Ilavani 5

by Kaelan Rhywiol

  Bitterly, Baladeva said, “It's fine, we're both whores of one form or another. At least you have a master’s orders to follow. I don't even have that.” Those piercing silver-blue eyes dropped back to his methodical search. “Stay there, please. I'd hate to hurt you, but you aren't going anywhere until I'm ready to go. I'm sick of my father trying to keep everything from me. I won't have you running to your master or my siblings with tales of what I'm doing.”

  “What are you looking for?” Testing his mind with xyr gift, Li watched him. Lab-born or no, Baladeva shared a similarity to his father in that way at least, xyr thoughts skated off an incredibly tough natural shield.

  “Proof of anything I can hold over that old buzzard’s head. Is he asleep?”

  Li wanted to giggle, completely inappropriately. “He rests,” xie murmured. Xie moved slowly toward Baladeva. Threat assessment had been part of xyr training. Xie figured him for a natural born killer—like xyr—someone closely in touch with their hind brain who'd sleep better after killing an enemy than if he'd left them alive. Almost a foot taller than Li, he moved smoothly despite his muscular frame. He might be slow, being so big—xie eyed him from behind lowered lashes—but didn't want to count on it. His motions had a natural grace and he moved fluidly. He watched xyr out of the corner of his eye, and xie tingled with the erotic heat of his regard. Not only was he young and likely victim to youthful hormones but xie'd kissed him with xyr unique lipstick. It was a testament to his self-control and discipline that xie wasn't on xyr back already.

  Li swallowed noisily. “It's always surprising to me, how little stamina some older men have. It's a bit of a disappointment, to be honest.” He glanced up. Li couldn’t help but think, By the Twins, what a perfect face.

  He shook his head as if trying to concentrate on what he was doing while his gorgeous lips quirked. “Still horny? Not surprising. Most of Father's women end up leaving disappointed.” Baladeva continued searching through the desk as he watched Li discreetly.

  Xie spoke quietly as xie came to the edge of the desk. “I don't have to be back to my master for quite some time.” Xie let xyr hand fall to the tie closing xyr robes in suggestion. Xie couldn't leave him mobile, and xie needed to do the same thing he was. Xie had to take him out or down.

  He looked up at xyr, those crisp white-blue eyes grazing xyr curves. “Up on the desk then, on your knees.”

  Li dropped xyr chin and smiled slowly, lustfully at him. Palming a throwing needle dipped in paralytic xie dropped xyr robes and climbed lithely up onto the desk. Balancing xyr weight on xyr knees, xie spread xyr thighs and threw a taunting glance at the tall, smooth moving blond.

  “Baladeva? Is that your preferred name?”

  He grinned, his deep voice purring a response. “Bal.”

  “Have you ever had something like this?” Li ran a teasing hand over xyr breast, trailed xyr fingers over xyr ribs, and around xyr tattooed hip to slap xyr bare ass cheek.

  His grin widened. “Nothing as fine as you, that’s for certain.” He walked around the desk and stepped up behind xyr, unbuckling his belt.

  Li braced xyrself as he slid warm, large hands up over xyr hips. Xie wiggled xyr ass against him and squeaked when he suddenly drove himself up into xyr wetness.

  Built like a mule, xie thought, and groaned at his thickness, distracted for a moment. A beautiful male animal indeed. Xie considered asking Cam to allow xyr to keep him as a pet once he'd been questioned and this house cleansed. Li sighed as he wrapped a long arm up around xyr body from ribs to shoulder, moving inside xyr. Xie allowed him to pull xyr back against his thick chest as he thrust into xyr. His size dwarfed xyr, Li never felt petite, and how much xie loved the sensation. Li allowed xyrself to enjoy the sex for several moments before making xyr move.

  I do enjoy my work. Xie slid xyr hands up behind xyr and caressed his velvety skin as xie ran xyr fingers up around that thick neck. Xie moaned. Xie dug xyr nails into him and jabbed the throwing needle into his carotid. He stiffened at the pain, his big hand snapping up so fast it blurred, catching xyr throat in a hard grip.

  Li gagged at the sudden strike. Xie'd not expected him to be that fast, big men so seldom were. He'd struck with the speed of a snake. Baladeva’s hand so hard and strong around xyr throat made xyr come tight and fast around his cock, xyr back arching with the sudden, splintering pleasure. Li felt the surprise in his surface mind that xie enjoyed this. His other hand grabbed xyr wrists before xie could strike at him and he had xyr immobilized.

  How stupid! As xyr vision darkened, xie gagged and xyr body struggled for breath. Xie'd been lucky, he'd missed xyr carotid, which would've sent xyr unconscious in seconds. His massive hand cut off xyr breath though, and xie started seeing spots flickering over xyr vision. His hand tightened around xyr throat in a familiar way. The tips of his fingers digging cruelly into either side of xyr trachea and Li knew xie was about to die. He apparently had both the strength and training to rip xyr throat out.

  Twins, please let Cam forgive me, xie prayed. Then waited for Baladeva to kill xyr.

  It shocked Li to xyr soul when his hand relaxed from that lethal potential. He continued to ease off, and xie sucked in a breath. Baladeva started to drop his hand moments before he stiffened with the paralytic taking him. Xie ground xyrself onto his cock for a moment, enjoying the stretch of him inside xyr. Then xie put two hands up under his still curved fingers and wiggled out of his hold, butt checking his body backward. He slid out of xyr and fell back with a gargantuan thump. Sucking in a whooping breath and worried xie'd faint, xie leaped off the desk. Urgently, despite a sweeping rush of dizziness and an urge to throw up, Li knelt down over him. Straddling him as if they were having sex xie watched the doors in case anyone had been in the hall to hear him fall.

  A long minute passed before xie relaxed, convinced that between the thick carpet and the heavy doors his fall had gone unheard. When xie'd caught xyr breath, xie sat on his hips and massaged xyr throat. Looking down at him with a considering gaze, Li met outraged silver-blue eyes. The paralytic only affected the body. His mind remained fully aware and by the looks of it utterly pissed off.

  Looking at him appraisingly, xie coughed and croaked out. “You're fast, really fast. Most big guys aren't, but you move like a killer, so I took that into account. Still, you had me.” His eyes flared in rage again; leaning forward, Li carefully ran xyr fingers over his skull to make sure he hadn't hit his head badly when he'd landed. Xyr voice harshened by the near miss xie leaned down to him and kissed his firm, perfectly sculpted lips. Xie delicately trailed her tongue over the seam of his mouth. “When you can talk again, you’ll have to tell me why you didn’t kill me.”

  Standing up xie did him the solid of buttoning his pants and tightening his belt for him. Xie disarmed him and bound him expertly with the heavy fabric cording from the elaborate drapes. “Now, I know a big strong guy like you can probably get out of that if you start feeling frisky and can move but…” Xie let him see the coldness in xyr eyes. “I really wouldn't recommend it. Right now, I prefer you alive. Which, by the way, your father no longer is.” He glared viciously, and xie brushed his surface mind to see what his thoughts were.

  “Such anger, I thought you didn't like him?” Xie dug a little deeper before coming up against his shields. “Ah. My condolences on your loss then. Though the crown is likely to take the holding anyway, even if your siblings had died before your father, you probably wouldn't be able to inherit it. Not with what your father's done.” Li felt his surprise. “He really did keep you separate from most of it didn't he? Well, that’ll work well for you in future I suppose. Poor thing, to be played so hard by someone who should have cared for you. I know what that feels like.” Li dressed and straightened xyr clothing.

  With a sigh, xie stood massaging xyr bruised throat with xyr fingers. “Be a good boy and stay there, hmm? Fighting the paralytic only makes your muscles more sore when it wears off. Take a nap if you can. Our reinforcements will be here long befor
e you're likely to be able to move on your own again.”

  Li dragged xyr attention away from Bal, wondering why xie found him so very fascinating. Xie suspected he wouldn't be found completely innocent by a Warden’s examination. It would take xyr valuable time to get through his shields, but xie doubted that he'd had no knowledge at all. If he were lucky he'd be indentured, if not, he'd be exiled or executed with his more complicit siblings. Looking him over again, xie figured xyr enthrallment might have been because he reminded Li of xyrself. A conscious-less killer loyal to one he'd owed fealty to or one he loved. Maybe for Bal it had been both.

  Looking down at him again, xie appreciated his build and the perfection of his face. It’d be a shame to waste all of that with a sentence of execution. Young, gorgeous and with natural abilities like that, he’d make a remarkable assassin. Eventually. Suddenly, xyr body flushed with heat, and xie swallowed frantically, trying not throw up. Xie steadied xyrself on the desk with a hand and repressed a groan.

  What the hells, I'm never sick? As quickly as the sensation washed over xyr, it'd gone. Shaking off the experience, Li sought out Simon’s mind again.

  ‘A small problem. One of Lionel’s sons, Baladeva, was in his office. He's alive and contained.’

  ‘Are you well?’

  ‘He almost had me, my throat will be sore for a while, but I'll be okay. Word on the squadrons?’

  ‘E.T.A. twenty minutes.’

  ‘Status?’

  ‘We’re all still alive, even Onyx. Cam and I are resting as well as we can, for now.’

  Li closed xyr eyes and breathed a thanksgiving prayer to the Twin gods. Xie checked xyr captive again. Xie didn't trust Baladeva to remain quiescent. Not even with the paralytic keeping him tame. He was a big guy, and the dose would go through him faster than someone smaller. Xie kept a close eye on him as xie started going through Lionel’s desk, looking for more evidence. 

   

  Memoir of Alexander Righ, Ruler of Erieria—Excerpt

   

  Cam called. Lionel tried to assassinate his entire party. I should've sent Bastion with him. Cam and some of his closest have survived though I could tell from his voice how saddened he is by his assistant's death. Agate’s been with him in service for decades. She won't be easily replaced in either their hearts or in Cam's household. I think of losing one of my head assistants, and the idea quails my soul. We call them assistants and servants, but as a royal, few people know us as well as they do. Cam has lost both of his closest support staff tonight. The physicians aren't sure if Onyx will survive the night.

  CHAPTER 60:

  33rd of Sunani, Summer

  31:00 hours Night

  LI

   

  Li sat quietly on the desk, xyr eyes on Baladeva as the troupe of brown coated troops cleared the room. When two of the soldiers went to grab Bal by his shoulders and feet, Li said, “I'll retain custody of him, gentlemen. The Tànaiste is meeting me here, leave a guard.” The soldiers nodded and left xyr alone with Bal. Xie waited for the fine motor twitches that would indicate his recovery from the paralytic. Xie pulled a leg up and leaned xyr chin on xyr knee as xie watched him with a frown.

  Li had never had such an immediate attraction to someone. It bothered xyr that xie couldn't pin down what exactly was going on with xyr. Xie knew as well as Baladeva did—after xie'd stabbed him—he'd held xyr life in his hand. They both knew he could have killed xyr then, and they both knew he'd chosen mercy.              

  Musing over the implications kept xyr mind occupied as xyr stomach revolted again. Li had never suffered a sick day in xyr life. Xyr healing abilities were some of the highest ever bred into humanity, and xyr system took care of any infections quickly. Xie examined xyrself for signs of poisoning and found none. Xie hadn't eaten at the banquet, only grabbed an energy bar in their rooms, so knew xie hadn't been poisoned that way. If either Lionel or Bal had had contact poison on his person, xie'd have succumbed quickly. As the nausea faded again, xie dismissed it for now.

  Xie could hear troops going through the keep, subduing and isolating those who lived and worked here. Medical had gone directly to Cam and the rest of the wounded to treat them. Li had commandeered a sentinel silver warden who sat in the corner of the room, observing and recording xyr actions and any testimony the captive gave.

  Li had been staying in near constant contact with Simon, who—despite being wounded so badly—had insisted on coordinating the organization of the takeover. To everyone's surprise, Philodox had been found alive under the bodies of two gray-eyed attackers. Her silver link to the Ard Righ had saved her life, shutting down brain function and reducing her to a state of coma while nano-bots repaired the damage to her body. Though still non-responsive because she'd been so injured in the attack, it looked like she'd live.

  Watching xyr captive carefully, Li started seeing signs of the paralytic wearing off, and xie murmured, “You should be regaining some muscle movement now. Speech should be possible if you've anything to say to me.”

  “What could I possibly have to say to you?”

  Li shrugged. “I'd prepare a statement on why you should be allowed to live if I were you, you are complicit simply by being Lionel’s son and being in this room when I came out. You have incredibly strong mental shields, so I don't know how guilty or innocent you are. Self-defense or no, you attacked Tànaiste Cameron's Royal Companion. If you know anything that will help us you could buy yourself some good will by telling us.” Bal’s golden skin paled. Xie watched as thoughts flickered over his face, and then his square jaw firmed.

  "Father has… had another room attached to this one. I don't know where the door is, but I'd see him come in here, and he'd disappear for hours. I've searched the suite and found nothing, even when he was supposed to be here.” He nodded his head toward a painting on the wall. “There's a lockbox behind that picture on the wall, I don't know the combination."

  “Do you know who Lionel’s accomplices were?”

  “No. I don't even know what’s going on here, and that’s the truth.”

  Li nodded, suspecting he was being honest. “Help Cam, and he may spare you. He's incredibly fair. You'll probably wind up indentured, but it has to be better than dead.”

  Xie watched that too perfect face grimace and almost felt it when he submitted; his big body sagged in his bonds. Tiredly he told xyr and the sentinel exactly where he suspected his father of hiding records. He told them where his siblings were most likely to have hidden any information they had as well. When he'd finished betraying his blood family he turned his head, apparently free of the paralytic and closed his eyes, shutting xyr out.

  Li straightened the evidence xie'd collected into a neat pile and looked up when Cam came into the room. His color was off, bronze skin faded out due to stress and loss of blood. He moved hesitantly, careful of his wound, and came to xyr. Lifting xyr chin he carefully examined the purplish bruising in the shape of fingers around xyr throat.

  ‘That’s going to take a while to heal, love. Even for you.’

  ‘I was careless. I didn't expect him to be that fast.’

  Cam's gaze sparked with irritation as he glanced at Bal lying on the floor. “This one?”

  Li did something xie'd never done, that xie'd never even thought xyrself capable of. Xie did it without considering xie was about to. Li stepped between Cam and Baladeva. Xie saw the shock in Cam's face and xyr eyes widened. Shaking xyr head xie looked down, then back up to xyr beloved’s eyes.

  ‘He's cooperated. He could have killed me and he didn't. If you'd hear me, he could be indentured.’

  Cam cocked his head and looked at xyr critically. ‘Is that what you want?’

  Xie opened xyr mouth to answer, found xyrself glancing down to meet Bal’s intent silver eyes. They connected again and xie nodded xyr head before looking up at Cam. “I do, please.”

  Cam frowned, looked
at the captive and then shrugged. “If he proves innocent of treason and Father agrees we'll let him live.” Cam lifted a hand and caressed xyr throat, eyes lingering on the bruises. Deep voice dropping into a growl, he said, “I'm the only one who gets to say who’s allowed to hurt you. No one is allowed to harm you. I hate it when you're injured in the line of duty.”

  Li lifted xyr hand to Cam's face and smiled sadly. “You hate it as much as I hate to see you wounded, my love. I'll be fine. An innocent shouldn't die simply because he defended himself against me.”

  “I'm not happy with it. I'd kill him now were it just.” Cam's eyes fell to glare coolly at Bal. “Unfortunately, it isn't just. So your pet will likely live.”

  Li's mouth was dry as xie looked at Cam, but xie managed to whisper, “Thank you.”

  Cam dropped his hand, kissed xyr and went to look at the piled evidence. Li dropped xyr gaze to meet Bal’s surprised silver eyes.

  “Why?” He mouthed at xyr.

  Confused by xyr actions Li shook xyr head then shrugged. He already knew xie was far more than xie appeared so xie sent the thought to him, ‘I don't know.’ Then went to help Cam sort evidence.

  Memoir of Alexander Righ, Ruler of Erieria—Excerpt

   

  Simon has reported the cleansing of Kedowyth is complete and that Cameron is safe aboard the Zeppelin with his surviving retinue. They'll return to Yiasa by early morning. I'm relieved and heartbroken for my son.

  CHAPTER 61:

  34th of Sunani, Summer

  07:00 hours. Pre-dawn

  CAM

   

  Cam disembarked the Zeppelin with Li on one side of him and a medic helping Simon walk behind them. Si remained stubbornly upright even though he should’ve been on a stretcher. Guards took the prisoners to the palace jail and the more severely wounded to the hospital. Rarely had Cam experienced such cold rage, and he wished he could’ve tortured Septir Lionel for his actions. What had he thought would happen, if he'd been successful in his ploy to kill Cam? If he’d died with the rest of his entourage, Alexander’s fury would have leveled Kedowyth. Why had the Septir attacked? The only answer Cam could come up with was Lionel had gone mad in fear of discovery. Nothing else made sense.