“I am. It’s beautiful here,” I whispered into his ear, which I had to lift up on my toes to reach even with him bent down.
“The fountains in the gardens may be of interest to you if it is beauty you enjoy. May I show them to you?” Dario’s lips touched my cheek as he spoke.
Farowyn discreetly watched us as we exited the main room, but so did everyone else.
When we were far enough away not to be overheard, I nervously asked, “Does your family like me?”
Dario almost stumbled as he stopped and gazed down at me with concern. “Teagan, they adore you and couldn’t be more pleased for us.” Dario’s arms went around me with a tenderness that had me emotionally stumbling. It was as though I was a porcelain teacup so finely crafted as to be transparent when held to the light.
“Dario, why are you looking at me like that?” My voice shook. Water splashed into mosaic tiled pools around us from fountains made to resemble joyous nude females.
Tenderly, Dario stroked my cheek. “I must confess something, Teagan. I am your friend and always shall be. The political affiliation we have formed by joining our houses was reason enough for me to offer myself to you, but it wasn’t my reason.” He stared down into my eyes as he whispered truths from his heart into my ears. I feared that I might lose myself in the brown of his eyes. They had begun to remind me of Arachne’s rich soil, resting beneath a blanket of fallen leaves. “I was yours the first time I saw a tear fall from this eye as it left a sad trail down your cheek,” he said as he traced a finger gently down my face. “Each one I saw that day broke me. Only your happiness can mend what your tears have torn apart.”
“You love me?” My voice was so quiet that I barely heard my own question.
Dario cupped my face with tender reverence. “I love you from the depths of my soul, from depths I didn’t know I had. I feared if you knew what you truly mean to me, that you would deny me. You might have done so to protect me, but I don’t expect your love in return. Your friendship and trust are enough for me, but never doubt my love for you. I understand your need to be self-reliant, to be able to depend on your skills, but you never need to prove your worth to me. I already know it, though I do not believe that you do. In time, you will learn that there is nothing for you to fear from me, no reason for you to struggle, argue, or fight. Anything you want or need, I will provide. Any goal you wish to achieve, I will facilitate. I am yours, your champion, my will is an extension of your own, and my main concern is to make your life more pleasing to you in every way. The Emperor has my loyalty, but my body and soul are and forever shall belong to you.”
My emotions were like the waters of the nearest fountain, splashing about, moving, and never remaining still long enough for me to examine them. However, they resembled the look of joy depicted on the fountain’s female subject’s face. “You want to treat me the way those ladies in your house are treated. You want me to be happy and safe.” My hands trembled, and Dario took them into his large warm hands to still them, but the trembling moved from my hands and up my arms into the rest of me.
“Teagan, come, my darling,” Dario whispered as he picked me up and carried me to a private gazebo with a cushioned floor. Sitting with me, he lowered me to his lap and held me while I struggled to process his meaning along with everything else I had learned about House Galerius and its treatment of females.
“I don’t know if there is any innocence left within me for you to protect.”
Dario stroked my hair. “I can see it with my own eyes that your heart is full of it, and I will do everything in my power to keep you from losing any more of it. I vow to protect your daughters and make their every dream come true, be those dreams of adventures in the stars or of a quiet life in the most idyllic setting I can create.”
“I only have one daughter.” I turned my face to brave a look into his eyes.
“The future may bless us with many more,” Dario said with a kind smile.
I kissed him with a desperation that surprised and confused me. He was vowing to be for Neema what I had never dreamed of having for myself as a child, a protector. I had feared Nathan Green, dreaded the sound of his footsteps and the pain they would bring. Seeing the Galerius females forced me to see how truly wrong my childhood had been. Yukihyo would protect Neema. I knew that. We were his, and he would protect and provide for us for all of our days. There was just something about seeing how things could have been had my Papa had the chance to care for Momma and me that made everything seem so much more tragic. It made the memory of Papa’s hands around Felix’s neck as he squeezed and squeezed make so much more sense. Papa had wanted to keep Momma and me as protected and pampered as the Galerius ladies.
“I wonder if my pain hurts Papa each time he sees it.”
Dario whispered, “It hurts him, Teagan. It hurts us all, but promise me you will not hide your feelings. I must know what hurts before I can fix it.”
“Yukihyo, Zared, and Quaid always know what I feel and think.”
“Yes, we all should be aware of you as a whole.” Dario moved an arm behind my back. “Are you comfortable?”
“Yes, but I just realized something. Soon after we were married, Yukihyo and I had our first fight. It was silly now that I think about it, but it wasn’t at the time. I went off with Thunderdrop without a male escort. Yukihyo was so angry, but this is why. He wasn’t trying to control me. He needed to keep me safe. He was compelled to do so.”
Dario smiled and kissed my forehead. “Let’s go find him and the children. Shall we?”
I nodded.
We walked past fountains, artfully manicured flowerbeds, and shaded seating areas on our way to the lawn where children seemed to be everywhere, laughing and playing. Niklos and a boy his age with black hair were racing each other down kiddie slides. Nico and a man, who I presumed to be the boy’s father, stood watch while having a friendly conversation. Catching Nico’s eye, I smiled at him. The grin he gave me in return said he wanted to throw me over his shoulder and carry me away to someplace private. I winked at him. Yukihyo stood with his arms crossed over his chest watching the merry-go-round. He looked as though he were about to laugh. Then, I saw why. Neema was laughing from where she sat securely in a blue and pink bird seat. Thunderdrop had attached a line of silk above her and floated a few feet away as they went around and around.
“Faster, Drop! Faster!” she yelled at him.
Each of the ride’s seats was filled with a laughing child. I ran to Yukihyo. He uncrossed his arms in time to catch me to his chest. I smiled up at his white eyes as traces of pink and gold appeared within them.
After the party, most of us had gone to Dario’s private residence, but a few of my entourage had either gone to hotels or returned to the ships. Currently, the children were napping, and Terre, Sparrow, Tracy, and I were lounging around Dario’s swimming pool. Terre had bullied us out of wearing swim dresses but couldn’t convince us to sunbathe in the nude as she did. We had compromised enough to lay out topless after making the males in our lives swear to us that they wouldn’t come out to the pool. The four of us soon dozed off in luxurious peace and quiet. Until….
“Chitter! Chitter! Chitter clack!” Thunderdrop said.
I woke up with my spider baby’s blue-grey abdomen in my face and the prickly feel of his eight legs on my bare skin. He stood on top of me, covering me.
“Oh!” Tracy said as she covered her chest with a towel.
Inquisitor Rovek stood at my feet, watching us in a creepy manner. “What the hell are you doing out here? The pool is off limits for males! We reserved it.” I glared at him around Thunderdrop.
“Chitter! Chitter!” he agreed with me.
“As I told you on Parvac, the curriculum must be satisfied for this grading period. You will have plenty of time to lounge about after completion of your team’s first survival trial. Get dressed or go as you are.” Rovek gave me a bored expression.
I scowled at him. “You’d like that. Wouldn’t you?”<
br />
Without expression, he asked, “Who wouldn’t?”
Sparrow said, “You’re being an asshole.”
“I agree,” Tracy said.
“Rovek, did it occur to you to signal for entry at the front door?” Eli asked.
“No.”
“Go inside. Leave the ladies in peace,” Eli said.
“There isn’t time for that. The grading period ends in six days. Ensign Probus has a responsibility to her team. Between the explosion on the stealth ship, and Teagan’s chemistry evaluations and attendance, without a successful survival credit, her team won’t pass.”
“So, you just had to sneak up on us while we are practically naked at the pool?” I asked sarcastically.
Rovek said, “The Lady Svenson is quite naked, and it is perfectly natural. The sector where you were held captive is to blame for imbuing you with a shame of your body. Each one of you is lovely.” Rovek’s eyes roamed over Tracy with obvious lust.
“Oh, shit,” I said. “Rovek, you’d better run for your life.” My warning came too late. A pair of furious black eyes glared out of Jazon’s face.
Terre sighed, wrapped a towel around herself, and went inside. Once Thunderdrop moved, I covered myself and waited to see if Jazon would beat up my teacher. Tracy blushed furiously while putting on her robe. However, it was less a blush of embarrassment and more of a blush of pleasure at being viewed as desirable. The males of Aurilius hadn’t done much for her self-esteem. It was nice to feel beautiful. Tracy tensed beside me. Jazon didn’t attack which confused both of us. Tracy, Sparrow, and I followed Terre inside.
“Ensign Probus, I will await you out front. Ladies, it was a pleasure,” Inquisitor Rovek said.
Tracy looked completely befuddled, and I didn’t want to leave her but had no choice if I wanted to pass.
“Zared,” I called.
He was in our room laying clothes out on the bed. “I know. Don’t worry about the children. I think you would be better off wearing layers. A swimsuit would be better than undergarments. Here are some shorts and a loose pair of pants. A T-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, and pair of exercise shoes should be comfortable. Oh, and here’s a hat.” I looked over the color coordinated attire he had selected with my comfort in mind that would prove useful no matter what horrible camping nightmare Rovek had planned. Then, I kissed Zared long and deep.
“Where do you think you will be going?” Yukihyo asked from the doorway.
“I will tell you once she leaves,” Zared said.
“You know?” I asked.
“Yes, I read Rovek’s mind. You will only be allowed the clothes you wear.”
I started dressing. Zared couldn’t tell me anything else, or it would be considered cheating. “Is Jazon going to beat up Rovek?”
Zared shook his head. His long, dove-grey hair was in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. “He planned to do so. However, just as you realized, Tracy was flattered by Rovek’s attention. He may allow him to give her flowers and a few gifts before publicly beating some sense into him.” I laughed but started worrying about the children. “Don’t.” Zared ordered. “They have full schedules planned for them each day at the Galerius Estate. Your marriage to Dario has provided the children with several new cousins with whom to play.”
“Peter?” I asked.
“Will be spoiled and have no shortage of arms wishing to be filled by him,” Yukihyo assured me.
I looked between them. “I’m so very fortunate to have such loving, supportive, and absolutely gorgeous husbands.” They nodded. I rolled my eyes at them and continued dressing.
Yukihyo asked Zared, “Do you want to take a drive out to Neema’s diamond mine with me?”
Zared grinned. “Sure. It will be a welcome diversion.”
I went to the front sitting room and heard an argument that was occurring outside. Slowing my steps, I crept closer to listen. “If she comes back with so much as a scratch, there will be nothing left of you to find,” a male voice said with a cold, seething rage.
“She wants to do this, and it is only for a few days. Her team will be with her. If I were not certain that her studies and training had prepared her for this, I would have failed her team and held them back. However, participation in training exercises is part of our regimen of which you are all too aware.” The voice belonged to Inquisitor Rovek.
“A medic should go with them,” the angry male said.
“A physician will be in place at a nearby location, prepared for any medical emergency, heart related or otherwise.”
A loud boom made me jump. I risked a look. The voice I hadn’t recognized had belonged to Eli. His voice and his features had been transformed by a rage that he had redirected at the side of the transport near Rovek’s head. His fist left a large dent. I had never seen Eli lose it before. I found it to be incredibly sexy. As nonchalantly as possible, I walked from the house down to the two men. Eli’s calm mask was once more in place. Slipping my arms around him, I gave his neck a gentle nip.
“Rovek, I’m going to need one more hour.” I grinned up at Eli, who looked confused by my reaction to witnessing his display of temper.
“Fine. However, the delay will cost your team two days of water and rations.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I flipped him off and took my seat in the transport. Eli bent down to kiss my cheek. “Don’t take any unnecessary risks. Let your team handle them. Promise me.”
“I promise to let the boys show off.” I grinned and kissed his lips. “Eli, take care of our family while I’m wherever I am.”
“Always.” He closed my door and stared at Rovek with a clear promise of death until we were out of sight.
“So, what are your intentions toward Tracy?” I asked as I swiveled my chair to the side to face him. I rested my chin on my hand and waited.
“What business is that of yours?”
“She’s my friend and adopted sister-in-law. Don’t make me repeat my question again, or I’ll scratch myself on purpose and cry to Eli about it.”
Rovek chuckled. “You win. I plan to court Lady Tracy.”
“Are you crazy? What about Jazon? Do you have a death wish?” I stared at him in shock.
“No, but I’ve been told I have a masochistic streak.”
I frowned at him. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Ask your husbands.” Rovek drove to a dock where a small boat waited. Soon, we were sailing across the ocean to a small island. My hat lifted from my head, flew away, and floated on the water for a moment before sinking in our wake. I frowned at it. Then, I turned back around in my seat. Rovek stopped the boat several miles from the shore. “I will be monitoring you. Find your team, survive for five days, and you’ll pass. Get out.”
I looked around at the water surrounding us. “Get out? There’s no dock. Aren’t you going to take me closer?”
“No, swim.”
Frowning at him, I removed my safety belt, stood, and climbed up onto the boat. I felt a moment of gratitude to Quaid for teaching me how to jump into deep water. Shoving myself as far away from the boat as I could, I held my breath and jumped. My feet hit the water first before it gurgled over my head and muted all sound. After breaking the surface, I started swimming for the shore. My clothing made it more difficult. It was farther away than I realized. By the time I crawled onto the shore, my arms were burning with exhaustion, and my mouth tasted of salt water. Rovek had watched the entire time. I assumed he had done so to save me in case I couldn’t make it. Collapsing to the sand, I laid there and tried to catch my breath while Rovek started up the boat and sailed away.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Faint calls for help got me to my feet. The light was beginning to fade, and my wet clothing clung to my skin, chilling me. The breeze coming off of the water didn’t help. The beach stretched off to the left and right for as far as I could see. I saw no evidence of structures or even a fire. The rock-littered sand gave way to a tangled jungle. The breeze rustled throug
h the leaves and made me doubt what I thought I had heard. Then, it came again.
“Help!” Sounded from somewhere within the jungle. It didn’t repeat.
I called out, “Hey! Where are you?”
“Teagan! Over here! Hurry!” Cedrenus yelled.
Then, barely discernable in the distance, I saw them. Cedrenus, Binder, and Ross wore blindfolds and appeared to be secured to stakes with their hands tied behind their backs. “I see you! I’m coming!”
The rocky and uneven ground prevented me from running very fast. The boys were struggling vainly to free themselves. They were spaced too far apart to be able to help each other. Huffing for air, I made it to them.
“Be still so I can get the blindfolds off of you.”
“Don’t touch us!” Cedrenus yelled.
“Why not? Do you want to stay that way?” I noticed that their clothing was bubbling. “What is that?”
Ross yelled, “It’s an enzyme that will begin eating our flesh once it finishes with our clothes! Free our hands!”
I struggled with the knotted plasti-rope binding Cedrenus’ wrists to the stake. He had rubbed his wrists raw in his attempts to free himself. My fingers became slick with his blood. Finally, I loosened the rope enough for him to wiggle free. He tore off the blindfold and squinted in the dim light as he focused on freeing Ross while I worked to free Binder. Once they were no longer bound, they ran at full speed to the ocean. I followed at a much slower pace, tired from the swim and hazardous jog across the rock-strewn beach to my team. I watched as they dove into the waves and scrubbed at their skin.
Cedrenus said, “The saline content neutralized the enzyme. You arrived not a moment too soon.”
I blushed as they came out of the ocean completely nude, not that I hadn’t seen them swimming in the nude at the pool in the Palace. Patches on their arms and chests were red from where the enzyme had already eaten through the fabric.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to reach you. He made me swim all of the way from the boat.”
“I’m just glad you got here when you did,” Binder said.
The Inquisitors (The Space Merchants Book 6) Page 30