by Liza Probz
"If she has my babe, I'm not relenting." He brushed his hands over his face, resolve setting deep inside of his spirit. He wanted her by him for the rest of his days regardless of the place that she would have to take. He would help her find her brother and they would get him back without disturbing the truth of the stone she was seeking.
It would kill her to know that he was the one holding it at bay.
Swallowing hard, Marek leaned forward and turned the water off before yanking a towel from the rack just outside of the shower. He dried off quickly, dressing in a pair of soft sleeping pants and moving out into the bedroom.
He paused and listened to the sound of Jazmine sleeping as a smile brushed by his lips. He was willing to fight for his people and his family firstly, but the pretty girl who had stolen his breath, and he was sure his heart, was quickly projected to take their place as number one in his life.
The sound of his communication box coming to life had him turning and jogging to the front. Marek paused only to slide the thin door to the bedroom closed, not wanting to wake Jaz or give anyone a surprise that didn't know she was on-board with him.
He moved to his chair and took a seat, drying his hair quickly before tossing the cloth and hitting a blue button on his panel.
The image of his father was clear and the look on the older man's face was pensive at best.
"Marek. I've spoken with Nojan and he's updated me in regards to your situation. I'm quite impressed and cannot begin to tell you how exciting this is." His father's gaze lit up, but only slightly. The ruler of the Vartiks was tight-lipped and well mannered, his ability to stifle his emotions almost legendary.
"How so, father?" Marek ran his fingers through his hair and glanced around, wishing he had a shirt on. Being half-naked in front of his brothers or his mother was all right, but there was something about talking to his father that left him feeling inadequate. He felt the burden of looking the part for what was to come.
Did his father wonder if he would do as good of a job as the old man had? Would one of his brothers do the job better? Certainly he had a few siblings who were much more enthusiastic about it all. Marek let it go and tried to focus on his father, remembering that above all, the man loved him.
"These creatures were thought to be nothing more than legend. My own father sent out a battalion in search of them." The king lifted his eyebrows and took a shaky breath.
"Why did he believe they existed if they are so rare? Only the two of them exist, correct?"
"That is what the legends say." Marek's father tugged at his large purple robe and slipped his crown off of his head. "We have the jewel as you know, but you must never tell the girl. We realized that the myths might be true centuries ago when we uncovered the jewel."
"I thought the rock was always part of our people."
"It was, but my grandfather had it buried deep in the earth. It's been a secret of the kings for as long as I can remember." He smiled and shook his head. "So you have the girl?"
"I do. She's resting in my room right now."
"And her brother? Where is he?"
"I don't know, father. I plan on finding him, but I will need help. He's being held captive from what I can gather. Another thing that's quite concerning is that she's not aware at all of who she is."
"Really? That's intriguing."
"I'm not sure why honestly, but she seems to have lost all recollection of her past. She thinks herself to be an orphan in search of her brother. She was recently told a bit more, but she's struggling with it." Marek let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair, concern rolling over him. Would she accept her part in everything? What did all of this mean for the two of them?
"Her memories are in the stone, son. She will start to get them back as soon as you bring her here. Though we keep the jewel hidden from everyone, she will feel the truth of it being right here with us." His father smiled and turned, motioning for someone to join him.
"Let me be very clear on one thing." Marek sat up, leaning forward and pressing all the dominance within him into his next statement. "Nothing is happening to the girl unless I say it is. She is my ward, and has saved my life several times. I owe her a debt and no one will harm her. Understood?"
His mother moved into the view of the camera, turning it toward her. Marek lost sight of his father and almost felt a bit of relief. The king didn't seem to appreciate much the tone Marek used, but he could care less. Jazmine was his and no one was touching her or taking her from him. His people could be brutal when dealing with what they thought to be a threat.
"Don't talk to your father like that. He's still ruler of our nation and you." His mother leaned in, her voice scarier than anything Marek might try to conjure on his own.
"I understand, mom, but I'm serious. I'll turn this craft around and grant the girl her freedom."
"No!" His father's face appeared back on the screen. "Nothing will befall the creature, but I will be having a few tests run on her. I will abide by your rules where she is concerned and we will offer her sanctum until we figure out where Caleb is, but make no mistake Marek... she doesn't need your help or mine. She's so far above us in her intelligence and her strength alone that you're going to be amazed when you see her in pure form."
"I don't know if you're right about this." Marek rubbed his face and pushed the lens back to get a view of his mom and dad sitting next to each other.
"Of course he's right. Just because she's unsure of who she is doesn't mean she's not a child of the light god, Marek. She just needs to be awakened."
Marek turned and glanced over his shoulder, his stomach tightening. He glanced back toward his mother, wanting to tell them that he was in love with the girl, that he had taken her to bed, but he couldn't. It would kill them and it might not even matter.
If Jaz changed significantly when they reached Vartik, she might not want to stay, regardless of anything he could promise her. She had to find her brother and he would offer his help while he had time remaining, but from what his father said, she might refuse that too. It didn't seem much like she needed anything from anyone.
"What's wrong? I know that look." Marek's mother reached out, her hand moving toward him in the 3D image.
Marek ran his hand through the light, wishing he were home. He was closer to his mom than his dad and could use a good therapy session if nothing else.
"I'm worried about her. When you see her, you'll understand. She's just a woman, a girl really. She's dainty and though she likes to think she's tough, she's just like everyone else in the universe. Searching for something and yet never seeming to find it. I don't want to bring her home and have anything happen to her."
"You care for her..." his mother whispered, her eyes widening. “Marek. You know that she will have to spend some time in the lab."
"I know that. Have Nojan be pulled in as one of the scientists. I'll not have just anyone touching her." Marek growled softly, unable to help himself.
"She cannot belong to you, son. She's a goddess, someone higher than even I. She's not of the same species or blood as us and we've locked down your future as you requested us to do." The king put an arm around his wife and tilted his head. "Am I picking up on something between the two of you or are you just feeling extra protective because of the life debt you owe the woman?"
"It's the debt. I cannot imagine paying her back with anything other than gratitude and kindness. I will see her brother found." Marek hated to lie, but he couldn't force himself to tell them the truth of his feelings. Not yet.
"Your brothers can see to that. Once you get home, we want you to start preparing for everything. Your rule starts in six months and though you wanted time away, we have so much to do, Marek."
"We'll see." Marek stood and lifted his arms in the air. "I'll be home soon. The girl will be staying with me when she's not in the lab."
"Not in your room she won't." His mother leaned forward as her voice rose in volume. "That's not acceptable of a king to take a concub
ine before his wedding. You will stick to tradition."
"And there is no way in all of hell that you will be taking a goddess as your concubine. We have to tread lightly, son. The Light Goddess is still very alive and if angered will plunge us into darkness. We will not test her goodness. Understood?" His father's voice boomed through the vessel.
"Yes." Marek pressed the button to release the call and hit his hands on the dash, his parents were right in their directives, but he would have Jazmine with him even if it pissed everyone off. No one was taking her from him.
"If she's so fucking powerful and good, then why keep her kids in darkness? Why were they in the darkest parts of hell for so long? Why is Jaz's brother still there?" he grumbled, turning to look up at her.
She stood in his t-shirt, looking sexy as hell. "Everything okay?"
"No. No, it's not." He turned back to stare out into space, lost at what to do next.
CHAPTER TWO
"What's going on?" Jazmine paused in the kitchen, reaching to take hold of the counter. She was light headed, their sex having knocked her out before she could tell him how much she appreciated his protection, his acceptance.
She reached down and brushed her fingers over her stomach, something fluttering deep inside of her. It was nerves no doubt. She glanced up as Marek's eyes moved with her actions, his gaze locked on her center.
"Nothing. It’s fine, I suppose. My parents are being extremely precautious where you are concerned. They were simply trying to remind me that you're an all-powerful goddess and to keep myself in check." He rolled his shoulders and moved toward her.
His strong arms and chest drew her attention, the smell of soap and male washing over her in waves as he stopped in front of her. He reached up and touched the side of her face, pulling her toward him and brushing his lips across hers.
Tingles rushed from her lips through her face and down her chest. She shivered and slid her arms around him, almost glad to know that she was still able to fall under the power of his abilities. She might be something more than a Territhian, but she was still simply a woman who wanted the love of a man. The man in front of her in particular.
"I'm just me," she whispered, looking up at him as he pulled her in tightly and pressed his forehead to hers.
His eyes were black again, the dark crimson ring around them throbbing as he smiled, the expression seeming forced.
"I like just you." He winked and moved back. "Sit down and let me make something for you to eat. I know you must be hungry. Trying to escape and throwing yourself at cops will usually take it out of someone."
She chuckled at his cheeky comments and took a seat, crossing her legs and leaning back. She should put on pants, but after their sex, she felt comfortable in front of him. Wanting him to take notice of her and haul her back off to the bedroom was all she could think about.
"Was that your mom and dad on the call?"
"Yeah. We'll be in Vartik in a few hours. We finally shook the cops off our tails, but we have a large black hole to traverse. It's never easy. Let's eat something and I'll push the ship through it."
Her stomach growled as if on cue. "What do your parents know about me so far? I thought we were keeping me a secret."
"We were until my brother, Nojan, realized that maybe you were more than you said you were. I told you that we'd never come across a human with a blue ring around them. He looked into you and found out a few things."
"Tell me," Jazmine asked, leaning forward and pressing her arms to the table in front of her.
"There are supposedly only two beings capable of housing light like you do. I would think if the myth is correct, then your brother, Caleb, would be the other light wielder." He pulled a pot from underneath the stove and emptied a bottle of water into it. Lighting it, Marek dumped a few different packets in it. Seemed to be soup again, but she wasn't complaining. Anything was better than nothing. Her stomach rumbled in response again.
"We are supposedly children of the last true King of Territh and the Light Goddess. I'm not sure I'm ready to claim that just yet, but I will tell you that my brother was taken because he was glowing that night. The fight he and I got into just before a group of mask-wearing monsters showed up was epic. I can't even remember what the fight was about, but I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that he was sick of being a simpleton. The image fades every time I try to access it." She shrugged and glanced down at her hands, not wanting to lay herself out on the table too much. She trusted Marek and wanted to be a part of his world completely, but she knew the odds of that happening.
If they could get past the part where she had to leave a few days after arriving to Vartik to find Caleb, they would still have to figure out his arranged marriage. Pain laced her chest at the thought of him with anyone but her.
"Do you know who took him?"
"I think so, but I'd like to look into it a little closer before committing anyone to the kidnapping." She glanced up at him.
Surely there would be a library on Vartik. She could use their resources to research the size and structure of the figures that approached them. The sound of their speech would forever be ingrained in her head until the day she died. It was almost like a million bees buzzing together. She had heard them referred to as the Kanula only once, but she couldn't seem to find anything on such a species. If the Vartiks were as old as she imagined their species to be, they would have something if these creatures were real.
"What are you thinking?" Marek moved toward her and brushed his fingers down the side of her face, putting slight pressure on her chin until she looked up at him.
"Just reliving the moment. I've done it more times than I can count. I keep thinking I'll recognize more about them." She pushed his hand away gently, not wanting her worry to bring him down. He had enough to be concerned about with getting them back to his planet safely and how his parents would accept her being on his ship.
"What do you remember?" He moved back to the stove and picked up a spoon, lifting the lid on the pot he hovered over. The smell of chicken and spices rushed to greet her.
She growled softly and stood, moving toward him and reaching for the spoon. He chuckled and handed it to her, moving in behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I don't want to think about it honestly. Can I just spend a little bit of time in your archives? Do you have anything on other races?"
"Of course. Nojan spends all his time in there, so we'll have him help you dig up information as I prepare the crew that's going with us."
"Your father is going to be okay letting someone go with us to look for the stone?"
"No, not the stone. It doesn't exist from what my brother says." Marek pressed his lips to the side of her neck, resting his hands on her stomach and rubbing softly. "He will allow us to collect your brother though."
"Marek..." Jazmine glanced over her shoulder toward the handsome man. He had stolen more than her lustful thoughts, that fact alone scaring the hell out of her. "My brother is being held in a place I cannot reach without the creatures that guard it taking me down there. This isn't that simple."
"Nothing ever is." He moved back and walked toward the bedroom, glancing over his shoulder as he paused. "We simply come up with a plan to fool them and they will take us down to your brother. Getting captured by them might just have to be part of the overall strategy."
"Was it Nojan that told you the jewel didn't exist?"
"He was the one that told me that you were looking for it." Marek turned and leaned against the door frame as his eyes rolled over her. "It's a lost cause, Jaz. It was destroyed a long time ago. It was too dangerous."
"So I've heard." She let out a long sigh, not sure if she truly believed him. He was most likely telling the truth in terms of thinking the jewel was gone, but perhaps someone sold that lie as a way of covering the truth. The jewel was powerful beyond belief, its ability to bring the end of times quite a tale. She prayed like hell that the archives, or library, on Vartik would hav
e evidence of everything. She needed proof, not another story or dead-end trail.
"Stir the soup a few more times while I wash up. It doesn't need salt, rest assured." He chuckled as she grumbled toward him. She couldn't help but watch him walk into the bedroom, his back muscles contracting beautifully and the swell of his rear something she wanted to study up close.
Jazmine turned back to the stove and stirred the soup once more, before dishing it out. They could eat quickly and then she would take a shower while he remapped the ship to take them to his planet.
Excitement ran through her at the thought of seeing it. No one had in so long that it had become as much of a myth as the Twins of Light. Something in her forced her to face the fact that she and Caleb were different, and obviously the men who took him believed the myths to be true.
"What if they are?" She took the bowls to the table and sat down, absently blowing at the steam rising from her dinner as she waited on Marek. "What does that mean for me? For my brother? For Marek?"
Dinner was delicious, the warmth of it filling her stomach completely. She slid into the chair next to Marek's at the front of the ship while he worked on something to his left. He most likely needed her to remain quiet, but she couldn't. She needed to know if he made his promises during their passion simply because the moment begged him to, or if he truly cared about her.
"Were you serious about helping me with Caleb?" she asked, reaching over to touch his arm as the ship darkened. The large mass in front of them was enough to scare her, but somehow she trusted him fully—with everything.
"I am." He sat up in his seat, glancing over and winking at her. "I meant what I said about you not leaving me too. I'm not sure how the fuck I'm going to get my family to go for all of this, but I'm thinking Nojan would be the first to help."