Rion

by Susan Kearney

  She was hungry again after all that walking. Of course, Marisa recognized none of the vegetables or meat. But the spices and sauces smelled delicious, and her mouth watered. She filled a plate and began to eat with a spoon-like utensil with tines on the end.

  “Merlin. Food.” Rion tossed a piece of meat upward, and the owl snatched it out of the air and took it to a rafter.

  “Tell me of my parents.” Rion sipped his drink and braced himself, as if expecting the worst. “Is there news?”

  Phen dropped his head and stared at the floor. “They may still be alive, but if they are, they are now Unari slaves.”

  Rion didn’t change expression, but shadows of pain clouded his eyes. “I feared as much.”

  If Marisa had been told that her parents were enslaved or dead, she wouldn’t have been able to hold in the pain. Or the sobs. But Rion stilled, going so stiff and silent that the air around him seemed brittle. And despite her anger with him, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, too.

  He’d lost… everything. His home. His parents. His world.

  Rion went inside himself, but very aware of his pain Marisa yearned to touch him, hold him. And, she admitted to herself, she wanted to drag him back into her arms again.

  A low voice in the back of her mind whispered it was about time. It had been many years since her divorce.

  As if sensing Rion needed time to pull himself together, Phen raised his head and looked at Marisa closely, especially interested in the scales on her arms. “Where are you from?”

  She glanced at Rion. He squared his shoulders, raised his chin, and eyes still bleak, he nodded. “I’m from Florida, in the North American States.” At Phen’s blank look, she added, “Planet Earth.”

  The deacon’s brow furrowed. “Earth? It’s on the Unari list. A very long list.”

  “What list?” Marisa asked.

  “You must understand, it’s not just Honor that the Tribes seek to dominate,” Rion explained, his tone bitter. “Every world that falls to the Tribes gives their empire more resources and a wider base from which to spread their madness. They hate dragonshapers and intend to enslave all free men under an absolute dictatorship. They replace enlightenment with fear and darkness.”

  Marisa kept her tone mild, but her pulse escalated. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  Phen took a drink, settled into his chair, and looked at Rion. Again Rion nodded as if giving his uncle permission to speak. “One of the Honorian rebels smuggled out a list of worlds. We believe this list is composed of planets the Unari plan to invade. Earth is near the top of the list.”

  Marisa gasped. “If the Unari are planning to attack my home, I should warn them.”

  “They didn’t believe me. Would they believe you without any real proof?” Rion asked, his voice skeptical.

  To her dismay, Marisa already knew the answer. Lucan had come back from Pendragon with the same supposition. And after all he’d done for Earth, the authorities had questioned his sources and had demanded genuine evidence.

  “Let me be clear,” Phen added, his demeanor serious. “We don’t know for certain if the list is an invasion plan. Maybe it’s a travel itinerary.”

  “But you don’t think so?” Marisa pressed him, her hearts heavy. Earth could be facing the same fate as Honor.

  Her parents, her brother, her sister-in-law, and their babies, everyone Marisa knew, could be in danger. Sickened, desperate to warn them, she pressed her lips together to keep back a gasp of helplessness. But what could she do?

  Her eyes met Rion’s. He’d kidnapped her to help free his people. She still couldn’t condone his actions… but she understood. Because she, too, would do whatever she could to save Earth.

  And while she could distract herself with everything going on, the kidnapping, the Enforcers, the Unari threat to Earth, Rion was the one she looked to for help. She couldn’t deny that whenever she was near Rion, her hearts beat faster, that she was more aware, more alive. Couldn’t deny she wanted to know him better.

  Phen softened his tone. “It’s more likely the Unari are already on Earth. You see, the actual invasion is usually the last stage of their domination plan.”

  Rion pushed aside his untouched plate and poured another drink.

  Marisa frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “The Unari send moles in first. Spies. They do whatever they can to weaken a world, bankrupting strong countries, starting wars, devaluing currencies.”

  Rion spoke softly. “Chivalri was once the strongest and most prosperous country on all of Honor. Like England, Chivalri had both a king and a representative democracy.”

  Phen nodded. “The Unari worked from the inside on many levels to bring down the strongest first. They are patient and relentless. Their plans can take decades.”

  “They infiltrate the military?” Marisa asked.

  “And the government,” Rion said. “The Unari are brilliant strategists. They penetrated both sides of Honor’s political system, pushing an agenda of global unification, one currency, one government, one world order. Those who spoke up against them didn’t stand a chance against their giant propaganda machine.”

  “Once they controlled the media,” Phen said, “they could sway the way people thought.” He held up a cube and tossed it to Rion. “These images were taken by robotic spy cameras and smuggled to me two days ago. As soon as I viewed them, I triggered the microchip for Rion to come home.”

  In Rion’s hands, the cube turned into a six-sided video screen. On one side a chained dragon bellowed in pain, blood running down his neck. Marisa gasped in horror at the sickening image. The other sides of the cube showed dragons dragging huge stones up steep inclines, their masters whipping them, their backs scarred, their scales shredded. Midsized dragons shivered in mud, their wings broken. At the baby dragons cowering in tiny cages, a tear slipped down Marisa’s cheek.

  “I’m too late. I’d hoped to get there before—”

  “Your flash came true.” Marisa wiped away her tear and shot a glance at Rion. So he hadn’t lied to her about his flashes. These images matched the vision he’d described. No wonder he was so determined to go home. No wonder he’d kidnapped her. No wonder he’d risked their lives. No decent person could see those terrible images and fail to act.

  “The whips have two settings,” Phen told them, “agony, or heart-stopping lethal pain.”

  Oh… God. Marisa momentarily squeezed her eyes shut but couldn’t rid herself of the sickening images.

  Rion’s face was bleak. “Is anyone still free?”

  “Rebels are down there. But food is in short supply and… every day, their numbers are less.” Phen turned off the cube.

  Rion’s face hardened with determination. “Have you found a ship to fly us to Honor?”

  “Sir Drake at the military museum has a ship, but it needs work, and you may have to steal it. I’m not certain where his allegiance lies. But don’t even think about trying to use the transporter to reach Honor. Elite Unari squads guard it. Attempting to go near the site is an automatic death sentence.”

  Rion gripped the arms of his chair, his fingers digging deep into the padding. “Tell me about Erik, please.”

  “The Unari have him.”

  “They torture him.” Rion slammed one fist into another. “Erik’s fate should have been mine.”

  Marisa slipped her hand into his, not just to give comfort but to take some. It was the only answer to subduing the pain at hearing such terrible news.

  Phen shook his head. “Erik did what any good man would do. He saved his friend.”

  “Erik’s your cousin?” she asked, recalling Rion mentioning the name back on Earth.

  “My father’s brother’s son. Without Erik’s help, I’d be dead.”

  The deacon’s expression turned grim, and sympathy flickered in his eyes. “They torture all captured Honorians.”

  Rion pressed his lips together so hard they turned white. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “What
information could Erik have that the Unari need?”

  Phen sighed. “They don’t torture to gain information.”

  “Then why…”

  “They torture dragons to induce pain. Then a machine called a Tyrannizer captures their agony and projects that pain onto the other dragons. Everyone suffers.”

  Rion swore. And bowed his head.

  “I don’t understand,” Marisa whispered, and clung tightly to Rion’s hand.

  “The Unari use dragons as their labor force. To keep them docile, they make them work while they endure great pain. The less they resist, the less pain they experience.”

  Marisa almost choked on her food and had to force herself to swallow.

  Rion released her hand, stood and knocked over his chair, and paced. “This pain prevents even our warriors from rebellion?”

  “Yes.”

  “How far does this pain project?” Marisa asked, wondering how much more horrible news Rion would have to hear.

  “Dragon pain now blankets all of Honor,” Phen said. “Once the Chivalri capital fell, the Unari took over the rest of the planet in one massive swoop.”

  Phen’s communicator clicked and he stood. “Please excuse me. One of the brothers needs me, and I may be gone for some time. Make yourselves at home.”

  Phen departed, and Rion stopped pacing. Eyes locking with hers, he stood very still, yet he radiated tension. “I was wrong to bring you here against your will. But now that you know what’s happening on Honor, I hope you’ll join my cause.”

  “And if I say no?”

  “Then I’ll find a way to send you back to Earth.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Would you really do that?”

  He kneeled and took her hand in his. “I swear it.”

  But who was the man kneeling before her? Gallant knight, or lying scoundrel?

  Rion’s bringing her here against her will had been wrong. But how could she hold that against him now that she understood the stakes? And he’d admitted his mistakes. Plus, he’d given her an out and offered to send her home.

  He’d been desperate. Forced to kidnap her so he could free his people from slavery.

  Gallant knight? There was only one way to find out. Only one way to help Earth.

  “So what’s our plan?” she asked.

  Marisa had doubts. But she no longer believed her initial instincts about Rion were wrong. He had goodness in his heart. He was passionate about his people, and perhaps one day, one day soon, she’d let him drag her into his arms again.

  “We break the Unari hold on Chivalri and find enough proof to convince every intelligent race the Tribes are rising again.” Rion placed his hands on her shoulders. “With your help, we just might stop them.”

  She closed the short distance between them and placed her hand over his. Touching him seemed to be the only relief they had. And the ache in her hearts told her it was the only answer to the need in her body whenever he was near. “I’ll do what I can.”

  Rion shot to his feet, yanked her into his arms. The sparks in his eyes burst into flames and fired her senses. Her hearts jolted and her pulse pounded.

  His mouth found hers and their lips locked. His need brought her to a slow burn. His tongue set her on fire.

  “You won’t be sorry,” he whispered, his voice husky. “I thank you. And my people thank you.”

  Marisa sighed into his mouth and prayed she wasn’t getting in over her head.

  Comfort can come in many strange forms… so can friendship if one keeps an open mind.

  —KING ARTHUR

  9

  Rion had apologized for kidnapping Marisa and his offer to try to send her back home had been genuine. But he was grateful that after seeing those horrible images from Honor, she’d agreed to stay and help. Warmth had returned to her eyes when she looked at him, and the tension between them had diminished. While she might not have totally forgiven him, he still wanted to prove that he was worth her trust—even if he hadn’t told her who he truly was.

  Yet that didn’t change the fact that he wanted to please her. She’d had a rough journey. She’d almost died. She should have hated him. Instead she’d promised to help. He was humbled by her courage, terrified of her bravery.

  With a touch of a button on a control panel, Rion materialized walls to form a private room within Phen’s spacious hideout. He ordered beds and several chairs, everything in soothing white.

  Looking exhausted and shell-shocked, Marisa wandered the room, fingered the soft cream coverlets, then kicked off her shoes and wriggled her toes in the thick carpet underfoot. “Would it be possible to take a bath?”

  Pleased he could fulfill such a simple request, he adjusted the program to insert a large spa tub into the room. But this time he used his imagination. He added flower petals to the tub’s steaming water, and globes with candles that drifted through the room for scent, atmosphere, and pregnancy prevention. Soft music filtered in, and he dimmed the overhead lighting.

  He turned from the control panel. She plucked one of the drifters from the air and slowly inhaled the vanilla scent of the floating candle.

  “Anything else you’d like?” He wished he could take her to the Isle of Laniap on Honor, where the emerald sea washed across pink sand beaches and trade winds rustled the palm trees. He doubted the Unari appreciated the pink sunsets with the lavender-streaked clouds—at least not the way he did. His family had always escaped the summer city heat for the cool island breezes and healing waters of the sea. Cousins played in the pink sand, and parents admonished and taught the children, no matter who had sired them. Those were carefree times, fun times, times he hoped might one day come again.

  “This is cool.” Marisa released the drifting candle and watched it soar into the flight pattern, its tiny antigravs keeping it airborne. “And to answer your question, yes, there’s something else I’d like—walls for the bathroom.”

  “Of course.” He materialized partitions to give her privacy, and she entered the cubicle and shut the door.

  He could have used a bath himself—anything to drain the tension of waiting for Phen to return. He could call up vids or text readers, but he doubted his tortured mind could concentrate on anything, especially with Marisa behind those walls, taking off her clothes.

  When she’d come out of the store with her skin and hair tinted, wearing that short dress, he’d had difficulty keeping his gaze off her. Yes, he’d seen her naked, but between that sexy halter top that teased him with the curved shadows between her breasts and her long, toned legs, he’d had to fight his overwhelming desire.

  And now that she was getting naked, he imagined the water lapping around her skin, sensuously seeping into her every pore. He couldn’t stop thinking about how inviting she’d look with her hair piled atop her head, tendrils curling softly around her face as scented steam drifted from the hot water.

  He hadn’t realized how much he craved her. But if he wanted to earn her trust, he couldn’t go barging in there. No matter how much he desired her. No matter how much he ached.

  Something between a groan and a grunt rumbled up his throat.

  Marisa called out to him. “Rion?”

  He opened the door and strode into the bathroom. She looked even lovelier than he’d envisioned and not a bit surprised to see him. A soft smile played at her mouth. With her hair slicked back against her head and water trickling over her shoulders, she stretched out naked in the tub.

  Thank the universe they didn’t have bubble bath here. He could see every delectable inch of her sweet flesh. From her secretive smile to her delicate collarbone to her silky-soft breasts, she was lovely.

  His gaze searched her face. He wanted to be what she sought. “Rion.” Her tone was soft and sensual and her eyes held a hint of challenge. “I was going to ask you which of these containers was the shampoo. But now that you’re here, maybe you could wash my hair?”

  “I’ll be happy to do anything you ask.”

  “Thank you. Soap
ing up and rinsing seems like so much effort.” She closed her eyes, tilted back her head, and left the rest to him.

  Had she deliberately raised her breasts out of the water so that her nipples rested just under the surface? Rion bit back a grin and strode around the tub, thinking that the best way to pamper her was to make her ask for exactly what she wanted.

  “We have three different scents of soap.” He opened them one by one and placed them under her nose. “Would you like the sweet, the floral, or the star scent, my lady?”

  “Star scent, please. It reminds me of the crisp smell of autumn leaves, when they’re all vibrant golds and reds before they fall off the trees.”

  Rion wet his hands, then scooped some star scent into his palms and rubbed up a good lather. Taking care not to let the soap drip into her eyes, he worked the thick lather into her hair. “Would you like your scalp rubbed, too?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Rion massaged her head with his fingertips, noting how much she enjoyed his rubbing over and behind her ears. She leaned into his hands, and the tension seeped out of her face and neck.

  “You feel wonderful.”

  “Keep your eyes closed. I’m going to rinse you now.” Employing a spray hose, he tipped her head back and rinsed the shampoo from her hair. With her back arched, her breasts rose completely out of the water. When a water droplet clung to her nipple, distracting him, he dropped the hose. Water sprayed everywhere—including all over him.

  Marisa surveyed his wet shirt and chuckled. “Since you’re already soaked, you might as well come in and get clean, too.”

  “So we’re okay again?”

  Their gazes met. And in her eyes he saw acceptance.

  “Yeah. We’re okay.”

  Rion didn’t wait for a second invitation. He shucked the clothes but climbed into the tub behind her, settling so that his back rested against the side of the tub, and her back settled against his chest.

  “Lean against me,” he instructed. “I’m not done with your hair.”