by Bevan Greer
He listened as she grumbled and dragged behind him. He smiled slightly, knowing she couldn’t see him. She really was adorably sexy when disgruntled. He cleared his throat and stood at her door, waiting for her to enter. She did so and he followed, closing the door behind him.
“Well now, Carinna,” he said softly. “How about you finish what I started in that cell on Dark World?” he asked as he bent his head to claim her lips.
Carinna blinked in surprise but could do nothing as feeling invaded her limbs. His touch made her body quiver and Carinna didn’t know what that meant. The demon she’d had sex with a year ago had been adequate and physically satisfying, but he’d never made her feel like this.
She closed her eyes as Nesham pulled her into his body, allowing her to feel his arousal pressing firmly into her. Of its own accord, her body followed suit, her loins pulsing with need. She gasped as he fitted himself closer to her body, his hard arousal rubbing against hers.
Then his hands moved around her back to run up her body, cupping her full breasts and feeling her jutting nipples in his large palms.
“Oh, Carinna.” He groaned against her lips. “You feel so good,” he said and looked down at her with bright glowing eyes.
Carinna could feel an answering need in her but felt too stunned to express it. She could only stare up at his lips hungrily, her body expanding as it wanted more. She remembered what the Incubus had taught her, what a male liked and disliked. She wondered if Nesham would be the same.
She ran her hands over his body curiously, feeling him still as she touched the bare flesh of his chest under his shirt. Her hands curled over his smooth skin and she felt his heart race beneath her palm.
“Touch me all you like,” he said thickly, his eyes warning her that once she started he wouldn’t let her stop until they finished.
But sensing her hesitation, Nesham leaned down to kiss her again, moving her hands slowly back to his hips. “Next time,” he promised and sealed his vow with a kiss. He licked at her lips as he finished, his eyes and body taut with desire.
“Call out if you need me tonight,” he said, his mouth curving into a boyish grin that made Carinna’s heart jump.
She waited until he left and sagged down onto her bed. She breathed heavily, astonished at that man’s power over her body. She’d been debating whether or not to sate her desires when he’d slowed them down. Granted, she didn’t have that much experience, but she had enough to know that he desired her, a lot. She didn’t understand why he’d stopped.
She shook her head and lay back on the bed. If his sensuality was any reflection of his Fenturi blood, she could understand why her sisters had been so rough with Mikhel. Carinna was no Succubus but she still felt her blood pumping hotly, needing more of Nesham than he’d given her.
She sighed and tried to go to sleep, determined to get some private time with Naria tomorrow even if it killed her.
Naria had rested in her bed until she no longer heard movement in the rooms around her. She closed her eyes and slowed her heartbeat, conscious of Jace checking on her before he left again. Then she left her mortal body behind and assumed a Wraith shape.
She’d been sure of her course earlier today and would have helped Mikhel had Jace not been so determined to keep her from him. She moved easily into Mikhel’s room and nodded to herself as she saw him breathing deeply, sleeping undisturbed. Perfect, she thought, and assumed mortal form.
She wanted to use as much energy on Mikhel as she could and staying in Wraith form drained her overly. She neared him and placed her hand on his forehead, stilling his sudden shiver at her nearness. Remorse filled her at her half-sisters’ cruel brutality. She didn’t understand what was happening to her, but since Naria had left Dark World, she’d been feeling more compassion and goodness than she’d thought she possessed.
“Hear me, Mikhel,” she whispered, and began to chant. She commanded his body to heal, fully. Through her efforts, the med-unit and Jace’s earlier healing, his body once more assumed its golden glow of health without much work on her part. A strong man, Mikhel healed quickly.
Then Naria began again to heal his mind. She couldn’t think of a better way than to erase his memories of what had taken place on Dark World. Though she didn’t like to do so, erasing memories as dark as Mikhel’s could only be a blessing.
She carefully removed everything about Dark World beginning with his descent to the planet. She watched through his eyes as their ship was under attack from the Meklens. Then she watched as the SpaceStalker landed and fell under fardu invasion. She had finished erasing those memories when the door to Mikhel’s room suddenly opened and Jace strode in angrily.
His blond hair whipped around the sharp angles of his face, his eyes hard agates as they absorbed the scene before him. He waited until she removed her hand from Mikhel before whisking her away from Mikhel and seating her in a nearby chair. He stared at her and she gasped as the arms of the chair suddenly curled around her hands as if alive.
Then he turned and stared down at Mikhel. She could feel him searching Mikhel’s thoughts with his mind, could feel the surprise and suspicion in his thoughts as he noticed the missing pieces of Mikhel’s memories. Then, seeing how much better Mikhel looked, he left him alone and stood over Naria.
“We’re definitely going to talk about this,” he said in a low voice. She watched as the chair released her before Jace threw her over his shoulder and stormed quietly out of Mikhel’s room. He didn’t take her back to her room but instead walked right into his room, locking them inside.
He tossed her less than graciously down to his bed and stared down at her, his hands on his hips. Silence filled the already tense room and Naria hastened for an explanation she prayed he would believe. She didn’t understand how he had found her so suddenly but figured to ponder that matter at a later time.
“Jace, please don’t be angry with me,” she said earnestly, her eyes staring deep into his, showing him that she meant every word. “I come from a long line of healers. Knowing that Mikhel has been in pain has been wearing at me,” she said. Jace merely stared at her with a blank expression, his large hands still fisted at his sides.
“Go on,” he said in a low voice.
“You stopped me earlier today from helping him,” she explained. “And it’s been hurting me. I have helped heal him. Even you cannot deny that.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “You have helped him, but for what reason?” he asked.
“Because he needs it,” she answered simply. “I was trying to find the best way to help his mind confront whatever horrors he faced in Dark World.”
“By erasing what happened there?” he asked suspiciously. “I’m sorry, Naria, but I cannot allow you to do that. Mikhel would not like having his mind erased, no matter what the cause.”
Naria desperately wanted to argue but kept silent. Jace had no way of knowing what her half-sisters had done to Mikhel. In time, she’d see to it that Mikhel suffered no ill effects from her sisters. But now was not the time to argue the point. Instead, she nodded and hung her head, hoping to appear duly chastised.
“Naria?” Jace asked quietly and she raised her eyes to meet his. “How did you leave from your room undetected?” he asked.
She prayed he hadn’t had a camera monitoring her as she uttered one more lie. “Jace.” She blushed. “Surely you’re aware of my mental abilities. I don’t often let others know about them since it seems to scare people. But I have the ability to not only heal but to also, at times, manipulate things with my mind.”
Jace stared at her, his mind reaching out and seeking the truth of her statement. Surprised again at the strength of his mind, she warily admitted his probe to delve into what she’d just told him, working very hard to keep up her other barriers in place.
Apparently satisfied, Jace withdrew from her mind and nodded, his frame finally relaxing. “Okay, Naria. I’ll buy what you’ve told me so far,” he said slowly. Then he looked a bit uncomfortable as he utt
ered his next words. “And I’ll keep your little secrets about your mental gifts as long as you keep mine. My crew is not exactly aware of my own mental abilities and I’d prefer that it stay that way,” he said, his eyes glued to hers.
Naria nodded quickly, happy to finally be off the hot seat and to be trusted with his secret. Of course, Naria had seen the truth for herself on Dark World and Jace knew that, but now he asked her to remain silent. Asked, not told.
“Of course, Jace. You have to know how thankful I am for everything you’ve done,” Naria told him softly, from her heart. “You saved my life by rescuing me from that planet,” she told him, her eyes blazing with sincerity. “I would do anything for you and your men. I owe you my life.”
At her words Jace’s eyes seemed to glitter. “Anything?” he asked softly as he stared down at her, his body again tense as his eyes roved over her curves with deliberate intent.
“Well, I, ah,” she stuttered and felt herself flush. His innuendo had not been lost on her and even though she hadn’t intentionally alluded to sex, her body warmed at the thought of again touching Jace.
“Never mind,” he said quickly and shrugged away her uneasiness. “I’m sorry I doubted you,” he said shaking his head. “I think I’m more tired than I thought.” He sighed. But when Naria stood to leave, he moved closer to her. “No, you’ll stay here with me tonight,” he said. “I don’t have the energy to keep watch over you. But you’ll be safe, don’t worry,” he promised her.
Naria nodded slowly. “I know. You won’t hurt me.”
“No, I won’t,” he said softly as his fingers brushed her cheek. She thought his eyes darkened, if that were possible, but then he slumped down on the bed. “Just promise me no more journeys throughout the ship,” he said and tugged her down with him.
“I promise,” Naria said, meaning it.
When Jace next awoke it was to find Naria snuggled up beside him, her breath soft against his chest, her arm and thigh thrown over him as if to secure him to her.
Smiling at thoughts of how embarrassed she would no doubt be were she aware of their entwined position, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply to meet the coming day. They should be close to Rovi by now.
He stilled a groan as her thigh brushed his hard arousal, already thick with need as his body recognized Naria’s as a potential mate. Stars, he thought with a grimace, the woman is rendering my discipline as a thing of the past. Carefully, he extricated himself from her hold, amused when she moaned lightly at his loss, and quickly entered the lav.
As he cleaned and dressed, he thought again about Naria’s presence on board his ship. Not only did he have four crewmembers still recovering from Dark World, he had a fellow escaped prisoner from Seven, she’d said, and an actual Dark Worlder on board his ship. None of which, he thought wryly, were helping him to discover more about the Cazeth.
He dressed and left the lav, staring down at Naria, her white billowy shirt lay so far down as to expose one firm, taut breast. Again his blood churned as he fought down erotic fantasies of taking her cherry red nipple in his mouth and showing her all the delights she’d clearly been missing in her life.
Instead, he sighed regretfully and left her sleeping on his bed. Jace wondered at his unruly body. It had been a while since he’d last visited Raia. But even then his sexual intimacies with the Psi Vembi pleasurer had been merely mental. And though he attained physical release from his pleasurable interludes with Raia, she had never made him feel even half as desirable for her as he felt for Naria.
He frowned, wondering if his time on Dark World had somehow affected his libido. Or perhaps, he whispered to himself, he’d simply found a female that not only attracted him physically, but beckoned to that darker passion in his body, that untapped source that merely waited for his true mate. He scowled at his inner voice and banished it to the depths of his mind.
He had too much to think about lest he fall prey to some odd superstitious nonsense that his people had fallen victim to so many years past. No, Jace, the last surviving free Psi, had more important things to attend to than a possible mate.
He grabbed a hot cup of java and joined Koneru and Castor in the control room.
“We’ll be there soon,” Castor said without turning from his study of a control panel. “And the ship definitely needs it.”
“Koneru? Are you alright with this visit?” Jace asked, unaware of Koneru’s true feelings for his home world.
“Well, it’s been over thirty years since I’ve been here, but I keep my ears open.” Koneru grinned, an expression now constantly on his face. “But I’ve a mind to visit a few relatives while our ship gets fixed, if you don’t mind.”
Not at all.” Jace smiled. “Maybe you could put a good word in and get us a discount on the repairs while you’re at it.”
Koneru nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
“And speaking of good,” Castor nodded at the computer and turned to face Jace, his dark eyes sparkling with health and good humor. “How is our dark haired beauty this morning? I happened to check in on her earlier and found her suspiciously absent from her room.”
Jace felt Koneru and Castor’s keen stare and sighed. “If you must know, she tried to get out last night and I found her. Rather than burden you, Castor, with looking out for her, I took her into my room and spent a peaceful night without worrying about her doing any damage.”
Castor eyed him curiously and shook his head. “You do look more relaxed, but not that relaxed.” He sighed shaking his head, causing Koneru and even Jace to laugh at his innuendo.
“You know, Castor, I’m getting the feeling we should hit Vembi soon. Your mind seems fixated on sex,” Jace mused.
“Well what do you expect when you’ve got not one, but two sensual females slithering around this ship?” Castor asked with a good-natured growl. “Sure it’s got my body in an uproar.”
Koneru coughed lightly. “You know, Jace, that’s not a bad idea,” the Rovi added. “It might help us to unwind.”
Jace nodded. “Fine. As soon as we’re through on Rovi, we’ll set course for Vembi. I’ve got a few contacts there that might be able to help me further,” he said softly.
Castor frowned. “You know Jace, you never did tell us why you’re looking for these mythical Cazeth.” His eyes narrowed. “And that’s not all you haven’t told us,” he said knowingly.
Jace stared at Castor with an innocent expression on his face. “I don’t know what you mean,” Jace said blandly and left the control room, Castor on his heels. Castor followed him into the captain’s room and sealed the door shut behind them.
“I think you do,” Castor said firmly, leaning back against the door and studying Jace with a disconcerting intensity. “I’ve known there was something very different about you since we first started this journey together, Jace, and even before. I’ve waited with patience for you to tell me. But after Dark World, I think I’m entitled to a few explanations, don’t you?”
Jace shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Now he knew what Dare had felt having to tell her crew about her hidden abilities as a Fenturi. Jace felt rather badly that he’d been putting off being completely honest with Castor. But he liked the man. He didn’t relish the disbelief, or even worse, the fear and distrust in the man’s eyes upon learning of Jace’s identity as a Psi.
“It’s rather telling that Lord Demise chose you right away to leave our little band of prisoners in that cell, Jace. And you never did tell us what he did to you while you were gone,” Castor persisted. “I know that demon easily took information from my mind. But I’m sure he didn’t take anything from you. For some reason you seem to be mentally stronger than the lot of us,” Castor said with keen insight. “And don’t make me give you examples of what I’m talking about. Over the past year you’ve done a number of remarkable things that defy explanation.”
“Castor,” Jace paused.
“I’m your friend, Jace,” Castor said quietly and sat across from him at his desk. “We
haven’t known one another all that long, but I feel that I know who you really are, deep down. Don’t you know that you’ve got my loyalty? I don’t care if you’re secretly a member of the Horde, though I would find that surprising,” he joked, his full lips curving. “I’m your Second and right now the best friend on this ship that you’ve got. I know you’re after something important. Maybe something to do with the Cazeth,” he murmured as he stared at Jace’s taut features.
“Castor.” Jace sighed. “I just hope you mean what you just said.” He shook his head. Then coming to a decision, he looked Castor in the eye. “This goes no further than this room, not yet,” Jace stated firmly.
Castor quickly nodded and he continued.
“I need to find as much as I can about the Cazeth because they are responsible for the ruin of my planet.” At Castor’s confused expression, he explained. “There are not twelve Nearworld planets, Castor. There are thirteen.”
He paused while Castor absorbed that. “But then, you’re saying Mystique is real?”
“Yes,” Jace nodded. “Mystique is the thirteenth Nearworld planet, and the home of the Psi.”
Castor’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Jace. “The Psi?” he asked incredulously, his eyes enormous as he gazed on his captain.
“Yes, Castor. I’m a Psi. I escaped a hostile overtaking of Mystique over ten years ago. The Cazeth, another group of beings that are shrouded in myth and legend, captured my lands and enslaved my people—enslaved the Psi.”
“You’re not kidding, are you?” Castor asked in amazement. “Unbelievable!” Castor sat on the edge of his seat and stared at Jace in awe. “Stories of the Psi are told to us as children. To think that they’re actually real… So what exactly can a Psi do?”
Jace felt uncomfortable under such scrutiny. “Depending upon the strength of the Psi, almost anything. To answer your next question, yes, I can read minds. But Castor, I don’t,” he said quickly to erase the unease clouding Castor’s face. “It’s very uncomfortable not to mention intrusive to know your friends’ every waking thought.”