by Rayna Tyler
The whole conversation might have gone better, been a lot easier if Burke had told us everything from the start. It would have given Celeste time to process the situation. I wanted to believe what Jardun and Burke were asking us to do was for a good cause. It didn’t mean I was over being pissed at Burke for deceiving us, and I sure as hell wasn’t ready to forgive him yet.
No one could ever say Burke wasn’t smart. Sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room, he knew better than to push the issue with me.
Or maybe his silence was the result of me shooting warning glares in his direction. Either way, he was comfortably seated, long legs stretched out in front of him, wearing a satisfied grin and listening without interjecting any comments.
I wanted my friends to support my decision, but accompanying the ketaurrans had to be their choice. “What if Jardun is right? What if their new drezdarr does care and wants to help our people as well as his own? Can you honestly say you wouldn’t do everything you could to make that happen?” I rubbed my forehead against the threatening headache. “Humans weren’t the only ones to suffer losses during the war. Sarus’s men didn’t discriminate when they attacked the cities and human outposts, then killed anyone who got in their way.”
I despised the old drezdarr’s younger brother, the selfish male who’d started the war and taken so many lives. Sarus might not have wielded the weapons that killed the people my friends and I cared about, but he’d given the orders and was responsible.
Things might have been different if we’d been able to contact Earth after the crash to request a rescue. The ship’s entire communication system had been destroyed. Any transmission devices created afterward didn’t have the ability to transmit past the atmosphere, leaving us stranded. Building a new home among the planet’s inhabitants had been our only choice if we wanted to survive.
The few years prior to the war weren’t easy, but they weren’t bad either. I’d been fascinated with the ketaurrans and spent a lot of my time learning about their culture and customs. The majority of the species welcomed us into their communities, and making friends was easy. Only a handful viewed us as unworthy of being on their planet, some striving to make our lives difficult. Others joined forces with Sarus and tried to remove us from existence permanently.
It hadn’t been our fight, but we’d been drawn into it nonetheless. I’d seen too many things, too many deaths, things I wish I could forget. It was hard not to blame all ketaurrans for what had happened. After speaking with Jardun, I knew helping them was the right thing to do. I carried enough guilt for the unpleasant things I’d had to do to survive. I didn’t want to add the drezdarr’s death to the list, not if there was something I could do to prevent it.
If saving the drezdarr’s life also meant an eventual end to the hardships and gave my people hope, I was willing to do whatever was necessary to make it happen. But I couldn’t do it alone and needed the help of my friends.
Now that it appeared Celeste was over her rant and I’d made my final plea, I glanced at Sloane, trying to gauge her reaction. Her actions were unpredictable, and I wasn’t always sure how she’d respond. Of the three of us, she was more easygoing and readily accepted a challenge no matter how dangerous.
She stared at the floor, twirling the end of her brown braid, her nose wrinkled in deep thought. When she finally glanced in my direction, an enthusiastic gleam lit her blue eyes. A gleam which no doubt would eventually lead to trouble.
Sloane settled on the edge of the lounger next to Celeste, then gently squeezed her hand. “Celeste, honey, I know how hard this is for you. But think about the orphans and the others back at the settlement. If saving this guy’s life helps make a difference for them, then I agree with Laria. We need to do this—together.”
“I...” Celeste turned her head and swiped at a tear before it could trickle down her face. “Fine.” She pushed to her feet, smoothing the front of her pants as she stood. “If we do this and I find out afterward they lied to us, or used us for some”—she waved her hand through the air—“nefarious purpose, I’ll personally make Jardun and his precious drezdarr pay for it.”
Grinning, Sloane got to her feet, then slung her arm over Celeste’s shoulders. “And I’ll help you.” She bobbed her head in my direction, a sign she wanted me to chime in.
“And I’ll come along to make sure you two don’t get into any trouble or do anything we’ll all regret.”
I blew out a relieved breath. This was one time I hoped my instincts were right, that Jardun hadn’t lied, didn’t have a hidden agenda he was keeping from me. I was drawn to him in a way I couldn’t explain, and I’d hate to have to make him pay for betraying us.
Jardun
Shortly after speaking with Burke and learning that Laria and her friends had agreed, if not reluctantly, to assist us, I’d gone to Khyron’s quarters to update him on the progress of the plan to rescue Vurell and find a cure. As usual, he was sitting in a chair behind a sandstone desk, reviewing documents.
After listening to me describe the events leading up to and including the encounter Laria and I had had with the luzardees, he said, “Interesting. Burke actually sent females to help you.” His grin was filled with curiosity and amusement, not the disbelief I had expected.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“And you are sure the females are trained to fight?”
Since I had not witnessed their combat abilities, I did not know the extent of Celeste’s and Sloane’s skills. I did, however, have a deep appreciation for the precise and graceful way Laria handled a knife. “Burke assures me that all three females possess exceptional skills with a blade, even better than some of the males he commands.”
“And what about finding Vurell and the cure?” he asked.
“Burke is confident that with the female’s help, he will be able to locate Vurell and the antidote. I have recently learned that her sire was a scientist and she is familiar with the layout of the area we need to access on the ship.” Once I was certain the physician was safe and we had the cure for Khyron, I planned to destroy everything in the lab that could be used to create other toxins.
Khyron furrowed his brows. “Are the females aware that entering the Quaddrien is dangerous? Or that Doyle has turned the remains of the human ship into a fortress?”
“They are.”
“And yet they are still willing to accompany you. Impressive.” Khyron shifted in his seat, his movements slower than they were several days ago. His attempt to disguise his cringing by rubbing his chin did not go unnoticed.
Though he did his best to conceal the extent of his condition by wearing clothes that covered the majority of his body, it pained me to see the dull ash shade to his exposed skin. The intense sparkle in his deep blue eyes had faded. His scales no longer held their vibrant blue luster.
Before Vurell had been abducted, he had concocted a liquid that would temporarily slow down the toxin’s effects and hopefully give Khyron more time until an antidote could be developed. Even though the physician had assured me that my friend had weeks, not days, I still feared we were running out of time to save him.
I’d known Khyron since we were younglings. We had fought side by side during the war and would give our life if it meant saving the other. Telling Khyron he should be in bed resting until his health improved or let someone else handle the day-to-day issues that came with his leadership role was moot. He was a proud male and believed that showing weakness of any kind would undermine all he was trying to achieve.
“I assume Zaedon and Garyck will be going with you.” Khyron coughed, then leaned back in his chair, clamping his jaw against the pain.
“Yes, we will leave during the first rays in the morning. Thrayn and Raytan will remain behind.” I did not voice my concerns about the possibility of another attack on his life, or that I feared his ill health would hinder his ability to protect himself.
The traitor, the person who had infected Khyron, had to be someone who could get close to him.
Until I discovered their identity, I would not trust anyone outside my close circle of friends to protect him.
“Then you should see to the needs of our guests,” Khyron said, and focused his attention on the documents spread out before him.
“Of course.” His dismissal was not meant to be rude, merely my friend’s way of preventing me from lecturing him about taking better care of himself. A conversation we had had on several occasions.
Had I not wished to see Laria and thank her personally, I would have ignored his directive and voiced my opinion anyway. Instead, I left him to seek out the female who enticed me in ways I had yet to understand.
Chapter Six
LARIA
I had no complaints about the accommodations Jardun, or I should say the drezdarr, had provided. We weren’t permitted to leave our temporary quarters, nor were the guards removed from the outside corridor. The evening meal, a variety of meats and fruits, was good and the bed was comfortable. I’d even enjoyed the bathing tub, lingering long after the water had cooled.
Sleeping in the unfamiliar surroundings hadn’t been easy. Because of the occasional work my friends and I did for Burke, the world outside our home in the settlement was filled with dangers. Dangers that could potentially get a person killed. I’d spent too many nights over the last few years in a semi-restful state, my mind always aware of my surroundings.
I’d woken exhausted, a little cranky, and troubled by the concerns I had about traveling into the wastelands. To say I was more than a little worried about what we’d face once we entered an area most of the planet’s inhabitants avoided would be an understatement. Knowing we’d be traveling with three lethal vryndarrs who’d survived far worse situations eased some of my stress.
While the solarveyor, a much larger and more accommodating transport powered by the sun’s rays, was being loaded with supplies, Jardun provided us with additional information about the route we’d be taking to our destination. Our first stop would be an outlying outpost near the border of the Quaddrien manned by a handful of the drezdarr’s soldiers.
Out of all the human members of our group, Burke was the only one who’d returned to the wastelands shortly after the crash. He’d been in charge of a small team sent to retrieve whatever could be salvaged and used to build our new lives. According to him, anything salvageable on the levels they could access had been stripped and removed. It was the reason I was surprised when I heard Doyle and his band of mercs had occupied the wreckage. As far as I knew, the ship had landed in an area far from any food and water sources. Why the male had chosen that location baffled me.
Human technology was more advanced than ketaurran. The surviving scientists found it difficult to replicate the modernized devices used on the ship with the planet’s resources. After Jardun told me about the toxin, I wondered if there were other technological items that had survived the crash that Doyle and his men had managed to find.
I imagined all the horrible things that could happen to the inhabitants if someone like Sarus, someone possessed with the need for power, decided to use what they found to start another war, and shuddered.
The trip would take most of the day, and I planned to spend part of it relaxing, trying to recuperate from the beating I’d taken the day before. Once we were underway, I’d moved farther back in the vehicle and curled up on a bench-like seat and stared outside one of the portal panes. Not that I could see much of the landscape through the heavy sheets of water pummeling the ground. The storm had started shortly after our departure and showed no signs of stopping. The horizon was one long strip of varying shades of gray, the buildings in the distance tiny dark blobs.
The others remained near the front of the transport. Garyck was in charge of operating the vehicle and concentrated on the controls. Zaedon was busy entertaining my friends with stories of his exploits and heroism. The bits of conversation I hadn’t tuned out sounded as if he’d done some embellishing and elicited rounds of laughter. I’d even heard an occasional giggle coming from Celeste.
Thinking about all the what-ifs involved with this trip hadn’t helped the persistent throbbing from the headache I’d developed the night before. I closed my eyes and leaned forward to massage my neck.
“Laria.” At Jardun’s deep voice, I opened my eyes and dropped my hands to my lap. Why out of all the males I’d met on the planet did this one have such a warming effect on my system?
He sat down opposite me, his bulky frame taking up most of the seat. “This will help.” He held out a drinking receptacle containing a steaming yellow liquid.
The weather had slowed us down, and though he offered me a warm smile, I could tell by his solemn demeanor that the delay wore heavily on him. The longer it took us to obtain the antidote, the greater the risk to the drezdarr’s life.
“What is it?” I sniffed, then wrinkled my nose at the bitter aroma.
“It is called creevea and has a natural stimulant that will assist with your weary condition.”
My quarters didn’t have anything resembling a mirror or reflective surface, so I had no way to check my appearance before we left. “Do I look that bad?”
He quirked a brow, the hint of a grin on his lips. “You are remarkably beautiful.”
Had he thought I was looking for a compliment with my question? My cheeks heated, and I held back an embarrassed groan.
“You appeared to be experiencing pain, and the creevea will help.” He leaned forward and gently touched my temple. “I believe it is similar to one of your human drinks. I remember reading something about it in the history data books the leaders from your ship had given our people shortly after your arrival. I believe you refer to is as cuffy.”
I giggled. “Coffee. It was called coffee.” And the supplies of the favored beverage saved from the ship had been depleted long ago. If there was any left on the planet, whoever had it was doing a great job of keeping it hidden.
“Coffee.” He repeated the word. “Sometimes it is difficult to translate the pronunciation accurately. Please continue to correct me if I do not speak your language properly.”
I was impressed he’d taken the time to learn more about human habits and interests. Even more so that he’d attempted to say it in my language and not his. Not that it mattered—I had a universal translator surgically implanted via a tiny needle under the skin near my right ear. It was one of the few technological advances that the scientists back on Earth had the foresight to develop.
Everyone who’d participated in the colonist exploration program, including all family members, were provided with a device. This planet hadn’t been our original destination, but now we were here, it had sure made communication and the process of integration into our new and permanent home a lot easier.
“You speak my language very well. I have no complaints.” Complimenting and flirting, something I hadn’t engaged in for such a long time, came easily with him. Maybe too easily.
There were times when I wondered what life would have been like, how differently things would have turned out, if Sarus hadn’t started the revolt that took so many lives. Things were different now. Life was hard, and what I did to survive was dangerous. I couldn’t afford to allow my emotions or my growing attraction to Jardun to get in the way of the mission.
We might live on the same planet, but we came from different worlds. Even if we survived and were successful, after we returned to the city I’d never see him again. He’d go back to doing whatever the vryndarr did and I would return to the settlement, continue working with Burke.
“Are you not going to try it?” He’d noticed that I still hadn’t taken a drink. “I promise it is safe and will not harm you in any way.”
After our conversation the evening before, he must have realized that building trust between us was going to take some time. His reassuring smile put me at ease, and I dared to take a sip. Surprisingly, the liquid tasted better than it smelled, so I swallowed some more. “Not bad.”
“But not good either.�
� He grinned, though his gaze seemed more focused on me than the drink.
I took another sip. “Thank you, I’m starting to feel a lot better.” Besides my disappearing lethargy, the pounding in my head was subsiding. Even my muscles weren’t as sore as they were earlier.
I thought the heat radiating through my body had less to do with the drink and more to do with his nearness and having his long leg pressed against mine.
Jardun
As much as I enjoyed spending time with Laria, getting close to the female was not something I could afford to do. After supplying her with the creevea to help her bodily aches, I’d returned to the control area to monitor our progress for the remainder of the trip.
The storm had abated somewhat by the time we reached our destination. It did not, however, prevent our group from getting drenched after leaving the vehicle. On the way to the larger of three buildings, we passed another solarveyor similar to ours. Sitting next to it was a much smaller transport designed to carry two or three passengers.
Prior to the war, and because of its strategic location, Sarus had taken up residence on the far side of the Quaddrien. After several of the scattered farming communities closest to the mountainous perimeter surrounding the wastelands had been attacked, the remainder were abandoned. Khyron’s father had converted them into military outposts and manned them with a handful of soldiers.
A direct approach across the wasteland’s flat sandy terrain could be easily spotted by Doyle and his men, making it more difficult to extract Vurell and the antidote. Therefore, Zaedon, Garyck, and I had chosen an alternate route, one that would conceal our presence. I had chosen an outpost closest to one of the few places where a transport could enter the wastelands.