Forsaken (6 page)

Rather than engage in a lengthy debate, she returned to the original issue. “So you’re here trying to find females with this protein marker?”

He nodded and the purple rings in his eyes shimmered. “That’s one of our mission objectives. I’ll fill you in on the others after you’ve signed the contract.”

“After I’ve signed the contract?” She tilted her head and narrowed her gaze. “That’s rather presumptuous. I assure you it’s still
if
I sign the contract.”

A lazy smile parted his lips and he raised his hand as if he’d touch her. But several inches from her face, he stopped and lowered his arm. “How can I change your mind?”

“What happens after you locate these women?”

“We’ll do everything in our power to gain their cooperation, but nothing will be forced on anyone. A mating bond will not anchor unless the female is willing, so force is not really an option.”

“Ruthless seduction, however, is a Rodyte specialty.”

With a speed that blurred her vision, he clasped her upper arms and drew her toward him. The dark undercurrent swelled and reality tilted. “Is that an invitation?”

She twisted away, surprised yet relieved when he let her go. “No.” She rubbed where his hands had just been. His grip had been strong, but careful. So why could she still feel his touch so distinctly? “There are many ways to make someone willing. Most humans will allow something they don’t really want to protect someone they love.”

Again he shook his head. “Coercion taints the bond, leaving it weak and corrupted.” She stared past him for a long time, trying to unravel the implications. But so much was left unsaid. She had so many unanswered questions. His warm fingers curved beneath her chin and he guided her head back around. “We’re looking for allies not prisoners, and each female will gain as much, perhaps more, than the male.”

“I don’t know what to think. It’s hard to make a decision with only bits and pieces of information.”

His voice remained low and caressing, his gaze firmly locked with hers. “I’m sorry I can’t be more forthcoming, but we have too much to lose.”

“Can I think about it for a while?”

“Of course.” He lowered his hand and stepped back. “I’ll have someone escort you to my quarters and we’ll speak again after you’ve had time to think things over.”

He was halfway to the door when his statement registered. “Wait,” she called. “Why am I going to your quarters?”

Pausing long enough to look back at her, he smiled. “It’s infinitely more comfortable than the brig.”

The visitor chime sounded followed by a synthesized voice announcing, “Ashley Kane to see you, sir.” Kotto glanced at the time indicator hovering near the bottom of his holodisplay and smiled. She’d waited almost three hours before pestering him.

“Enter.” He quickly deactivated the display as the doors parted, allowing her into his office.

She hesitated near the entrance for a moment then took a deep breath and crossed to his desk. The room was compact and uncluttered, just the way Keyran had left it. He sighed. It was hard not to fixate on his brother’s misfortune when everywhere he turned he saw reminders of Keyran.

It didn’t matter. He couldn’t let it matter. If he didn’t meet his mission objectives, he would likely join his brother in disgrace. And the next obstacle hindering his success was undoubtedly the reason Ashley Kane had sought him out.

He motioned to the chairs situated in front of his desk and Ashley sat.

“Does Bandar know you’re here?” He knew the answer. He just wanted to see if she’d admit it. Ashley could be a valuable asset on numerous fronts, if he could earn her trust. And building trust wasn’t going to be easy while he was locked in a power struggle with her best friend.

A smile teased one corner of her mouth and she shook her head. “He forbid me to ‘harass’ you about this, but Raina is my best friend.”

“I swore a vow to your mate that Raina would not be harmed while in my care. Did he explain what that means?”

She folded her hands in her lap, looking adorably uncomfortable. It was easy to understand why Bandar had fallen so hard for this female. She looked malleable with her guileless eyes and hesitant smile, but there was strength beneath her soft exterior. “I know Rodytes take vows seriously, but—”

“Raina is your best friend?” Her mate understood the power of a Rodyte vow and had immediately backed off when Kotto spoke the words. Apparently, Ashley had yet to comprehend what was at stake. “Rodyte vows are literal. If Raina is harmed while in my keeping, my life is forfeit.”

“I know you won’t intentionally harm her. Bandar wouldn’t have left the cube unless he trusted you to protect her.” She paused so long, he thought she was finished, then she added, “But Raina’s situation has been very isolating. Research is her life. She’s sort of lost once you take her out of her natural environment.”

As Ashley described her friend, Kotto’s mind produced a detailed image of Raina. At first glance, she’d appeared tiny and fragile. Her diminutive body swam in her shapeless clothes, making her appear more waif than competent woman. But flashes of spirit sparked in her reddish-brown eyes, not to mention the penetrating intensity of superior intelligence. And the subtle complexity was echoed in her long dark hair. Only in a certain light did the thick tresses reveal their fiery highlights. She was a challenge. And Kotto loved challenges. He wanted to explore her hidden depths and unravel her mysteries.

“I’m not sure why that’s a problem.” He’d been so lost in the fantasy he’d nearly forgotten Ashley’s point. “I’m offering Raina an opportunity to further her research. She’ll remain within her ‘natural environment’.”

“It’s more complicated than that and we both know it.” Ashley sighed and her long lashes swept down, momentarily hiding her eyes. “If her mother is battle born, then Raina probably has the protein marker. I know what that means. She’s a potential mate for one of the battle born.”

He waited until she looked up to say, “I’m not sure that’s true. The protein marker showed up in a human/Rodyte hybrid. If Raina’s mother was battle born, then Raina has Bilarrian blood as well. I think that makes her ineligible for the program.”

She didn’t seem entirely convinced. “At the very least, Dr. Irron will want to analyze her genetics. This is no longer a job interview. It’s personal.”

“Were you harmed by Dr. Irron? For that matter, have you been harmed by anyone on this ship?”

Her chin came up and anger narrowed her eyes. “What about Letos? He broke into my loft and stabbed me in the chest.”

“Your injuries were regenerated on this ship. Letos is not part of my crew.” And in the end the technomage had been more help than hindrance. “Technomages tend to play by their own rules. I won’t be held responsible for his actions.”

She shifted in her seat and glanced away, obviously reluctant to end the debate. “I know how badly the battle born want this, how far you’ll go to further your cause.”

“Don’t confuse us with our fathers. We have no intention of holding our brides captive and wearing them down until they agree to bond with us.”

Her gaze shot back to his, suddenly filled with challenge. “That would be more believable if Raina weren’t locked in your cabin right now.”

“She is locked in my cabin—”

“For her own protection?” The challenge in her expression intensified. “I’ve heard it all before. Bandar wasn’t exactly subtle while we were…courting.”

“First, I would like to be Raina’s employer not her mate. Second, if I cannot convince her to work with me in the next day or two, I’ll release her.”

“In the next day or two?” she cried. “You intend to keep her locked in your bedroom for the next two days?”

He ignored her outburst and continued his list. “Last, finding her grandmother’s journals is even more important than restoring the hydroponic gardens. Returning the outpost to self-sufficiency is preferable, but we can generate provisions on the ships if all else fails. Do you have any idea where she would have hidden the journals? We’ve already determined that they’re not in her house.”

“Her office at the university is shared with other researchers, so it could be tricky to search. Besides, a shared space isn’t very secure. She mentioned something about a greenhouse complex, but I don’t know where it is.” After another tense pause, Ashley pushed to her feet. Kotto was almost disappointed that she hadn’t put up more of a fight. He found sparing with these humans invigorating. “When you go to her, explain about the vow. It won’t assure her cooperation, but it might help if she understands why Bandar and I suddenly deserted her.”

He accepted the advice with a nod and rose as she left the office. He’d scheduled an officers’ briefing for 0600. The renovations of Lunar 9 were ahead of schedule and Kotto wanted to make sure they stayed that way. Once the outpost’s shield generator was repaired, ships would be able to land on the moon. Until then, risk of detection was too great and the battle born were not yet ready to reveal their existence to the inhabitants of Earth. There were interior docking slips as well, but the entrance was tricky especially for larger ships. Luckily for Kotto, the
Crusader’s
crew was exceptional.

Striding down the corridor, Kotto entered the command center and watched his bridge officers react to his arrival. If this had been an official Rodyte mission, each person present would have stood and offered their respect with a hand gesture. As it was, most nodded or muttered “Commander” then continued on with his task. Keyran had set the tone for the ship’s operation. Kotto felt more comfortable with less formality as well, so he saw no reason to make changes.

He walked to the master console and activated an overview grid. Three recon teams had been dispatched earlier that morning. Team one had returned. The location of team two was indicated on the grid, but he saw no record of team three’s position.

A communications blackout had been issued for all three teams, so Kotto asked the bridge officers, “What’s going on with recon three?”

“Beacon malfunction,” Sental told him. “Morrin used a com-bot to let us know, but he didn’t elaborate.”

Kotto nodded and made a quick note in the overview grid. “Anything else I need to know about?”

“There’s a human female locked in your quarters.” Sental wiggled his eyebrows and someone snickered. Sental’s easygoing personality made him popular with the crew. He’d also been one of the first to work through his resentment toward Kotto and accept his authority.

“I’m aware.” Kotto assured him with a smile.

“Would you like some suggestions?” Several more snickers made it obvious everyone was following their conversation.

Kotto squared his shoulders and hardened his expression. “If I can’t handle a human female by myself, I’m not worthy of command.”

“Give her a thrust for me—”

“Ease in and—”

“Start with—”

“—until she squirms like a—”

The officers’ overlapping encouragements became progressively raunchier as they circled the command center.

Sental ended with, “Can I watch?”

Kotto could no longer hold back his laughter. “Sorry, brothers. I work better without an audience, but I appreciate the support.” He waited for the amusement to clear before he growled, “Now get back to work.”

Encouraged by the banter, Kotto looked back at the overview grid. He needed to update Raylon, but there was no indication of when Raylon would return to the
Crusader
. He had quarters on board reserved for his use, but it wasn’t unusual for him to remain on one of the other ships if there were complications. It was Raylon’s job to coordinate operations between all of the ships on or near Earth. Kotto wasn’t even sure which ship Raylon was currently aboard. Raylon was terrible about keeping others informed of his movements. He answered to General Nox and
only
General Nox.

There were currently five Rodyte ships on or near Earth, if the
Relentless
was still in this star system. Locating Akim Farmon was one of Kotto’s secondary objectives. There had been no sign of the bastard in the two weeks since the disastrous rescue mission. Still, Kotto knew Akim was out there, searching for the
Crusader
as intensely as they were searching for him. It was only a matter of time before they crossed paths again, and Kotto was determined to make the most of the opportunity.

Command was always a balancing act. He had to prioritize and make decisions every hour of every day. He generally welcomed the challenge, but remaining objective when it came to Akim was particularly difficult. Not only was the man an amoral monster, he was Chandar’s captor. Keyran had scarified his career in his attempt to rescue her. Kotto was just as dedicated to her freedom, but he hoped to accomplish the goal without a similar sacrifice. Ending Akim and freeing Chandar would ensure that Keyran’s sacrifice hadn’t been in vain.

Then, in Kotto’s spare time, he needed to find the mysterious journals and refurbish Lunar 9.

Allowing himself a frustrated sigh, Kotto deactivated the grid and stepped away from the master console. The most complicated mission was completed one objective at a time.

“I’ll likely be occupied for the rest of this shift,” he said more or less to Sental.

“Take your time, Commander. Gods know I would.”

Another round of obscene encouragements erupted as Kotto walked from the room. He didn’t bother chastising his men. Each one was already risking death and dishonor to further the rebel cause. The occasional surge of obnoxiousness was to be expected.

He scrambled for a strategy as he walked to his quarters. Unfortunately, the walk wasn’t long. The ship’s commander and the top fourteen officers each had accommodations on the command deck, so his cabin was down the hall and to the right. Still unsure how to proceed, he stayed well back from the door so the sensors wouldn’t detect his arrival. Was Raina still angry? She’d had six hours to analyze the situation, to weigh her options and arrive at the most logical conclusion. Raina was a scientist. Surly he could appeal to her reason without having to deal with tantrums or tears.

* * * * *

Six hours! The heartless bastard had left her locked in this cage for six hours. Okay, maybe it was a nice, surprisingly large cabin, not a cage, but that didn’t change the fact that she’d been stewing in her own frustration for much too long. The guard who’d escorted her to Kotto’s quarters had barely looked at her much less made any attempt to ease her fear or defuse her anger. Even the chest-high robot that rolled into the cabin a few hours later had presented her with a tray full of edibles then spun around and departed as swiftly as it had arrived.

Raina had a spectacular view of the moon on one side of the sitting area and the Earth on the other. The moon side might be a large window, but the Earth side was an interior wall so it had to be some sort of display. She tried to find a control panel and attempted numerous verbal commands, but the image remained the same. She didn’t object to the view. It was just in her nature to discover how things worked.

Frustrated by her inability to control her environment, she sat
alone
at the table and nibbled on the sandwich and fresh fruit supplied by the robot. There was ice water in a decanter, even a cloth napkin. It had been almost relaxing, for a time. But silence and inactivity were not conducive to peaceful thoughts.

It had been years since she’d read Mimi’s journals, but her mind reproduced the stories with as much detail as she could remember. Royal intrigue and warring factions had been so much more entertaining when Raina believed the events fictitious. Still, she was on a spaceship and Bandar had known facts that weren’t in the journals. Denial was pointless. She needed to decide what she wanted to do.