cup she was holding out. When she pushed the silver button beside it, pale pink liquid which looked disturbingly like the acid water of the lake outside, filled the cup the rest of the way.

  I would have expected the two liquids to mix together and make purple but they didn’t—they sat on top of each other in layers and refused to combine. It was almost as if oil and water had been poured into a glass.

  “I had the truth herb specially imported when I heard the two of you were coming,” the Reverend Mother said, handing the steaming cup to me and then pouring a second one for Grav. “A small enough courtesy to extend to acolytes who come to us from across the galaxy.”

  “Um, thank you.” I looked at the strange two-part steaming liquid, not sure what it would do to me to drink it. Was it some kind of poison for anyone but the real Acolyte of Naama? Or maybe some kind of mind-altering drug?

  But then again, what real choice did we have? I thought of the skull floating in the lake of acid. I’d rather have a bad trip from drinking truth-tea than wind up in pieces in the lake. Grav and I exchanged another glance and then I carefully brought the steaming cup to my lips and sipped the top layer, which was the pink liquid.

  It wasn’t anything like the yarex Magda had served me on Sincon station. That had reminded me of jasmine tea with a hint of exotic alien fruit thrown in. The truth-herb liquid also had a familiar flavor but I couldn’t think what it was. Salty, bland and somehow tomato-y. What was that taste? It was right on the tip of my tongue—something from my childhood…

  “Spaghetti-os!” I exclaimed, taking another sip.

  “I’m sorry, what my dear?” The Reverend Mother looked at me frowning and Grav raised an eyebrow too.

  “Oh, uh, forgive me.” I bowed my head, trying to think how to explain away my words. “That’s just an expression of, um, appreciation. It means wonderful. Or perfect. You made the truth-drink so perfectly, I just had to say it.”

  “Oh, well thank you very much. Spaghetti-os, indeed.” The old lady nodded her head, looking pleased. “I tried but I wasn’t certain if I had the proportions quite right.”

  “They seem right to me,” I said, taking another sip.

  “I’m glad.” She smiled. “You know, I would have drunk some and interviewed the guard myself—she is quite stubborn and refuses to speak the truth to any of us here at the Temple—so it would have come in handy. But I was afraid of ill-effects of overdosing, as I have no partner.”

  “Ill-effects?” I looked at her uncertainly. “Overdosing?”

  “Well, certainly. I know that when the truth-drink is prepared correctly, it aids your powers of perception. But if it’s made too strong, the effects can be more, well, let’s say pronounced.”

  “How do you mean?” I said, taking the small cup from my lips as Grav did the same. “I mean, what have you heard?”

  “Well, instead of just helping you tell if the person you’re questioning is telling the truth, it can act as an agent of emotional and physiological exchange.”

  “What?” I asked, beginning to feel sick. What was she talking about?

  “Well, yes—if it’s too strong you don’t just perceive if the person you’re questioning is being truthful, you actually start to feel the sensations and emotions of everyone around you—especially those of the person who imbibes the herb with you. Isn’t that right?” She peered at me sharply. “I had one of the minor priestesses do some research for me and she said that was how it worked. I’d assume you two would know of the inherent dangers of a drink you use every day.”

  “Oh, of course, that’s right,” Grav said quickly, covering for me. “The truth-drink can have some, uh, unforeseen side-effects if you make it incorrectly.”

  “But that isn’t the case here,” I said, picking up the ball and running with it. “You’ve prepared it perfectly your, uh, Reverence.”

  I took another sip, hoping I was telling the truth. What would I do if Grav and I started feeling each other’s emotions? I tried to tell if I was feeling any different but so far I wasn’t feeling anything but scared and anxious and I’d been having those emotions since the minute we walked in the Temple door.

  “Yes, it’s fuckin’ perfect,” Grav echoed me. “Uh, I mean exactly perfect.”

  “Well, Spaghetti-os! I’m so glad I got it right.” The Reverend Mother smiled at us. “You know, I really like that expression—I think I’m going to use it from now on when things go just right.”

  I had to bite back a snort of hysterical laughter that tried to escape my lips.

  “Spaghetti-os,” I echoed, lifting my cup to her in a kind of toast.

  “Spaghetti-os,” Grav rumbled and lifted his cup as well.

  The Reverend Mother looked pleased. “Now finish it up and we’ll go to the detention center of the temple. That’s where the guard who was warding young Teeny is being held.”

  She was watching us intently so Grav and I had to do as she said. I finished the pink, Spaghetti-os tasting layer of liquid and started on the pale blue one.

  It tasted like hot, melted, salty liquorish.

  I nearly gagged on the flavor—I hate black liquorish and adding salt on top of it made it truly barf-worthy, as Zoe would say. Somehow, though, I managed to keep it down and swallow the last few drops.

  I set the cup down with a shudder just as Grav did the same thing. I still didn’t feel any different so hopefully the truth-drink hadn’t had an adverse effect. Maybe my lie was right and the Reverend Mother had prepared the drink correctly.

  I sure hoped so, anyway.

  We sat there for a moment in silence until I realized the Reverend Mother was waiting for us—or for me—to say something.

  “Ah, I feel the truth-drink working,” I said, trying to look mystical and wise. “Reverend Mother, I think we should go at once to interview this guard while the drink is in full effect.”

  “Of course, my dear.” She rose with surprising agility for such an old lady and nodded at us. “Come right this way.”

  Grav

  The prison wing of the Temple wasn’t nearly as nice as the rest of the big building. There were no painted ceilings or marble pillars here—just bare cells with nothing but a straw mattress in one corner.

  Most of the cells were empty but a few held heretics, thieves, and blasphemers awaiting trial. None of them were male though—according to the Reverend Mother, if a male was caught trespassing on the holy ground of the Temple of the Goddess, he was cast summarily into the lake without so much as a by-your-leave.

  Which was really fucking reassuring. Especially since I could swear I felt the cylinder of the image generator shifting around against my hip bone.

  Just stay in place, I thought at it, as though it would do any good. Just a little while longer, you little fucker�
�

  Why hadn’t I used eight staples instead of just seven? For that matter, why hadn’t I taken a laser needle and stitched it into my flesh more securely?

  Well, it was too late now. I just had to pray it would hold.

  The Reverend Mother introduced us to the warden—a tall female with slightly darker pink skin than most of the other Geminians we’d met so far. She was carrying the same, sparking power-spear the guard in the parking area had held and seemed to know how to use it.

  “Tullah, dear, these are the Acolytes of Naamah, here to question Haenah, who was warding little Teeny Kiv’orop when she was taken,” she said to her. “Have you made any progress with her?”

  “I’m afraid not.” The warden frowned. “She refuses to say anything—you know Thonolins. So stubborn.”

  “Well these acolytes have just imbibed a truth-drink that should enable them to get something out of her,” the Reverend Mother said. “You’re to let them into her cell so they can talk to her at close range.”

  “Let a male into the cell with a female prisoner?” The warden eyed me as if I had the Crimson Death plague.

  “I know it’s not the usual protocol but this male is Majoran,” the Reverend Mother emphasized. “As such, he is completely devoted to his bonded mate.” She nodded at Leah. “And so will have no interest in harming or molesting any other female.”

  “Bad enough that he molests his mate,” the warden snapped, glaring at me.

  “Grav doesn’t molest me,” Leah said, jumping in to defend my honor, to my surprise. “He, uh, cares for me.” I noticed she didn’t look at me while she said it, as though she wasn’t sure what I would think about her statement.

  I wished she knew how true her words were. But I couldn’t let her know.

  “So your mate,” the guard spit the word out like a bite of rotten meat. “doesn’t use you sexually? Doesn’t force himself inside you in order to pollute you with his essence?”

  “I…he…” Leah’s face had gone pink with embarrassment. “He never forces me—we…we make love.”

  “There is nothing loving about being penetrated by a male,” the warden snapped. “It’s an abomination.”

  “All right now, Tullah,” the Reverend Mother said briskly. “Just go unlock the cell if you would please and the two acolytes will be along directly.”

  The warden gave me one more look burning with hatred and then turned and stomped off down the narrow stone corridor.

  “You’ll have to forgive Tullah,” the Reverend Mother remarked. “We of Gemina hold very strong religious views about the roles of males and females. Some are more…intolerant than others. I’m afraid our warden is one of those. But then…” She sighed. “She’s seen so many males trying to break into the Temple to steal our holy artifacts. I’m afraid it’s no wonder she has a rather bad view of them all.”

  “Not all males are bad,” Leah said, frowning. “Not even most of them. And I say that even though I know what it’s like to be with a male who’s abusive and cruel.”

  “Do you really? You poor dear.” The Reverend Mother pressed her hand gently. “Was it before you met your mate?” She nodded at me.

  “Yes.” Leah’s cheeks were pink again and for some reason, my own face felt hot as she blushed. I wondered why that was.

  “Well, Gemina, as I’m sure you know, is a sanctuary planet. Often females who have been…hurt by males come here. But I, like you, don’t believe males are all bad.” The Reverend Mother gave a tinkling laugh. “At least, Majoran males aren’t. After all, it isn’t as if your mate is Braxian.”

  “No…no, of course not,” Leah whispered faintly. “That would be…ridiculous.”

  “Well, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. And I do hope you get the information you need to help find Teeny. Poor child—I didn’t know her well but she did come to the Temple to pray quite often when she had time off from her classes.” The Reverend Mother sighed. “I hope you can get to her before…before it’s too late.”

  “That’s the plan,” I said, wishing she would let us get the fuck on with it already. The damn truth-drink she’d made us take hadn’t seemed to have much effect at first, but now I was feeling kind of weird.

  “Some of those that took her were Biters, you know,” the Reverend Mother said to Leah in a low voice. “I pray to the Goddess daily that they don’t infect her with the Biter’s Curse.”

  “That’s our prayer too.” Leah squeezed her hand and smiled. “But now we really need to interview Teeny’s guard before the truth-drink wears off.”

  “Oh, of course…of course. You two go on—and best of luck to you.”

  She gave us one last smile and finally turned and left us.

  I looked at Leah and she looked at me.

  “All right,” I said in a low voice. “Let’s go—it’s show time.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Leah

  Haenah, Teeny’s former guard, sat against the wall of her cell looking defiant and sullen. She had pale green skin like her former ward’s, dark purple eyes, and brownish-black hair which had been cut short and spiky all over her head. Apparently she was a Thonolin, from the same race of people that Teeny was.

  And just as clearly, she had no intention of talking to us.

  “If you’re here to ask questions about that little Teeny brat, you can forget it,” she said flatly as soon as the warden had shut us into the cell with her—sparing one last baleful glare at Grav, whom she really seemed to hate, just for being male. “I got nothing to say.”

  “Tell us about Arn,” I said, stepping towards her. “The man, er, male you were talking with before Teeny was taken. Was he involved in the plot to kidnap her?”

  “What would you know about someone like Arn?” she sneered at me. “He’s T’varri—you know what that means? He’s a real male in the bedchamber.”

  “What?” I frowned at her. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about the best sex you ever had—T’varri know how to master their females in bed. They know how to take charge—not like your mate.” She sneered at Grav who so far had remained motionless and silent. “Probably gets down on his knees and begs to kiss your pussy, doesn’t he? ‘Oh please, my lady goddess, let me pleasure you,’” she mocked.

  “That’s enough.” Grav’s voice was a low, dangerous growl though he still hadn’t moved from his spot by the door.

  “What I and my…my mate do in the privacy of the, uh, bedchamber is none of your business,” I said, feeling my cheeks get hot. “We’re talking about your involvement with Arn here. I hope you’re not saying he kidnapped Teeny to—”

  “No.” She lifted her chin. “She’s too young for him—he’s only interested in me that way.”

  “So you’re protecting him,” I said flatly. “You think he’ll wait for you while you rot here in prison?”

  She shrugged. “It’s not so bad here. Three meals a day. Time outside to exercise. Really quite enjoyable. I can wait here until Arn comes for me.”

  “He’s not coming,” Grav rumbled.

  “That’s what you think,” she sneered. “Arn says I’m the best submissive he’s ever had. He’ll never let me go.”

  “Where did he take Teeny?” I demanded.

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged airily. “No idea—he didn’t tell me.”

  Suddenly, I got a strange tingling sensation at the base of my spine and I knew she wasn’t telling the truth—not even close. At the same time, I saw Grav’s nostrils flare as he inhaled.

  “She’s lying,” I said.

  “I know.” He looked grim as he took a step back to stand by me.

  “Did you get a tingling sensation too?” I asked him under my breath. “Or can you just smell it on her?”

  “Both,” he growled, his eyes never leaving the sullen Haenah who was glaring back at him.

  “Do you think it’s the Spaghetti’os liquorish drink?” I said in a
low voice.

  “What?” He frowned. “What does that really mean anyway—Spaghetti’os? I know it’s not a fuckin’ Majoran exclamation of delight.”

  “It’s a canned pasta dish you give to kids on my planet,” I told him. “It’s what the truth-drink tastes like. Well that and hot, salty liquorish. Ugh.”

  “Yeah, it was kinda nasty.” Grav shrugged. “But who knows what real truth-drink is supposed to taste like?”

  “Truth-drink?” Haenah sat up straighter on her straw mattress, surprising me. I’d thought we were talking too low for her to hear us. “You mean the Liquid of Desire?”

  “What?” I looked at her, frowning.

  “You two took Truth-drink?” she demanded again.

  “Yeah but what was the other thing you called it?” I couldn’t help feeling apprehensive. After we had first drunk the nasty truth-drink the Reverend Mother had prepared us, I hadn’t felt much of anything. But it was starting to kick in now, making me feel jittery and strange—hyper alert to everything around me and hyper sensitive in every part of my body for some reason.

  “Liquid of Desire,” Haenah sneered at me. “Tell me, is that the only way your male can get it up for you? By dosing himself with that stuff?”

  “We took it to help us in your questioning,” I snapped.

  “Oh, so it has nothing to do with the fact that a mated pair who imbibes the drink at the same time has certain, shall we say, interesting side effects?” She opened her eyes wide, as though she really wanted to know.

  “What side effects?” I was starting to feel panicky.

  “Yeah, right—like you don’t know.” Haenah jutted her chin defiantly. “I know what you’re thinking—that you’ll get what you want out of me and then go fuck like Gilbranian leporines. Well good luck—I’ve been a merc for a long time. You think this is the first time I’ve been questioned by interrogators using truth-drink?”

  “I—” I began but she kept on talking.

  “The best way to beat truth-drink is to not say anything at all. You can’t tell if I’m lying or not if I don’t answer your questions.” She crossed her arms and glared at me defiantly. “So from now on, my lips are sealed.”