The Inquisitors (The Space Merchants Book 6)

by Wendie Nordgren

  “Dario, come over here!” Sparrow ordered. She dropped her towel and stepped down into the hot bubbling jets of water. Sparrow gave me an impatient look.

  “What the hell,” I grumbled as I mimicked her.

  Tracy kept her towel around her, gradually lifting it as she lowered herself into the water in an attempt to hide her flesh. She tossed it aside once she was seated. Her cheeks had either turned red from the embarrassment of being naked in public or from the water’s temperature. Having no compunctions about nudity, Dario carefully folded and set aside his towel before joining us. Tracy visibly stiffened, and I couldn’t help but laugh. She started splashing me in the face.

  “Stop! I’m sorry!” I said while laughing at her. “I know how you feel. I got in trouble with my Momma for wearing swim dresses into the Palace pool.”

  “If my mother could see me now, she would faint,” Tracy said.

  “My mother is a whore. I don’t think she’d care,” Sparrow said.

  “So, how’s Gary?” I asked to break the tension that comment had caused.

  “Good.” She rested her head back against the tub’s rim and stared out at the snow. “I should ask Xavier to buy us a house here. It’s pretty.”

  “You can stay at our creepy family cabin for free whenever you want,” I offered.

  “You don’t like it?” Tracy asked.

  “I had a frightening experience on Naxa once. Kaoti protected me, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get over it.”

  “Oh, Violet told me about that. I’m sorry, Teagan,” Tracy said.

  “I need to teach you both to fly,” I said.

  Sparrow said, “I’m getting Xavier to teach me to drive first.”

  I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. The hot water and bubbling jets worked away at my tension. Soon, my mind went blank, and I began to doze.

  “Oh, it’s time for our massages! Come on,” Tracy said.

  “Huh?”

  Dario laughed at my expression. I yawned and wiped at my eyes with wet hands. Smiling male attendants stood ready with dry towels.

  “Vice Admiral Galerius!” Tracy half screeched and half whispered.

  His huge erection strained against the towel he had wrapped around his hips. “Such a reaction is only natural when in the presence of such beautiful women.”

  “If Jazon were here, he’d use it as a handle to toss you out into the snow.”

  “If Jazon’s hands were anywhere near my erection, it would vanish.”

  I laughed picturing the scene in my head.

  Our massages were given to us in a room with warm crackling fires. Warm oils mixed with freshly crushed herbs were rubbed into my skin, and then strong fingers worked away at all of the tension of the last few days. Then, heated stones were applied to my back. Tracy had to wake me up when it was over, wrap me in a robe, and walk me back to my room with our arms linked together. I blinked tiredly at Cadet Cedrenus who was in my room holding a pair of panties that he was putting away in a drawer.

  Ignoring him, I crawled under my blankets and fell into an exhausted sleep. The next thing I knew, someone was signaling for entry. The annoying sound didn’t even stop after I had flipped over my slobbery pillow and covered my ears with another one.

  “Stop. I’m coming.” With a scowl on my face, I opened the door.

  “Well?” Tracy asked. “Aren’t you going to get dressed?”

  Tracy and Sparrow were both dressed and held jackets and gloves.

  “What time is it?”

  “Five,” Sparrow said.

  “Coffee?” I asked as I stumbled into the bathroom.

  “Yes, in the restaurant. I’ll pick out your clothes,” Tracy said.

  After a few moments alone in the bathroom with barely enough time to wash my face and brush my teeth, I was rushed to dress and dragged downstairs.

  While I was yawning in between sips of coffee, Tracy said, “Try not to be so enthusiastic.”

  “I was tired, and I can’t remember the last time I had such a big bed all to myself.”

  After breakfast, one of the resort’s guides drove us a short distance up into the snow-covered mountains on the property. Tracy had reserved the area and the guide for the morning. Cadet Cedrenus and his team had tagged along wearing snow gear that they had either purchased or been provided. The guide took out a yellow, curved, plasti board, sat on it, and demonstrated our objective. He sped down the slope with snow spewing up into the air around him.

  I frowned. “It looks steep. Maybe, this is too dangerous for our first snow activity.”

  Dario put his big strong arm around me. “I’ll be right here. Don’t be afraid.”

  Tracy rolled her eyes at me, pulled her hat down over her ears, and pointed with one of her gloved hands. “Teagan, look.”

  She pointed to a slope that was a few miles away from us. It was just as steep as the one where we were, but it was overrun with children who looked a little older than Neema.

  “Fine. Whatever.”

  I wasn’t sure she had even heard me since she had already hopped onto one of the plasti boards belly first and was speeding down the slope. Fearlessly, Sparrow followed.

  Dario took a board, sat on it with his feet braced in the snow to either side, and held his hand out to me. “We’ll go down together.”

  Unsure if it was a good idea, I decided not to be a coward. After I was seated, Dario put his arms around me, counted to three, and then lifted his feet up onto the board. Cold wind kissed my face as we slid down the hill. I screamed and laughed, feeling silly for being afraid. We all ran back up the slope and continued sliding down and having races until we were hungry and frozen.

  Next on Tracy’s agenda was the sauna, followed by the hot tub, and finally lunch. Afterwards, she had us floating above the treetops on a guided hover gondola tour. Sparrow was intrigued by all of the animals we saw and got Xavier to watch them with us on her vid-screen. When I managed to get a moment to rest, I called Yukihyo.

  “Having fun?” he asked.

  “Yes, but stars! Tracy and Sparrow never slow down. They are like Neema and Niklos after too many cookies.”

  “Jazon and Xavier will tire them out when we arrive in the morning,” Yukihyo said in his sexy deep monotone.

  Chapter Four

  I wanted a nap before dinner but feared if I tried to take one in my room that one of my new sisters would drag me out of bed. Therefore, I grabbed a pillow and a throw blanket, and snuck off to one of the lodge’s unpopular sitting rooms. It had a fireplace but no view. I had yet to see anyone inside of it. A long couch faced the fire, and a few chairs and tables were scattered around with stones boards upon them. Feeling I had outsmarted my friends, I curled up on the couch and had just started to doze off when an argument woke me.

  “He is an excellent match, and your fathers approve of the marriage contract he offered. Why are you so hesitant to accept?” a woman asked.

  “I don’t love him,” another woman said.

  The other woman made a scoffing sound. “You should have married years ago. A young woman your age should have at least two husbands. Think of the example you are setting and the disrespect you are showing to the families of the young men who you have refused.”

  “I have thought of those young men! It’s why I haven’t accepted any of them.”

  “How rude! I am disappointed in you. I had thought that your fathers and I had raised you better. I think it best that we not speak for the remainder of the evening.”

  I heard a swish of fabric as someone entered my nap room and closed the door. Then, I heard soft puffs of sound and angry grunts. I peeked over the couch and saw the owners’ daughter hurling pillows with all of her might against the wall.

  “If you want, we can go outside and blast some stuff. That usually makes me feel better.”

  Tear-filled, brown, doe-shaped eyes stared at me in shocked, embarrassed surprise. “Princess Probus, please forgive me for intruding. I will leave at once.” />
  “Please, don’t. Anyway, I’m supposed to be in my room. I snuck in here to take a nap.”

  “And, I have ruined it,” she said in distress.

  “No, I understand how you feel. I’ve had similar conversations with my momma.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes. I’m sure she has all of my future husbands all picked out. It makes me angry because it’s my love life, but I love her and want to make her happy. We lost so much time together.”

  “It’s frustrating,” she said.

  “Yes, deeply. I’m Teagan.” I held out my hand.

  She replaced the decorative burgundy pillow she had scrunched in her hands onto the chair from which she had plucked it. A small pile of them were on the floor against the far wall where she had hurled them. “I’m Terre.” We shook hands, and she wiped her eyes.

  “Who does your momma want you to marry?”

  My question made her eyes fill once more with tears. “A young male serving in the military branch. There’s nothing wrong with him. I just don’t feel anything here for him,” Terre said as she pressed her hands to her heart. “Isn’t love supposed to be beautiful and noticeable?”

  Thinking of Yukihyo and Zared, I said, “Yes. It’s unmistakable. The bonds my Laconian husbands and I have formed were undeniable and breathtaking. However, love can also catch your attention in other ways.”

  “How?”

  Thinking of Quaid, I said, “With uncontrollable desire.” Then, I thought of Nico and Fitz. “Or it can grow gradually with loyalty, trust, and kindness.”

  “You know a lot about love.”

  I smiled at her. “I’m learning. However, I wasn’t always so fortunate as to be surrounded by people who care for me.”

  The look in her eyes made me look down. As a Parvac citizen, she knew my story. She sat beside me on the couch, so I shared my blanket with her. Companionably, we sat in silence.

  After we had watched the flames in the fireplace for a while, she asked, “What should I do? Mother is so angry with me, but I can’t bring myself to accept any of the offers made to me. I wish I had more time to think.”

  “What do you want to do if it isn’t marriage?”

  “I don’t know. I simply feel so….”

  “Trapped, stifled?”

  Terre gave me a sad smile. “Yes, precisely.”

  My eyes lit up. “How would she react if you were to become one of my Imperial attendants? Then, you could come with us on our trip to Thalassa! That would give you time to think.”

  “You don’t mean it!”

  “Oh, yes, I do. Would she allow you to go?”

  “Are you joking? Mother would be overjoyed to know I had even spoken to you privately. To serve as one of your attendants would bring great honor to House Dacia.”

  “Great! Let’s go get coffee. You can join us for dinner and meet my sisters and Dario. Now, Terre, if you aren’t happy with us or just decide you want to return home, you must promise to tell me. My aim is to help out a kindred spirit and not to cause you more aggravation.”

  “I promise.”

  I dabbed at her tears with the corner of my blanket as we walked toward the door. Now, her doe-shaped eyes were filled with excitement. Movement in the room behind us frightened me, making me jump. Cadet Cedrenus stepped from the shadows and bowed his head to me before following us from the room. I took note of the blasters he wore secured in holsters and wondered how many additional weapons were secreted on his person. Like most Inquisitors, he had average looks with brown hair and eyes. For a moment, I was unnerved by him. He motioned for one of his team members standing outside of the room to take my pillow and blanket from me and back up to my room.

  “There you are. We have been looking for you. Our table is prepared,” Dario said as he flashed me a sexy smile.

  “Can we make room for one more?”

  “I will see to it at once, Princess Probus. Will the lovely Lady Dacia be joining us?”

  I glanced up at Dario. He had probably studied dossiers on every individual, whether an employee or guest, on the resort’s grounds. “Vice Admiral Dario Galerius, please allow me to introduce Lady Terre Dacia, my newest Imperial attendant.”

  Dario didn’t look surprised as he bowed over her hand and kissed her fingers. I wondered if he had listened outside of the door, or if he had placed a listening device on me or my clothing.

  He said, “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Dacia.” Dario offered each of us an arm and escorted us to our table. A waiter had already set another place.

  Tracy and Terre began chatting amiably. I turned my attention to my plate and couldn’t help but to scowl at it, stuffed mushrooms. It seemed like each time I had mushrooms, it was a precursor to a pregnancy. My thoughts returned to my three children. Peter had plenty of my stored breast milk, which I had been adding to a few times a day. He had enough to last a week. Peter was much smaller than Niklos and much less demanding which had allowed my breasts to return to a more manageable size. I loved my children and being a mother, but I wasn’t ready for another pregnancy, even though I had agreed to try when Yukihyo had asked. It all made me think of Luca and the baby we had lost.

  Dario waved a waiter over and told him to bring me something else before I could regain my composure enough to tell him otherwise. The chef appeared in seconds concerned that I was displeased. After I had assured him that it had nothing to do with his culinary skills, he sent out a cheese-stuffed ravioli which Sparrow decided we were sharing.

  Around a mouthful, she asked, “What was that about?”

  While avoiding eye contact, I admitted to her where my thoughts had gone.

  To Terre, Sparrow said, “You’re from here. What would be fun for us to do after dinner?”

  “Have you gone sliding through the ice tunnels? They extend for miles underground, and there are hidden chambers and alcoves where you can stop to catch your breath. At the end, there is a small café in an ice cave that provides warm beverages. It’s lots of fun.”

  “We’ll do it,” Sparrow said.

  I did my best to smile and feign happiness. Even though the Empress remained hours away from Naxa, Zared found me through our bond and eased my emotional suffering. When Sparrow sent me to my room to change, I called him. Seeing his solid black eyes was as much of a relief to me as our empathic and telepathic bonds.

  “Thank you.”

  Zared inclined his head to me.

  “Will you do me a favor?”

  “Yes, anything.”

  “Will you give Neema, Niklos, and Peter extra hugs and kisses from me tonight?” I concentrated on keeping my breathing slow and steady so I wouldn’t cry. It was one of the benefits of seeing the therapist Fitz and I had been visiting. “I keep wondering what I might have done differently to change the outcome of those events. What would it have been like if our baby and Luca had survived?”

  Gently, Zared said, “Teagan, nothing could have been done to save your embryo. I often wonder if I could have done something differently in that alley.”

  I looked up at his image on my vid-screen. The ache in my voice subsided enough for me to say, “You were lying there broken and bleeding. Your consciousness was gone. What could you have done?”

  “You were at the mercy of a powerful male who betrayed our trust, one who had just enacted a coordinated attack against us. What could you have done?”

  “I don’t know.” I lost my fight with my tears. Someone started signaling for entrance at my door. I brought my vid-screen with me to answer it.

  Sparrow stood there in warm clothing. She entered and shut the door. “I’m sorry you are hurting,” she said. I was surprised by her empathy. It was becoming more natural for Sparrow to recognize the feelings of others. Having been raised by robots made understanding emotions a challenge for her. Turning her attention to Zared, she said, “We are going to have fun now. She needs to change her clothes.”

  Sparrow took my vid-screen, hung up on Zared,
and tossed the device to the bed. Then, she stared at me without expression until I did what she wanted. Afterwards, Sparrow held her hand out to me, and I took it. She laced our fingers together.

  “What are you doing?” I asked while continuing to sniffle.

  “When I’m sad, Xavier holds my hand. It will make you feel better. Watch.”

  “Oh, Sparrow.” I hugged her and then took hold of her hand again.

  We joined the others while being followed by the cadets. Dario observed me with concern. I avoided eye contact as our group walked along with Terre outside. She said, “Years ago, Grandfather had these tunnels built to amuse Mother and her friends. Now, we have them rebuilt each year. They are open to the children in the morning hours. If you begin to feel claustrophobic or frightened, pull off into an alcove, activate your beacon, and an attendant will come for you.”

  “Were you born here?” Tracy asked.

  “Yes, I’m a third generation Parvac citizen. Mother and I were born on Naxa. Both my maternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother were human, and came to the Empire unwillingly. However, soon after my grandmother’s arrival, she embraced the Empire’s customs and became a very wealthy female. My mother follows in her tradition and fails to understand why I have not done so.”

  Tracy asked, “She wants you to marry several males?”

  Terre nodded.

  “Just like that with no romance?” Sparrow asked.

  I grinned.

  Terre asked, “What amuses you, Princess?”

  “Sparrow has a collection of romance novels if you ever need to get your mind off of your troubles.”

  Sparrow nodded. Terre laughed, and it was a beautiful sound, like falling ice crystals tinkling together. We followed her into a cave made of packed snow. Carved-out tunnels, like long winding straws, diverged off into different directions.

  “Here,” Terre said as she selected what she referred to as a toboggan.