strongholdrising

by Lisanne Norman

  Vartra stirred. “No. Don’t ask it of Me. It’s impossible.”

  “I could cope without my Talent. I didn’t even know I was a telepath until a few months ago. Kusac can’t. This is tearing him— us— apart!”

  The eyes glowed brighter, and His voice this time held the trace of a growl. “Had it been you, events would not have worked out the way they did. To change what is would cause untold damage, even if it were possible. You must rebuild your Triad.”

  “How, dammit?” he demanded. “Tell me how when he’s no longer a telepath! It isn’t a Triad any longer!”

  “That’s for you to discover, Tallinu. You built it between you. If you forged the links between you properly, your Triad will survive.”

  “I never wanted her as a Leska! Only as my lover!” he said angrily. “This closeness, the dependence, I can’t cope with it!”

  “Then learn, and rebuild what you seem bent on destroying by neglect!”

  “I can’t! It isn’t up to me alone, dammit!”

  Vartra rose to His feet in one fluid movement, startling Kaid, making him stumble backward. Moonlight illuminated Him clearly now, letting Kaid see His ears folded sideways in anger amid the halo of bushed out hair.

  “Look up there, Tallinu,” thundered Vartra, pointing to the sky above them. “See the darkness? That’s what you must fight! If the Entities withdraw, Shola herself will suffer. The land will wither and dry, there will be droughts and famines! I have told them this but they will not listen to me, the youngest among them! And you waste what little time I have left in arguing with me over something that you know in your heart is impossible!”

  His hand snaked out, grasping hold of Kaid by the front of his tunic. “You forget I called you here! You three are Shola’s best hope! Alone of the Entities, I could remain, had I the means! I have the will and the power to fight, they have not! Find Me a way to remain, to stop the Entities retreating, to fight the darkness! Now get you back to the Shrine and pray that you can before I, too, am beyond reaching by any Sholan!”

  Kaid found himself flying backward till he crashed against something solid. Shaking, he painfully pushed himself into a sitting position only to find he was back in the Shrine. He got to his feet as around him clouds of incense swirled and dark shadows, cast by the violent flickering of the braziers, danced on the walls. Keeping his face to them, he limped toward the door. Never before had he faced such anger from Vartra.

  Stopping only long enough to tell the night porter he was leaving, he made his way hurriedly back to the villa. Like Kusac, he’d tried to do what he thought right and faced the God’s wrath. Now he had to think again about what Rhyasha had said. Right now, all he wanted was to be somewhere bright, where there were no shadows.

  *

  The front of the villa was in darkness by the time he reached it. He checked his wrist comm, discovering he’d been gone longer than he thought.

  As he passed Carrie’s room, he saw a chink of light and stopped. The prospect of spending the night alone with the possibility that Vartra would return, did not appeal to him at all. He needed someone to talk to.

  He knocked on the door and, getting no answer, reached mentally for her.

  I thought you were spending the night at the Shrine, she replied.

  Preoccupied, he didn’t pay much attention to the note of panic in her mental voice. I changed my mind. Can I come in? I need someone to talk to.

  Wait a minute.

  He leaned against the wall, wondering what she was doing. The door was suddenly flung open and he found himself almost nose to nose with T’Chebbi. A smiling T’Chebbi.

  “G’night,” she said over her shoulder before stepping past him. “Night, Kaid.”

  He watched her saunter down the corridor, tail held up at a jaunty angle, the tip swaying slightly. Her long plait was damp and bobbed gently against the small of her back as she walked.

  Curious now, he went in. Carrie, swathed in her large toweling robe, was in the lounge closing her bedroom door. He could feel her nervousness from where he stood. Like T’Chebbi, her hair was still damp.

  “What happened to you?” she asked, coming into the room. “You look like you went hunting!”

  He looked down at himself, seeing the dirt and pieces of twigs and dead leaves stuck to his jacket and feet, and felt a tingle of fear. He’d almost convinced himself that the experience had been in his mind. He realized then he couldn’t tell her all that had happened.

  “Sort of,” he said lamely, looking back at her.

  “You need a shower,” she said, bustling over to him. “I’ll come with you and get it ready.”

  He caught hold of her arm as she went past him. He didn’t want to use his room tonight. “No need. I’ll shower here if I may.”

  “Um. Yes. Right. I’ll go get you a towel, then,” she said, taking a couple of steps back from him before turning and fleeing from the rom.

  Puzzled, he followed her, thankful for something to divert his mind. In the bathroom, he found her picking up several towels from the floor.

  “These are wet,” she said, dumping them in the bath. “T’Chebbi and I shared a shower.” She opened the small closet where the towels were kept and hauled one out for him, thrusting it against his chest. “There. I’ll leave you to it,” she said, then vanished, leaving him to grab for the towel before it fell.

  All this fuss just because she and T’Chebbi had shared a shower? He shook his head wonderingly as he slung the towel over the side of the bath and began to strip.

  He was about to step into the shower when the noises from the other room got the better of his curiosity.

  Opening the bathroom door, he peered into the bedroom. Carrie was digging frantically in the chest at the end of the bed. Around the room, all the other chests and cupboards were lying open, their contents rumpled and sticking out untidily. It looked like the room had been hit by a whirlwind.

  “Carrie, what’s going on?” he asked, pushing the door open and surveying the mess.

  She spun around, backing up against the chest till she lost her footing and began to fall.

  He didn’t make it in time to stop her from banging the back of her head, but he did catch her before she hit the ground. Picking her up, he carried her around the bed and laid her down. She moaned, putting her hand to her head as he began to check to make sure she was all right.

  “You need to be more careful,” he said, sitting back. “That could have been a nasty fall. Whatever it is you’re after can surely wait till tomorrow when you’ve got one of the house attendants to help you.” He reached out to pat her leg.

  Her eyes opened and she looked up at him, taking in where she was and where he was sitting before closing them again with another moan.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, face creasing in concern. “You didn’t hurt yourself anywhere else, did you?” He slid his hand higher, trying to check her ribs through the robe.

  “No, I’m fine,” she said, her voice faint. “I didn’t hurt myself anywhere else.”

  He reached for her tie belt. “I should check you properly.”

  Her hand was there first, covering the knot as she sat up. “I’m fine, really. You go and have your shower,” she said.

  “In a minute. What were you looking for?”

  “Nothing. It isn’t important,” she said, giving him a gentle push. “Go get your shower.”

  The shower was becoming less appealing than the prospect of remaining with her. “I’m in no rush,” he said, reaching out to flick her hair back from her face. “Did you enjoy your shower with T’Chebbi?” he asked, letting his fingers linger on her cheek.

  “Yes, I always do. We used to do it a lot when Kusac was at Stronghold with you.”

  “That’s good. Your skin’s incredibly soft tonight.” It was soft, softer than he remembered. His subconscious began to prickle, warning him that all was not as it seemed.

  “I know,” she said, taking hold of his hand and putting it fir
mly on his lap. “Sashti’s oils, remember? I really think you should have that shower, Tallinu.”

  He could smell the oil now, enhancing her own gentle musk. The warning grew louder but he chose to ignore it. Lifting her hand, he held the inside of her wrist to his lips, running the tip of his tongue across the sensitive skin, watching her reaction. She tasted as good as she smelled.

  “I’ll have the shower later,” he said, his voice deepening as he started to purr. “You don’t really want me to go now, do you?” It had been a long time since he’d felt like this about her outside their Link days.

  His brown eyes were wide and soft in a way she’d never seen before. His tongue flicked across her wrist again, first the gentle tip then the rougher midsection. It sent tingles through her whole body, making her close her eyes in pleasure. She tried to remember what T’Chebbi had said the perfume spray did, but Kaid’s other hand was touching her face, his fingertips drawing patterns across her cheek, evaporating all serious thoughts. Shuddering, she turned her face till her mouth touched his hand.

  As her tongue touched his sensitive palm, he spread his hand wide for her, his purr briefly rising in pitch till it seemed to vibrate right through her.

  Releasing her wrist, he leaned closer, teeth gently closing on her throat. She could smell his scent changing, strengthening as he became more aroused. There was a depth to it she hadn’t noticed before, something that woke a matching response in her. Suddenly light-headed with desire, she had no will to stop him when he eased her robe off her shoulders, his tongue moving lower.

  As his fingers touched her breast, she moaned gently, almost dropping his hand.

  He lifted his head, lips brushing hers. “What is it?” he whispered. “One of T’Chebbi’s perfumes?”

  “A spray. She put it on the bed,” she said, clenching her hand round his. “I told her not to.”

  He laughed gently, twisting his hand free and placing both of hers against his chest, pushing her fingers through his long fur until they touched his nipples. “It’s sensitizing us, enhancing what we feel.” He sucked his breath in sharply as her fingers teased him to hardness.

  “Slowly, Dzinae,” he whispered, kissing her while his free hand unfastened the tie belt and pushed it aside. T’Chebbi’s potion was more powerful than he’d anticipated. Making sure he stayed on her robe, he urged her to lie down on the covers. “We should take our time.”

  And take his time he did, stroking her, licking her, teasing her with every trick he’d learned from T’Chebbi, into shuddering paroxysms of pleasure while denying her what she wanted most.

  At length he let her catch her breath. Making sure her robe was still under him, he lay on his side, watching her. Her responses combined with the contact aphrodisiac he’d absorbed from her skin had aroused him to the point where he could delay his own pleasure only a little longer.

  Carrie reached out for him, running her fingers across his chest and belly. This time, he didn’t stop her.

  “My turn,” she whispered, her voice husky with desire. She pulled him closer, her hand sliding firmly over the smoothness of his groin till he felt the familiar tightening of his muscles.

  He held his breath, tensing as her fingers moved lower, pushing through the long fur that concealed his genital cavity. She stopped just short, daring him to lose his control before she went farther.

  Against his chest, their crystal grew warm, pulsing in time with his heart. He arched his body toward her hand, losing his balance and collapsing onto the bedcovers but now he didn’t care. “Don’t stop,” he groaned, clutching her wrist, trying to urge her hand lower, shuddering with the effort of holding himself back. She’d never been this bold before, but then, he’d always been ready for her till now.

  Her fingers moved, touching his sensitive flesh, sending his groin and belly muscles into spasms. He moaned, a mixture of pleasure and relief as finally his genitals descended. Then her hand closed round his nakedness, holding him tightly as he began to swell. He gasped, reaching for her, but she batted his hand away with a warning sound not unlike a growl.

  She teased him just as he’d teased her, almost shocking him with her knowledge of how far she could take him without triggering his secondary erection. Twice she did this, leaving him so highly strung the second time that he did lose his self-control and grabbed her, flipping her onto her back and pinning her to the bed by her hands.

  “No more! By all the Gods, you really are a Dzinae,” he growled, taking his weight on his forearms and matching his body to hers. As her warmth surrounded him, he shuddered, so sensitized now that every slight movement sent waves of pleasure rippling through him. As he swelled inside her, it was almost enough to finish him. The crystal flared hot, its pulse changing pace, beating faster, vibrating through him till his heartbeat matched hers.

  Slowly, he began to withdraw, his mouth searching frantically for hers, their fingers lacing, his clenching as he stopped then pushed forward again. Their minds reached for each other, becoming as entwined as their bodies.

  *

  Kaid woke with a start, aware of the weight of her head on his shoulder and the warmth of her body tucked against his. More, he felt the magic of their Link flowing gently between them. Soon it would grow stronger, but not for an hour or two yet. That pleased him because a part of him had grown to dread that pull. What they’d shared a few hours ago had been triggered by T’Chebbi’s spray, but it had been worth it to forget their guilt over Kusac and rediscover their love. He’d done his best to hide, even from himself, his desire to have her carry his cub— a desire forged as a three-year-old when she’d held him on her lap during the long journey from this estate to Stronghold fifteen hundred years ago. He had never wanted a Leska Link with her, but even Vartra couldn’t undo the past. The God had been right. It was up to them to make what they could of the future.

  Carrie stirred, her hand moving across his belly to curl round his side, the still gentle flow of Link energy following her touch. He yawned and closed his eyes again, looking forward to their day together as he drifted back into a contented sleep.

  K’oish’ik, Prime homeworld, Zhal-Ghyakulla, 22nd day (June)

  Zayshul followed Medical Director Zsoyshuu down the ranks of growth tubes. His visit was routine, the hatchlings were well past any danger. At the equivalent of just over two years old, all they had to do now was mature.

  Zsoyshuu stopped by the unit nearest the exit, surveying the inhabitant. Floating in its tank of nutrient fluid, the small, pale green body bobbed gently, tethered by the fine cables that attached it to the control panel placed on the tube’s exterior.

  He reached out and tapped his scriber against the tube, studying the reaction of the Prime child within.

  “One of the females, I see,” he said. Slowly, it began to uncurl itself. Its head came up, closed eyes looking blindly at him, tiny legs straightening as its arms reached out toward the direction of the sound.

  Zayshul tried not to look away, wishing she’d not gotten involved with Kezule. Because of him, she’d lost her objectivity, and it was impossible for her to see them as anything but his hatchlings. At least their eyes were still closed.

  The Director turned away, a satisfied smile on his face as he made notations with his scriber on the pad. “Response time is good, Doctor. Well done. Looks like you’ve done an excellent job. As you said, time to hand them over to the developmental team. I want their education program initiated as soon as possible.”

  She nodded, glad her involvement was almost over. Now she could face Kezule with a clearer conscience.

  As they left the growth chamber and reentered the lab, Zsoyshuu glanced at her. “You’re still seeing General Kezule socially, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, Medical Director.”

  “I’m told he’s settling in well at the Court. His test results certainly show no elevated levels of stress, but tests don’t necessarily reveal everything. How is he really adapting?”

  What should she
tell him? That Kezule was impatient with the rigid protocol of the Court? That his patience with the fawning courtiers who plagued him with requests for details of the old days of the Empire was wearing thin? “Why do you ask?”

  “None of the three females from the Kz’adul were impregnated by him,” he said. “And despite having quite a following of our eligible young females here, again no pregnancies. I confess I’m curious as to why not. Which is why I’m wondering about his stress levels.”

  “He needs a purpose, sir,” she said carefully as she opened the door for the Director, letting him pass out into the corridor before her. “He was a line officer, leading his troops into battle, planning campaigns from the bridges of starships. Now he’s nothing but a curiosity.”

  “He’s more than that, Doctor Zayshul. He’s the future for us, the progenitor of our Warrior class. I’d prefer him to be doing what comes naturally, but I’m afraid that if I don’t see some sign of his natural potency, I’ll have to authorize his sedation so more samples can be taken from him. Unless you think he’d be prepared to donate them voluntarily?”

  “I wouldn’t even suggest it to him, sir,” she said as they stopped outside his office. “He’s proud, and the thought of being used like that would enrage him.”

  “I presume then that you’ve said nothing to him about our breeding program. Keep it that way, Doctor. Well, let’s hope at least one of his females falls pregnant within the next month.”

  Zayshul watched the door close behind him before she moved off. Deep in thought, she headed for her quarters.

  *

  The City of Light was one vast, rambling building constructed originally on an East/West axis around a small inner courtyard. Now, visible even from space, it covered many square miles, dominating the surrounding countryside. Each successive Emperor had added to the Palace, building outward until even the fields had been enclosed, turning it into the walled city it was today.

  Zayshul’s apartment was near the science block in the northwest quadrant, a fairly affluent area, reserved for those who held senior positions in the employment of the Emperor.