She had also discovered Jarek's true nature. In her naiveté, she hadn't realized how ruthless he was, just how far he would go to achieve his goals.
Rayna had been right. Eirene must learn to depend only on herself. She must put aside her feelings for Jarek, must distance herself from him. She wanted to be a healer, to uphold the sacredness of life, not destroy it. A man like Jarek san Ranul could never honor that philosophy, not when he deemed killing necessary.
She curled up on the bunk and lay there a long time, trying to deal with the reality and the pain. When Jarek came to her cabin later in the day, her emotions betrayed her logic, surging to life at the sight of him. Her feelings for him were uncontrollable, just like her wretched powers.
He stared at her, and for the briefest moment, she thought she saw the flash of pain in his eyes, before his face hardened into that mask of implacable resolve that she despised. "We'll arrive at Aldon in one and a half cycles," he said quietly.
He turned and left, leaving her with her grief and fears and—far worse—the ludicrous longing to fling herself into his arms, in search of the comfort and protection she'd known there, if only for a few moments in time.
She forced that crazy urge from her mind, but the one word Jarek had shared kept haunting her. Shamara. The word resonated inside her, touching a chord deep within her soul.
Shamara. Sanctuary. Spirit, was there a sanctuary somewhere in the universe for her?
Chapter Fourteen
Lani was standing by the hatch when Gunnar entered the ship. He didn't acknowledge her, striding past as he whipped off his cloak. Clearly, he didn't want to speak to her. Of course, he'd pretty much avoided her ever since she had suggested they play show-and-tell. The man had absolutely no sense of humor— or of sensual adventure.
Not one to put up with such rudeness, she followed him, her high heels clicking down the corridor—a clean one, at that. "Commander," she called. "A word with you, please."
"Not now," he growled, handing his cloak to Karr and entering his personal cabin.
Well, really! Pursing her lips, Lani followed right behind him, slipping inside before the panel closed and he could secure it.
He turned, glaring at her. "I said, not now."
She wasn't the least intimidated by his fierce scowl or his massive body towering over her. Tilting her chin up to see him better, she put her hands on her hips. "Well, it has to be now. I need to talk to you before this ship takes off."
"Is it important enough for you to abandon the courtesy you insist upon?" he demanded, unbuckling his utility belt. "These are my private chambers, and I did not invite you here."
Lani smiled to herself at his mocking of her insistence on good manners. During their time together, Gunnar had displayed high intelligence and quick wit, traits she greatly admired. But he still didn't have a clue about the workings of the female mind, so she figured she held the advantage.
"Yes, it is," she answered. "I understand we're on Saron."
He tossed his belt onto a nearby console and sank into a large leather chair. "Not for much longer."
My, she loved the way the man occupied a chair. And the way he dressed for forays into outside societies: his high-gloss black boots and skin-tight leggings, which enhanced his masculinity to perfection. With an effort, she forced herself to focus on the matter at hand.
"Saron is my home," she explained. "I've enjoyed my visit on your ship—for the most part, anyway—but now I'd like to get back to my life, and my career."
"No." He began pulling off a boot.
Her mouth fell open in an indignant huff. Quickly regaining her composure, she scooted over to the chair. "What do you mean, no? I can't put my life on hold indefinitely while you cling to the ridiculous idea that Celie Cameron lied to you and that your honor has been compromised."
Gunnar leaned back, his expression completely calm.
She had the sudden insight that he was becoming accustomed to her little strategies to get him stirred up. "Help me with my boots," he ordered.
"What? I am not your personal servant, Commander."
He remained unperturbed. "Is that a no?"
"It certainly is."
"And it is not negotiable?"
Lani narrowed her eyes. What was he up to? She took another tack. "Oh, it's negotiable, Commander," she purred, running a blue-tipped ringer down his bare chest, "if I get something out of it."
He scowled and pushed her hand away. "I do not know what you are up to, woman, but I will tell you this: You are still my hostage, and that is also not negotiable. You will not leave this ship." He yanked off the boot, tossed it to the side, and started on the second boot.
"Why not?" she demanded. "I've been your hostage for fifteen cycles. I think that's more than enough. Surely by now you believe Captain Cameron was telling the truth, that she knew nothing of your bride's whereabouts."
He tossed the second boot on top of the first. "After today, I am more convinced than ever that Captain Cameron knows something."
So Lani's suspicions were correct. The sudden change of direction to Saron had something to do with Eirene. "You got information about your bride?" she guessed.
Gunnar's expression darkened. "It is nothing that concerns you."
"Of course it concerns me. I'm a hostage because of your missing bride. I have the right to know anything that affects how long I'll remain your hostage. The Intergalactic Humanities Act from the Varian Summit of the fourth millennium states that prisoners of war have the right—"
"You are not a prisoner of war!" he roared. "This is not about war. It is a trade deal in which I have been cheated. I tire of your ceaseless chatter about that Intergalactic gibberish, of which I have every intention of ignoring. Leor law dictates my decisions."
"As does Leor honor," Lani reminded him. "The honorable thing would be to tell me the truth. I deserve to know."
"I can see it would be the expedient thing to do," he growled. "If I want you to go away and leave me in peace."
She shimmied triumphantly. "So tell me, what happened? Did you get word of Eirene?"
Gunnar threw himself back in the chair, legs splayed wide. "Lady Eirene's uncle caught up with her on Saron. He took her into custody. But before a healer arrived to confirm the status of her virginity, Jarek san Ranul attacked Vaden and his men, and made off with her. There is no trace of either of them."
Oh, this was so exciting, and so romantic. Lani mulled things over. "Just because Eirene and Jarek are together doesn't mean Captain Cameron knew about her."
"Captain Cameron was seen with san Ranul on Saron immediately after she arrived there from Travan. Her ship was the only one departing Travan when Lady Eirene disappeared. I believe those events to be related."
Lani thought of Eirene in the Pleasure Dome, and how Jarek had been her first client. Her instincts told her it was a chance meeting. "It could be a coincidence."
"I do not believe in coincidence. I prefer to leave nothing to chance." Gunnar rose and began to remove his leggings.
With a sigh of feminine appreciation, Lani watched him skim them off his well-muscled legs, leaving him in his usual loincloth. "So, is virginity all that important in a bride?" she asked casually.
"Absolutely."
She rolled her eyes. The man had archaic ideas about morals and sex. "Why? Why should Leor men and women deny themselves the pleasure of sex?"
"Because abstinence shows we have total control over every function of our bodies, including sexual urges. Leor men want a woman who has proven she is mentally and physically strong, able to master her baser urges."
"Do you have sex after you're mated?"
"Of course we do," he said, returning to the chair. "It is necessary for procreation."
"Oh, I see. Repress all sexual desire for Spirit knows how many seasons and then suddenly turn on the heat? How is that working for you?"
A mocking grin curved across his striking face. "Just fine, for those of us capable of control and
self-discipline."
Oh! He was too smug for his own good. Lani braced her hand against the back of the chair and leaned toward him. "I've got news for you, Commander. Sexual urges are not any different from hunger or the need to sleep. They're natural and normal. You don't turn them off and on like running water."
"They can be totally controlled," he insisted.
She moved forward until she was standing between his legs. "Prove it."
His eyes narrowed. The sudden stiffness in his body indicated his discomfort at her nearness. "It is not something that can be proven."
"Oh, but it is. I can show you just how wrong you are."
"I will not play your games."
"Are you afraid I'm right and you're wrong?" Lani challenged.
That got him. He sat straighter, pride in every magnificent millimeter of his body. "Certainly not."
"Then I challenge you to a battle…of the senses."
Before he could object, she ran her hands over his shoulders and down his magnasteel biceps. He didn't react, but she felt the tension radiating from him. "Does that bother you?" she asked.
"No."
She trailed her fingers down his chest, swirling them around his dark brown nipples. They hardened into tight nubs. "How about this?"
His fingers dug into the arms of the chair. "No."
Just keep fighting it, big guy. She sank to her knees, letting her hands drift lower, and stroked his muscular thighs. His tension increased, as did the bulge beneath his loincloth. "Is this affecting you?" she purred.
"Absolutely not," he said, his voice strained.
Lani did what she had wanted to do ever since she'd seen Commander Gunnar of Dukkair. She slid her fingers beneath the loincloth, pushing it to the side, and uncovered the masculine jewels of the chief of the Dukkair clan.
Oh, my. The loincloth had been deceiving, masking the true size of him. He was … so … enormous. And very aroused, despite his insistence to the contrary.
Her respirations and heart rate were becoming very rapid, and other parts of her anatomy were very much affected. She took him in both hands and expertly stroked him. He grew even larger, if that were possible.
"How…about that?" she said breathlessly.
"No…effect…at all," he groaned, shifting in the chair.
So much for finesse. Her big barbarian was about to meet his match. Deciding to take matters out of her hands, Lani leaned down and let her very capable mouth take over.
As for Gunnar, he had very little to say after that. At least not anything coherent.
* * *
"I don't understand it," Jarek muttered, punching key pads. "Based on the information Celie gave me, we should be approaching Aldon. The nav module showed our exact location just a moment ago. Now I'm not getting any readings at all."
Eirene stared out the portal. The easiest way for her to cope with all that had transpired had been to withdraw from Jarek as much as possible, a difficult feat in the face of his dynamic presence. She spoke to him only when necessary. She'd spent most of the past two cycles in her cabin, recuperating from her physical injuries.
Those injuries were fading, but the emotional wounds were still fresh, amplified by her complicated feelings for Jarek. Even as she mourned her father and cursed the untenable situation in which Jarek had placed her, she still experienced the compelling attraction toward him.
Her only option was withdrawal, attempting to barricade herself from the powerful emotions bombarding her. Trying not to feel anything at all—and failing miserably.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think my navigational system was malfunctioning," Jarek's frustrated musing drew her attention back to the cockpit. "And now the transceiver is jammed. But there's no indication that either the nav or communication systems are down. All the test checks are normal. Son of an Antek!"
She glanced at the console, not really concerned about system breakdowns. The longer the arrival on Aldon was delayed, the better. Suddenly, an odd frisson of energy shot through her, jolting her heart to a faster rhythm. It hadn't come from Jarek, or the ship, which meant…She looked toward the portal. It had to be from somewhere out there, in space.
The subspace transceiver beeped. "Now communications are working. Very strange," Jarek said. "And that's my personal frequency." He turned on the videoviewer. "Ranul here."
A face shrouded in a purple cowl appeared on the viewer. The hood was so deep that no features were discernable, just an indistinct facial image. "Greetings. We've been expecting you," came an odd, hissing whisper.
Jarek leaned forward. "And you are…?"
"I am Eark. Celie advised us of your coming."
Eirene was riveted by the presence on the screen. She knew Celie had told Jarek he didn't need to contact the Shens in advance; they would know when he arrived. The coordinates the Shens had provided had been extremely vague, with the promise of later instructions. It seemed the Shens had found them, rather than the other way around.
"Greetings, Eark," Jarek replied. "I'm glad you contacted us. I wasn't certain how to reach you."
The hood inclined toward the screen. "She is with you?"
"I have a female passenger on board. Her name is Eirene."
"Yes. Very good."
Eirene was perplexed. Why would the Shens be interested in her presence?
"You have another life form, as well."
"Another life form?" Jarek's brows drew together as he considered Eark's statement. "Oh. I have a small animal, a lanrax."
"That is acceptable." The hood leaned closer. Shadows and angles lurked inside the dark oval, as Eark's raspy whisper drifted into the cockpit. "There are a few requirements before you will be permitted to visit Aldon. You will leave all weapons on your ship. Be advised they won't operate on Aldon should you disregard our wishes. No physical or emotional violence is tolerated at any time. You must agree to abide by our laws and our judgments. You will not reveal anything you see during your visit."
Jarek hesitated, and she knew he was reluctant to go anywhere without a weapon. But he finally nodded. "Those are fair terms. We agree."
"Good. If you will provide a comm link, our computers will transmit the necessary coordinates to your system."
"That could be a problem. My navigational equipment seems to be malfunctioning."
"It will work, Captain," came the strange, whispery voice. "We just need the link."
Jarek provided the information and tried to activate his navigational screen. The screen remained blank, but the ship began descending. He turned to the main console, punched some pads, but the ship continued downward.
Eirene felt a surge of the same powerful energy she'd sensed earlier. It was a very positive energy, not threatening in any way. However, Jarek's tension was palpable. He turned to the videoviewer.
"Eark, something's wrong. My nav isn't working, and my ship isn't responding to manual commands."
"All is well," the Shen answered calmly. "We will guide your ship from here. I will soon greet you in the physical. Peace of the One be with you."
Eirene sank back, wrapped in reassuring vibrations. She didn't feel at all concerned, although Jarek obviously was not in control of the ship. He gripped the edge of the console, staring at the screens. Then he stood and strode to other panels. He punched more pads, but the ship continued its descent.
Moving back to his chair, he ran his hand through his hair. "I don't have a damn reading on a single screen. The ship is not responding to anything."
"It's okay," she, oddly moved to reassure him. "I sense—I think the Shens are controlling it."
Jarek shook his head. "Well, Spirit has brought us this far. Looks like it's out of our hands."
Just then, the ship inclined even more sharply. He stumbled forward before regaining his balance. "I guess we're going down." He slid into his seat and fastened his harness, looking over to be sure Eirene was strapped in. "I assume there's a planet down there—somewhere."
The ship move
d smoothly at a steep angle. Soon they were in atmospheric clouds, but the ship kept a rapid speed straight down. The monitoring screens remained blank. Finally, the ship leveled out until it was flying horizontally over a seemingly endless carpet of white clouds. On and on they went, nothing but clouds to be seen.
With startling abruptness, the clouds disappeared. Eirene gasped, her heart leaping at the sight below. They were directly above a massive waterfall, with only a few meters between them and the high cliffs. Dark pink water barreled over the edge, falling hundreds of meters below.
"Damn," Jarek said. "They like to get your heart pumping, don't they?"
The ship flew on, crossing the wide chasm of cliffs. It dropped lower, moving over thick, lush grasslands, purple in color. The carpet of purple extended in all directions as far as the eye could see. Then, up ahead, the outlines of buildings began to materialize, sprawled around a very tall structure.
As they drew closer, Eirene saw the structure appeared to be a multisided tower, rising to a point way above the other buildings. Blinding sun rays reflected off the top of it like a starburst. The energy she had sensed grew stronger as they approached the tower, until it seemed to resonate inside the cockpit. The tower's entire tip was a huge, multifaceted crystal. It was the crystal reflecting the sun and creating the starburst effect, and the crystal that also appeared to be the source of the energy now reverberating in every cell in her body.
She looked over and saw Jarek staring at the crystal. "That must be their main power source," he commented. "I've never seen anything like it." He glanced at her. "I trust you can feel the vibrations from it?"
So he could sense the energy. Not surprising, since she was certain he could track her at will. Not that it mattered at this point.
The ship slowed as they approached a spacious landing pad. The hoverlifts surged on, and the ship set down gently. The screens didn't come back on, but the ship responded when Jarek cut off the lifts and the engines. He shook his head, looking completely baffled. "Okay. I don't want to know."
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