Victorious Star (29 page)

Static filled the room. “Okay. But I still don’t like it.”

Victoria felt pressure on the access that the stationmaster had used before.
He’s asking for access.

It’s the download. Let him in.
Seht looked up at the ceiling. “I’m trusting you, Stationmaster.”

Victoria let him in. Information buzzed into her, along with a small private message.
Please don’t get dead, or fried. You’re too good a ride to waste.

Victoria looked up at the ceiling.
Tell him I’ll do my best and thank him for the compliment.

Seht looked up. “She says that she’ll do her best, and thank you.” He turned to look at her. “For what compliment?”

Victoria grinned.
It’s private.

Seht crossed his arms. “The stationmaster’s right. You are a very bad girl.”

Victoria blew him a kiss.
Goodness, I wonder how I got that way?

The intercom buzzed. “Be very, very careful, Seht. The
Arcane
is a sneak, sneaky, sneaky bastard. Keep the pretty girl safe.”

Victoria looked up at Seht.
Go ahead and tell him my name. It’s only polite.

Seht sighed. “Her name is Victoria, and we will be very careful.”

“Victoria…” The banks of servers hummed. “If you don’t get dead, will you let me know? Will you come see me? Both of you?”

Seht looked back at the door. “I will definitely let you know if we survive. If it’s possible, we’ll try to come back for a visit.”

“Yes, please!”

Wind whistled up from the open pit of blackness.

“That’s your taxi, ladies and gentlemen. And thank you for traveling Stationmaster Airways! Have a lovely flight!”

They jumped…

Seht grabbed the handle on this side of the doorway and pulled them in. The lift wall slid closed. “Well, this looks like the right lift, in the right building.”

Victoria looked up at him.
We’ll find out in a minute.

They barely had time to get their robes in a vague semblance of order before the proper lift doors opened. They stepped out to find the double doors to the banquet room directly across the hall.

Both of them sighed in relief.

A pair of
skeldhi
guards in black suits bearing energy rifles appeared at Seht’s side and bowed. “The
Atehf
requests your presence,
Deshryt.”
They frowned at Victoria.

Seht groaned.
The lead, I think I lost it in the tunnels.

You lost the leash?
Victoria couldn’t resist a small, tight smile.
Oh, what a terrible shame.

Seht sighed then cleared his throat. “We were, ah, busy.” His cheeks flushed.

Both guards took a subtle sniff then exchanged glances. They worked very hard to restrain their smiles.

“I see,” one of them said. “However, the
Atehf
will not wait. He’s been expecting you.”

The other guard cleared his throat. “For a while now.”

Seht sighed dramatically. “You know, I can never have any fun around him.” He waved his hand. “Lead on.”

The towering banquet room was enormous, dark and ornately decorated with exotic sculptures that towered over the glittering crowd. The far wall was a single gigantic window that overlooked the winking nightscape of the entire city. The whole room was filled with peoples and races of every description. Tables covered in draping white cloths were scattered everywhere, along with couches, divans and chairs that defied description. Every flat surface was crowded with crystalline glasses filled with a dizzying array of drinks, and small plates with exotic treats.

One of the guards split off and bolted away. The other continued to lead Seht and Victoria though the noisy crowd.

Seht glanced over his shoulder at Victoria.
Eat nothing, but especially, drink nothing.

Victoria sighed.
Yes,
‘Syr. She strongly suspected that this was another
rehkyt
rule, like no sitting on the furniture.

Amusement traveled through their link.
No, pet. You still don’t know what is safe to eat or drink yet. Why? Are you hungry?

Victoria licked her lips.
Thirsty, actually.

Seht nodded.
I’ll find you some water.

They approached a small collection of
skeldhi
guards and stopped. The guard that had dashed off reappeared at Seht’s side and pressed something into his hand.

Seht turned to Victoria.
Lift your chin.

She lifted her chin and he snapped a steel chain lead to her collar. She grimaced.
Gee, thanks.

Seht stroked her cheek and smiled.
You’re welcome.

Their guards turned into the gathering, and Seht followed.

They found Lord Syrhus in the furthest corner of the room, very near the gigantic window. He was deep in conversation with someone overly tall and massively muscular, wearing a dark, floor-length robe.

Victoria frowned.
Is that Moraine?

Yes.
Seht nodded at his guards. “Thank you, I’ll wait right here for his attention. Can you send someone to acquire a glass of water for me, please?”

The guards trotted off.

Seht dropped onto a low divan, well within Lord Syrhus’s sight, and reclined with his feet up. “Sit down, pet, and put your head here.” He patted his leg.

Victoria folded her legs under her and sat on the floor. She leaned close enough to put her chin on his thigh. A whisper of silk brought her head back up.

Lord Syrhus towered over them. “Where the hell have you been?”

Seht blinked up at him. “Busy.”

“Really?” Lord Syrhus’s voice dripped acid. “Doing what?”

Seht smiled. “Take a deep breath.”

Syrhus took a subtle sniff and groaned. “So, for once you were actually doing what you said you’d be doing.”

Seht’s eyes narrowed. “I am not in the habit of lying,
Atehf.”

Lord Syrhus planted his fists on his hips. “Nor are you in the habit of telling anyone what you are really up to.”

Seht managed to look offended. “Of course not! I was raised in the court. You never let anyone know what your actual concerns are; it could offend someone.”

Lord Syrhus shook his head. “Arguing with you is like arguing with the wall…”

A
skeldhi
in plain silk robes presented Seht with a crystal goblet of water.

Seht nodded in thanks. “You know, my exalted sister says that too.”

Victoria stared at the glass. She was suddenly, violently thirsty. Seht lowered the glass to her and she reached for it.

He pulled the glass away.
No hands.

Victoria scowled.
Yes,
‘Syr.

He lowered the glass and tipped it to let her drink. “You were saying,
Atehf?
Oh, and was there a reason why you wanted my presence so adamantly that you had two guards waiting to collect me?”

Lord Syrhus crossed his arms. “As a matter of fact, there was. Moribund was asking for you.”

Seht put Victoria’s emptied glass on a table beside him. “Oh?” He gave Lord Syrhus a bored look.

Lord Syrhus nodded. “He wanted to know if you were interested in cutting a separate deal for his ship.”

Seht’s gaze sharpened. “He wants me to have his ship?”

Victoria stilled.
That ship is supposed to be a trap for someone.

Seht stroked her head absently.
Well, now we know who that someone is.

Victoria glanced at him.
You?

It appears so, does it not?
Seht returned the glance.
I suspect he meant to trap Ravnos, but I believe he’s settling for me.

Victoria felt a blaze of anger streak down her spine.
That vicious prick!

Seht tapped her head with a finger.
Watch that temper.

Lord Syrhus rolled his eyes. “Will you move your feet so I can sit? I am tired of talking to the top of your head!”

“Oh, of course,
Atehf.”

Victoria shifted out of the way so Seht could put his feet down.

Lord Syrhus dropped onto the divan and stretched his booted feet out. “So, are you interested?”

Seht shrugged. “I’ll need to think on it. I don’t have a crew to fly it, so I can’t get it out of dock…”

Lord Syrhus grinned. “He’s saying he’s willing to loan you his nav-pilot.”

Seht’s smile was chilling. “Now that is very interesting, considering that I stole the last one from him. He is bestowing an awful lot of trust, is he not?”

Lord Syrhus raised a brow. “He made me swear that I’d find a way to return her unharmed and unchanged.”

“You?”

Lord Syrhus grinned. “If you take his ship, I’m not to leave your side when you fly it home. In fact, he insisted that I be aboard when you take it.”

Seht just stared.
Maybe I was too hasty in thinking that it was me Moribund was after.

Victoria flicked a glance at Syrhus, then at Seht.
Lord Syrhus?

Victoria clenched her hands in her lap.
You have to warn him that the ship is rigged to blow.

I can’t. He’ll want to question my sources and the stationmaster will never speak to him. I’ll have to warn him off another way.
Seht pursed his lips. “Have you met this nav-pilot of his?”

Lord Syrhus nodded. “Yes, though I find her somewhat less than I expected.”

Seht raised a brow. “Really? How so?”

Lord Syrhus frowned. “For someone that is supposed to be a war decorated nav-pilot, Sakata seems, well, rather void of personality.”

Victoria sucked in a sharp breath.
Sakata? The stationmaster said the
Arcane
fried her.

Seht leaned up. “Are you saying that Moribund offered you Kazi “Kamikaze” Sakata?”

Lord Syrhus nodded.

Victoria’s brows shot up.
You know her?

Seht passed her an annoyed glance.
Everyone knows her.
He frowned thoughtfully. “What the hell is Moribund doing with an Imperial nav-pilot?”

Lord Syrhus tilted his head. “That is a very interesting question.”

Seht raised his brow. “And if an Imperial fleet just happened to find us while flying a crewless Imperial dreadnought with an Imperial nav-pilot?”

“You suspect a deliberate trap?”

Seht scowled.
“Atehf,
the throne cannot afford to lose you.”

Lord Syrhus grinned. “It’s nice to know that you care. Oh, and I can put two and two together.” He snorted. “Moribund is not nearly as bright as he thinks he is.”

Seht nodded. “Good, then we are in agreement, Moribund can keep his mad ship.”

Lord Syrhus’s brows shot up. “Mad?”

Seht’s raised one brow. “You told me yourself, the ship killed its crew.”

Lord Syrhus snorted. “That was a rumor. Moribund told me that there was an accident…”

“According to my sources, it was not a rumor.” Seht shook his head sadly. “That ship killed its entire command crew through space exposure. The nav-pilot was found frozen to his chair.”

Lord Syrhus scowled. “And your sources are never wrong?”

Seht raised a sarcastic brow. “You’d rather believe Moribund?”

Lord Syrhus grimaced. “Good point.”

Seht shrugged. “Insanity would explain why he’s trying to get rid of it rather than use it himself.”

Lord Syrhus frowned thoughtfully. “This does lead one to believe that something is wrong with it…”

Victoria scowled at the floor.
The ship is not insane, it’s angry.

That is beside the point.
Seht leaned back and sighed.
My cousin has always been somewhat suspicious of fully sentient ships. There is no way in hell he will board a ship that is thought to be unstable.

Victoria rubbed her cheek against his thigh.
Clever.

He stroked her head.
Why, thank you, pet.

Feminine squeals announced the arrival of Lord Syrhus’s pair of golden
rehkyt.
They climbed up on their master’s knees in a flurry of wriggling female curves and winking green gems to press kisses to his chest and face.

Victoria watched them with alarm. There was not one drop of augmentation in their body movements, or shame in their licking and nibbling. They looked like a pair of plump puppies begging for treats.

Lord Syrhus curved his arms around them, kissing each of them with enthusiasm. “Have you been good for
A’syr
Khem?”

They nodded as one. “Yes,
‘Syr!”
they chorused.

Victoria cringed. They even sounded alike.

One of them spotted Victoria hiding behind Seht’s knee and tapped her companion. Both of them stared with wide green eyes.

Lord Syrhus hugged them close. “That’s
‘Syr
Seht’s
rehkyt.
She’s very new.”

A sly look passed between the two golden
rehkyt.
One of them pressed her lips to Lord Syrhus’s ear and whispered. She bowed her pink lips into a winsome smile. “Please,
‘Syr?”

Lord Syrhus looked up.

Victoria followed his gaze and discovered the aqua-eyed
mahfdhyt
standing at Lord Syrhus’s shoulder. He held the
rehkyts’
gold chain leashes wound around his fingers.

Lord Syrhus smiled. “Release them,
A’syr
Khem. They want to play a bit.” He caught his
rehkyts’
gazes. “Stay close.”

The
mahfdhyt
grinned at Victoria, knelt and unlatched their chains.

Both
rehkyt
turned and came bounding straight for Victoria. They stopped only inches away then reached out to touch her knee.

Victoria scrambled back in alarm. The leash brought her up short.

Sly smiles bloomed on their cherubic faces. Both
rehkyt
pounced.

Victoria went over backwards, overwhelmed by sleek, perfumed, female flesh. She pushed herself off the floor, only to be shoved back down under their combined weight.

Gleefully each of them straddled one of her thighs and latched onto a wrist, spreading her wide on the floor. Her sash was pulled away and her robe spread open, exposing her pointed red nipples and her bare mons. “Oh, pretty!” they cooed. Inquisitive fingers pinched her nipples to aching firmness.

Victoria yelped.
Seht, get them off of me!
She twisted under them and their hands tightened on her wrists. Soft breasts pressed into her belly and their thighs closed tightly around her, pressing moist, excited female flesh against her hips.

Seht choked out a laugh. “Relax, they’re not going to hurt you!” He let the lead slip through his fingers to drop to the floor. “They’re just curious.”

Victoria gasped and bucked but couldn’t dislodge them.
Curious, my ass! They’re humping my legs!
She was afraid to grab one of them; she could too easily hurt them with her augmented strength.

“Mmm, I smell sex,” one of them said. Suddenly both of them sprawled on top of her, and started licking in earnest.

Victoria squirmed as lush lips fastened on each nipple and expertly sucked it to hardness. Wriggling fingers pressed into her moistening core, then stayed to ruthlessly explore. An expert finger flicked on her clit. Teeth scored her nipples with bright bolts of delight. Climax began to rise and pulse. She gasped.
Seht! Do something! I’m being raped here!

Seht howled with laughter. “She’s an unholy terror with a sword, but completely helpless under two unarmed
seysehn rehkyt!”

Lord Syrhus grinned. “Are you sure that’s a prime?”

Seht nodded, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “She’s too afraid to hurt them to defend herself.”

Lord Syrhus raised a brow at Seht. “Afraid of hurting these two?” He snorted. “They’re tougher than I am.”

Victoria looked up from the floor to see a ring of grinning male faces. They had drawn an audience.
Oh shit…

Teeth bit sharply into her breast.

She gasped, and sat up hard, baring her teeth in a snarl. They went rolling to the floor with a squeal.

Seht grabbed her chain collar. “What happened?”

Victoria glared at the
rehkyt
sitting between her knees.
The bitch bit me!
She pointed at the two small seeping holes in the upper swell of her breast.

Lord Syrhus glared at the rehkyt. “Did you bite her?”

The
rehkyt
crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. “She won’t cum.”

“Is that all?” Seht rolled his eyes. “Of course she won’t cum, I didn’t tell her to.”

The
rehkyt
lowered her eyes but continued to pout.

Seht rolled his eyes. “Oh, all right, I’ll let her cum for you.”

Victoria twisted around to look at him.
What?

Lord Syrhus grinned. “I should tell you that your
rehkyt
doesn’t stand a chance now. Only the one has teeth, and they’re small, but her sensitivity venom is very potent.”

Seht smiled at Victoria. “Put your hands on the back of your neck.”

Victoria clenched her jaw and put her hand on the back of her neck.

“Good. Keep them there.”

Victoria felt a shimmer in her augmentation.
Damn it!
She wiggled her fingers but her wrists were locked in place.
I hate it when he does this!
She stared at the two grinning
rehkyt
in panic.
Oh shit!

Seht looked over at the
rehkyt.
“She’s all yours.”

The two
rehkyt
licked their lips and lunged.

Victoria went down under a tangle of female limbs. Her breasts were squeezed and her nipples were ruthlessly attacked with teeth and tongue. Delight burned lightning bright. A moan escaped Victoria’s throat.

The
rehkyt
between her thighs lapped, then sucked hard on Victoria’s clit. Victoria whimpered in torment. Her hips rose and bucked helplessly under the
rehkyt’s
mouth.

Seht leaned over her. “Cum.”

Victoria’s breath caught. Her core gave a huge throbbing pulse. Cries of release exploded from her throat as her body arched and shook.

Suddenly both
rehkyt
were lapping between her trembling thighs.

Victoria howled as they milked every last trembling shudder of ecstasy from her body.

They sat up with shiny lips and grinned. “Delicious.”

Victoria found herself rolled and snuggled between both
rehkyt.
They pressed their lips to hers in fervent kisses. She opened her mouth to their inquiring tongues and tasted her essence on their lips.

Syrhus grinned. “Oh, look, they made a friend.”