by Cara Carnes
“You have no reason to fear me or the souls within me,” he commented.
“I know.” And I did. Protectiveness cloaked me. I relaxed into the slight touch, a hand at my hip. He pulled me backward until his heat settled along my back.
The contact was natural, instinctual. I eased into it, pulling his arm around completely so I could interlock our fingers. A comfortable silence ensued as I fanned my aura outward, wrapped it around Slade’s in a tight squeeze like the hug we’d shared earlier. The grip he maintained on the spirits within loosened more than before until it was a mere hint of presence, a shadowy film between me and them.
Light, energy so raw and pure assailed me on the psychic plane. I gasped. “What is that?”
“The Tezan spirits within me absorbed as much of the energy you projected as they could, sent the rest to the Shadows who also possess Tezan. I suppressed you seeing it last time you connected with them but doing so requires significant energy. I must rest my hold on it for a while.” I suckled on the frenetic energy, basked in the warmth.
“You mentioned one of your fathers earlier? You have more than one? How many? What was it like?” I bit my lip. That was a lot more questions than I’d intended to ask at once.
Slade chuckled softly in my ear. “I had six fathers, each different in their own way. But they all had one thing in common—their steadfast love for my mother. They cherished her like no other, made sure she always had one of them around no matter how busy life got. She shared a special bond with each of them, a piece of herself reserved just for him.”
“That sounds so nice,” I commented.
“I finally imagined what that was like for them today, when we shared the hydroponics bay.”
“I like sharing that with you. It’s like a little sanctuary.”
“Then that’s what it’ll be, for you and me.” The declaration made me smile. Emotions assailed me. So, so many personalities brushed against my psyche. I closed my eyes and let them lull me to sleep.
Snow
* * *
I woke the next morning more refreshed than I remembered in a long time. The sensation didn’t last long, however. Sirens blared. Slade was up and dressing in his gear.
“What’s wrong?” I rose quickly and grabbed my clothes.
“Space pirates, four ships.”
Space pirates were the bane of existence within deep space. They typically ran one, possibly two vessels together. Four was a rarity, one which translated to trouble. The Paradox had run across a few over the years. Most left us be after boarding and realizing we weren’t much better off than them. A few had tried to take me, more than likely to sell at the nearest auction house. Few dared take the Skeron king’s daughter, however.
“Stay here.”
“No. I can help fight,” I declared.
“You will stay here where you are safe.”
No way. I kept the angry retort to myself. I’d slept surrounded by his spirits, learning each of them as they shared their memories. Desires. Dreams. He possessed too many protective Tezan spirits to accept I was a competent fighter, one trained by a Roteran. Earning his admiration in battle would happen only after I’d proved myself.
The ship rocked in a motion I recognized easily—another ship had collided with us. A forced boarding.
My heartbeat quickened in my ears. “Go. I’ll remain here.” For now.
Slade nodded. “If you do not hear from one of us soon, remain hidden. There is a hiding spot built in beneath all our sleeping surfaces, a safety measure Zelig insisted on in case we ever had sensitive cargo to hide. I can think of nothing more important than hiding you, Snow. Stay safe. Stay hidden, no matter what you hear.”
Shadows were fierce fighters, feared within all the galaxies. Yet four vessels of pirates were a lot for seven soldiers, even if they were Roteran Shadows. I nodded, remaining frozen into place as Slade charged out of his chamber.
Now what?
Hiding in a hold beneath his sleep surface wasn’t happening, not yet at least. I’d formed bonds with Ren’s spirits and Slade’s. A protective one I returned in equal measure. I couldn’t hide while space pirates…
I swallowed.
Fear clawed my insides, but anger quickly replaced the weak emotion. I had no time for weakness, not with space pirates aboard. Legends through the galaxies about pirates were utter drivel for the most part. They weren’t irradiated mutant monsters. They were opportunistic sadists who thrived off pirating anything worth credits.
The Paradox wasn’t as sophisticated as the Shadow ship, but I assumed they were all somewhat similar. I dressed quickly, armored myself with what weapons I already had. The men hadn’t taken them, likely to offer a sense of security. I donned them all, grabbed a couple laser weapons from Slade’s armory, which he’d thankfully left open in his haste to assist his squad.
My shorter, thinner frame fit easily within the overhead crawl space, which was a bit snugger than The Paradox’s. Wide frames such as Slade’s wouldn’t fit. I drew up the mental map I’d made of the ship as I explored, but the sounds of battle urged me forward in a hastened, almost frantic, pace.
Remain calm no matter how urgent the battle. The most effective warrior plans before he strikes.
Lazar’s lesson echoed in my mind, as if offered by the spirit Ren salvaged. Worry for Ren, Slade, and the others quickened my pulse as the laser fire and plasma blasts shook the ship. A small grate offered me a peek into the area. Shock froze me into place. The seven Shadows battled well over forty mercenaries. The difference between them and pirates was training. Mercs were former militants who earned their living doing whatever the highest bidder demanded. These wore the Crunan royal crest.
Dread settled in my bones. This was far more than a simple pirate raid.
As if sensing as much themselves, the Shadows knelt between the forty men surrounding them. Weapons were pointed at them all. I had to do something. But what?
“Where is she?”
“No clue. We did what Queen Vilma commanded and sold her.”
“She received no notice, nor was the slave entered into auction records,” one of the mercs said.
“Why would we give her to the auction house and lose forty percent of the credits she earned?” Marden snarled. “We had our fun with her a couple of cycles, found a buyer who didn’t mind slightly damaged goods.”
“Get that blaster any closer, and I’ll shove it down your throat until it sticks out of your ass,” Slade growled at one of them. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Queen Vilma demands proof of her disposal. Who was she given to?”
“The queen offered a bonus if we sold her. If she has changed her mind and prefers her dead, it’s too late. We don’t have time to deal with her indecisiveness. One slave is hardly worth all this effort,” Varik said.
The merc grunted and looked over his shoulder. “Secure them aboard my vessel. We’ll return them to the queen. She can deal with this. Search the ship, make sure she’s not here. Schematics of their vessel are on your data streams. Check all hidden compartments.”
“There will be consequences for detaining us, consequences you and the queen will pay,” Zelig said. “You’ll have the entirety of the Roteran Empire upon you if you dare detain us. Is one slave worth all this?”
“The credits Queen Vilma paid is,” one of the mercs said.
What do I do? I focused the thought, pushed it out and hoped one of the Shadows sensed the psychic question. I wasn’t telepathic. Was I?
I knew so little of my Tezan abilities.
Where are you? The almost feral growl startled me a moment. Then I caught a glimmer of recognition within the aura.
Marden?
Where are you?
In the crawl space above you. Slade told me to hide beneath the sleeping surface, but I wanted to help.
Remain where you are. This is more than we expected.
Tell me how to help. There are too many to fight.
Remai
ning where you are is all the help we need for now.
I didn’t believe Marden’s statement. I wished one of the others had heard me as well. Marden?
What?
The obvious frustration in his tone gave me a moment’s pause. He really was a growly one. I stroked his aura with mine, tried to calm some of the annoyance, but the rumble rose, grew so loud my temples throbbed.
What did you want, female?
Why are you answering, and the others are not?
Your thoughts are weak, they do not hear you. One of my spirits is a stronger telepath than they possess. He hears you, but barely. Slade would, but he’s probably not realizing you’re here in the room with us.
Oh. I need to be louder.
You need to be silent and remain where you are.
Right. I ignored the grumbled tone, noted the tension cording Marden’s body as he remained locked in position, gaze cast downward as if not trusting himself to not search me out. There had to be some way to handle all the pirates, even out the odds so the Shadows could turn the tide. How had they taken them by surprise? Cloaking.
The Crunan Empire cloaked most of their ships, which meant these mercs likely worked for the queen a lot. All the more reason to take them out. I willed a few focusing breaths. Eyes closed, I rested my head on the cool surface beneath me and tried again, pushing my thoughts even louder. I recalled the humming energy within Slade’s Tezan souls.
The Summoner’s Well!
Of course. Did they have one on board?
I shifted my focus to locating a Summoner’s Well. I’d spent countless hours extending my reach with the one aboard The Paradox. The response was immediate, far stronger than I expected. Five Wells? Ah, yes. One on each ship. The five power sources hummed within my veins, but I was unsure what to do with the raw energy rippling through my system, whipping with such force my entire body trembled.
If only the mercs would just go away. No. They’d return. Rage rose within me.
They worked for the queen, the vile bitch who wanted me dead. The father who’d deemed me entertainment for the guards.
Dead.
I wanted the mercs dead.
Energy blasted from me, an explosive force which shook the entire ship as the wave rippled outward like a Starth typhoon. Screams. So many my ears rang. The sound echoed from the cargo hold beneath me. My entire body trembled, vibrated from the intensity of the energy blast I’d expended. How had I done that?
What had I done?
Shock mingled with outright terror as I belly crawled back to the peeking spot. I wasn’t sure how I’d moved away from it. I glanced down and…
Bodies.
Marden, Slade, and the other Shadows stood with their arms locked in laser bands behind their back. They looked around, seemingly confused.
All except Marden, who glared up at me.
“What did you do, female?” he growled.
“Snow is in my chamber,” Slade said.
“No, she is up there. I heard her wanting to help but ordered her to remain silent.” Marden looked pointedly at his fellow Shadows. “Then this happened.”
The men cursed. What had I done wrong?
“Come down, sweet Snow,” Ren said. “Come, so I can make sure you are okay.”
Make sure I was okay? I wasn’t the one who’d been beaten and restrained by mercs. I shimmied down via a larger duct and rolled into the room. I rose, averting my gaze from the bodies. Confusion rattled me a moment, then I caught movement as Ren and Ashan approached. I ran to them, wrapped them both closer.
“I don’t know what I did, or how. It just happened. Are they…” My gaze swept through the downed mercenaries. “Are they dead?”
“I do not know,” Ashan admitted. “Get us loose, Snow.”
Right, loose made sense. A slight tremble slowed my hands. My vision clouded, my mind felt muddled, as though drowning. Cold. So, cold.
“I am fine.” I turned him, used one of my daggers to saw the restraints away.
I repeated the process with Ren and sheathed my weapon as the two Shadows freed the others. Slade drew me into a tight hug. My entire body trembled as my gaze swept the carnage I’d wielded. What had I done? How?
“They are unconscious.” Zelig flipped one over. “Ashan and Dacian, get them restrained, secured. Slade, Marden, and Ren, you’re with me. We need to secure whoever they left aboard their vessels.”
“I will do a scan,” Dacian offered.
“Varik.” Zelig didn’t issue a verbal order, but jutted his chin in my direction.
“Come with me, Snow. Let us make sure you are okay. You are pale.” Varik cupped my face. Warmth. I burrowed against the contact. “And freezing.”
8
Snow
Varik was taller than the others, but not by much. The thought skittered through my mind, but I wasn’t sure why. The medical bay was cleaner and larger than the one we’d maintained on The Paradox.
“Last time you were here, we used the large scanner on you. It’s good for assessing internal issues, but not the best for surface level wounds.” Varik motioned toward the first examination bay. “Let’s make sure you don’t have any abrasions or other wounds to address first.”
Abrasions or other wounds. I blinked, thinking he was every bit the doctor right now. Lips thinned, aura steadfast and determined, he pulled things from drawers, which opened with a wave of his hand. An urgency hastened each move. The calm, quiet confidence Varik always exuded while around me was gone, replaced with a frantic, worried soul. I grabbed his forearm when he neared, squeezed until he halted. Turbulence reflected in his gaze.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“No. No, you’re not. Your skin is cold and pale, your pulse is thready at best, and your aura is off.”
“My aura is off?” I chose conversing about his concerns rather than dismissing them. One of his spirits was in firm control, something I was aware of on an unconscious level because of Slade’s Tezan spirits. They’d showed me much of the fallen empire.
“Drawing vast power from the Summoner’s Well is dangerous, could cause a breakdown on the psychic plane, not to mention traumatic brain injury.” He flashed a light in my left eye, then my right. The slight touches, a finger to my pulse point, then my wrist, were clinical. “Then there’s the fact the remote vessels you accessed are directly connected to Queen Vilma’s. She’ll have seen what you did, sense the power draw. She’ll know you’re a Tezan royal.”
“I couldn’t cower and do nothing. You protect me, I protect you.” I let the declaration settle as he injected me with nanites.
I hated the little monsters. They burned my veins going in and made my skin literally crawl. Evon forced me to take them once when I’d gotten ill with a Starthan virus. At least Evon asked before shoving them into me.
Varik turned to face the display, monitoring their assessment. I remained silent, assessing the aura he projected. I touched his arm again, careful not to graze against any of the intricate etchings within his skin. Images still assailed me, images displaying another time, a carnage in horrid detail. Blood leaked through a warrior’s hand, one spread on a beautiful woman’s stomach. Her lips moved, but I didn’t hear her words. Loss, strong and debilitating in its impact, filled my aura. My heart clenched, my soul ached. I didn’t know what species the spirit was, or when he’d lost, but none of that mattered.
“Varik,” I whispered. I cupped his face. “Focus on me. Whoever you are, return the Shadow to me. We will avenge your loss, but you must let the Shadow help.”
Confusion appeared in Varik’s gaze. I pressed my forehead against his and waited. The spirits within him wrapped around me, pushed and writhed as if either vying for attention or squabbling. I didn’t have the time to greet them each as I wanted. Another time. Soon. I cast the promise outward, hoped they’d understand and trust my sincerity even though they had no reason to. Varik may have taken me into Medical to make sure I was okay, but he was the one who needed care.
<
br /> “Snow.” My name was a fierce growl. He cupped my head and crushed his lips against mine.
The kiss, more a punishing command than a loving caress, quickened my pulse. I relaxed into his grip, sensing his need to assert control of some sort. Was it Varik or the agitated spirit within laying claim to my mouth? Was there a difference? Did I care? Eyes closed, I softened the glide of our mouths, a scant fusion born out of natural instinct more than experience.
It was my first kiss, but I sensed he wouldn’t handle that knowledge well, not given the possessive grip he maintained on me. With one last flick of his tongue along the seam of my mouth, he pulled away. His eyes held the golden glint, clearer than they’d been before.
“Snow, I—”
I halted his words with a hand on his mouth. “Don’t spoil the moment with an apology I don’t want.”
“Seeing you expend so much power agitated one of my spirits, a Tezan. I couldn’t contain him.” Varik pressed his forehead against mine and breathed out.
I ran my hands along his arms, sweeping my aura against each etching as I went. I hoped the slight psychic touch would appease the restless spirits within and help Varik regain control. “I saw images. He lost someone.”
“Yes, a mate.” The anguish within Varik’s words struck me.
“You knew him,” I whispered. I didn’t know how I came to the conclusion, but I accepted its truth before Varik nodded.
“Yes, I knew them both. He was an exceptional healer.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I cannot handle another loss like that, Snow. Promise me you won’t put yourself at risk like you did today. We may not have bonded yet, but I feel the bond you’ve formed with the others through our link. My spirits were already drawn to you. Your loss would…” He looked away. “None in our squadron would handle your loss well.”
I wanted to challenge his statement, but I didn’t fully understand Roteran culture, not yet. What possible reason could he have to lie?