Ristèard Unwilling Empress (6 page)

Ricki drew in a deep, steadying breath before she glanced across the table at Ristèard. It had taken her almost an hour to skim through the information she had already read and piece the timelines together to see if it made any sense. Granted, she needed to do more research, primarily on the Elipdios side, but she felt confident that what she had read was related.

Breaking contact with Ristèard’s intense stare, she gazed down at the tablet in her hands. Setting it on the table in front of her, she glanced around the room trying to decide the best way to convey what she had learned so far. A short history lesson of Kassis was necessary to understand the interconnection to Elipdios.

“I’m not sure how much you know about Kassisan history so I’ll give you a short overview. Over a thousand years ago, there was an intense battle between the primitive people on Kassis and an alien race. The race was never identified, but from the documented sketches and descriptions, it would appear that it was a type of Mantodea family, almost like an overgrown Praying Mantas back on Earth. There was a description of a second species involved, but I need more time to understand how that could be. From the records I’ve reviewed, this caught my attention ‘
The red dissolved until the ground glowed with the lighted crystals. All around her were the glittering stones. New life grew around her as the crystals absorbed into the ground, growing and spreading’.
I think there is a correlation between the Blood of the species and the crystals on Kassis.”

“That is all well and good, but how is that supposed to help us?” Andras asked, straightening from where he was leaning against the wall. “Those species haven’t been seen in over a thousand years.”

“True,” Ricki responded, looking down at the tablet again with a frown. “But it is a clue as to where the crystals came from. What I found curious was that the crystals absorbed into the ground, growing and spreading. If that is the case, what happened to all the crystals on your world?”

Ristèard leaned forward and clasped his hands together. His face was tight with regret. He looked at Andras when he stepped forward.

“Other species valued the power held within the crystals. Unlike the Kassis crystals which grow quickly, ours did not. It wasn’t until several centuries ago that it was discovered how valuable the crystals were to the survival of our planet. Once the reason for the increase in radiation was understood, my grandfather put a ban on exporting it off the planet. Unfortunately, there were others who gained great wealth from selling it,” Ristéard explained.

Ricki nodded in understanding. “We have the same issues back on Earth,” she quietly replied. “Extensive development of certain lands and the stripping of natural resources has caused problems. Fortunately, there are people who are working to reverse some of the damage done.”

“Yes, but your planet is now…,” Manderlin started to say, pausing when Ristéard shook his head. “Yes, well, I’m afraid if something isn’t done soon, millions will perish.” He turned and looked at Ricki with an assessing gaze before returning his attention to Ristéard. “I know there are those on the council that oppose you and wish to overthrow you, Grand Ruler, but I have no such desire. I fought beside your grandfather when we were boys. He was a proud man and I respected him. The only reason I was voted onto the council was because the others thought I was too old to be a threat. I may be old,” he added with a twinkle in his eyes, “but, I am far from being dead.”

Ricki’s light, amused laughter filled the air, pulling an immediate response from him. She grinned at the elderly councilman, looking at him with a warmth that made Ristéard wish she were gazing at him instead.

“The reason I suggested that Councilman Manderlin remain is because I think there might be more hidden in the ancient city,” Ricki admitted in a soft voice, turning to stare at Ristéard. “I was reading over the report you had from the scientists studying the ancient city where the tablet was found. There was a set of symbols on the side of the tablet.”

Ristéard waved his hand in dismissal. “I know. Rue and his mate stated it was too damaged to interpret,” he interrupted.

“It is true that most of the symbol was eroded, but not all of it,” Ricki stated. “There was enough of it to recognize the symbols. I was able to match them to the tablet found by the Kassisan scientists.”

Ristéard frowned, studying Ricki’s determined face. “What do you mean ‘enough to recognize’?” He asked, staring at her intently.

Ricki’s eyes locked with his for what seemed like minutes, when in fact it was mere seconds. He saw the intelligence, the determination, and the trace of stubbornness that re-enforced his belief that he had made the right decision to kidnap her. The strange feelings that had plagued him ever since he saw her standing in the large tent back on Kassis swept through him. What was it about her that kept him off-balance?

He watched as she forced her eyes to break contact. She slid the tablet in front of her across the table. He glanced down at it. His gaze locked on the side-by-side images. One was a more intact tablet. He couldn’t read the ancient writing, but the writing was very similar. Running vertically along the side was another set of symbols. He glanced at the ones on the intact tablet before glancing at the tablet found in the Eastern desert. The first ten symbols were identical.

“What do they mean?” He murmured in fascination.

“I think they are coordinates,” Ricki replied. “I’ve used the key the scientist used to decipher the tablet. If you touch the bottom, it will show you what I believe the damaged message says. It is a series of numbers. I took the liberty of plugging the numbers into the map you have on your tablet and it pinpointed a location not far from the underground city that was marked on the map.”

Ristéard scowled at Ricki. “You know that was secured information you were reading, don’t you? I am the only one who had access to it,” he stated, sitting back and folding his arms. “Remind me to ask you when we are alone how you were able to not only log in to my tablet, but how you were able to access classified data as well.”

His fingers curled around the tablet in his hands when she gave him a serene, non-committal smile. Frowning, he gazed down at the tablet again. She was right. The coordinates pointed to a mountain ridge just twenty kilometers from the entrance to the ancient city. It looked as if his unwilling Empress was living up to the legend surrounding her.

*.*.*

A half hour later, Ristèard seemed convinced by her findings. She had continued to elaborate on the similarity between the tablet found by the Kassisans and the one found on Elipdios and the conclusion that she had drawn from information she had been able to piece together so far. She really would need more time to research the Elipdios’ archives. There had to be additional files that contained more about the history of the aliens that had come to the planet and why the two tablets contained the same coordinates.

Her mind switched gears to the man who had kidnapped her as they stepped out of the conference room and onto the main part of the bridge. She refused to be intimidated by him. He had a very strong, commanding personality. After reading the report and piecing together facts that she already knew about him, she could understand why that was necessary. Still, some instinct told her that it was important that she not let him walk all over her, not that she would in the first place. Her own personality was one of control. While she wasn't as aggressive and in-your-face as he was, she was still very tenacious when she set her mind to something. She would think of him as just another task that needed to be completed. While the looks he kept giving her were disturbing, they were nothing she couldn’t handle. Adjusting her glasses, she nodded to the other male who had remained a primarily silent observer as she passed him in the doorway leading out onto the bridge.

She couldn’t resist looking around the large room. For a moment, her gaze paused on the two men that had escorted her to Ristéard. She gave them both a reassuring smile when she noticed the nervous glances they kept casting at the large man standing next to her.

Both had insisted that she remain in his cabin, but she had persisted, telling them both that it was a matter of life or death. Ricki knew she could be rather intimidating herself when she wanted something. Her mom and dad referred to it as ‘the look’. It might not be the greatest talent in the circus, but it had helped them hundreds of times.

A giggle escaped her when she thought of a few of those times. Her eyes danced with mischief when she caught Ristéard’s questioning glance. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued her assessment of the Warship.

“I’ve never been on the bridge of a spaceship before,” she remarked, looking around her. “When we were on Manota’s ship, we were restricted primarily to the lower sections, except when we were attacked. That was pretty scary.”

“You were attacked?” Ristéard asked in surprise. “By who? It is very unusual for anyone to attack a Warship, even one traveling alone. The Kassisan warships are known for their advanced weaponry.”

“Yes, well, that didn’t stop you from coming to Kassis and kidnapping me, now did it?” Ricki retorted. “The technology is mind-boggling. The Earth isn’t nearly as advanced.”

“Yes, that is what I have heard,” Ristéard replied in an uneasy voice. “I must admit, from what I have recently learned, I am surprised that you and the others of your kind were so receptive to the idea of aliens.”

Ricki studied the half dozen men and women working quietly at their assigned stations. There were two sitting at a console in the front. Behind them, Andras, the man from the conference room, had moved to sit in what looked like the captain’s chair. The other man, Harald, nodded to them both as he passed by and exited the bridge. There were others at different stations, monitoring screens and talking quietly.

Ricki chuckled as she nodded. “There were several things that helped, I think,” she absently responded. “One, Jo had returned with Manota. She trusted him and he brought her home. How can anyone be bad if they do that? The second thing I think that made the biggest difference is that most of the members of the circus are rather strange and unusual themselves. It wasn’t that difficult to accept an alien any more than it was to accept Katarina, Mattie, Marcus, Stan, my parents, or the countless others. I mean, look at Marvin and Martin! They have been with the circus for almost ten years and we never suspected they were aliens.”

“The Kor d’lurs are known for being able to blend in. That is how they study other species,” he commented with a shrug. “The information they bring back is very useful, such as…”

Ricki raised her eyebrow at him in question when his voice faded and all he did was shrug again. It was as if he suddenly decided that he had said too much. If he was worried that she or any of the others in the circus would hold the fact that Marvin and Martin were alien against them, he needn’t have worried. They had proven they were fair and decent individuals, especially to her. They had been incredibly protective of her parents and her over the years. Everyone loved them.

Well, except for Thea right now,
she thought with a sigh.
Thea was still deeply hurt by their lack of trust.

Ricki started when she felt the warmth of Ristèard’s hand through the thin cloth of her dress as he wrapped his arm around her and drew her so close she was pressed against his side. A low squeak escaped her when his hand slid up under the yellow sweater she was wearing and ran his thumb along her skin where the dress dipped in the back. The heat from his touch seared through the rest of the material as if she wasn’t wearing anything at all. She silently cursed when she felt a matching heat blossom inside her and spread from the core of her womanhood all the way up to her cheeks.

“You are feeling... well?” He asked in a husky tone, leaning closer so he could whisper in her ear as he guided her off the bridge. “Perhaps you should rest. We will be arriving on Elipdios soon.”

Ricki wrapped the fingers of her right hand around the strap of her purse while using her left hand to straighten her glasses. She would be damned if she let him know that his touch was affecting her in any way. Stiffening her shoulders, she pulled away from him, taking an additional two steps to the side for good measure.

“I feel perfectly well, thank you,” she replied in a frosty tone. “I’m just not accustomed to someone constantly being in my personal space. I don’t remember reading anything about this being a habit of your culture.”

She knew immediately that it wasn't customary the minute she saw the wicked grin that curved his lips. "It's not," he informed her, reaching out and wrapping his hand around her right arm so he could turn her around. "But, you should get used to it," he added, backing her up until she was pressed against the wall just outside the bridge.

Panic swept through her before it was replaced with icy determination when she saw several warriors’ grin at her when they passed by. Even standing as straight and ridged as she could, she still had to look up into his dark silver eyes. Mischief and heated desire blazed from them.

"I wouldn't if I were you," she warned with an icy tone. "I demand that you step back."

"And if I don't," he replied in a low, thick voice filled with promise. "What will you do?"

Ristèard glared over at Ricki, wincing as the healer touched the knot on the back of his head with the scanner. He absently rubbed the center of his chest and the scowl on his face turned even darker. She briefly glanced at him before returning her attention to the tablet he had dropped when she had knocked him on his ass… again.

“I want you to know I have killed for less than what you did.” Wincing again, he glared at the healer. “Be careful!”

He turned to scowl at Ricki. The scowl faded to one of wariness when she released a long, exasperated sigh and set the tablet down on the table next to her before she stood up. He straightened from where he had been leaning forward so the healer could look at the bump on his head.

“Go,” he ordered.

“Grand Ruler,” the healer started to say before he pulled away with a curt nod when Ristèard shot him a look of warning. “If you feel any dizziness, call me.”

“Thank you, Karis,” Ricki said politely. “I’m sure his head is too hard to have been hurt that bad.”

Ristèard grunted and mumbled under his breath that his head
wasn't
that hard. His eyes glared at Ricki when she covered the chuckle that escaped her behind a fake cough. His head hurt and so did his chest where she had pressed that damn cylinder to it.

Ricki pursed her lips together and placed her hands on her hips. He shifted on the chair where Sadao and Emyr had placed him after they scraped him up off the floor.

“Do you have any other weapons on you?” He demanded, his gaze flickering warily to her hands before returning them to her face.

“If I did, I wouldn’t admit it,” Ricki retorted with a roll of her eyes, thinking of the small device Marcus had given her. It had been basically a single shot paintball gun, powerful enough that when it was discharged at close range to knock someone on their ass and give them a bruise. The fact that had hit his head hard on a service droid that was in the corridor behind him had been unexpected. She had just been trying to put some space between them and let him know that she wasn’t totally defenseless. “I warned you to keep out of my personal space.”

Ristèard’s mouth tightened into a stubborn line. “And I told you that I was claiming you,” he stated, standing up and folding his arms arrogantly across his chest. “We will be on Elipdios within the hour. I will have Sadao escort you to my cabin until it is time for us to transport down. This time, I suggest you stay there.”

He watched in satisfaction as her mouth dropped open before she snapped it shut. “I need to contact my father and mother and let them know where I am and that I am alright,” she seethed. “And for your information, I have decided to do what I can to help you, but that does not mean I agree to any of this foolishness. I’m not even certain I can help you more than the small amount of information I’ve been able to remember and piece together. I’m sure your scientists or scholars can do a much better job than I can. I think it might be better, after all, to return me to Kassis or at least notify Torak, Jazin, or Manota so one of them can come get me.”

Ristèard ignored Ricki’s last statement. No one was going to be taking her anywhere. Ricki had ignited a fire in his blood that he needed to calm before he returned her to Kassis. While he might have a hard time believing she was truly his ‘prophesied’ Empress, that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about her. He was determined to figure out why every time he was around her, his carefully controlled emotions turned into mass chaos.

At the moment, he had too much to do, not to mention a throbbing headache to get rid of, to contend with Ricki’s actions or her demands. He would deal with her after he settled the newest turmoil among the council. Calling for Sadao, he waited until the other man entered the room before speaking.

“Take her to my cabin and keep her there,” Ristèard ordered, never taking his eyes off of Ricki’s face. “Do not let her out until I tell you. I am holding you responsible for her safety.”

Sadao glanced uneasily back and forth. There was no way to miss the tension that filled the medical unit. He nodded, moving to the side of the door when Ristèard took a step forward.

“I need to contact my parents,” Ricki pleaded in a low voice, tilting her head to one side so she could look up at him. She lightly touched his arm when he paused next to her. “Please. I don’t want them to worry.”

Ristèard’s eyes narrowed as he looked into her pale, blue eyes. A wave of determination, and a touch of desperation, swept through him. He ignored Sadao’s raised eyebrow.

“For a kiss,” he said. “Kiss me and I will inform your parents that you are safe.”

“Kiss…,” Ricki whispered in shock, blinking several times and shaking her head as if she couldn’t quite believe what she had just heard. “Why, that’s… That’s… Blackmail!”

“Take it or leave it. Your parents will never know for sure what happened to you otherwise,” Ristèard replied with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “Personally, I could care less.”

Ricki’s swiftly inhaled breath echoed loudly through the room. A dark flush stained her cheeks. Ristèard suspected it was caused more from anger than from passion. Still, he was desperate enough to take even that emotion. After all, he reasoned, anger and passion were two halves of a whole if fanned correctly.

“You are a despicable bastard,” Ricki hissed out under her breath. “A horrible, arrogant…”

Ristèard’s eyes glittered with a fierce warning as he turned and gripped her forearms. He pulled her closer, but did not bend down to capture her lips even though everything inside him begged for him to do so. He wanted her to be the one to reach out to him. He didn’t care if he had to use blackmail to get her to do it. He just wanted, needed, her to kiss him for once.

“It is your choice,” he replied, suddenly releasing her and stepping back with a nod. “Take her.”

Satisfaction burst through him when she held her hand out to Sadao. “Alright, but….” She paused and looked at Sadao before turning back to him. “But, I would prefer not to have an audience if you don’t mind,” she stated in a husky voice.

“Wait outside the door,” Ristèard ordered, not looking at Sadao.

Neither one of them moved until the door closed behind Sadao. Only when they were alone did Ricki step closer to him. For a fraction of a second, Ristèard felt a wave of unease wash through him. Perhaps he should have thought through his demand before making it. Pushing the errant thought away, he waited.

“You know I’m doing this out of duress, don’t you?” She murmured in a soft, husky voice as she placed her hands on his shoulders and rose up on her toes. “…Complete and utter duress.”

Ristèard swallowed and started to reply before a burst of exploding emotions swamped all rational thought as Ricki pressed her lips to his, in a sensual kiss that made his toes curl. His lips automatically parted when she touched her tongue to them. After that, chaos reigned as it hit him with a force that shattered the protective wall he had built around his heart.

For the love of the Goddess,
he thought in stunned disbelief when she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.
I don’t think I will ever get enough of this.

*.*.*

Ricki couldn’t believe it when Ristèard demanded she kiss him in exchange for contacting her parents and letting them know she was safe. Her first thought had been to inform him where he could shove his demand. Again, her instinct for handling situations told her that she would best accomplish what she needed to do with a more diplomatic approach.

If he wants a kiss,
she decided.
I’ll give him a kiss that will knock his socks off.

While she might not have had extensive lessons on kissing, she figured it couldn’t be all that difficult. She would just imagine he was someone whom she would really want to kiss. Someone tall. Someone who made her feel feminine and fragile.

Someone, okay, someone like him, but not like him,
she decided as she stepped closer.

Licking her lips to moisten them, she slid her hands up to his shoulders. A fierce wave of determination and empowerment flooded her when she saw the look of unease and doubt flash across his face at her softly murmured words. Good, it would serve him right to feel uneasy.

“You know I’m doing this out of duress, don’t you?” She murmured, not meaning a single word of it as she rose up on her toes. “… Complete and utter duress.”

She captured his lips in a heated kiss, pouring every ounce of her rage into it.
Okay,
she thought vaguely, touching her tongue to his firm, smooth lips in an effort to deepen the kiss,
maybe rage was a little too intense a word.

Still, she wanted to teach him a lesson he wouldn’t forget, namely, don’t mess with Ricki Bailey! She wasn’t some pansy who crumbled at a challenge. She had taken the circus all the way around the world, to just about every inhabited continent, and just about every country on Earth.

There wasn’t a diplomat alive who could outsmart her when it came to finding a loophole or two. If he thought demanding a kiss would intimidate her, then it was time to show him who he was up against. She was a Master Chess player, and thanks to Marvin and Martin, an even better Poker player. She knew when to bluff and could carry it off against the best players in the world.

Threading her fingers through his short hair, she tilted her head and opened her mouth wider so she could tease his tongue with hers. She ran the tip of her tongue along the edge of his teeth. A low, guttural moan escaped him at the same time as a shudder ran through his body and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

Ricki let her body melt against his. She decided if she was going to show him that she could give as good as he gave, she might as well totally go for the gold. By the time she was done with him, he’d be eating out of the palm of her hand. She just hoped that it didn’t end up being the other way around.

Raising her right leg up, she rubbed the inside of her thigh against his and dragged her nails along his scalp in a gentle massage. Another shudder ran through him, giving her the courage to continue.

Small explosions of pleasure burst through Ricki, making her crave more when he responded to her gentle exploration. Her body instinctively pressed closer to his, seeking his warmth. A small gasp escaped her when the position of moving her leg up caused his aroused cock to press against her. Rational thought returned, making her realize just how dangerous a game she was playing. Especially when she felt his hands moving along her back and her ass.

The kiss had turned out to be far different than she expected. She had never felt such a charge of emotion or need before. She slowly ended it with a sigh of regret. Unable to resist, she nipped his bottom lip between her teeth before she drew in a deep breath.

Ricki slid her leg down along his until she was standing on her own two feet again instead of being plastered against him. Glancing up at his tense face, she couldn’t resist pressing another kiss to the corner of his mouth before she pulled away from him and took several unsteady steps back.

She stared up at his flushed face. It was a darker blue and there was a pulse throbbing in his cheek, as if he was barely holding onto his control. Her gaze swept down to his hands, which were clenched into tight fists at his side.

It took a moment for her to realize that his hands had been busy as well. Her hair swung freely down her back. She had no idea what had happened to her hair pins. Luckily, she always carried extra in her purse.

Swallowing, she opened her purse and pulled out a pencil instead. Her hands were shaking too much to bother with hair pins. Snapping her purse shut, she grabbed her long hair and twisted it up.

“Don’t,” he ordered in a guttural voice filled with desire.

Ricki raised her eyebrow at him and finished the twist. Once it was in a bun, she stabbed the pencil through her hair to temporarily hold it in place until she could do something a little more refined. The main thing right now was to make sure he didn’t realize how much the kiss had affected her. She would have a meltdown once she was alone.

Satisfied that her hair was once again contained, she lifted her chin and stared back at him with a cool, calm expression. He would never guess that she didn’t have a Royal Flush. Pasting a serene smile on her lips, she ignored the fact that his face was turning an even darker blue than before.

“I expect you to keep your promise about notifying my parents and assuring them that I am well,” Ricki stated, wrapping her fingers around the strap of her purse. “I would also appreciate a timeline as to my return. Now, if you will excuse me, I do believe I will freshen up before our departure.”

She breathed out a sigh of relief when the door behind her suddenly opened and Andras and Sadao stood in the opening. Turning on her heel, she walked out of the door. She didn’t bother to see if Sadao followed her or not. She remembered the way back to Ristèard’s cabin. Right now, she needed to put distance between her and Ristèard.

It was only when she was several yards down the corridor that she remembered that she had forgotten to grab the tablet off the table where she had set it. Slowing, she turned slightly and waited for Sadao. Drawing in a steadying breath, she smiled politely at him.

“Your name is Sadao, isn’t it?” She asked politely.