Tethered

by Pippa Jay

  “Tyree.” He said it as if in pain. Silver shards edged his aura, and a thread of fear. “I shouldn’t have fallen in love with you.”

  Her breath caught. “What did you say?”

  “I think you heard me well enough.”

  She leaned back, met his gaze. Those dark eyes, the color of capprey, so serious. “You...love me?”

  “Yes. I believe so.” He frowned, stroking his long fingers through her hair. “Do you even understand what that means?”

  “I...” Her mouth had gone dry; her chest squeezing tight. “I know what the word means. I just don’t know if that’s what I feel.”

  “What do you feel?”

  Things an Inc-Su should never feel. The need for another person. The need for something more than Communion. Something more than she’d ever had in Refuge, or ever wanted. “I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to go back to Refuge and never see you again.” There. She’d said it.

  “Tyree—”

  “But I have to go back.” The thought hurt worse than any injury she’d ever suffered.

  “I can talk to the Assembly. To the council.” Eagerness warred with an edge of desperation in his voice. “There must be some way.”

  “No. The council will never let me go. And definitely not to a human. Only the flawed leave Refuge for good.” She was crying now, the ache in her chest a terrible pain consuming her.

  But Su don’t cry...

  Zander kissed away her tears, burying his hands in her hair. He captured her mouth, the depth and ferocity of his kisses increasing as she matched him, silencing her sobs. His tongue swept inside her mouth, possessing her. There could be no doubt of his intentions this time.

  She trailed her hands down his chest; one side ridged and scarred, the other smooth. The hard muscles of his abdomen. The seal in his pants parted easily as she pulled at it, and he helped her as she tugged them down over his legs. The scars continued over his right hip and into the firm musculature of his thigh, stopping at his knee joint, and she ran her hand up to his waist.

  Zander mirrored her, caressing up her leg, along the curve of her thigh, and then slid beneath the edge of her shift at the hip. He continued up to her waist, brushing his thumb across the flat of her belly, and then stroked the curve of her breast. Her breathing stuttered as he circled and grazed across her nipple with his fingertips.

  “Wait,” she whispered, and he drew back. Tyree sat up and shrugged off her slip, but before she could move, Zander was lacing kisses around her throat, both hands to her breasts. She arched her back then collapsed into the bed as he kissed his way down her body to her belly, his hand sliding between her thighs. The long fingers trailed over the super-sensitive skin from knee to groin, taunting her as she whimpered into his kisses. She pressed her body into the hardness of his.

  “Zander,” she sighed, pulling him tight against her. His fingers glided into her, and his thumb circled gently in just the right place, taking her quickly to the verge. Moaning, she bit her lip to hold herself back, grabbing his hand. “No. Not like that,” she whispered. “Please, Zander. Now?”

  His mouth moved down her neck. “Tyree,” he breathed, and slid his muscular body between her legs, pressing her hard into the bed. She had never allowed any man to take her like this before. To possess her and take control. Always, even with one of her own kind, she had been the one on top, the one commanding. To give that up so completely was almost like reclaiming her innocence.

  With a groan, he entered her, and her body bucked in response, before he withdrew almost all the way. She clutched at him, not wanting him to go, afraid that sudden regret had prompted his move, but he drove into her again and again, each time pulling right back. The slow, long thrusts took her to the edge and held her there, so close and yet not quite reaching the brink as he teased her with his body. She moaned into his mouth, arching herself to demand her release, and to share his. The kaleidoscope of auric energy surged through her body, her mind, a maddening swirl that tormented her almost as much as Zander’s restraint. Had he learnt that from Mirsee? Even Incu never showed so much control.

  As if sensing her need, he quickened his pace. White fire raced up from her groin and blazed across her vision as the pressure increased.

  “Zander,” she gasped, and they both came in an explosion that blinded her, tore a scream from her mouth and his as mutual ecstasy ripped through their bodies.

  He collapsed into her, shuddering, and she wrapped arms and legs around him, wanting to keep him there. Wanting to keep him forever. Knowing she couldn’t. The pain of it stripped the euphoria from her shaking body and made her want to scream in agony.

  He buried his face in her neck, and she felt dampness seep over her skin in a trail that tickled.

  “Zander?” She pushed at his shoulder, forcing him to lift his head. Tears glistened in his eyes, even the cybernetic one. “Oh, Zander.” She reached up a hand to brush them away.

  “I don’t want you to go,” he whispered, his voice trembling as he did. “But there’s no choice. After today you’ll leave. I will complete my mission. And then...”

  “And then?” A terrible fear drove the last of the ecstasy from her. She knew what he intended. She knew what he planned to do.

  Soft chimes snatched them back to reality.

  Zander groaned. “That will be Pevanne.” He hesitated, and then captured her mouth in a long, deep kiss that said more than any words before levering himself out of bed to answer the summons.

  Chapter Eleven

  They sat in silence, with breakfast filling the table before them. Zander ate in small, slow mouthfuls, long fingers playing with his food. Tyree had no appetite for any of it, even the cup of capprey steaming at her side. Instead she watched his hands move, remembering the touch of them over her body.

  “You should eat,” he murmured at last, but she shook her head.

  “I don’t think I can stomach anything.”

  He took a large red ziah fruit from his plate and sliced it, revealing the pink and white flesh within. Placing it on the corner of a spiced wafer, he offered it to her. “Eat.”

  Torn between irritation and amusement, she leaned over to take a bite. The sweetness prompted her to eat a second before she snagged the entire wafer from his hand and finished it.

  “I would have thought your profession would urge you to keep your strength up regardless of the situation,” he scolded.

  “Is that your philosophy too?”

  “It’s something I learned in the G-Comm Wardens, yes.”

  “We’re hardly going into combat.”

  Zander raised his eyebrows. “I wonder.”

  “You don’t seriously think there will still be an assassination attempt?”

  “I think there’s a chance right up to the moment we put our palms to the treaty. But it’s not just that.” He reached over to caress the back of her hand with his thumb. “I wonder now why we wasted so much time.”

  She squeezed his fingers. “I need a shower,” she said. “Join me?”

  For a moment he looked startled, perhaps even embarrassed. Then he smiled and nodded.

  ***

  She shivered as their meeting point expanded across the viewing port. A small space station in the middle of Neutrality. Singularis—a gray metallic shape hovering in the darkness.

  Another craft, of the Tier-vane, also approached the long metal cylinder that was their mutual destination. Each ship mirrored the other as they both maneuvered in a slow, synchronized dance. She watched it slink toward the docking array. A pointed snout-like front in lurid orange shaded into a violent crimson body. The rear of the craft separated into a cluster of fearsome spines. It looked like some kind of poisonous sea creature let loose in space, the colors stark warning of its venom.

  Zander touched her shoulder, and she flinched. “Tyree?”

  “I’m fine,” she responded, a little too quickly.

  He settled his hand on her shoulder again, squeezing reassur
ance. “Another hour and it will all be over.”

  His voice sounded hollow and she took no comfort from his words. With their mission completed she would be free to return to Refuge, when she would rather stay with Zander. And he… She turned to look at his profile. His eyes were fixed on the meeting point, his jaw clenched. Fear wound through her heart and made her breathing falter. For once he stood with the scarred side toward her, as if to remind her of his other mission. When that task was done...

  “Zander.” She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t ask what he intended. Her heart shriveled at the prospect. And what would she do if he really did commission one of the Inc-Su to end his life? What if he requested her?

  He seized her suddenly, and crushed her against his chest. He kissed her forehead. “We’re almost there,” he whispered as he held her, and she looped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his neck until their ship docked.

  ***

  Zander took her hand, his fingers warm. She felt so cold. The transport quivered as mooring snares pulled it in. They swayed with the sudden, slight jolt as their craft jerked sideways to lock into the bay. A faint hiss meant the docking tube pressure had equalized, and the door slid open.

  A draft of air enveloped them. A white corridor lay ahead, curving upward so they couldn’t see directly down it to wherever it led.

  “Welcome to Neutrality.” The Monitor’s voice, cold and echoing, sounded more like a prison sentence than a greeting.

  “Thank you,” Zander said. Tyree shivered.

  “Please walk forward.”

  They obeyed, although Tyree would rather have retreated back into their transport and fled to the other side of the Territories. Her breathing sounded above the rustle of her dress and their soft footfalls no matter how hard she tried to silence it. This would be so much easier if it was just a kill.

  The corridor continued its upward curve. As they approached, the ornate double doors slid aside to reveal a vast empty chamber ahead, gray metal walls reaching high into the darkness. In the center stood a table of the same blue-gray metal and, opposite, the two Tier-vane representatives stepped through a similar door. The four of them marched toward the table as though coming to a duel, steps measured and purposeful.

  Tyree fought down the quiver in her gut and drew herself to her full height, head raised. She came as Inc-Su and human delegate, one of the four most powerful people in the galaxy at that moment. The fate of a thousand inhabited worlds rested in the palm of her hand. She bunched her fist and thought of that. Of the Inc-Su in Refuge who would suffer if this treaty failed. Of the human worlds that would die. Even the alien allies of the humans would feel it at the end. It was no longer a case of protecting Zander. It was the entire known universe.

  The four delegates reached the table together. The white surface of the table was etched with elaborate black script in three strips. The central one in Universal. To the left, the human version. To the right, a copy written in the ancient pledge language of the Tier-vane. Each corner of the treaty had a scarlet rectangle—the place where they must put their palm prints as their signature. All four must sign. Then two must speak the words that bound them.

  And then it’s over...

  The words were hollow. She’d go back to Refuge and never see Zander again. Because once this was done, so was Zander’s purpose in life. He’d be seeking his death and there was nothing she could do to stop him. It left her feeling sick.

  They met at the table, and Tyree bowed her head just as her fellow delegates did. A see-vu hovered above them, the only contact to the universe outside Neutrality. The whole signing would be transmitted to every sentient being with access to the see-vu network, and on community screens for those without.

  Both Tier-vane spoke a greeting in the yowls and hisses of their tongue. Tyree knew the translation. She’d read it a dozen times since her assignment had begun, though once was enough for the words to stick. As the Tier finished, Tyree licked her lips and prepared to return the greeting in time with Zander. As one they spoke. “On behalf of the allied Territories of humanity and all the worlds therein, and in accordance with our treaty, we greet you in friendship in a place of Neutrality, in high hope of another century of peace between us.”

  Tyree felt a cold prickle spark down her spine as she finished. A strange sense of deja-vu. As the Monitor in Neutrality read out the basic terms of the accord for the benefit of the viewers, she reached out to touch the auras of the Tier-vane. Nothing but grayness answered.

  Shielded. But why?

  As the broadcast continued, Tyree let her gaze wander. More than the shielding bothered her. Another sensation she knew, like a heavy weight in her chest, pressing her down. Holding her prisoner. Panic set her heart racing as she discovered the source of her discomfort. The Tier-vane Meso wore a Tether device on his wrist.

  The delegate smiled as Tyree tore her gaze from the device and up to his face. He knew she’d identified it. Her chest tightened as the voice of the Monitor droned on. This was a trap. The final one. Had it been Meso all along?

  “Place your palms to the accord in acceptance.”

  Tyree bit her lip. What could she do? If she denounced the Tier-vane now, would the treaty be violated? Her life and Zander’s would be forfeit either way. If she kept silent and the treaty was signed, at least the Territories would be safe? But the plan was surely to break the treaty?

  As each delegate placed their hands, the red light in each corner changed to green. Sweat dampened her palm. The others had already pressed their palms to the treaty. Now it was her turn.

  It was too late to break the accord. One touch and it was done. At least, providing the palm ident recognized her as Mirsee and didn’t reveal the human deception now.

  She touched the corner. The next few heartbeats took an eternity as the rectangle remained red. It hadn’t recognized her as Mirsee. It knew she was a fake. The treaty was broken.

  Red turned to green, and she started breathing again. It was done.

  Something paralyzed her. She tried to speak, to move, but nothing happened. A fog clouded her mind. The speech by the Monitor had come to an end.

  “Mirsee?”

  The voice sounded distant, distorted. Despite her efforts, she slid sideways, toppling to the floor.

  “Mirsee!” From the corner of her eye, she saw Zander reaching for her. Pain throbbed down her side where she’d hit the ground.

  “Do not distress yourself, Master D’joren. I will take her out for medical attention. Since we have all put our palms to it, the treaty only requires a representative of each side to swear the oath and sign. I am sure it is just the stress of it all. We have been under such pressure.”

  No, no, it isn’t, they’ve done something...

  She tried to mouth the words, to call to him, but only a whimper came from her throat. This was wrong—they’d done something to her!

  Fear chilled her soul. The psi-weapons! G’vorek had warned her. The Tier-vane could neutralize a Su.

  Zander knelt by her, his gaze fixed on hers and his hand on her shoulder. The concern in his face made her want to scream.

  It’s them! They’ve done this!

  Meso moved Zander from her line of sight. No, no, I want him here, don’t take him!

  “I want to go with her,” Zander protested as the Tier-vane lifted her limp body.

  “Of course. You have medical facilities aboard your ship?”

  “No, none.” Zander clasped her shoulder, but even that barely registered on her skin. Why was she so numb?

  “Then you are both welcome to make use of our vessel.”

  “Master D’joren.” The cold tones of the Monitor chimed in. “You and Tier-vehk Lusinn must complete the negotiations.”

  “Not without Mirsee.”

  “To leave now would void the agreement. You would risk violating the treaty?”

  “I will not abandon her!”

  Oh, Mothers and Fathers... Despite the psi-weapon, tears cro
wded her eyes. She saw him reach for her hand. Zander!

  “You and Tier-vehk Lusinn must speak the oath together. Lady Mirsee clearly cannot. You have but moments to complete your mission, Master D’joren, or you throw your peoples into war.” The Monitor drifted closer, the eyes of the universe upon Zander. “Is that what you wish?”

  Zander’s brow furrowed. His gaze latched onto Tyree’s, begging for her understanding. His mouth twitched, as if words fought to break free. “I will speak the oath,” he rasped in the end. “But if any harm comes to her...”

  Meso showed his serrated teeth in something that could have been a snarl. “You are still under the protection of Neutrality. Why would I harm a fellow diplomat before completing the treaty?” His words seemed carefully chosen. Why emphasize the fact that the treaty was not yet concluded?

  Inside her head she screamed as Zander’s bewildered gaze met hers. He remained at the table and watched her be taken until Meso blocked her view of him.

  No. No!

  The smell of musk and damp fur filled her nostrils. She had no control over her limbs. No ability to Mist out, to even whimper a protest. The total impotence she felt set her heart hammering faster than rapture. She wanted to throw up in her terror, but even that release evaded her.

  The corridors of the neutral conference hall gave way to a docking tube. Lights above streaked bright blurs across her sight. Unfamiliar walls passed by. Cold certainty froze her to the core. This wasn’t a medical facility. This was a ship, and it wasn’t Terran. Meso was taking her aboard his Tier-vane transport.

  Her throat seized. Panic crushed her chest. Her mind blanked. The entry lock gave way to a smaller, darker corridor leading deeper into the ship. A door whooshed aside, and Meso carried her in then slammed her onto the bed within. She landed like a dead thing, limbs loose. She couldn’t move as he leaned over her, his face so close his breath burned her skin with its heat. “I’ve always wanted a pet...”

  In her mind, she began to scream.

  Chapter Twelve