Taliff's Cure

by Bonnie Rose Leigh

  “So you say, but we are going to have a serious talk, and soon, Taliff. There are a lot of things about your people and your customs that I find very upsetting.”

  “Well, I can at least put you at ease a little. You weren’t operated on. You were given an injection. The tracker moves through your bloodstream and attaches to your brain stem.”

  “Dammit, Tal. I don’t want to know the hows and whys of it. That just makes it sound worse.”

  Okay, now her obstinacy was beginning to frustrate him. Did she just want to provoke him or was she really upset by what she’d heard? He could use their bond to find out but that somehow felt like an intrusion. He wanted her to tell him, felt she should tell him. And was that stupid or what? Goddess, he didn’t have time right now to sort this out. It, and all the other things they really needed to discuss, would have to wait.

  He shrugged and pulled her to a stop in front of the only door on this end of the deck. He hadn’t lied when he told her it was large enough to double as a war room. “We’re here.”

  She looked up at him and gave a crooked smile. “I guess that means we have to go in then, huh?”

  He grunted, then smiled himself as he watched her nervously wipe her hands on her thighs. “Yes, moya. We have to go in.”

  “All right. If we have to.”

  He could hear both resignation and even a bit of fear in her voice and wondered at it, but when she didn’t say anything else and began to tap her foot somewhat impatiently, he figured he better stop procrastinating and get on with it.

  As soon as they entered the dark room, Taliff knew something was wrong. If the absence of light hadn’t told him the room’s sensors were tampered with, then the fact that a stranger’s growl reverberated throughout a supposedly empty room would have.

  Taliff pulled his mate behind his back, and faced the corner of the room where he knew someone lay in wait. As inconspicuously as possible, he reached for the communicator on his wrist and pressed the silent alarm. Now it was up to Shoshoni to get them out of this mess.

  “Who’s here?”

  “Why, Taliff, don’t you recognize me?”

  The voice, although female, wasn’t the least bit familiar to him. He could feel the unease slither through his mate, but needed to focus on the stranger. “I can’t say that I do. Should I?”

  “Tsk…tsk…tsk…”

  “Enough of the games and show yourself,” he demanded. He wasn’t about to let anyone distract him, because he doubted this female, whoever she is, was alone.

  When she stepped out into the light, Taliff gasped, and pain the likes of which he’d never known whipped through him. “They told me you were dead.”

  Uncertainty and disillusionment blasted through his matebond. “Who is she, Taliff?”

  “Yes, Taliff, tell her who I am. Or, who I am to you, anyway.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “It’s not what you’re thinking, moya. This is Haeda, my sister.”

  “So, you do remember me. When no one bothered to pay the ransom, I figured you’d all decided to finally rid yourself of me. After all, I was only a lowly female, wasn’t I?”

  “What are you talking about, Haeda? There was no demand for ransom. Even though you were being held until your trial, and more than likely would have died at Hunter’s command, we would have rescued you from slavers had we known where to look. No one deserves such a fate. Not even someone who arranged for the murder of her parents.”

  Taliff heard Eve stifle a gasp behind him, but he was too worried about Haeda’s presence here and the possible implications. Where had she been for the last fifteen years? How had she escaped the slavers witnesses had seen abduct her and the others?

  Oh, Goddess, don’t let what he was thinking be the answer. Please don’t let her be the illusive leader of the black-market broodslave ring Hunter and his advisors had searched for relentlessly.

  But, somehow, it all made a perverse kind of sense. Shortly after he took the crown, word reached Hunter that women were being abducted. Rumor had it they’d been sold to breeding farms to produce female children that would, in turn, later be sold as mates.

  Within weeks of their parents’ suspicious deaths, he’d found his sister had plotted the ‘accidental’ drowning of their parents. He’d been forced to arrest Haeda and hold her for trial. The night before the tribunal, Haeda and three other women were kidnapped from their cells, and never seen again. The only clue left behind was a black rose, the supposed signature of the Breeders.

  Taliff cleared his throat, he had to hear her say she was the Black Rose, had to see her form the words from her own traitorous lips. “How long have you led the Breeders, Black Rose?”

  Her sneering lips and viscous snarl marred her perfect Lionese features. Had she not radiated hatred and evil, you’d never believe she could be anything other than a typical Lionese female.

  Thick hair hung well past her waist in various shades of blond and brown. Her amber eyes were slanted in the corners, giving her an exotic and very feline appearance. Tall and willowy for a Chantrean woman, at nearly six feet, she always epitomized beauty and grace, despite her height. So, how had they let her looks blind them to what she was inside? How had they never noticed her venomous core?

  “I’ve been the Black Rose since I reached twenty cycles, Brother.”

  “You didn’t disappear until after your twenty-fourth cycle.”

  “Yes, I know. And no one was the wiser. Four years I got away with my sideline, and no one knew until Father overheard a conversation with my contact. Then of course, he had to die.”

  “Why? Why would you do such a thing?”

  She laughed, an evil cackle of sound that sent shivers down his spine. Why answer his questions? She had to be stalling for time, but what for?

  “Because I can. I make a very nice living, and no man can tell me what to do, where I can and cannot go and all the rest of the decisions our parents and now, Hunter, have taken away from Chantrean women.”

  Eve’s muscles tensed beneath his hand. He could feel her anger build and build, flaring through their bond. Was she angry as what Haeda was saying about their society or was it something else? What is it, Eve?

  Something is coming, or someone.

  How do you know?

  I’m not sure. Remember out in the hall? I felt evil, watching, waiting. Well, that feeling is emanating from your sister. And there are several more all over the ship. Somehow, I can feel them.

  Thank you, moya. Now we know why she’s standing here answering questions.

  Taliff, what’s taking Shoshoni so long to transport her out of here? Something isn’t right.

  You’re right. Maybe Haeda will tell us herself, especially if she believes we’re unaware others are aboard the ship.

  Right. I’ll play along for now, but that bitch makes one wrong move, even if she is your sister, her ass is mine.

  My sister died the moment she ordered my parents’ death.

  Taliff could feel her subtle nod, and knew only concern for his safety and that of the other women on the ship kept her from attacking Haeda. Man, he loved the woman. She was so fierce and protective of him and the others already. He couldn’t wait until he got her with child. Mothering would come natural to her. Their children would be the most protected children on the planet.

  “Why are you here, Haeda? Why follow us and board our ship?”

  “Why, brother dear, you’re cutting into my business.”

  “What?” He couldn’t believe it. Was she working with the other ships that had cornered them earlier, or was she just savvier and when they managed to escape, she decided to swoop in and make the kill herself?

  “If you manage to bring a ship full of women to Chantrea, then eventually my ‘services’ will no longer be needed. And I just can’t have that, now can I?”

  Apparently, Eve had heard enough, because she yanked her hand free of his grasp, shoved him to the side and started to charge Haeda. “You, bitch.”r />
  Taliff just managed to snag her wrist before she lunged for his sister.

  “Oh, the little kitty has fangs after all. The way you were standing there behind Taliff, I assumed you were the perfect little submissive, just like every other Chantrean woman without a mind of her own.”

  Eve laughed. It was not a humorous sound. “Don’t hand me that shit. Tal might buy your excuses, but I know them for the bullshit they are. If you didn’t like the way women were treated you could have done something to try and change things. You’re evil through and through, and that’s the only reason you do what you do.”

  “Give the little kitty a gold star.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It was worth a try anyway.”

  “Why the games, then, Haeda?”

  “It kept you busy, enough. Now, my crew should have managed to do enough damage to your ship to keep you here. You’ll be trapped inside the asteroid belt until you crash into a floating rock and destroy yourselves.”

  Before Taliff realized what Haeda planned, her arm came up from her side and she fired a stun blast at him from a hand-stunner she’d hidden in her sleeve. He should have expected this. Unable to sound out a warning to Eve, Taliff crumpled to the floor.

  With eyes he could barely keep open, Taliff watched in amazement as Eve launched herself at Haeda, before she could fire off another blast. With a flying kick he’d actually only seen some of their greatest warriors manage, she knocked the weapon out of his sisters hand.

  Her skills must have shocked Haeda, because she quickly backed up, tripping over his prone body before landing on the floor with a thud. Before he or Eve reached her, she pressed a button on her own wrist communicator and disappeared from the room.

  “Shit…” he heard Eve mutter.

  Unable to speak due to the paralysis caused by the stun blast, Taliff voiced his agreement through their bond. Yes. Shit about sums it up, moya.

  “What do I need to do, Taliff? How long are you going to be incapacitated?”

  It shouldn’t be long. My feet and fingers are already starting to tingle. Ten minutes and I should be up and around.

  “Yeah, but a hell of a lot can happen in ten minutes.”

  What could he say to that? It was true and he knew it. Before I left orbit, I made arrangements for extra equipment. I loaded it myself and hid it in a secret compartment beneath the common room floor. A compartment that I designed and no one other than myself knows about. Not even the king and his advisors.

  “And that’s going to help us how, Taliff? You can bet the reason we haven’t heard from Shoshoni is that she’s been taken offline, and I know squat about computers. Especially computers that think and make decisions for themselves.”

  I’m already ahead of you, Eve. I had Shoshoni back up all her essential programming inside a second ‘brain’. Even if they destroyed the circuitry in her main console, all I have to do is slide the replacement in and connect a few wires.

  “You cloned Shoshoni?”

  In essence, yes. I tried to think of everything that could go wrong and made sure I had the parts necessary to make repairs myself. This mission is just too damn important to not take precautions. Our entire existence rests on this.

  “Well, thank your Goddess Alana you thought ahead. But, Taliff, what are the odds they’ve left this ship without taking some if not all the women with them.”

  I don’t know, Eve. I really don’t know.

  As the minutes ticked off, Taliff and Eve waited in silence for feeling to return to his extremities. He knew she wanted to rush out and check on the women. But she wouldn’t leave him and he hated that she had to choose between them. He couldn’t deny though, it left him feeling quite happy, despite their current circumstances, that she felt her place was by his side. And wasn’t that incredibly selfish of him?

  When the tightness in his throat began to loosen, he knew within seconds an agonizing wave of pain would boil through is bloodstream. So, when the pain hit he was prepared, or at least, not surprised by it. He should have warned Eve though, was his last conscious thought before the convulsions started.

  Only once the pain eased away, and his body stopped seizing did he hear Eve’s frantic cries as she crouched over his prone body.

  He tried to speak through swollen lips, and only a groan emerged. He licked his lips and tried again. Finally, he managed to whisper her name. “Eve…”

  He tried again when she didn’t seem to hear him, his voice much stronger than just seconds before. “Eve, I’m fine. Eve…” he hollered.

  “Oh, shit, Tal? Don’t you ever fucking do that to me again.”

  “So—,” he croaked, then tried again. “Sorry, moya.”

  “Dammit, I’m going to be a nervous freaking wreck before this nightmare is over.”

  Taliff watched as Eve dropped her head to her chest and drew in a heaving breath. She shuddered once, seemed to collect herself, then raised her gaze to his. “Can you walk?”

  “I think so. Give me a hand up. Although I know we need to account for all the women, as much as I don’t like the delay in doing so, we need to make sure Shoshoni is operational first. If we crash into an asteroid while seeing to the women, it defeats the whole purpose.”

  Eve nodded, but he could see the shadows in her eyes, and feel the fear in her heart. “What is hurting you so, moya?”

  “It’s Amy, Tal. She’s gone. I can feel it. That bitch sister of yours took Amy.”

  “If she has, we’ll get her back.”

  “She has.”

  “Then let’s get this ship fixed and find your Beta.”

  As Eve lifted him to his feet and wrapped her arm around his waist, Taliff prayed he was able to make good on his promise. What would Eve do if she lost the only other person she trusted? Would she insist on leaving him to search for Amy on her own and risk her own capture? Haeda knew of her now, knew of their relationship. Until captured, she would always represent a danger to Eve.

  It didn’t bear thinking of.

  Without a backward glance, Taliff and Eve hobbled out of the room, both praying that they’d survive long enough to help their people.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Taliff and Eve took in the devastation in the Control Room on the Command Deck and winced at what was left of Shoshoni’s mainframe. Had he not smuggled another central processing unit onto the ship, and had his sentient computer clone her files and personality onto the spare, they’d be without any hope of survival.

  As it was, chances were slim they’d be able to return to Chantrea in one piece. Until, Shoshoni could regain control of the ship, they were adrift in a sea of asteroids. If only one manages to punch through the outer Titanium hull, the ship would be destroyed along with everyone on board. And there were millions of projectiles out there.

  Eve glanced down at the cart full of computer parts they’d wheeled out of the common room and grimaced. She didn’t see how they’d ever be able to repair all the damage the Black Rose and her cohorts caused. “Do you know what you’re doing?” she asked, looking over Tal’s shoulder at the jumble of wires his hands were tangled in.

  “Every battleship officer is trained on the repair of all areas of his ship. It may look like a horrid tangle, but it isn’t so difficult to do once you learn what all the different colored wires represent and where they should attach.”

  “If you say so.”

  She must have sounded dubious, because he just shrugged his shoulders and smirked. “Trust me. I’ll have Shoshoni up and running again in less than one of your Earth hours.”

  Eve decided to take him at his word, and wandered over to where the view screen was usually visible. “I take it we won’t be able to see outside the ship until you have her up and running again?”

  “No, and truthfully, I’d rather not see how close we’re going to get to some of the asteroids out there if it’s all the same to you.”

  Eve shuddered as a chill swept up her back. He had a good point. “Yes, I can see how that might be just
a tad bit stressful.”

  As Taliff worked to put his ship back together, Eve paced the Control Room, her arms crossed against the sudden chill. Hadn’t she read somewhere that it was cold in space? Though her mate hadn’t gone in to details as to what happens to captured women, Eve knew that right now her Beta, and whoever else was missing, were suffering. Goddess, she could only imagine the atrocities they were experiencing at the hands of the Black Rose and her crew.

  Amy was so young, and so sweet. What would this do to her? After today, Amy wouldn’t be the same woman who’d stood at her back just a day ago. She’d be forever changed, altered in ways no one could predict…if she survived at all.

  Eve swallowed the lump in her throat, and hastily wiped the tears from her eyes. She would not mourn her yet. If she was out there, she’d make sure Amy was found, and nothing and no one would ever take away someone she considered hers again.

  The Black Rose was dead. She just didn’t know it yet. Eve smiled grimly and wondered what it felt like to be a walking, talking, dead woman.

  “That should do it.”

  So caught up in her murderous thoughts, Eve hadn’t realized that Taliff managed to finish putting all the wires back in place, and sealed the panels closed. Nor had she noticed when the cart previously loaded neatly, became a jumbled mess of electronics and wiring.

  “You’re finished then?”

  When he nodded and quickly moved the cart out of the way in order to reach the control console, Eve heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good news.”

  He turned to her, a half smile on his face, “It will be if I’ve done everything correctly, anyway.”

  “Okay, my fingers are crossed,” and suited actions to words.

  With a quirk of his lips, he turned back to his terminal and started pressing buttons. She had no clue what he was doing, but so long as it got them up and running, she didn’t care. If they ever got out of this mess, she might want to learn to fly this metal monster, but right now her thoughts were on more important things.