Phantom Warriors: Linx (16 page)

*
* * * *

Linx
led Tabby down a long corridor, which looked much like the interior of their
cabin, except there were many doorways leading off the long spine. They ran
into a few people, who he greeted formally. He'd introduced her as his mate and
she hadn't contradicted him, though part of her still couldn't believe it.

They
reached an elevator and went down for what seemed like a million floors.
Eventually, they reached the basement or whatever it was called on a ship. The
name didn't matter in Tabby's mind because it
looked
like a basement, a very big basement with a really tall
ceiling. There were cargo containers stacked from floor to what she imagined
was the ceiling, since she couldn't really see it due to the low lighting.

Shadows
pressed in around them as they wound their way through a maze of crates.
Eventually, the aisle widened and she spotted two doorways up ahead. Linx held
his hand out and stopped her. He paused, staring into the gloom, tilting his
head from side to side. A moment later, he glanced at Tabby and nodded.

"It
is safe to proceed."

Tabby
stepped forward as the door on the right opened. A burly man walked out, his
dark, disgruntled gaze landed on them,
then
he slowly
stepped aside. Behind him, huddled on a cot, sat Taylor.

“Any
problems?” Linx asked.

“None,”
the man said.

Tabby
rushed forward. As she drew closer, she recognized the man from the club. Riot.
He'd turned into something that made a grizzly look like a child's stuffed toy.

She
changed course in order to give the
bear
a wide berth.

Taylor
stood as she walked through the door.

"I
thought you were dead." She rushed forward.

Tabby
hugged her close. "I thought so, too. Are you okay?"

Taylor
glared at Riot’s back. "Yes, but he won't let me leave. And he hasn't told
me anything. Where are we?"

Tabby
glanced over her shoulder at Linx. She had no idea where to begin or how to
explain. She was still trying to process what she’d seen herself. She turned
back to Taylor. "We’re safe," she said.

"I
am so sorry," Taylor said. Gone was the reckless woman, who'd courted
danger on a regular basis. This solemn creature standing before her had
replaced her. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. When Sergei tied
you up and began to beat on you, I thought we were dead." Tears filled her
eyes.

"We
very nearly were." If it hadn't been for Linx, they'd have been an
unsolved homicide or worse, their bodies would've never been found. And after a
few weeks, no one would’ve bothered to look for them.

"Why
won't he let me leave?" Taylor asked. "Am I a prisoner?"

Tabby
brushed her hair back out of her face. "No, you're not a prisoner, but you
weren't exactly brought aboard legally."

Taylor's
face paled. "I'm a stowaway?"

"Yes."
Tabby nodded. That was as good an explanation as any.

"How
long do I have to stay here?" Taylor asked.

Tabby
glanced back at Linx once more and frowned. He held up three fingers. She
nodded in understanding. "Just a few more days."

"Okay."
Taylor slowly sat back down. She looked at her twin, her eyes searching.
"Do you know what they are?" she whispered.

Tabby
hesitated,
then
nodded.

Taylor
trembled. "Are we in danger?"

She
shook her head. “No. That’s the one thing we don’t have to worry about
anymore.”

Taylor's
narrow shoulders slumped in relief. "Okay. I'll wait until you come and
get me."

Tabby
grabbed her sister and hugged her tight. "Everything is going to be
okay."

Taylor
gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry I got you into this mess." Her gaze
drifted over to the two men, then back to her twin's face.

Tabby
met her gaze. "I'm not."

Taylor
stared at her for a minute, then finally nodded in understanding. She gave
Tabby's hand a quick squeeze,
then
released her.

"I'll
see you soon," Tabby said.

Taylor
nodded, then laid back down on the cot.

*
* * * *

Taylor
had nearly gotten her sister—her twin—killed because of her dangerous
taste in men. She'd been so selfish. Never caring about Tabby's feelings or
concerns as she jumped from one bad boy to the next.

Well she'd learned her
lesson
, Taylor thought.
It had come at a high price, but she'd finally learned.

She
didn't know where they were going, but she trusted Tabby. If she said they
weren't in any danger, then she believed her.

Her
gaze strayed back to the massive man, who'd been both guard and caregiver since
she'd awoke. He watched her closely like he half expected her to sprout horns
and breathe fire. Heck, maybe he did.

Taylor
was used to men looking at her, leering at her, but this big guy barely gave
her a second look. He was here out of duty, not because he wanted to be. And
for that she was grateful. It would be a long time before she was ready to jump
back into any relationship.

Not
that Taylor thought there'd be much chance of that, since the men she'd met
thus far weren't human.

She
stared at the gray, metallic wall as she reassessed her life. She'd made a lot
of mistakes over the years, but she was determined to learn from them. Taylor
hoped that eventually Tabby would be able to forgive her, but she knew that wouldn't
happen right away. And she couldn't blame her sister one bit.

Taylor
needed to prove how much she'd changed. That would take time. She wasn't the
silly airhead that let men walk all over her anymore. Staring death in the face
helped adjust her outlook on life.

Both
she and Tabby had been given a second chance. Taylor was determined not to
waste it on any man.

*
* * * *

Three
days later the ship landed on Zaron. The planet was lush with thick, dark
purple grasses that almost looked black and fields of blue flowers. Giant
butterflies the size of Frisbees glided through the perfumed air, the flap of
their iridescent wings creating a gentle breeze. Two large moons glowed orange
against a light green sky. In the distance, Tabby could see the beginnings of a
forest buffered by a jagged mountain range.

She
was surprised to find so many human women on the planet. Didn’t the Phantoms
have women of their own? Or had they been interbreeding with Earth for
centuries and no one was the wiser?

The
way Linx had spoken Tabby thought that she and Taylor would be the only ones. She
was glad that wasn’t the case, but it would take time to adjust to her knew
surroundings. The planet’s colors and buildings were alien. Though odd, they
seemed to blend together giving the place a rare coherence.

“Better
get used to it. This is home now,” she muttered under her breath.

“It
grows on you.” Linx gave her an understanding smile. “I will show you the
beauty of this planet. In time, you’ll find it as remarkable as your own.”

She
already did, but that didn’t stop her from missing Earth. Tabby glanced around
at the kaleidoscope of colors, determined to make the best of it. She hoped her
twin did the same. "What’s going to happen with Taylor?" she asked.

Linx
looked at her. "I will get her as soon as you're settled."

He
escorted her to a complex that resembled a giant palace. There were wings that
jutted off from the main hub. Each wing was filled with hundreds of apartments,
but they weren't like any apartments that Tabby had ever seen.

Linx's
apartment was more like a penthouse suite from the finest hotels. It was
spacious, luxurious and held a bathroom fit for a king.

"This
is your home?" Tabby asked in disbelief.

"Do
you like it?" His pride was evident, but insecurity shadowed his eyes.

"I
love it. It's just so..." She looked around at the grandeur.
"Big."

He
smiled then. "Plenty of room for a family," he said softly, but she
heard him all the same.

Tabby
gave him a startled glance, but didn't respond.

Linx
walked up behind her and wrapped her in his arms. "Do you want a
family?" It was a casual question, but there was nothing casual about the
grip he had on her.

"Someday."
Tabby had always wanted a family. It's why she'd fought so hard to keep Taylor
in her life. They only had each other. She leaned back and realized that was no
longer true. "Yes," she said.

His
grip on her tightened as he nuzzled her neck. "Would you like to get
started now?"

Tabby
laughed, but her laughter was cut short as Linx latched onto her earlobe,
sucked it between his teeth, and purred. A shiver of desire sped from her ear
down her spine, igniting the growing flame inside of her. "I think I can
be talked into it."

"No
words are necessary for what I have planned," he growled. His sharp teeth
grazed the side of her throat. One second he was behind her, the next he stood
in front of her. Tabby's whole body tingled. "How did you?"

Before
she could finish her question, Linx slid his palms under her butt and lifted
her into the air. Their gazes met and held as he carried her into the bedroom.
He laid her down gently and kissed her. "Thank you."

Tabby
frowned. "For what?"

"For
trusting me," he said.

She
pulled back and looked at him. "It wasn't that hard. I've always been a
cat lover."

Linx
sat back and his lips canted. Heat filled his eyes as he crooked a finger,
beaconing her closer. "Well then come here, my little Tabby cat and show
me what you've got."

Tabby
did, and afterwards she'd lay money that the whole palace heard Linx yowl.

*
* * * *

Epilogue

Linx
stepped into the dank cavern. Flames lit the walls, casting long shadows over
the wet rock. Taylor hesitated,
then
followed him
inside.

"Remember
what I told you," Linx said.

Taylor
glanced at him. "I will."

"I'll
bring Tabby as soon as I'm able to petition the
Atlanteans
for your status change. I have no doubt that once they hear the circumstances
under which you came here, they will accept you as a citizen," Linx said.
"But it will take time."

Taylor
snorted. "Bureaucracy exists everywhere in the universe."

Linx
smiled, but his grin faded as a regiment of towering guards came into view.
 
They stood in front of a massive metal
door that looked like something from medieval earth. He stepped forward and
stopped. "Phantom Warrior Linx, here to see the Dark King," he said
in a loud voice as if announcing himself.

"What
brings you here, Phantom?" the nearest guard asked. His eyes glowed aqua
in the darkness and were just as cold as a glacier.

"I
have an appointment with the King," Linx said.

“One
moment.” The guards blocked his entrance.

They
waited for a few minutes, then the guards slowly parted.

*
* * * *

Taylor
had never been more terrified in her life. She wasn't sure what was on the
other side of that great door, but she knew it wasn't anything good.

She
took a steadying breath, when Linx looked back at her and nodded.

He
stepped forward and she followed on his heels. They were stopped and frisked
before they were allowed to go through the door.

Linx
glared at the guard who was a little too thorough in his frisking of her, but
he didn't say a word. Taylor gave him a small reassuring smile, even though she
was trembling by the time he finished.

She
thought about the pain and horror Tabby had gone through. If her twin could
live through that, then Taylor knew she could survive whatever came next.

Linx
stepped through the door. When she reached his side, he took her hand and
placed it on his arm to formally escort her inside. Taylor looked at him and
frowned, but didn't say anything. She was too shocked by what lay beyond the
cavern door.

The
journey in had been all cave, but somehow the door had transformed the cave
into some kind of sultan's palace with plump red pillows, hanging tapestries,
and thick black rugs lining the long aisle. Taylor visually followed the row of
rugs to...she squinted. Was that a throne?

Of course it's a throne,
silly. You're about to meet a King
.
She'd never met a King before. How did one behave? Sure she'd seen royalty on
the television, but were they the same here?