“I am . . . yours. I belong to you. I will do anything you say,” Karina managed to choke out.
The premier grinned in satisfaction. He walked to the bed and took off his suit jacket. “Come here.”
Karina rose and walked obediently over. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back so that she was forced to look up at him. He leered at her, licking his lips. “I’m pleased to find the female of your species so submissive. I thought I’d have to break you. Still, I will use your body tonight as it’s never been used before, making you mine so completely that you will never question me.”
He kissed Karina hard on the lips, biting her until her lip bled, then sucking on the wound. Karina thought she might vomit. With her arms behind her back, she slipped the knife from her sleeve. Although it wasn’t sharp, she had heard somewhere that if an object had enough force behind it, it would puncture skin.
With the premier still distracted by her bloodied lip and sure of his dominance, Karina raised the knife and slammed its point as hard as she could into his side. The premier screamed as it went up to its hilt into his body. Karina pulled it out and stabbed him again, this time in his lower back. She raised it to strike again, but the premier released his hold on her hair and staggered back. He stared at her in horror. The expression on her face was no longer one of submission, but of rage.
“I am an Earthling woman. No man will have dominion over me. Least of all a man like you.” Eyes blazing, Karina closed the distance between them and stabbed the knife into the side of the premier’s neck, then viciously yanked it out. Dark blue blood came gushing out of the wound, and the premier fell to the floor, gurgling as he tried to call for help. His mouth sprayed blood on her with every breath. He inhaled to scream, but choked as the blood filled his windpipe.
Karina watched impassively as he drowned in his own blood. When it was over, Karina realized she was still holding the knife. She let go and it dropped to the floor. She felt dizzy and sat down on the bed. She looked at the premier’s body lying on the floor, and the full force of what she had done hit her. She may have killed a man who was going to hurt her, but she had also killed the ruler of an entire planet. She had a feeling his subjects wouldn’t be very pleased with her. On the other hand, she was sure his many widows wouldn’t be grieving.
A noise at the door caught Karina’s attention. She had hoped she had until morning to come up with a plan for escape, but it looked as if she had run out of luck. She picked up the knife and stole softly across the room. The noise continued, a scraping sound at the lock. Karina thought it odd for a key to make that sound. Then she realized that someone was picking the lock. She could only assume that whoever it was knew he wasn’t supposed to be there, and so must not have permission to enter.
Karina decided to take a chance that the person on the other side of the door was an ally. Knife in hand just in case it wasn’t, she unlocked and threw open the door. Crouched on the floor, blinking in surprise, was Agnar. He stared up at her as she stood framed in the doorway, dressed in finery, holding a knife, covered in blood. Karina was surprised as well. She shook her head in disbelief and laughed. “Have you come to kidnap me back, Agnar?”
Agnar stood, somewhat rattled by her gory appearance. “Something like that, yes.” He pushed past her into the room, taking in the pool of blood and the dead body on the floor. He looked at her as if she were a woman gone mad. “You killed the premier?” he exclaimed.
“Something like that, yes.” Karina grabbed him by the wrist. “Shouldn’t we get going? I don’t want to be here come morning.”
Agnar snorted. “I should say not. You won’t get a good reception.” He grasped her wrist in return, pulling her out of the room and through a maze of corridors. One final door and they were outside.
Karina picked up her skirts and followed Agnar at a run across the lawn and into the trees. The woods became denser the farther in they went, until they finally arrived at a clearing where Agnar’s ship gleamed in the moonlight. They hastily boarded and ran to the bridge. Agnar took off as quickly as possible and headed into space. Karina held on to a rail, her knuckles turning white as she watched the planet get smaller on the rear viewscreen. She breathed easier as they continued their retreat, until the planet wasn’t even a dot on the screen. She sighed in relief and sat down in the captain’s chair.
Agnar set the ship on autopilot and turned the pilot’s chair to face Karina. He folded his arms across his chest and gazed at her sternly. Karina suddenly found herself feeling like a little kid who’s been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She looked everywhere but at Agnar.
“Karina.” She glanced at his face for a moment but didn’t answer. He tried again. “Karina. Look at me.” She looked at him, holding her chin high as if daring him to reprimand her. She sat in the captain’s chair, dressed to the nines and covered in blood. Agnar had never been so attracted to or amused by a woman as he was now. The corner of his mouth lifted and a chuckle escaped. Karina stared at him in confusion. He laughed outright. “What am I going to do with you? I have never in my long life met a woman who was so much trouble, or worth so much trouble as you.”
Karina raised an eyebrow at the insulting compliment. Agnar laughed again as he rose from his seat. In two quick strides he reached her and lifted her up out of the chair, kissing her soundly. Karina lost her breath at the passion in the kiss. He stopped and looked at her, their faces close and their breaths rapid. Her blue eyes gazed into his, and he felt as if he were losing himself. He leaned forward and kissed her again, this time softly, sweetly. This time, she returned the kiss. His lips parted in surprise, and she slid her tongue into his mouth, kissing him passionately. When they parted once more, Agnar lifted Karina into his arms, cradling her. He cleared his throat, staring into her eyes. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to do . . .”
Karina stared back unashamedly and whispered, “Then do it.”
Agnar grinned and carried her toward the door. He almost dropped her when the proximity alarm sounded, startling him. He growled in frustration and set Karina down. She moved to the navigation console and plopped down in the chair, twirling it around to face the forward viewscreen. From this position she wouldn’t be visible to anyone who connected, but she would be able to see them.
A Bitowan cruiser filled the starboard viewscreen. Agnar was caught by surprise, since he had been expecting a chase ship from Raffort Prime. He looked at Karina, who stared expectantly at the forward viewscreen. They must have come for her. His heart broke at the thought of losing her so soon after she was about to give herself to him, but he knew if she wanted to leave, he’d let her go. His heart was her captive now. He stopped the ship, opened communications, sat down comfortably in the captain’s chair, and waited for the inevitable call.
* * *
Caman headed to the premier’s rooms early that morning. It was his job to deal with the premier’s new brides after their wedding night. The women invariably suffered from cuts and bruises, and sometimes even broken bones. From what Equaria had told him of Karina, he expected the worst. He hoped the premier hadn’t hurt her too badly. As Caman approached the premier’s bedroom door, he noticed it was ajar. Finding that odd, he paused for a moment before entering.
Caman shook off the sudden feeling of foreboding that flooded over him. He quietly entered the room. The curtains were open, and the morning sunlight reflected off a pool of blood. The premier’s body lay sprawled in the center of it, eyes wide in death. Caman froze in shock for only a moment before he recovered his senses and quickly shut the door behind him. He locked it to ensure no one else would enter. His heart beat faster, not in fear, but in excitement. He stooped and ran his finger through the blood on the floor. His unique biology allowed his body to take in the premier’s DNA and process it. Within seconds he wore the premier’s face. He smiled with the premier’s mouth.
Caman surveyed the mess on the floor. Taking a breath, he waded into the blood and took hold of t
he premier’s wrists, dragging him across the floor to the fireplace. The mantel was well above Caman’s head, and the hearth wide enough to place the premier’s body into it. Caman piled wood around the corpse and set fire to it, then stood back and watched it burn. The skin bubbled, and soon the smell of roasting meat filled the room. Caman kept the windows closed, forcing the scent to waft out the chimney. With zenothar already roasting for breakfast, the two aromas should intermingle above the house, and keep the rest of the household unaware of the burning body.
He turned his attention to the bloody floor. The blood pooled on the extravagant tile. Caman was glad the premier had insisted on this tile despite its cost. Its nonporous nature would make it easy to clean. He removed his shirt and used it to mop up the blood. He made several trips to the bathroom to rinse it out, reusing it until the floor was clean. Then he threw it on the fire. He undressed, setting each piece of his clothing on the fire. Then he showered to wash off the blood.
Once Caman was clean and dry, he moved to the closet and opened it. He ran his fingers over the rich fabric of the premier’s clothing and smiled. Choosing an outfit, he dressed and went to the fireplace. Only a charred skeleton remained. Caman stoked the fire and added wood to increase the heat. He couldn’t leave the room until there wasn’t any trace of the body. He looked around for something to accelerate the fire. An open bottle of wine and two glasses stood on a serving tray on the dresser. Next to it a plate overflowed with scrumptious delicacies from all over the planet.
Caman grimaced. The premier’s technique for wooing his new wives included subdue and seduce, in that order. He had wondered what kind of woman allowed herself to be seduced by someone who forced her to be submissive. The corner of his mouth lifted as he thought about the Earthling. At least he knew now what kind of woman didn’t allow seduction to follow abuse.
He grabbed the bottle by its neck and took it to the fire, dumping the entire contents on the flames. The fire jumped and the heat increased, forcing Caman to take a step back and shield his eyes. He read the label on the bottle, impressed. Good wine!
A servant knocked on the door. “Your magnificence, may I come in?”
Caman looked back to the fire. The bones crumbled as the flames roared, but they were still mostly intact. He needed a little more time. “Come back later. I wish to rest a bit longer,” he said loudly.
“As you wish.” The servant’s footsteps faded as he retreated down the corridor.
Caman’s stomach rumbled. He went to the tray and helped himself to the food. He closed his eyes as the flavors erupted in his mouth. The servants never ate like this! He lounged on the bed as he ate his fill, watching the fire burn. After awhile only ash and charred logs remained. He rose and went to the chamber door, unlocking it. He stepped outside, remembering to walk regally, as if he owned everything. Then it struck him. He did own everything! And he could do anything! He grinned as he strode purposefully down the hall. He had some changes to make.
* * *
Sharra’s spies had discovered that Agnar’s ship was seen heading to the Kytor System. It wasn’t really difficult to find or track his ship, as it was unique and had once been hers. Tresar and Flavoi immediately joined Rathor and his crew to go and rescue Karina. As they entered the system, they kept a constant surveillance on Agnar’s ship. They watched as his ship’s signal joined with Raffort Prime, then left it, then turned around and returned to the planet. Rathor was confused. “What is he doing?”
“Maybe he forgot something,” Flavoi quipped.
Rathor looked thoughtful. “Maybe. At least he is giving us time to reach him. His ship is faster than ours, so the more stops he makes, the more likely it is that we will catch up with him.”
Rathor’s ship had almost reached the planet when Agnar’s ship left it at high speed, heading right toward them. Tresar couldn’t believe their luck. They watched as his ship slowed, setting an almost leisurely pace back toward the more populated area of the galaxy. As they moved to intercept, Agnar’s ship came to a halt in front of them. Rathor ordered a stop as well. He scanned Agnar’s ship.
“If she’s wearing the necklace I gave her, you won’t get a reading,” Tresar said.
Rathor looked up from his console. “Then she is not wearing the necklace. She is one of two people on board that ship. The other is a Yalsan.”
Tresar’s tone was venomous. “Agnar.”
“It could be one of his crew,” Flavoi interjected.
Tresar’s eyes narrowed at the ship on the viewscreen. He shook his head. “No, it’s Agnar. I know it.”
“Let’s find out.” Flavoi moved to the communication console and opened a connection to the other ship. Agnar’s grinning face filled the screen.
“Hello, boys. Did you miss me? You must have if you went to all this trouble to track me down.” Agnar grinned at the group of Bitowans on his screen, belatedly noticing the two Yalsans with them. “Tresar! Flavoi! I see you fellows managed to leave the loving embrace of our countrymen. Good for you!”
Tresar glowered at the unrepentant pirate. “Did you lose another crew, Agnar? I hope their loss wasn’t as brutal as the crew before them.”
Agnar’s cheery demeanor turned dark. “I wouldn’t bring that up, Tresar. I lost good men at Bitowa. You lost only possessions.”
“We want Karina,” Flavoi interrupted. “Hand her over now.”
“We know you’re holding her captive. Let her go! Or I swear I’ll chase you to the edge of the galaxy and beyond.” Tresar was shaking and spitting his words, he was so angry.
Agnar contemplated Tresar. He understood this man. If Agnar gave him what he wanted, he would no longer want it. “Karina is free to leave whenever she wants. She isn’t my prisoner anymore.” He gestured to someone off-screen. “Karina, your friends have come for you. Would you like to go with them?”
Karina stared at Agnar in shock for a moment. Was he serious about freeing her? He nodded at her in answer to her unasked question. Karina stood up and moved into view of the screen.
“Tresar! Flavoi! It’s good to see you!” At the sight of her Tresar turned white and Flavoi’s jaw dropped. Karina felt confused at their less than happy reaction to seeing her. “What’s the matter?”
Tresar was the first to recover. “You’re covered in blood!” His tone became accusing. “What did you do?”
Karina had forgotten about her gory appearance in her joy at seeing her two friends. She looked down at her dress, smoothing the front of the skirt where the drying blood was stiffening the fabric. “Oh. This. I . . .” She trailed off, not knowing how to tell Tresar about her cold-blooded killing of the premier. She remembered too well how he had reacted to her story of the man she had tortured and killed on Earth.
“That’s a Raffortian wedding gown!” Flavoi exclaimed.
Tresar managed to turn even whiter. “What did you do?” His hands ached as he gripped the railing in front of him. He almost didn’t want her to answer. He was afraid she might say that she murdered the groom.
Agnar had been silent while watching the conversation between Karina and her friends. He interrupted, not sugar-coating the answer. “She killed Premier Bartholos on the eve of her marriage to him. Would you like to offer your condolences to his many widows?”
Tresar nearly choked at Agnar’s reply. He looked at Karina as if she had grown another head.
“Tresar!” Karina’s cry was flooded with anguish. “I swear it was in self-defense!”
Tresar’s eyes held Karina’s as he asked the question she dreaded to answer. “Was he trying to kill you?”
“No, but he was going to hurt me very badly.” Karina pleaded with her eyes for Tresar to understand. Looking into his eyes, she knew he didn’t.
Tresar turned away and walked out of view. “No.” His off-screen reply was almost inaudible. “We don’t rescue murderers.”
Flavoi was arguing with Rathor. “We came to rescue her, so let’s just get her and go.”
R
athor shook his head. “Tresar is right. She will be a wanted woman. She did not just murder her husband; she assassinated the ruler of Raffort Prime. We cannot take her now, or we will be considered accomplices.”
Flavoi looked at Karina apologetically. “I’m sorry. I hope we see each other again someday.” Rathor leaned over him and disconnected the call. Karina watched as the Bitowan ship turned and left. She couldn’t believe it. She sank down into the frills of her skirt until she sat on the floor. She shook her head back and forth in disbelief.
Agnar cleared his throat to remind her of his presence. She looked up at him, blue eyes dry. “That fucking asshole. He’s supposed to be my friend.” Karina integrated the English swear words into her Yalsan sentence.
Agnar laughed at this unexpected response to Tresar’s rejection. He went over and helped her up. “Maybe you should go get cleaned up before anyone else calls. Then you won’t have to explain what you’ve done.”
“Don’t you want to be rid of me too?” she asked him.
Agnar smiled at her. “The most notorious pirate in four quadrants never allows a damsel in distress to be rescued from him by her friends. That would ruin his reputation.”
Karina looked sideways at him, smirking. “Don’t you mean the most notorious pirate in three quadrants?”
Agnar laughed. “I’m too well known in the three quadrants, and now that I’m the accomplice of the woman who assassinated the Premier of Raffort Prime, I thought I’d go see what the Fourth Quadrant has to offer. I’m sure I’ll be notorious in that quadrant in no time at all.” He held out his hand to her. “And since your friends have abandoned you to the most notorious pirate in the universe, maybe you would consider him as a new friend?” Agnar waited, watching Karina intently to gauge her reaction to his offer of friendship. She hesitated, unsure of him. He continued, trying to put her at ease. “You are welcome to stay here or I can drop you off at any planet of your choice. I was serious when I said you are no longer my prisoner.”
The Face of Earth Page 24