Talina dropped down to the spongy floor and sobbed softly. “We are trapped.”
“Like wild animals in a hunter's snare.” Kahuel sat next to her and discarded his sword to rub her heaving shoulders, but he had no reassuring words. He strongly suspected they would never leave the blasted ship. They would both die, right here.
But at least, they would die together.
Chapter Seventeen
“That security drop wall is impervious to my phaser.” Kahuel's beam sparked against the smooth stone but didn't melt, cut, or even scratch the surface. He shuddered. Even if he could pierce it, a fully armed Estrell team probably waited on the other side.
Sitting on the soft black floor, Talina ran her delicate fingers along the dark polished surface blocking their way. “It's cold, like stone.”
Through his night lenses, Kahuel could see her faint reflection on the black, mirrored surface, her white dress tucked into her tan pants like a shirt. He clipped the phaser back on his belt then wrapped his fingers around the red transmitter on his chest.
He visualized the Mutant Princess. “Still no contact with Esperana. If she takes control of the ship, she might be able to open these doors for us.”
Talina closed her eyes briefly then shook her head. “The Lost Daughter's mind must be in great turmoil. I vaguely sense her presence, but she can't hear me either.”
Kahuel dropped to the black, spongy floor. Facing Talina, he leaned his back against the cold, smooth wall. “I think it's what they call a blast door... to contain explosions, fire, hull breach... escaped prisoners.”
Talina, frail yet determined, remained calm in the face of their doom. Hard to believe she wasn't a warrior. She looked at him, wonder in her wide turquoise eyes. “How do you know so much about starships?”
“My mother came here on her own starship.” Kahuel removed his night lenses and paused to let his eyes adjust to the surrounding shadows of deep indigo. “She chose to live in Yalta with my father, among Humans...”
Through the thick blue glow, Talina stared at his face in fascination. “She must love your father very much to turn her back on everything she knew, everything she held dear.”
“Yes.” Kahuel realized how lucky he was to have such great parents. A rare instance among rulers. “I've rarely been on my mother's ship... The Mutants of Kassouk commandeered it for their space patrols... to defend this planet against intruders, like the Estrell.”
“Where are the ships now? Why didn't they prevent the Star People from coming here?”
Kahuel chuckled. “That's a good question. I don't know.” He gently gathered Talina's long silky hair and pulled it back, then he removed his night vision lenses and slipped them over her eyes, willing his own eyes to adjust to the darkness.
She gasped. “I can see you like in the light of day.” She chuckled. “It makes your deep green eyes stand out.”
“That's Mutant technology.” Kahuel smiled for her. “I don't know much about it, but I studied some of the archives... access to knowledge is rather limited for five-fingered Humans. But as a prince, I enjoy a few privileges, like this crystal transmitter. And my mother always encouraged me to study.”
“She sounds like a wonderful person.” In the pulsing indigo gloom, even with the lenses hiding her eyes, Talina was a refreshing apparition.
“My father is great, too.” Memories of his early sword training with his father on the palace roof garden in Yalta flooded Kahuel's mind. How he missed these happy times. “He is a warrior.”
“Like you...” Talina raised her booted knees and encircled them with her bare arms.
“Together my parents fought Godds and space pirates in their youth.” The stories he'd heard countless times suddenly made a new kind of sense. “Their common fight must have created a bond between them.”
“I wish I could meet them.” Did Talina see the similarities as well?
“If we ever get out of here, I promise you, you will.” Kahuel fervently hoped they would.
Talina's expression changed from empathy to curiosity. “But why would you want me to meet your parents?”
Kahuel hesitated. “Because I want you in my life, and I want them to like you.”
A guarded expression froze her face. “Is that why you came for me? To take me home with you?”
Kahuel smiled sheepishly. “I don't think I could possibly be happy without you.”
“But Vanaru says you are a…”
“A libertine... I know.” Kahuel sighed and hung his head. It must be horrible to her if she couldn't say the word.
She remained silent, but he could sense her stare drilling through his skull.
“I had a dissolute life once, but not anymore...” Would his carefree past deprive him of a future with her? “I came to your land to change my ways, to prove my worth. To embrace a cause larger than myself.”
“Like a true prince.” She patted his hand. “The Chosen expect the same kind of sacrifices from their royal rulers.”
Kahuel still couldn't face her. He glanced at her sideways. “Do you hate me for taking your virginity?”
“No.” She let go of his hand and absently fiddled with the top of her high boots. “I am to blame for what happened.”
“You?” Kahuel glanced up. He could not believe she would hold herself responsible. “I don't think so.”
“But I am. I was so naive.” She tucked her booted legs under her. “When I met you, I thought the prophecy had come to pass. I thought I could break the cycle of doom around me. You were the only eligible prince I would ever meet in my entire life, and you were so fascinating.”
Kahuel had never thought of it that way. “The only possible match?”
“Of course... Over the centuries, only one foreigner visited our land, Prince Rakham, who took away our Lost Daughter. And most Chosen think of him as a myth, a legend.”
Kahuel wasn't sure how to react. “So, you pounced on the first available prince?”
“Only because you made my heart sing.” She smiled. “You were my only chance at love, children, a family. I threw myself at you, willingly. And that simple act, among the Chosen is the act of selecting a life mate.”
“I see...” Why had he succumbed to battle fever lust after he'd promised to change?
Talina sighed. “Accepting the gift is agreeing to be bonded. The act of love sealed our union.”
“I knew nothing about your customs...” Kahuel suddenly understood what really happened between them. “I'm so sorry...”
“Now I belong to you, whether you like it or not. I am spoiled for any other man... not that any Chosen could be a suitable match. Only royal blood...”
He'd certainly made a mess of her life. “How you must hate me.”
“Not at all... I enjoyed the experience.”
Hope surged into Kahuel's chest. “But don't you regret choosing me?”
“No.” She scooted closer to him.
He encircled her trembling shoulders. She didn't shake from cold. It was hot in their section of corridor. The surrounding silence and obscurity seemed to protect them from the outside world, like an oasis of tranquility in the midst of a storm.
“I didn't know mating could be so... pleasurable.” She leaned her head on his chest. Her hair smelled of tropical flowers. “Is it always like that?”
“To tell the truth, I've never experienced anything so exhilarating as the magic night we spent together.” Kahuel smiled at the memory. “It was truly special.”
“Wasn't it?” Even through the blue pulsing gloom, she wore her hopes and vulnerabilities on her open face.
“I would give up anything for us to have a long, happy life together.” Kahuel meant every word, although he suspected they wouldn't live past the next hour.
“You would?” Far from looking pleased, she frowned.
* * *
Talina was astounded at his reaction. He still wanted her. But could she ever be happy as the mate of a former depraved? Could she fac
e his past without feeling his shame, without being tarnished by it?
She lowered her gaze to the black floor. “My people will never accept a former libertine among the Chosen.”
Black Jaguar gently lifted her chin and searched her face, eyes pleading. “If I take you away from the Chosen, their laws will not apply to you anymore.”
“Away from the Chosen?” She had never considered leaving the proximity of the Chosen. She needed their collective minds to thrive.
“In Yalta, you will be accepted with open arms.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Among my people, there is no stigma attached to my past mistakes.”
“In Yalta? Where each day I might encounter the women you bedded before me?” Heat crept up her neck and flushed Talina's face.
“I didn't think of that...” Kahuel lowered his emerald gaze. “We would have a traditional royal wedding in the Great Hall, with a banquet including hundreds of guests and dignitaries.”
“It sounds nice, but I always assumed we would live among the Chosen. When I met you, you were stranded on our land forever... I thought you would never leave.”
She saw him stiffen. Did her words hurt him?
“I cannot live away from my people. Our minds are linked. Permanent isolation might result in a slow, painful death. That's probably what happened to the Lost Daughter of old.” She wanted this man, yet she could not follow him home.
“Why not bring some of your people with you?”
“How could I ask my people to leave everything they know, everything they love?” Could Talina do it, for this one man? “How could they possibly breathe in your city of walls? They are accustomed to the jungle, the animals they love, the fragrance of tropical flowers, the mossy ground under their bare feet...”
“There are wide open spaces in Yalta, like the lake.” Black Jaguar sounded so intense, desperate to convince her. How he loved his home... The worst part was, she understood.
Talina surveyed their prison, a segment of corridor with no doors, no windows, no natural light. Even the light blue colors through her night lenses looked grim and depressing. “I hate walls.”
Black Jaguar chuckled. “I can't blame you. Especially after your sojourn in an Estrell cell.”
“I'll never forget that cell.” Talina shivered at the reminder. “I don't deny this attraction between us. But no matter how strong, it seems impractical.” There, she'd said it, and doomed herself to spend the rest of her life alone.
His serious face regarded her gravely. “What if we die here, today, without ever leaving this ship?”
The thought had come to her. Talina smiled sadly. “Then this conversation would be of no significance.”
“And the world outside wouldn't matter.” He chuckled softly. “We would be free to love each other... for a short time anyway.”
Talina almost wished it were that simple. “I do not intend to die here. The Lost Daughter will save us.”
“I hope so.” He offered a timid smile. “But I would rather die here with you than go on without you.”
Talina shook her head. “You cannot mean that. Your death would greatly distress those who love you... your mother, your siblings.”
“You matter more to me.” His face drew closer.
Talina shivered with anticipation. How she wished for the contact of his lips... How she wanted him... but she wouldn't weaken. She couldn't surrender to him. Not unless they were certain to die here. Then, and only then, would she let go of all her restraints.
It took all her strength to pull away from his embrace. “We should try to contact the Lost Daughter again.”
“Let me do it.” He didn't let her go and she didn't dare move. He held her tight while he fingered his red crystal. “No answer.”
“Let me try.”
His emerald gaze pleaded for a moment. Then he released her. “Of course.”
Talina missed his physical contact as he let her go. She crossed her legs in front of her and straightened her back. “Don't worry... the Lost Daughter will help us.”
“I wouldn't be so sure.” Kahuel smiled, almost as if he hoped they were condemned to die here. “Two Humans don't weigh much against the success of Esperana's mission. More is at stake than just our lives.”
“I understand.” Talina didn't know what she preferred. Die here and allow herself to love him? Or get out alive, and never see him again?
She pulled off her night lenses and handed them to Black Jaguar. Blind for a few seconds, she felt the warm touch of his hand as he took them from her. How she wanted to throw herself into his arms. But she couldn't.
“I wish I could communicate with mind-talk.” He let out a short, nervous laugh. “Then no matter how far, we would never be apart.”
“Things would be much simpler if you were a Chosen.” She closed her eyes to hide the tears threatening to overcome her. Breathing deeply in an attempt to calm her roiling thoughts, she visualized the Lost Daughter.
Esperana's mind voice answered this time, loud and clear. “Where are you? Hurry back to the transport area!”
“Lost Daughter, we are trapped!”
“Where? Let me check the scanner...”
Talina sent images of their section of corridor, the dead-end, and the black wall that dropped from the ceiling. “Black Jaguar says they are blast doors.”
“Blast doors?” The mind tone hinted at bad news.
“I also discovered that a shrieking sound can kill the Star People.”
“I suspected that much, but that's good to know. Thanks.”
“Can you help us get out?” Talina asked with no conviction.
The Lost Daughter's mind voice hesitated. “We have control of most of the ship. Give me a few minutes and I should find a way to open the blast doors in your sector.”
“Thank you, Lost Daughter.” But in her heart, Talina felt something die.
When she opened her eyes, bright lights suddenly flooded their closed section of corridor... their prison. “She will try to open the doors.”
Black Jaguar blinked a few times in the light. “Maybe you were right after all. Maybe Princess Esperana cares about Humans.”
Reassessing her prison in the new light, Talina saw nothing that could help them escape. Just smooth walls.
A loud shriek filled their section of corridor. Talina covered her ears. Kahuel did the same.
“Did you tell her to do that?” he shouted over the pervading sound.
Talina nodded vehemently. Great pain pierced her chest, folding her into a ball. When the sound finally ceased, great sadness filled Talina's chest. Many Star People were dead or dying.
A tug on her mind distracted her from their agony. “The Lost Daughter is calling.”
Kahuel nodded understanding. Did he know what Talina was going through? She closed her eyes and sat straight, unable to fight the excruciating pain of so many deaths.
“Most of the Estrell's life signs have ceased,” came the mind voice of the Lost Daughter. “But I cannot open the security doors. They must only obey mind command. I'll keep trying.”
Talina swallowed a sob, ashamed of grieving for her enemy, yet she couldn't help it. “Many Star People are dead!”
“So?” Black Jaguar stared at her with intense purpose. “They deserved it. What about the doors?”
“The Lost Daughter can't open them, but she is not giving up on us.” Talina found the wait intolerable. She couldn't stand being here among so many deaths. And she wanted to know whether she would live or die here. Was it too much to ask?
* * *
Lord Straal shook his head in frustration. How did the foreigners overload the illumination circuits? Even through the thick, dark lenses, the bright light blinded him. And the secondary command station gave him access to limited, although essential systems.
He turned to First Meteorologist. “Help me send the distress message”.
“Yes, My Lord.” Even with soundproof earmuffs and dark eye lenses, she looked the very picture of de
licate perfection.
She approached the small floating console from the other side, their heads so close together he was aware of her every breath. Straal focused on entering his secret code into the console. First Meteorologist did the same on the opposite side with her code. Together they pressed opposite keys on the console. Then they joined hands over the command panel and her energy force tingled through his fingers, boosting his broadcasting range.
“Emergency message to the main Estrell fleet. Estrell science vessel of New Generation Project. Mission accomplished. But vessel in jeopardy. Heavy losses, enemy on board, Estrell technology at risk of falling into enemy hands. No hope of regaining control. Giving order to abandon ship... initiating last resort procedure.”
Straal looked into the face of the female he'd desired for so long. She was all he had left. With his mission accomplished, they could return to the main fleet and possibly enjoy peace together. He smiled tenderly.
First Meteorologist smiled back. Such a lovely smile... “Can we go now?”
“Just one last important thing.” Straal pushed another key.
“I almost forgot.” She smiled and pushed a key on her side. “No Estrell technology should ever fall into enemy hands.”
They joined hands again, and Straal focused on the ship's defense systems. “Engage self-destruct sequence.”
A small red line along the ceiling blinked intermittently at brief intervals.
Straal smiled at First Meteorologist, the very image of his bright future. Despite this setback, all would be well. “Come, let's get out of here.”
* * *
What now? Kahuel stopped his slow pacing to stare at the red blinking line coursing along the center of the ceiling. He didn't know what it meant, but an ominous weight filled his chest. This couldn't be good.
The light caught on the shiny bits of seashell sewn onto the neckline of Talina's white dress tucked into her pants. Her eyes echoed the azure walls of the corridor. The polished blast doors, however, black and forbidding, now reflected their image like a mirror.
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