Marked for Surrender (8 page)
Stunned, Christophe stared at the door Zevon had just slammed. Andia had continued to fly the shuttle as if nothing had happened.
"He's not a submissive,” Christophe stated. Yet doubt crept into his mind. He'd seen what happened to Zevon at the conclave and attributed it to their circumstances. But here, in the shuttle, Zevon was free to be his dominant self.
And he had responded to Andia the way Christophe responded.
He blinked at Andia. Something about the way she commanded Zevon, something about the way she commanded him filled a need he hadn't known he had. Perhaps it was the same way for Z.
She hadn't responded to his statement and stayed focused on their flight path. When she did speak, she didn't turn her head to look at him.
"Most people don't know this, but there are men who have lived happy, productive lives after a stint at the conclave."
"By happy and productive, I assume you mean ridiculed and shunned,” he snapped. Was she really so heartless?
"I mean, being a male sub doesn't have to mean a death sentence.” She still didn't turn her head. “There are other places, other planets."
"We won't see any of them as long as we're hunted,” he pointed out. “Pavlik's reach extends into the Terran Interstellar Force. He's ruthless and persistent."
"Why did you hide it? Why didn't you tell the council—"
"We never spoke to the council, Mistress,” he interrupted. “We saw our trial on the vid streams, just like everyone else.” He studied her profile. “You must know that. I can't imagine you didn't read all our information."
"I did. But I had hoped it was...a mistake.” Her jaw clenched, the muscles tight. “Here's our destination."
Christophe glanced out the viewscreen. It seemed snow covered everything, and the only color was the occasional evergreens that dotted the landscape. They were headed for the higher elevations of a mountain range bare of everything but rock and snow.
Andia pressed several buttons, and they began to glide toward a shelf that connected two high peaks. Suddenly a large slab of rock slid away from the northern spire, and she maneuvered the shuttle through the opening.
The rock ground closed behind them.
"Where the hell are we?” Christophe asked her, peering into the black.
"This is Mya's hideaway where she came on her vacations.” Andia's smile was sad. “I always thought it was strange that she came to a place more remote than the conclave."
"She brought you here?” Christophe followed Andia's lead and unhooked his safety straps even though he wasn't sure he wanted to step out of the shuttle.
"No.” Andia's remote expression was difficult to read. “I discovered it."
"Do I want to know how?” He narrowed his gaze on her face.
Her lips tightened. No, she wasn't comfortable with this at all. “Probably not. I invaded her privacy, dug a lot deeper than the usual check.” She shook her head. “I learned early on in my career that a guard that's untrustworthy can be destructive."
Abruptly, Andia swung out of her seat and through the exit from the cockpit. Something there, definitely.
Zevon stood at the door of the shuttle, his body tense, ready for an attack. Andia brushed by him and strode down the steps into the gloom.
When Christophe studied Zevon, he was shocked to see his dominant's face was pale and pinched. Whatever was going on within him, it wasn't pleasant. Christophe reached out, but Zevon flinched away.
Christophe dropped his hand. His earlier thoughts seemed hollow. He'd believed that no matter what happened at the conclave, he would still love Zevon, still belong to him. But what could he do if Zevon left him?
This wasn't the time to worry about that.
He turned and followed Andia into the darkness and wondered if he'd lost Zevon for good or if the darkness within would swallow him whole.
Light flooded the bay where they'd landed, and Christophe stared. The landing site was a crystal cave, like the inside of a geode he'd once seen. Andia handed him a lantern globe.
"Come,” Andia said.
Christophe glanced back at Zevon. He stepped out of the shuttle, and the colors of the crystals glittered in his dark eyes. But other than a flicker at his surroundings, Zevon didn't show any response.
The cave narrowed at the northern end to a tunnel that spiraled down with roughly carved steps. The rock walls were embedded with colored stones that shone in the globelight. They twinkled and sparkled like Christmas lights.
The stairway ended at a huge cave with several entrances. Andia strode to one of the ancient wooden doors and pressed a code into the key lock. The door creaked open. There weren't many doors like this one. Technology had replaced the old wooden ones with smooth
grack
alloy that slid open. Christophe stroked his hand over the wood and reveled in the way it seemed warm to the touch.
The interior beyond the door was more amazing still. Andia's guard had a taste for history. Wooden furniture with natural fiber cushions filled the room, and ancient texts were on shelves. Expensive. Not many people had old books preserved so well.
Mya was an interesting person who Christophe now regretted was gone. He glanced at Andia. Had she been close to the guard? Or had she just used the woman's skills? It was hard to tell from Andia's face, but the way her fingers tightened on one of the cushions as she strode past seemed to indicate strong feelings.
"Sit down and be comfortable,” she said. “I'll return in a moment."
Andia disappeared behind a doorway to the right, leaving the two men alone.
It wasn't enough that they'd been through hell. Now they had to put each other through hell. Clearly what happened at the conclave made Zevon think Christophe wouldn't want him. Well, fuck that. Christophe strode across the room and gripped Zevon's neck.
His head snapped up and he glared at Christophe, but it didn't deter him. Christophe pressed his lips to Zevon's and demanded a response, any response.
Zevon shoved him away. “Stop it."
"No,” Christophe said softly and came right back. Zevon's hands came up to shove him back, but Christophe gripped them, used them to yank him closer.
Their lips almost touched when Zevon said, “She's going to break me, Christophe. And I won't be the man you loved."
"Shut the fuck up,” Christophe murmured and kissed him. This time, Zevon took over, plundering Christophe's mouth violently, his hands clamped on either side of Christophe's head.
Nothing had changed. When they came up for air, Christophe stopped Zevon's next attack with one word. “Love."
"What?” Zevon blinked.
"You will always be the man I love. Always."
But the words didn't have the effect Christophe had hope for. Zevon stared at him and then stepped back. “And Mistress Andia? What is she to you?” He released Christophe abruptly. Zevon's voice was gravelly when he spoke. “Do you think I don't know?"
"Know what?"
"I know what she gave you. I know what she can do for you that I can't.” Zevon paced the room, his shoulders tense.
"You're right,” Christophe admitted. He couldn't lie to Zevon. “She does do something for me that you can't."
Zevon froze and then nodded, numb pain in his dull gaze.
But Christophe went on. “She made you whole. Why didn't you tell me you liked pain?"
The only movement from Zevon was his throat when he swallowed. “I didn't think it was important."
Christophe couldn't believe it. He studied this man, his lover, his friend. “Didn't think it was important,” he echoed.
Zevon moved his shoulders impatiently, an action Christophe was achingly familiar with. “I didn't want that kind of thing from you.” Zevon's words hit him like a blow.
Three years and it had all been bullshit. Zevon had
settled
for Christophe, believing he couldn't have what he really wanted.
But then, he had to think about how Zevon had taken his words. Christophe had admitted Mistress Andia filled a hole inside him he hadn't known existed. Yes, she dominated him. But unlike the force of a man's domination, the only thing Christophe had ever known, she drew his surrender from him rather than taking it. Instead of the violence of being overwhelmed, her style was to wait until he gave it willingly. There were parts of himself Christophe kept hidden, savoring the day when he would
want
to give those tidbits to a lover. He'd always believed that lover would be Zevon.
Christophe had never felt like
he'd
settled for Zevon. With Zevon, Christophe was able to be the sub he'd always wanted to be but had been too afraid. It was through Zevon's dominance that Christophe had recognized his need for more.
Besides, he was greedy. He wanted both of them.
The dark recess of the cave was still hidden, untouched. Andia breathed a sigh of relief. So far, whoever was after them hadn't discovered her guard's getaway. Mya had been almost paranoid about her privacy, and now it paid off. But not for Mya.
Andia tightened her lips. Someone was going to pay for Mya's death. Had they thought the Ball Breaker would let this pass? Well, they thought she'd be dead.
The cave was a contrast to the ancient Old Earth feel in the other part of Mya's fortress. Every technological wonder filled the space in this well protected and shielded room. Mya had wanted her privacy, but she hated being out of the loop. Consequently, she'd bugged every conclave to keep up on the Mistress gossip.
With a smile, Andia pressed several buttons on the console, remembering when Mya had finally revealed this room to her. She hadn't been surprised or angry when Andia found her mountain home, but Mya hadn't shared herself willingly. Until that day. They'd been colleagues for over eight years when a prisoner had almost killed Mya in a freak accident. It had been Andia who had killed that man, saving her guard's life and earning a place in Mya's life forever.
Mya had been amused at Andia's squeamishness at listening in on conversations of other Mistresses. Somehow it had seemed like cheating to play politics with that kind of advantage. But Mya had no qualms at all, believing that the petty bickering at other conclaves could become useful.
Now Andia had to know what was being said about the attack at Muan.
She switched the various screens on and watched as the other seven conclaves came online. With her parameters, the system filtered through video, only focusing on discussions about Muan and Mistress Andia.
The conversations shocked her.
The council had informed the Mistresses that Muan had been retired permanently, that the building was too remote to remain active. Her own “reassignment” had been announced as a special envoy to the council.
No one knew she'd been attacked. Her two prisoners weren't even mentioned.
Did this man, Pavlik, really have that much power?
She increased her search parameters, including the council and Pavlik.
If the other Mistresses had issues with the new state of affairs within the Nyral council, they weren't talking about it. Andia checked the vid streams, searching for anything that would shed light on what the hell was going on.
Almost by accident, she tripped over a name. Ivanovitch. Shit. She remembered him.
He'd been one of her first prisoners; his crime had been cooperating with the Blueshift Brotherhood. The man had definitely been guilty of something, though Andia had never been sure whether it was the charges he'd been convicted of.
She set a blind snooper program to follow the trail, then clicked away. Tomorrow morning she'd check it and find out why someone wanted her dead.
Cautiously she accessed her own e-mail, checking it from a back door Mya had insisted she create. Within one of the e-mails was an embedded code, something she was used to seeing from the council for highly confidential files.
Pinging her signal all over the planet to cover her tracks, Andia accessed the file. It was a private vid message from Pavlik.
"
This message is for Mistress Andia. I'm sure you're wondering what this is all about
.” The vid showed a handsome man in his forties, gray hair at his temples and dark, smooth skin, dark eyes. He resembled some of the photos she'd seen of Old Earth caliphs in the country of India. The bone structure was similar and was exotic. Andia could understand his appeal to women. He exuded command, sexual prowess, and confidence even on video.
"
I'm afraid some of your colleagues have been a bit...extreme. Please come to the council chambers, and we will discuss it calmly like adults. We will, of course, keep your defiance of council protocol a secret. Your prisoners are good at convincing others with outlandish stories. I hope you will come to your senses and bring them in
.” He smiled, a warm inclusive expression that could melt the coldest heart. “
We hope you can spend Christmas at home, in Muan
."
Christmas.
Numb, Andia stumbled to her feet and back up the stairs. Everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours had cemented something within Andia. She was alone. No family. Nothing.
Her hand shook when she opened the door to the main living quarters of Mya's cabin. Why was she surprised the two men were still there? Part of her had expected them to run, leave while they could.
They stood close together, clearly arguing, yet the sexual tension in the room was so thick she could smell it. Rather than address it, she crossed the room to the decorated tree in the far left corner of the room.
Mya's penchant for ancient traditions had been a pleasure to enjoy for Andia. The tree, artificial but lifelike, exuded the same scent a live tree would. The lights were globe lights but looked like the string lights used on Old Earth.
Under the tree was one gift wrapped in gold foil with her name on it.
With trembling hands, she reached down and picked up the box. She tightened her fingers on the gift. It was a tradition they had started eight years ago here in this room. Gift giving. Her gift to Mya was still in her room at Muan, an ancient book called
A Christmas Carol
by an Old Earth author named Charles Dickens. It had been translated into Universal, but it had still cost a fortune since it was paper and glue.
