Empress Hiding

by Y. M. Roger

  Rafal felt his stomach drop and his blood pressure rise as he slammed his fist on the frame of the steering indents – that much time was irrecoverable given max speed. His beast growled intensely, putting both Hondo and Guy on edge.

  The transport lurched forward as Rafal keyed the sequence to markedly increase its speed.

  “Updated shuttle departure time based on full comp confirmation?” Rafal’s words were spoken through clenched teeth as Hondo reached over to tightly grasp his brother’s shoulder in reassurance as he held tightly to his own overhead stability bar with his other hand.

  “Ah-h-h,” slight delay while the only sound over the comm was the multiple pings on an infoboard, “Looks to be in less than ten,” there was a slight hesitation in her voice, “My lord.”

  Hondo sucked in a silent breath and silently cursed knowing there was no way on this side of godsfall they could make it to BCDS by then, but at least thankful for the loyal controller’s acknowledgement of her place in this chess game that had become his and Rafal’s lives. His eyes wandered back to Rafal’s hand – almost convinced the mark there had increased in both size and coloration since their departure from the Rafal’s compound – the fingers on said hand currently completing an identification inquiry into the owner of the voice on the other end of the comm. Hondo shook his head to clear his vision, the motion allowing Guy’s visage into his periphery only slightly but enough such that he noticed his Red Guard staring intently at something. Hondo turned his head to find Guy staring at the same thing he had been – Rafal’s hand. Only Guy wore a slight grin with a look of sheer reverence on his face. Hondo simply shook his head in disbelief this time – his Guyanni had been acting strange around Rafal ever since he had introduced the two of them – his wartrige growled in question as well.

  He turned back to Rafal to begin to console him just as Rafal accelerated their small transport to maximum.

  “Identify shuttle commander for scheduled run, Teymen Phantargrid.”

  “Commander Bahlilik Westrungis, my lord,” the voice stronger and surer at Rafal’s recognition of her rank.

  Just a small hint of relief? Intrigue? – Hondo was not quite sure – appeared on Rafal’s face.

  The small transport shuddered as it broke free of the atmosphere and the engines switched from air-breathing to internal – the additional sealing of the doors adding to the small craft’s groans.

  Rafal was finally feeling like he was regaining control of the situation –

  Do you have any idea how much I hate travel in this little bucket?

  – as he continued the comm, “Personal comm ident for the Commander?”

  Rafal felt himself almost try to grin at his beast’s question as he coded in Westrungis’ ident into the comm and snarled whisperingly to his grumbling beast, “I do not recall your preference or input regarding anything until recently,” before thanking the helpful and, apparently, loyal Teyman, “Teşekkür ederim, Teymen. Sadid off.”

  Hondo and Guy were about to respond to his whisper when he waved them off, and Hondo realized once again, his brother was actually speaking to his beast.

  Odd. . . but at least he was not yelling or angry this time. That was … something, he supposed.

  Then Westrungis’ unique voice boomed out the small dashboard speaker.

  “This had damn well better be good, Control,” Hondo’s face lit with amusement even as Rafal’s remained quite blank at first glance – until Hondo looked into his brother’s eyes to see the laughter contained there, “We are finalizing departure proce …”

  Rafal cut him off.

  “I would have you delay that departure, Commander.”

  A growl emanated through the speaker, and Guy muffled a chortle.

  “On whose authority, Control,” he bit out the words as if expecting the worst, “Do you issue su …”

  “By authority of your Prime Magistrate, Commander,” Rafal’s voice even made Hondo instinctively lean a little toward the door and away from Rafal, “You will hold that shuttle until I and my party are on board!”

  No hesitation in the response.

  “It would be an honor to do so, Prime Magistrate. I must inform you, however, that we are at full capacity. Need I remedy that or is this just a docking inspection, my Lord?”

  Well, now that is an unexpected yet welcome address – guessing he did not like that hakim either?

  Rafal simply grunted in response to his beast’s approval of the Commander’s address as he glanced over at Hondo in question – the implication clear: would a shuttle trip be acceptable?

  Hondo rolled his eyes and nodded, “I will contact Yearlan and then Dalis. I can comm Shelvana and Kilgar when we are settled, but,” Hondo caught his brother’s gaze as he glanced sideways at Guy, “You will claim her tonight, yes?”

  Rafal grinned wider than Hondo had seen in over a decade as his beast growled low in longing.

  “Aye, birader,” Rafal reached over and playfully punched his brother in the shoulder, “Not that it is any of your kahrolasi business,” Rafal smirked as he turned back to his other conversation while Hondo chuckled and keyed on his wrist comm.

  “Yes, Commander, I would have you remedy that – full suite and single adjoining,” Rafal paused.

  “Consider it done,” Westrungis’ voice was strong and sure, “Your ETA, Prime Magistrate?”

  Rafal tapped out a few entries on the datpad until finding that for which he had been searching.

  “Looks to be another fifteen,” Rafal continued tapping, “Have the DS prepare an extended storage bay for a short range multi, Commander, and send the bay ident back to me to expedite docking and boarding.”

  “Yes, my Lord. Will that be all, Prime Ma …”

  Rafal cut him off.

  “And send me your passenger manifest, Commander,” Rafal felt himself tighten inside – what if she were not …, “I am sending you the encryption code for transmission now.”

  Rafal ripped the detachable display screen from overhead and handed it over his head to Guyanni.

  “When it comes through, Teyman, find the name Chiyoto Darrè.”

  “Should be coming through now, Prime Magistrate,” the Commander paused this time, waiting for Rafal’s dismissal.

  “Thank you, Commander. See you shortly. Sadid off.”

  Rafal did not even look up as he made a few adjustments resulting in a small yet noticeable acceleration – he was determined to cut the approach time as much as mechanically possible without tearing the craft apart.

  There was a long, though not uncomfortable, interlude while Hondo continued his short notification comms with both stewards.

  Finally, Guy almost hesitantly interjected, “Apologies, my lord, is hanfendi’s name spelled with a kay or a cee?”

  Rafal growled almost threateningly – neither he nor his beast liked the implication that she might not be on that manifest. Hondo punched him affectionately in the shoulder as their gazes met – his look telling him to cool it with the threatening growls already. Rafal took a deep breath in acknowledgement.

  “With a cee, Teyman.”

  Another pause – this one even tenser as it was magnified with the fact that Hondo had finished his communications and silence reigned in the transport’s cramped interior. The stressful silence was suddenly interrupted with the startling ‘bleeps’ of an incoming transmission – all three males tried hard to mask their physical flinches in reaction to the notification. The tension continued following Rafal’s acknowledgement of the bay number forwarded by Commander Westrungis.

  The brothers almost sensed Guy whimper inwardly as he spoke up again.

  “My lord,” the Teyman took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “I am unable to find Hanfendi Chiyo …”

  In interruption, Rafal took his hands off the control panels and held them up in front of hi
s face – his eyes filling with a sense of what could best be described as child-like wonder as he growled long and low before actually chuckling.

  His skin had begun tingling again – no where near like it did when he was in close contact with his Chiyoto, but it was there.

  “Shioliyah,” Rafal whispered almost reverently under his breath as he fisted and flexed his hands – a possessive grin spreading across his face.

  His beast rumbled with anticipation.

  They are on board.

  Hondo looked at his brother as if the Crowned Prince were delirious.

  “Rafal? Did you hear Lieuten …?”

  Rafal rubbed his palms on his rough cheeks imagining his Chiyoto’s face there as he repositioned his hands on the control panels and took a deep breath.

  “Forget the list,” Rafal’s chest swelled with confidence, “My Chiyoto is on the shuttle.”

  Hondo protested.

  “What in the realm of godsfall, Rafal?” Hondo was beside himself, “Did you not hear Guyanni? I know you want her to be, but she is not on the …”

  Rafal cut him off – sharply but not confrontationally.

  “I care not what the kahrolasi manifest says, birader. My Chiyoto is onboard that waiting shuttle,” he pointed out the front viewport at the approaching docking facility, the large ICT shuttle positioned off its starboard side.

  Ignoring Hondo, Guy chimed in.

  “If Hanfendi Chiyoto is not on the manifest, my Lord,” Guy handed the display screen back up over the seat toward Rafal, “She will not be in the passenger areas for pre-flight accounting.”

  Hondo turned and shot Guy a stunned look of disbelief – as if he could not believe his usually level-headed and quite sane Tracker was supporting his temporarily insane brother.

  Because he really could not believe either of them at the moment – and he let his machine-gunning glare between the two of them illustrate that quite clearly.

  Rafal eyed the Red Guard questioningly in the rear-view strip that spanned the upper inside perimeter of the crew space, but Guyanni simply sat, impassive – his gaze meeting and never wavering from Rafal’s – as he awaited his Crowned Prince’s response.

  Rafal remembered the Teyman’s words earlier, “My life and that of my beast are yours to command.”

  I believe our genrathe senses the truth behind your markings, Rafal.

  Well, Rafal was not completely prepared to go there yet himself, but he took a deep breath and let it out.

  “Recommendations Tracker Guyanni?”

  Hondo was ready to launch with the insanity running between the two of them.

  “Rafal! Guyanni! What. The. Godsfall?! Your Chiyoto is not …”

  Guy’s gaze still held Rafal’s as he answered. “Cargo bays would have been the easiest way to by-pass check-in during loading, my lord.”

  Hondo threw up his hands and began to silently ponder the entire situation – they were both ignoring him anyway.

  “After departure, it would be quite easy to avoid detection,” Guy finished.

  Rafal nodded his head – his Chiyoto could not avoid his detection, but he would not share that right now.

  She must be enthroned, Rafal – she is too powerful to mask it completely now.

  Rafal breathed in and out to try to come to grips with his beast’s statement – he rolled his shoulders to try to drain off some of the tension as he glanced over at his Hondo.

  Hondo met his searching gaze, and their stares locked on each other. When Rafal spoke, it was even and laced with an emotion Hondo had trouble recognizing – Rafal had not been anything but determined and driven and, almost, angry in so very long …

  “I need you to trust that I know she is there, birader.”

  Suddenly, Hondo felt like a youngster again back at Tristanin when Rafal was leaving for Capital City – the steadfast love and the loyal heart of his big brother was there on display once again just as he remembered it all those years ago – ‘I need you to trust that I will always be here for you, birader.’

  Rafal’s words were so passionate and the distant memory so over-whelming that Hondo answered the same way Rafal had answered him that day.

  “Always, birader,” Hondo grabbed the same spot between Rafal’s neck and shoulder that Rafal had grabbed on him all those cycles ago, “You and me.”

  Hondo felt his wartrige rub against him inside in full agreement as a low, loving growl sounded from both it and Rafal’s beast.

  It was time to claim his mate and get everyone home where they belonged. Rafal glanced down at the growing designs on the backs of his hands and sighed in acceptance of where this was headed.

  A confrontation with his Chiyoto’s Runa.

  The kahrolasi Empress of the Bohrean Empire.

  She needs us, Rafal. They both do. Together we will convince them.

  Rafal grunted as he rolled his shoulders again – there was no other acceptable outcome.

  His beast growled heartily in agreement.

  Chapter 33

  After a good while, Tazirr finally stepped back and allowed Afacan to work the computer-based language program on her own. It was an older version of the widely used ambassadorial brand given to novices from other planets, but he and Neşeli agreed that it would work just fine for her. It surprised them both that so much of the language she had already learned in the short amount of time they had been together was learned so easily – almost as if it was just buried somewhere and bubbled to the surface with different incidents.

  Yilans were rare among Bohreans – so rare that Tazirr had been unable to find a recent recording of one on any of the family tree registrations in the last three generations of officially recorded genealogy and only a couple further back on the non-sanctioned recording sites. Their appearance was apparently Crimson bloodline – that much he had noted on one of those unauthorized sites in the fine print under one of two females four and five generations back. It was disturbing, however, that the appearance of a yilan meant that the being was institutionalized due to the danger she potentially posed to a community. It was not the cognate’s presence that was the problem – it was the beast when the cognate was absent – they were untamable and deadly with one noted incident resulting in the burning of the beast to prevent its ‘spread.’

  What the godsfall did that even mean – its spread? Tazirr shuddered at first and then became quite angry – to lock up and murder one as beautiful and as trusting as his Afacan was an outrage.

  It will never happen, my handsome brute. We will not allow it.

  Tazirr had grunted in agreement and tried to calm himself, his Neşeli rubbing inside of him in reassurance. They would move back to the outer territories, if necessary. Tazirr and Neşeli cared nothing of any of the recorded facts – none of those females had a zehirakre to dominate and to actually love the yilan – none of them had a large controlling male like Tazirr to reinforce in the cognate any conditioning that may or may not have been tried on the yilans. No, their mate would not be taken from them – no one need ever know her Kiken’s identity, if it came down to that – she belonged to them.

  They are truly ours, my Tazirr – I feel her Kiken inside of me, if that makes any sense. She is beautifully dangerous, but she is mine.

  Tazirr ran his hands up Afacan’s arms – Neşeli’s last comment regarding Kiken made perfect sense given his connection to Afacan now. He held her neck gently as he leaned over to scent her hair again – even though she smelled more like him now that they were mated, her familiar and unique scent still pacified his need for her. He ran his teeth along her scalp ending in a solid bite that nearly drew blood as he growled his happiness.

  In response, Tazirr felt her soothing and contentment brush across his mind and a delicate yet high-pitched sigh of satisfaction escaped her as she glanced up at him.

  “Tazirr h
as to work now, melek,” he tightened his grip on her neck as yanked her hair back to open her face to him for a branding kiss – she closed her eyes and opened for him.

  Tazirr felt his member stir toward readiness again, as a low growl rolled across them both from deep inside of him.

  But he smiled wickedly and slowly stood – keeping his lust in check for the moment. There was work that needed to be done.

  Tazirr tapped the vidscreen.

  “Afacan work here – you and Kiken learn words, yes?”

  They had already tried one discussion about Afacan needing to use verbal language so that she could communicate with others besides her mate – that she needed to learn to speak, too.

  Afacan’s beautiful face was engulfed in a complete body smile as her response, although verbally quite choppy, echoed across both his and Neşeli’s beings, “Kiken closed now.”

  Tazirr’s warm smile never left his face even though neither he nor Neşeli had any idea what Afacan meant with that last comment, but the vibes between them and her were nothing but positive so, he tugged her hair as he nodded in agreement.

  Afacan’s attention immediately turned back to the language program as they made their way to the other side of the dwelling.

  I do not believe it will take long, my brute – they seem very intelligent.

  Tazirr grunted as he built the fire for and began to stoke the furnace in the smithing area – a large smile taking over his visage at the thought that their mate was not only unique, but was mentally quite sharp as well. He took some time to straighten the area – it had not been truly cleaned in some time.

  Just as you had not been clean in some time, yes, my hulking brute? Neşeli rumbled with enjoyment inside of him.

  It took some time and some ignoring of Neşeli’s needling, but he finally got things quite a bit more organized than they had been before hand. Now, it was time to actually get to work.

  Tazirr looked to the wall of the blade-edge and spike-blade combination bolas he had designed as he held the beginnings of another in his hand. After standing silently in thought for a while, he made up his mind.