by S. E. Smith
That was Sage. Even locked in cells deep in Bari Batu, she had been like a shining light. With her pale skin and bright hair, she was like a dazzling star, but it was her gorgeous personality that shone out.
But Calla sometimes worried that Sage hid her pain behind her bright smiles.
There was noise at the doorway, and the cyborgs filed into Ever’s sitting room. Magnus and Jaxer stood at the front of the room.
“Did you find the black transport?” Calla asked.
Jax shook his head and her chest clenched.
“As you all know, mercenaries were hired to abduct Calla,” Magnus said.
Calla lifted her head and Zaden’s metallic-silver gaze caught hers.
He’d been angry when she’d been taken. She’d sensed it pumping off him. But looking at his face now, she couldn’t pick up anything.
Even with all the drama, she hadn’t forgotten that he’d kissed her in the market. He felt, and she was sure he felt something for her. Goddess, not now, Calla.
“Why?” Quinn asked. “Why take Calla?”
“She might have information,” Jax suggested.
Magnus’ frown deepened. “Calla, do you remember anything about the Edull or Bari Batu? Anything they might want to stop you from sharing?”
She shook her head. “I told you, the only things I remember are the cells and being chained up in a lab. I have no idea where Bari Batu is.”
Magnus nodded. “Calla also saw a young Rellan girl in the transport that was sent to collect Calla from the mercenaries.”
All the eyes in the room spun toward Calla. Fighting her nerves, she stepped forward. As though sensing her discomfort, Zaden moved closer to her.
“The girl was about four or five years old. She had brown eyes, black hair, and the unique Rellan facial pattern.” She stroked the gold on the side of her own face. “She had to have been snatched when I was.”
“Possibly the girl had been held with the other humans,” Zaden said.
“Fucking Thraxians,” Quinn said. “Snatching children. Bastards.”
“We have to find her,” Calla urged.
“We will.” There was steel in Magnus’ voice.
Calla relaxed a little. The imperator’s tone left no room for doubt.
“The merc has no other information,” Jax said. “We’ll keep questioning him, but I don’t think we’ll get anything else useful.”
“Jax,” Magnus said. “Contact Zhim and Ryan.”
Frowning, Calla looked at Ever. “Who are they?”
“Information merchants,” Ever responded. “Ryan’s a computer hacker from Earth, and Zhim’s been the city’s premier information merchant for years. They know everything and everyone in Kor Magna, and if they don’t, they can find out.”
“I’ll ask them to track the black transport,” Jax added. “Someone must’ve seen it.”
Magnus nodded. “We won’t leave this child to suffer.” He looked at the gathered cyborgs. “That’s all for now.”
There was a low rumble of conversation as the cyborgs filed out of the room.
Calla said goodbye to the women and headed into the corridor. She wasn’t in the mood to socialize. All she could think about was that little girl. Who was feeding her? Who was taking care of her? Wringing her hands, Calla continued aimlessly down the hall.
As she turned a corner, she ran into a hard body. Zaden.
He touched her shoulders, steadying her. “Calla. You’re upset.”
She nodded. “I can’t stop thinking about that little girl.”
Calla needed something to ease the tension inside, she needed some comfort. Without thinking, she stepped forward and pressed her cheek to Zaden’s firm chest.
For a second, she felt his muscles bunch, and she was sure he was going to push her away. But then one of his arms closed around her.
They stood there quietly for a long moment, and she listened to the steady beat of his heart. It calmed her ragged nerves.
Then he grabbed her hand. “Come.”
“Where to?”
“You’ll see.”
She enjoyed holding his hand and squeezed his fingers.
With a slight frown, he looked down at their joined hands. “Is this uncomfortable?”
“No. The opposite. I like it.”
“I see Magnus and Ever hold hands like this.”
Calla smiled at her cyborg. She followed him through the twists and turns of the House of Rone, and then he led her into a large room.
She gasped, taking in the long benches, the spotless counters. The kitchen. Dinner was over, and there was no one in the space.
“You said you cooked,” Zaden said.
She spun. “I can cook in here?”
He nodded. “I cleared it with the head chef.”
Oh. She opened cupboards, exploring all the ingredients. She pulled things out, not certain what everything was. Then she glanced at the sleek ovens built into the wall. “I don’t know how to work those.”
“I can access the systems and assist you.”
She smiled. “You can be my assistant chef.”
Calla found some bowls, and started doing some taste-testing. Flavors were like a language to her—sweet, salty, tart, sour. She mixed a few things together. She found substitutes for most of the ingredients she was used to working with, along with some fat, juicy berries.
She was going to make her favorite Rellan dessert, berry marma.
Zaden stood beside her, still and patient. No one would accuse these cyborgs of being too talkative.
“Your power…” She glanced at him. “It was incredible.”
Zaden stayed silent for a long time, then he spoke. “I killed my mother and brother.”
Calla’s heart clenched and she gasped. “What happened?”
“I was five.” Zaden’s tone was almost robotic. “My power was too strong.”
Poor little boy. Imagine being a child with no control over the power you were born with, and hurting those you loved the most. Sympathy flooded her and her spoon clattered to the bench.
“Afterward, my father sent me to a center.” Zaden touched the implant on the side of his head. “This was my first implant. To control my telekinetic power.”
She’d noticed the metal nestled in his dark hair. “You had to stay at the center?”
He nodded. “I was too dangerous, and they were the only ones on my world who could offer me the training I needed.”
She wanted to drop everything and hug him. “They helped you?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I learned control.”
Something about the way he said that made dread slide into her veins. “How?” Her heart was thumping hard in her chest.
“Intense training. More procedures to add additional control implants.” He paused. “Pain protocols.”
She bit her lip. She could read between his words. They’d tortured him. A protective need rushed into her throat. If those people were here right now, she’d attack them.
Zaden was stiff and tense. She sucked in a breath and focused on him. “How did you end up here? At the House of Rone?”
His silver eyes seemed to churn. “I was deemed too dangerous, and as I told you before, I was exiled from my planet.”
She swallowed. “What about your father?”
“I haven’t seen him since I was five. Since I entered the center.”
The creta. Zaden’s father had abandoned him. Calla felt so much hurt for Zaden. Her family wasn’t perfect, but she knew they cared for her, even when she didn’t meet their lofty expectations.
With her hands still coated in dough, she threw her arms around Zaden and held on. She didn’t say anything. There weren’t words to make his childhood better or his pain disappear. All she could do was offer him some comfort.
“I heard talk of the House of Rone, so I came here, and Magnus took me in,” Zaden said.
Magnus was getting some berry marmas.
And so was Zaden.
Stepping back, Calla started stabbing her hands into the dough. It wasn’t Zaden’s father, but it was a decent substitute for her frustration.
Zaden watched the movement of Calla’s hands. She seemed to be taking out her emotions on her cooking.
But as she continued, he saw her start to relax.
“My family is very accomplished,” Calla said.
Zaden detected something in her voice, but he couldn’t quite work out what it was.
“My father and mother are very successful on our planet. As is my brother.”
“And you?”
“I’m invisible. I was never good enough for them to pay me much attention. I wasn’t smart enough, clever enough, talented enough.”
Zaden’s gaze dropped to her hands. They were coated in white powder and expertly rolling the berry-laden dough into small balls that she formed into intricate shapes on a tray.
“I think you have many valuable skills,” he said.
She shot him an unreadable look. “These need to go into the oven. Medium heat.”
He moved to one of the ovens and opened it, programming it for her cooking. She slid the tray inside.
“I’m going to make another batch.” She tilted her head. “You can help me.”
He blinked. “I don’t know how.”
“Wash your hands, cyborg.”
Zaden did as ordered and soon was standing shoulder to shoulder with Calla, following her instructions. She showed him how to knead the dough.
They started to shape the small blobs on the tray. While Calla’s were perfect, his were misshapen.
She smiled, her face relaxed. Several black strands of hair escaped from her tie.
As they continued to work the dough, their fingers tangled, and Zaden felt a pulse of something low in his gut. He wanted Calla. Wanted to touch her, hear her sigh his name, see her smile at him. Just for him.
They turned to each other and she pressed her hands to his chest, leaving dough prints of her hands on his shirt.
“Zaden…”
He pulled her closer. Then he kissed her.
He still wasn’t skilled at it, but he followed his instincts. Her head fell back, her mouth moving under his. Their tongues tangled. She tasted tart and fresh, a flavor he’d always associate with her.
“Calla,” he groaned.
She pushed herself closer and he spun, lifting her up onto the counter. She reached over, picking up a berry. She pressed it to his lips.
He nipped it, licking the sweet juice and her fingers. She kept feeding him, and he sucked on the berries. Then her lips were on his, kissing him again.
He shoved her legs apart, needing to get closer. Their bodies pressed together. She generated so much hungry need in him.
“Zaden, I want you so much.” Husky words.
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Touch me.”
He slid a hand up her arm. She reached for it with her other hand, and moved it to press it over one soft breast. He molded it, stroking and touching, completely fascinated by her.
She let out a small gasp. “Yes.”
“This brings you pleasure?”
“So much.” Then she grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted the garment over her head.
He stared at her bare breasts. They weren’t large, but weren’t small, either. Perfectly formed and topped with dark nipples.
She cupped one breast. “Put your mouth here.”
He blinked, then quickly dropped his head, sucking one nipple into his mouth. Drak. His cock was hard and throbbing. He licked and sucked, watching her, and listening to her small cries to see how much pressure she liked.
His cock was so hard it hurt.
“Zaden, have you ever been with a woman?” she asked.
“No.”
She licked her lips. “Okay.”
Was that an issue for her? “But I have read texts on procreation.”
Her lips lifted. “Not quite the same as experiencing it. Can I touch you?” she asked politely.
“Calla.” He lifted his head, pressing his forehead to hers. “Remember, I’m dangerous. Losing my control…it’s a bad idea.”
“I know. If this makes you uncomfortable—”
He groaned. “I want you. I want to try.”
Her hands slid under his shirt, molding against his chest. Her nails scratched over his skin. He kissed her again, lost in all the sensations.
Then he felt her fingers at the waist of his trousers, opening the fastening.
“I’m going to touch you here,” she murmured. “Are you hard?”
“Very. It is…painful.”
“I can make it better.” Her hand slipped inside, slender fingers curling around his cock.
He jerked against her and a groan ripped from his throat. Drak. The sensation…he could barely think.
She stroked him, and suddenly, dishes clanked in the cupboards.
“Calla.” Panting, he lifted his head. Plates and bowls were rattling together on the shelves. “I can’t lose my control. Not here.”
“Okay.” Her hand slipped away, her fingers brushing over his abdomen.
He dragged in a breath. “I want to pleasure you.”
She shifted back, and he looked down at her naked chest. She was so beautiful.
“You can touch me. Any way you want to, Zaden.”
She was a gift he’d never expected. He moved a hand up her leg, bunching her skirt up. He enjoyed the softness of her brown skin. He slid his hand under her skirt, then touched her between her legs.
“Yes.” She jerked. “Right there.”
A tiny strip of underwear covered the warmth of her. He moved his fingers beneath her panties, his fingers stroking through slick folds. He groaned, fascinated by the feel of her. She moaned, her body moving restlessly. The lush scent of her arousal filled the air.
“Slide a finger inside me, Zaden.”
He obeyed, feeling the warm clutch of her body. He pumped his finger in and out of her. Her cries grew, her fingers digging into his shoulders. He leaned forward, kissing her again as he stroked her.
She kissed him back wildly, her hips moving against his hand. Then she wrenched her mouth off his. “Zaden, I’m going to come.”
“Find your pleasure, Calla. Show me.”
Her back arched and she cried out. His name was a breathy whisper on her lips. Watching Calla orgasm was one of the best things he’d ever seen.
She collapsed on the counter, panting softly. An oven timer went off, shattering the quiet.
She smiled, a lazy, feminine smile. “That was good timing.”
“Cyborgs are known for their precise timing.”
She giggled. “Did you just make a joke?”
“I have as much experience with jokes as I do with sex.”
“Well, it looks like you have a little more experience with both now.”
Zaden slipped his hand out of her underwear and stared at her flushed, smiling face. She slid down off the bench, flipping her skirt down and pulling her shirt back on. After washing her hands, she hurried over and pulled the tray of treats out of the oven.
After setting them down, she turned. “Thank you, Zaden.”
“Thank you, Calla. I found great pleasure in pleasuring you.”
Her cheeks went pink. It was interesting that when his hands were on her, she had no trouble telling him where she wanted to be touched, but she was still shy about it afterward.
“I’m really touched that you want to experience this with me,” she said.
Reality was intruding again now that his head wasn’t clouded by her. Any contact with her was dangerous. He never, ever wanted to let his control slip and hurt her.
She arranged the desserts she’d made onto a plate. Then she turned and pulled in a deep breath. “Zaden, I was thinking, and I’ve had an idea. About finding the girl.”
/> He frowned at her. “What?”
She set her shoulders back. “The mercenaries were contracted to snatch me.” She paused. “If I make myself an easy target, they might try again. Then we’ll have a chance to find the girl.”
Zaden stiffened. He couldn’t believe what she was saying. “You want to be bait.”
“If it helps us find her—”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Zaden banged a fist against the counter. “No!”
Chapter Five
“I can’t stay here protected and safe while a child is out there. In danger.” Calla’s voice shook.
Zaden stood there, like a statue made of the hardest stone.
She stepped closer and pressed her hands to his chest. “Please. Help me.”
His big body quivered.
“I’ve never been special or brave—”
“Stop talking about yourself like that. You’re strong and courageous. You survived your abduction.”
“I didn’t do anything special.”
“Calla, bravery isn’t always loud or obvious. Others have buckled under the Thraxians and the Edull, but you haven’t.”
She sucked in a breath. She hadn’t looked at it like that before. “I need to help that little girl.”
Suddenly, Cat appeared, and let out a loud cry.
Startled, Calla jerked. Zaden made an annoyed sound.
“You are a menace,” he told the animal.
Cat glared at him.
Calla snatched a tidbit off the counter and knelt down to give it to the feline. Cat purred.
“We’ll talk with Jax,” Zaden said.
Happiness burst in her and she jumped up. “Thank you, Zaden.”
He took her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen.
“My marmas—”
“They’ll be fine.”
Cat followed them down to Jax’s office. Zaden knocked, and Jax’s voice called for them to enter.
The second of the House of Rone was sitting behind his desk, a comp screen on and glowing. He sat back. “You two are a welcome distraction from scheduling weapons shipments and gladiator training.” He eyed them. “Everything okay?”
Calla nodded. “I had an idea.” She drew in a breath. “I want you to use me to lure these mercenaries out. Then, we have a chance of finding the girl.”