A Hunted Darkness

by Zenina Masters

  She delayed restarting the engines until it was obvious that it would be fatal not to. Wrapped in shadows and hurtling to the ground, her panicked hands on the controls, Ceezee had to admit that it was one helluva way to spend a day.

  The power centre was silent and abandoned on the edge of the city. She flew in low and settled in a courtyard with the lightest touch.

  Now came the difficult part. The shuttle would be visible while she was inside. She could only hide one thing at a time, and she had to be the epicenter.

  The crystals were still in pouches on her outer thighs and firmly fastened. They would not come off unless she wanted them to. They gave her a rather ungainly silhouette, but it was better to have them where she could reach them than strapped to her back.

  Ceezee breathed in and opened the door to the shuttle, letting the darkness cover her body alone.

  The night sky was bright and cheerful. It was also the only light visible in the area. It was eerie to be on a well-populated world that was silent.

  She sprinted toward the power centre. The building locks and monitors were off so she dropped her darkness and simply ran into the centre, looking for the housing for the crystals.

  The bonus to her talent was that she was used to working in the dark. Since there was absolutely no light in the interior of the building, there was no chance of any illumination.

  The news clips had given her a good idea of the layout, so when she found her way into the centre of the building, her nerves jangled on overdrive. It was time to put the crystals in place and then break out of the power centre.

  The first crystal slipped into place with no trouble or any reaction, but the moment the second crystal was in its housing two beams of light shot from the orbs, Ceezee could only curse and fall back.

  She called the darkness quickly, the noise of returning electrical devices was everywhere and being caught on monitors was out of the question.

  Her eyes were still dazzled by the initial shock of light and power, but she managed to get to the exit. The door was locked, so she was forced to pick it before the outside air greeted her again.

  She could hear folks running toward her. The shadows of a nearby alcove hid her completely but what she had feared had come to pass, members of the Wendial population surrounded the shuttle. She was well and truly trapped.

  Ceezee felt her darkness flicker. Her mind could not hold her disguise much longer. She needed to get somewhere safe and out of the way.

  She stepped slowly out of the shadows and moved her darkness over the edge of the surrounding wall. She lowered herself onto the ground and crept delicately to the first tree she could find.

  Her body ached by the time she had managed to work her way into the crown of the branches to relax. Sleep was the last thing on her mind but her body wanted it and she had put it off far too long already.

  * * * *

  “She isn’t moving, War Leader. She is holding completely still.”

  Deven looked at the crewman with a raised brow. “Is she dead?”

  “No, but her signal is suddenly stable and completely visible. The Wendial will be able to spot her as well. What is your order?”

  “Connect me to the Wendial high council. We need to have a talk.”

  The crewman nodded and looked past the Hallothian ships to the planet that was slowly coming alive. The Hallothians were moving away now, the Wendial defensive weapons were waking along with the rest of the planet and that was a situation that the invaders had not counted on.

  When the high council came on, they were all smiles and relief. “War Leader General of the Asku, what can we do for you today?”

  Deven inclined his head. “I congratulate you on the return of power but I must ask for permission to retrieve something that is mine.”

  The speaker for the council smiled, “We noted the Asku shuttle, and of course, you may send crewmen to retrieve it.”

  Deven leaned back and tried to dance around the topic. “It is more about the deliverer of your crystals that concerns me. I would like permission to retrieve her without exposing her to publicity.”

  The speaker took the comments from the council and boiled them down to, “A woman?”

  “Indeed. Regardless of what she says, she is mine and I will have her. I am simply asking out of courtesy for your people and their newly regained freedom.” Deven sat straight and smiled.

  The speaker listened to the councillors and then stated, “Tell me more about this woman.”

  Deven told them what he thought was pertinent and left the rest behind. When they finally gave him full authorization to look for her, he sighed in relief.

  He gave the command to the two pilots and joined them in the shuttle that was going down to retrieve her. One pilot would return the stolen shuttle and the other would take him and his prize back to the warship.

  Deven took the tracker that was keyed to the signal in her rations and fidgeted all the way to the surface.

  Guardians had pushed back the cheering crowds. The power centre and grounds were completely unoccupied.

  Ceezee’s signal was strong, and it was coming from the small grove of trees.

  With a grin and a childhood memory of chasing his pet up a tree, Deven went in search of his wayward female. Whether she knew it or not, Ceezee was destined to be his and he was not taking no for an answer. Her uncle had given her to him when they engaged the contract and no time of return was every stipulated.

  He was within his legal rights to keep his little thief safe at his side.

  Chapter Seven

  It was the most peculiar dream. She was back on board the Burning Night but she was not in her quarters. She was in the medical bay, and the war leader general was talking intently to the physician.

  “Are you certain?” Deven was earnest.

  “Positive. Her species is High Goiin and her psychic talent is designed to conceal her from detection.”

  “So, during her flight to Wendial…”

  “She was shielding not only herself, but also the entire shuttle.”

  “And she exhausted herself in the process.”

  He nodded. “Her talent will be out for a day or two but no more than that.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Kavar. Have you had a chance to analyze any of the toxins she was carrying?” Deven had his arms crossed defensively, and it gave her the clue that he was not pleased.

  As silently as she could, Ceezee slipped off the medical table, wrapped herself in the sheet and crept for the door. She froze in place when the door opened to show two guards scowling down at her. One of them was the pilot from Hallothian, and he did not look pleased.

  “I am afraid that you will not have an opportunity to escape this time, Ceezahli.”

  She froze at the icy tone that Deven was directing at her back.

  “I wasn’t trying to escape, simply return to my quarters.” She didn’t face him. Her skin was hot. It was pink with her blush. She hadn’t appeared in public without a bodysuit since she was a teenager. At the moment, she was only wearing the wrap of the medical sheet.

  “You no longer have individual quarters here. You will be with me in my quarters. That is effective immediately.” He didn’t say anything else as he lifted her into his arms.

  She didn’t meet his dark gaze but kept her focus on her hands. Ceezee knew he was furious but wasn’t sure about what he was going to do about it.

  “Your uncle has been paid for your services with a slight bonus. He isn’t happy with the terms of the bonus, but there isn’t really any option for him. We know what you are and what he is. There is no hiding anymore.”

  She shivered in his arms, the heat of his body insufficient to kill the chill of his words. “How did you know?”

  “Your little slip with the writing. You must have been very nervous to resort to High Goiin, but it was obvious once it was analyzed and coded against the list lower on the page.”

  She closed her eyes. “Stupid mistake.”


  “Very, but it gave me a clue as to what you were, and so, I am not one to complain.”

  She nodded. “Where is my bodysuit?”

  “In the armoury. They are busy trying to find all the minute objects that you hid in there. Speaking of hiding, your talent is fascinating. I did not see you in the museum.

  She swallowed, “I am not allowed to speak of it. It is private.”

  His laugh was cruel, “Not anymore. There is a line of physicians and scientists waiting to get their hands on you. Your kind is exceptionally rare.”

  Her mind whimpered, but she held still. When they were in his quarters, she could use one of the three escape routes she had found and steal a shuttle to get her home.

  Unlike their journey from Weskani, there were now guards throughout the ship. The change in behaviour warned Ceezee that something had changed, and she was afraid that she knew what it was.

  She held her question until they were in his quarters and he had sealed the door behind them. “Are you very angry?”

  He raised a brow, and his lips quirked, “What do you think?”

  She blurted out, “It was the only way I could think of to make you a victim and remove all suspicion that you participated in any way.”

  He sighed and put her down on the edge of the bed. “And now, we find you in the position that you never imagined yourself in.”

  She swallowed and thought of the ramifications. He could incarcerate her, hand her over to the Verrion or the Hallothians or simply kill her.

  His body was tense, his countenance grim, and he paced back and forth like a caged animal while she watched.

  Ceezee fidgeted on the bed, double checking the wrap of the sheet and keeping her gaze lowered.

  “What should I do with you? There are so many options.”

  “Perhaps you could simply return me to my uncle? I am sure that he would be willing to mete out any punishment that you saw fit.” Even though it was a life of hard work, home was still home.

  “That will not do at all. I am much more of a hands-on male. You embarrassed me in front of my men, the Hallothian ambassador and the entire assembly. You will simply have to make it up to me.”

  She looked up at him, and he was grinning. “You are not mad?”

  “I was a little irritated until I realized what you were doing. There would have been no other way to get the crystals to the Wendial other than have you smuggle them in. Well done.”

  He gripped her arms and lifted her so that her face was inches from his own.

  “Now, Ceezahli, you have been acquired by the Asku as a bride. You have a choice, select one of the crewmen on this ship or have me.”

  She didn’t hesitate. She reached out to grip his head and pulled his mouth to hers in an awkward but enthusiastic kiss.

  He leaned away, “I will take that as a yes?”

  Ceezee giggled with relief. “Yes.”

  He wasn’t going to lock her up, which meant she was going to have plenty of opportunities to escape, but for now, it was time to see if he would be interested in swapping his place in one of her fantasies for reality.

  Deven breathed deeply. “Right. You will remain here under guard while I attend to bureaucratic red tape over our arrival here after the theft of the crystals. The Hallothians are not convinced it was simply our pursuit of our stolen ship that brought us here, but since we arrived after the power was already on, it has calmed matters somewhat.”

  She bit her lip, “How did the theft really occur? The news reports were incomplete in the extreme.”

  Deven set her back on the edge of the bed. He ran his hand through his hair, ruffling the silky strands. “I will give you the full details when I return. The quartermaster is bringing you some clothing, so be aware company is coming.”

  “Thank you for the warning.” She smiled and kept her smile in place until he was out the door and the seal flared red.

  With a sigh and a look of regret, Ceezee walked to the desk, pulled out the chair and ripped off the guard for the air return. A few tears fell as she worked her body into the small space and started to claw her way to the shuttle bay. She wanted Deven, but she wanted her life back more, and if Uncle Victoro had washed his hands of her, there were other clans who would take her in. Her virginity was her key, and it would buy her a life that she could predict.

  * * * *

  Deven felt the tingle in the back of his hand. His soon-to-be bride was on the move. The Wendial were gushing with thanks, he had to smile and promise them an image of the woman who had delivered their crystals.

  Six months earlier, the Hallothians had been invited to see their power centre as a peaceful means of sharing information. Instead of asking for technical advice on how to set up their own resonant generator, the Hallothian contingent overpowered their guides, struck down the guards and ripped the crystals from their chamber.

  The moment that the crystals were pulled, the global shielding went down and there was nothing left to defend the Wendial against the marauding Hallothians.

  The Asku wanted to intervene, but they had treaties with the Hallothians that bound their hands. It was those treaties that had caused Deven to seek out a thief, and now that she was in his custody, he was not going to let her go.

  Chapter Eight

  Light finally appeared in front of Ceezee’s vision. She had been crawling for half an hour and was relieved to see that her journey was almost over.

  She peeked out through the grating and groaned, there was an entire cadre of guards, all facing away from her in a semi-circle. A familiar voice made her shut her eyes in frustration.

  “You may as well come out, Ceezahli. We are not going to move until you do.”

  She punched the grating away and slithered into the light, her naked body smeared with grime and covered in red welts and scratches.

  Deven caught her on her way down. He hissed at the condition of her body. “What did you do to yourself?”

  She covered her breasts and the join of her thighs with her hands. She didn’t speak.

  “Crewman Tono, the wrap, please.”

  “Yes, War Leader.” The young man removed a swath of fabric from his shoulder and passed it back toward Deven without turning around.

  Deven set her on her feet and quickly wrapped her tightly. “Have the medical officer on duty send me gels for abrasions and cuts. I will be in my quarters.”

  “Yes, War Leader.”

  Deven lifted her again and strode through the halls.

  This time, she didn’t need to guess if he was angry. This was one pissed-off Asku. She shivered as she stared at his face. Whatever he had originally planned for her was changing shape.

  Inside his quarters, he went straight to the lav and put her under the shower, removing her covering with a snap.

  It was genuine water that came out of his taps, and he scrubbed her brusquely from head to toe. The grime of the ducts came off, and she was soon shivering under the spray with just the long scrapes and gouges running down her body.

  Deven didn’t say a word while he washed her, while he dried her or when he grabbed her by her wrist and hauled her into the large chamber.

  She was naked and her damp black hair hung to her hips, giving her a partial covering. A tray was sitting on the bedside table and she swallowed. Deven had still not said a word to her, and as he laid her down, brushing her hair aside, she noted the grim look on his face.

  He reached for the tray, removing a pot of something viscous and slick. He dipped his fingers into it and started to trace her abrasions, one by one.

  She shivered at the cool gel as it touched her and shivered again as a trail of heat rippled through her.

  The next line of gel had the same effect. Ceezee opened her mouth to ask him about the sensations, but he gave her a dark glance that had her snapping her jaw shut.

  The pleasurable burn was part of her punishment. That much was certain. She had to admit that the gel was doing a wonderful job of healing the bruising
and scratches.

  He drew lines over her breasts, bringing colour to her cheeks and chest as her nipples tightened. A wet heat started between her thighs. She had heard her married cousins speak in frank terms, but this had not been covered in the basic explanation of marital duties.

  Deven was most attentive in his application of the gel on the front of her. He didn’t miss anything. Every bruise, scuff, scrape and scratch was treated. Her body throbbed with a heat unrelated to the healing by the time he was done.

  He reached for her, and she hoped that he would know how to put her out of her misery, but instead of the touch she longed for, he flipped her to her stomach and began treating her backside and thighs.

  Squirming lacked dignity, but she could not control herself.

  He spanked her lightly. “Hold still. You did a real number on your left side.”

  Ceezee’s eyes widened as the light smack sent her senses reeling. That was not a feeling that she had expected after the light, stinging pain. Pleasure was rippling through her and something in her said that it wasn’t right. No respectable woman that she knew spoke of finding frissons of pain enjoyable.

  Her emotions sunk in misery. It was proof yet again that she wasn’t a normal woman. The darkness was her first abnormality. She didn’t know what her cousins’ talents were, but they didn’t seem to be nearly as all-consuming as hers was.

  She snapped back into the awareness of her body in an instant when she felt lips trail down her spine in a series of soft kisses that continued across her buttocks.

  Her body shivered as heat flared wherever he touched her.

  His hands traced her skin over and over, his lips moved across her hips, and soon, his tongue flicked out to taste her.

  The first flick of his tongue caused her to jump and squeak.

  He responded with a sound that was part chuckle and part growl. When he had tasted every part of her from her shoulders to the backs of her knees, he rolled her over.

  He slid his knee between her thighs, parting them for a direct caress that stole her breath. No one had ever touched her that intimately, and as his fingers parted her before working inside, she lost her breath again.