Shenili: Chains of Fear, Book 1

by Jacey Jenson

  "Some other time," he said so softly she was unsure whether she had heard him, or read his lips. Warder Leanan left the kennel in unseemly haste. Once outside, she stopped, took a deep breath, and looked around. The fog was thicker than it had been earlier. Carefully taking her bearings, she walked into the soupy mist, groping blindly toward her apartment.

  You could take me with you, his words replayed in her mind. She shook her head. She marched toward her apartment, toward her bed, toward Bobby. Never, she thought. "Never," she whispered into the moist night air surrounding her. Leanan wondered why she didn't believe it.

  Chapter 7

  The following afternoon, Gary sat on his pallet, deep in thought. It hadn't taken long to get Denny Joe's fever down the night before, after Leanan brought the medicine, and showed them how to use it. Though fully conscious of the relief he felt for Denny Joe's improvement, Gary wasn't thinking of the baby.

  He was thinking of Leanan. All he had to do to see her face, was close his eyes. And when he closed his eyes, it seemed he could smell the delicate floral scent she wore, and feel the soft smoothness of her skin beneath his calloused palms. Just thinking about her aroused him. He frowned, opened his eyes. What is there about her? he asked himself. Choit, she’s one of them! His body didn’t seem to care. He shifted uncomfortably to ease the pressure in his groin. He didn't want to want her, didn't want to feel the sensual pull she induced in him.

  When Donna came out of the makeshift nursery, then walked toward him, Gary saw her. He saw her, but the fact didn't register. Donna stopped beside him. She bent over, whispered an invitation into his ear. Gary gazed up at her, surprised, while she waited for his answer.

  There was an odd look on her face. Gary wondered if she somehow knew of his preoccupation with Leanan, then decided she didn't. When he'd followed Leanan to the door last night, Donna had stayed behind to help Sara with Denny Joe. It didn't occur to him until much later that he and Leanan hadn't been alone, that any one of several people might have told her what happened between him and the warder.

  He felt uneasy about accepting her invitation. It would ease the pressure he felt building within him, but seemed unfair to Donna, when she hadn't been the one to cause it. The expression on her face changed. Pain entered her eyes. She started to turn away. The hurt in her face changed his mind.

  Gary caught her hand, pulled her down beside him on the pallet. He took her in his arms, smiled into her smoky gray eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked, his eyes darkening with his need. "It's the middle of the afternoon." They wouldn't have any privacy. Gary wanted to be sure she understood that.

  Donna shrugged. "The little ones won't be back for a while." She slipped her hand up under his tunic. Gary caught his breath as she caressed the hard, flat planes of his abdomen. Electric tingles swept across his flesh at the touch of her soft fingers. He shivered with anticipation. Her hand glided a path to his back, then to his waist. Passion burned through his body, following the paths of his arteries, then diverging to smolder through each vein as inevitably as sparks follow a path of gun powder.

  With an incoherent murmur, he pressed her back to the pallet. His mouth claimed hers in a kiss, demanding that she finish what she had begun. His hands cupped her breasts. Donna moaned, arched her back, and pressed herself against him more fervently. He blazed a trail across her cheek to her ear with feather light kisses, nibbled her ear before moving to her throat. She whispered his name, and moved beneath him, building his desire. Her hands moved over his back and buttocks, driving him to the bounds of his control, then slipped between them to fumble with the laces of his pants.

  Gary opened his eyes, only then aware they had been closed. Still holding her close, he rolled them to their sides to make it easier for her to untie the laces. He groaned deep in his chest as she pulled the laces loose, then slid her hand inside, fondled him. She smiled wickedly, whispered her desires. Gary's eyes darkened into indigo. Unable to control his shenili sensuality longer, he reached for her. He pulled her close, then rolled with her until he lay over her.

  "Gary?"

  Gary ignored the voice, more interested in Donna, than whoever it was speaking. At that point, he was beyond recognizing voices.

  "Gary!" The voice was louder, more insistent.

  "Go away," said Gary, a growl in his words.

  "I need your help."

  "Later!" Gary all but shouted the word.

  "We have a problem."

  Gary let out a forceful sigh. He rolled off Donna to stare up at Bobby. "This better be important."

  "It is," said Bobby. "The heater core in Kennel Seven quit working."

  For a long moment, Gary stared at the slender blonde Terran. He was sure he had heard wrong. "The heater core . . .." he said slowly, spacing his words.

  "Quit working," said Bobby.

  “Bobby, go away."

  "It has to be fixed, Gary. The little ones will freeze without it."

  Gary stood up, ignoring the way his pants perched precariously on his hips. "Bobby," he said, with exaggerated patience, "I don't know how to fix it. Jeff and Ricky were the only ones who did. They're gone now. Leave me alone!"

  Bobby shifted his feet nervously. “I can fix it."

  "So go fix it, slof!"

  "But, I can't . . .."

  "Choit, Bob. You either can or you can't. If you can, do it. If you can't, forget it." Gary's eyes narrowed. He took an aggressive step forward. "Go away!"

  “But . . .."

  "That's it!" Gary lunged at Bobby, his right hand clenched into a fist. He reached out with his left hand. Then he felt a slithering caress on his legs. Startled, he glanced down. His pants pooled around his ankles. He overbalanced and fell, full-length, to the floor. He lay stunned for a moment, then shook his head, took a deep breath. He heard a choke, looked around to see Donna sitting up. Both her hands were clasped over her mouth. Her shoulders were shaking with laughter. As he sat up, Gary muttered the most colorful curses he knew. He glared at Bobby, daring him to laugh. Bobby didn't meet his eyes. Instead, he stared straight ahead, his face blank of all emotion. Only the muscle twitching at the corner of his mouth gave indication of his amusement.

  Gary glanced again at Donna as she began to laugh aloud. "You should see yourself," she gasped. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Gary scowled. Donna laughed harder. His gaze darted back to Bobby. This time, Bobby gazed back at him. Not sure what he intended to say, Gary opened his mouth, then snapped it shut when Bobby snickered. As if Bobby's snicker were the catalyst, laughter rose around him. He swept his gaze over the room, glaring at his friends, then looked down at himself.

  All that kept him from being totally nude from the waist down was the cloth wrapped around his ankles. A self-deprecating smile grew on his lips. He burst out laughing. After several minutes, his ardor cooled, he managed, with some difficulty, to stand up. He jerked his pants up, quickly tied the laces. "Alright, Bobby," he said, as the chuckles died down, "what did you want?"

  Bobby covered his grin with his hand. When he removed it, his expression was serious. "I helped Jeff and Ricky enough that I think I can fix it, but I can't read good enough to understand the repair manual."

  "You want me to read it for you."

  "Uh huh."

  "Dennis, can read," said Gary tonelessly.

  "He's on detail. It's getting really, really cold in there, Gary. They don't have enough blankets to do without it."

  Gary considered, then nodded. Bobby was probably right. Warder Brezlah wasn't overly generous with her kennel. "Alright," he said, sending a regretful glance Donna's way. He ran his hand through his hair. "Let's give it a try," he said, then walked toward the door.

  *****

  Ricky stirred restlessly in his bunk. A hollow, metallic thunk penetrated his sleep, then seemed to repeat endlessly. He groaned and rolled to his back. He opened one eye to see the half-light of the starship's arbitrary night cycle. He frowned up at Jeff for a moment, while the thunk repeated its vibration th
rough the small cabin.

  “Would you quit kicking that locker?" he demanded, still half-asleep. "Some of us are trying to sleep!"

  "So sleep, already!"

  Ricky bit back an angry retort. His frown deepened. He sighed, rubbed his eyes and face with both hands. Somehow, he knew that whatever Jeff's problem was, he wasn't going to like it any more than Jeff did.

  "What's wrong?"

  Jeff gave the locker a vicious kick. "I'm mad!"

  "I can see that," said Ricky, with heavy sarcasm. "Why?"

  "We've been ordered to entertain the Ladies tomorrow."

  Forgetting to be careful, Ricky jerked to an upright position, bumped his head on Jeff's upper bunk. "They brought some of the girls up?"

  Jeff kicked the locker again, harder. "No. You and me. Us."

  Ricky froze, his hand pressed to the slight bump on his skull. "Us? As in the two of us? Together?"

  "Yeah, us!" Giving the locker one last kick, Jeff nodded miserably, then dropped off his bunk and sat beside Ricky.

  Blood drained from Ricky's face, left it feeling numb. "Choit," he muttered. He watched Jeff run his fingers through his hair. "Why?" he finally asked, hoping that Jeff was kidding, knowing that he wasn't.

  "To find out if we're any good. How should I know why Thali do anything?"

  Speechless, Ricky looked down at his clenched fists. "When?" he asked weakly, when sure he had his voice under control.

  "Three bells." Jeff leapt to his feet, prowled the length of the small cabin, then back. He kicked the bunk, avoiding Ricky's gaze. "It's not enough they had to bring us up here without giving us a chance to say good-bye to Maggie." He kicked the bunk again. "It's not enough we have to learn ki-trig and navigation and piloting. It's not enough they beat you half to death and threaten to kill Maggie." He threw both hands into the air. "No, they have to find something else to do to us!" His fist slammed into the upper bunk over Ricky's head.

  Ricky flinched away from Jeff's anguish. He stood up, placed a comforting hand on Jeff's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Jeff. We'll figure out something."

  "Before, or after."

  "Jeff, if they insist, we don’t have a choice."

  "I know. That doesn't make it any easier."

  Still frowning, Ricky took a turn at pacing the room. "It's not like it would be the first time we, well . . .."

  Jeff looked up to meet Ricky's gaze. "We're older now, Rick. I know some of the guys are still pairing, but, trihe choit! That's not the point. You know what the girls are like after entertaining."

  Ricky stopped pacing, leaned on Jeff's locker. His heel thumped against it nervously. "Poidivi?"

  "Yeah."

  They were both quiet for several minutes. Ricky's mind insisted on totaling the number of vadagza who hadn't survived entertaining with drugged partners. "They've made us do some pretty terrible things before," he slowly said. His next statement was more hope than certainty. "We'll live."

  "You sure you want to live, Rick?"

  Ricky forgot to breathe. He stared at Jeff. "You talking suicide, Jeff?"

  Jeff moaned, and turned his back. "I don't know what I'm talking. This is just too much."

  Ricky nodded. It was too much.

  Jeff laid back, covered his eyes with his right arm. After a moment, he moved his arm to stare back at Ricky.

  "Thought you said you wanted to sleep."

  "I did."

  "So sleep.”

  "Now? You're jerking my chain!"

  "We have tests in the morning," Jeff reminded him wearily. "Better try, anyway."

  Ricky shook his head. The last thing on his mind now was the ki-trig test. "I don't think I could, now." He moved to the door, opened it to look outside at the empty corridor. "Think I'll go for a walk."

  "Just don't go out the airlock. They might make me do it anyway."

  "Be interesting to find out," said Ricky, smirking.

  "Not to me. And you'd be too dead to know or care."

  Ricky glanced at the concern in Jeff's eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be back." He peered out the door to make sure the corridor was still empty, then added, "We're going home, soon, Jeff. Remember that."

  Jeff closed his eyes. Ricky hesitated, then walked through the door. By the time it schnicked shut behind him, he had walked far enough that he didn't hear it. Finally, he glanced back. His cabin was hidden beyond the curve in the corridor. A violent shiver swept through him, settled in his knees. He fell against the bulkhead. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he felt the need to hit someone. He had had to leave the cabin to keep from hitting Jeff. It’s not Jeff’s fault, he told himself sternly. It’s those tarvitch Thali! Eyes closed, head bowed, he struggled with his emotions. He groaned aloud with the effort.

  "Are you hurt, vadagz?"

  Ricky jerked upright, his startled gaze falling on Mistress Madira. She had her head tilted to one side to peer up into his face. He bowed his head, somehow managed to keep his anger out of his tone.

  "No, my Lady."

  "You should be in bed." She forced his chin up. "Why are you in the corridor?"

  "I couldn't sleep, my Lady."

  A speculative light touched her eyes. Her gaze roamed hungrily over his youthful frame. Ricky's stomach spasmed painfully, as if someone had hit him.

  "Come with me," Madira said, laughing unpleasantly. "I can't sleep, either. We'll not sleep together."

  Ricky reminded himself that vadagz didn't argue with Thali women, unless they harbored a death wish. Hate and resentment building in him, he followed her to her cabin. Where Ricky's cabin was sparsely functional, Madira's quarters were luxurious. And she had real furniture, not molded durolloy. The bed she indicated with a twist of her wrist was plushly mattressed, and large enough for three couples.

  "Remove the coverlet," she said.

  While Ricky walked to the bed, Madira took a few clips from her hair, unwound it, let it fall in soft russet curls to her waist. Ricky woodenly pulled the magenta coverlet off the bed, then looked at Madira while he folded it. She frowned as he placed it on the glow-wood chair beside the bed.

  “You don't seem to be pleased, vadagz."

  Ricky bowed his head, his silence answering her. He heard her muted footsteps approach him. "Look at me," she commanded. Cautiously, he raised his head. Annoyance contorted her lips. "You don't want to be bedded?"

  Again, he chose not to answer.

  "I see." Her malevolent smile sent shivers down Ricky's spine. Madira walked to her dressing table, searched through the top drawer. When she turned around, she held a vial in her hand. She opened the small jar, shook out two tiny green capsules, then held them out to him. “Take them."

  Ricky glanced at the poidivi in her hand, then looked at her blankly. One was enough, he knew, to rouse the libido of anyone. Two would drive him into an animalistic sexual fervor. Take them, whispered a voice in his mind. Take them and do to her what she plans to do to you. He shook his head to clear his mind, forced the thoughts away. As had most vadagz, he had raped vadagza many times under the influence of poidivi. Never because he wanted to, or had a choice.

  Anger flared on Madira's face. Too late, Ricky realized she had taken his reaction as refusal. Her hand jumped to his collar. Her fingers pressed the recessed button, activating the obedience enhancer. Ricky screamed as excruciating pain engulfed him. He dropped to his knees, both hands pulling at his collar. When he could breathe easily again, Madira kicked him, brutally bruising his ribs. Unable to contain his low moans, he wrapped his arms around his waist to protect his throbbing side, should she kick him again. He dared not look up, fearful she would consider him rebellious, and use the enhancer again.

  "Stand up, vadagz!"

  He rose unsteadily, gasping with pain as the movement aggravated his bruises, and his barely healed back. Madira put a finger under his chin and tilted his head to see his eyes. She gazed at him triumphantly.

  "Take them!"

  Ricky hesitated only a moment, then took bo
th capsules. He swallowed without the aid of water. He kept his gaze on Madira's face, while waiting for the first hot rush when the drug took effect. You asked for it, he thought, and I hope you regret it.

  The End

  Thank you for reading Shenili, Chains of Fear, Book 1.

  Continue the story of Gary and his friends in Revolt, Chains of Fear, Book 2.

  Preview

  Chapter 1 of Revolt, Chains of Fear, Book 2

  Gary rolled his shoulders. The black tunic fit tight, not painful, but uncomfortable. None of the other vadagz were dressed in black. He watched the long line of vadagz slowly wend into the entrance of the stadium. When his turn came, Lady Sharii, the Games Mistress, crooked her finger, motioned him to come to her. Gary held his impatience in check as she turned him first this way, then that, scrutinizing his black garbed figure. She frowned, unfastened his chain belt, and hooked it tighter. His breath whooshed out with the force pushing against his stomach, but he knew better than to complain.

  Lady Sharii jerked her head toward a bench that hadn't been present during training. "Sit down." She didn’t wait to see if he obeyed, but instead turned back to oversee the vadagz lined up behind Gary.

  Gary crossed to the bench, and sat stiffly straight to make it easier to breathe. He looked up at the stands rapidly filling with Thali women. Brilliant floodlights illuminated the arena, reminding him again of the football stadiums back home. Those Ladies already in their seats returned his stare, excitement on their faces. Some nudged their neighbors and pointed at Gary, or at one of the other vadagz as his friends lined up at the arena entrance.

  Gary bowed his head. The anticipation on their faces sickened him. He wished he dared take the laser from a passing Sentinel. I could really cause some excitement then! He shook his head. Someday, he promised himself, I will destroy all this. He stared at the red sand without seeing it. Steadily, the volume of noise around him increased as the stands filled.