by Regine Abel
My breath caught in my throat. Another raid? On the previous two raids, I had been in a different Blood House. Part of me had been devastated I’d missed that chance at freedom. Yet another part felt relieved to still be with the captives. I hated my role facilitating these males in taking from the captives what they hadn’t freely offered. However, without me, the females would be raped instead. I didn’t doubt that Khel Praghan would find and free us. The General’s tone during his interviews on the newsfeeds was filled with grim determination. I only hoped it would be soon, because we were running out of time.
“How?” Varrek’s mother exclaimed, her voice disbelieving. “Who could possibly give him information on the Blood Houses’ locations? You haven’t attacked him again, have you?”
Varrek snorted. “Seriously? Do you think me so stupid as to stir that krillik’s nest again?”
“You weren’t exactly discreet on your last attack against him,” she said.
“That was over a year ago.” Varrek’s voice was dismissive. “I’d still love to know how the fuck he knew we were coming and where the missile launchers were located. He shouldn’t have been able to respond that quickly or that accurately. Even if he had survived the attack, the damage to his elite force should have left him severely crippled.”
“Be that as it may, it still failed. And that gave him prisoners who talked,” Varrek’s mother said. “That’s why we lost Crebios. If you hadn’t mucked this up…”
“Careful, female,” Varrek said with that sweet, gentle voice that gave me the creeps. “Remember your place. Your mate may tolerate your mouth, but I’m Guldan.”
“You’re half Xelixian, my son,” she retorted through gritted teeth.
“An inconvenience best forgotten.”
The creaking of my chair when I fidgeted echoed loudly in the deafening silence that followed. Even with my cloak off, my back dampened with sweat. The cheap fabric of my dress made my skin itch as it clung to me. I didn’t need to be here for their family ‘bonding’ time. Added to that, the searing heat disagreed with me. A big fat bowl of fresh air out there called my name like its life depended on it. Well… more like mine.
“Now, back to the topic at hand,” Varrek said, as if he hadn’t just spurned his mother. “The Blood Houses, as our main sources of revenue, are now a thing of the past. Time to move on.”
“But—” his mother said.
“But nothing. Even if we manage to get the embargo lifted, Praghan will never leave this alone. This business is done. We’ll milk whatever is left from the Blood Houses, then on to the labs.”
“Some high-placed connections were promised drinks,” Varrek’s mother said.
“Then see that you fulfill your obligations as soon as possible. My sources say it’s a matter of days, if not hours, before the next raid.”
“I have some extremely generous offers in exchange for a drink from a Veredian. Your pet is here and available.”
My nails dug into my cloak. Customers regularly asked to drink from me. Varrek always said no, but the request had never come from his mother before. He turned to face me. I would give anything to be able to see his face right now, or better yet, to touch him to know his thoughts.
“No,” Varrek said.
The soft chuckle that followed told me he had heard my involuntary sigh of relief.
“But—”
“Mother, you’re starting to bore me. Why the fuck would I let your customers drink from my pet? For a smart female, you can be very stupid sometimes. They want to drink from her because they hope she will cure them like Amalia cured her mates.”
“Exactly.” Her tone clearly indicated she was offended.
“How the fuck does it make sense for us to do that? Basic rule of the pharmaceutical industry: you don’t cure the patients. You give them a watered-down version of it so the symptoms are bearable and they keep coming back for more, forever.”
“I’m well aware of that, thank you very much,” she snapped. “But we need to know if it is a Veredian trait or a fluke. They could serve as lab rats.”
“We’ll use our own in a controlled environment. The answer is no, and that’s final. Now, go sort out your obligations regarding the Blood Houses. I need to speak with Dervhen. It’s high time he contributes once more to the cause.”
“Zhul is the new Councilor. He won’t be as easy to manipulate as his father.”
“Leave the Dervhens to me. They will cooperate. Now run along. We’ll talk another time.”
Without giving her a chance to respond, Varrek ended the communication. The vidscreen went dark. Varrek’s silhouette rising from his chair and coming towards me felt even more ominous. He sat at the edge of his desk – or leaned against it, I couldn’t quite tell. Sometimes, I wished to be truly blind. I couldn’t see enough to know what was happening, but just enough to freak me out. My mind raced. Varrek didn’t believe in waste. He didn’t deny his mother for my sake, nor for the reason he gave her. This would have been a valid argument if the Blood Houses had a long future ahead, but they didn’t. He was saving me for a different purpose, and my gut told me it would be something even worse.
“Valena, I know you were paying attention. So you realize the Blood Houses are coming to an end and so does your usefulness to me.” Varrek’s tone was casual, as if merely discussing the weather rather than my future.
“Yes, Master.” To my relief, my voice came out steadier than I felt.
“But have no fear. You, my pet, are precious to me and I have other plans for you which I’ll tell you about in due time. For now, continue as before. However, you won’t stay in the Blood Houses. The General would be far too pleased with himself to get his hands on you. You’ve been a good pet, and will continue to serve me well.”
The question was, how did he intend for me to serve him? I had my suspicions, and it scared the fuck out of me.
Since Amalia had managed to cure her mates of the Taint, every Xelixian male desired to mate with a Veredian. And she didn’t just cure the incurable disease. Medical reports Varrek had managed to steal from Dr. Minh Volghan’s clinic revealed that Amalia’s oxytocin had actually enhanced her mates. It made them stronger, faster, and increased the potency of their venoms. Knowing Varrek, he would want to achieve the same with another Xelixian and me.
That spelled trouble.
“General Praghan has put you in a bit of a predicament,” Varrek said. He chuckled at the confused expression on my face. “You’ll be twenty-two in a few weeks. Not only will you be at your sexual peak, but it will also fall at the same time your season begins. With the embargo, there will be no Rehmannia leaves for you.”
Oh, precious Goddess....
Once my season began, I would be in heat for three to four weeks. During that time, my aggression level would be off the chart. Only tea made from Rehmannia leaves could keep it – and my sexual drive – under control. The plant didn’t grow here on Xelix Prime and had to be imported. After the first raid, General Praghan had discovered that Varrek held a Veredian female on Xelix Prime. The First Division, Xelix Prime’s military, tapped the handful of Rehmannia leaves distributors to find out the identity of their buyers. Without Varrek’s careful contingency planning, they would have traced it back to him. You couldn’t acquire it now without raising huge flags.
“As you’ve heard, another raid is imminent,” Varrek said. “Therefore, you will move tonight to a new location and only come to the Blood Houses to work. Our best guards will take turns looking after you at the safe house. Spend the next few weeks getting to know them, and pick the one you find most palatable to tend your needs once your season hits. If you don’t, I will and you probably won’t like my choice. Choose carefully, though, because it won’t end with your season.”
My stomach dropped. This had been a long time coming. Aside from curing her mates, Amalia had also successfully given birth to the first living Veredian male in the known galaxy. The young Vahleryon Praghan was a miracle and the futur
e of an entire species. Collectors were offering outrageous bounties for whoever procured the child, or any Veredian male. Varrek would want to cash in on that opportunity.
In a way, I should be grateful he’d given me the opportunity to ‘choose’ when the other Veredians in the breeding strongholds couldn’t. It didn’t make the prospect any easier. I swallowed hard but nodded my understanding.
“Good. One last thing,” Varrek said, his voice taking on that calm ‘you’ll obey if you know what’s good for you’ tone. “If you try to escape while in your temporary safe house, if you mess with your guard and try to mind warp him, I will punish the females in the Blood Houses. I will kill every one of them slowly, painfully and it will all be because of you. You know I don’t bluff, so don’t try anything stupid. And don’t forget your tracker implant. I will always find you.”
And he would. The females had lost all usefulness to him. He would ruthlessly dispose of them to keep me in line. That was far too many lives to have on my conscience.
General, please save us. Please, save me.
CHAPTER 2
Zhul
I marched towards my father’s office in the main house of our estate. My footsteps echoed loudly in the large corridor with its gleaming, white tiled floor and light-grey walls. It was otherwise eerily silent, as was the rest of the house. Long gone were the days of my youth when the house bustled with life, between Rhal and I causing mischief, and the house staff trying to keep up with my mother’s countless social gatherings. It was a good thing Xelixians decorated their houses sparingly. A guest visiting today wouldn’t suspect how many beautiful art pieces and rare collector artifacts had been sold over the years to repay my father’s debts and to maintain my mother in her excessively luxurious lifestyle.
I no longer lived in the main house, but in my own private mansion on the estate instead. The less I saw of my progenitors, the better things were for all of us. Father made it a point to avoid me too, preferring not to hear the harsh truths I had no qualms throwing in his face. For him to summon me on an important matter boded ill. He knew better than to ask me for credits, so what in Gharah’s name could he possibly want?
I knocked on his office door then opened it without waiting for him to bid me in. My father stood by the window, looking out onto the barren field behind the house. Decades ago, a sprawling ryspak orchard had stood there. The ryspak, a fruit highly coveted for its medical and anabolic properties, was at the center of the Xelixian diet. It also constituted our planet’s main export and my family’s principal source of income. With the Taint poisoning the land, we’d taken down the trees to give the soil a chance to heal – and it was. However, it would still be many years before this portion of our land could be productive again.
My father stood, shoulders slightly hunched, looking frail with his thin silhouette framed by the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Despite being only in his early fifties, his formerly black hair was mostly greyed. With an average lifespan of one hundred and thirty-five years, Xelixians usually didn’t start greying before their mid-sixties. Nhed Dervhen used to be such a proud, strong male, with an easy smile and irresistible charisma. Today, he was but a shadow of his former self.
How the mighty have fallen.
To my relief, a quick survey of the large office indicated nothing else had been sold since my last visit – not much remained to liquidate. I forbade him to sell the large, intricately carved Blackwood desk – a family heirloom. Across from it, a three-piece sofa set with a low table in the middle constituted the sitting area. A small bar stood against the side wall behind the loveseat. The only wall decorations left were a family portrait from when I was sixteen and my baby sister Lelah was five. That summer, I finally realized that everything had fallen apart. Next to it, a picture of my parents on the day of their Fastening.
I looked away.
“You requested my presence,” I said, settling down on the couch. “Here I am.”
My father turned to face me. I barely managed to hide my shock at his appearance. His face looked emaciated, deep dark bags beneath his forest-green eyes testified to sleepless nights and poor diet. Even his grey skin looked pallid and sickly. How could such a handsome, powerful male have faded to this extent? For all the contempt my former hero inspired in me, right now I felt nothing but pity for my sire. He joined me, sitting in his usual chair across from me.
“How are you doing, son?” my father asked with forced enthusiasm.
Oh Goddess, here we go.
“We both know you don’t actually care, so how about we skip the small-talk and get to the point?” I said, with the usual cold tone I reserved for my parents. “What do you want?”
My father cleared his throat. “I’m curious about the status of the Guldan embargo and when that will finally be lifted.”
What?
“Why the sudden interest? What’s in it for you?” I asked, giving him a suspicious look.
It was true that before his gambling and money problems, my father had been a powerful Councilor and brilliant Ambassador for Xelix Prime. But as his mating problems rose, his interest in politics declined. First, he relinquished his ambassador role to Bhek Zirthen, then his erratic behavior began to raise concerns. I had no choice but to force him to step down in my favor so our family wouldn’t lose its Council seat. He had stopped caring about politics long before then and shown complete indifference to it in the two years since I had taken over the title.
“Why wouldn’t I care? It’s hurting our local economy as well. A lot of my merchant friends are complaining that they are unable to restock in products only the Guldans can procure. The ban needs to be lifted. It makes no sense to punish an entire race over the actions of a handful against an alien girl.”
“That entire race condones slavery and, based on recent revelations, is responsible for the hastened demise of the Veredians. They also brought the Blood Houses here to Xelix Prime and provided the females enslaved there. So no, Father, the financial discomfort of a few of your acquaintances will not justify lifting the embargo.”
Guldar was one of the few planet members of the Galactic Council that still practiced slavery. While indentured servants were allowed – people contracting themselves into the service of another for a set amount of time – flesh trade and slavery were forbidden in the Western Quadrant. When General Praghan mated with Amalia, she not only brought to light that Veredians still existed, but that Guldans were somehow involved in enslaving her and potentially other Veredians. The General kept extremely tight-lipped about this, claiming protection of the innocent.
My father rubbed a nervous palm over his face before clenching his hands on his lap. A flicker of fear coiled in my stomach. I recognized that body language; the one my father displayed while losing more than he could afford and debating whether to cut his losses or go all in.
“What is it? Who asked you to intervene on their behalf? And how are you beholden to them?”
The guilt and shame on his face told me I guessed right. My stomach dropped and I braced for yet another blow.
“It’s not that simple, Zhul.”
I didn’t have time for this shit. “Just spit it out,” I snapped. “Who is it and what do they have on you?”
“I don’t know who he is, Zhul,” my father said in a small voice.
“Father…” I said, a warning in my voice.
“I swear to you, son, I don’t know who he is,” my father pleaded. “I’ve never met him. We’ve only talked through the com or text. I don’t know his name, only that he goes by the letter V. He said he wants the embargo lifted in the next two weeks or there will be consequences.”
My blood drained from my face. This couldn’t be happening. “You are beholden to V?”
“D-do you k-know him?” my father asked.
“Do you have any idea who you’re involved with?” I said, horrified.
My father shook his head, scared by my reaction.
“According to Praghan, V is
the mastermind behind the Blood Houses and the male who has been trying to get Amalia killed. Please… please, tell me you’re not involved in the Blood Houses.”
“I didn’t… I’m not…”
“What the fuck does he have on you?” I shouted, my stomach churning with fear.
“It was such a long time ago, Zhul… Ten years… I don’t know,” my father whimpered. “All he asked was for diplomatic immunity so he could come and go as he pleased and not have his ship searched or scanned so he could trade exotic goods. It auto-renewed every two years and that was it. Nothing bad ever happened, so…”
“Oh Goddess, Father… What have you done?”
Elbows resting on my knees, I buried my face in my hands. For the past year-and-a-half, Khel Praghan had been trying to pin every crime on me. He believed I ran the Blood Houses. I was innocent and knew he couldn’t find a thing. So watching him flounder trying to prove my guilt gave me no small amount of pleasure. But now, evidence tied the Dervhen family to the Blood Houses. It was only a matter of time before Praghan discovered it.
“I’m sorry, Zhul.”
“Sorry? You’re SORRY?” I shouted. “Is there no end to how low you will bring this family? When is it going to stop? Once you’ve destroyed us all? Do you realize Praghan suspects me? You’ve just painted a target on my back.”
He bent his head in shame, but didn’t say a word. I ran my fingers through my hair before standing up and pacing the room.
“You will tell him there’s no deal.” My tone brooked no argument. “You will remind him that you’re no longer the Councilor, nor are you an ambassador anymore. There’s nothing you can do for him and you won’t involve your son in this mess.”
My father’s lips quivered as he gave me a look so full of sorrow and despair, I knew his answer would be an even bigger blow.