Valan's Bondmate (28 page)

"I have a better idea, Tark. One-Eye is in Tarva. He's always looking for pleasure slaves for the Verats. By the time he gets finished with her she won't even know who she is, much less who her bondmate is."

"You're right. He pays good credits for the young ones. You go tell One-Eye to meet us at the caves by the river. Falm and I will meet you there."

The one called Tark looked over at her and she quickly closed her eyes. She heard the door open and close. A few seconds later it opened again. She opened her eyes and a scream of fear left her lips. A man with the meanest eyes she'd ever seen stood over her. He reached out and ran his hands over her breasts and belly. She gagged behind the cloth in her mouth and tried to move away from his hands.

He laughed. "Tark, I want to try her before we give her to One-Eye."

"Later, Falm. At the cave. We've got to get her out of Tarva first. Pick her up and let's go."

The one called Falm grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder. She screamed when he pinched her bottom and twisted his fingers, tearing at her skin. He carried her through the door and down a dark hallway. Each step he took down a set of stairs bounced her on his shoulder, and pulled a moan of pain from her. She managed to look around and realized they were behind the buildings of Tarva. As he carried her he told her in detail the things he wanted to do to her. Terrified, she let herself drift back into the dark mist in her head.

The next time she woke, she was lying on a dirt floor and her hands and feet were free. A creature with one eye in the middle of his forehead stood over her. He spoke but his lips didn't move. Puzzled, she watched his mouth and began to feel sleepy when he ordered her to look into his eye. She obeyed him and a sharp pain stabbed into her brain. Desperately, she tried to push him away but her hands wouldn't obey her command to move. Dying, she struggled again managing to roll away from him, but breaking contact with his eye sent a streak of pain through her head.

***

Valan coughed to clear the smoke of the aphrodisiac from his lungs and fought his way to consciousness. He held his head and sat up. Cam lay on the floor next to him, groaning.

"Cam?" He reached over and shook his shoulder. "Wake up."

Cam opened his eyes and groaned. "What happened? Where are Minda and Lia?"

"Tor! I don't know." Valan forced himself to his feet and pulled Cam up while he searched the room for Lia. She wasn't there. He staggered to the door and went across the hall and pushed open the door to Cam's room. Alarmed, Minda slid off the bed then relaxed when she saw it was him.

"Where's Lia?" Valan asked.

"I thought she was with you," Minda said.

Cam took Minda's hand. "Where did Lia go?"

"I don't know. She was so upset when she saw him with those two females. I tried to get her to come in here with me but she said no and sent me away."

Valan activated the tracking devise on his armbands. The chime sounded. He listened, waiting for another chime. It finally came. "She's still on Lanteria but not in Tarva. I'm going after her."

"I'm going to have Minda transferred to the Invincible. I'll catch up to you." The chime sounded again. "She's moving farther away."

"Or being taken farther away." Valan left the room without waiting for a response from Cam.  He circled around Tarva and moved away from the village and climbed over the rough terrain of a hill, stopping occasionally to listen to the speed of the chimes in his armbands. As he moved closer to Lia the chimes sounded closer together.

Cam caught up to him as he was following the dry riverbed around the bottom of a second hill. "Which direction, Valan?"

"She's moving along this riverbed about five micro-units ahead of us."

"We could have the Invincible transfer us to the ship, then transfer us back down in front of her."

"No. I'm afraid she might take another direction." As he spoke, the chiming stopped.

"What happened?"

"Something is shielding her armbands from mine."

"There are caves up ahead. She might be in one of them."

"Then, someone has her. Lia would never go into a dark cave by herself." He reset his stunner to a killing beam and quickened his pace.

They traveled in silence, until they were close to the spot where Lia's armbands stopped transmitting a signal. A pile of boulders sat outside the dimly lit mouth of a cave. Creeping toward them, they heard two male voices. Rage rushed through Valan when he realized they were haggling over Lia's price.

He crept forward until he could see into the cave. Two outlaws stood near the entrance. A third stood towards the back jiggling a bag of coins in his hands and staring into the darkness at the back of the cave. Valan signaled to Cam, telling him how many there were when Lia's scream shattered the silence.

Valan charged into the cave, firing at one of the nearest outlaws while attacking the other. His weapon dropped to the ground as they struggled. He picked the outlaw up and threw him against the wall, hearing the sound of his skull hitting the stone. The third outlaw threw a fireknife and buried it in his thigh. He jerked it loose as Cam fired his stunner. The outlaw clutched at the smoking hole in his chest and fell forward onto the ground.

A deep voice came from the darkness at the back of the cave. "Zarronian, I have your female."

Momentarily startled by the fourth voice, Valan grabbed Cam and drew him into the shadows at the side of the cave. His eyes scanned the darkness for movement. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Sounds like One-Eye." Cam kept his voice low, hiding their location. "Do you think he's already taken her mind?"

"Yes." Valan reset his weapon to stun. "One-Eye, release her and I'll let you live."

"Ah, Commander, we meet again. I know your reputation. I warn you if you kill me now she'll be no use to you. Unless, you like your female very willing and very obedient."

"He's already scanned her mind. I can't kill him yet."

"I offer you an exchange. You let me and the female pass and I'll leave her at the bottom of the hill."

"No! You aren't taking her anywhere." Valan shook with rage. He couldn't take a chance on letting the Witvian take Lia out of the cave. "Cam, contact the starship. Tell Mikel Thornson to lock onto this area and secure it. The second One-Eye steps out of this cave with Lia, he's to transfer them to the shuttle bay on the Invincible. Tell Hugh to get a security detail in there to hold One-Eye, but under no circumstances are they to kill him. Order the transfer officer to stand by to transfer us as soon as we're clear of these rocks."

Valan waited a few nano-units for Cam to leave the cave and relay his orders to the Invincible. "One-Eye? You take her from this cave.  I'll come after her in one micro-unit. If she's hurt when I find her, I'll track you down and kill you."

Cam returned. The starship crew was ready.

"Go now, One-Eye." They heard a movement at the back of the cave, then the Witvian stepped into the light with Lia in his arms. The large eye in the center of his forehead watched them intently as he carried her towards them. He sidled by them and out into the night. There was a flash of light and he and Lia disappeared as they were transported to the Invincible.

Valan and Cam stepped out of the cave and disappeared as they too were transferred and reappeared in the shuttle bay of the Invincible. One-Eye and Lia were surrounded by a group of hard-faced warriors. He strode through them and faced One-Eye. "Put her down, carefully."

"Ah, Commander, shame on you. You lied to me."

"Return what you've taken and I might yet let you live, Witvian."

"Commander, you know I can't. I was willing to let you keep her body."

"Cam? How full are the disposal tanks?" Valan saw One-Eye's shudder of revulsion. Witvians were surprisingly fastidious creatures and couldn't stand to be unclean.

"Almost full. It's been a long journey."

"Now, Commander, there is no reason to get carried away. I offer you a bargain. She has a very interesting mind and I like it. I'm willing to return part of it, but not all." He rushed on when the Commander would have interrupted him. "Just think, Commander. You could have the most willing female in the galaxy. She would do everything you told her to do, anywhere you told her to do it, without argument."

Rage engulfed him. The Witvian had assimilated Lia's mind and now knew everything he'd done to her and asked of her. He raised his stunner, targeting the eye.

"Valan, don't!" Cam grabbed Valan's arm and tried to push it down.

"Return her mind to her before I blind you."

"If you do that I won't be able to return even a small part to her," One-Eye said.

"No. But, I'll still have a willing body, while you will be helpless when I transfer you into a Zylian nesting den. How long do you suppose it will take their young to devour you?"

Even the warriors around Valan shuddered with the image his words invoked.

"What guarantee do I have you will release me, unharmed, if I return her mind?"

"None. But, I guarantee you will die very unpleasantly if you don't. Time’s up. Choose!"

Slowly, One-Eye lowered Lia to the floor and knelt beside her as he focused on her. For a moment, she was still, then her eyes opened and she stared up at him. After several seconds she blinked her eyes once, then twice and the color returned to her pale face. He stood and moved away from her. 

Valan went to her and picked her up. "Lia?"

"She won't be herself for several cycles, Commander. Two or three."

Valan tried to discern the truth in his words. He could put him on a truth mat but they didn't work very well on Witvians. "If you've harmed her I'll come after you and I won't stop until you're dead."

"Agreed, Commander."

"Cam, return One-Eye to Lanteria. Somewhere in the wilderness. The long walk back to Tarva will do him good."

"What they say about you is true, Commander. You have won my respect."

Valan carried Lia to the Med-Center. Blood ran down his leg marking his passage with every step he took. Behind him robot cleaners scrambled out of their storage bins and efficiently wiped up the smears. Lia's skin felt cool to the touch. She lay perfectly still and relaxed in his arms. Her breaths were soft against his neck.

Doctor Mikelson waited by the med-op for his arrival. Valan laid her down and stepped back while the doctor lowered the scanner over her.

"It will take about fifteen minutes, Commander. Let me repair your leg while the med-op does its work."

Valan nodded his agreement. He removed his pants and laid back on the med-table. Doctor Mikelson cleaned the wound, then closed it with a laser. "These fireknife wounds are always serious, Commander. The heat of the blade causes blisters as it slices through the flesh. The laser stops the bleeding and numbs the area around it, but I want to see you again in two cycles."

The screen above the med-op lit up and began sending a diagnosis of Lia's condition. Doctor Mikelson glanced at it, then turned back to Valan and bandaged his leg. When he finished, Valan dressed again. A moment later Cam and Minda walked into the room.

"How is she, Valan?" Minda asked.

Mikelson's exclamation of surprise interrupted them. "This can't be right!"

They joined him. Valan placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder. "What's wrong? Is it Lia? My son and daughter?"

Doctor Mikelson ignored him as he keyed an order into the med-op and waited for the result. The screen responded. "Tor! This is a disaster."

"What is it, Mikelson? What's wrong with her?" Valan squeezed the doctor's shoulder. Had One-Eye lied to him? "Answer me."

"She has a slight concussion and a few bruises. Her brainwaves are slightly below normal, but they should be alright. It's the last line of information I can't believe."

Valan grabbed the diagnostic scanner and finally understood what had the doctor so upset. "This isn't possible."

"Do you know what this means for our future, Commander? We must notify the Council and have all of the bondmates tested immediately!"

"Test Minda now. If the results are the same, then we'll contact my father and the Council." Valan looked at Cam for his permission and Cam nodded. While Doctor Mikelson helped Minda into another med-op, Valan pulled Cam aside and told him what was happening. "Cam, order the navigator to plot the fastest route back to Zarronia, then come to my quarters."

Cam left for the bridge and Valan turned back to the doctor. "Is it safe to move Lia to our quarters?"

"It would be better to leave her here for tonight. One of my med-techs can stay with her."

The screen above Minda lit up and sent the same message Lia's had sent. Valan beckoned to the med-techs and ordered them to keep the new information to themselves before he had one of them escort Minda to her quarters. "Doctor Mikelson, we'll use the secure link in my quarters to contact the Council."

He and the doctor left the Med-Center and hurried to his quarters arriving at the same time as Cam. As soon as the door closed behind them Valan went to his desk and punched his security code into the communicator. Within seconds his father's face appeared on the monitor.

"Valan! What's happened? Why are you using the security frequency?"

"Father, I have alarming news for you and the Council. Lia was injured on Lanteria…"

"Is she alright?" Eirik's face darkened with concern.

"Yes. She'll be fine, but when we put her in the med-op we got a hell of a surprise. The babies she's carrying are both male! Do you know what this means?"

"Are you sure? Absolutely sure?"

"Yes. Doctor Mikelson tested her twice and then he tested Cam's bondmate, Minda. Her babies are both male, as well."

"We must begin testing the others. I don't need to tell you to keep this information to yourselves. If the results are the same the Council will decide when to announce it to the other warriors."

"The Invincible should reach Zarronia in four cycles."

"We'll have the results by then. I’ll contact Borg and have him begin the testing this cycle." He started to disconnect the communicator, then paused. "Journey safely, Son."