Jo's Journey

by S. E. Smith

  Jo’ Journey:

  Lords of Kassis Book 3

  By S. E. Smith

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to thank my husband Steve for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. I would also like to give a special thank you to my sister and best friend Linda who not only encouraged me to write but who also read the manuscript. Also to my other friends who believe in me: Julie, Jackie, Lisa, Sally and Narelle. The girls that keep me going!

  —S. E. Smith

  Science Fiction Romance

  JO’S JOURNEY: LORDS OF KASSIS BOOK 3

  Copyright © 2013 by Susan E. Smith

  First E-Book Publication September 2013

  Cover Design by Melody Simmons

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the author.

  All characters, places and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is strictly coincidental.

  Synopsis

  Jo Strauss was committed to two things in her life – her family and her life as an acrobat/high-wire performer. She takes both very seriously. Her life was orderly, in control, and she was finally settling down in one place so she could spend more time with her parents instead of moving all over the world every few weeks. To celebrate her and younger sister Star’s one year anniversary away from the circus they had grown up with, she and Star were meeting River Knight, their childhood friend and sister of the heart, for a vacation in the mountains in North Carolina.

  Everything goes as planned until she and her sisters are kidnapped. Now, she finds herself transported to another world. Aliens, warships, battles and a certain male were not in the carefully detailed plans she had mapped out for her life.

  Manota Ja Kel Coradon is the second son of the ruling House of Kassis. He is known as the dark brother, a reputation that he lives up to. He has fought hard to protect his family and the people of Kassis, at times sacrificing parts of his soul to do so. His knowledge, skills and development of weaponry are legendary. His skill as a warrior bring shivers of fear to his opponents who know he never gives mercy to any who stand in his way.

  Manota is in total control of his world until one slender, feisty alien female crashes through the shields he has placed around his heart. She is fearless, determined and stubborn. She absolutely refuses to cower before him, no matter how much he growls! He is determined to protect her and claim her as his own but there is one little problem – she will not agree to accept his claim unless he returns for her parents.

  Now, he has even bigger problems – that come in all different shapes, sizes and species! The return trip is fraught with enough dangers but Jo and Star’s parents aren’t the only ones coming back to Kassis - so is the circus family who had gathered to help look for their missing family members.

  Traitors, pirates and Mimes are just the tip of the iceberg of trouble gliding through warp speed to his home world. Manota is about to learn that the prophesy that was foretold centuries before is true. His mate is just as much of a warrior as he is and she comes with backup when an old enemy attacks!

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Characters’ Relationships:

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Chapter 1

  Manota ran through the dark gardens focusing on the signature in the contact lens that he was wearing in his left eye. His heart beat frantically as he sprinted across the lawn; fear a bitter and unfamiliar taste in his mouth. A shadow moved to his left coming out from behind a tall hedge. He didn’t think twice, his arm sliced out in a deadly arc. He turned his body to miss the blow of the laser sword as it swept across where his body had been just seconds before. The sword ripped a path across his shirt, drawing a thin line of blood. His own sword went much deeper as he completed his turn and shoved it through the male’s left side.

  “NO!” He roared out as the lens in his eye dissolved, cutting his connection to the signature he had been tracking. “Jo….” He whispered in anguish.

  *.*.*

  Manota jerked awake, breathing heavily as the last of the dream released him from its brutal grip. He sat up in the middle of his bed, drawing in deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Running his hands through his short, sweat-dampened hair, he cursed when he noticed that they were shaking as he dropped them in his lap.

  “That damn female is going to be the death of me,” he muttered under his breath.

  He threw the tangled, black silk covers to the side and slid out of the huge bed, walking over to the balcony doors of his room. Motioning for them to open, Manota stepped out into the chilly early morning air. The stars still glittered in the sky. The second moon was low on the horizon telling him that dawn would soon be upon them. The first moon had already set on the far side of the planet.

  Manota leaned forward bracing his hands on the smooth stone wall of the balcony. His eyes moved over the large center garden separating the four Royal Houses of Kassis. There was no evidence of the battle that had raged through the Houses and gardens less than a week before, at least none visible to the eye. The battle raging inside him was a totally different story.

  Ever since he laid eyes on the human female who had helped rescue his brothers from certain death, he had been fighting a war within his own body and mind. His body demanded he claim what was his while his mind fought with just trying to understand the blasted female who was twisting him into knots. The feelings of uncertainty and overwhelming desire were strange to him. He was used to taking what he wanted – and he wanted the human female with an intensity that was about to drive him crazy. He had never failed in battle, never been denied, but this female continued to turn away from him with a stubbornness that defied anything he had ever met before.

  He let his eyes sweep over the gardens once more before he turned to prepare for the morning. He tensed as he sensed something was out of the normal. His eyes scanned again, narrowing as he picked up a slight movement in the still darkness. He muttered a curse, wondering if by some chance the royal forces had missed one of the traitors that had attacked his family during the dinner a week ago. Surely there was no way anyone could have remained undetected for so long? Unless, …

  “I’ll kill the bastard,” Manota silently swore as he returned to his room and grabbed the sheath containing the sharp blade he kept next to the bed. “Javonna must not have been the only traitor Tai Tek had hidden among the Houses.”

  Dark rage fired in his gut as he returned to the balcony. The figure was moving stealthily closer to the East House. Manota ruled the Second of Kassis with an iron fist. His personal guards had been officers under him during the war with the Tearnats. It was not until the Alliance had been formed and Gril Tal Mod had taken over as leader of the Tearna
ts that the war ended. The huge Tearnat’s son, Trolis, along with other traitors to Kassis, had still fought to divide the Alliance and bring an end to the peace. Tai Tek, a traitorous former Kassisan council member, had struck an agreement with the Tearnat rebel in exchange for the assassination of the members of the royal house.

  Trolis had captured the shuttle returning his older brother Torak, his younger brother, Jazin, ten of their warriors and Krail Taurus, the Chancellor of the Alliance, to his brother’s warship. The Tearnat rebel leader had killed the Chancellor before imprisoning his brothers and the other men with the intention of killing them.

  What no one had anticipated was the unexpected help that arrived in the form of three beautiful female warriors from another world. Those females were able to subsequently paralyze the Tearnat warship until he and Gril Tal Mod arrived with re-enforcements. There had been a fierce but short fight due to the fact most of the warriors were trapped on the different levels of the warship.

  Manota later learned the Tearnat warship had made an unexpected stop on an unknown planet called Earth where several of the warriors had taken a shuttle down to explore the possibility of additional resources for their fight. They had returned with two prisoners and one stowaway that turned out to be much more dangerous than they realized.

  Manota’s mind drifted to the three unusual, but beautiful warriors. Jo Strauss, her younger sister, Star, and their friend, River Knight – the Prophesized Warriors who would unite the Houses of Kassis and defeat those trying to destroy it according to his father. Manota moved through the shadows as he thought of the women he would give his life to protect. He moved around the corner of the balcony keeping the dark figure in his peripheral vision. He didn’t want to take a chance of the bastard escaping.

  He slowed as he neared the end of the balcony. His eyes swept up and down trying to gauge where the figure planned to enter. His eyes narrowed on the vines covering the sides of the East House. They were thick enough to climb. He slid the blade into the sheath he had slung over his shoulder. Moving the strap of the sheath until it crossed his bare chest; he jumped up onto the edge of the railing and gripped a handful of the vines in his hand. The figure had started climbing one of the pillars. They could only reach the roof of the East House from it. They would need to either climb down the vines or go through the access door on the roof. The roof entrance was heavily secured but Manota wasn’t about to take a chance. He cursed the fact that they had depended on the security system he had in place that marked unknown visitors. If the person was already authorized, then they would not show up as a threat.

  Manota quickly made his way to the roof, rolling over the edge and onto one knee. His eyes scanned the pillars. He watched as the figure bent and attached a hook to the thin lines holding the pillars in place. A moment later, the figure swung off the pillar, gliding to the next one. Manota watched as the figure moved closer until he was at the last one. He stooped down and ran to the entrance leading down into the lower levels. He stood up once he was back in the shadows and waited.

  *.*.*

  He didn’t have long to wait. He watched through narrowed eyes as the figure reached out and grabbed the edge of the wall surrounding the roof. The intruder was dressed from head to toe in black. The figure jumped off the small wall before bending over and unlatching the sliding handgrip he had used on the wire. Pulling a bag from his back, Manota’s eyes followed as the intruder slipped the device into his bag before standing and pulling a short rod similar to what the guards carried from his waist. Gripping the rod in one hand and the bag in the other, the figure sprinted toward the entrance where Manota was waiting. A dark smile curled Manota’s lips as he stepped out of the shadows, slowly drawing his sword from the sheath as the figure skidded to a startled stop.

  “Now, it is time to die,” Manota said coldly. “But not before you tell me who sent you!” He growled as he swung his sword.

  *.*.*

  The figure dropped the bag he was holding and rolled to the side, pulling the short rod up in front of him. With a flick of his wrist, the rod extended several centimeters. The intruded twirled it around before bringing it up in front of him.

  Manota attacked with cold calculation, not wanting the fight to end too soon. His blood was still flooded with the adrenaline from his dream, his frustration at Tai Tek’s escape, and his sexual frustrations.

  No, this one will be begging for death before I am ready to grant it, he thought as he lashed out again.

  The figure countered his blows time after time. Manota’s eyes narrowed as he realized that this opponent was extremely skilled in hand-to-hand combat. The intruder was using many of the counter-attacks that his guards used. There was also something very familiar with the way he moved, dodging or repelling blows that should have stopped him. In fact, the intruder was using moves and counter-attacks that he had personally trained his elite guards in during the war. The thought that one of his men could be the traitor enraged him as he had handpicked each one.

  He felt his muscles clench as the staff connected first with his stomach then across his back, pushing him forward. He swirled, shifting his sword as he watched the figure slowly circle around trying to get closer to the door.

  “I don’t think so,” Manota growled, striking out with a quick thrust.

  The figure turned as the blade came at him, elbowing Manota in the mouth before bending in a graceful arc and pushing him away again. Manota snarled as he tasted blood where his lip split from the blow.

  His eyes flamed with rage at the soft snort that escaped the dark figure as the male moved again trying to get by him. Manota moved in closer, circling around. He struck out again, only this time when the staff came up to deflect it he blocked the blow with his other arm. He gritted his teeth against the pain of the blow and swiped his sword across the stomach of the intruder. A loud, pain filled hiss echoed in the early morning air. A part of Manota noted the sky was beginning to grow lighter. Soon, the dark figure in front of him would not have anywhere to hide.

  It was time to end this, Manota thought as the figure fell backwards.

  “Where is Tai Tek hiding?” Manota demanded as he took a menacing step toward the figure that was holding the long staff defensively in front of him. “What were you doing? Who were you meeting?”

  The figure backed up toward the edge of the roof. The sun’s rays cast his face in shadows as it rose behind him. As soon as the intruder felt the back of the low wall against his legs, he flung the staff at Manota’s head, placed one hand on the low wall and rolled over the side.

  Manota cursed loudly as he jerked his head to the side so he wouldn’t be hit by the flying rod. He darted forward, looking over the edge as the figure moved with ease down the side of the vine-covered wall. He caught a glimpse as the figure disappeared over the balcony that led to his rooms.

  “Shit!” He growled out harshly as he sheathed his sword.

  He rested his hand on the side of the low wall, tossing his leg over. He looked down and froze. His eyes glued to the perfect blood-covered outline of a hand which shone clearly in the early morning light. His eyes darted to the long staff lying on the roof. Pulling his leg back over, he walked numbly over to where it rested. He knelt down and carefully picked up the staff even as his stomach began to roll with a dark dread. Fresh blood dampened the long narrow staff as well, showing evidence his blade had struck more than once. Fury built inside him as he grasped the decorative staff and rose to his feet. His eyes scanned the rooftop in the early morning light picking up the numerous small drops of blood dotting the surface.

  Twirling as fear built alongside the anger, he sprinted to the entrance to the roof. The door crashed backwards as he ripped it open. Taking the stairs three at a time, he wove his way down to the lower levels. He startled the guard on patrol who turned to confront him as he burst through the inner door.

  “Call for the healer!” He ordered harshly as he ran past the man.

  “Where should I te
ll him to meet you, my lord?” The guard asked as he hurried to catch up as they raced through the corridors.

  “Lady Jo’s room,” Manota snarled out as he quickly outpaced the guard.

  If he thought he had felt fear a week ago it was nothing compared to what he was feeling right now.

  Chapter 2

  Jo gently closed the balcony door leading into her living quarters. She moved on silent feet across the polished marble floor, skirting the elaborate area rugs scattered around the room. She focused on getting to the bathroom off her bedroom. She nudged the door to her bedroom open with her shoulder, ignoring the smooth covers of the bed.

  She breathed a sigh of relief as she ordered the door to the bathroom to close behind her. Refusing to give in to the exhaustion plaguing her, she pulled off her gloves and tossed them onto the counter next to the crystal bowl that created the sink. She reached for several small towels on the shelf next to long mirror and laid all but one next to her gloves before she ordered the water on. Dampening the small towel in her hand, she laid it along the edge of the bowl. Looking in the mirror, she raised a trembling hand to the black cap hiding her long mane of blond hair. Pulling it off, she studied her face for a few moments before taking a deep breath.

  Now, comes the hard part, she thought tiredly as she stared at the numerous damp sections of her shirt. You can do this, Jo. Just don’t think about it.

  Gritting her teeth, she couldn’t stop the hiss of pain that escaped as she slowly peeled the long-sleeved black top off. She left the black sports bra underneath it on as it was more difficult to remove. She was covered in tiny cuts but it was the long, thin slice across her stomach that stung the most. Tears blurred her vision as the cut pulled as she twisted to pull the left sleeve the rest of the way off.

  “You should have just faced the music, girly,” Jo admonished herself as she pulled the small damp towel off the bowl and pressed it to the long cut. “He would have only been pissed off at you instead of using you as a cutting board.”