DarykRogue (16 page)

Rayder shrugged. “I can’t help what you think.”

Drakus walked around Rayder, hands on hips. “You’re a Daryk
One through and through, but something changed you.”

“You know the answer to that too. We need Magonian women so
we can repopulate Dragonia.”

“We’ve had few pregnancies from the Magonian women we’ve
bred. Not in the three years I’ve known you. So it must be something else that
keeps you going.”

Rayder should have expected this. Drakus liked to test him
every time he came into camp, which was more than once a month. “My reasons are
my own.”

“Secrets can get you killed. Makes a man think he can’t
trust you.”

Rayder didn’t move as Drakus crossed behind him. If Drakus
thought he could kill Rayder, the man had no idea who he was up against.

Drakus came back into view, but Rayder didn’t relax. “I
don’t trust you either.”

The leader of the largest band of rogue Daryk Ones glared at
Rayder. “You don’t approve of what I’m trying to do.”

“I think you’re right about one thing. Magonians and
Dragonians should no longer be apart. We should mix and understand each other’s
cultures and blend our peoples. It’s the only thing that’s going to save us
from going extinct. But the Magonians don’t see it that way and they’re having
plenty of children over there.” Rayder wasn’t in the mood to play games. “I
think they don’t give a fuck whether we live or die.”

Rayder chuckled. “And you think we’re wrong to steal their
women and prepare for war with them.”

“I don’t think they’ll invade Dragonia and fight us.”

“You think they’ll try to breed us out of existence?”

“Probably.”

“You don’t approve of us invading them?”

“Never did.”

Drakus shook his head. “If I hadn’t seen you slay so many
men, I’d think you were too soft to be a Daryk One.”

Rayder could have lectured Drakus on the morals held dear by
true Daryk Ones, but knew it would fall on deaf ears. He kept an impassive face
and said nothing.

Drakus threw a contemptuous glance at the naked woman, who
stood with her arms wrapped around herself. “This bitch will fetch a fine
price. Perhaps. If a man can get over her face of course.”

Rayder took a closer look at her pockmarked face. She’d
probably survived the putrid fever that sometimes struck otherwise healthy
Dragonians when they didn’t eat enough as a child. Rayder almost went to the
gaudily appointed bed and ripped a covering off so he could give it to the
concubine. She shivered. Probably from fear more than anything. A hot wind blew
through the tent. It was too balmy to cause a chill.

Drakus took another goblet and filled it with wine. He
handed it to Rayder. “I could have you beaten and chained for not obeying me
and mocking my goals. Eventually the Magonians will be made to see how wise we
are.”

Rayder’s spine prickled, his muscles tightening with barely
concealed hatred. “At least that’s what you think will happen someday. Or maybe
you’re using that theory as an excuse to fuck as many women as you want.”
Rayder handed the wine to the woman. “I came here to discuss procuring more
supplies for Admiral Karman Aramus and the
Beast
.”

Drakus’ eyes glittered dangerously. “Why did you give her
that wine?”

“It’s the least she should get for sucking your dick, don’t
you think?”

Drakus’ eyes turned red, and Rayder knew he’d pushed the
asshole too far this time.

The woman dropped the goblet and wine splattered everywhere.
She gasped and edged closer to the entrance. Drakus stalked toward her and
grabbed her by the arm. Drakus shoved her toward Rayder. Rayder caught her in
his arms and held her close. Trembling and gasping, the woman gazed up at
Rayder with pure terror. He hated seeing that in a woman’s eyes. Especially
when she feared him as much as Drakus. When Xandra had looked at him with a
little fear but a lot of defiance, it had fired Rayder’s blood around the
edges, exposing feral needs within him like a live nerve. He’d wanted her
instantly. Wanted to do nasty, sex-filled things with her. Things he hadn’t
tried with her yet.

This…well, this was damn different.

Drakus snarled his next words, eyes red with fury. “If you
want the supplies, you’ll have to show what a man you are. Fuck this whore.
Here and now. In front of me.”

* * * * *

Xandra stood for a moment and her situation surrounded her
with quick, disturbing force. Voices intensified around her, as did the smell
of sweat, of the bathing room, the food and the stuffy air. She swayed on her
feet a little. Better to sit down.

“Stupid girl,” Malena said as Xandra sat next to her.

Xandra threw a hard look at Malena. “I beg your pardon?”

Malena smiled as she chewed bread. She swallowed. “Not you.
Phili. She’s a troublemaker of the first order.”

“How long have you known her?”

“I don’t know her really. I just know her type.”

Xandra couldn’t deny that. “I think I do too.”

“Yoanda’s been down here a time or two.” Malena smiled with
only one side of her mouth, her eyes sparkling with a malice that made Xandra
vaguely uneasy. “That woman is even worse.”

Surprised, Xandra threw a glance at her. “She seems very
nice.”

“Seems is the right word.”

Xandra frowned. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. She
hoped her instincts proved right about Yoanda and not Malena’s. Xandra took a
quick, hard glance at Malena, blocking out the other chatter nearby. Lines
bracketed the woman’s mouth—she was older than Xandra had first guessed. Not
that Xandra ever found age easy to judge, but Malena appeared around fifty.
Subtle wrinkles around her eyes and on her forehead gave it away.

Malena chewed a bit of dried meat then sipped water from a
goblet. “So how did you get here? On this ship?”

“My passenger ship was capsized by a wave.” Sadness pierced
her, a hot and overwhelming pain. “Two women I was building a friendship with…I
think they died.”

Xandra winced, recalling how she’d lied to Ketera and Mia
about her marital status. In a very weak moment, she hadn’t wanted to admit
Taris was her husband, and perhaps part of her hoped the marriage could be
dissolved. After all, since she couldn’t have children, Taris should want to
toss her out of his household. He’d threatened as much, but she knew his
cruelty demanded he keep her long enough to torture her. To humiliate her.

By the god. She didn’t want to remember what he’d done. It
hurt far too much. She teared up as she thought about how she’d made her entire
situation worse in every way. Guilt racked her. Taris Elian had been a
heartless, horrible man, but she was to blame for everything that happened to
her brother and parents.

Malena frowned at her. “All right? You went pale there.”

Xandra sucked in a deep breath and wrestled with her
emotions. Tears threatened. She dared a glance at Malena and saw gentle
sympathy. As hard as this woman talked, she did understand.

Xandra shoved her plate toward a lady across the table who
ate as if she hadn’t tasted food in days. “Here. I’m not hungry anymore.”

The woman smiled and dug into the bread and fruits.

“One step at a time.” Malena patted her on the back.

“How do you do this?” Xandra didn’t know how to ask this.
“How do you stay down here day after day without going insane?”

Malena gestured to a young woman huddled against a wall who
Xandra had noted earlier. The thin, black-haired girl had skin as white as a
cloud and with cavernous blue eyes that seemed hollow and unseeing.

“She was fine when they first put her down here. Day later,
she was a nutter.” Malena sighed, the sound almost disgusted. “We practically
have to force her to eat.”

Xandra surveyed the rest of the women. Most were
medium-sized, not too thin or fat. “Rayder is sending down quite a bit of
food.”

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Malena smirked. “Nicest damn slaver.
Doesn’t make any sense. Unless he’s got some conscience. Hard to believe
though.”

“Perhaps he’s got a sister or mother somewhere,” the woman
across the table said, her blue eyes lively even as she ate with her mouth
full. “And he thinks about them being stuck in these conditions. His guilt, you
know.”

Xandra wondered, but she didn’t speak about it. “Who’s been
down here the longest of your group?”

Malena sniffed then took a drink from her goblet. “Two women
over there. Two months I think.”

Xandra couldn’t comprehend. Well, she could. She didn’t want
to. Her imagination worked well enough. “You haven’t been out of this place for
five weeks?”

Malena’s face visibly paled, her eyes haunted as something
new and shadowy entered her expression. She hastily untied her tunic and
loosened it enough to show the top of her chest and her right shoulder. A
pattern of bruises from dark blue to light green fanned out across a large
expanse.

Xandra’s inward gasp caught in her throat. She took a sip of
water. “By the god. What happened?”

“Five days ago the admiral came down here and picked me.”
Malena’s voice went raw with hate.

“Picked you?” Xandra didn’t know if she wanted the answer.

Malena didn’t lower her voice, but it also didn’t carry over
the din. “He came in here one night, rousted me out of bed, dragged me outside.
He took me to an empty cabin. I fought him, but he threatened to kill me with
his dagger.”

Malena didn’t have to explain. Xandra shuddered. “He…raped
you.”

“Yes.”

The woman across from them sent a blank look at them both
and left the table.

Xandra reached for Malena’s right forearm and pressed
gently. “I’m so sorry. That’s horrible. Unspeakable. Does he come in here and
pick women from time to time?”

“Not often. Probably gets enough out of Yoanda and Phili to
satisfy him most of the time.” Malena’s jaded expression returned, replacing
her vulnerability from a moment before. “I don’t know why he picked me.”

Xandra surveyed the room then looked at the steps leading
out of this dungeon. “I wonder how long I’ll be stuck down here?”

“Good question. I wonder that every day—how much longer I’ll
be here.”

A clanging above the stairs signaled that someone unlocked
the door.

Xandra started to rise, but Malena grabbed her forearm. “Not
so fast.”

“It might be Rayder.” Xandra wanted out despite the
hospitality the woman had shown her.

Heavy footsteps, definitely a man’s, thumped down the
stairs.

Legs came into view, but the boots are beeches were all
wrong. It wasn’t Rayder.

Admiral Karman Aramus stood at the bottom of the stairs,
pure arrogance and self-assurance on his face. “Good day, ladies.” He gestured
toward Xandra. “Xandra Shorenus needs to come with me.”

Chapter Eleven

Xandra’s heartbeat hammered as she stood up and faced the
admiral.

She kept her face neutral. Her stomach roiled as she thought
about what Malena had been through because of this man. She wanted to take the
admiral’s manly bits and twist them until he screamed for mercy. Anger replaced
fear and gave her a strength she didn’t know she possessed.

“My husband asked me to stay down here until he returns.”
Xandra took a chance and caught the gazes of several women around the room. All
of them narrowed their eyes and glared at the man.

Malena cleared her throat. “Whatever you’ve got planned, you
can take me in her place. She’s married.”

The admiral’s smiling face turned ice-cold as he marched
down the rest of the stairs and walked toward them. The other women scattered,
moving back quickly. Xandra’s muscles tensed.

“It doesn’t matter.” The admiral’s gaze narrowed on Xandra.
“She is coming with me.”

“Why?” Xandra wouldn’t agree to his request without a fight.

Leering, the admiral stopped in front of the table. All conversations
ceased as the other women moved closer. What did they think they could do? Did
they want to help her?

Aramus gestured with one hand. “You will cease this nonsense
and come with me. There’s been an accident and your husband needs you.”

Xandra felt something constrict in her throat. “An accident?
What happened?”

“He was injured on the way back from Drakus Fina’s camp.”

Gasps went up around the room. If there was one thing
apparent, the slave women liked and respected Rayder.

Worry twisted inside her and she stepped away from the
table.

“No.” Malena reached for Xandra’s forearm. “Girls, gather
round. He’s lying.”

Xandra glanced at the woman holding her tight. “What if—”

“He’s lying.” Malena’s grip tightened.

Torn, Xandra glanced between Malena and the admiral.

The admiral’s gaze held pure contempt for Malena. His eyes
suddenly blazed red. “You are a stupid wench.” He glanced at Xandra. “Your
husband is dying upstairs and you’re allowing these bitches to tell you what to
do?”

Xandra pulled out of Malena’s painful grip. Xandra didn’t
know whom to believe, but the thought of Rayder dying pierced her to the heart.
She trembled, shaky and stunned by her own reaction.

“Don’t listen to him, miss,” another woman said across the
room. “He’s lured others upstairs with threats or promises. This ain’t no
different.”

The admiral snorted. “You have all earned punishment for
this. Half rations from now on until I sell you. There’s a slave auction two
days hence. We’ll see how cocky you are then.”

“No.” Xandra took a deep breath. “I’ll go with you if you
don’t cut their rations or sell them.”

“Let him sell us, honey.” Malena crossed her arms. “It can’t
be any worse than this particular version of the hells. Who knows, we might run
into a decent man or two who’ll treat us right.”

Several women mumbled positive statements under their
breaths.

Confusion piled on—she’d never been this swayed one way or
the other when she set her mind to things. Somehow these women and the admiral
had changed that.