City Of Tears (18 page)

He held back the words, but the thought echoed with each forceful thrust.
Mine, mine, mine!

Her back bowed, and her inner muscles squeezed him rhythmically. He threw back his head and yelled as he followed her over the edge. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he steadied himself against the bed, unwilling to separate their bodies.

Long moments passed with nothing but the sound of their harsh breathing. Had she heard his thoughts or sensed his possessiveness? He hadn’t meant to lose control so completely.

“Are you all right?” she asked, and he couldn’t suppress a chuckle.

“I was just wondering the same thing.”

“This is the first utterly selfish thing I’ve done since — perhaps ever. It was about time.”

He blew out a ragged sigh and reluctantly moved back, easing her legs down from around his waist. “Let’s take a shower, then find something to eat.”

Her wicked giggle left no doubt what she was thinking about.

* * * * *

The following morning Krysta arrived at the visitor bungalow with a tall, dark-haired man. “This is Master Tal dar Aune. He’s Trey’s brother and Aunt Charlotte’s life mate.”

Saebin shook his hand. “Does that make you High King of Ontariese?”

“I leave politics to my life mate as often as I possibly can.” Dressed in a light gray robe, his long black hair formed a neat coil down the middle of his back, and his smoke-colored eyes didn’t swirl. The only other Ontarian Saebin had seen whose eyes didn’t swirl was Vee. Did the physical characteristic develop in every Master Level Mage, or were they both shapeshifters?

“May we come in?” he asked with a gentle smile.

“Of course.” Saebin moved aside, allowing Tal and Krysta into the main room of the bungalow.

Lyrik stepped back from the window adjacent to the front door and snapped his pulse pistol into the bracket strapped to his thigh. Tal noticed the motion and chuckled. “As trusting as ever, Commander cet Barrel. This dwelling is within the Mystic shield. You are both perfectly safe.”

“One of my own crewmembers tried to take her out. I’m not trusting anyone.”

Tal accepted the explanation with a regal incline of his head. Krysta moved to the chair she’d occupied the night before, and Tal stood beside her. “Trey is monitoring all of Cyrus’s communications. He’s sent three messages with a non-standard encryption and received two. Trey’s got a man deciphering the encryption, but it will take time.”

“I’m not going to wait for Cyrus to try again.” Too agitated to sit, Saebin moved behind one of the chairs and placed her hands on the back.

“The overlord has no reason to believe Tann failed.” Lyrik moved up beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “If everyone thinks she’s dead, it could give us an advantage.”

She dragged her curious gaze away from their visitors and looked at Lyrik. “I know you were teasing before, but what’s keeping us from taking this fight to him?”

“In many ways the Day Moon is its own world, and Cyrus is king. If we launched a direct attack against the overlord, we would be declaring war on the City of Tears.”

“Not if we had the backing of someone equally powerful.”

“You mean the High Queen,” Krysta interjected.

Saebin nodded. “I’m a symptom of a much larger problem. Why would Cyrus need ships undetectable to his own defenses, unless he’s plotting an attack on his own people?”

“What you’re describing is high treason.” Tal tucked his hands inside the loose sleeves of his robe as his gaze assessed her expression. “I have no doubt Cyrus is up to something, but his exact motivation is unclear. We need facts and indisputable evidence before we move against the overlord.”

Lyrik shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His fingers flexed against her ribs, revealing his tension. This had to be hard on him. His father was at the center of the conflict. “The warlords will support the overlord unless they have a damn good reason to turn on him,” he said. “It’s their support we must foster, not the High Queen’s.”

“We don’t have time for a political coup.” Saebin eased away from him and moved in front of the chair. “The moment Cyrus realizes how close we are to exposing him, he’ll destroy all the evidence. My handler will disappear, and that’s not acceptable.”

“What are you suggesting?” Tal asked.

“We tell the High Queen what we’ve learned and what we suspect. Then we snatch Cyrus right out from under the nose of the warlords. We’ll make it appear as if we’ve gone rogue. Stealing the
Gale
set us up beautifully for this.”

“And once we have him?” Lyrik asked. “What do you intend to do with him?”

“Sabotage his micryte and turn D-159 loose on him.” She crossed her arms over her chest, glancing from Lyrik to Krysta. Tal might not understand the significance of that suggestion, but the others did. “You said it in jest last night, but it’s a good idea. Cyrus knows the full extent of D-159’s capabilities. If he thinks Saebin is —”

Thunder shook the bungalow, cutting off Saebin’s words. Lyrik kicked the chair aside and reached for her. She clenched her hands into tight fists, searching the room for a target. Wind erupted with a mighty roar, whipping her hair about her face. Her mind scrambled for an explanation as her heart lurched within her breast. Six bolts of lightning struck simultaneously. Saebin gasped, instinctively dropping into a fighting stance. Lyrik remained close behind her, his weapon now in his hand.

“Be calm,” Tal called out over the wind.

The fabric of space parted, revealing a transport conduit. Saebin squinted into the pulsing light as a figure emerged. The woman closed the conduit with a wave of her hand, and Saebin’s eyes finally focused. Golden cords had been woven through the woman’s brown hair. The wavy strands cascaded down her back. Her features were delicate, her bearing noble. Her elegant pant suit perfectly matched the color of her eyes.

“This is a pleasant surprise.” Tal drew her hand to his lips.

“I wish it were a social call.” She turned to Lyrik, her gaze swirling rapidly. “The
Tempest
just exploded, all hands lost.”

“What?” He staggered back a step, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The woman crossed to Saebin, her expression remained grim. “I’m your Aunt Charlotte. I wish we could have met under more pleasant circumstances.”

“I agree.”

“Do you know what caused the explosion?” Lyrik asked. “Was there any forewarning?”

She turned back to him and shook her head. “The explosion was reported by a Linusian frigate. According to their captain, the
Tempest
didn’t respond to the standard identification page, and before they could execute a single scan, the ship blew up. They transmitted the snippet they were able to record.”

“That’s my ship.” His voice broke and color drained from his face. “I should have been on that ship.”

Saebin placed her hand on his back, unsure how to comfort him.

“It gets worse.” Charlotte warned. “We know the
Tempest
was dispatched out from under you, but not everyone is seeing it that way.”

“I’m being accused of this atrocity?” His shock turned to anger in the blink of an eye.

“Without the information we possess, it makes sense. As you said, the
Tempest
is your ship.” Charlotte paused, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Your father has responded with shock and outrage. He is acting as if he is tortured by your betrayal.”

“But why would I blow up the
Tempest
? Why did he?”

“The first four hundred Bilarrian females were aboard,” Charlotte reminded him. “This has abolished the Bilarrian alliance. The obvious conclusion is you are the head of the NRS. Cyrus set you up so effortlessly; I’m amazed we didn’t see it coming.”

Pern walked into the laboratory, and desire rolled through Ensley. She’d hardly seen him since their arrival at the compound. It was irrational, ridiculous, dangerous. Jaden was younger, better looking, and far more interested in her. So why did she long for Pern?

“How are you progressing?” Pern asked Jaden after sweeping her body with a dispassionate glance.

“Not as quickly as I’d hoped.” Jaden stepped back from the work table and stretched his back. “The differences between Ontarian and Bilarrian physiology seem miniscule on the surface, yet the Bilarrian test subjects continue to reject the implants.”

“We encountered many of the same complications when we first began.” Ensley wasn’t supposed to speak unless they asked her a question, but the comment was out before she could stop herself. She wanted Pern to look at her,
see
her — touch her.

“And how did you overcome these complications?” Pern stalked toward her, the blue ring in his eyes glowing.

“Trial and error mostly.” She met his gaze, beyond caring if he reacted in anger. She just needed him to react. “There is no precedent. Nothing like this has ever been done before.”

“Does the prototype work with Ontarian physiology?” Pern glanced at Jaden, then returned his gaze to Ensley.

She paused, waiting to see if Jaden would answer, before she provided the information. “The prototype is completely operational with our Ontarian test subjects. It is only the Bilarrians who are rejecting the implants.”

“Interesting.” He walked to the work table and examined the latest modification while Jaden glared at her.

You are my bed slave
. Jaden’s thoughts lashed through her mind.
If he were not Stirate, I would beat you for lusting after him.

She didn’t deny the charge nor cower beneath his angry stare.

“The first demonstration went off as planned, which leaves us no choice but to proceed with the second.” Pern turned around and braced his hands against the edge of the work table. “We cannot afford complications at this point. Focus entirely on the Ontarians. Once we have this situation stabilized, we’ll worry about the next.”

Ensley’s heart lurched, and her mouth dried up. Did he mean what she thought he meant? Did these two have ambitions beyond the Ontarian conflict? Did Cyrus know —

You don’t need to worry about Cyrus. We are your masters now.

Cyrus was never my master
, she responded automatically.

If you say so.

Pern turned toward the door. Ensley shoved her hands into the pockets of her lab coat, scrambling for a legitimate reason to detain him. “I never had the opportunity to examine our only successful Level Four.”

A smile curved Pern’s mouth as he turned to face her. “Are you so desperate for my attention that you risk your master’s wrath?”

She swallowed hard and lowered her gaze. “No, sire. Everything we learned back on Earth, all our successes were implemented in one final subject.”

“Why have I heard nothing of this Level Four subject before now?”

“I didn’t understand your true interest in my designs. I thought I was here because of the firestone converter.”

His fingers curved around her chin, and he raised her head until she looked into his eyes. “Is there a Level Four subject, or do you just want me inside you?”

She licked her lips, her heart beating so frantically she feared he would hear the pounding. “There is a Level Four subject, but he is continually guarded by the Mystics.”

“Why should that be a problem for us?” He cupped her breast with his other hand, his thumb abrading her nipple. “Are our new soldiers ready for a field test or not?”

“They are.” She parted her lips, craving his kiss, not caring that Jaden watched every move she made. She ached for Pern, desired him with every fiber of her being. Yet even as she acknowledged the desire, she knew it didn’t make sense. What was wrong with her?

“We will combine the two objectives,” he said casually. “The purpose of the field test will be to retrieve the Level Four subject. How long will it take you to prepare the team?”

“We can depart in the morning.”

“Good.” He stepped back and lowered his hands to his sides, his gaze focusing on her mouth. “Jaden, I will require the services of your bed slave tonight. See that she is ready for me.”

* * * * *

Saebin tried to concentrate on the crisis, but Tal and Charlotte made such a striking couple it was hard not to stare. Charlotte sat beside him, his arm resting lightly on her shoulders. Every glance, every touch revealed their deep devotion.

“I guess we don’t have to speculate on Cyrus’s motivation any longer,” Krysta said. “He was out to destroy the Bilarrian alliance.”

“What does he gain by destroying the alliance?” Saebin asked.

“Every Bilarrian has some form of Mystic ability. Cyrus saw this alliance as one more step toward denigrating people without such power.” Tal sounded rather distracted.

“The NRS has many silent supporters,” Lyrik said. “People without Mystic abilities are starting to feel persecuted. Prefect Aune, who had no Mystic abilities, was replaced by a High Queen with vast power. When the Joint Council was formed the ratio became even more disproportionate.”

“Each great house elected its own representative,” Charlotte objected. “This is not a conspiracy to subjugate anyone without Mystic abilities.”

“I know that, but there have been grumblings ever since the Council formed.” Lyrik fidgeted beside her, radiating anxiety.

“The grumblings began long before the formation of the Joint Council,” Tal countered.

“This is beside the point.” Krysta scooted to the edge of her chair. “What do we do now? How do we expose Cyrus without inciting the warlords? How do we find Saebin’s handler and defuse the NRS?”

“We kidnap the overlord and let D-159 interrogate him,” Saebin repeated.

Tal looked at Charlotte, his expression tense with worry. “Who knows you’re here?”

“My personal assistant, but he only knows that I came to inform you of what had happened.”

“As far as the rest of the world is concerned, we are acting without your knowledge,” Lyrik told her.

“You need to reselect your crew,” Krysta suggested.

Lyrik nodded. “No one with any ties to the COT.”

“My apprentice is a remarkable navigator.” Tal volunteered.

Krysta laughed. “Lor is also a pyrokin. I think this mission is going to be combustible enough.”