3013: SALVATION (3013: The Series Book 5)

by Laurie Roma

  “Christ, blame a guy for caring. You were unconscious when Arik brought you back onboard the Stargazer. We didn’t want to pry,” Jax groused.

  “Well, I’m Jaden Tor’s daughter. Surprise. Now, get dressed if you want to come along. We leave in five.” Skylar turned and strode from the room with purpose, Reva on her heels.

  “Way to drop that bomb, girl,” Reva commented as they made their way to the garage. “So, you got your memories back?”

  “I did. I have some business with Lord Tor, both personal and mission related.”

  “I bet,” Reva murmured as they entered the garage.

  Skylar went straight to where the hover-cycles were located and got on one of them, programming the location of Lord Tor’s palace into the system she’d gotten from the officer who had given her the protective clothing.

  It was still strange thinking about him as her father, but she’d have to deal with the reality of that soon enough. She was just picking up the helmet from the back of the bike when some of the men hurried into the garage.

  “Damn it, wait. Let’s talk about this first,” Dom said as he gripped her arm.

  “I’m done waiting, Dom.” She looked straight into his eyes so he could see the truth. On a soft curse, he gripped her neck and slammed his mouth down on hers. She kissed him back, meeting his passion with her own.

  “Let’s go then,” Arik said from behind them. “We have to leave before Jax gets here and starts questioning you. He wasn’t very happy when we left him.”

  Skylar pulled away from Dom and looked over at Arik. It shouldn’t surprise her that the men’s outfits were less formfitting and had a little more coverage to the material, but still, her men were totally hot in their protective suits.

  “Come here,” she ordered, then gripped Arik by the collar and jerked him forward so she could kiss him, too. When she was done, she grinned at them both. “Try to keep up.”

  She put on her helmet and started up the hover-cycle, speeding out of the garage just as the heavy steel doors opened. The helmet had a night vision screen that allowed her to see as if it were daylight. In the left corner of the screen she could see the map with the route laid out for her. Following the directions, she flew the hover-cycle around a large outcropping of rocks that acted as natural shielding for the base. Once she was in open terrain, she sped up, pushing the vehicle as fast as it would go through the pouring rain.

  Skylar loved the rush of speeding over the barren land. Flying felt like freedom, and it was something she needed to settle her nerves before she had to deal with reality. She let out a shout of joy and heard Reva’s answering whoop of laughter through the built-in headset in the helmet.

  “Damn it, Skylar!”

  Dom’s voice filled her head and she chuckled. “You keep saying that and I’m going to have those words tattooed on your ass.”

  “This comm link is open,” Jax growled.

  “Please, do go on about Dom’s ass,” Commander Matt Malloy added dryly. “I’m sure I can use that against him for the next fifty years or so if you do give him that tat.”

  “I fucking hate you, Malloy,” Dom snarled, making them all laugh.

  Jax cut in on the comm line again. “Speaking of asses. Skylar, you and I are going to have words later. You should have filled us in before you took off. ”

  “No, you won’t,” Arik commanded in an imposing voice so unlike his usual tone. “Skylar’s recollection of her memories was private and she is entitled to share it when she is ready, not when you demand.”

  A long moment of silence passed before Jax muttered, “Is that an order from the Ambassador or her bonded?”

  “Both.”

  “Shove it, Jax,” Dom growled. “You won’t push her on this, or you’ll be dealing with all three of us.”

  “You guys are taking all the fun out of a good ass-chewing.”

  Dom snorted. “You need a damn hobby, man.”

  “So Serra and Archer keep telling me,” Jax said with a sigh as they raced toward their destination.

  ***

  Chapter Twelve

  It took about an hour and a half for them to reach the imposing black stone castle that was Tor Palace. When they pulled to a stop up in front of the main gates, several warriors looked down at them from their high perch on the black stone wall.

  “Who are you?”

  Jax pulled his helmet off. “High Commander Jax Spartan of the Alliance here to speak to Lord Tor about an urgent matter.”

  The guards hesitated, not understanding. Dom pulled off his own helmet and repeated Jax’s words using the Tarin language. “We can understand them because of the language converters, but they won’t be able to understand you if you speak to them,” he explained to the others in his group. “Most Tarins don’t have the converters.”

  “Wait there and hand over your weapons to the guard at the gate,” one guard called down.

  The gate opened and the party reluctantly parted with their weapons. They were shown inside the main courtyard where they parked their hover-cycles and took off their helmets while several warriors watched their every move. As they made their way to the front step leading to the main hall, flashbacks filtered in of a time long past when Skylar used to race down those same steps to welcome her father home when he had been away from the palace.

  She shook off the memories as they were led inside, but grief overwhelmed her as she entered the hall. It looked exactly as she remembered it. There were four large stone fireplaces set into the walls on each side of the hall, and large wooden tables set out for the warriors to eat their meals. At the far end of the room was a raised dais where the lord’s table sat. Large streams of red fabric hung from the high rafters and on the far wall were two large red tapestries that both held the Tor crest of a black dragon breathing fire in the center.

  When they reached the center of the room several more warriors dressed in flexible black armor came in to surround their group. They all stood at a little over seven feet tall and their eyes were completely black, making them look like deep pits of darkness set in their stoic faces. A lone female came out of a hallway to the left. She wore an emerald green gown with gold trim and her long black hair was pulled back from her face in an intricate chignon.

  Skylar froze when she saw her.

  The female Tarin approached slowly, accentuating the sway of her hips when she noticed all the men in the group. “I was told you wish to speak to Lord Tor. He is in a private meeting and cannot be disturbed. You should not have come here without permission.”

  “It’s her,” Skylar whispered to Arik through their bond. “That’s Nula.”

  “Tell me what you need.”

  The fist around Skylar’s heart ease a bit knowing she had his complete support. “I need to end the bitch.”

  “Then see it done. We will back you. Remember, I love you above all else.”

  “And I you.”

  She took a step away from the group, but stopped when Dom placed a warning hand on her arm. Glancing up at him, she saw that he understood. He gave her arm a gentle squeeze before he released her, his pride in her clear in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, Skylar walked forward to confront the woman who had betrayed her.

  “We don’t need permission to speak with Lord Tor,” she said, using the Tarin words that seemed to come to her so easily now that she remembered her past life.

  “You certainly do. Humans are not welcomed here. Guards, remove them from the palace.”

  Two guards stepped toward Skylar and she heard others moving toward the rest of her group, but she didn’t look back. When one of the guards reached for her, Skylar softly spoke. “I promise you, you’ll regret it if you touch me.”

  The menace in her voice must have gotten through, because the guard paused. “Using a blaster against a Tarin is an act of war.”

  “I don’t need a blaster,” Skylar informed him. Holding out her hands slightly from her body, she turned her palms up and summoned forth two
small balls of energy. The sounds of the guards gasps told her she had gotten everyone’s attention. Since she had bonded with Dom and Arik, her control over her abilities had gotten easier to command. She wasn’t opposed to showing off a little if it the situation called for it. It might have been small of her, but she got a little thrill at how quickly the guards backed away at her show of power. “And as you can see, I’m not fully human. But you know that, don’t you, Nula?”

  Nula’s face paled as shocked recognition hit her. She took an involuntary step backwards, but Skylar paced her, moving forward slowly.

  “Recognize me now, you bitch? I look a little different than the last time you saw me, don’t I? I’ve changed since you left me to die, but I look enough like my mother for you to know who I am.”

  “No, it can’t be!” Nula gasped.

  “I should kill you right now for what you did. Just like I killed your cousin,” Skylar said quietly. “But not yet. You deserve to suffer first for what you’ve done.”

  An older guard stepped forward so he was almost between Nula and Skylar. Not wanting to hurt him, Skylar pulled the energy in her palms backs so the balls of light disappeared. Her heart broke a little as she remembered the guard from the past. He used to look out for her and slip her sweets whenever he watched over her as a child.

  “Alyssa?”

  Skylar smiled at him. “Hello, Calum.”

  “By the Gods, it can’t be! Lady Alyssa!” He went to his knee in front of her, bowing his head as he raised her hand to his forehead in tribute, confusing the rest of the guards.

  “She is an imposter! Guards, she has threatened me. Kill her!” Nula screamed as she scurried backwards.

  Calum rose to his feet, ready to defend Skylar when a loud, commanding bellow from the doorway drew the attention of everyone in the room.

  “Enough!”

  Skylar felt the world shift around her as she saw Lord Jaden Tor standing at the far side of the room. He was a handsome man, tall and strong, with the black eyes of the Tarin. His hair was jet-black and fell to his shoulders. There was an air of authority to him that could be felt even from a distance. As he stood there with his feet braced apart, his hand resting casually on the hilt of the sword he wore strapped to his waist, she was struck with a grief so strong it almost brought her to her knees.

  He was exactly how she remembered him...but so much more.

  “What is the meaning of this? Why are you humans here?” Jaden growled out.

  He had focused on the group of men still standing in the center of the room surrounded by guards, but as he took a step he halted as if he had slammed into an invisible wall. His head turned slowly and he locked eyes with Skylar’s.

  His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then they narrowed as he stalked forward. A few of the Strike Force Team members rushed forward to try and protect Skylar, foolishly getting in Jaden’s path. Without breaking eye contact with her, he lifted them effortlessly and tossed them out of his way. She felt Arik and Dom at her sides, and each of them placed a reassuring hand on her arms to tell her they were there with her.

  She wanted to grab hold of them, wanted them to take her away somewhere safe. Another part of her wanted to rush forward so she could throw herself at her father. But she did neither. Skylar felt frozen in place. Like if she moved she would shatter into a million tiny pieces.

  She held her breath as Jaden came to a stop in front of her.

  “What madness is this?” he whispered.

  Skylar wanted to speak, but suddenly her throat felt dry as a desert. Sensing her fractured emotions, Dom took over. “Do you know who she is?”

  Jaden’s demon-like eyes speared Dom with a furious glare. “Of course I do! Do you think I cannot sense my own child?”

  “You can sense me?”

  Jaden’s expression softened as his gaze swung back to her. “I could sense your energy anywhere. You are my Alyssa, my beloved daughter. I thought you were dead. How is such a miracle possible?”

  “My name is Skylar now,” she said, cursing herself for her lack of emotional response. She felt as if she were breaking apart inside, but couldn’t show it. If she did, she would never get through this. Words burst from her even though she tried to stop them. “I was told you sent me away...that you didn’t love me anymore.”

  “Never!” Jaden hissed, his dark eyes glittering with emotion. “I have always loved you, even when I thought you were lost to me. I sent you for treatment so you would get well. You were my life. I went mad with grief when I lost you. Who told you such evil lies?”

  “Nula. She told me you didn’t want me anymore because I was sick. That you wanted to be rid of me.”

  Jaden’s roar of rage shook the rafters. Warriors poured into the hall at his war cry and Skylar turned to see that another dangerous looking man had caught Nula trying to slip from the room and he now held her by her hair.

  “She lies!” Nula screeched out.

  “Silence, traitor!” Jaden bellowed. “Rego?”

  “Got it. What would you like me to do with this?” Lord Malik Rego asked casually as he yanked Nula’s head back, making her cry out in pain.

  “Hand her over to my guards. Take her to the dungeon. I will deal with her later.”

  Nula screamed out Jaden’s name as she was dragged from the room. He ignored her cries and gently reached out a large hand to touch Skylar’s face. Skylar saw that his hand was shaking. She knew he was a warrior, a powerful lord, and seeing his reaction to seeing her again soothed her turbulent emotions.

  “Have you no greeting for your papa, little one?”

  Hearing the name she used to call him and his pet name for her broke through her uncertainty and she threw herself at him. His strong arms welcomed her, banding around her so he could hold her tight to him. The moment he touched her she felt the love he had for her. Burying her face into his neck, she burst into tears.

  “Welcome home, little one,” he said in a voice rough with emotion. “Welcome home.”

  ****

  After their emotional reunion, Jaden cleared the room of all people except for five of his most trusted warriors, Skylar’s group and Lord Rego. He called for a meal to be provided and everyone took their seats around the table on the raised dais. Skylar was seated next to her father. He refused to let her leave his side since the moment they had reconnected, but before they started eating, he demanded answers.

  “Where have you been? Why did you not come back to me?”

  Skylar paused in the process of raising her goblet of wine to her lips. She took the time to take a sip while she considered the best way to tell him.

  “Tell him the truth,” Arik encouraged from his seat across from her. “Do not worry about the others.”

  Gaining courage from him, Skylar decided to go with the brutal truth. She told her father exactly what had happened back when she was a child, forcing herself to look at him while she did so she could see his reaction. As she spoke, his body went rigid with rage as did everyone else’s at the table, the food forgotten. When she got to the part of her story where she had killed Lord Fen Varo, Jaden’s fists clenched and he crushed the goblet he was holding in the process.

  “Varo,” Jaden growled. “Nula is his cousin?”

  “Yes, we found a female who used to know them and she confirmed it for us,” Dom added as he took Skylar’s hand in his from his seat on her other side.

  “Who are you?” Jaden demanded furiously. “And why are you touching my daughter?”

  Skylar blinked, then cursed herself for her oversight. “I’m sorry, I should have introduced them earlier. Father, this is Dominic Stryker and Arik V’Dir. They are my bonded. My name is now Skylar Stryker-V’Dir.”

  Jaden’s eyes narrowed. “Two males? A human and a D’Aire?”

  Skylar’s chin went up. He might be her father, but she was a grown woman and wouldn’t let him intimidate her. “Yes. I love them both and we are bonded.”

  His expression like
stone, Jaden rose from his seat. He turned to Calum and barked out, “Prepare them.”

  Skylar watched in bewilderment as he stalked from the hall out the front doors. “What the hell is going on?”

  Lord Malik Rego leaned back in his chair with a smirk on his dangerously handsome face as Calum and the other guards rose from the table. “The meal will have to wait. Your bonded will have to prove themselves first.”

  Malik had a casual, easy way about him, but Skylar knew he wasn’t known as one of the most powerful lords on the planet for nothing. She also didn’t miss that even though he was addressing the males of the group, his attention seemed to be on Reva. He tried to hide the fact that he was intrigued by the Helios shifter, but even more interesting was the fact that Reva was doing her damndest to ignore the Tarin lord completely.

  Arik blinked. “Prove ourselves?”

  “Here,” Calum said as he thrust a sword at Arik while another guard handed one to Dom. “You will fight Lord Tor out in the training arena to prove you are worthy protectors for our Lady Skylar.”

  “With swords? What the fuck?” Dom grumbled as he stood.

  Malik laughed. “Since your outpost is on my land I thought it would be prudent to get the language converter, so remember, I can understand everything you say.”

  Skylar glared at him. “Good to know.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ve said you love them so your father won’t kill them...hopefully,” Malik offered cheerfully as he rose from his chair.

  “Gee, thanks. I feel so much better,” Dom said dryly.

  Malik slapped Dom on the back. If he were a weaker man the friendly blow would have knocked him off his feet. “It is tradition, my friend. Traditions are important. You should know this since you trace your heritage back to our people. Yes, I know who you are. A background check was done when you requested a meeting with me when you arrived.”

  Jax’s eyes narrowed as he regarded the Tarin lord. “And yet you made us wait?”

  “Of course. I came to speak to Jaden about your request.” Malik sobered. “We are in a war here on Tartarus. We are only as good as our allies, and I knew allowing Alliance soldiers onto our lands would annoy him.”