Rion (11 page)

Phen nodded. “The Unari worked from the inside on many levels to bring down the strongest first. They are patient and relentless.
Their plans can take decades.”

“They infiltrate the military?” Marisa asked.

“And the government,” Rion said. “The Unari are brilliant strategists. They penetrated both sides of Honor’s political system,
pushing an agenda of global unification, one currency, one government, one world order. Those who spoke up against them didn’t
stand a chance against their giant propaganda machine.”

“Once they controlled the media,” Phen said, “they could sway the way people thought.” He held up a cube and tossed it to
Rion. “These images were taken by robotic spy cameras and smuggled to me two days ago. As soon as I viewed them, I triggered
the microchip for Rion to come home.”

In Rion’s hands, the cube turned into a six-sided video screen. On one side a chained dragon bellowed in pain, blood running
down his neck. Marisa gasped in horror at the sickening image. The other sides of the cube showed dragons dragging huge stones
up steep inclines, their masters whipping them, their backs scarred, their scales shredded. Midsized dragons shivered in mud,
their wings broken. At the baby dragons cowering in tiny cages, a tear slipped down Marisa’s cheek.

“I’m too late. I’d hoped to get there before—”

“Your flash came true.” Marisa wiped away her tear and shot a glance at Rion. So he hadn’t lied to her about his flashes.
These images matched the vision he’d described. No wonder he was so determined to go home. No wonder he’d kidnapped her. No
wonder he’d risked their lives. No decent person could see those terrible images and fail to act.

“The whips have two settings,” Phen told them, “agony, or heart-stopping lethal pain.”

Oh… God. Marisa momentarily squeezed her eyes shut but couldn’t rid herself of the sickening images.

Rion’s face was bleak. “Is anyone still free?”

“Rebels are down there. But food is in short supply and… every day, their numbers are less.” Phen turned off the cube.

Rion’s face hardened with determination. “Have you found a ship to fly us to Honor?”

“Sir Drake at the military museum has a ship, but it needs work, and you may have to steal it. I’m not certain where his allegiance
lies. But don’t even think about trying to use the transporter to reach Honor. Elite Unari squads guard it. Attempting to
go near the site is an automatic death sentence.”

Rion gripped the arms of his chair, his fingers digging deep into the padding. “Tell me about Erik, please.”

“The Unari have him.”

“They torture him.” Rion slammed one fist into another. “Erik’s fate should have been mine.”

Marisa slipped her hand into his, not just to give comfort but to take some. It was the only answer to subduing the pain at
hearing such terrible news.

Phen shook his head. “Erik did what any good man would do. He saved his friend.”

“Erik’s your cousin?” she asked, recalling Rion mentioning the name back on Earth.

“My father’s brother’s son. Without Erik’s help, I’d be dead.”

The deacon’s expression turned grim, and sympathy flickered in his eyes. “They torture all captured Honorians.”

Rion pressed his lips together so hard they turned white. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “What information could Erik have that
the Unari need?”

Phen sighed. “They don’t torture to gain information.”

“Then why…”

“They torture dragons to induce pain. Then a machine called a Tyrannizer captures their agony and projects that pain onto
the other dragons. Everyone suffers.”

Rion swore. And bowed his head.

“I don’t understand,” Marisa whispered, and clung tightly to Rion’s hand.

“The Unari use dragons as their labor force. To keep them docile, they make them work while they endure great pain. The less
they resist, the less pain they experience.”

Marisa almost choked on her food and had to force herself to swallow.

Rion released her hand, stood and knocked over his chair, and paced. “This pain prevents even our warriors from rebellion?”

“Yes.”

“How far does this pain project?” Marisa asked, wondering how much more horrible news Rion would have to hear.

“Dragon pain now blankets all of Honor,” Phen said. “Once the Chivalri capital fell, the Unari took over the rest of the planet
in one massive swoop.”

Phen’s communicator clicked and he stood. “Please excuse me. One of the brothers needs me, and I may be gone for some time.
Make yourselves at home.”

Phen departed, and Rion stopped pacing. Eyes locking with hers, he stood very still, yet he radiated tension. “I was wrong
to bring you here against your will. But now that you know what’s happening on Honor, I hope you’ll join my cause.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then I’ll find a way to send you back to Earth.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Would you really do that?”

He kneeled and took her hand in his. “I swear it.”

But who was the man kneeling before her? Gallant knight, or lying scoundrel?

Rion’s bringing her here against her will had been wrong. But how could she hold that against him now that she understood
the stakes? And he’d admitted his mistakes. Plus, he’d given her an out and offered to send her home.

He’d been desperate. Forced to kidnap her so he could free his people from slavery.

Gallant knight? There was only one way to find out. Only one way to help Earth.

“So what’s our plan?” she asked.

Marisa had doubts. But she no longer believed her initial instincts about Rion were wrong. He had goodness in his heart. He
was passionate about his people, and perhaps one day, one day soon, she’d let him drag her into his arms again.

“We break the Unari hold on Chivalri and find enough proof to convince every intelligent race the Tribes are rising again.”
Rion placed his hands on her shoulders. “With your help, we just might stop them.”

She closed the short distance between them and placed her hand over his. Touching him seemed to be the only relief they had.
And the ache in her hearts told her it was the only answer to the need in her body whenever he was near. “I’ll do what I can.”

Rion shot to his feet, yanked her into his arms. The sparks in his eyes burst into flames and fired her senses. Her hearts
jolted and her pulse pounded.

His mouth found hers and their lips locked. His need brought her to a slow burn. His tongue set her on fire.

“You won’t be sorry,” he whispered, his voice husky. “I thank you. And my people thank you.”

Marisa sighed into his mouth and prayed she wasn’t getting in over her head.

Comfort can come in many strange forms… so can friendship if one keeps an open mind.

—K
ING
A
RTHUR

R
ion had apologized for kidnapping Marisa and his offer to try to send her back home had been genuine. But he was grateful
that after seeing those horrible images from Honor, she’d agreed to stay and help. Warmth had returned to her eyes when she
looked at him, and the tension between them had diminished. While she might not have totally forgiven him, he still wanted
to prove that he was worth her trust—even if he hadn’t told her who he truly was.

Yet that didn’t change the fact that he wanted to please her. She’d had a rough journey. She’d almost died. She should have
hated him. Instead she’d promised to help. He was humbled by her courage, terrified of her bravery.

With a touch of a button on a control panel, Rion materialized walls to form a private room within Phen’s spacious hideout.
He ordered beds and several chairs, everything in soothing white.

Looking exhausted and shell-shocked, Marisa wandered the room, fingered the soft cream coverlets, then kicked off her shoes
and wriggled her toes in the thick carpet underfoot. “Would it be possible to take a bath?”

Pleased he could fulfill such a simple request, he adjusted the program to insert a large spa tub into the room. But this
time he used his imagination. He added flower petals to the tub’s steaming water, and globes with candles that drifted through
the room for scent, atmosphere, and pregnancy prevention. Soft music filtered in, and he dimmed the overhead lighting.

He turned from the control panel. She plucked one of the drifters from the air and slowly inhaled the vanilla scent of the
floating candle.

“Anything else you’d like?” He wished he could take her to the Isle of Laniap on Honor, where the emerald sea washed across
pink sand beaches and trade winds rustled the palm trees. He doubted the Unari appreciated the pink sunsets with the lavender-streaked
clouds—at least not the way he did. His family had always escaped the summer city heat for the cool island breezes and healing
waters of the sea. Cousins played in the pink sand, and parents admonished and taught the children, no matter who had sired
them. Those were carefree times, fun times, times he hoped might one day come again.

“This is cool.” Marisa released the drifting candle and watched it soar into the flight pattern, its tiny antigravs keeping
it airborne. “And to answer your question, yes, there’s something else I’d like—walls for the bathroom.”

“Of course.” He materialized partitions to give her privacy, and she entered the cubicle and shut the door.

He could have used a bath himself—anything to drain the tension of waiting for Phen to return. He could call up vids or text
readers, but he doubted his tortured mind could concentrate on anything, especially with Marisa behind those walls, taking
off her clothes.

When she’d come out of the store with her skin and hair tinted, wearing that short dress, he’d had difficulty keeping his
gaze off her. Yes, he’d seen her naked, but between that sexy halter top that teased him with the curved shadows between her
breasts and her long, toned legs, he’d had to fight his overwhelming desire.

And now that she was getting naked, he imagined the water lapping around her skin, sensuously seeping into her every pore.
He couldn’t stop thinking about how inviting she’d look with her hair piled atop her head, tendrils curling softly around
her face as scented steam drifted from the hot water.

He hadn’t realized how much he craved her. But if he wanted to earn her trust, he couldn’t go barging in there. No matter
how much he desired her. No matter how much he ached.

Something between a groan and a grunt rumbled up his throat.

Marisa called out to him. “Rion?”

He opened the door and strode into the bathroom. She looked even lovelier than he’d envisioned and not a bit surprised to
see him. A soft smile played at her mouth. With her hair slicked back against her head and water trickling over her shoulders,
she stretched out naked in the tub.

Thank the universe they didn’t have bubble bath here. He could see every delectable inch of her sweet flesh. From her secretive
smile to her delicate collarbone to her silky-soft breasts, she was lovely.

His gaze searched her face.
He
wanted to be what she sought. “Rion.” Her tone was soft and sensual and her eyes held a hint of challenge. “I was going to
ask you which of these containers was the shampoo. But now that you’re here, maybe you could wash my hair?”

“I’ll be happy to do anything you ask.”

“Thank you. Soaping up and rinsing seems like so much effort.” She closed her eyes, tilted back her head, and left the rest
to him.

Had she deliberately raised her breasts out of the water so that her nipples rested just under the surface? Rion bit back
a grin and strode around the tub, thinking that the best way to pamper her was to make her ask for exactly what she wanted.

“We have three different scents of soap.” He opened them one by one and placed them under her nose. “Would you like the sweet,
the floral, or the star scent, my lady?”

“Star scent, please. It reminds me of the crisp smell of autumn leaves, when they’re all vibrant golds and reds before they
fall off the trees.”

Rion wet his hands, then scooped some star scent into his palms and rubbed up a good lather. Taking care not to let the soap
drip into her eyes, he worked the thick lather into her hair. “Would you like your scalp rubbed, too?”

“Yes, please.”

Rion massaged her head with his fingertips, noting how much she enjoyed his rubbing over and behind her ears. She leaned into
his hands, and the tension seeped out of her face and neck.

“You feel wonderful.”

“Keep your eyes closed. I’m going to rinse you now.” Employing a spray hose, he tipped her head back and rinsed the shampoo
from her hair. With her back arched, her breasts rose completely out of the water. When a water droplet clung to her nipple,
distracting him, he dropped the hose. Water sprayed everywhere—including all over him.

Marisa surveyed his wet shirt and chuckled. “Since you’re already soaked, you might as well come in and get clean, too.”

“So we’re okay again?”

Their gazes met. And in her eyes he saw acceptance.

“Yeah. We’re okay.”