Men of Anderas II: Dak the Protector

by Cheryl Johnson

  The soft whoosh of the cabin door opening put an instant end to her useless regrets. Everything about the man standing just inside the cabin was dark and cold. There wasn’t an ounce of excess weight on his tall, lean body but his attitude, more than anything physical, set him apart. Muscles worked in the square jaw while his nostrils flared repeatedly. He reminded her of the large black cats that lived high in the mountains near her home. Once he caught the scent, nothing would stop him from seeking his prey. A natural-born hunter.

  His measured stare skimmed over each passenger in the cabin but she doubted he missed the smallest detail about anyone in the room. When his gaze reached the corner where she and Dak sat, Kierin quickly looked down. Not by so much as a flick of an eyelash did his expression change, but her finely honed sense of survival kicked into full alert. He recognized her. She knew it. There was nowhere to run even if she had time to escape. All of her grand plans for Dak withered in the face of this nameless adversary. After twenty years of hiding, it seemed somehow ignoble to die in a cheap cabin aboard a rundown transport craft.

  Pulling her dignity around her like a warm blanket, Kierin straightened in the seat. She would not disgrace herself--or the memory of her family.

  “I truly am sorry, Dak,” she whispered. With his back to the door, he wasn’t aware of this new danger. The familiar lifting of one eyebrow at her statement brought a bittersweet smile and an unfamiliar sting of tears.

  “There you are. You didn’t tell me our seats were in the baggage bins. I got tired of waiting for you in the dining chamber. Figured I better locate my seat before our next stop.”

  Kierin stared in open-mouthed shock when the stranger settled into the seat beside Dak. He was acting like a lifelong friend instead of a bounty hunter. Risking a quick glance at Dak, Kierin stalled before she was forced to respond to the unusual man. Before she could form two coherent thoughts in a row, the stranger leaned over and reached for the food basket in the seat beside her

  “Relax, Lady Kierin,” his rough voice, unexpectedly soothing, carried no farther than their tiny area. “I know who you are and you’re safe with me. There’s a couple of Phantom Riders upstairs but I don’t think they’re looking for you.

  “This smells great. When do we eat?” His voice rose to normal levels as he dug into the food.

  “Who are you?” Kierin winced at the sound of her own desperation. He knows who I am!

  Shifting the basket to the seat beside Dak, the stranger settled himself in the empty seat.

  “I hate sitting with my back to a door.” Dropping his voice back to the soft tones only she could hear, he murmured softly. “My name is Talon. I’m an assassin.”

  Kierin gasped and struggled against the light-headed warning she was about to faint. Assassin! By the Goddess Jovena he’s a bounty hunter! How ironic! Only in this end of the galaxy was assassin an honorable profession! Clutching her amulet tightly, she fought the flood of desperation, forcing her mind to clear. She had to think. Phantom Riders upstairs and an assassin here. It can’t end like this. Not yet. The Goddess of Goodness and Light couldn’t allow her death before she found a way to stop Draagon. She was the only one who stood between his evil and the rest of the known universe. If she died now there would be nothing and no one capable of controlling Draagon’s insane drive to rule the galaxy.

  A low-pitched, rumbling growl jerked Kierin’s attention from the green-eyed stare of the bounty hunter to Dak. His face showed no more emotion than it had since she placed the stone around his neck, but his eyes blazed with intent. Another rumbling warning echoed around them and she found herself lifted from her seat and placed in Dak’s. Dak now occupied her position next to the bounty hunter. His movements were so swift and smooth; she had no time to wonder how he managed to react past the control of the stone he wore.

  “I mean your lady no harm,” the stranger quickly assured Dak. “If my intent was to kill her, she wouldn’t have made it off her own world.”

  Dak continued to stare at the man who threatened Kierin until the truth of his words registered in his cold stare. Allowing himself to relax slightly, he glanced at Kierin’s pale face and haunted expression. Another wave of rage ripped through his brain. This stranger had no idea how lucky he was that Dak couldn’t act on his emotions. In another time, another place, the bastard would never get the chance to frighten a woman--especially his little crystal witch.

  “Explain yourself.” Dak’s soft voice carried all the authority his years of training and leadership gave him.

  Glancing around the cabin before answering, the assassin met Dak’s gaze. “There are too many ears here. I give you my word that I’m not after the Lady Kierin. While the bounty on her head would keep a small country solvent for several years, I’m after the man who’s putting up the money. I want Draagon.”

  For the first time since he realized the full effect of the rock around his neck, Dak thanked the Ancient Prophets for help in controlling his expression. Glancing again at Kierin, he noticed her heightened color and the guilty look in her eyes. Bounty? Just what secrets are you hiding, little witch?

  “… and we’ll soon dock at the transfer station.”

  He focused his attention on the stranger again, calming the demand for answers screaming through his brain with a promise of later.

  “Most of these passengers look like miners. My guess is they’ll leave at the transfer dock. There’s not usually much traffic on this outbound flight. If we stay below deck I don’t think the Phantom Riders will know we’re here.”

  For whatever reason, Dak’s instincts were to trust this man. He just prayed he was right. The consequences would be deadly--to all of them.

  With a short nod, Dak agreed. “I look forward to your story … Talon?” When the assassin acknowledged his use of his name, Dak continued. “My name is Dak. Lord Beldon Dak of Falcon Tor on the planet Anderas and this,” he indicated Kierin with a tip of his head, “is Lady Kierin.”

  “Peace to you, Beldon Dak. It appears we both have some interesting stories to tell. I’m especially curious to hear how an Anderan peer managed to find his way to this side of the galaxy and in the company of a crystal witch.”

  Dak saw the sparkle of amusement that briefly lit Talon’s eyes and responded to it.

  “It’s a long story,” Dak’s wry drawl brought a short bark of laughter from the other man.

  “Then I suggest we get some rest. We’re still several hours from the transfer dock. Those Phantom Riders upstairs were trying hard to get as drunk as possible as quickly as possible. It should be safe enough to relax, but we can take shifts if you prefer.”

  “Lady Kierin will have to answer that. My directives must come from her.” Dak prayed she’d understand his statement. He didn’t know Talon well enough to entrust him with the true limitations of his abilities. With Kierin’s crystal around his neck, he was virtually helpless unless she gave him orders. Her safety, as well as his own, depended on her answer. It took long, agonizing seconds before she nodded and he released the breath he’d been holding.

  “Very well,” Kierin muttered. “Dak, do whatever you must to guarantee our safety--as long as you don’t remove the amulet.”

  “I’ll take the first watch,” Dak shifted his concentration to Talon. “I’ve done nothing but rest for the past two days.”

  With a knowing grin, Talon settled his long frame into the cramped space, resting his feet in the seat beside Kierin. With no other place to stretch his legs, Dak spread his knees and captured Kierin’s legs between his. He grinned when she blushed and closed her eyes to hide from him.

  Sleep, little witch. Hide your secrets while you still can. I’ll have some answers soon. I just pray Talon doesn’t wait for me to ask the questions.

  Dak waited until Kierin’s breathing evened out before turning his attention to Talon and the unusual events of the past few minutes. He didn’t understand his reaction to Kierin’s distress. Only the rock around his neck kept him from kill
ing Talon. Kierin’s grip on her own crystal projected all of her fears into his mind. Even her calm acceptance of death came through loud and clear. There was a bounty on her head, a large one if Talon was to be believed.

  You’re no criminal, Kierin. I’d stake my life on it. So what’s the real story? You said you were sorry. Sorry for what? For buying me? For enslaving me with this rock? Or is it something else? Something more sinister? Something dangerous to both of us? Is this the reason you needed to buy a slave? Someone from so far away from your home that he wouldn’t know why you were hunted? Do you need my protection, little witch?

  I touched her again. Just reached out and grabbed her away from Talon’s threat. How? Is the crystal losing its power? Is it only when I’m threatened? Or Kierin? What makes the difference? I even talked to Talon before he asked a question. How? By all the Ancient Prophets, I grow weary of these endless questions.

  He spent the next several hours following each line of reasoning, trying to find the common thread. There had to be a reason and the sooner he figured it out the sooner he’d be on his way home.

  Chapter Five

  Talon woke up as quickly as he went to sleep. "You didn’t wake me for my turn at watch,” his low pitched voice barely reached Dak’s ears.

  “Like I said,” Dak replied with a careless shrug, “I’ve spent most of the past two days sleeping.” He wasn’t about to admit than he didn’t completely trust him. Instincts aside, Talon was still a stranger. A stranger who knew secrets about Kierin. Secrets he intended to learn. “She called you a bounty hunter and an assassin. Which are you?”

  “Both. I’m more bounty hunter than assassin but if the target is truly evil according to the law, I don’t have a problem with killing. Some of the less scrupulous members of my profession have blurred the line between the two.

  “From the sound of the engines, I’d say we’re getting close to the transfer dock.” Talon stretched before turning his attention back to Dak. “We just may survive another day.”

  “Is she really in that much danger?” Dak asked with a glance at the sleeping crystal witch. Her hair had come unbound while she slept and now lay like a snowy white blanket over her shoulders to pool in her lap and around her hips like liquid silk. He rubbed his palms against the course weave of his pants to keep from burying his hands in all that softness.

  “More than she realizes, I’m afraid. The fact that all crystal witches have the same coloring has helped to keep her undetected. No one's willing to risk the consequences of insulting the wrong crystal witch. But Draagon knows who she is and he's closing in for the kill. I think she’s lived with this so long that it's a natural part of her life. That makes her vulnerable and vulnerable women are no match for Draagon and his Phantom Riders. If her father or brother had lived maybe she could have survived. But now ….”

  A strong wave of protectiveness for the alien woman surged through Dak. This constant upheaval of rioting emotions was making him crazy. Rage. Regret. Despair. Humiliation. He knew them well. They filled his darkest nightmares in every combination known to man. And when you least expected it, loneliness jumped right out of nowhere to really mess things up. He owed her no sympathy. She owned him--bought him like a length of fabric then treated him like a trained animal.

  Damn her and her rock.

  His hollow curse made him feel petty. His dignity and pride were badly dented but he'd live through this and find a way to return to Falcon Tor and his family. Kierin probably wouldn't live to see the first snows of winter and there wasn't a thing she could do to prevent it. If she bought him to protect her, he'd do what he could for as long as he was forced to wear the amulet. After that, she was on her own. He tried hard to convince himself that the sour sensation in his stomach was from the herbs she forced him to drink and not the feeling that he was failing her, too. If he acknowledged the feeling, it would make him less than the man he believed himself to be and that made him furious again.

  “Who’s this Draagon?” He needed something to keep his mind off the delicate woman across from him and her unsettling effect on him.

  "Good question. He showed up on Cyperia about fifteen years ago and quickly set up his little network of enforcers. They're not too particular about which side of the law they enforce. Whoever pays the highest bounty gets the benefit of his services."

  "Anyone tried to stop him?” In the score of years Dak spent traveling between Anderas and Earth, he'd seen hundreds of worlds in the same position. Men, whatever the species, needed the security of laws and invariably believed that all law enforcers were on the side of justice. Too often, these trusting souls ended at the mercy of unscrupulous, power hungry thugs and not a one of them could point to the exact moment in time when they lost control.

  "Probably, but I wager none are alive to brag about it. I got drunk with one of his Phantom Riders a few years back. Seems Draagon's bigger plans include the takeover of the universe."

  Dak snorted at Talon's observations. There was always some insignificant demigod intent on ruling the stars. So far, none of them even came close.

  "What's that got to do with Kierin?” His firsthand knowledge of the powers of his crystal witch was limited, but he doubted she had the power to take over a village much less an entire planet.

  "That's where all this gets a little fuzzy."

  Talon paused and watched the passengers waking up around them. Most were gathering their belongings and heading for the discharge bay. None were paying attention to the unusual trio in the back of the cabin. Dak found himself liking the bounty hunter. Under different circumstances he and Talon would find a lot in common. He wasn't surprised when the last of the lower deck passengers headed for the discharge bay. The three of them were alone.

  "Draagon doesn't just want just any crystal witch. He wants that one.” Talon indicated Kierin with a nod of his head. "There's not one word of gossip floating around to point to the reason. Whatever Draagon has in mind, he's keeping it to himself. Do you know anything about her that would make her such a valuable commodity?"

  Dak glanced over at Kierin, amazed that she could sleep through the noise of docking and the exit of the other passengers. Guiltily, he wondered if her exhaustion was because she kept watch over them while he slept off the effects of her herbs.

  "I never heard of a crystal witch until she showed up on Safe Haven.” He grinned at the memory of Murdock's reaction to the sight of Kierin. "She does create a stir for such a tiny thing, doesn't she?"

  Talon's short bark of laughter sounded rusty and unused. "Never underestimate a crystal witch. They're a common sight at this end of the galaxy. Most people avoid them because of their reputation, but I've never seen one do anything that didn't help someone else. They're remarkable healers with their crystals and herbs."

  Dak fingered the small stone nestled in the hair on his chest. "Not all of her stones heal,” he whispered bitterly.

  "Care to tell me what's between you and Lady Kierin?"

  Dak gripped the stone around his neck in a white-knuckled fist and locked his gaze with Talon's. "She bought me at the slave auction. This rock," he lifted the amulet a few inches from his chest, "guarantees that I'll behave myself.” Dropping the stone, he closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat. “I'm not able to do or say anything until she gives her approval. I wouldn't be talking with you now if she hadn't given permission for me to do what was necessary for our protection. Every time I open my mouth I'm amazed when something comes out. I want to rage at the injustice of this whole mess, but I can't. Do you have any idea how good it would feel to just throw my head back and yell at the top of my lungs? This subdued monotone is the best I can manage. It's driving me insane."

  Dak scowled when Talon smothered a chuckle with a phony cough.

  "I can see where the inability to howl like an animal would severely limit your options."

  Dak's murderous glare bounced off Talon without leaving a mark. The assassin’s ability to see any humor in this a
bhorrent situation just fuelled Dak's impotent rage.

  "I suppose you've tried to remove the stone yourself?” Talon asked Dak with a lift of one straight brow.

  "Hell, yes. Every time I catch her not watching me I try. The harder I push, the heavier it gets. Cursed witch magic."

  Talon leaned closer, staring at the small white stone. "Maybe I can remove it."

  Dak's fierce surge of hope threatened to suffocate him. Was that all it took? Someone else to lift the chain from his neck? Barely able to contain his impatience, he shifted in his seat, turning to face Talon.

  Talon cautiously reached for the stone. He'd learned a long time ago that if something seemed too easy the price was usually higher than he could pay. He could understand Dak's obvious frustration. No man could accept such limits and still feel like a man. Silently praying that the crystal's powers were limited to the one wearing the amulet, he slipped his fingers around the cool stone.

  "Blast and damn all the stars!” Talon howled in pain as a bolt of energy slammed into his hand and up his arm. Jerking his hand back, he worked his fingers, forcing the abused muscle and tendon to move.

  "That is the only warning you will receive, Assassin.” Kierin’s voice carried the finality of death for all its softness. Talon met the crystal witch's stare without blinking until he acknowledged the truth of her statement with a slight nod.

  "I heed your warning, Lady Kierin."

  Talon glanced at Dak to gage his reaction to Kierin’s threats. The microscopic kernel of the man he would have been before Draagon and his Phantom Riders destroyed his life suddenly pulsed with sympathy for Dak. For the span of a few heartbeats Talon allowed the emotion to live before ruthlessly squashing it. The only emotion he allowed himself was vengeance. Anything else gave someone the power to destroy you and Dak wouldn't want his sympathy. Whether from those few moments of shared pain or the natural recognition of kindred souls, Talon knew without a doubt that he and this proud Anderan had forged a bond of friendship that would last for both their lives.