Dating Outside Your DNA

by Karen Kelley

  His touch had been hot and moist. A shiver of revulsion swept over her. His breath was like rotting roses and she couldn’t stand the nauseating smell.

  She glanced around her glass cage. Would she ever escape? She could only go without food for so long. Where was Roan? Was he in his own glass cage? Was he alive?

  Tears formed in her eyes, then slowly slid down her cheeks. Great agent she was. She quickly brushed the tears away. She wasn’t going to give up hope that someone would rescue them. But how would the team know where they were? Banyon had a vendetta against Aasera. No one would suspect a Rovert had taken them.

  The door swished open. She braced herself as Banyon strode into the bedroom, his guards behind him.

  Her eyes narrowed. Was his nose crooked? It looked as though it was a little to the right. Had she broken it? Damn, she’d laid a good one on him.

  “Leave me,” he said to the guards and waved his hand.

  Her mouth dropped open. His voice was nasally and high-pitched.

  The guards left, and he turned back to her. “I’ll make you pay for breaking my nose,” he snarled.

  She snorted with laughter. Oh, Lord, she had a feeling her situation was getting worse by the minute. She should be terrified, at the very least, scared, but she was finding it hard to be frightened of someone who smelled like dead flowers and talked like he had been snorting helium…a lot of helium.

  Hadn’t her mother told her once that Roverts didn’t heal like everyone else? She looked at the scar on his face. That’s why Banyon hated her mother so much. And now he probably hated her even more. Oh, hell, what did she have to lose?

  “You sound funny,” she taunted as she came to her feet and sauntered over to the glass. “Does your nose hurt?”

  “Your death will be slow and painful.”

  She should probably stop pushing him, but she hated this glass box. Besides, he was the best entertainment she’d had in a long time. She leaned into the glass. “When I get out, I won’t kill you.”

  His eyebrows rose at her words.

  “How do you think it’ll feel if I break your legs? Maybe your arms? Do bones heal on Roverts?”

  He paled, and she had her answer.

  “Or maybe I’ll just cut another scar into the other side of your face. I bet the ladies wouldn’t think you were so handsome after that. Not that they will now, once you speak.”

  “I don’t think you’ll do any of those things.”

  “Open the door and we’ll put it to the test.”

  “The next time I open the door, you will lie on the pillows and willingly let me do whatever I want.”

  Even though he still sounded like a cat with its tail caught in the door, her humor fled. Her situation was real, and there wasn’t anything funny about it. She wanted to cover herself, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of thinking he was getting to her.

  “I’ll do whatever I want,” Banyon repeated.

  She stepped back. He laughed.

  “You’ll spread your legs and beg me to mate with you. Your arms will draw me close, your lips will cover mine.”

  “Never! I’d rather die than let you touch me.”

  “But would you let Roan die? Would you watch me torture him just to keep from giving me the satisfaction of fucking you?”

  Her body began to tremble.

  “I’ll give you until tonight to decide. I’ll have a video screen brought in so you can watch as the flesh is slowly stripped from his body. It’s very painful. Even the bravest of men start screaming like crazed madmen after the first hour has passed.”

  “I’ve changed my mind.” She met his gaze. “I think I will kill you.”

  He laughed as he left the room. A few minutes later, food was slipped inside through a small door. No chance that she could escape by grabbing an arm.

  But maybe if she ate all the food, she’d be drugged enough that she could let Banyon touch her, have sex with her. She swallowed past the bile that rose in her throat. How was she going to get through it?

  Her spine stiffened. The how didn’t matter. She just would. She’d grit her teeth and pretend she was some place else. Her mother had talked about cosmic meditation where a person could actually travel outside their body. She would pretend it was happening to someone else, not her. She would get through it.

  And Roan wouldn’t have to die.

  Chapter 27

  “I’m going to get a team together,” Joe told the group. “Johnny and Gavin should be back by day after tomorrow. By then, we should know more about who took them.”

  “No.” Ray stood. “Lyraka is a member of our team. We should be the ones who get her back.”

  Joe shook his head. “You’re not trained enough.”

  “We’re good.” Reeka’s words were a statement, not bragging, just fact.

  Reeka was right, the team was good, but good didn’t make up for a lack of experience. “No, I can’t put your lives in danger. Besides, we have no idea who took them.

  “Yes, we do,” someone spoke up from the doorway.

  “Aasera?” A rush of excitement went through Joe. She was even more beautiful than the last time he’d seen her. She was the one woman who could throw his whole world out of kilter, and she didn’t even have a clue. Lyraka’s father must have really done a number on her because she wouldn’t have anything to do with Joe or any other man. Now here she was, and he hadn’t protected her daughter. He’d sworn that he wouldn’t let anything happen to Lyraka.

  “Joe.” She nodded her head, then walked the rest of the way into the room.

  “I’m sorry. I broke my promise about keeping her safe.”

  “She was taken because of me. I’d forgotten about my enemies. It happened so long ago that I thought it was no longer important. Now we must save her.”

  “We can have a team together by tomorrow.”

  She shook her head. “He’ll kill her.”

  “Who?”

  “Banyon. His father is dead. He’s the new leader of the Roverts. Many years ago, he wanted me and tried to take me by force. I scarred him.” She looked at the others. “Roverts don’t heal like others. I cut his face. He swore to kill me, but I escaped. Before he could even seek revenge, I was…exiled to Earth and everyone was told I had died while on a mission. He’ll get his revenge on Lyraka.”

  “And Roan,” Reeka said.

  “Warrior.” Aasera bowed her head.

  “Traveler.” Reeka returned the gesture. “Roan is a trainer and a skilled fighter.”

  “Then I have caused two lives to be in jeopardy because I didn’t take precautions.”

  “No, Banyon has put them in jeopardy.”

  Aasera raised her chin. Joe had seen that look before and knew exactly what it meant. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to dissuade her from going after Lyraka. Not that he could blame her. If it was his daughter, he’d do the same damn thing.

  “Well you can’t just go barreling in there with guns blazing,” Joe said.

  “Sounds good to me. Roverts aren’t known for their fighting skills,” Ray said. When everyone looked at him, he continued. “I’ve been reading about them. I do know how to read. Warren isn’t the only one.”

  “We can make a lot of noise and divert their attention.” Warren looked at everyone. “I’ve been working on a device that will fit in a shirt pocket, but when I trigger it to explode…” he pursed his lips and made a noise like something exploding.

  “Bomb to go?” Link cocked an eyebrow.

  Warren’s cheeks brightened to a rosy color. “Yeah, something like that. It might be small, but it works.”

  “You’ve tried it?” Joe wasn’t sure he liked the idea of one of the trainees making devices that would blow something up. At least, not out of the classroom.

  “I sort of blew up the dog house back home.”

  Alesha cringed. “Please tell me the dog wasn’t in it.”

  Warren straightened. “Of course not. He was already dead.” Wh
en everyone stared at him, he quickly continued. “From natural causes a couple of years before. The dog house wasn’t being used and I thought I’d see what the bomb would do. It worked, but it still needed a little tweaking. I’ve been working on it since college.”

  “We might need it later, but what if we go in as traders. I read the prince, king now, has a thing about buying women of other species. He likes to toy with them. The slave trade is illegal, but he still does it,” Ray told them.

  “That’s horrible,” Alesha said.

  Aasera looked at her as only someone could who had more years, and more wisdom. “As is the drug trade, starvation, and much more. Corruption breeds corruption.”

  Alesha looked around. “If someone is going to pose as a trader, then they’ll need someone in bondage. Hell, the last time I did anything with bondage, I was the one tying the ropes.”

  Ray grinned, then wiped the smile off his face, and cleared his throat. “They won’t question me but once,” Ray said.

  Joe figured Ray was probably right, and it was a sound plan. But damn it, they were green. Aasera was a traveler, not a warrior. He looked at each of them and saw the looks of determination on their faces. This is exactly what a team would do.

  He sighed. “Okay, but I’m going with you.” Their expressions quickly changed to surprise. “I was a damned good agent before I moved to recruiter. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Then let’s go.” Link came to his feet.

  “Not so fast. We need to ready one of the larger crafts, we need supplies, and we need to know what the others will be doing every second we’re there. Aasera, you’ve been to Rovertia, we’ll need a layout of the planet.”

  “We have to move fast,” Aasera said.

  “I know.”

  “Thank you for doing this, Joe.”

  “We’ll get them back.”

  “Damn right,” Ray said. “We’re a team.”

  Chapter 28

  Roan quickly stopped moving the diamond over the glass and went to the front of the cage when the door whished open. Banyon walked in, his nose slightly to the side of his face. Lyraka had really punched him a good one. Served the guy right. As soon as they escaped, he was going to dig out the book on keeping your cool. Lyraka definitely needed a refresher course.

  “I will have Lyraka tonight,” Banyon gloated in a nasally, high-pitched voice. “There is nothing you can do to protect her. How does that make you feel?”

  Roan’s mouth dropped open. Yeah, he’d say Lyraka had tagged Banyon good. Roan laughed which infuriated Banyon more. Hell, he couldn’t help it. Banyon sounded like the guy from that sitcom. What the hell was his name? Oh, yeah, Urkel. Steve Urkel.

  “Are you sure you can take her?” Roan shook his head. “If I were you, I’d keep my distance. Roverts don’t heal very well, do they? Do you think you’ll talk like that the rest of your life? That would be a shame.”

  Banyon stomped his foot. “Neither one of you will be laughing when she willingly gives herself to me.”

  “You know, I can’t really see that happening.”

  “But you will see it all happening, every second, every minute.” His smile was pure evil. He looked pointedly at the screen. “You’ll watch Lyraka giving herself to me willingly over and over again until I tire of her.”

  Banyon was too self-assured. A tingle of apprehension ran down Roan’s spine.

  “It will be my name she cries out,” Banyon continued. “If she doesn’t do everything I want, I’ll force her to watch my men strip every inch of skin from your body. She’ll hear each scream, see the blood running down your body, and she’ll watch it puddle on the floor.”

  “You bastard.” Roan slammed his hand against the glass.

  “Yes, I am, but I’m sure you already knew that.” He nodded toward the screen. “You can watch her surrender on the screen.” He turned to leave, but then turned back as if he’d suddenly remembered something else. “Oh…I’ll still torture and kill you as soon as I finish with her tonight, and I will let her watch. I think that might put the anger and fire back in her. You have to admit that even you like a little fight in your women.”

  “I’ll kill you. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”

  “But an empty one, none the less. And just so Aasera will know, when I finish, I’ll cut off Lyraka’s head and send it to her.” He left the room.

  Cold dread filled Roan. His gaze moved to the screen. Lyraka had picked up the bowl of mush she had been given. She dipped her hand inside and raised it close to her mouth.

  He knew what she was contemplating. The drugged food would make it easier when Banyon came. Damn it, Roan wanted her to fight, to scratch the bastard’s eyes out.

  But Roan knew without a doubt, she wouldn’t do that. She would do whatever it took to save him. He watched her as she dropped the food back into the bowl, then set it to the side, and shoved the pillows against the back glass.

  Once she had them arranged, she moved closer to the side glass and closed her eyes. It took him a few seconds to realize that she was trying to blend in but it was impossible against a clear surface. After a few moments, she lay down. The floor was a dark solid surface.

  Fascinated, he watched as she began to disappear. She didn’t quite vanish completely, though. The drugs she’d been given must be affecting her ability to blend. But she didn’t give up. She kept trying.

  And so would he.

  He went back to the glass and moved the rough diamond over the surface. Up one side, across the top, down the other side and across the bottom. Then he repeated the sequence over and over and over.

  Lyraka knew if her plan didn’t work, she would have to endure Banyon’s touch, no matter how much she loathed him, but she had to at least try to escape or everything would be lost. She had no doubt Banyon would kill them both.

  She lay on the floor and closed her eyes. Immediately a vision formed of Roan, his wrists bound in chains, arms stretched taut. His screams echoed inside her head as Banyon began to rip the skin from his back.

  She sat up with a start. Damn it, how was she going to blend if all she saw was Roan’s death?

  Deep breath. She could do this.

  She closed her eyes again and slowly exhaled, then inhaled, wishing she’d paid more attention to meditating when Aasera had tried to teach her. Aasera had told her that meditating was a part of who Lyraka was, that it was something inborn in all Nerakians.

  Aasera had talked about cosmic meditation, too, where the spirit could actually leave the body. Lyraka had only experienced deep out of body meditation once when she was young, and she had to admit, it scared the hell out of her. She’d never tried again, much to the disappointment of her mother. But maybe if she could empty her mind, she could blend more easily.

  She took another deep breath and exhaled. Calmness began to wrap her in its comforting cloud. She felt her body getting lighter. She lay on the floor, legs stretched out. The familiar rush swept through her. She could feel the floor, the solidity of the surface. It enclosed her in a protective cocoon.

  She smiled, knowing she had reached the place she needed to be. Banyon would probably freak out when he returned and thought she’d escaped. That would give her the element of surprise, and might buy her a little time. If she could get a weapon, she would free Roan. She only hoped they could come up with a plan together from there.

  It was weak at best, but it was all she had. If she was caught, she would suffer Banyon’s touch hoping for a little more time because she really didn’t want to die. Not when she’d finally felt as though she’d just started to live.

  She began to materialize.

  Concentrate!

  Deep breath, exhale slowly. Relax.

  The space around her became calm once more. She emptied her mind of all thoughts and went into a deep relaxation state. She could almost see her lungs filling with air, then emptying.

  Something popped and she felt a whoosh of air.

  She opened her
eyes and suddenly was looking down on the glass cage. It looked empty. So this was what deep meditation was all about. She hadn’t even gotten this far the first time.

  She felt as if she were flying. She left the room, searching for Roan.

  How would she find him when there were so many rooms and long winding corridors? There were Roverts and captives in chains everywhere. They looked frightened as they shuffled along. Would that be her one day?

  No! She would never be anyone’s slave. She would kill herself first.

  But that wasn’t going to happen. She closed her eyes and concentrated, listening with her heart, rather than her head. Her spirit felt as though it were being pulled in a specific direction. She let it go, opened her eyes, and watched so she would remember the way.

  She entered a room where there was another glass cage. And she saw him. Her heart began to melt. It seemed like forever since the night of the carnival, since he’d held her close, since his lips had touched hers.

  She reached toward him. He looked around, as though he could feel her presence.

  Roan, her mind whispered.

  He flexed his shoulders, then tilted his head from one side to the other. What was he doing? She watched, and saw him use his ring to score the surface of the glass, stretching to reach from one corner to the next. Of course Roan would try to escape. Banyon wouldn’t be able to keep him in a cage for long.

  She was being pulled away. God, she wanted to stay longer even if he didn’t know she was there. She would never get tired of looking at him. Deep down she knew this might be the last time she saw him alive. Her plan was flimsy at best.

  She left Roan and left the building they were in and saw that it was actually like a castle and made of dark, dreary gray stone with turrets that stretched high into the sky. Everything about the land surrounding the castle was barren as if there had been a recent fire and only the stubble of plants was left.

  Dark gray huts stretched out for a great distance in long rows in front of the castle. If this was where Banyon’s people lived, then their existence was dismal at best.