Dark Nadir

by Lisanne Norman

  It’s a kiss, he sent in reply to her confused thoughts.

  In her mind, his presence expanded, filling it till he pushed the fear back and she no longer felt alone. She could sense him now, feel the anger and anguish he’d experienced as he’d had to kill the male who’d attacked her earlier. He’d never taken a life before, and her nightmarish memories had caused him to relieve it in details as horrific for him as those she’d just experienced.

  He began to withdraw, releasing her, but she clung to him.

  No, don’t leave me! I don’t want to be alone! He wanted her, needed her presence to push his memories back just as much as she needed him to do the same for her. She could feel it all in his mind.

  His teeth caught gently at her lips, one hand coming up to cup the side of her face and caress it while the other began to stoke her back, fingers pushing through the long pile of her pelt.

  She tugged at his clothes, frantic to have him, to make him want to stay with her despite the distress she’d caused him. Suddenly she stopped, realizing he’d said her name.

  Yes, I know who you are, Keeza Lassah, he sent, catching hold of her hands.

  Then you know . . .

  I know who you are, he repeated, pulling his own clothes free and placing her hands against his bare chest. It wasn’t you who did those things. You didn’t want to kill any more than I did. Neither of us had a choice.

  His kiss was deeper now, his tongue touching hers, his mind filling with his desire to have her. She shivered, this time with pleasure as her hands accepted his invitation and she began to stroke his chest. He had a pelt of sorts, but not a full one, not like hers. She’d never felt so much skin before—it was impossibly soft. In the semidarkness of the room, it was easy to forget he wasn’t Sholan.

  He was waiting for her, she realized, and hesitantly, unsure of what she’d find, she ventured lower, almost leaping back in shock as she discovered just how aroused he was.

  It’s all right, he sent. I’d never force you. We can stop now if you wish.

  In answer, she let her hands slide over his hips, pressing him hard against her belly. Stroking his rear through the thin fabric of his shorts, it came as a surprise to find he hadn’t even the vestige of a tail.

  He moved against her, making a small, muffled noise of pleasure before drawing her down with him onto the bed. He released her only long enough to undress, then his arms were round her again.

  He’d felt almost this smooth, came the unbidden comparison and she shied away from the memory, clutching Brynne closer. But not as warm. And Brynne was so warm against her body.

  Hush, he sent, soothing her until she stopped shivering. Then, gently nibbling and biting her, he worked his way across her cheek and jaw to her chest, looking for, and finding, a nipple.

  As his teeth closed softly on her, she whimpered, trying to remember to control her claws as she began to knead his shoulders. His free hand caressed her hip and uninjured thigh and her mind was filled again with his need to keep her safe, to protect her, and his desire to stay with her.

  Why? Why should you want to help me? I’ve brought you nothing but nightmares.

  You need me. No one has ever needed me like this before. He moved lower, nibbling and caressing his way across her belly and hips then the tops of her thighs while his fingers gently began to slide higher, teasing gentle moans of pleasure from her.

  Everything was so new—him, what he was doing to her, the sensations she was experiencing. No male had treated her like this before. When he stopped and began to sit up, she reached for him anxiously.

  Don’t stop!

  I’m not. He reached for the light beside him, letting its warm glow illuminate him before he leaned over her.

  “I’ll not have you afraid of me,” he said gently, stroking her laid back ears and brushing her tousled hair away from her face.

  Something long asleep within her awoke at that moment. She wanted this male, wanted to be with him always. Tears began to spill from her eyes as she realized how impossible it was because of her past.

  No, he sent, stopping to wipe her tears. I’ll find a way, I swear I will!

  * * *

  The moment he woke, Kaid knew he was alone and back in their prison. His mind was empty, not a trace of her. It was as if it had never happened.

  His howl of rage and grief brought the others rushing from their rooms. Tirak would have entered, but T’Chebbi barred the way.

  “No. Leave him,” she said. “Even I’m not going in.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” demanded Rezac, trying to push her aside. “He wasn’t hurt when we found him, just drugged.”

  She resisted with a strength that surprised him. “Don’t know,” she said, but she had her own, private thoughts as she heard the sound of breaking furniture.

  T’Chebbi remained where she was, not so much stopping anyone from going in as preventing Kaid from leaving if he should try. He needed to work this rage off, and she knew he was best left alone. There wasn’t much to break in their room anyway.

  When all had been quiet for some time, she risked opening the door and looking in. At first she couldn’t see him amid the broken pieces of drawer units and shredded bedding. She ventured farther, letting the door close behind her. Then she saw him, crouched in a corner, his knees up to his chest, head hidden in his forearms.

  “Kaid?” she said softly. When he didn’t respond, she went closer, squatting down in front of him. Cuts on his hands and arms were oozing blood.

  “Kaid?” Still no response. Reaching out, she gently shook him.

  He looked up, eyes glazed with pain and swollen with crying. “Carrie’s alive, T’Chebbi. They took me to her. We’re Leska Linked now, but I can’t sense her. She’s gone again.”

  “Oh, Gods,” she whispered, ears lying back in shock.

  “And I made her pregnant. They’re breeding us, T’Chebbi, and I can’t do a damned thing to help her!”

  “They’ll have to bring you together again. Link days at least!”

  “Will they?” he asked, voice bleak. “They healed her. She had a scar. How long did they have her out of cryo for that? And I didn’t know, dammit!”

  “But you did,” she said gently, stroking his head as she knelt in front of him. “The pain attacks. That must have been when they woke her. You felt her pain.”

  He looked up at her. “You’re right. I did.” He was silent for a moment. “When they took me to her, our minds were pulled together by the gestalt. I had no choice but to pair with her, T’Chebbi. What could I have done? Tried to fight it and let her die?” He shook his head, letting it rest on his forearms again. “They didn’t find Kusac, only her.”

  “They’re able to control your minds? Stop you sensing each other?”

  “They must be,” he whispered, fresh tears beginning to fall. “I know I should be with her now and I’m not!”

  She gathered him close, trying to comfort him, knowing that even though he held her tightly in return, there was nothing anyone but Carrie could do for him.

  * * *

  He remained withdrawn until after the Primes had done their appearing and disappearing trick and replaced the ruined bedding and drawer units. Then his rage got the better of him again as he pounded the outer door, demanding they talk to him.

  Tirak let him vent his fury for perhaps five minutes, then seeing T’Chebbi wasn’t prepared to stop him, went over himself. Reaching out, he grabbed Kaid by the arm, holding it still. For a few moments, it was a battle of wills and strength, then Kaid dropped his gaze and relaxed.

  “This is achieving nothing but unsettling the younger ones,” said Tirak quietly. “Time we really started planning our escape. We have nearly enough information now.”

  “I’ll not leave without her.” Kaid’s tone was hard and uncompromising.

  “That goes without saying. Do you know where she is?” he asked, drawing Kaid with him toward the small table. A gesture from Tirak and those sitting there le
ft hurriedly.

  “I’m pretty sure.”

  Rezac joined them with the reader. When he seemed inclined to stay, Tirak glowered at him and he left, tail swaying angrily.

  “You were conscious when you left here. Where did they take you?”

  Kaid scrolled through their rough sketch, trying to focus his mind on it rather than Carrie. It took a lot of concentration because, careful that the Primes wouldn’t recognize it for what it was, they’d concealed it within other doodles.

  “Down here,” he pointed to the lines that represented the corridor outside their suite. “Parallel to the one we came up when they brought us here. It’s a cryo area, except they use some kind of stasis field technology. I think they use the room to put folk in stasis and bring them out. They’re keeping her in a small room off the main one.” He added the details to the sketch. “As Jeran said, this seems to be in their main medical area.”

  Tirak grunted. “At least we know they’re not doing any fighting right now, despite the body armor. They couldn’t afford to cut their medical facilities off from the rest of the craft otherwise.”

  “With the technology they used to get our craft on board, seems to me they don’t need to do much fighting,” said Kaid, his voice hard. “Which brings me to the point of what we do if the Profit isn’t usable.”

  “We take whatever craft we can find, or die trying,” said Tirak, equally grimly, catching his gaze. “They might be concentrating on your people now, but how long before they turn to mine? I have females on my crew, too. Death is preferable to this.”

  Kaid looked at him long and hard, then slowly nodded. “Agreed. If we don’t make it, we’ll see there’re no survivors on either crew.”

  “Agreed. And see if we can take this monstrosity out with us, too,” Tirak snarled.

  * * *

  J’koshuk slipped into the stasis room where he knew the tall Seniormost on duty would be monitoring the Human female. He could see her through the transparent screen, just beyond the Prime’s control desk.

  “Your lack of progress with your captive is disappointing,” said the translator.

  “He’s trained, Seniormost, not as easy a subject as I’m used to,” said J’koshuk.

  “It was assumed that you were also trained in your profession.”

  “I am, but he might not have the knowledge you want. If he doesn’t know the answers, he can’t give them to me no matter what I do to him.” He knew he was emitting some fear scent, but they must expect that, he reasoned. It didn’t mean he was incompetent.

  “I have some answers for you, but they make no sense. He keeps babbling about some God of his being responsible for the links with the Humans. The Kezule person is all tied up in that, too. I can’t get anything that makes sense out of him on either subject.”

  The Seniormost stood, holding his hand out for the reader pad.

  J’koshuk had found the male’s ramblings more fascinating than he was letting on. Oh, he didn’t believe the God rubbish, but he hadn’t been aware that his people had once ruled the Sholan home world. That had come as a surprise to him. And it had been confirmed that as far as Kusac was aware, Kezule had been plucked from the past and brought forward to this time.

  The Prime turned and inserted the comp into a slot in his desk, waiting a few seconds for the data to be downloaded, then returned the wiped unit to him.

  “I will examine him later. Leave him for now. You may use this time as you wish. I will send for you when I need you.”

  He glanced at the window again. The female was in her usual place, lying in the bed. Every time he’d seen her, she was either sleeping or resting. No, he couldn’t use the time as he wished, more was the pity. He’d still found nothing out about her except her name. Carrie. He’d driven the Sholan so hard that when he finally cried it out, it hadn’t been in answer to his question, but as a plea for help. He snorted gently. How could one so fragile help anyone? She was worthless, useful for only one thing. Pleasure.

  “Why do you remain?”

  J’koshuk started. “I was waiting to see if you had any further instructions,” he stammered as he turned to leave.

  * * *

  Moving had been agony, but Kusac refused to remain on the floor where J’koshuk had left him. Pulling himself up onto the bed had been the worst, as every nerve in his body jangled with echoes of the pain he’d endured. He collapsed on the bed, lying there exhausted and unable to think straight. Overhead, the light still glared down at him. He turned his head, closing his eyes in an effort to shut it out, wondering how long they’d let him alone this time.

  He’d been deprived of sleep for what seemed like days. Every time he’d been on the verge of drifting off, two of the black-armored guards would come in and haul him out of bed, stand him in a corner and watch him, or make him walk round the bed till he could barely move. Then they’d leave him for a short time and it would start again. Sometimes it wasn’t the guards, it was Valtegans, their clawed hands gripping him hard and scratching his flesh, adding more hurts to those already inflicted on him. Finally, the one called J’koshuk had come, and the questions had started again.

  He’d no idea what had happened to them. All he knew was that Carrie was safe and with Kaid, because he’d seen them together. The priest had told him they were being treated well. They had cooperated, unlike him. He had to hold onto that thought, it was all he had.

  The one emotion he’d been allowed was fear. What truly frightened him was that his mind was silent. He could sense nothing: not her, not Kaid, not the priest or the guards. He knew about the implant on the side of his head, just below his left ear. That he could sense, insinuating its way into his thoughts, cutting him off from his world, from those he loved, and from himself.

  They knew about his Talent, knew he was part of a Triad, the priest had told him that, but J’koshuk wanted to know more. And much more about Carrie.

  He’d refused to talk about her, giving her name only when it was forced out of him by intense pain. He shivered, remembering it. He’d tried to keep quiet, to tell them nothing and be worthy of his sword-brother, but in the end, he’d had to speak, even though each word had been torn from him.

  He hadn’t been prepared for a situation like this, how could he have been? One minute he’d been in cryo, the next he’d awakened to this nightmare. It made him realize how unreal his world as a telepath had been. He’d protected Carrie and Kaid as much as possible, telling J’koshuk only what he knew already. For the rest, the priest had wanted to know how they could breed with the Humans and why they’d gotten involved on Keiss. And with Kezule.

  He’d let himself ramble then, talking about the God, knowing they’d find it impossible to believe. He’d managed to hide the fact it was he and his Triad partners who had brought Kezule forward in time, though. If the Primes thought it was others, they wouldn’t expect him to know how it had been done, wouldn’t expect them to duplicate it.

  His ears picked up the telltale sounds of someone outside. He’d gotten good at that by now. The door slid back, admitting a Seniormost accompanied by two guards. Too exhausted to move, he lay there, not even curious about what was coming next. Experience had taught him it could only be more pain.

  * * *

  Carrie knew Kaid was gone as soon she woke. There was an emptiness in her mind where he’d been, and an even larger one where Kusac should be. She began to weep then for his loss, praying to all the Gods she could think of that he was safe. Then she wept for her cub, the daughter on Shola who faced an unknown danger that she could do nothing to prevent; and for the new one growing inside her, hers and Kaid’s, to be born into this nightmare of captivity.

  Exhausted, she clutched the pillow that still carried his scent, burying her face in it, knowing he was her only hope, her life now. She lay like this throughout the day, not awake, yet not asleep. Guards came with food, their presence barely noticed by her.

  Armored hands grasped her arms, pulling her from the bed, for
cing her to stand beside it. With a cry of horror, she tried to wrench herself free, coming face to face with a Seniormost for the first time.

  Six feet tall or more, he towered over her, dwarfing her by his bulk as well as height. The gray tabard, obviously worn as a badge of office, came down to mid-calf length, giving him the air of a medieval knight. Black and dark as the void of space the armor was, absorbing and reflecting no light. She looked higher, to the helmet, seeing the faceplate that covered most of its surface. It seemed to ripple and move even as she watched, making her feel sick to the pit of her stomach. Fragments of memories she wanted to forget began to stir within her subconscious. With a shudder of revulsion, she looked away.

  “Release her,” the translator said.

  The guard let her go, stepping back to a position just behind the Seniormost.

  “You do not eat. Why?” asked the Seniormost, pointing to the dish of untouched food.

  She looked beyond him. The door was open but she could see another armed guard waiting there.

  “The Seniormost asked a question,” hissed the guard, moving closer.

  Feeling the blood drain from her face, she took a step back. “You’ve taken my mate away. Why?” she countered.

  The Seniormost let his arm fall back by his side. “He is not your mate. The missing one, also in a cryogenic unit, was your mate.”

  Kaid had been asked the same. “They’re both my mates. We’re a unit of three.” She could sense nothing from either of them, and remembering the Valtegans back on Keiss, she didn’t dare try.

  “There are several pairs among your number, but no other threes. Why?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe they haven’t met the right person to be their Third yet.”

  “Why do you not eat?”

  “I want my mate. Take me to him, then I’ll eat.”

  “You will eat first, then, perhaps, we will return him.”

  “No.”

  “You’d risk your life, and his offspring’s, just to be with him?”

  Her stomach tightened with fear. How could they possibly know? She pushed it aside. This had to be dealt with now, time to worry about that later.