Reclaiming Mystique (SpaceStalker Saga Book 2) (3 page)

“I was just noticing how handsome you are, Father.”

He laughed, a sound that echoed around the room. “Quite so.” He smiled and snapped his fingers. She and Carinna now had two tame plates of Lysst fruits and nuts.

Her father could be cruel, evil, and angry. And he could be loving.

Naria sighed and ate her dinner, once again consumed with guilt for wanting to leave the only family she’d ever known.

Lord Demise sighed to himself as he stared at Naria, the elder daughter of his only obsession. He should never have taken her mother, Zena, to bed, but he’d been so filled with lust at first sight of her that he’d been unable to control himself. He’d used every ounce of his estimable persuasion, and the offworlder had succumbed with an insatiable carnal hunger than fed his own.

The spitting image of his beloved, Naria had a tall frame and slender build, her womanly form not as pronounced as Xeche’s but lusted after by his soldiers all the same. Naria’s blue-black hair glittered like polished devel stone, her eyes an unfathomable pool that shimmered from purple to black and all the colors in between when she allowed her emotions to rule.

He studied her with her Carinna, aware of their difference and similarities. Though the girls had different coloring, there could be no doubt they were blood sisters. Both had an affinity for the light, even though Carinna tried so hard to fight it. Naria, on the other hand, made no effort to disguise her interest.

She picked gently at the round, juicy fruit on her plate. She still had yet to show any aptitude for the darkness of their world, and he’d begun to worry. She would have made a better succubus than Xeche, truth be told. As he’d overheard many times, her exotic features beckoned a second and third glance. Like her mother, Naria possessed an allure that drew men, regardless of race.

Xeche would have a fit should Naria consider becoming a sex demon. At least that headache would never come to fruition. Naria was too self-conscious to bare her body as freely as the succubae did.

The girl didn’t like spirits and the incorporeal state, didn’t desire pain and the ability to bestow it. She hated the dark, disliked blood and entrails, and always tried to find the good in others. He frowned.

“Father?” Naria dabbed at her lips, so polite and tidy.

So like her mother in so many ways.
“Naria, you’re eating. Give it a little mess.” He looked to her sister and saw Carinna freeze. She’d been mirroring her sister. “Never mind.”

No matter how much he might wish it, both girls had their mother’s blood. Zena had once been a prisoner on Dark World. Thinking of her imprisonment shifted his thoughts to his newest captives. And to one stubborn offworlder in particular. “I’m sure both of you have heard rumors of our new prisoners.”

He noted the keen interest in Naria’s face and thought it most intriguing that she tried to hide it, blocking her thoughts from his mental probe.

“Rumors?” Carinna asked.

He answered, “The offword males, five in all, come from Nearworld space. They supposedly landed here for no other reason than to escape death.”

“Will you let them go then, Father?” Naria asked, her naiveté disturbing.

“Go?” He scowled, and his vision turned red, like his eyes. “Naria, mind your tongue,” he growled. “Of course not. In fact, on the morrow, I will give one of the prisoners to Bayna. You’re more than invited to watch. Perhaps that will stir your inborn gift, hmm?”

Naria’s eyes widened and turned from a deep purple to the mottled hues of a prism. “Which one will you give her, Father?”

“Why do you ask?” He didn’t like her tone, any more than he liked her disturbing ability to block his probe.

“It’s just a bet that we made,” Carinna said quickly, and Naria’s eyes returned to normal, her thick lashes sweeping downward. “I bet Naria a day’s chores that the golden-haired male would be the first to go.”

At mention of the mulish man, his thoughts darkened. “No, he’s mine. Bayna has chosen the half-blooded Fenturi from the other cell. I believe her sisters will soon join her once the man has been broken.”

Naria frowned. “Why is the blond separated from the others?”

He shot her a sharp look but could detect nothing more than curiosity. “His mind is much stronger than the others. I have not yet been able to reach him.”

Naria blinked in astonishment. “Truly?”

“I don’t understand it. The male is a puzzle.” He’d tried everything from inducing friendly hallucinations to hellacious visions but could find nothing to allow him entrance into the offworlder’s mind. Even physical torture hadn’t done more than earn a few grunts of pain before the light-haired man lost consciousness.

“Perhaps I could try,” Naria offered.

He stared at her in disbelief, aware of Carinna’s wide-eyes. Naria had never before expressed a desire to torture anyone. She wouldn’t inflict pain on even the smallest
creastone
.

“You? If a demon lord of the highest power cannot breach the mortal’s defenses, what makes you think
you
could?”

Naria stared at him with her intense eyes, eyes that gave him hope when they turned as black as his. Wanting more than anything for his daughter to join him in Dark World’s hierarchy but wary of false expectations, he asked her a simple question. “Why?”

“It’s time I found something I could do to serve Dark World.” She sounded so earnest. “My time here is closing fast.” Determination lit her fine features. “I have yet to experiment with mental torture. But Father, you know I’ve some skill with mental blocks and probes. Perhaps a challenge like this is just what I need to jump-start my abilities.”

He probed for signs of deceit but could find none. “Very well.” He hadn’t lived for more than five hundred cycles by being trusting, but his desire to have Naria working by his side on Lysst outweighed his vigilance. “But I’ll be watching you every step of the way.”

***

Later that night in the room they shared when visiting their father, Naria and Carinna lay awake staring at the damp ceiling above them.

“What are you about, Naria?” Carinna’s suspicion didn’t bode well.

“Nothing at all. Just trying to find my place in this world.”

“Utter damnation.” Carinna let out a huff. “You just want to get closer to the light-haired captive. Admit it.” She paused, and Naria felt her sister’s beady stare through the darkness. “Oh, I see. You think he can get you out of here.”

Naria would admit no such thing. After much badgering, Carinna finally gave up and fell asleep. But Naria remained awake, her entire mind and body tingling with anticipation. Something about the stranger called to her. And maybe, just maybe, she could find someone to help her off of this miserable world.

-2-

“Where do you suppose Jace is? Do you think he’s okay?” Mikhel asked in a low voice.

They’d been imprisoned for three days, and his body felt stiff from the abuse they’d suffered at the hands of some large blackened creatures with fists like rocks and teeth like small blades.

Before anyone could answer, the cell door opened and the four remaining crewmen of the
SpaceStalker
hastily stood to face this new threat. Their tormenter entered and nodded to them, polite, as usual.

“Good to see you’re all still with us,” Lord Demise said in a deep, smooth voice. “You will be glad to know your friend is alive if not well.” The demon raised a long-fingered hand that ended in sharp nails and studied his claws before glancing up once more. His dark eyes blazed when they rested on Nesham.

Castor stepped forward. “We told you why we had to land. Can’t you just give us back our ship and let us go? At least let our friend go. We’ve done nothing to you.” He sounded frustrated. They’d been beaten and stuck in this dark cell with little to eat and no word of Jace until today. Still, it took guts to order around a creature so beyond anything Mikhel had ever seen before.

Demise smiled, showing pointy white teeth, and Castor took an uneasy step back. Even fearless Koneru seemed to tense in Lord Demise’s presence. The cape at the demon’s back moved, and Mikhel and the others watched in astonishment as the man flexed not a cape, but two expansive black
wings.

“You.” Demise pointed to Nesham. “Come with me, lest I kill the rest of them in your absence.”

Nesham turned to Castor with regret in his sad eyes and approached their dark captor. Yet Mikhel read the aggression in his fellow Fenturi. When Nesham got within a few feet of Demise, he shot out in a burst of speed and knocked the demon to his knees. Mikhel tackled Demise the rest of the way to the ground, while the others piled on as well. Out of the corner of his eye Mikhel saw Nesham dart out the doorway into the depths of chaos.

The distraction didn’t last, unfortunately. A glaring pain ripped through his mind, and Mikhel writhed on the floor in agony next to his crewmates.

The demon lord shook himself and flexed his wings in agitation. Instead of cursing them, he gave an evil grin and laughed.

Hel and darkness—we’re in real trouble now.

“I do so love a challenge.” Demise crooked a finger at Mikhel. “You will come with me instead. Fenturi for Fenturi. And you two—” he turned to Castor and Koneru “—will be entertained while we are gone.”

The situation grew worse. Five giant, manlike creatures—thirst demons, they’d learned yesterday—entered the room, armed with several wicked looking blades in their belts. They stood heads above the crew. Thick muscle laced their bodies, and black, scaly skin covered their torsos and limbs. Their faces looked human, almost. Except for the long, upper incisors draped over their lower lips, the forked tongues that snaked out as if testing the air, and the emptiness in their dead eyes.

Koneru and Castor stared at the things with grim resignation as the door clanged shut.

“Don’t say I never took you anywhere fun,” Castor joked. In poor taste, but at least the big man still had his sense of humor. Mikhel had lost his two days ago.

“Yeah, you’re a a real entertainer,” Koneru rumbled.

“By the blood. Let’s get on with this,” Mikhel hissed and attacked. He managed a few blows before the thirst demons decided to fight back. And they didn’t play fair. At all.

***

Naria stared nervously over her shoulder at her father. He nodded to her and motioned to the hidden chamber through which he’d be watching. She had to do this just right or her plan to escape Dark World would never work.

“Please give me the time and space to manipulate the offworlder,” she said with all courtesy to her father. One did not demand from Lord Demise. One asked and prayed he’d humor her.

“Fine. But I’d better see some progress. Soon.” He shooed her outside the chamber and she hurried away before he changed his mind.

Relieved, she nodded to the guards waiting for her in the hall. They advanced, seeming pleased.

The larger of the two took the first step and ripped her clothing, taking care to cause visible damage with his claws.

His friend added gouges and a few scratches to her flesh. The pain furthered her agenda, as did the blood. Not too much, but enough to show she had been involved in something unpleasant. Part one of her deception.

She couldn’t help an involuntary groan, and her wounds throbbed even worse when they smiled, feeding off her pain. Then they yanked open the wooden door to the rock-walled cell and threw her inside. They threw her a little too hard, for she struck her head on a rock bench when she fell and knew nothing more.

Sometime later, she became aware of a strong presence pulling her upright. Steady fingers ran gently over her scalp. When the hand touched the bump on her head, she winced and cried out, and the touch disappeared.

She reached to still her ringing head and blinked her eyes open. When her aching pain subsided into a dull throb, she glanced around, seeking some understanding of her present circumstances. She saw the cold, black rock against which she lay, as well as the light-haired prisoner looming over her with concern.

Her blond savior. She felt those odd tingles again as she studied him. Big and powerful. His energy felt tight, balled up yet fierce. And though he looked nothing like the people of Dark World, with his fair colored skin, white-gold hair and human features, she thought him the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

“Are you alright?” he asked in a deep voice, his tone soothing, his black eyes seething with emotion.

“I—I think so.” Naria winced as he eased her into a better sitting position next to him. Where he touched her, her body tingled, and she wondered at the strange sensation. “Where am I?”

“Dark World’s finest accommodations, apparently,” he said wryly as he studied her.

Naria stared back, completely enthralled. She’d never before encountered a male like him. Despite the low light in the cell, he seemed so bright to her eyes as to be almost glowing.

He had interesting features, strong but at the same time softened in concern, as if he genuinely cared about her welfare. And he had a very large, very male body that even now provided her with some heat to still the chills shaking her body.

Naria hated the cold in Dark World almost more than anything else about the planet.

“You’re cold.” His lips thinned in displeasure. He looked around, spied a blanket on the ground, and placed it around her shoulders.

Naria couldn’t remember the last time someone not her sister had done something nice for her. In Dark World, “nice” was a foreign concept.

“Who are you?” Her entire foundation shook at finding such a generous creature.

“Jace A’rel, captain of the
SpaceStalker
, at your service.” He made a low bow before her and grinned, startling her with the glow of pleasure on his face. “And you are?”

Naria had practiced the night prior. “I’m Naria. My passenger ship crashed here a few days ago on its way through the System.” She rubbed her eyes, aware she didn’t have to feign exhaustion. Excitement over what her part in the interrogation might mean had made it impossible to rest. “I haven’t seen anyone since.”