Consort

by Cyndi Friberg

  Their world might be bleak and lonely, but there was no place for them in the world above.

  With an infuriated hiss, he stormed from his chamber and hurried toward the Council of Elders’ meeting room. He had to protect Bemzire from his own foolishness. A guard announced him then motioned him inside. The table, like the room itself, was perfectly square. Each elder represented a geographical region, north, south, east, and west. They sat facing each other, their regions at their back.

  “What can we do for you, Varrik?” Elder North asked.

  Varrik waited for the guard to shut the door before he spoke. “Bemzire’s female is scheduled for release tomorrow. He is planning to escape with her tonight.”

  The elders exchanged pleased glances, then Elder North stood. “Why have you chosen to warn us?”

  “I honor the ancient customs. The laws are designed to protect us all.” He squared his shoulders and added, “Despite his misguided notions, Bemzire is my friend. I would rather not see him sacrificed because of this woman.”

  Elder North rounded the table and clasped Varrik’s shoulder. “We have waited many cycles for Vade’s strength to be revealed. We feared your brother’s influence had poisoned your mind. This is encouraging, very encouraging indeed.”

  Chapter One

  Echo dar Aune stood in the shadow of a massive storax tree. Long, slender branches draped the ground and trailed in the water of Mystic Brook. Twilight had deepened the lavender-tinted sky, turning it a shade between purple and gray. Fluffy pink clouds floated toward the horizon as intar larks sang out in the peaceful haze.

  Drawing in a deep breath of cool, clear air, Echo savored the solitude. This had been the longest week of her life. It wasn’t every day a member of the Royal House of Aune got married, and to add mayhem to complication, Crystal had joined with a Bilarrian prince.

  Relatives and dignitaries from all over the star system had descended on Mystic Valley. Uncle Trey had insisted they combine the firepower of his special forces with the protection of the Mystic shields. Knowing he would demand nothing less if one of his daughters were getting married, her father, Head Master Tal, agreed to host the festivities. Only those with Mystic abilities were allowed inside the Conservatory, but the elegant visitors’ center was large enough for the event.

  “Is he here yet?”

  Echo smiled at the anticipation in her sister’s tone. “Soon,” she whispered, not bothering to turn around. She could picture E’Lanna’s flushed cheeks and luminous gaze. The dreamy expression had seldom left her face since Zane cet Malaque rotated onto their security contingent. “Do you think they do it intentionally?”

  “Does who do what intentionally?”

  “Do young, physically attractive men apply to be our bodyguards?”

  “They haven’t all been gorgeous like Zane. Think about Leor. He was older than Father, and no one would mistake him for handsome.”

  “True, but his partner was Taminish.”

  “It doesn’t matter what they look like. They’re sworn to protect, not satisfy, us.” E’Lanna glanced into the distance and clasped her hands in front of her, the epitome of propriety and decorum. Echo wasn’t fooled by the pose. E’Lanna’s nature was every bit as passionate as her own.

  “The things I learned from Taminish had nothing to do with safety.” Wistfulness took over her voice as her mind filled with memories. Sensual exploration and youthful exuberance had driven each encounter. What he’d lacked in finesse, he’d made up for with enthusiasm. She would always think of Taminish with a smile.

  She turned toward E’Lanna and found her twin staring back at her. The identical purple gowns they’d worn for their cousin’s wedding accented the similarity of their features. On any other day, Echo would have chosen clothing vastly different from E’Lanna’s. Their golden-brown hair and smoky-violet eyes made them hard to tell apart. Still, the novelty of being mistaken for one another had worn off cycles ago.

  “What about Kiel?” E’Lanna’s brow arched in challenge. “He was reassigned two cycles ago. Surely you can tell me now. How far did you allow things to go? I know you didn’t let Taminish do more than play, but what about Kiel?”

  “A lady never tells.” Echo hid her guilty smile by motioning over E’Lanna’s shoulder. “Our newest bodyguard approaches.”

  They’d planned their escape all evening. Echo waited until the party was in full swing, then sneaked away into the verdant meadow, still within the Mystic shields. Using Echo’s disappearance as an excuse, E’Lanna went to search for her sister. Last, Zane abandoned the festivities to investigate the location of the twins. The ruse wouldn’t keep the other guards away for long. Echo intended to distract them while E’Lanna and Zane enjoyed the romantic setting.

  A flicker of light drew her attention across the brook. Her heart lurched then resumed its steady rhythm. She squinted into the setting sun and scanned with her mind as well as her eyes. Had someone else decided to escape the ruckus hall? A line of lush trees marched toward the meditation gardens, which butted up against the practice yard. She saw nothing out of place and sensed no danger. So what had caught her eye?

  “Thanks for this.” E’Lanna kissed her cheek then wrapped her arm around Zane’s lean waist. “We only have a few more weeks before Zane is scheduled for reassignment.”

  Uncle Trey claimed the rotation kept a balance of experience and fresh perspective on the security team. Echo suspected the practice was also meant to keep the men from developing personal feelings for the women in their charge. As their reminiscence proved, the strategy wasn’t entirely successful.

  “Don’t be too long,” she cautioned. “Even I can’t confuse them forever.”

  Smoldering heat and sensual hunger flowed through Echo’s mind as Zane swept E’Lanna into his arms. Echo hurried along the grassy riverbank, leaving the lovers alone in the dark. The intensity of her sister’s emotions drew Echo deeper into the meld. She saw Zane’s handsome face and his blacker-than-night eyes. Saw the tenderness and desire alight in his smoldering gaze. Felt his hand glide across E’Lanna’s shoulder and dip inside her gown to cup her breast. E’Lanna sighed, pressing into his touch, wanting more than a few stolen kisses.

  With concentrated effort, Echo eased out of her sister’s mind and shielded her end of the link. She collided with Lor dar Joon and gasped. His large hands clasped her upper arms, steadying her until she regained her footing.

  “Your face is flushed and your expression is dreamy.” A knowing smile parted his lips. “Either you were having very naughty thoughts, or E’Lanna is with Zane—again.”

  Lor had been her father’s apprentice until he completed his training four cycles ago. Echo had spent half her childhood enamored with him, yet she had come to think of him as a close friend by the time she saw male appreciation in his eyes. Her mother, High Queen Charlotte, would doubtlessly welcome a match between them. The House of Joon had resented the House of Aune for centuries. The hostilities escalated with frustrating regularity, despite Charlotte’s best efforts to establish lasting peace.

  “Did Father send you after me?” She smoothed the heavily embroidered material of her bodice against her ribs, her senses still humming. Strolling to a nearby tree, she leaned against the trunk, needing the stability at her back. Her teasing tastes of passion had never produced the sort of emotions E’Lanna enjoyed with Zane.

  Lor moved closer, the wind playing through his curly blond hair. “As a matter of fact, he did. You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

  “I’m not alone.” She glanced up at him and offered her best flirtatious smile. “I have you to protect me.”

  He placed his hands on either side of her shoulders, his turquoise gaze searching her face. “What makes you think you’re safe with me?”

  “You would never do anything to displease Father.” A note of disappointment bled through in her tone.

  “Unlike Zane?” He brushed her cheek with his knuckles then reluctantly stepped back. “Are they
out here, or were you entertaining wicked thoughts?”

  “I was enjoying the sunset,” she claimed with innocent bravado.

  “But you’d rather be enjoying passionate kisses and bold caresses?” A strand of her hair flitted against her check. He tucked it behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her skin. “Will you stop moping if I kiss you?”

  “I am not moping!” She averted her gaze. Lor was handsome and experienced, intelligent and kind. She had often wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. With a deep chuckle, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his mouth over hers. She wrapped her arms around his back and parted her lips, waiting for the first brush of his tongue.

  He took his time, nibbling at her lips and tracing her mouth with the tip of his tongue. When he finally delved into her mouth, she was panting and restless. His tongue stroked hers, traced her teeth, then stroked hers some more. She waited for the knee-melting heat, the rush of tingling fire E’Lanna felt each time Zane kissed her. Lor’s mouth was warm, his body strong, but the kiss was no more than pleasant.

  Some unseen force slammed Lor forward, knocking Echo against the tree. She yelped. He groaned then sank to his knees. He was jarred sideways and flipped onto his stomach. He went wild, kicking and thrashing as unseen hands restrained him. Echo screamed, reaching out with her mind. Lor bucked and heaved against the ground. Fire erupted around him, triggered by his pyrokinetic gift.

  E’Lanna’s mind reflected Echo’s fear. Was the same thing happening to E’Lanna or was she reacting to Echo’s terror? Lor’s hands were trapped beneath him, while the grass around him sizzled. Did the assailants know he could throw fire?

  She was dragged away from the tree, her attackers vague distortions against the coming night. Invisible arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight against a tangible body. They were real. She just couldn’t see them.

  E’Lanna’s emotions prevented Echo from reaching farther. She screamed again, but they were far from the visitors’ hall.

  Sound swelled, building from a distant buzz to a deafening roar as a transport conduit swallowed her whole. Light blinded her, then oppressive darkness closed in, compressing her chest and weighting her limbs. She trembled in her captor’s arms, lacking the breath to speak, much less fight.

  The pressure eased, but the darkness remained. She blinked rapidly, struggling to bring anything into focus. Hands pushed her to her knees, and a gruff voice activated a row of firestones set high in the barren walls.

  Light flashed again, and E’Lanna appeared, trapped between two burly men. She was forced to her knees beside Echo.

  Are you hurt? Echo sent the question directly to E’Lanna’s mind.

  No. Are you? E’Lanna covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking.

  Don’t speak out loud, and don’t react to my thoughts.

  One of the villains materialized in front of E’Lanna. Tall and lean, with rawboned features and fierce eyes, he took E’Lanna’s chin and forced her to raise her face. “Which one are you?”

  Don’t answer him!

  His dark head whipped around, and his gaze collided with Echo’s. Pitch black, his pupils and irises were separated by an intense blue ring. Blue strands threaded through his long black hair. Rodyte! They’d been kidnapped by the Rodytes.

  “I can sense telepathic communication.” He strolled toward her, his expression insolent. “If you have something to say, say it out loud.”

  She raised her chin and looked away, her lips pressed into a mutinous line.

  Warm and unexpected, his deep, rumbling laughter rolled across her senses. He curved his fingers around her chin and turned her head until she looked into his eyes.

  “Hello, Echo. Silence can’t disguise that fiery temper.” He motioned toward E’Lanna without taking his gaze from Echo’s face. “Take that one to a holding cell.”

  “No!” The word burst from Echo before she could stop the impulse.

  He arched one dark brow and pulled her to her feet. “Are you volunteering to take her place? I hadn’t expected you to be so eager.”

  Echo, don’t. At least I know what to expect. I won’t let this beast be your first.

  Before she could correct E’Lanna’s misconception, their captor spoke again. With his hands still encircling Echo’s upper arms, he looked at E’Lanna. “If we hadn’t arrived when we did, some blond Mystic would have been her first. She was all but begging him to take her when we found them in the moonlight.”

  Echo gasped. He couldn’t just sense telepathic communication, he could hear every word.

  “E’Lanna can’t be mounted until after she bleeds again. Pass the word. No one is to touch her.”

  Echo felt the blood drain from her face. They wanted to make sure E’Lanna wasn’t pregnant before they “mounted” her? That meant they intended to keep them for weeks, perhaps longer. Echo couldn’t succumb to the terror surging through her mind. She had to think, strategize. Where were they? Why had they been taken? The last question sent a shudder down her spine. Why was pretty damn obvious: They were here to be “mounted.”

  E’Lanna was dragged from the room by two of the men who had abducted her. Could all of them create invisibility shields?

  “Let’s go.” The leader nodded toward the doorway.

  Echo laughed. Let’s not. It was irrational to think she was going to stroll off to his bedchamber to be raped. He didn’t react to her laughter or the accompanying thought. Apparently it was only telepathic transmissions he could intercept.

  “You’re going to be a lot more trouble than your sister, aren’t you?”

  “You have no idea.”

  Varrik carried Echo to his bedchamber, slung over his shoulder. She kicked and squirmed, arched and pounded on his back. He found the hem of her gown and pushed his hand up under her skirt, smacking her pampered ass as hard as the position allowed. She yelped then went perfectly still. The stunned silence only lasted a moment, then her fight renewed with increased verve. She might be all fight and fire, but she was still a spoiled brat.

  “Where are we?” Despite her breathless tone, she managed to make it sound like a demand.

  “You could have looked around if you had behaved.”

  Her exasperated cry turned heads in the sparring area. He just smiled and kept on walking. All this bluster would blow itself out soon enough. She threw herself sideways so forcefully, he lost his footing and they landed in a heap of tangled limbs and billowy skirts.

  She swung at him. He caught her wrist and growled in warning. Laughter erupted all around them, but he kept his gaze on her. Couldn’t she have waited until they were in his room before she pitched her fit? He shook his head. This was going to be interesting.

  “Mounting a virgin is an occasion to be shared according to the ancient customs.” He spoke in a quiet, menacing tone. “If I chose to follow the custom, you would be stripped naked and bound between two poles, with everyone looking on. I would select three of my trusted friends to verify your virginity. Think about it, Princess. How would they do that?”

  “It wouldn’t be any different than what you have planned.” She tugged against his hand, but a bit of the fire had left her eyes.

  “They would touch you and put their fingers inside you, while all the others watched.”

  “Go to hell.” Her gaze darted around the room, her breasts quivering with each ragged breath.

  “After all three had finished fingering you, I’d let them touch your breasts. They’d stroke you and suck on your nipples, while I made sure you were nice and wet.”

  “You’re wasting your time. I’m not listening.” She stared past him into nothingness.

  “I’d kneel down and lick your pussy. I’d use my tongue and my lips and my teeth until you screamed in pleasure. I’d keep at it until you came, no matter how long it took.”

  “Stop it.”

  “Then I’d work two fingers into your tight little hole and carefully stretch you, make you ready for my—”


  “Shut up!” Jerking her arm out of his grasp, she tried to scurry away, but he was sitting on her skirt.

  “When your cream covered my hand and ran down your thighs, I’d pick you up and wrap those long legs around my waist.”

  “Do it, Commander!” someone called out.

  “Is she really a virgin?” asked another.

  “It’s not the most comfortable position for a virgin, but my men would sure as hell enjoy the show.”

  “You bastard,” she whispered.

  He stared into her eyes and asked, “Shall we go to my room now, or would you like to explore the ancient customs?” She refused his help as she stood. He forced himself not to smile. Fearing him would serve her better in the long run. Shoulders squared, head held high, she walked beside him the rest of the way.

  Her assessing gaze swept their surroundings. She paused at each corner and took in as much of the maze as she could. “Where are the holding cells?”

  “I might take you there in a day or two, if you follow my directives.”

  She didn’t respond to the offer. “Is the entire complex underground?”

  He didn’t respond to her question. “Next door on your right.” Pushing the door open, he motioned her inside.

  After looking up and down the corridor, she stepped into the room. “Are your women kept separate from your men?”

  “In a way.” He locked the door and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Was there a faster way to determine pregnancy? The other sister would doubtlessly be easier to control. But that would subject Echo to the lottery. Most of his men understood that seduction was more beneficial than force, especially when the woman would be around for a cycle or longer. Still, many didn’t have the patience for Echo’s temper.

  Which left her to him.

  “Take down your hair.”

  “I’d rather not. Thanks for the suggestion.”