A King's Revenge: Warlords Series Book 2

A King’s Revenge

Warlord Series

By Michelle Howard

Published by Michelle
Howard

Copyright © 2014 by
Michelle Howard

Cover Design:
www.estrellacoverart.com

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This is a work of fiction and is not a reflection or
representation of any person living or dead.
 
Any similarity is of pure coincidence.

Chapter 1

Tarik strode down the
hall, his boots thumping loudly. For once he paid no mind to the entourage of
guards behind him. Instead, his thoughts strayed to the date. A date that
pounded on the core of his nerves. He entered his private chambers at last and
allowed his shoulders to slump. Two guards followed him while their peers
remained outside to bar the outer door to would be trespassers.

“Sire?”

Tarik ignored the
concerned voice and headed straight for the hand stained antique desk and the
bottle he’d ordered earlier.
A well meaning servants
had
left the clear bottle on the cart with a crystal cut glass etched in a red
glaze around the rim. Pouring a healthy portion, he threw back the golden
liquid welcoming the burn as it blazed down his throat and settled in his
belly.

“Sire, are you well?”

Tarik paused in
pouring his second helping and glanced over his shoulder at his personal
advisor. Mati’s blue eyes narrowed in dismay. Tarik swallowed before speaking.
“I’m fine, Mati.” Or would be after he drunk himself into a stupor and
pretended today didn’t exist. He’d waited all morning for his meetings to end
so he could seek the oblivion of alcohol and forget what today represented.

Someone knocked on the
outer door. Tarik sighed and waved a hand at his personal guard. “I don’t wish
to be disturbed, Hensel. Get rid of whoever it is.”

Hensel didn’t hesitate.
“Of course, Sire.”

Grabbing the bottle,
Tarik turned from his desk and braced himself. Every morning, every evening and
every Goddess dammed night, he forced his feet to move forward to the
connecting door. He took a deep breath and turned the knob. To others, the room
appeared like any sleep chamber. A large bed elaborately covered in the finest
silks and gold sheets, thick carpets on the floor and a custom wardrobe in
wood. To him, it was the embodiment of what was missing in his life.

A familiar scent
though light lingered in the air. Tarik closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
Pasal.
The room smelled of her favorite
perfume. Allowing himself a moment, Tarik wallowed in the memory of the woman
whose presence stamped itself on the large space. From the light colored window
coverings to the dresser with its feminine accessories scattered across the
top, all of it reminded Tarik of her.

Footsteps sounded
behind him. Tarik opened his eyes and used his booted heel to slam the door
shut barring anyone from entering. He needed no witnesses to his complete and
utter misery. Directing the bottle to his mouth, he drunk heavily.

With a deep sense of
sadness, Tarik walked toward the dresser and fingered a jeweled comb. Strands
of red hair clung to the teeth. His thumb looped through the silken thread as a
lump formed in his throat. Last year, there had been more hair. Soon there’d be
nothing left of the fiery strands he adored. He dropped the comb abruptly but
his attention caught on the aged letter at the edge of the dresser.

Tarik considered
walking away. Considered ignoring this familiar part of the ritual he played
out each year on her birthday but his trembling hand already reached for the
paper. Swallowing thickly, he walked to the bed and sat. With his head bowed,
he read the smudged words.

‘My Dearest Tarik,

I am so excited to share this news with you. This time things will be
different. I felt my womb quicken. We will welcome a child in our arms at last,
my love. Tonight, we.’

Tarik closed his eyes
but the lone track of a single tear rolled down his cheek to hit the page and
added to the other long dried stains. The letter ended as if she’d been
interrupted. A smile curved his lip. Or distracted. She often lost her train of
thought, her mind constantly filled with all the possibilities of tomorrow.

Except there were no
tomorrows for her any longer. His eyes burned and his throat closed but Tarik
managed to hold back the sob as he rose to his feet. Across the room, the black
draped portrait teased. He made his way closer and took another healthy drink.
The alcohol worked quickly and already his steps wobbled. His hand lifted to
pull the cloth down and Tarik almost retched.

The silk covering slid
gracefully to the floor revealing the image mounted in the heavy gold frame.
The smiling visage drove Tarik to his knees. Her beautiful white eyes crinkled at
the corners. Some inner joke she refused to share. Tarik choked unable to look
away. He
missed
her. Missed her so
much he carried the ache in his twin hearts every day.

The portrait captured
the essence of its audience. Red hair trailed over shoulders made bare by the
formal strapless gown. Its deep amber color flattered her curvy figure. Full,
plump breasts exposed by the low bodice, reminded Tarik of why she’d posed and
offered the unknown artist the rare opportunity to paint a member of the royal
family.

Tarik’s gaze drifted
lower tracing the lines of her slim arms as they cupped the small swell. Slight
enough to remain hidden beneath her clothing but round enough to send her into
gleeful giggles. Tarik sniffed and wiped his eyes.

Like the other two
before, she’d lost the little one in the early stages after they officially
announced her pregnancy. He got to his feet and cursed. It did nothing to ease
his anger. Tarik threw back his head and roared out his rage at the unfairness
of it all.

“Sire, please open the
door,” Mati pleaded and banged on the solid frame.

Ignoring his advisor,
Tarik cocked back his arm and hurled the bottle at the wall. It shattered on
impact spraying amber liquid everywhere. The sound satisfied him and he wished
for something else to throw. His eyes darted around the room. A row of silver
frames depicting the same smiling face drew his attention. One after the other,
he smashed them onto the floor by his feet. Glass and metal created its own
sweet symphony.

The pounding fists on
the door escalated until one of his guards, Hensel probably, discovered the
override key and opened the door. Tarik dropped his head to his chest and
lowered his arms. His hearts thundered in his chest. “Don’t ask if I’m okay.”

Tarik felt the burn of
their stares on his back. He was far from okay. “Find someone to clean this.”
He hesitated then ordered, “Replace the frames and put them back. Please extend
my apologies to the servants for the mess.”

Tarik strode to the
connecting door on the opposite side of the room and closeted himself in the
master bedroom. His head thumped back against the door. A room he’d never used
until he’d lost the one thing that meant the most to him.

How could anyone
expect him to go on without Maliya in his life? She represented all that was
good and Thenl, a cruel Kabanian Warlord, had taken her away in his bid to
control Desani.

Chapter 2

She and Kord should
make time to visit this space station more often, Lea thought as she smiled at
a ship’s captain with his arms around two women while they stumbled down the
hall. Her tenth such sighting in several variations. This was obviously a
popular place for random hook-ups.

One of the women, a
blonde, grabbed the man’s dark head and pulled him down for a tongue stealing
kiss. Earning Lea’s admiration, he groped her rear with a firm squeeze while
not losing his hold on the other woman. Shaking her head at their antics, Lea
kept heading straight per the pictured signs on the corridor wall pointing out
the direction for the interior floating gardens. Aptly named for some of the
plant life that didn’t stay rooted in the rich soil provided.

Lea pushed through the
sliding door only to be hit with the wonderful heavy aroma of several different
flora and fauna at once. She crossed the threshold and inhaled the rich scents.
Flowers were a weakness of hers. Lush pink blossoms with their petals lined in
blue floated passed her face. A large yellow
trijon
dangled over her head, its triangular shape standing out
amongst its round counterparts.

Lea headed down the path
toward the left and followed it under a vine covered archway. The over brush grew
thicker in this section. Taking her time, she gazed at any flower she didn’t
immediately recognize. Each bloom fascinated and caught her attention on the
stone strewn pathway.

The elaborately
designed path came to an abrupt end where a huge tree reached up toward the
dome ceiling. High above the black starless night set a mood more fit for
strolling lovers. Lea stared as her mind tumbled over the events of the last
couple of years.

Years in which she
yearned to recall the void in her memories. Kord said it didn’t matter. He
claimed that after her time in the academy she had no longer desired to serve
in a military capacity. Lea could accept that. She just wished she remembered.
Her life up to the point of graduating the academy was crystal clear and then
after that a two and a half year gap that doctors blamed on her accident.
Unless she’d become a loner during that time someone should have at least had
some form of information on her.
  
  

Lea continued on and
walked around the magnificent oak. Familiar black pants and a gray shirt lay
crumpled on the ground near a metal bench. Beyond the clothing she stumbled to
a stop, her mouth parted at the vision in the center of the garden. Surrounded
by a star burst of colors blazed a column of light at least ten feet in height.

Something about the
apparition gave the impression of a sentient being.

“Kord?” Her friend had
asked her to meet him here before they headed to dinner together.

“Have no fear, Lea.
Allow me a moment to resume my physical shell.”

Kord’s voice echoed in
the open air filling the garden with his dulcet tones. He sounded the same. In
order to still her panic, Lea reminded herself that this bright entity was the
man who’d befriended her despite the fact she’d never seen him in this form
before. What was he?

Lea watched the massive
glow diminish in size. Arms, legs and a torso followed until he finally
compressed himself into a familiar humanoid structure. Seconds later Kord Dane stood
before her. Six feet of solid naked male.

Casually and in no
rush, he reached for his clothes and dressed without a hint of modesty. Lea’s
cheeks warmed and she aimed her gaze at the clear dome ceiling with its view of
the never ending blackness of space until he finished.

When his footsteps
neared, she met his gaze. “Amazing. I never knew.” She hesitated to get closer
to him after his startling revelation.

Kord tipped his head
to the side. He watched her reaction as well. “I’m from Croati. A being of
light.”

He’d never shared that
with Lea during their time together. And she’d never heard of Croati.

“Croatans don’t often choose
to travel from our mountain home.” Kord seemed to read her mind.

Lea studied his brown
hair and blue eyes. All of it recognizable as the man she’d worked side by side
with over the last three years. Curiosity got the better of her. “Do others
know what you are?”

His mouth curled up in
the corner. A dimple flashed. Lea relaxed further. “Some have guessed. We don’t
shed our skin for the curiosity of others.”

Lea flushed. Of all
the stupid questions. “Sorry. I didn’t mean-”

Kord shook his head. “Please,
I’m not offended.” He waved his hand toward the exit. “Let’s return. It’s time
for us to go soon. The royal visitors and other delegates will arrive soon for
the Alliance meeting.”

Lea rolled her eyes
before sliding her dark shades from her hair to her face hiding her own
questionable anomaly. “I’m in no hurry to meet any of the prissy senate leaders
and royals.”

Kord frowned. “It
would not be a good idea to meet any of the attendees.”

Lea nodded. The space station
went under high alert for the huge multi-planet convention. Dignitaries from
all over flew in to confirm the alliance during a week long conference. Usually
she and Kord managed to avoid the delegation during their occasional trips to
trade but their ship had thruster issues and they’d been forced to land at the
nearest station for repairs.

“How long until the
ship is ready?” It never took this long. They’d been here for two days already.

He revealed his
annoyance with his grumbled reply. “Three days.”

Lea skipped to keep up
when Kord’s stride began to outpace her. Leaving the garden behind, she
realized he was leading her to the station cafeteria. Her stomach growled
earning her a raised brow from Kord. Refusing to be embarrassed, Lea elbowed
him in the side all thoughts of his true form forgotten.

When they reached the
transport lift, he slowed not allowing her to enter until he checked it first. She
couldn’t control her smirk. Despite her record of being military trained and a
damn good pilot to boot, Kord’s every move remained protective toward her.

His blunt finger hit
level four and the shaft dropped suddenly causing her stomach to dip.
Instinctively, she reached for the silver bar mounted along the walls to brace
her weight.

Kord leaned along the
wall opposite her, arms crossed over his chest as he maintained his balance
effortlessly.

“Show off,” she snipped.
It was just like him. Throughout their time together, she’d never seen the man
caught off guard or bothered. Stars knew a silly transport shaft would never
trip him up. If he had any emotions outside neutral, she’d never witnessed them.

He inclined his dark
head at her insult. Lea felt a grin tug at her lips. That, too, was his usual
response to her complaints about his unlimited stoicism.

The lift eased to a
smooth halt and the doors opened with a seamless whoosh. Once again, Kord made
her wait while he checked the corridor before they exited. This hall was busier
than the others due to the cafeteria’s location on the same level as the space
station entertainment rooms.

She and Kord walked in
companionable silence while ship crewmen on day passes or extended leave
bustled through the halls. Long used to the variety of interplanetary
differences, Lea didn’t even blink at the two dark blue males wearing black
loincloths and talking with their extended snouts.

When a woman with a
second set of arms bumped into her, Lea merely smiled and walked around. As
soon as Lea and Kord entered the eating area, loud talk, boisterous laughter
and music assaulted her ears. Out of the corner of her eyes, she glimpsed Kord’s
wince.

Had she ever paid
attention to his reactions prior to her discovery of his true form in the
gallery? Perhaps, he didn’t hide his feelings well and she’d just been blind to
his minute cues. A pang of guilt hit her. Kord was her closest friend. Only friend,
honestly.

They worked together trading
and selling recycled parts and metal using their cargo shuttle to transport for
credits. The job alone required a certain amount of trust. Many two man crews
ended in fights or worst…death. She didn’t worry about that with him. Outside
the medical staff on the Terra V moon, Kord alone knew the details regarding
her life threatening accident.

If not for his
assistance and claiming knowledge of her identity her rehabilitation would have
gone much worse. In fact, her treatment became five star when they pulled up
her military record. Injury in former service members guaranteed a fast track
to the front of the line. Even those who didn’t actually serve like her.

After release from the
medical center, she’d been at loose ends. Her parents dead, no possibility of
going active with her memory gap, Lea struggled to put together a plan. She’d
had no credits to her name and cursed at the medical staff whenever thoughts of
her empty future loomed before her. Kord had come through by offering the
partnership in his trade venture. They’d been together ever since.

Lea made a mental note
to pay closer attention to him. She owed Kord her life.

In mutual agreement
they made their way toward the winding line at the overcrowded buffet. Lea’s
stomach growled again but this time the noise of the cafeteria blocked the
sound from curious ears. One good thing about their occasional stops here, as
her taste buds could attest, was the food.

“Will you get your
usual or let me suggest something different this time?” Kord handed her a blue
synthetic tray as he asked the question.

Lea snorted and hit
the wall mounted dispenser for an empty small food dish. The plate slid out of
the narrow opening and she added it to her tray. “No thanks. Not interested in
eating anything I can’t spell or pronounce.”

Kord loaded up on
various dishes in colors and textures that made her nauseous to look at. His
repeated attempts to lure her with exotic foreign fare would be amusing if she
remotely had an interest in the dishes. Which she didn’t. Her hand grasped a
serving utensil and wisely chose several slivers of beef and a dark green plana
vegetable that was her weakness.

She loaded up on a fat
spongy cake with fruit drizzled on top and a healthy scoop of cream. Kord’s
groan drew her attention.

“You could at least
make an effort to eat healthy if you won’t try something new.”

 
“No, thank you.” Lea liked what she liked. She
had enough adventure in her life not remembering the holes in her past. Food
eased her.

Spotting an empty
table, she pointed and nudged her hip against a multi-eyed Tregite. All three
green orbs glared at her but one look at Kord and the creature quickly stepped
aside. Lea followed Kord’s long strides as he cleared the distance to the
available table. His warning glare kept a group of young uniformed soldiers
from even thinking of sitting there.

Biting back a snicker,
Lea sat in the bench seat across from him pretty certain the other four seats
would remain empty if Kord had his way. He never liked strange males getting
close to her.

According to Kord he
and her father had been good friends evidenced by the fact he knew specific
details about her parents life together. In the beginning she’d considered Kord’s
behavior odd. Even thought it hinted at jealousy but his manner toward her
never went beyond brotherly. Hell, fatherly could also describe the dagger
looks he shot at people who got in her personal space.

Watching him eat, she
tried guessing Kord’s age. He could be thirty or fifty for all she knew. The
glimpse in the garden revealed a trim physique well maintained with power in
every line of his body. Attractive dark hair and light hued blue eyes
complimented a more than pretty face.

“Stop staring.” He
didn’t bother to look up when he made the pronouncement.

Lea laughed and began
her own meal. “Just guessing your age.”

“Again?” He looked up,
eyes narrowed.

Maybe she had asked a
time or ten. Her shoulders rose up and down in a shrug. “Call me curious. I have
a large hole in my head concerning a window of my life I may never get back.
Outside the details you gave about my civilian shuttle crashing, no one recalls
what I did for those missing years before I was rushed to the medical center.”
She also didn’t understand why she’d been rushed to the moon Terra V above the
planet Taka after her accident yet taken to the planet Ellowan instead for
further treatment. But that was a puzzle for another day.

If she had any family
she could have asked them but her parents had died in a building collapse on a
science colony when she’d left to be a recruit and they’d both been less than
talkative about their former home world. She
knew
that. Recalled everything about her life up to joining the
Alliance then those infernal years of blank space. Stars, she couldn’t even
recall the accident that knocked everything loose in her head.

Kord resumed eating
but his focus never strayed from her face. “How old do I look?”

They’d played this
game too. “Doesn’t matter and you know it.” She smiled and let go of the past. “Now
that I know your true form you could be one hundred for all I know.”

“One hundred twenty
two.”

Lea gasped and had to
lay her fork down. Not because of his age but because he actually answered. He
never satisfied her curiosity. “Well,” she cleared her throat. “Color me
surprised.”

He shook his head at
her old fashion words but she saw the twinkle in his eyes and knew he found it
funny. Huh, Kord could be amused. Their stay here was providing all kinds of
different nuances to her preconceived notions. Lea thought about it and decided
she liked it. Going forward, she’d be more attentive to her partner and friend.