“Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!” A black and grey blur scurried across the floor at full speed to me.
I dropped to my knees with my arms thrown wide. “Thunderdrop, my baby! Oh, how I’ve missed you. I thought you had decided to stay at the Palace with Sue,” I said as I stroked his back.
“Chirp chirp click chirp.” Thunderdrop showed me images of Neema, Pierce, and Kaoti riding together in a shuttle.
My heart thudded in my chest in disbelief. As I hurried to stand, I heard Neema shrieking in anger which woke her baby brother. A sob escaped me, and relieved happy tears ran down my cheeks.
“Let’s say hello to Mommy. Then, you can get back in your ship,” Pierce said.
When Neema sensed her brother and me, she let out a happy shriek and bounced in Pierce’s arms all the way over to me. I rushed to her, and soon her hands were fisted in my hair. Then, I got baby kisses all over my face.
“Mommy, mommy, mommy!”
I laughed and spun her around. By this time, Niklos had completely lost his temper, so I sat with him on the back covered balcony and nursed him while Neema played in her starship walker. Seeing what appeared to be a picture frame on a table, I squinted at it.
Pierce explained as he carried it over to me. “I placed a stationary camera on Sue’s tank with a boosted signal so that he can watch her from here.”
“Thank you so much, Pierce. I was devastated leaving Neema and Thunderdrop at home. How is Yukihyo?”
“He is over the initial shock and doing well. Your husbands have been careful to remain in public during this newest development.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “What is Papa going to do to put a stop to this kind of thing?”
Pierce shrugged. I made up my mind that I would never reward any man who resorted to taking me during a military style coup with the affection he was after. That would be one way to make my point.
Pax had dinner delivered from one of the local restaurants. We shared it at the dining table. Tilting my head to look at Neema, it seemed like more of her dinner had made it into her hair than into her mouth. Unlike my daughter, I was ravenous now that I had been liberated from Licinius. Later in the evening as the rain slowed, I was able to see from the front balcony the stores and restaurants lining the street opposite of our house-lined side. Before bed and wearing our gowns, Neema and I sat on the floor with Thunderdrop and played ball. Neema smiled and patted the ball as she looked behind me. Turning my head, I watched as Kaoti soundlessly dropped from the roof to the balcony. Getting up, I ran to him and threw my arms around his chest. Kaoti hugged me back.
“Oh, Kaoti, I didn’t mean for you to leave Violet.”
“Violet is spending time with my family. She encouraged me to come.”
Sadly, I said, “Oh, does she feel smothered?”
“No, she thought I deserved to have some fun.”
I frowned at my unusually chatty bodyguard. “Men keep trying to capture me like I’m a game piece.”
“Yes.” Kaoti stared at me like his monosyllabic response had been a dissertation. “Even now, Licinius watches you from across the river through a drone camera. He is staying at a hotel several blocks away. Other officers and reporters are converging on our location.”
“Kaoti, there has to be a way to put a stop to this. I feel very insulted. They have no right to interfere with my free will.” I felt my face burning with anger.
Kaoti actually grinned at me. “It angers you, but this is the most fun that men of the Empire have had in centuries. Carefully elaborate military planning goes into the abduction of an Imperial princess and her household. They attempt to prove themselves worthy of your notice. You may not choose to take a warlord as a husband, but you cannot fail to notice him.”
“So, all of this crap is just for my attention?”
“Yes, only the worthiest could pull off such a fete in a highly-populated city. Licinius took you out from under our very noses. General Cassian was furious.”
“He didn’t seem furious to me.”
“Has he never before hidden his anger from you?”
I remembered the time he had blown up a moon. “So, have you had dinner?”
The next morning, the rain had cleared, so I sat on the back balcony with my coffee and watched as the sky lightened to its usual pink and orange over the park. I saw a few deer grazing and stared intently at them but not with the intensity of Thunderdrop. To appease him, I grabbed a can of the spider food that Pierce had packed and filled his bowl.
“Chitter chitter click chirp.” Thunderdrop showed me an image of a deer shrouded in spider’s silk.
“Please, don’t eat the park’s wildlife. I don’t think those animals are supposed to be hunted.” I heard male laughter and turned to see my first cousin once removed as he stepped out onto the balcony to join me. “What’s got you laughing this morning?”
“Oh, the princess who is preyed upon by warlords protecting deer from her pet who wishes to prey upon them amuses me.”
“You know what would amuse me? If you were to put your injector to good use and prevent the penile performances of any possible purveyors of my person,” I said with a smirk.
Dr. Ryan Fotri laughed heartily at my suggestion. I answered my vid-screen.
Papa said, “Good morning, my darling. Are you in better spirits?”
“Yes, having Neema, Thunderdrop, Kaoti, and Pierce here with us is comforting. Papa, you must put an end to this practice. It is unfair to me, my children, and my husbands.”
Papa held his hands up in surrender. “You are in no danger. Inquisitor Licinius believed he could win your heart with an impressive enough display of power and ingenuity.”
“Is it safe for us to leave this house, or should I remain in hiding?”
“You are in no danger and may come and go as you wish.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
In a much better mood, I dressed for the day. With Thunderdrop on my shoulder, Niklos and Neema secured within their pram and stroller duo, and surrounded by the most lethal guards at Kaoti’s disposal, we left the house and walked across the street to a delightful café. Leaving the house created a stir. The local ladies misguidedly found my miserable experience to be incredibly romantic. Taking Fitz’s advice to heart, I plastered a fake smile on my face and sipped the coffee Pax brought to me. Unlike what Pax had led Licinius to believe, he had been a perfect gentleman, and I liked him.
While scanning the shops and watching the people, I caught sight of Licinius watching me and froze. I blinked, and he vanished. Thunderdrop stalked from my right shoulder to my left and showed me that Licinius approached from behind me to my left. How he had moved so quickly, I didn’t know. Pax stood when he saw him. The ladies, who had filled the café, strained to hear. The occasional clinking of a cup was met with harsh stares for quiet.
“Princess Probus, seeing you here in the morning light proves my silent musings of you to be true. You are our true princess, and the skies fail to mimic your flowing yellow hair and soft pink skin. I remember your hand in mine feeling softer than the rose petals before Commander Cyprian trod them under his boots when he stole you from me. I understand you had no choice other than to leave me for the sake of your children. You are as selfless as you are beautiful.” Licinius took my hand in his and kissed my wrist while trailing his other hand up my elbow. I drew in a breath as the sensation of his lips and fingertips stirred me. Knowing what he had done, his eyes locked onto mine.
“Inquisitor Licinius, shall we have a word outside?” Pax asked.
Licinius trailed his fingers gently from my elbow and to my palm as he stood. His eyes and touch left together. Feeling achy, embarrassed, and confused, as soon as the two officers began arguing outside and out of sight, I stood and pushed the stroller out of the café. Quickly, I hurried along the sidewalk. Kaoti and my guards easily took a step for every two of my own.
“This is so frustrating, Kaoti.” I felt compelled to turn into a store on the
left that sold tech. As I pushed the stroller over the threshold, calm surrounded me.
I heard a question in my mind ask, “What is your heart’s desire?”
Closing my eyes, I imagined being safe with my husbands and children without interference from men who wished to use me to either further their careers or elevate their Houses amongst the Warrior Caste. I felt a serenity fill me and relaxed into it.
“Chirp! Chirp!”
A hand stroked my hair. I turned and opened my eyes. Zared stood there with solid black eyes and his hand poised as though to touch my hair once more. “Oh, Zared,” I said as a pressed my face to his uniformed chest and wrapped my arms around him.
“My lady, all is well and will be as you wish. Give me leave to fulfill your desires. Command me,” Zared whispered. Through our bond his emotions were a roiling storm of billowing black and grey clouds streaked with lightning and held in place only by his will.
“Zared, I order you to take us to safety.”
Heavy thuds sounded around us as everyone in the store save the two of us dropped. Zared buried his hands in my hair, stared deeply into my eyes, and said, “Forgive me,” as his lips crushed down to mine. Longing, desire, love, and anguish pulsed through me along with one intense orgasm after another. Zared ended the kiss and held me tightly to his chest. “They took you from me and shattered my control. It was all I could do not to slaughter them all where they stood. We have worked diligently during your absence. Come with me, my lady.”
Zared kissed the top of my head, took my hand in his, and pushed the stroller with his right hand. On wobbly legs, I kept pace beside him as he steered us to an exit at the back of the store. Through the store windows, I saw no one. It was as if the earlier throngs of people had vanished. Then, I realized that it had not only been the patrons inside of the store who had dropped into unconsciousness, but everyone in the vicinity as well. Zeth, Izaac, and Zam filed past us to pick up Kaoti, Pierce, and Lorca. Behind the store, joy filled my heart, and a smile commandeered my face at the sight of Inquisitor Eli Beck who stood beside a large land transport.
“Princess, forgive our tardiness. From Ephors, we sped to your rescue,” Eli said as he passed Neema inside and then Niklos. Throwing my arms around Eli’s neck, I laughed and kissed his cheek.
“Twenty seconds,” Vawn said for our benefit.
“In you go,” Eli said as he helped me inside.
Zergio and Rozz had secured my babies into transport seats. I kept my feet clear as Kaoti, Pierce, and Lorca were secured. Then, we were slowly moving along the alley. Once we had cleared it, I noticed people groggily getting to their feet.
“Communications and tracking will remain scrambled for fifty seconds,” Rozz reported.
Excitement coursed through me along with the vestiges of pleasure with which Zared had surprised me. I worried that the shared moment wouldn’t have been between only the two of us but witnessed by each of the men who I had chosen to call brothers. Zared had confused me. Sensing the troubled course my thoughts had begun to plot, Zared focused his attention on me. As I looked into his solid black eyes, I began to see myself. I was wearing a pale green top and a pair of white shorts. The breeze played with strands of my dirty blonde hair. Abbie had warned me that the citizens were concerned that I preferred Laconian males to my own kind. I had looked at Zared and secretly wished that I could have him. All of this time, he had known. I lowered my eyes from his to my knees while my cheeks burned.
My gaze shot back up to Kaoti as my lethal bodyguard allowed his safety harness to fall silently from his grasp and to the floor.
“It’s okay,” I whispered so he wouldn’t begin to attack.
“Koty, Koty, Koty,” Neema said with a sigh. Then, she stuck her thumb in her mouth and wiggled her toes.
“My apologies. This will be bumpy,” Eli called to us from the driver’s seat.
Neema shrieked happily and clapped her slobbery hands together as Eli left the road and drove us through thick foliage. The scraping sounds had me looking out of the window again. Eli was plowing down someone’s rose bushes. He slowed, and the air in front of the transport shimmered revealing a lowered ramp that led into the cargo bay of the Empress.
“Chirp! Chirp!” Thunderdrop said excitedly as he jumped up and down on my head. Losing his balance, one of his legs slid down behind my ear before he righted himself.
The sight of my ship thrilled me. “Oh, yes! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to get away from these….” I managed to stop myself from saying assholes but thought the expletive as loudly as I could which had the Ponidis laughing.
“They are onto us. As soon as we are in, close her up, and get us out of here,” Eli ordered.
“Understood,” responded a voice I heard through the communications panel.
Niklos had a scowl on his tiny little baby face. I didn’t know who had been keeping my baby calm for the ride, but when Niklos squirmed and turned a bit red in the face, we all wanted out of the land transport. I smiled at Lorca and decided again to thank Grandmother for hiring Lorca and Pierce the next time we spoke.
“Hopefully, we will not be trapped inside of this cabin when Prince Niklos makes his temper known,” Zared said.
He did not get his wish. Gently, I took Niklos from his seat, spread out a blanket, and began changing his stinky diaper while Eli powered down the transport. Pierce and Lorca came to their senses with a start.
“It’s okay, Niklos. Everything is perfect once again. Your uncles have come to our rescue and given us back our freedom. Oh, you want to twist. Do you? Ew. No, let’s get you clean.” I had Niklos held gently by his little feet as I wiped him clean, but his twisting around wasn’t making the task any easier. I was grateful when the mess went into the waste unit. I picked my clean baby up and held him at my shoulder. “No one will be able to court Mommy in space! No, they won’t. Say, bye-bye annoying Warrior Caste,” I said in a baby voice as I gently bounced with him from side to side.
“Chirp!” Thunderdrop decided he would rather cling to the skirt of my dress than remain perched on my head.
“Mommy!” Neema laughed.
Kaoti climbed from the transport. He was furious. Eli followed him out.
“Do not worry. Kaoti will not be angry for long,” Zared assured me as he followed him.
“CoCo! CoCo!” Neema yelled as she kicked her feet. My eyes roamed up Nico’s body as he hunched over to enter the transport.
“There is my little princess,” Nico said as he took her from her seat and sat down with her beside me. I watched his eyes as he gazed down at our son. “Where would you like to go?”
“Anywhere as long as I have my family together. What do you suggest?”
Nico leaned Neema back and kissed her feet which had her giggling. Her soft, dove-grey hair spread like fluff over the knees of his black pants. “Leaving the Empire would be folly. It would be unpredictable for us to travel to Naxa. Everyone knows that you dislike both the cold and your memories of the place. However, we could enter Naxa’s space in stealth and dock in an unconventional location. We would have ample time to shore up our defenses so that by the time the Princess arrives, you may enjoy visiting with your family.”
Smiling, I said, “You already planned it out.”
“No, I have already planned for every planet in the Empire.”
I switched Niklos to my other shoulder. Everyone else had quietly left us in peace. However, rather than consideration of our privacy, they may have wanted to escape into the fresher air of the bay. When I thought that I could not be happier, I was proven wrong. I felt a strong tug under my ribs which grew stronger with Yukihyo’s approach. My gratitude and thankfulness for his presence leaked from my eyes, so I closed them and savored each of his steps that brought him closer to me.
“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” Neema yelled as she twisted up to sit on Nico’s knees with her arms outstretched. Yukihyo stepped inside of the transport, took Neema, and blew raspberries on her neck until sh
e was a little ball of laughter. “Daddy,” she said as she wrapped her little arms around his neck.
“Here, let me give your arms a break,” Nico said of Niklos. I snorted at him knowing that had nothing to do with it and handed him over.
Chapter Eleven
We left the transport, and I was surprised to discover Eli and Kaoti standing at attention along with my Omnes Videntes. I was proud of them. Together, this group of men could put hundreds of Parvac soldiers at a disadvantage. With them, I wouldn’t have to worry about any more warlords trying to spirit me off to seduce me. Fitz stood to my immediate right. I looked from Zared and Zeth to Izaac, Zam, Traviz, and Jezzie. I nodded to Rozz and Zergio. I smiled at Vawn and Zander. The names Zack, Vic, Wyatt, Tomaz, and Walter entered my mind as I met each man’s solid black eyes.
“Thank you for coming for me. Nico suggests that we go to Naxa so that I can spend time with my family, but I’m tired of predictable. I’m tired of playing the part of an Imperial pawn. I don’t really care about pleasing the Empire. I’m pissed about Licinius.” I walked past them all and around the transport bay. I had large land transports, fighter ships, rollers, and transports. “Going to Naxa right now seems like a mistake. I want you all to consider something else entirely.” I met and held Yukihyo’s eyes. “I say we take advantage of our new ship and follow my cousins out to Sector 45320B and see Talpa for ourselves. Meeting a new civilization, exploring a new world, purchasing truly extravagant merchandise to trade, and putting the Warrior Caste behind us for a while would be a remarkable adventure. What do you think? How quickly can we load our cargo from the warehouse? Can we get Sue?”
Yukihyo’s eyes sparkled with pink and gold. I could feel his eagerness to escape, and it was even greater than my own. “With help, we could have everything we want loaded in minutes and be back up before they even notice,” Yukihyo answered.
I looked around at the men gathered. Phillip leaned against the wall near the lift. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Ryan stood near him. “I would like your honest opinions. There a few of you who I know will remain on Parvac. If you didn’t, you’d be making huge mistakes,” I said with pointed looks at Kaoti and Zeth. Turning to Nico and Fitz, a wrinkle formed between my brows. I wasn’t sure how they felt.
Omnes Videntes (The Space Merchants Book 4) Page 18