She tugged and pulled and I started walking. “It’s okay, you know, if you want to be with someone. I'm not angry, I love you. It might be better for you to start sooner than later finding a companion.”
“Are you sure, sweetie? Because I don’t want to do anything to ruin our relationship. You're all I have left.”
“I know, and I will never leave you, no matter how much you embarrass me by walking around in your boxers.” She let out a little laugh. “Look, make her leave your room or let her stay; either way, it’s okay with me. Just don’t write her off until you’re sure it would never work out.”
“Okay,” I said, “I'll give it some thought, but I'm not sure I want anything serious. Does that make sense?”
“Dad, you have a right to grieve our loss,” she said, and what happened on that ship when they took you is beyond crazy. E'Aria leaving us, the queen here trying to get in your boxers, it's all affected you. Mom wanted you to change, be nicer, more responsible, and less angry. I say fuck that. I want you to be the man who took me from a box in the floor and gave me my life back. Make people ponder their place in life before they mouth off.”
“I plan on it, sweetie. Things are going to be shaking up very soon.”
“Go to bed, Dad, and we will talk tomorrow. You need to plan and scheme, and will do so better if you're rested.”
“Good night sweetie,” I said.
Natalia went to her room and I walked into mine. I had a number of decisions to make and about ten seconds to make them.
“You're back, I see, and didn’t bring any friends to remove me from your room,” she said as I walked in.
“I thought we could talk first before we start throwing punches,” I answered. “That would seem like the right thing to do. Although my daughter just told me I need to stop being nice.”
“She is wise for one so young. Her troubled life has made her strong, but it was a terrible price to pay.”
I pulled on my pants and sat down in a chair. Tazleaha frowned at me but didn’t say anything as she sat on the edge of my bed. I promised myself I would keep my cool with her. I was still not sure about the pheromones she used. They had such a crazy effect on everyone, and I needed to stay alert.
“Taz,” I said, turning to her, “why do you want to be with me? There have to be males of your own race worth the effort of taking as a husband. Your number one suitor was a dick, but he was trying. I thought I explained things to you when we were on Harry's home world.”
“You did explain things. I feel those things are the cause for your current weakness and they are making you less than you are. I can forgive that as a temporary state because of your loss, however, and I also understand your species is prone to be overly emotional,” she said matter-of-factly.
“You could probably use a few emotions yourself! Stop being such an ice queen,” I replied, proving her point by getting angry.
“Just making a comment like that indicates how little you know. How long do you think I would last if I exhibited the same weaknesses and emotional states that humans do?” she answered. “When I say my opposition and enemies would eat me alive, it’s more than just words. It’s a reality.”
You did not understand before. Now you do. She is with you? Imelda said, distracting me.
Yes, she is, and no, I did not know it was her.
Do you need assistance?
No, I will handle it.
Do not underestimate her. She does not suffer those who do not bend to her will.
I gotta go, she knows something is up.
“You seem lost in thought, distracted,” she said smoothly. “Let me help you focus.”
She stood and sat, straddling me. Her hands grabbed mine and put them around her waist. She took my head in her hands and held it while she leaned forward and kissed me. I didn’t resist, but I didn’t give in either.
Relaxing my neck, I closed my eyes and let her kiss my face while I thought about how to make her stop. I slid my hands up her arms and gently pushed her back.
“It’s going to be a few weeks’ travel,” I said. “We will have time to get acquainted, let’s not rush things.”
“Can I get you something to drink? It will help you relax,” she said.
“No thank you, I can work through things without the aid of alcohol. It is one of those human weaknesses you seem to despise so much, one of our crutches.”
“You can't push me away forever, Benjamin.”
“Have a little patience, your highness. It’s not like I'm going anywhere for the next two weeks.”
She pushed off of me and I almost fell over backwards in the chair. I got all four legs on the floor and sat face to face. She was bent over, her face about a foot from mine. Her assets were a fine distraction until she pulled my hair and my head back. It was a fierce kiss, one I couldn’t ignore, and then it was over.
“I have patience, but it’s not infinite,” she said. “You will be mine, but how we get to that point will be up to you. I hope for our sake you come out of your own desire.”
She walked out of my room, and I thought of the eyeful everyone out there would get if they saw her wearing the mostly see-through nighty.
I lay on my bed. I could smell her perfume on the pillow. Everyone was right, Lorelei, Natalia and probably even E'Aria. If I knew what she was so bent about, I would more than likely agree.
Tomorrow would be the day. I had decided to knock a certain queen on her ass and keep doing so until she got the idea out of her head that there was any weakness in me.
Chapter 2
I woke up when the door to my room opened. Natalia turned on the light. Taz was in my bed. For some reason I slept like the dead when she slept with me. This was the third time I had woken up to find her cuddled up next to me. I thought it was the alcohol the first two times back on Allond, but I hadn’t had any last night. It would have to wait.
“Lorelei needs you on the bridge. She has E'Aria on the com and they are arguing. She doesn’t want us to come and see her,” Natalia said.
“Have you talked to her?” I asked. “It might make a difference coming from you.”
“No, I wanted to talk to you first. She didn’t just leave you without saying goodbye. She did the same thing to me. I'm a little angry about that,” Natalia said.
“Whatever her reasons, sweetie, being mad at me or something else, E'Aria loves you and probably felt she couldn’t face you.”
“Funny way of showing it,” Natalia scowled.
“We don’t have to ask her anything right now. We can still go see her, and you know it will be harder on her face to face. Let’s just say hello right now if you want and get on with our day. Let her stew about us not really caring.”
Taz cleared her throat and I looked down at her. She had on something less revealing than before. It looked like blue silk pajamas.
“You going to talk to your pet, princess?”
“We’re going to say hello and that’s about it. Don’t bother to say any more, it’s none of your business.” She gave me a pouty look and didn’t say anything else.
We got there in time to hear Lorelei giving E'Aria the what-for. Thanks to her, she was now captain and had the evil queen from every bad fairy tale in human existence on board her ship — and it was all her damn fault.
E'Aria looked at us as we walked on the bridge but didn’t say anything.
“Good, you're here,” Lorelei snapped. “Maybe you two can talk some sense into her.”
Natalia sat down in her seat at communications. I stood behind Lorelei, who sat in the captain’s seat.
“How are you?” I asked, giving her a big smile. “It’s good to see you.”
“I'm fine!” she snapped.
“Good,” I said. “Natalia and I were just talking about you last night. We hoped you were well. Are you happy to be home?”
“Yes!”
“Good, good. Natalia, you want to tell E'Aria anything?”
“I miss you!” she s
aid, leaning back and looking at the screen.
E'Aria didn’t respond, although she looked like she wanted to. I waited, letting the silence hang.
“Okay, well it’s good talking to you. Glad you’re well.”
I looked over at Natalia and she cut the com.
“What the hell was all that about?” Lorelei asked.
“Payback, Lorelei, just payback. Do you need Natalia right now, or can I have her for a while?”
“You can take her.”
“Send a message to the Warhammer and ask Aisling if we can meet her. I don’t care if it’s where they are currently or a different location,” I said.
“Why?” Lorelei smirked. “I figure the blonde is more than you can handle, you want the redhead too?”
“I want my friends if any of them still want me. I thought we could use the help a few extra bodies would provide. The redhead loves her ship and her crew. I don’t think she would part with either.”
Natalia had been typing while I was explaining. I could tell she was waiting for Lorelei to give the order. It was good that she waited for her captain to authorize it.
“Go ahead already and send it,” Lorelei said.
Natalia touched the screen and we left the bridge. In my makeshift gym in the hold we stretched and warmed up. I have always worked out in my down time aboard ship. There was usually someone who would work out with me. Sometimes it was someone who just wanted to take a shot at me, but mostly it was a teammate.
It was good that Natalia took an interest in self-defense, strengthening her mind and body. She wanted me to increase the intensity so she could judge her stamina and skill level after each week of training.
Let me work with your child, Imelda asked just after we had started.
I moved, blocking Natalia's kick to my mid-section. You realize she is not me. She is less than half my weight and nowhere near as strong, I replied, our silent conversation not interrupting Natalia's workout.
Do you think I cannot control my own strength? Imelda replied, sounding hurt.
I know you wouldn’t hurt her on purpose, but what you think is being gentle might kill her. I saw you with your child, remember, I said.
Yes, and you saw that she was not hurt. Now arm your child and bring her to me, Imelda ordered.
What is it with bossy females? You better watch or I’ll stun you in your sleep and space your hairy ass, I said, flashing her a smile.
“Are you two talking behind my back?” Natalia asked, not breaking her rhythm.
“Imelda wants to work with you,” I told her. “I'm not sure about it.”
“Do I get a say?”
“Yes, go ahead, please, tell me what I should do?” I said a little sarcastically.
“Don’t do that! Just listen for a minute. Let’s try it and see if it’s too dangerous, then we can decide whether to continue or not.”
“Okay, get a staff, no blades. Does she talk to you in your head?” I asked, wondering if she could do that with everyone.
“Yes, we have talked before and E'Aria used to speak silently to me, teaching me how to sense it and speak silently to her,” Natalia answered, a bit proud.
“Oh, and what else do I need to know about that no one has bothered to tell me?”
“Not sure, but I guess they will tell you or they won’t,” she replied. “Imelda wants to know if I will carry this weapon into battle. She wants me to bring what I will fight with.”
I looked at the huge arachnid, waiting for an explanation, but she was silent.
“Okay,” I said, “get your pistol and knife and my katana.”
Her eyes brightened up and she smiled. I think it dawned on her she was going to get something new at some time in the future. She stood in front of me with her weapons and my katana in her hand. I slipped it over her head and tightened the straps up, securing it on her back.
I showed her how to draw it out of the sheath very slowly and put it back. That was her lesson for the day: remove and replace. She walked over to Imelda and I saw her nod a few times, a subconscious reaction to the questions Imelda was asking. I would have to tell her about it so she could communicate and remain motionless, not giving herself away.
Or maybe I should know when she is conversing with a telepath. I needed to think about it.
I saw a value to using a few non-tech weapons and wanted Natalia to understand this as well. They wouldn’t let you down with a malfunction or depleted power pack — that was the plus side. The other side was that you had to be in a hand=to-hand situation. The middle ground was to use conventional tech, then pull out a blade to finish the enemy off, conserving power.
There was a lot for her to learn, and me too, about having a daughter. I realized I was watching the ultimate mother figure in Imelda. She had raised and fiercely protected hundreds, if not thousands, of her children until they could fend for themselves. I watched and realized she wasn’t sparing with Natalia. She was teaching her like she taught her children.
Natalia would work through a routine with the katana then turn and retreat. Her retreat involved running up Imelda's leg then down a different one. I got the idea she was supposed to do it without touching Imelda with her hands. The first time she fell I was on my way to her in a second. But I was not faster than the thought from Imelda.
Stay! Do not come near her. I stopped, having only taken one step. Natalia stood up slowly and sheathed the katana. Again, I could tell Imelda was instructing her. I stepped back and started my work out.
It was good that it worked out the way it did. I got a good workout going at my speed. The loud thumping echoed throughout the hold as I brutalized the bag hanging in front of me.
There are others approaching. She warned. I didn’t miss a beat, just kept to my routine.
Taz walked in with Nedra, Harry and Adam in tow. She wore a one-piece body suit that zipped up the front and fit like skin. Under it she had a tight shirt, much like our thermal suit we wore under our armor. I seriously doubted she had anything else underneath that. The body suit was unzipped far enough to be a distraction, even with the shirt on. I punched the bag even harder, trying to stay focused.
They walked over and watched Natalia with interest. Taz started giving her instructions when Imelda's leg came dangerously close to knocking her on her ass. They all took a step back. Imelda moved to where she could come at them with two or maybe three of her legs; clearly she didn’t want any help. Harry got the hint and walked in my direction.
I smiled at Harry as he walked up with a look on his face that said he wanted no part of it. “It seems our resident queen may want to acknowledge she isn’t in charge of every damn thing,” I said, hitting the bag.
Adam walked up. “There’s a little tension in the air over there. You think anything will happen?” he asked.
“You think I can do anything about it if it does? As you can see, I'm not stupid enough to be over there trying to interfere,” I answered.
Buddy and Grubb made an appearance. They stopped to take in the training session between Natalia and Imelda but made no move in their direction.
“Hey, we've been looking for you,” Grubb said, looking at Adam.
“Now you found me, what's up?” Adam answered.
“Poker game later, let Natalia know. It’ll be on the bridge so the captain and Binda can play.”
I stopped and turned to look at the three of them. They realized I hadn’t known my daughter was playing poker with the crew. All three took an involuntary step back as I looked at them.
“How long has this been going on?” I asked. “And what are the stakes? You better not lie to me.”
Grubb shifted around awkwardly before answering. “When you got yourself kidnapped she was really torn up. All of us worked at helping her through it. I taught her card games to help get her mind focusing on something besides you being gone,” Grubb said, Buddy shaking his head in agreement.
“We used all kinds of things for money. Flower petals, pieces
of candy — and no one would ever think of hurting her, so get that out of your head,” Buddy added.
I took a deep breath and let it out slow. “I'm sorry, guys, I know you wouldn’t.” I turned and punched the bag, trying to knock it off the hook. Nedra and Taz had evidently decided to leave Imelda and Natalia alone and walked over to the group standing around me.
Taz walked over to the mat and Adam followed without a word. Nedra began to instruct Harry on stretching and loosening up before a workout. I couldn’t help but smirk as he watched her, but not like he was interested in stretching, just watching her bend this way and that in her tight workout clothes.
I thought to myself that in a culture like Harry came from there wasn’t a lot of time for grieving and mourning. They also didn’t work out. They seemed an intelligent people, but primitive in lifestyle. You had to work if you wanted to eat and a roof over your head. They had no currency, just the trade of goods and services. He was lucky the killers of his family were still right there front and center when he returned to be dealt with. Closure must be a wonderful thing, I thought to myself.
I noticed Nedra watching me, then watching Taz and Adam. Grubb and Buddy were doing the same thing. I wasn’t going to give Taz the satisfaction or blame Adam for her shenanigans. I felt a twinge of jealousy but I took it out on the bag, my kicks and punches popping on the bag louder and louder. I caught a movement in the corner of my eye.
Natalia stood at the edge of the mat with her arms crossed giving me the eye. Sweat dripped off my face and my clothes were soaked.
“Are you done, or did you just stop so you could stare at me?” I asked.
“No, we aren’t done, but Imelda suggests strongly that you should hit the showers.”
I looked over at the spider queen. She just stood there all creepy and unmoving, with not even a blink to give away anything.
“Natalia,” I told her, turning away from Imelda, “Grubb says poker tonight on the bridge. I suppose it slipped your mind to tell me you were learning to gamble while I was away.”
“Yeah, I think it did.”
The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison: No More Lies (Book 3) Page 2