by Sadie Carter
“Umm, that is good.”
Okay, she really had to work on his ability to detect sarcasm.
“There is too much activity for us to leave yet. We will wait for darkness to fall. Stay in your quarters and keep your communicator close by. Hopefully, we can free them in the next few hours then you can meet us at the ship.”
Yeah, she really didn’t see that happening.
“Sounds great,” she replied cheerfully.
Crap.
Chapter Eight
“This way, Your Royal Highness.”
Dex followed Zacharian through the maze of passages beneath the palace. Moans of despair, screams of rage, sobs of desperation. They filled the cavernous area.
Even though Dex knew he couldn’t help them, his protective instincts were screaming at him to do something.
“We must keep moving. We only have a short time until the guards notice you are gone.”
Dex nodded, glancing behind him to ensure that all of his men were following. They’d only made one quick stop to collect the warriors whom Targos had purchased at auction. Luckily, they hadn’t been kept in a drugged state.
Although he could walk and his headache had decreased to a manageable level, Dex was still having issues coordinating his limbs. And he felt weak. Really weak.
“Stop,” he commanded in a low voice, grabbing Zacharian by the back of his shirt. He knew his warriors would obey without question.
“What is—” Dex placed his hand over Zacharian’s mouth.
“Quiet. There is someone coming.”
His warriors fell back, taking defensive positions. Leaning in, he whispered warningly into Zacharian’s ear, “If you have betrayed us you will regret it.”
He pushed the shaking, smaller man behind him and waited, wondering if this was it. If this was going to be the end.
Zoey flashed across his mind. Her smile. Her laugh. Her warmth and mischief. He had to make it out of here alive.
“They’re close. Wait…wait…”
Dex braced himself, ready to launch himself at whoever stepped around the corner. Whoever they were, they were moving quietly. If he hadn’t been on edge, listening for every little sound, he never would have heard them.
One, two, three.
He sprang forward. Weak as he was, he nearly ricocheted back onto his ass as he bounced against the solid male in front of him.
Without making a sound, the male grabbed him, and turning, pushed him into the wall, his arm across his neck. Around him, he could hear the sounds of a fight, but he knew his men were weak.
They didn’t stand a chance.
***
“You look beautiful, my dear.”
Zoey forced herself to smile up at Targos as he pulled out a chair for her. The sick feeling that had developed as soon as she met Targos had only grown. The sooner she left Edreinia, the better.
She was surrounded by the worst scum of the universe. And she had to pretend that she was having fun? She wasn’t certain she could eat without it coming back up.
Even worse, she’d had to leave Boris and Giz back in her rooms. She felt completely alone and unprotected. And to say Boris had been unhappy was an understatement.
“I hope I am appropriately dressed. I had assumed we would be having dinner alone.”
Hopefully, the other diners would deter Targos from pawing her, even though she had been hoping to avoid meeting anyone else. If any of them had known her supposed husband’s cousin, then she could be in real hot water.
Zoey glanced around the large dining room. It was a long, thin room filled with more marble and those over-the-top columns. The dining table could easily seat fifty people. There was a huge variety of creatures here. A few seats down sat a large, hulking Nordis who towered above everyone else. He had small, beady eyes and a pig-like nose.
Across from him sat a Zarch. Her hair was feathery and bright yellow. Her four limbs moved elegantly as she managed to simultaneously feed herself, take a drink and gesture furiously as she told a story.
“I am sorry, my dear. You must forgive me. I had planned on a quiet dinner for two.” He leered at her. He probably thought he looked sophisticated and sexy.
Instead, he looked like a cat with a fur ball stuck in its throat.
She waved her hand in the air. “Another time, perhaps.”
“I was hoping that you might join me for a quiet drink after dinner.”
“Oh, well, I should probably get some rest before the games begin tomorrow,” she demurred.
“You will get plenty of rest. One or two drinks won’t interfere.”
She smiled and nodded.
Fuck. Crap. Damn it.
If his hand reached any higher up her thigh, she was going to risk catching some dirty disease.
Luckily, just as he reached the lips of her pussy, the large doors opened and servants entered, carrying their dinner.
Holy crap.
They were naked. Fully bare-ass, tits-a-swinging, look-at-that-pussy-and-cock naked. Zoey’s jaw dropped open.
“Don’t tell me that I’ve surprised you, my dear?”
Crap. Way to act like a jaded, sophisticated woman of the world, Zoey, she scolded herself.
She turned with a smile. “Delightfully so.”
He clapped his hands like a child, almost bouncing up and down in his seat. “I do love to shock my guests.”
The guest to his right pulled him into a conversation, much to her relief.
For the next two hours, she sat there on tenterhooks, waiting for someone to stand up and point at her, outing her as a pretender. But nothing happened. Everyone watched her curiously and a few even tried to engage her in conversation, but she managed to keep her answers vague.
Alcohol flowed; conversations grew louder, laughter and jokes became more raucous. A squeal filled the air, making her jump. Glancing around, she noticed that one of the female servers had been grabbed by a Dragreem. Short and pretty-looking, Dragreems appeared deceptively harmless. But those short bodies were thick with muscle and their skin was tough as a rhino’s.
The Dragreem fondled her naked breasts. As he pulled the nipples, twisting them, Zoey winced in sympathy. No one else seemed to be concerned by the Dragreem’s behavior as they laughed and goaded him on. Finally, Targos clapped his hands and waved over two of his guards who strode over and freed the poor female from the Dragreem’s clutches.
Targos yelled out something in a foreign tongue. The Dragreem slammed his hands down on the table, looking like a child who’d had his favorite toy confiscated for bad behavior. He even pouted. His lower lip dropped and maybe even wobbled a little.
Targos said something else and the Dragreem sat back with a resigned nod.
“Dragreems are notorious for not being able to hold their liquor,” Targos murmured, turning to her. “You look shocked.”
Zoey scrambled for an explanation. “Not shocked. Just a bit bemused. I suppose I am used to a rather higher class.”
Targos straightened, his face twisting with anger. “Are you saying my dinner party is low class?”
Zoey patted his hand to placate him even as she berated herself silently. “Of course not, but some of the guests are.”
Targos narrowed his gaze and she thought it was all over. This was it. Then he nodded. “You’re right. I think that a Dragreem might make a nice addition to the line-up in the arena tomorrow.”
She attempted a smile even as she silently screamed. Had she just caused that Dragreem’s death? What was she even doing here? This had been a terrible idea, borne out of desperation, and she really wished she could wake up and find it was all a dream.
Well, a nightmare.
“I like the way you think,” she told him with fake admiration. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hide the fact that she would rather stick her bare feet in warm cow dung while eating maggoty rotten cheese than spend time with him.
“I think I’ll go freshen up before our drink,” she told him, stan
ding. He grabbed her arm, holding her down. Zoey clenched her jaw to hide her shudder of revulsion.
“You look perfect to me.”
“How charming you are,” she drawled. “But a lady always likes to powder her nose.”
“I will see you soon, then.”
“I look forward to it,” she managed to reply, before slipping away.
Trying not to move quickly and draw undue attention to herself, Zoey made her way to her room and leaned back against the door, taking a deep breath. Boris stepped forward, his gaze questioning. Shaking her head, she raced into the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time as she vomited up the contents of her stomach.
She hadn’t eaten much today and soon she was reduced to dry heaves. A cool cloth was placed on her hot forehead and she turned her head to find Boris watching her in concern.
“I’m okay,” she told him as she sat back, resting against the wall. “It’s just …” She looked around, still worried there might be a bug planted in here. Boris rose and turned on the shower. Sometimes it was scary how well he could read her. “It’s harder than I thought to pretend to admire that sick bastard. Plus, I think I just got someone killed.”
He tipped his head to one side in question and she told him about the whole Dragreem incident. Boris shook his head and her stomach tightened; worried he thought less of her. Then in a move that shocked the hell out of her, he pulled her close, hugging her tight.
A bit too tight but she wasn’t going to complain. She just clung to him for a long moment before he loosened his grip and she moved back.
With a sigh, she stood, swaying. “I’ve got to get ready, he’ll be here soon.”
Boris stood and folded his arms across his chest, shaking his head.
“I have to, Boris,” she told him. “We can’t go until Koran has freed Dex.”
Boris just shook his head again.
“Look, you think I like it any better than you do? I half expect that psycho to start calling me Clarice. I’ll contact Koran and see how he’s getting on, will that help?”
Boris gave an arrogant nod.
“You know, you’re becoming as bossy as the rest of them. It’s not a good look for you. Let me take a shower and I’ll contact Koran, all right?”
She really needed to wash the feel of slime off her skin.
She grabbed her communicator before stepping into the shower to hide what she was doing.
“Koran? Koran, are you there?”
Chapter Nine
“I could have killed you,” Koran repeated for about the eighth time. Dex could understand why his friend was so shaken. If Koran hadn’t recognized Dex, the darkness of the passage, combined with how weak Dex was, could have been his downfall.
“But you didn’t. You rescued us.” By now they were out of the palace and hidden in the thick forest surrounding it.
“Seemed like you were rescuing yourself,” Koran countered.
“Only due to Zacharian.”
“I feel guilty for believing he may have betrayed you.”
The Edreinian male had left them once they’d escaped the palace, stating that his absence would be noted unless he returned.
“He did betray us,” Jaxan replied bitterly.
“That was explained, Jaxan.” Dex gritted his teeth as his leg spasmed. “And he came through in the end.”
“What happened?” Koran asked.
Thor quickly explained everything that had occurred since they had left the ship.
“Targos needs to pay,” Koran growled.
“He will.” Right now, though, Dex was more concerned with getting off this planet and back to Zoey. “Thank the stars you managed to keep Zoey out of this. I admit to fearing that she would devise a wild rescue plan that placed her right in the center of everything. I should have had more faith that you would be able to keep her under control.”
“I fear your faith may have been misplaced.”
***
“Koran. For God’s sake. Answer, Koran.”
All she could hear was static. Damn, she hoped the communicator was water-resistant. She was keeping it out of the direct stream of water, but the bathroom was now filled with steam.
“Zoey? Are you there?” Dex’s voice was faint but there.
Zoey fell to her knees, ignoring the pain that radiated up her legs. “Dex. Oh, thank God. Koran found you. Are you all right?”
“I am well, my own. Where are you?”
“I’m still in the palace.” She had about a hundred questions running through her head, but she could tell by the tension in his voice that now wasn’t the time to ask them.
“Zoey, you must leave. Right away.” She could barely make out his words through all the static.
“I’ll leave now. Where do I meet you?” she asked as she stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, she hurriedly wrapped it around herself. “Dex?”
“We are stationed in the forest behind the palace. I will come to retrieve you.”
“No,” she said quickly. “If anyone sees you then they could alert Targos. I can move more freely than you can. Just stay there. Please. I can’t bear the idea of anything happening to you again.”
“Okay, but hu—”
His voice disappeared as the static increased. Zoey growled with frustration. Moving into the bedroom, she grabbed her bag and turned it upside down. She quickly pulled on a dark blue, one-piece jumpsuit. That would have to do.
“Boris, Giz, we’re getting out of here.” Later, she’d probably be embarrassed about getting naked in front of Boris, but right now she was in too much of a rush to care.
Thank God Dex was alive. Relief made her head spin, and she struggled to pull herself together. All she had to do was make it through the palace without interference.
Simple, right?
The communicator continued to crackle. Irritated, she turned it off. She’d try it again in a few minutes. She quickly checked that Giz and Boris were ready.
Hands shaking as adrenaline flooded her, she moved over to the door.
A heavy knock made her jump, and she froze.
There was a knock again, this time a bit more impatient.
Please be a servant. Please, please don’t be Targos.
She swung open the door. “Targos.”
Of course. Could her luck get any worse?
Targos smiled, displaying his bright, white teeth. He wore a royal blue robe made of velvet with a thick gold trim. Underneath, he had on dark pants and a shirt. He probably thought he looked charming and sophisticated, but it was all too clear that money could not buy taste.
“You look surprised to see me.” He gave her a suspicious look.
“Not at all.” Don’t let him see your fear. “I just wasn’t ready for you yet.”
He ran his gaze slowly over her body. Sweet merciful heaven, her hand itched to slap some manners into him.
Only she was pretty certain that nothing less than a personality transplant would fix him.
“Really? I think you look ravishing, my dear, or is that ready to be ravished?”
What was he talking—oh crap! Her hair was wet from the shower, and she hadn’t taken the time to dry it. Now it was lying limply against her jumpsuit, creating a nice damp patch right over her breasts. Her nipples, reacting to the chill, had hardened and were pressing against the tight cloth.
“Oh, excuse me.” A blush heated her cheeks as she brushed her damp hair over her shoulders, barely resisting the urge to cross her arms over her chest.
He stepped into the room. She jumped as the door shut behind him with an ominous click.
“Nervous?” he murmured.
“Not at all.” Act sophisticated. Act experienced. Just do the opposite of what you would normally do. “Can I get you that drink?”
She turned away, moving over to the small bar area. Grabbing two glasses, she tried to hide her shaking hands as she poured out some of the dark blue liquid. She wasn’t even sure what the damn stuff was, but she c
ould really use some Dutch courage about now. How was she going to get rid of him? More importantly, how long did she have before Dex came searching for her?
That would be disastrous.
She jolted as Targos moved up behind her, pressing his body against hers. That minty scent assaulted her nose as he leaned in, pressing his cheek against hers. He reached around and pulled the glasses from her hands, placing them down on the bar.
“D-don’t you want a drink?” she asked as he turned her, pressing her back against the bar.
“I need to work up a thirst first.” He leaned in, his intent to kiss her clear. Boris growled. Zoey crouched and ducked beneath his arm, stepping away. Crap! What was she going to do?
“Is there a problem?” He scowled, his mood spiraling from arousal to anger in a heartbeat. Targos had some serious anger issues.
“There is no rush, is there? Moments like these need to be savored.” Or repressed. Into the deep, dark recesses of her mind where they would hopefully be buried forever.
“We need ice.” He turned to Boris. “Go get us some.”
Boris just stared at him.
“Boris. You heard him.” She hated talking to him like that, but she needed him to stick to his role as her servant. Luckily, he turned and stalked out of the room.
Zoey forced herself to sit on the sofa and relax, pretending a nonchalance she definitely didn’t feel.
Targos stared at her for a long moment then he smiled, and she let out a silent sigh, staring over at the door longingly. “Forgive me for seeming uncouth. But your beauty has gone to my head.” That almost sounded charming. “And other places in my body.” And there was the sleaze ball again.
She glanced over at him, her breath catching in her throat. Oh hell no. Forcing herself to breathe once more, she sank back in her seat as he moved closer.
“Uhh, your trousers appear to have come undone.”
Honestly, she could not make this shit up. Mr. Sniffles was out and proud.
Targos took hold of his dick with his hand. “You act like you’ve never seen a rod before, my dear.”
Oh, she’d seen cocks before. Dex had an amazing one—thick, long, and delicious.