Dark Prince (24 page)

"Oooo," shouted the men in unison.

"I’m glad to hear it," Yusef murmured with a meaningful growl, "for I’ll enjoy collecting my prize."

"Zoran!" came a panicked shout. "Olek! Yusef!"

Olena was too lost in Yusef’s arduous eyes to hear the shout. The hair on Yusef’s neck stood on end when he felt more than heard Ualan calling to him. His brother was in trouble.

Zoran motioned to Agro to keep the men at the field. He ran towards Prince Ualan’s voice, drawing the sword from his waist. Yusef broke away from the wide emerald of his wife’s eyes. Instinctually, he nodded to one of the men, who tossed his good hand a blade. He, too, took off running, his body blurring slightly at his speed. Olek was right behind them.

Olena blinked as he left her, not understanding why he suddenly ran away. Then, seeing Pia as she tore the blindfold from her head, Olena was spurred into action. The warriors began to murmur, but followed Agro’s command not to give chase. They didn’t move. Nadja glanced at Olena and they were both soon behind the others.

Twelve light blond Var warriors pursued Prince Ualan from the trees, over the forest path. Their bodies grew with fur as they shifted with the vicious, snarling features of wild cats. Ualan dragged Morrigan with one arm. She was unconscious, a dart sticking out from her throat.

Ualan had been forced to shift to Draig, using his natural armor to deflect the enemy’s blows as he fought them off with his free arm. He tried to protect Morrigan, her feet trailing in the dirt. Soon the Princes were by his side, shifting into the Draig form as they fought against the Var. The one armed Yusef bravely hacked forward with his sword, giving Ualan time to get Morrigan to safety.

Olena glanced away from the spectacular show of her husband at battle, as Ualan dropped an unconscious Morrigan on the ground. Ualan turned back to join the fight against the attackers. Pia didn’t hesitate as she ran swiftly to join the men, throwing her blade into one of the creature’s throat. As Zoran swung his arm, she ducked beneath him to grab the knife from his belt.

Olena heard Nadja’s feet ground to a halt. She turned to the woman. Olena was used to fighting and death, and had been afforded more than enough views of both shifting species to not be alarmed. But, as she saw Nadja pale in horror, she knew the woman had no clue what she had married.

Nadja’s lips trembled as she watched Olek and his brothers in battle. For a moment, the woman blinked, before stiffening in fear to see that the fighting creatures--human dragons and human tiger-like beasts--were very real.

"Nadja," Olena yelled to get the woman’s attention. Seeing Morrigan, she knew she had to help drag her to safety. Besides, she had to get the pallid Nadja away from the battle before she too fell unconscious to the ground. She couldn’t drag them both. With command in her voice, she ordered, "Help me!"

Shaking herself, Nadja darted forward to the fallen Princess. She trembled to see a dart sticking from Morrigan’s throat.

Olena lifted one of Morrigan’s arms. She watched Nadja shivered anew, as her eyes darted around to look into the trees.

"Help me." Olena tried to pull Morrigan away from the approaching fray.

Nadja and Olena dragged Morrigan down the path to safety. Olena’s eyes kept glancing at Yusef’s back in worry until she could no longer see him. The sound of battle rang out all around them. When they were far enough away, Nadja stopped. She dropped down to her knees.

"Should we pull it out?" Olena asked. Surely Doc Aleksander’s daughter would know what to do--more so than a pirate.

"No," Nadja answered. Again she trembled as she looked at the trees. Her eyes searched them for movement but saw nothing. Olena wondered how someone with such a devious father could be so squeamish. Maybe, after seeing her reaction to Olek’s Draig form, she would really be doing the refined woman a favor in taking her off this planet. Anyone as sheltered as she apparently must have been, was more than likely doted on and protected as a child. "Don’t touch it."

Back at the battle, the Vars retreated into the forest. Ualan turned, smelling Morrigan’s trail as he took off down the path, Yusef and Olek were behind him. Zoran hung back with Pia to make sure the men weren’t followed.

Olek froze, instantly detecting Nadja’s pale face. She was by Morrigan’s side, her narrow eyes examining the wound. The dart was still embedded in Morrigan’s neck and the woman wasn’t moving.

Nadja jolted to see Ualan’s Draig face as he came beside her. He immediately shifted back to how she knew him. Looking around, she suspiciously eyed Olek’s human features. Olek watched her mouth tremble before she turned away from him. Olena noticed it too, her resolve stiffening in her course as she convinced herself Nadja would be grateful for what Olena was going do.

Ualan reached forward.

"Don’t." Nadja’s voice was raw with fear. Olena saw her jump away from Ualan’s hand. Ualan drew back in surprise, but Nadja only nodded at his arm where red blisters were forming on his skin. "She is poison to you."

Ualan’s jaw tensed, but he held back. Hearing her calm, eerie tone, Olena had no doubt Nadja was the seed of Aleksander.

"You can’t move her yet." Nadja obviously tried to remain calm.

"But, the poison…" Ualan began, desperate to help his wife.

"Quiet," Nadja ordered. Zoran and Pia approached from the battle. They hung back, quiet. Nadja refused to look any of them in the eye. Her hands shook as she tried to focus. Inside her heart pumped furiously. Olena could see the pulse jumping beneath Nadja’s skin. "Let me think. I need to concentrate."

Ualan looked at Olek. Olek shrugged. He was worried about his own wife. Nadja quivered.

"Give me your knife," Nadja said to Pia, holding out her hand in determination. The woman instantly handed it over. Taking a deep breath, Nadja cut into Morrigan’s throat where the dart was embedded in the skin. Instantly, green liquid began to drip and ooze from the wound, mixed with red blood. Soon, she had dug out the star tipped points of the dart.

Nadja dropped the blade and continued to bleed the poison out. When she had finished, she quietly told Ualan, "Try touching her."

Ualan did. He was left unharmed.

"It’s as I thought," Nadja breathed. The knowledge brought her little pleasure as she again looked frantically to the trees. "I’ve seen this kind if poison before. Usually jealous old lovers do it for revenge. If you had torn the dart out of the skin, it would have released a poison into the blood stream. She would have lived but you never would have been able to touch her again. It’s ironic really. That way it’s the current lover that poisons the woman, sealing their fate."

Olena saw her looking at the forest, searching. She wondered if she considered running or if she was scared the Var warriors remained hidden within them. Or did she detect her father hidden there? Shaking her head, Olena knew there was no way Nadja felt her father’s presence. She most likely considered running. Olena almost wished she would run away on her own. It would save her the trouble of a delivery.

"You should get her to a doctor," Nadja said, her tone lowering to a mere whisper. She stood, warily trying to edge away from the Draig shifters to go down the path they’d come. Olena watched her carefully.

"I would say that whoever poisoned her didn’t want you to be with her," Nadja said to Ualan. Suddenly, she turned and ran from them, desperate to get away. Olek was right behind her.

Olena stood, watching the woman run until she was gone. Her eyes narrowed. Solemnly, she said, "She didn’t know about the Draig."

Ualan picked up Morrigan. Yusef fell into step beside Olena, wondering at the direness of his wife’s flat tone. He felt a cool resolve wash over her feelings, but didn’t know what to make of it. Pia and Zoran were right behind them. As they followed Ualan, he carried Morrigan to the medical ward. No one said another word.

* * * *

"Why do they attack the Princesses?" Yusef frowned. Olena stood by his side, her face unmoving. Nadja and Olek hadn’t joined them, but Zoran and Pia stood next to Ualan and Morrigan. Morrigan was in the hospital bed, having been checked by the doctors and given some medicine to help along her recovery.

Pia glanced sidelong at Zoran and said, "Because without us you will have no sons. Your line will end."

Zoran stiffened at her soft words. Olena’s eyes drifted to Yusef. He looked tenderly at her with a strange light in his eyes. She quickly turned away.

Pia’s lips stiffened. "It makes perfect sense. I’ve seen you all fight. Especially with all four of you banded together, you would be a formidable opponent. You expect the attack. We are new here and it would be assumed that we had no clear idea of the dangers. Plus, we are women. Men … ah, no offense to anyone here … men, especially those from warrior classes, often misjudge women as unworthy opponents."

The Princes listened closely to her words, giving away none of their thoughts.

Pia looked up at her husband. Her face was taut with concentration. "If you were to destroy an enemy, Zoran, would you attack their weakness or their strength?"

"Only a fool would choose to fight a strength if a weakness was to be had." Ualan nodded at the woman’s insight.

"Only they have obviously underestimated the strength of our women," Zoran added.

"What better way to end this age old feud than to wipe out the leaders before they are born?" Yusef frowned, unconsciously drawing Olena under the protection of his good arm. Olena found herself melting eagerly into his warmth. He moved his hand up to cup her elbow. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him. She wanted nothing more than to club him over the head, drag him back the house, and hold him there as her love slave.

Yusef felt her shiver. His nostrils flared slightly as he smelled the faint trace of her mounting desire. His body lurched in response, but he tempered it back. Now was definitely not the time.

"For, if we were to die," Ualan said, "there would be an heir that could sometime rise against them. If they secure that our line is ended, when we die there will be no one to avenge us. With no King or protection, our people will be left without defense. Everything will be in chaos."

"It is imperative that we discover who is spying for the Var," Yusef said.

"Spy?" Pia blinked in surprise. She turned to frown at Zoran. "You said nothing of a spy!"

Zoran sighed.

"Olena," Pia said. "You remember that servant at the festival, don’t you? The one who spilled his drink? It has to be him. He was no more fitted to be a servant than I am."

Olena shook her head, barely recalling anything but her husband from that night. Thinking of him wrapped in nothing but fur, she shivered anew. Yusef felt her sigh, smelling her need for him grow as her body reached out to unwittingly tempt him. His arm tightened on her waist and she shook out of her trance to look at him. He let a roguish smile play his mouth, as if to tell her he knew her wicked thoughts. Olena’s eyes darted away from him, embarrassed.

"What are you talking about?" Zoran demanded, turning to grab Pia’s arms.

"There are too many servants in the kingdom," Ualan contemplated. "For festivals many come to help. It would take forever to locate them all just to find this one."

"No," Pia said. "He was at the coronation. The spy would be here in the palace kitchens. I remember watching him fumble with some plates. He only carried two, unlike the other servants who carried four or more. It has to be him. He was graceless serving. Yet there was something different to his walk and his hand had a sword callous along the ridge. I would almost bet my life he was your man."

Morrigan, who was pale but alive, said through her hoarse voice, "I recorded that night on my camera."

Everyone turned to look at her.

Sheepishly, she admitted, "I’m an undercover reporter for an intergalactic newspaper chip."

Ualan stiffened but did not stop her from speaking.

"I was supposed to write a story about the royal weddings," she said softly, turning to Ualan. "My camera will have recorded part of that night. Maybe Pia’s servant can be found on the relay."

"It’s worth a shot." Yusef watched Ualan’s features harden. Whatever his brother was thinking, it was best he saved it for another time.

"I’ll go find it." Ualan left the hospital room, his arms stiff. It was silent until he got back. When he did, he handed a small eyepiece and an emerald to Morrigan.

"Can you make it work so we can all see?" Yusef asked.

Morrigan nodded. "I think so."

She requested some saline and wetted the lens before sticking it in her eye. Slipping the emerald on her finger so it could react with her nervous system, she turned the stone. A light shone from her eyes, darkening as she blinked. They watched in amazement as they saw a picture of the Breeding Festival floating on the air.

Coming around to stand across from Morrigan, they eyed the round picture.

"Can you see it?" she asked.

"Yes," Ualan said.

"All right, just let me leaf through these." Morrigan closed her eye and the picture disappeared. Olena saw her turn bright red and wondered about it.

"Morrigan," Ualan began.

Morrigan blinked in surprise and a flash of Ualan’s naked backside came up bigger than life before his brothers.

"Oh," Morrigan panicked. Zoran and Yusef laughed heartily and Yusef felt his wife chuckling next to him. Morrigan’s face turned red and she squeezed her eyes tight.

Wryly, Ualan said, "I had no idea I looked that good from behind."

He was rewarded with punches from his laughing brothers.

"Here." Morrigan got back to business, swallowing over her mortification. A screen of the festival came up. "I can’t play sound, but you should see the picture moving like a silent movie."

They watched in silence. Then suddenly, Pia pointed. "There, stop, that’s him."

Morrigan froze the picture.

"Yeah." Olena leaned forward to get a closer look at the corner. "I remember him. Now that you mention it, he was rather strange."

"He has the coloring of a Var," Yusef said.