by Mina Carter
His nod was distracted by a commotion on the other side of the group. Several warriors sprang to their feet, weapons appearing from nowhere.
“Is there a problem?” the emperor called out, levering himself to his feet from the rug he’d been sitting on near Tarrick and Cat. His face was wreathed in frowns.
“A rider, Your Majesty,” a guard replied, binoculars to look through. “Approaching at speed. He’s… yes, he’s wearing imperial colors. One of your personal guard.”
“Interesting.” Daaynal stood to the side of the guard and held out his hand for the binoculars.
Jane, sensing the tension in the group, rose when Karryl did. His expression was implacable, but she could feel the coiled strength in his body. Ready for action at a moment’s notice. His hand hovered over the blaster at his hip and she envied him being armed. This was a bad location for cover. An air strike would take them all out in one go.
“Ahh, it's Caayan. I know him.” The tension in the air disappeared at the words. “It has to be something important if he’s ridden out. Let him through.”
The rider, Caayan, reached them within minutes and the outer circle of warriors parted to let him ride right in. He brought the snarling, stamping creature to a stop just before Daaynal. The beast snarled at him, but the emperor smiled and rubbed the animal’s nose.
“Caayan, you bring news?” he asked as the rider jumped to the ground and bowed low.
“Indeed, Your Majesty.” The warrior’s expression was careful, but even Jane could see the concern lurking behind the polite mask. “We’ve received word the facility at L’Raanis Three has been compromised. There’s been no communication since early this morning and the drone we sent on a flyby was rendered inoperative by unknown forces.”
Jane’s ears picked up. Caayan had kept his voice down, but she had excellent hearing. What facility was L’Raanis Three? As far as she’d been able to work out, the Lathar infrastructure was comprised of the war group ships. She hadn’t been able to find any information on orbital or deep space communications arrays anywhere, but they had to have them. This sounded like it could be it.
Daaynal sighed, shaking his head. “If L-three goes down, then we’ll lose contact with the war groups in the Rivaas Sector. We can’t afford that.”
Yes! Jane almost punched the air. She’d been right, it was a communications array. And she’d found that out without using Karryl.
The emperor looked up and around, spotting the two of them. He motioned Karryl over. “Karryl, my kinsman. Attend me.”
“Stay here,” he murmured, sliding his hand down her arm in a brief, and unexpected caress. Surprised, she did as ordered, watching him cross to Daaynal. She realized her mouth was open like a damn guppy, so she snapped it shut as the small group of Lathar huddled and spoke in lowered voices she couldn’t hear.
It didn’t matter. If Karryl was going to this L-three facility, then so was she. Whatever it took.
Chapter Three
“I'm thinking a purist attack.” Daaynal kept his voice low, so the group around them didn't hear.
Karryl didn't blame him, a hill in the middle of the countryside was not the best place to be discussing a potential threat to the empire, but he wasn't going to argue. This was the second time the emperor had called on him, and the second time Daaynal had called him kinsman. Always before, he would have been one of the warriors guarding the perimeter, not one of the chosen few. But that didn't mean he was going to keep his mouth shut and play the yes-man. It just wasn't in his nature.
"Divide and conquer?" He folded his arms and considered other warriors. Tarrick had joined them, his mate Cat gathering the human women and keeping them safely within the center of the ring of guards.
Daaynal nodded. "The war groups currently in that sector have known purist leanings. Isolation would leave them ripe for infiltration."
Shit. Yeah, it would. He'd been thinking more outright attack, but warriors without a clan often attached themselves to others. A sharp charlatan could have some of the less intelligent males dancing to their tune quickly. From there it was a quick hop to a coup and taking over the clan. If that happened with enough war groups... It would be a disaster. All-out war in the empire.
“That’s…” Tarrick curled his lip, “dishonorable.”
Daaynal shrugged. “We’re not dealing with men who have honor. I want intel and fast, and the group of warriors I trust is small and select. I do not want anything to threaten this alliance with the humans.”
Unless the humans threatened it themselves, of course. Karryl kept his thoughts and their previous conversation to himself, not sure if Daaynal had confided in Tarrick or not. He probably had. It was no secret at court that Daaynal wouldn’t allow his nephews to roam the galaxy forever. Take Laarn, for example, any moment now the court expected an announcement that he had been confirmed as Lord Healer. Tarrick would suffer a similar “fate.” Karryl’s money was on Imperial Viceroy, so much so he had a book running with the other warriors in the war group.
One thing none of them would bet on was who would take over the K’Vass on Tarrick’s promotion. Karryl and Jassyn were of equal rank and status, it could be either… Karryl intended it to be him.
Daaynal carried on talking. “Okay, Tarrick. You will return to Earth space and strengthen our position there. I assume Fenriis has now arrived, that will give you two full war groups to hold the sector. You will need to handle negotiations in my name, which will be good practice.”
Karryl hid his smile as Tarrick blinked in shock. “Good practice for what?”
Daaynal merely waved his hand, apparently not in the mood to answer, and speared Karryl with a look.
“Karryl, you will take one of my combat flyers and investigate the situation at L’Raanis Three.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” He inclined his head in respect, then looked up. “Regards to my …previous task?”
The emperor shrugged. “Inconsequential for now; this takes precedence. You’ll leave as soon as possible after we return to the palace.”
Turning, he raised his voice. “Change of plans. Playtime is over, pack up everything.”
It took mere minutes for the blankets to be packed and the group on their way back. Deliberately, Karryl didn’t look at Jane as they set out. She called his name when he’d mounted his kervasi but he picked a position at the front of the group instead.
“Trouble in paradise?” Tarrick asked, drawing his mount level.
Karryl lifted an eyebrow. “Another Earth phrase, my lord? You’ll be totally converted soon.”
“You draanthic!” Tarrick chuckled, shaking his head, but despite his amusement, Karryl knew he wasn’t going to get away without answering the question. Tarrick had that look in his eye, one all his warriors knew. And sure enough, his next question was straight to the point. “So…you’ve decided to give up pursuit of the lovely earth major?”
He reined in a little, knowing the carriage was coming up behind them. Open-topped, it would be easy for the occupants to hear everything he and Tarrick said. Good. Payback time.
“A warrior can only beat his head against a bulkhead so long before brain damage occurs.” He shrugged. “The hopes that I harbored my claim would be welcomed have been relegated to daydream and fantasy. Perhaps another human female will find my advances acceptable, should I get the chance to return to that area of space.”
Tarrick’s expression shifted, and he nodded. The barest flicker of his gaze toward the carriage told Karryl he read between the lines.
“Perhaps that is the wisest course. These earth women are unpredictable and prone to decisions that make no sense to us. Perhaps the differences in our cultures are a little too wide.”
“Indeed, indeed. At present, though, I don’t have the time to study another culture to make myself more amenable to a mate. I have duties to fulfill.”
“Of course. Totally understandable.”
They topped a rise to find the palace laid out below them and came to a
stop as the carriage got a wheel stuck in a rut. Karryl took a moment to gaze on the palace. He couldn’t help a small sigh of contentment. He’d always loved the place. Its peace and tranquility, its sense of history and grandeur. It reminded him of an old Imperial lady, content in the sunset of her life.
“In case I don’t see you before you leave on your new mission…” Tarrick reached out an arm, palm up. A warrior’s handshake, between equals. “Go with honor. Do the K’Vass proud.”
It was an honor Karryl hadn’t expected, the third in a day of complete surprises. It seemed his misfortune in love became fortune to the rest of his life.
He grasped Tarrick’s arm with a broad smile. “I intend to, my lord. I intend to.”
*
“Karryl! Karryl, wait!” Jane called out after the swiftly disappearing figure of the Latharian warrior.
She’d jumped out of the carriage almost before it had stopped, almost trampling Kenna in the process. Throwing a quick apology over her shoulder, she set off after her quarry. For a big man, he moved fast, those long, leather-clad legs eating the distance. By the time she reached the door he’d disappeared into from the stable courtyard, he was halfway down the corridor within.
“Karryl, please…would you bloody well hold on!”
He paused near the next corner and looked over his shoulder. Trotting down the deserted corridor, she reached his side.
“You’re leaving?”
No sense in pretending she hadn’t heard the conversation that had resulted in them all coming back to the palace, or the exchange with Tarrick. The one that had confirmed her suspicion that her hasty words had ruined things between them.
He inclined his head in reply, a formal gesture that reminded her of an old world vampire from the retro films she’d loved to watch years ago. He’d make an excellent vampire, she realized, with his jewel-like eyes and black hair.
“I am.”
“Don’t.”
The word was out before she could stop it, a plea direct from her soul. She didn’t want him to go. Didn’t want this whole charade anymore. She wanted things to be simple. To, heaven help her, to have been captured by bloody aliens and not have to play spy for her home world.
“Don’t what?” He frowned, turning to her.
Arms folded across his chest, he looked down at her. His lips were a thin line, his expression forbidding, but all she could think about was how his lips felt on hers… about his strong arms around her. Stood as they were, the difference in their sizes, male and female, lathar and human, was more noticeable. And it thrilled her.
“Don’t go.”
She was committed now, she might as well go whole hog.
His eyebrow winged up. “Don’t go? Did you forget the part about me being a warrior? I go where I am ordered. I would have thought you, of all the earth women, would understand that.”
She glared up at him. “Of course, I do, but that’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?” he asked, voice a velvet temptation. She caught the little glimmer in his eyes. The bastard was enjoying this.
“Why can’t another warrior go? I thought you were assigned to us humans.”
He shrugged, a bland expression in place. If he’d have yawned next, it wouldn’t have surprised her. Anger surged and she had to resist the temptation to kick him in the shins.
“There are plenty of warriors here to protect you.”
A growl of frustration fought to break free of her throat. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He was just being difficult. Fucking men.
“You’re an asshole.”
“I’m the asshole?” he barked out a laugh. All amusement dropped from his expression in a nano-second. He moved in a flash. Hard hands closed around her arms and he yanked her against his solid body.
“Have a care, little human, that you don’t push me too far.” His lips hovered mere-millimeters from hers. His eyes glittered with anger. “I’ve been willing to look past your ignorance of our culture. I’ve tried to court you, have let you humiliate me in front of my peers, but never forget I am a man, and a warrior.”
Her ability to breathe seemed to have disappeared, her breasts crushed against his broad chest.
“Now, I have a mission. A dangerous one. If you are here when I return, then we will discuss this further.”
She started to nod but then found her voice. “Let me come with you.”
He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous for a female.”
His hold relaxed minutely, enough that she could breathe easier, and he slid a hand up to cup the back of her neck. His gaze softened as it moved down to latch onto her lips. Unbidden, they parted in invitation and his eyes darkened in response.
He bent his head and his lips covered hers in a soft kiss that disarmed her. She’d expected him to be rough with anger and demanding, but he wasn’t. Instead, he seduced her with soft brushes of his lips against hers, clinging and exploring. She relaxed against him, curling her fingers into the lapels of his uniform jacket.
It was over too soon though, and she murmured in disappointment. Opening her eyes, she found him looking down at her with a small smile on his lips. He reached up and swept a gentle thumb over her lower lip.
“Until I return.”
Releasing her, he turned and walked away, not looking back. She wrapped her arms around herself and watched him go.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I’m not prepared to wait that long.”
***
Finding out which ship Karryl was taking had been child’s play. All Jane had to do was follow him when he left his quarters an hour after he’d left her in the corridor. Dressed in the long hooded robes of one of the Oonat servants, she barely warranted a glance from the lathar she passed in the halls as she tailed her mark.
He’d headed for the landing pads visible from the windows of her suite, tucked just behind the emperor’s wing of the palace. As a human, she’d never been able to get near the place, but with her face covered and pretending to be one of the Oonat, it was surprisingly easy.
Walking through the last door, she ducked quickly to the side and scooted behind crates rather than walking across the courtyard and through the other archway that led to parts unknown. She hadn’t managed to explore this far into the restricted area before.
Karryl’s boots rang against the concrete-like surface of the landing pad across from her. Three sleek surface to space shuttles sat in a row on the pad. The boarding hatch was open on the rightmost one, a short flight of steps leading up to it. The big warrior disappeared inside for a moment. When he re-emerged, the large pack over his back was absent. Stowing his gear.
Movements as silent as she could make them, she crept forward. She needed to get inside that shuttle. But how? Despite the fact that it was easily as large as a twenty man troop carrier, she could only see one entrance hatch. Right next to where Karryl stood, a panel on the ship slid back to expose what looked like pipes. Perhaps he was checking the engine or something… she hadn’t been able to work out exactly how the Lathar ships were powered. Not conventionally, that was for sure.
Fate played into her hands. With a shake of his head and a frown, he slid the panel back into place and stomped to the back of the ship. Heart in her throat, she took the chance and darted forward. Her boots made no sound on the concrete as she ran across. Every second she expected him to walk back around the ship and spot her, or for someone to enter the courtyard behind her and raise the alarm.
There were no shouts though, and Karryl didn’t reappear. She reached the steps without incident and raced up them. Her robes almost caught in the doorway, but she felt the tug and yanked them clear before they tore.
The inside of the craft was more spacious than she’d expected. There were two seats in the cockpit, more like recliners than the upright seats she was used to seeing in human crafts. The rest of the interior was open, an empty space she assumed was multi-functional. Recessed handles in the walls and floor would ind
icate where furniture unfolded and slid out. Which was all fine and dandy but gave her very few options for concealment.
Hearing heavy boots outside, she bit back her gasp and ran to the back of the cabin. There were three doors in the back wall. On instinct, she opened the smallest one built into the curve of the wall.
Storage boxes and crates met her questing gaze. Bingo. She squeezed into the space and closed the door behind her. Holding her breath, she pressed her ear to the door. Footsteps clunked against the steps. Crap, that had been close. A moment later and he’d have spotted her.
Relief rolling through her, she worked her way to the back of the compartment and wriggled behind a large crate. Unless he actually got in here on his hands and knees, there was no way Karryl would find out she was here.
It was cold, though, and she quickly discovered when the light by the door snapped off, dark. Huddling into a small ball to keep warm, she listened to the noises of the ship around her. There was the slam-clunk-click of the outer door as it shut, then a strange whirring which could only be the engines. Frowning, she reached out a hand to the surface beside her to find it vibrating.
The ship lurched and she gasped, reaching out to grab onto the crate but in the next second she was slammed back against the floor and wall. Gritting her teeth, she tried to lift her head but was pinned into place. They were taking off.
She closed her eyes and tried not to think. Unfortunately, her brain hadn’t gotten the hint and a small part started to wonder how much more G-force the average lathar could take compared to the more delicate human frame.
Shit, she was about to become space-jam.
Chapter Four
Karryl was an experienced pilot, but he’d never flown anything quite as luxurious as the personal transport the emperor loaned him. The engines were state-of-the-art, the latest development in hyper-threaded, quad-core faster than light technology. It showed. He barely felt lift off from the planet, the power only detectable when the engines kicked in to slingshot the sleek ship into the planet’s outer atmosphere.