Van Laven Chronicles (37 page)

“Hungry, are we?” she chuckled.

“I don’t remember the last time I’ve eaten, but suddenly I am ravenous.”

Releasing him, Vaush walked over to the door and asked that the guard bring up a meal for them. “Don’t be surprised by that. The Essence is very taxing on your system. They calibrated it perfectly for my metabolism so my appetite has stayed fairly steady.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you had more of the Essence? Had you given it to me sooner, we would have been invincible against Thalonius and Recaban.”

She shrugged. “I suppose with everything going on it slipped my mind. Besides, it was engineered for me. I only used it on you because you were dying and I was desperate.”

“It’s been incredible, Vaush,” he said excitedly. “The speed at which I move, the increased strength and control, it’s all quite phenomenal. And the mental acuity. My mind is racing, synapses are firing at mind-boggling speeds.”  He spoke rapidly.  “As if that weren’t enough, my powers of observation and telepathy have vastly improved.”

She smiled wryly. “And all I was trying to do was get you to breathe again.” She heard his stomach grumble again. “You poor thing.”

Comron waved it off and took her by the hand to lead her to the sofa. “So, tell me about Erlacher. He had no idea Yaeger came back for me, did he?”

She frowned. “No, I’m afraid I’ve got him into some hot water over it.”

He cocked his head to the side. “How did you persuade him to come after me? Surely he knew Erlacher wouldn’t approve.”

“How? I don’t know. I suppose, I appealed to his sense of compassion. Who knew such a die-hard soldier had a heart?”

“His heart wasn’t the part of his body making the decision,” he said sharply.

“Who cares why he did it? The point is he did and we’re together.”

“No, the point is he wants you. He knew that Erlacher wouldn’t want me here and will probably send me packing the first chance he gets.”

She frowned. “I’d never let that happen.”

“They took you from me before.”

“I told you, I was drugged. Even still, the goal wasn’t to separate us. It was to get me to Novoxos as expeditiously as possible.”

“Maybe so, but now I’m certain they all want me out of the picture—Erlacher, Chaiyse and Yaeger.” His face twisted in disgust. “I bet Yaeger’s already fantasizing about being your personal guard and servicing you in every way imaginable.”

“Comron, enough! You’re getting yourself all worked up over nothing.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. First of all, I seriously doubt Yaeger is entertaining any such thoughts. But even if every man on that ship was fantasizing about me, why should it bother you? You’re the only man
I
want.”

This seemed to calm him somewhat, but when he raked his hands through his hair once more she knew he was still distressed. How he could possibly be insecure or jealous was beyond her. If he had an inkling of how hopelessly in love she was, he’d be the cockiest son of a bitch in the Empire. Deep inside, he had to know. Surely, it was something else troubling him.

“Talk to me, darling. Let me help you.”

He sank back into the sofa and sighed heavily. “Crausin thinks I’m a grand fool. He insists that they’ll never let me stay with you and the Great Houses will eviscerate me for daring to reach so high.”

She wanted to comfort him but she recalled Erlacher’s admonition about putting the needs of the Empire above her own. Nonetheless, when she looked at Comron, the words tumbled out. “They can all go straight to hell. No one is going to keep me from my husband. No one.” She leaned over and kissed him deeply, letting her longing for him flow unabated. As he kissed her back, she sensed his own desire surging. He would take her fiercely, and she would love every moment of his untamed passion.

She ignored the knock at the door, preferring to lose herself in his hungry caress.

Comron breathed in deeply and his stomach growled. “The food has arrived,” he said enthusiastically. He rose abruptly, spilling Vaush back onto the sofa as he went for the door.

“Oh no, don’t worry about me,” she quipped. “I’m not the least bit offended that I’m playing second fiddle to mashed potatoes.” She joined him in the dining area as the attendant set their table.

Comron gave her a knee-buckling grin and whispered, “I’ll need my strength if I’m going to do all the things I plan to do to you.”

She blushed and giggled like a lovesick schoolgirl. Her mind ran through the various lovemaking scenarios that might require a particular degree of strength and endurance. And now that the Essence had been introduced into his system…her toes curled at the possibilities.

“Then eat to your heart’s delight, darling,” she purred and took the seat across from him.

He removed the plate cover to reveal tender roasted beef, buttery mashed potatoes, and a medley of steamed vegetables. A basket of warm bread, a blueberry tart and a bottle of red wine rounded out the meal.

He was already devouring his food with abandon. She knew he was hungry, but good heavens. Table etiquette flew right out the window as he spooned mountains of mashed potatoes into his mouth and cut large chunks of beef and shoveled those down as well. Within minutes, he had consumed his meal and emptied half the bread basket. He finally looked up at her, observing that she hadn’t yet touched her plate.

“You’re not eating?” He bit into one of the last honey-buttered rolls.

She eyed him dubiously and slid her plate across the table. “I think you need this more than I do.”

“Are you certain?” he said, his fork poised over the plate.

“Absolutely,” she replied as she poured herself a glass of wine.

Comron made quick work of her plate as well and then poured himself a tall glass of water, gulped it down and poured another glass. At any moment she thought he’d pick up the pitcher and drink straight from it. Hopefully, the Essence induced appetite and boorish table manners could be managed over time.

A provocative thought occurred to her. If he brought this much unbridled energy to the dinner table, what was an already passionate Comron going to bring to their bedroom?

CHAPTER 68

“Damn it, Yaeger,” Erlacher said, casting the comp-pad down onto the table. “As if I don’t have enough shite to deal with.”

Yaeger took his dressing down silently, standing at attention before the other men in the general’s conference room.

“We had the opportunity to correct for my granddaughter’s poor judgment by ridding ourselves of Van Laven,” Erlacher said heatedly. “But you went back to fetch him
and
his father and brought them aboard my ship.”

“Yes, sir. We had no direct orders regarding Van Laven.”

“You knew my opinion of the man,” Erlacher said. “I thought I could depend on you to use sound judgment in these types of situations as you’ve done so well in the past. Why in the hell did you go back for them?”

Yaeger’s gray eyes were cast downward as he kept his hands clasped firmly behind his back. “Sir, if you could’ve seen how torn up she was…in the absence of a direct order to contrary, I did what I thought was most…humane.”

“I don’t need a humanitarian, I need a soldier who can follow a fucking order! I didn’t see your heart bleeding over what we did at Mugandi or Seranpal, so don’t feed me that bullshite!”

“Yes, sir.”

“The matter will be further investigated, but for now I need you focused on the fact that Thalonius’s ranks continue to swell and he’s packing heavy artillery. The counterstrike plan is in place, but in order to ensure it, we must improve the odds in our favor.”

“How favorable do we need them, sir?” Yaeger inquired.

“We’re at about five to one. I need it down to three to one to guarantee success.”

“I observed Nethicaen ships out there,” Yaeger said, “I say we haul their Duke’s ass up here, put a blaster to his head and tell his ships to back the fuck off.”

“You’re beginning to sound more like yourself, soldier,” Erlacher said.

“That’s not all,” Yaeger said and waved DeOrchis forward. “You’re up, kid.”

DeOrchis stepped forward. “Sir, the Nostrom fleet uses a dual processor array on their sensory boards. I’ve written a program that will overwrite their readings and cause them to target their own ships instead of ours.”

Erlacher stared at the young man. “Has your program seen any real-world action or just the test environment?”

DeOrchis scratched his nose. “Real-world, sir. But we are now down one ship on the delta team.”

Erlacher closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“But if we upload the program and drop the Nethicaen ships, that will get our odds a lot closer to your three to one, sir,” Yaeger reminded him.

“Yes, yes. Good work, DeOrchis. Just refrain from blowing up any more of our own ships.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Regarding Van Laven, we’ll have to time this right. If they move their ships off too soon Thalonius will only send for replacements. We’ll make our move when it will do the most damage.”

“Leave Thalonius’ ass exposed,” Yaeger said. “Van Laven’s going to pay through the nose for this.”

“Not my concern, Yaeger,” Erlacher replied. “Winning the battle is.”

CHAPTER 69

Oh, is the lamb going to cry or is he finally going to grow a pair and take matters into his own hands?

“The girl has him firmly in her grasp,” Crausin replied to Edred’s image while sitting alone in his quarters aboard the Emperor’s Majesty. “He won’t listen to reason.”

Comron’s abandoning Nethic and he’s abandoning you. Are you going to be a spineless piss ant, or are you going to do something about it?

“Damn you! I can’t break the spell she’s cast over him and with her this close to Novoxos, he’d never agree to leave now.”

Then make them put him out. Show Erlacher Comron’s true nature, all the vile things he’s done and Erlacher will fire him from photon cannon so fast it’d make his head spin.

“You’ve seen what Comron’s capable of. He’d slice the heads off any guard detail that tried to remove him from the girl’s side.”             

Very well then, if you can’t break the spell he’s under, break hers. If she were to send him away, it would break his spirit. Then he could be taken.

Crausin scoffed. “She’s just as besotted with him as he is with her.”

Only because she doesn’t really know him. Speak to her in private. Enlighten her.

“She’d see right through me and assume I merely fabricated the stories to turn her against him. I need something far more visceral to alter her opinion of Comron. I must make him reveal himself to her as a monster.  She won’t be able to deny the evidence when it’s right before her eyes.”

Now you’re thinking. What did you have in mind?

“Comron believes he’s invincible now, impervious to my ability to breach his mind.”

Isn’t that the case?

“Only when he mounts a full defense. But I noticed that when he’s around the girl, he’s vulnerable, so consumed are his thoughts with her. It would be the perfect time to move in and take control.”

Take control? You’ve never been able to do that before.

“Not before the Murkudahl tampered with him. The telepathic bridge between us has been fortified, but his mastery of mind control is still underdeveloped. Therefore, I have the advantage. If I can catch him at a vulnerable point, not only can I breach his mind, I can control him.”

And since you’ve never done anything like this before, he’ll never see it coming.

“More importantly, all the girl will see is Comron monstrously twisted and bent by the Murkudahl’s meddling, especially since Chaiyse already planted that dark thought in her head. The poor thing will be left with no other choice but to break off with him.”

Edred smiled.
You’ve impressed me, boy.

CHAPTER 70

When Comron poured a third glass of water, Vaush commented, “It might be quicker if you just drank straight out of the pitcher.”

“Sorry, but I could drain an ocean, I’m so thirsty.” After finishing the last glass, he drew his napkin across his lips, resuming some measure of decorum. “So, how do I go about arranging an audience with Erlacher?”

“Well…I suppose I could send word by one of the guards at the door.”

He frowned slightly. “You don’t think he’ll want to speak with me.”

“He has his reservations about you.” Her gaze fell to the table. “And I haven’t exactly told my grandfather that we’re married. So, if you speak to him,” she lifted her eyes, “could you not mention it just yet?”

“Very well.” He casually picked a crumb off the table and placed it on the plate. “But do you mind telling me why you withheld that information from him?”

She sighed. “He thinks…well, he just needs to get to know you first. Otherwise I’m afraid he’ll attribute the wrong motive to our impromptu nuptials.”

“He thinks I’m a political opportunist taking advantage of his poor innocent granddaughter.”

She nodded.

“What did he say to make you conclude such?”

“He mentioned that he had you…investigated and that I should be prepared to place the needs of the Empire ahead of my own.”

He clasped his hands in front of him. “I wonder when he plans to make his move, before or after the battle.”

“What move?”

“The one that results in me no longer being in the picture.”

Anger flashed in her hazel eyes. “Such a move is doomed to fail. I won’t permit anyone to separate us.”

“I know that.” A soft smile touched his lips. “But I need you to be prepared in case they attempt it soon.”

She shook her head. “He’s too preoccupied with beating Thalonius. He won’t waste his valuable resources on such a pointless endeavor.”

He nodded. “You’re right. Turning this ship into a floating bloodbath is in no one’s best interest.”

“Bloodbath? That’s a bit dramatic,” she said uneasily, sensing he wasn’t being dramatic in the least.

His smile vanished. “When I said no one will take me from you, I meant it.”

“It won’t come to that. So let’s not dwell on it.”

“Very well, a change of subject then,” he said evenly. “It occurred to me that with all the attention focused on this battle, this might be the perfect time for you and I to slip away on a private transport.”

“And attempt to make it to Novoxos on our own? That plan didn’t work out so well for us, remember?”

“That was before the Essence and before the battle of the century started forming. I just feel that if we wait around here, we’ve a greater chance of being killed in battle. Why not use Erlacher as cover while we steal away? No one would ever suspect such a move.”

“Because it’s ludicrous, darling. I’m sorry, but this is the safest place for us to be right now.”

“Why? Because your washed-out, ex-Generals Elite grandfather said so?” he retorted.

“Why are you attacking him?”

“I’m merely defending myself against his attack on me.” He paused a moment, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight with you, love. I just want to get you safely to Novoxos and protect Nethic from the political fallout.”

Her expression softened. “Protecting Nethic is important to me too. Your world must prosper as a result of your relationship with me. I’ll do whatever I can to raise it on high.” It pleased her to see the warmth and affection in his eyes. She needed him to know that what was dear to him, was now dear to her as well.

“I’d told Crausin as much, but he chooses only to see the worst possible outcome for Nethic.”

“Something tells me that nothing will ever change his mind in that regard. My adoptive Ti-Larosian heritage and my disruption of your lucrative marriage alliance are always going to be a problem for him.”

She felt Comron’s mood darken with the distant look in his eyes. “It’s more than that. When I was going to marry Spira, we were going to live in the estate adjacent to Castle Northridge. Novoxos is halfway across the galaxy from Nethic.”

It hadn’t really occurred to Vaush that Comron might have reservations about leaving Nethic and she suddenly felt selfish for assuming he’d readily leave it all behind to follow her. “We…we could split our time between the two worlds. We’ll make Nethic the capital minor, the financial hub of the Empire.”

He smiled sadly. “I would like that very much. Though I doubt it will appease Crausin…”

“He believes your place is there on Nethic, Novoxos be damned.”

His eyes lit up. “He feels that my place is where he is. What if Crausin were to reside on Novoxos as well?”

The uneasy feeling in her gut returned. First Crausin turns up on this ship and now Novoxos. “I’m certain that the Duke of Nethic would better serve his subjects…
from Nethic
.”

“But if he were on Novoxos, we could better serve the Empire which inevitably benefits Nethic. My brothers could take a more prominent role in his administration in our absence.”

Vaush couldn’t believe that they were really discussing Crausin relocating to Novoxos with them. Why? “Comron,” she said calmly, “please explain to me why we would want the man who brutalized you, slept with your fiancée and despises your wife to follow us to Novoxos.”

“Don’t you see?” he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “The only reason he despises you is because he believes I’m abandoning him for you. But if we invite him to Novoxos he’ll stop resisting us.”

That he saw nothing peculiar about the arrangement troubled her. “You do realize that most father’s send their sons off proudly when they take a bride? They don’t typically…follow them to their new home.”

The color rose in Comron’s face. “Crausin is hardly the typical father. Frankly, the term father, in the strictly biological sense, isn’t the appropriate word for him.”

“You’re the spitting image of him. It doesn’t get more biological than the two of you.”

The look in his eyes hardened. “I’m not of Crausin’s seed.
I am Crausin
.”

A chill ran down Vaush’s spine. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“Call it vanity, or the curiosity of an ingenious young man. Crausin wondered what he might’ve been if he’d been raised by kind, loving parents instead of cold, sadistic monsters. He took his DNA and cloned it, then had the embryo implanted in his young wife’s womb. I am the result of that elaborate dream.”

The pit in her stomach deepened. As insane as it all sounded, it made perfect sense. The freakish likeness, the inexplicable twin-like bond of closeness. She’d married Comron, only to discover he was part of a packaged deal, constructed for someone else’s purpose. That’s when it hit her— that had to be the real reason why they’d been sharing Spira, and lord only knew how many other women. It was simply another facet of their inordinate bond. And now Comron wanted Crausin to follow them to Novoxos!

“Oh, my God,” she said, suddenly feeling as if there weren’t enough oxygen in the room.

“He would be an invaluable asset to your administration. He could do for your treasury what he did for Nethic.” He chuckled. “He literally wrote the book on the intrinsic valuation of structured products in inflationary periods. No doubt, he has his issues, but he’s a brilliant financier and an extraordinary economic strategist. You will find no better.”

“Just stop, all right,” she said, moving from the table. “I’m still trying to process the fact that you’re Crausin’s clone. So let me get this straight. Your mother, Queen Sheally, has no idea you’re not her natural son?” She laughed derisively. “And I thought my origins were the big secret.”

He remained seated and calm. “Vaush, please. I’m only telling you because I don’t—”

“And what about your brothers, Rhence and Gavin? Does Rhence know that he’s Crausin’s true firstborn child and proper heir to his throne? Do they know you’re the product of their father’s self-absorbed lab experiment?”

His eyes fixed upon her. “Is that how you see me now?”

She sighed. “No, I didn’t mean that. I’m just…this is a lot to take in, Com. I think we should slow down and really think this through. I’m afraid Crausin on Novoxos is probably not the best thing for
us
.”

He drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “If he remains behind, I’ll constantly be worried about the fate of Nethic. He doesn’t exactly do well without me and if Crausin isn’t doing well, Nethic isn’t doing well either.”

“Seriously, Comron? With all the other shite I’m dealing with you’re going to place the fate of Nethic on my shoulders. This isn’t fair. I married you, not Crausin or Nethic.”

“You knew I was the Crown Prince of Nethic and that I had an obligation to her.”

“Then maybe it’s time you relinquish that title to its rightful owner, Rhence!”

“Even if I did, do you imagine it would absolve me of any guilt over her fall?” When she could not answer, he continued. “Why are you so resistant to having Crausin on Novoxos? I’ve told you what a tremendous asset he’d be to you.”

She shook her head.

“I wouldn’t ask it if Nethic’s future were not at stake.”

“I’m sorry, Comron.”

He shot to his feet. “Give me one good reason why you don’t want him there!”

“Because I’m not
Spira
!” she shouted. “First you ask me to welcome him here, and now on Novoxos with the hope that I’ll ultimately welcome him in bed.”

The mortified look on Comron’s face told her she’d been dead wrong in her assessment and she instantly regretted mentioning Spira when she’d promised to never broach that subject again. Silently, she watched as he struggled with the pain she’d inflicted and her guilt was compounded by her horrible accusation. Sorry wouldn’t even begin to express her remorse.

Suddenly, the vacant lost look in his eyes was replaced with something unfamiliar and yet familiar. The tumult of emotions emanating from him turned into something…unpleasant and frightening. A lurid grin spread across his lips.

“Is that what has you so hot and bothered, the thought of Crausin in your bed?”

She resisted the urge to slap him. “I find the notion repulsive!”

“You make a lousy liar, Vaush.” He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “I must confess that from the moment I saw the two of you together, I haven’t been able to get the image of him fucking you out of my head.”

The slap landed hard across his face but the grin remained.

“Good, we like a challenge. It makes your inevitable surrender all the more rewarding. Shall we begin your tutelage today? He’s just next door, I’ll call him over. After all, why do you think I brought him along?”

“Enough, Comron! If you’re angry at me over the false accusation this is not the way to get back at me.”

He grabbed her brusquely. “First I’ll watch him have his way with you. Being the Duke does have its privileges. Afterward, I’m going to cock you so hard, your dead mother will feel it.”

“What in the hell is wrong with you?” she screamed and tried to shove him away.

He pushed her up against the wall and pinned her with his body. “Of course, Spira loved having both of us in her at once. All of our women did. So will you.” He grabbed her by the neck and kissed her hard, biting her lip. “Empress or not, you will learn your place – beneath
us
with legs spread wide.” He ground his hardened member against her. “Whenever we want it, as often as we want it.”

The rage that surged in her made her tremble. Was this the Essence speaking? Or was he finally expressing his deepest desires? No! This wasn’t the Comron she loved. He couldn’t possibly wish to share her with another or treat her so contemptuously! Something was horribly wrong and she knew just how to jar him back to his senses.

His breathing grew heated as his teeth sunk into her neck. His hips ground hard against her and he groped her breast, squeezing them painfully.

She fought past mounting rage to carry out her plan. “If watching me in bed is what gets you off, fine. You can watch,” she said and ignored his lustful moan of anticipation. “But I don’t want Crausin. I’d prefer someone different from you, but equally desirable. Someone like…Captain Yaeger.”

His body went deathly still and his breathing was loud in her ears. “You
fucking
whore!” he roared. He struck her so hard she fell to the floor with ears ringing. “I warned Comron that all women are nothing but worthless, faithless bitches. I warned him!”

Vaush turned to look at him and realized that somehow it was Crausin staring at her through those cold green eyes and saying such horrible things to her. How had he transferred his consciousness to him? He grabbed her by the hair and began dragging her down the hall toward the bedroom.