A King's Revenge: Warlords Series Book 2 (4 page)

Chapter 8

“Maliya.”

Lea stopped mid-sentence
when she heard the voice.

“Maliya.”

Kord reached out and
gripped her arm above the elbow rushing them toward the transport lift at the
end of the corridor. Lea frowned up at him since he never hurried anywhere.

“Maliya, stop. Please.”

The desperate plea
contained a trace of pain too hard to ignore. Lea jerked to a halt and looked
behind them. A small crowd dispersed from a room at the end of the hall. Heavily
armed guards surrounded the male and female dignitaries exiting.

She remembered these
were the delegates visiting for the United Alliance meeting. The thought was
fleeting because her attention caught on a man with blond streaks dressed in
richly appointed robes of black and gold. He struggled to get pass a Tregite
dressed in a brown loincloth who blocked half the hall with his girth. She
didn’t recognize any of them.

“King Tarik. Wait, Sire.”

Another guard, she
assumed by his black and gold uniform, walked toward the frantic man. In
frustration, he pushed against the Tregite’s bulk and managed to squeeze
through the corridor. Lea glanced around wondering who the man wanted so
desperately but the corridor only boasted a few space travelers and none of
them female.

“Come, Lea. We should
return to our rooms. The repair men will need us to perform a systems check
early tomorrow morning and the hour grows late.”

Kord had managed to
maneuver her around the corner toward the transport lift doors and jammed a
finger on the glowing red button. Turning away from the man with the unusual
lavender eyes, Lea faced him.

“What has gotten into
you? Don’t you think it was strange to hear another person with the same name?”

The metal doors slid
open stalling his response. His rough handling shoved her forward and Lea
stumbled before catching herself on the wall. “Kord!”

Again, his finger
stabbed at the button for their floor. “My apologies. I’m merely tired.”

As the doors slid
shut, Lea’s last sight was of the tall man rounding the corner as he struggled
with his guard. Typically she wouldn’t have paid such an occurrence much
attention. She’d seen worse on space stations but what bothered her most was
that she never saw the other Maliya he frantically called for and he never
broke his stare away from her. Crazy.

***

 
Tarik paused in the middle of his conversation
with Senate Leader Jamison from Atta to stare at the couple going down the
hall.
Pasal
. The scent so strong and
familiar tugged at his senses. Down the hall the woman’s hands fluttered in the
air in animated conversation as she spoke with the man by her side.

“Maliya?”

His pulse sped up and
hearts beat in tandem. It couldn’t be. Wasn’t possible. Yet his gaze couldn’t
pull away. Red hair shorter than he remembered, a tall slender frame dressed in
a blue
one piece jumpsuit appeared all too
familiar from the back. Tarik sped up only to have his way blocked by General
Ara.

“Maliya.”

Did she pause? The man
reached for her arm directing her. Tarik growled overcome with the possessive
urge to rip the stranger away from her. The distance increased as they got
further down the long corridor. If anything the thought of losing sight of her
sent him into a panic and Tarik forcibly pushed Ara to the side to get around
him.

“King Tarik. Wait,
Sire.”

At the end of the hall
she looked up meeting his gaze and Tarik froze. The woman wore a black visor
hiding her eyes from view but he knew as sure as he knew his lineage that the
orbs would be bright, glowing white pupils and matching irises. Pain sharp and
stinging pricked his chest.

Her face. Sharp
cheekbones, aristocratic nose and curving lips. Slightly different but he’d
know those features if he lost his vision today or tomorrow and only had his
hands to guide him over the contours. Not possible, his mind shouted.

The two finally turned
at the end of the hall disappearing from view.

“Is everything all
right, King Tarik?” Jamison’s voice annoyed him.

Tarik glared and
curled his fingers in his palms. “Move.”

Unable to control his
emotions, Tarik rounded the corner in the direction the woman had taken only to
have his guards come forward and block his path once more.

The woman entered the lift
and the doors began to shut. Tarik stared at the man behind her leaning against
the back wall. Did he glare in his direction?

Tarik gave Mati his
attention and caught his guard’s expression. “Did you see her, Mati?” He had to
ask. Perhaps, his mind played tricks on him after today’s strenuous travel.

“See who, Sire?” Mati
and Hensel exchanged concerned looks.

“Maliya. The woman,”
Tarik quickly corrected, increasing his pace. “She walked with a tall man at
her side. Both wore a uniform of some sort.”

 
“Sire, you are overtired.” Mati’s announcement
relaxed the others who accompanied them toward the transport shafts.

Tarik realized how he
must appear to them. He’d come to a complete stop in a busy hallway and broke
off his words to Jamison to gawk at a strange woman.

He inhaled deeply and
placed his hands behind his back and straightened his posture. His sanity could
not be questioned. “Yes, you’re right. I’ll return to my rooms now before
resuming the afternoon talks.”

Their group headed
back to his assigned rooms but all evening Tarik’s thoughts circled around the
woman who looked enough like his wife to be her twin. He barely focused on the
afternoon meetings and rushed back to his room. It didn’t make sense.

A tentative knock
disturbed him in the private bedroom suite.

“Enter.”

Tarik resisted a sigh
when Mati crossed the threshold, a concerned expression darkening his features.

“Sire. Tarik.”

Rising to sit up on
the large bed, Tarik prepared himself for a speech.

Mati cleared his
throat and faced him squarely. “I speak as a friend when I say this. It’s time
to let her go.”

Tarik laughed. Short
and ugly. “I don’t have her,
friend
.”

“You know what I mean,
Tarik. It’s been three years since her death and you’ve mourned greatly. None
could deny your commitment to the Queen but you must let her go. Allow her
memory the peace it deserves and open yourself to love again.”

Tarik climbed to his
feet. He heard similar statements from Baylor, his Captain of the guard, from
Hensel his personal guard and now Mati. Did any of them even understand what
they asked?

“There is where you’re
wrong. I don’t want love again, Mati.” Tarik had no intention of ever letting
himself suffer such pain for another woman again.

“Sire,” his advisor
gasped, easily resuming his role in the life of the King of Desani. “Consider
the throne. You must have an heir.”

He couldn’t do this.
Not with the memory of seeing a woman who looked enough like Maliya that he
ached down to his bones. “I’m going out.”

The moment he said the
words aloud, Tarik realized he needed exactly that. The station boasted an
entertainment corridor for visitors. He’d take advantage of it and while his hearts
wouldn’t look for love perhaps, he could drown himself in the arms of an
unknown woman who wouldn’t care if he kept his eyes closed throughout the
night.

Ignoring Mati’s
frazzled look, Tarik undressed quickly and replaced his Sabarn robes with a
simple outfit of black pants in a rough leather and a loose shirt in a simple
white material that was loose enough to hide the two sheathed knives in the
waistband of his pants. He slid his feet into a pair of black boots and added a
sharp dagger in the small protruding loop at his calf.

“I’ll get Hensel.”
Mati turned to leave.

“Alone, Mati. I’m not
taking Hensel. I’m going by myself.”

His advisor’s eyes
narrowed. Tarik could almost hear the thoughts spinning. Not that it mattered
because he every intention of leaving the rooms. Alone. Finally, Mati nodded.
“Of course, Sire. Do be safe.”

Tarik’s lips curled
upward. “I plan on it.” And if he ran into a certain red headed woman. Well, he
couldn’t be held responsible for his actions.

Chapter 9

Lea stirred the
melting ice in her fizzling drink. Her head had barely hit the pillow when her
mind trapped her in the vortex of the past. Masculine pleas, breathless
feminine cries and then the sounds of a battle followed by pain. Fear and panic
had sent her to the lower entertainment deck in hopes of outrunning her demons.

Usually the alcohol
relaxed her after a bad nightmare. She’d even managed to convince Kord that she
didn’t need his company. Now Lea wished for his companionship. Anything to keep
her morose thoughts at bay.

“Can I join you?”

The deep tones came
from behind her. Lea schooled her features into bland disinterest. Several male
life forms of indeterminable species had already approached her tonight. She
turned over her shoulder with the intent to blow off this new intruder.

Eyes that were the
most unusual shade of lavender peered down from his great height at her. Gold
streaked his brown hair like it had been personally kissed by the sun. Lips
with a slight fullness created a sexy smile awaiting her answer. Stars above.

“Are you going to make
me stand here or answer?”

The playful note in
his voice intrigued her. No anger or annoyance at her delay in responding.

Lea recognized the man
who had shouted in the hall earlier when Kord had ushered her back to her
rooms. “Are you sure you want to? I’m not great company.” She might as well be
honest with him.

“Neither am I.”

He walked around so
that she no longer had to crane her neck and took the seat opposite her in the
small booth.

Long legs bumped
against hers beneath the table. When Lea jerked and pulled her own back she
found him staring.

Not the lingering look
of a man intent on seduction but a pain filled glance containing so much
longing, she had to turn away or else let tears dampen her own eyes.

“Can I buy you another
drink?”

The question
distracted her enough to turn back. When she faced him whatever emotion he’d
been experiencing was gone and replaced with a flirty grin and an expression
not attempting to hide his interest.

“This one is fine.”
She relaxed for the first time in hours and extended her hand across the table.
“I’m Lea by the way.”

He studied her
hovering hand long enough for the moment to be awkward. Had she offended him?
Perhaps his customs were different despite his humanoid appearance.

“Lea?” The flick of
his light brow made her name a question.

Shrugging her
shoulders, Lea nodded. “Nothing exotic I’m afraid.” Though there were still
some who mangled even that.

Finally he grasped her
fingers lightly almost as if afraid he’d injure her. Lea found his gentleness
endearing.

“You may call me…” Her
handsome stranger paused and that sadness she’d witnessed earlier flickered in
the purple depths before fading. “Tarik. My friends call me Tarik,” he
announced.

Lea couldn’t help her
quick grin and took a sip of her drink. The evening was taking a decided turn
for the better. “Friends already? Well thank you for that.”

His eyes brightened
then those delicious lips curled upward and he joined her in the humor of two
strangers in a bar at a space station being friends.

“Friends indeed since
we are the only two about.”

“What?” Lea jerked in
her seat and turned around to view the now quiet area. He was right. Aside from
one member of the wait staff and the bartender who was wiping down a counter,
they were the only ones left. “Huh. Guess you’re right.”

Tarik signaled the
waiter and ordered. “Gorian beef, mellion rice, a side custard and a flaming
sword.”

As soon as the youth
raced off to take care of his food, Lea laughed.

Tarik balanced an
elbow on the table and leaned forward creating an intimacy that unnerved her
for a moment. Shaking away the weird vibe, Lea explained her humor. “That’s a
lot of food this late.”

His smile softened the
handsome angles of his features and his odd purple eyes were enough to tug on
any girl’s fantasies and Lea wasn’t indifferent.

“I missed dinner.”

“The flaming sword
will have you missing breakfast too.”

Her gorgeous dinner
partner threw back his head and laughed. The rich sound filtered through Lea’s
ears leaving a tingling sensation at the nape of her neck. With his head back,
throat exposed, the collar of his shirt parted and she had a brief peek at the
top of his bare chest before he straightened.

His eyes still
twinkled when he settled. “It’s what you’re drinking if I’m not mistaken. Are
you saying I can’t handle it?”

Heat burned Lea’s
cheeks but she managed to hold his stare. “I’ve let ice melt in mine.” And
honestly she’d been drinking the same drink for a while. Flaming swords had a
large quantity of alcohol but whenever Lea had the chance she ordered the drink
because of the burn in the pit of her stomach and the fuzzy feeling it left
behind.

“Hmmm.” He paused when
the waiter returned with his steaming plate and a red drink in a tall glass
with fruit floating in the middle. A replica sword pierced the largest chunk of
fruit and a small flame stemmed from the handle of the sword.

Tarik lips pursed
together as he blew on the sword and Lea clenched her thighs together. Dark
lashes dusted his lids when he closed his eyes. She cleared her throat and
shifted in her seat. His eyes popped open after the flame went out and he
reached for the drink to take a huge swallow.

When he sat the glass
back on the table, his lips parted to release a small trail of smoke. Stars and
hotness. Lea shivered. She’d only seen a few men perform that trick
successfully. Kord was one of them and refused to teach Lea.

“I have a little
wager.”

Lea tried to focus and
clear her foggy thoughts. He wanted to talk when she could barely keep the
drool from her mouth. “A wager?” Her voice came out husky. Lea stiffened her
shoulders and snapped out of lust. “You want to wager.”

He smiled and took
another drink, minus the smoke this time. “Let’s see which of us can drink the
most flaming swords.”

Lea’s eyes widened
though she knew he couldn’t see due to the dark visor she wore. She could
handle drinking. Her best count on the red fiery beverage was four on a stupid
dare a year ago.

That didn’t mean she
should immediately agree though. If she stumbled back to her room and overslept
her departure with Kord in the morning, he’d have her head. But Tarik was the
first man to catch her eye since her accident.

The streaks in his
hair were beautiful enough to make any woman drown in envy herself included and
while his eyes were an unusual shade of lavender there was nothing feminine
about them. The clothing he wore hinted at his wealth. His white shirt was of
obvious quality. The expensive fabric flowed over broad shoulders and draped a
chest made muscular by more than sitting around.

Tarik used the seven
inch metal sticks provided to eat. Another stab of envy. Lea preferred good old
eating utensils that didn’t require skill or dexterity. As he cleaned his plate
and finished the last sip of his drink, she made her decision.

“You’re on.”

He smiled slowly and
her eyes were drawn to his full lips. What would they feel like against hers?
Did he take his time or would he battle through? Both options appealed to her.

“Great.” Tarik raised
his hand without turning his eyes from hers and the waiter arrived at their
table instantly. “Bring us two more flaming swords.”

Lea rested back in her
seat trying to control her increased breathing. This was crazy.
She
was crazy but excitement built for
the drinking challenge. Sitting in a bar with a handsome stranger who clearly
found her attractive appealed to Lea.

“What kind of wager
are we making?” She asked.

He stretched his legs
under the table and their legs bumped again. Sizzling heat exploded in her
core. Lea yanked her feet back severing the contact. Tarik smirked but waited
until the waiter sat the drinks and left before speaking. “Let’s make it
interesting. I hope I don’t offend when I suggest a small token. A kiss.”

Lea swallowed thickly.
She’d kiss him and didn’t need a wager for it. Fiery heat scored her cheeks on
the heels of the thought. Still she forced herself to meet his gaze. “Is the
kiss the prize or forfeit?”

Tarik’s amused snort
rewarded her. “We’ll call it both unless you have another suggestion.”

Absolutely not. With
the way it stood, one of them would be kissing the other before the night was over
and in her mind that made neither of them the loser.