Zealot, Page 7

  “I don’t think that left a mark. You’ll have to try harder.”

  Planting her fists on her hips, she glared at him. “I’m not fifteen. I can’t believe you did that.” She rubbed the spot through her little pink shirt as he grinned at her.

  He’d wanted her distracted from the fact that he’d marked her, but it was obvious he needn’t have bothered. She didn’t realize the significance of what he’d done. All she knew was she’d be able to help Chandar now. He started to tell her then suppressed the urge. Yes, this was the first step in creating a mating bond, but it was also temporary. His scent had to be reapplied every five to seven days or it would fade and she would be free to explore other options.

  Instead, he asked, “Are you all right?” He was still feeling a bit woozy.

  She made a face. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not the first man I’ve kissed into submission and you probably won’t be the last.”

  The surrendering had been pretty mutual, so he didn’t argue the point. But he had every intention of making sure he was the last man she ever kissed.

  With that goal solidly fixed within his mind, he pulled his uniform top on and closed the fasteners. He watched her as he tucked in the shirt. “I need to contact the ship, get clearance to show you our secrets.”

  “Do I still need to sign the contract?”

  He’d been hoping she’d bring it up so he wouldn’t have to. “It would keep my brother from killing me if you would. Generals are weird about people following rules.”

  “Your brother is a general?”

  “Yeah.” She didn’t need to sound so impressed. “He’s one of the leaders of the rebellion.”

  “If I sign the contract, will you tell me what battle born means?”

  He nodded. “If you sign the contract, I can tell you anything you want to know.”

  “Then let’s keep your brother from killing you. Did you bring a contract with you? You seem to have everything else.”

  “A good Rodyte is prepared for anything.”

  One of her eyebrows arched while the other stayed still. How did she do that? “I thought that was a Boy Scout.”

  “I wouldn’t know. What’s a Boy Scout?” He picked up the sample processor he’d used to test her blood and returned it to the overhead compartment then retrieved the datapad he’d stashed there along with the other equipment.

  “It’s a club for boys,” she told him. “They go on camping trips and have activities that teach boys how to be better people. Supposedly. I have no personal experience with the organization as I am an only child.”

  He smiled, charmed by her effervescent personality. “Here you go. You can just sign with your finger.” He passed her the datapad.

  She signed the screen then handed it back to him.

  “There’s no turning back now,” he said dramatically. “For the next six months—you’re mine!”

  Chapter Four

  For the next six months—you’re mine!

  Indigo was pretty sure Zilor had been kidding, but a knot formed in the pit of her stomach as the words echoed through her mind. It didn’t really matter if she signed a contract or not, he was taking her to the moon. It wasn’t like she could change her mind and sneak away when he wasn’t looking. For the next six months, or until they chose to bring her back, she’d be at the mercy of the Rodytes.

  These men needed to come with a warning, Irresistible to hybrid females. Ashley, Raina, Laura, and Indigo, they were compiling quite a list. Now she understood why the others had found it so hard to resist their respective temptations.

  Refusing to dwell on her humiliating defeat, she smoothed down her hair and looked anywhere but at Zilor. “Can you hang around up here while I go pack or will you come back for me?”

  “It’s more than likely that whoever is watching your house sensed your disappearance.” He waited until she looked at him to add, “You can’t go back there. I’ll send Raina to gather your things first thing in the morning. That way your mother won’t worry about you.”

  “She’ll worry regardless of what Raina tells her, but at least she’ll know where I am.” His only response was a thoughtful nod. She’d already lined up Amy to help with the store, so she wasn’t running out on her responsibilities. Even so, she felt a little guilty. She glanced down and lamented, “I don’t even have shoes. And I need my toothbrush. I can’t walk onto your ship like this.”

  “I’ll bio-stream us right to my quarters. No one will see you until after Raina returns with your things. Okay?”

  “I guess.” What choice did she have? She wanted to help Chandar, so she had to play by their rules. Her bullshit detector went off as she heard her own thought. She couldn’t blame her interest on Chandar. At least not entirely. Yes, she wanted to help someone who could benefit from her gift, but this opportunity was so much bigger than that. She wanted to interact with aliens, to experience a world few humans were ever allowed to see. And the final admission was the hardest of all. She wanted to spend more time with Zilor.

  He put his hands on her shoulders, drawing her wandering thoughts back to the present. “Either Vinton Tandori can teleport or he’s acquired bio-streaming technology and that’s highly unlikely. I’m not taking any chances with you.”

  “Can he teleport to the moon?” She couldn’t imagine being able to teleport across a room. Bio-streaming, maybe. There were scientific explanations for technology.

  “Again, it’s unlikely or he would have confronted us before tonight. According to him, you and Raina both belong to his tribe.”

  Belonging had always been a comforting concept. At the moment she felt threatened and annoyed by it. “Is that why you’re taking me to your quarters? To protect me?” Or to continue his seduction?

  “It’s just until I can talk to Kotto and figure out what we want to do with you.” One of his hands swept up to her neck and he stroked along her jawline with his thumb. “Not that I wouldn’t enjoy having you in my bed every night.”

  He was way too good at this. Easing away from his touch, she said, “Kotto is Raina’s mate, correct?”

  “Yes. He commands the Crusader.”

  He made it sound as if he didn’t want her to confuse which ship he’d meant. “Are there more than one?”

  “More than one Kotto?” One corner of his mouth quirked, warning her that his playfulness had returned.

  “Ships. How many Rodyte ships are stashed inside the moon?”

  “There were two when I left.”

  She knew an evasion when she heard one. “Meaning there could be more by the time we arrive? How many Rodyte ships are in this solar system?”

  His smile broadened as he moved toward the front of the ship. “Six, if you count the Relentless, but it’s possible Akim was recalled to Rodymia.” He slipped into the pilot’s seat and awakened the controls with the wave of his hand.

  Not wanting to stand there like a fool, she joined him in the cockpit. She sat in the chair next to his and followed his lead when he fastened his safety harness. The multi-strap set up was complicated so it took her a minute to figure out which clasp went where.

  His hands glided through the controls with the grace of a hula dancer. It was amazing that such a big, burly man could move with such agility.

  “Who’s Akim?” she asked as she settled back in her seat.

  “Akim’s the bastard who hurt Chandar.” He glanced at her as emotion tightened his features. “He had her for two years, so it’s more than likely he wasn’t the only one.” The ship took off with a sudden burst of acceleration, but then the ride was so smooth, she could barely detect the movement.

  She could only nod as compassion banded her chest. Two years of continual abuse? Just the thought of it made Indigo physically ill. It also made her want to hunt down Akim and blast him out of the sky. What kind of a monster held someone captive for two years? Earlier Zilor had said something about Chandar’s captor trying to wipe her memory. “How much does she remember?”


  “I don’t know. She’ll only talk to Raylon.”

  “That’s the man who helped rescue her?”

  He nodded, made a quick adjustment then explained, “Raylon coordinates information and delegates responsibilities between all our ships in this star system. I wasn’t exaggerating about him being busy.”

  “Then how does Chandar spend her days?”

  “She won’t come out of his cabin,” he admitted.

  He’d said she wouldn’t go anywhere without Raylon, not that she wouldn’t go anywhere period. “How does she react to other females? Has Raina or Ashley tried to talk to her?”

  After glancing at her, he found something on the control panel fascinating. “Chandar sent out a telepathic cry for help and Ashley was one of the people who received it. Because Ashley doesn’t know how to shield her mind or filter emotions, she was traumatized by the exchange. You might need to work with Ashley too.”

  She accepted the new information with a silent nod, but her mind was spinning. What had she gotten herself into? Her gift had been active for the past six years and she’d done all she could to maximize her effectiveness. She’d studied psychology and many therapeutic techniques, but most of them had little impact on what she did. She could look into a person’s mind and literally see their pain. She knew when to push and when to back off because she could see how her patient was reacting. Still, she’d never attempted to help someone she knew personally. Would that make treatment easier or more complicated?

  “I didn’t scare you off, did I?”

  “I’m just strategizing.”

  “Good. Danvier would never forgive me if I screw this up.”

  “You’re safe.” She had to force a smile. “At least for now. How long will it take to get where we’re going?”

  “Half an hour, give or take.”

  He could make it from Colorado to the moon in half an hour? She just shook her head, barely able to absorb the reality of what was taking place around her.

  “Okay, now you’re down right pale. Talk to me.”

  She was feeling completely overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. Reality as she knew it had been redefined. No, that wasn’t accurate. She’d known, or at least suspected, that all of this was real. It was more like the shadowy corners of reality had been illuminated. “I just need a distraction while my mind processes all of this.”

  He winked at her. “I can be very distracting.”

  “While you pilot the ship?”

  “Good point. How about if I answer some of your questions, give you something mundane to think about.”

  She nodded, trying to look more enthusiastic than she felt. “Kotto had a weapon that transformed from a knife into a sword. Are such things common on Rodymia?”

  “It’s called a flexblade and they’re extremely hard to control. Only the most skilled soldiers ever master their use and earn the right to carry one.”

  “Do you have one?”

  Without looking at her, he indulged in a smile. “I do, but when and why did Kotto have his out?”

  “Vinton Tandori showed up with a knife in hand, so Kotto didn’t want to feel left out.”

  Zilor’s smile broadened. “He was protecting his mate. Any of us would have done the same.”

  Any of us? Had he meant the battle born or any male Rodyte? “Tell me about the battle born.”

  “Well, you already know about the war, so that makes things easier.” He swiveled his chair toward her and all playfulness evaporated from his expression. “Before I get into this, I want you to understand that we find the actions of our forefathers inexcusable and we’re as disgusted by what I’m about to explain as you will be.”

  “Okay. You’re not to blame for the nastiness. Got it.”

  He checked the controls again before he began. “During the first few years of the war, Rodyte males took Bilarrian females as a sort of war prize. It was a feat of cunning and strength to outmaneuver people who could use magic. But the practice took an even darker turn when someone discovered that a child born of his Bilarrian captive had inherited her mother’s powers.”

  Understanding unfurled inside her and her blood ran cold. “I don’t like where this is leading already.”

  “Then you’re on the right track.” He looked at her then back at the controls. The ship was more or less flying itself, so why was he so antsy? “They started calling the women war brides. They were captured and enslaved until they produced a child and then they were released without the child they’d delivered. Children produced by this despicable practice became known as battle born.”

  She shuddered and a sort of cold numbness expanded within her. So much for the topic being mundane. “Your mother was a Bilarrian captive?”

  “Yes.” His curt answer made it obvious he didn’t want to get into the details. “Battle born males are born with magic, but we’re unable to access it. No one is sure why.”

  “Why did you specify battle born males? Are battle born females able to access their magic?”

  “Yes. Battle born females are important and revered, while we are discarded and despised. According to the Rodyte elite, all we’re good for is military service and menial labor.” He paused for a quick adjustment on the panel, but she heard his frustrated sigh. “The irony is that the quest to reintroduce magic into the Rodyte population has created a system nearly identical to the one from which our ancestors fled.”

  That didn’t surprise her. “History is often cyclic. Those who don’t learn from the mistakes of their ancestors are doomed to repeat them. It happens all the time on Earth.” He was silent and tense, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. “So what’s the fixation with human females or is it just human/Rodyte hybrids?”

  “When Rodytes prepare to mate they go through a transformation. Our scientists are hoping to use this transformation to give us access to the magic locked inside battle born males. Right now the procedure only works when we bond with hybrid females.”

  “Theoretically, mating with me could help a battle born male unlock his magic?”

  He looked at her, his gaze intense yet inscrutable. “Yes. Theoretically.”

  Now she was uncomfortable with the subject, so she tried to lighten the mood. “Tell me about your brothers. How many are there?”

  “Three, counting me. Garin, the general is the oldest. Bandar, Ashley’s mate, is in the middle and I’m the youngest.”

  “Is your father still alive?”

  He shook his head and what little bit of ground she’d gained was lost. “Garin is head of our family and has been more of a father to me than our father ever was. Bandar and I are very close as well.”

  She nodded. “Raina’s mother and mine are twin sisters, so Raina has been more like a sister to me than a cousin. We spent every summer together and countless weekends.”

  Little by little he relaxed and his easygoing personality reappeared. “We got into so much trouble as children. It’s a wonder any of us survived.” He said the words with a wistful smile, obviously lost in memories.

  “Well, I’ve yet to meet the general or Bandar, but you turned out rather nicely.”

  His smile returned and he rolled his shoulders. “We’re almost there.” He nodded toward the large windows in front of them.

  The moon loomed before her like a heavily dented ball of gray clay. Light reflecting off the Earth gave the moon a soft almost pinkish cast. “So how do we get inside?”

  He smiled without shifting his focus from the complex control panel. “You’ll see.”

  The ship suddenly dipped and banked sharply to the left. She laughed as her stomach dropped to her feet, nearly sure he’d done that intentionally. “Keep it up, big boy, and I’ll toss my cookies into your lap.”

  His laugh finally sounded carefree. “Is that a strange euphemism or did you just threaten to throw up on me?”

  “I get motion sick in the car. Trust me, you want to keep the ride smooth.”

>   “I hear and obey.”

  He followed the contour of the moon until they were swallowed by darkness. She tensed, feeling suffocated by the oppressive blackness. The ship gave off light, but it was like driving through dense fog in the middle of the night.

  Leaning forward, he activated a trigger near the top of the control panel and suddenly lights blinked on the surface of the moon. Not a runway, exactly, but a clearly designated path that hadn’t been there a moment before.

  “No wonder the rumor mills won’t shut up about the moon. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. This is so strange.”

  He was absorbed with maneuvering the ship, so he just flashed a quick smile. They followed the lighted path into what looked like the mouth of a tunnel. But as soon as they passed through the threshold, they were surrounded by a mammoth cave.

  She leaned forward and looked from side to side, unable to take it all in without moving her head, repeatedly. The ship slowly rotated to the right and her jaw threatened to drop for the third time. With a double-layer concourse extending from a multi-level structure, Lunar 9 nestled against the back wall of the cave. This wasn’t an alien outpost, it was a city tucked away inside the moon.

  “This is… How did… I don’t understand.”

  He reached over and patted her leg. “Lunar 9 has this effect on everyone the first time they see it. Even Rodytes are shocked by its size.”

  “Did your people create the cavern or just discover it? And if the cavern is natural, how did they keep the extra weight from throwing off Earth’s tides?”

  “They’re interesting questions. Unfortunately, I don’t know. I’ll ask around.”

  She was more impressed with his candor than she would have been with some made-up explanation. Over and over white lies would have made things easier for Zilor, but he chose to tell the truth. She’d always admired people who could be that noble. Lord knows, she was guilty of taking the easy way out much too often.

  There was a double-decker walkway extending from the outpost and two ships had been secured, one beside the other. Raylon parked, or was it docked? Whatever. He came to rest in an area directly across from the largest ship.