Still, he held his tongue and his temper. For Ushara. She was the goal in this. In the long run, they were inconsequential. His days here would drag by, just as his months in prison had. If his grandmother's cruelty had taught him anything, it was to bide his time and focus on what mattered most.
Survival.
He grimaced as the stryper shoved him from behind. "Watch where you're going, slag!"
Jullien clenched his fist to keep from hitting the bastard. He hadn't been the one moving. Whatever.
The tone sounded to alert them to secure themselves for launch. When Jullien headed for a seat, the stryper stopped him in the doorway and pushed him back through it. "Slags to the bay. You're just cargo."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, slag." He slammed the door in Jullien's face and locked it.
Stunned, Jullien watched as they headed down the hallway away from him and laughed at what they'd just done. Turning around, he stared at the cargo bay. Was it even pressurized? Or sealed for an atmosphere? Some of these older ships weren't.
And there was no place for him to secure himself for the launch.
Shit. So this was how they were planning to kill him.
CHAPTER 14
Ushara waited in nervous excitement with Vasili as the Night Rain docked in the bay. This was what they'd been counting down to for weeks on end now, and ever since she'd gotten word that they were returning, she'd been breathless with anticipation.
Oxana had even brought little Nadya out to join them to welcome Jullien home.
Strange, she'd never been like this before. Not since she'd been a small child and had waited eagerly with her mother and siblings for her father to return home from his missions. She was absolutely dancing with her eager enthusiasm.
Nadya squealed as the ramp lowered. "Basha Dagger!"
Oxana laughed. "He probably won't be the first one off, Naddicakes. Cocks have duties that take them a few minutes to attend before they can leave their ships."
"Oh, okay." She looked up at Vas. "You gots to hold the sign up higher for him to see it, though."
Ever patient with his younger cousin, Vas smiled down at her. "He'll see it."
Ushara chewed her nail as the crew finally started leaving. She felt as giddy as Nadya. And even though she knew her sister was right, she still scanned every member who came off, looking for any trace of Jullien's swagger.
And each one disappointed her.
After half an hour, and when they'd virtually stopped departing, she scowled. "This is weird. Where is he?"
While he wouldn't have been among the first to disembark, he should have been eager enough to not be among the last either.
Kirill and his stryper were laughing as they came down the ramp.
At the sight of them, Ushara felt the blood drain from her face as dread welled up inside her. She met Oxana's gaping stare. That could mean only one thing.
Jullien wasn't with them. The captain was always last crew off. No one else would be left on that ship.
What the hell?
"Stay here with the kids." Scared and angry, she closed the distance between them. "Kirill?"
He sobered at the sound of her voice. They both did. "Hey, kyzu. What can I do you for?"
Ushara glared at him, resisting the urge to pull her blaster and beat him with it. "You know what I want. Where's my husband?"
Kirill shrugged. "Don't know. I assumed you saw the transfer orders."
"What orders?"
"Two months ago. I traded him out with one of my brother's crewmen. No offense, he was a mouthy, worthless piece of shit. I needed someone I could rely on. Check with Lev for his whereabouts."
She felt as if she'd been slapped.
Without another word, they brushed past her.
Oxana brought the kids to stand by her side. "Hey? You all right? What happened?"
"They traded him with one of Lev's crew." She could barely choke out those words past the stabbing pain of disappointment she felt.
Oxana scowled. "Why didn't someone tell you?"
Ushara shook her head as a new fear began to manifest. He was lying. She knew it. "I don't know."
"He's not here?" The hurt in Vas's voice mirrored her own.
"No, baby. Sorry." She hugged him as she met her sister's gaze and saw in Oxana's eyes the same doubts and fears that she had. No transfer had been put in for Jullien. She'd have seen the order go through. In fact, she'd been monitoring his orders since she hadn't been allowed to speak to him as part of Kirill's dictates and hazing for him.
Given that crew transfers for cocks were a normal practice and not something that her cousin would have to hide with nonexistent paperwork, it begged a single question ...
What had they really done with Jullien?
You better not have collected his bounty, you son of a bitch.
Determined to find out the truth, she headed across the bay.
"What are you doing?" Oxana called.
"Getting Davel." Kirill might brush her off, but he wouldn't be able to do that to her brother. Davel would get to the bottom of this, and if it was what she suspected, he'd help her kill her cousin, too.
*
At noon the next day, Ushara knocked on Trajen's door. She very seldom disturbed him at his personal residence, but she really needed some peace of mind.
And either backup or an alibi.
The door opened on its own. She walked in slowly. There was no telling where Trajen was. His home was massively large and always eerily silent.
She waited for the lights to turn themselves on to lead her toward wherever he was keeping himself. After a few seconds, they began to flicker and guide her.
Yeah, her boss was a freaky creature of habit.
The phantom lights slowly led her down to his training room where he was working out with more weights than he should be able to lift. She didn't know if he was actually that strong, or if it was a mental, Trisani thing. Either way, it was impressive and terrifying.
As soon as she entered the room, he placed the weights on their stand and picked up a towel from the floor. He draped it around his muscular shoulders so that he could wipe the sweat from his face. While she knew that as a Trisani, Trajen was a lot older than he appeared to be, his body didn't show it. He didn't look a day over thirty.
And like this ...
His physique would rival Jullien's.
She had to catch herself fast before he picked up on any thoughts of desire from her. From experience, she knew he didn't react well to anyone who lusted after him. Trajen claimed he was celibate to preserve his "wizard powers" from being drained.
However, she suspected it came from the fact that he was even more paranoid and suspicious of others than Jullien. Trajen very seldom touched anyone and he allowed no one to touch him.
For any reason.
In fact, he maintained a four-foot minimum distance of space between himself and everyone else, at all times. He didn't just keep walls around himself, he had it mined with explosives, barbed wire, and a flaming moat that teemed with crocodiles. She'd actually seen folks drop dead for stepping too close to him, too fast. Or rebound off an invisible force field.
He wouldn't even take items from the hands of others. Rather he waited until they set it down before he reached for it.
For whatever reason, Jullien was the only exception to that rule. He was the only one Trajen had ever allowed inside his personal perimeter.
Trajen met her gaze. His muscles rippling, he reached for his water. "Are you sure Davel was lying?"
His powers were so incredibly frightening at times ...
"No. But he sounded really weird and he wouldn't answer my questions about Jullien. And I hate how easily you read my mind."
"Sorry. It saves time." He opened his water and drank it while she explained what was going on.
"It's been six months and no word from Jullien. I'm scared, boss. Davel wouldn't even look me in the eye. Rather, he bypassed me, beat th
He scowled as he got up and moved a little closer to her. "Where's your father now?"
"He was on the dock with Axl and my grandfather. Axl's crew just came in and they're unloading cargo."
Using his mental powers, Trajen changed clothes instantly as he walked, leading her upstairs. It was so unnerving how he did that. And she envied him that ability. Oh to be able to save time by dressing without touching anything. She could only imagine what it must have been like to live in a world where everyone could do such things.
Silent and brooding, he walked with her back to the bay where her grandfather was still standing with her brothers while they chatted about nothing in particular.
Even so, they stopped talking immediately when they saw her and Trajen.
"Vidarri." Trajen narrowed his gaze on her grandfather. "Don't you think you should tell your granddaughter what you've done?"
Her grandfather shrugged nonchalantly. "No idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, don't play this game with me. I can bypass you. But really, I think it best if she hears it from you, than if I tell her."
Ushara felt sick to her stomach. This had to be bad for Trajen to go this route. He didn't do things like this.
"Tell me what?" she prompted.
Her grandfather hesitated before he finally spoke. "It was for the best."
Oh yeah, this was going to be real bad. "What?" She all but shouted the word.
Her brother Axl sighed. "They'd found him, Shara."
"By him, I assume you mean Jullien. He does have a name, you know? So who had found him?"
"Bounty hunters." Her grandfather snarled. "They saw him and attacked him on one of their stops, and almost shot Kirill. It was just a matter of time till they showed up here and came for you or Vasili."
Ushara felt sick to her stomach as dread consumed her. "What did you do?"
None of them would look at her.
"Answer me!"
"They sold him."
She turned to face Davel, who'd come up behind her to join their group. "You knew?"
"No. Not until you sent me to rendezvous with Kirill last night. Kirill lied at first, then told me the truth after I beat it out of him."
She choked on her tears, but forced them down. This wasn't the time for hysterics. She had to remain calm if she was to help Jullien. "How long ago?"
"Four months."
Those words ran into her with the force of a starship in hyperdrive. Was he serious?
Four months? They'd sold Jullien four months ago? Blind fury exploded inside her as she gaped at the group of betrayers. How could they?
"He was Tavali!" she growled at them.
"In Training," her grandfather said defensively. "A candidate. They needed the money for repairs. It was for the good of the ship and crew."
"You bastards!" Never had she felt so betrayed. And to think it was her own family who'd done this to her!
To Jullien!
"He's a darkheart!" her grandfather snarled.
She sneered at him. "He's a Fyreblood!"
The color faded from her grandfather's face. "What?"
Ushara wiped at the tears on her cheeks as she confronted them all. "Yeah, you heard me. You sold out one of our own, Graspa. Jules didn't want me to tell anyone. But his lineage isn't just eton Anatole. It's also Pavakahiri Samari. More than that, he's stralen for me. That's what you've betrayed with your actions. Not just my husband, but one of the most sacred and rare of the Fyreblood lineages. The last of it, no less."
Crossing his arms over his chest, Trajen gave a slow nod. "She's not lying. He's the grandson of Edon Samari. One of the last two surviving heirs of the original and direct ruling Samari bloodline, and the only one who carries that incredibly rare stralen gene. Not even his twin has it. Jullien dies, your race loses their connection to your beloved goddess and her Kadurr warriors forever." Trajen emphasized the last word in a sinister whisper.
Axl cursed. "Are you telling us that Edon Samari really did have a child--that it wasn't just some bullshit legend handed down to amuse kids? And that darkheart bastard is the one we've been waiting for to restore our original monarchy?"
"Ironic as Tophet, ain't it?" Trajen laughed bitterly. "Edon Samari seduced Eriadne eton Anatole so that he could overthrow her and take the Andarion throne, and instead she went on a vengeful killing spree to wipe out all Fyrebloods over his betrayal. Ultimately, it would be his very spawn that dethroned her and took her place. In the end, Samari succeeded. But lost."
Her grandfather shook his head as he realized what he'd done. "We've got to find him! We can't let his bloodline die out."
Ushara glared at her grandfather. "You're not doing anything else. You've done enough already. All of you are grounded until Jullien returns." Furious, she began hailing her sisters--the only ones she dared trust at this point.
And Davel. Right now, he was an honorary sister. He might not approve of the designation, but she was so mad at the males of her family that it was the only way she could allow herself to be in a room with him and not do him harm.
*
Armed and ready for battle in full Tavali gear and war paint, Ushara and her sisters walked slowly through the dense, smelly crowded Ladorian pleasure club, looking for any sign that they were in the right place while they waited for Davel and Trajen to join them. The stench in here was nauseating. Sweat, blood, and other things she didn't want to think about.
Jay curled her lips in distaste as she pressed her hand to her nose in a useless attempt to blot out the odors. "Please tell me he's not really here."
Ushara barely stifled her gag reflex as she stumbled past two humans who really needed to find a private room. "I hope not."
But Trajen was never wrong and this was where he'd brought them. She shuddered at the thought of Jullien being trapped in this godforsaken hell where they sold others for sex, fights, and any kind of imaginable perversion. The depravity sickened her.
"Well, well, ladies. What I can I do for you?"
Ushara turned a jaundiced eye to the well-dressed human male who approached them. He appeared to be one of the ringleaders of this wretched establishment, which didn't endear him to her. Rather it made her want to take a note from Jullien and punch the man in the throat for no other reason than just condoning the existence of such a horrid place that peddled sentient misery in the name of profit. "We're looking for an Andarion fighter."
"For carnal pleasure, recreational hunting, or blood sport?"
Her stomach lurched at the question and the joy in his tone. Oh yeah, she seriously wanted to punch him, especially given the option that Davel had told her they'd sold Jullien to. "Blood sport."
He grinned at them with a sick satisfaction that gleamed in his eyes. "Ladies after my own heart. And you're just in time. We open the next round of betting in fifteen minutes. If you want to see tonight's menu..." He handed them a card with a scancode. "Minimum bet is listed under each fighter. And we have some fierce animals in the cage for tonight's fun. Good luck. Once you bet, you'll receive instructions on where to go for the viewing. And what seats you're entitled to for the amount wagered. We also have refreshments, as well as companions listed under other menu options. Whatever thrill you seek, we have something that'll make you peak."
As he walked off, she was tempted to shoot him in the head.
Maybe later.
Desperate to find Jullien, Ushara quickly scanned the fighters. Her heart sank as none of them looked familiar.
At all.
This was useless.
"Wait!" Ryna flipped it back two. "Look." She pointed down. "His arm."
Ushara wanted to vomit as she saw the familiar bleeding winged heart that was pierced by a sword. Indurari. She didn't even recognize the hooded male in that picture. They'd beefed Jullien's size up, most likely from steroids or some other dangerous drug, and his lower face was misshapen by bruises and cuts. His eye color was hidden by the dark hood that fell over them.
But for the tattoo and the scar near his heart, she'd have never known it was him.
The Annihilator.
Fury tore through her as she saw the other photos they'd posted of him in brutal, gory fights. They'd shaved his head and beard. And kept him caged like an animal.
Her hands shaking, she met her sister's gaze. "I might yet kill your father when we return home."
Ryna didn't flinch. "I might help you."
By the time they were able to place the bet to locate him, Trajen and Davel had finally joined them. Ushara waited impatiently for the coordinates that would guide them to Jullien.
And she was terrified of what she'd find when she got there. As bad as Andarion Ring matches were, this was so much worse. These weren't just fighting matches meant to show off skill and stamina, these were all-out savage bloodbaths that were meant to be as ruthless and raw as possible. The kind of primitive gore-fests that were banned by any civilized government. Which was why they were held on stations where no government held any jurisdiction.
The crowd was so thick, they could barely move through it. And she had no idea where they kept the fighters or how she and her sisters and Trajen and Davel would go about getting Jullien out of this mess.
She looked up at Trajen. "What do we do?"
Trajen let out a deep growl as they neared the stark, fenced arena where Jullien would be fighting. "The cage is highly electrified."
Which meant even he would have trouble with it. While Trajen could manipulate and play with low electrical currents, higher ones tended to go awry and have unforeseen reactions. His powers could detonate that cage like a bomb if he tried to use them to access it.
"Can we blow the circuits?" Davel asked.
Oxana gave him a droll stare as she pointed out the fact that those circuits would be kept outside the station, in space, and they had no way to access them. "Sure. You get right on that, drey."
He rolled his eyes at her sarcasm, then scowled as he glanced around for more viable options. "Do they not clean the cages out between fights?"
Ushara frowned at Davel's question. Before she could think better of it, she glanced to see what he was talking about, then wished she hadn't as a wave of extreme nausea hit her.
-->