Marked for Danger (11 page)
"How the hell should I know? They're back. I remember that you marked me to track me. I remember everything about that,” she spat.
It hurt. She couldn't deny it. All her life she'd wanted him. Even though his father had been broken by the Mistresses. Even though she'd been a brat and he'd been a mercenary. She'd never existed for him.
But he'd said he looked for her. And failed to find her. Her memories showed her why. She'd done a damn good job of eliminating her Carina Tao identity. She tightened her lips and asked the question she did and did not want the answer to. “Why didn't you come? When Shanie died? Why didn't you come for me?” Only Leo had been there. Leo and a hundred acquaintances she didn't give a shit about. But Leo's friend and hers, he'd been absent.
He didn't meet her gaze. “Funny. Leo didn't ask."
"Answer me, you fucking asshole,” she shouted.
"I was in a Teran Five prison."
Shock tore through her. “What?” She knew what some of those places were like. How could he have survived?
A humorless smile twisted his lips. “While Shanie was being murdered, I was being tortured and raped once a day. I'd been arrested by the Teran Interstellar Force."
"I don't understand.” She was so confused.
"It's simple,” he said viciously. “Someone on the TIF knew about the Prophecy, someone who wants the Brotherhood to come out on top. They made sure the Brotherhood killed Shanie and made you an assassin. They wanted you all fucked-up and no one to turn to, Carina."
For years, Xandros had managed to keep the memories of those early days shoved deep beneath the surface. They rose up now. He'd been tracking for the TIF, turning in interstellar criminals and collecting the bounty money. After Nyral society rejected him, he didn't have a whole lot of career options.
But the TIF turned on him, accusing him of being a traitor as his father had been. Since Nylar had banished him for being his father's son, Teran Five spooks had a field day with him.
In a holding cell for six months, he'd never been charged, never knew what secrets he was supposed to have revealed. He was tortured but never knew what information he was supposed to give.
The rapes were...difficult. Xandros had shoved his male dominance into a mental box, protecting it from the humiliation the spooks wanted to put him through. Once, one of them went too far and cut his neck too near his carotid. For some reason, they revived him.
Then they released him. No reason was ever given to him for his incarceration. No one told him a fucking thing. The first thing he did was catch a freighter to Nylar, to Leo, Shanie, and the little brat.
In prison, when things were bad, he thought about Carina and what she represented to him. A natural submissive with a spark of fire who challenged him. He hung on to that, and when he was released, he went back to try and go straight.
Instead, he found Shanie dead, both Leo and Shanie's little sister gone. Rumors flew they'd gone off together to console each other. Xandros had sought evidence of where the brat had gone but found nothing. He spent the next year trying, and succeeding, to forget her. She was inextricably bound with his horrific incarceration.
Leo he found two years later. By that time, Xandros was a mercenary, a pirate, the scourge of the galaxy. He exorcised his demons through boarding and shaking down Teran Five transports and taking great pleasure in torturing and killing Teran Five spooks who were assigned to the ships.
Dead was how he'd felt. Occasionally, he'd visit a club and try to find that elusive something Shanie's little sister had had even at the young age of sixteen.
Then he'd found Rina when all hope had been burned out of him, when all innocence had been left on the floor of a Teran Five prison. He'd marked her knowing—or suspecting—she was a deadly assassin only to discover she was the long-lost brat he'd searched for all those years. The little brat who had saved his sanity in that dark hell that had been his prison.
He shook his head. Marked mates. Fuck. The last thing he needed was someone sharing the hellhole that was his brain. He certainly didn't need someone who thought they had claim to him—he'd had enough of that in prison.
While he was musing, he hadn't kept an eye on the very angry woman in front of him. She struck out at him. Her hand connected to his neck, and he felt dizzy. His instinct screamed to defend himself.
All the awful things she thought about him were true. He deserved to get his ass kicked by her. The next blow hit him in the mouth and drew blood from his lip. He licked away the blood but stayed still.
She pounded her fist into his belly, and he doubled over. Still he didn't do anything. For a moment, it was like those times the Teran Five goons had beaten him, then fucked him. Pain was something he could deal with, but this emotional shit wasn't.
"Fight back, damn you,” she snarled.
He took a deep, painful breath and let it out. “No. If you want to beat me, go ahead."
"Stars burn you!"
When he lifted his gaze, she'd turned her back on him. “I failed you. I get it. It's my fault. My fault you're an assassin. My fault you carry around a boatload of guilt. Go ahead. Kick my ass."
She turned around, and he was stunned to see tears pouring down her face. “You fool. You
bastard
. I loved you. All you had to do was tell me—"
"I didn't know you were still alive, Carina. I accepted that you were dead, and with you gone, there was no chance for me to find anyone to love."
She froze and then blinked. “That doesn't make sense. You...you treated me like a brat. You spanked me and ignored me. And then, when I needed you most—” She stopped and pressed her lips together.
"You're damn right I spanked you. And I about died when you came from it.” He curled his hands into fists to keep them off her, just as he had then. “But you were sixteen and I was twenty-two.” He shrugged. “You were too young, too innocent. I was already on the Council's bad side. What could I offer you?"
"You knew?” she asked, her eyes wide.
"That you had an orgasm from my spanking?” His throat was tight from the memory. “Yeah. I knew. You don't know what it cost me to walk away. It was one of my nobler actions and look what it got us."
"Leo didn't tell you I was still alive?” She looked at him incredulously.
"Leo didn't tell me shit,” he snapped. “By the time we met up again, he was undercover with the Primarians and working for the TIF. There was no way I was telling him anything, and he wasn't going to reveal much to me."
She ran a hand through her hair. While she was lost in thought, he studied her, hoping to keep the image in his brain. He didn't believe he'd get out of this one alive. Not if he was going to get her out. Shaun would have to rescue her, and Xandros would have to distract their pursuers. He hated that he'd leave her marked, but he hadn't intended to hurt Carina Tao.
Her dark brown hair was ragged from the vicious hack job the Brotherhood had done. Her face was more angled, a far cry from the sweet, chubby cheeks she'd had as a teenager. Her eyes were a dark brown, and her fingers were long and slender. She had curves that were ruthlessly disciplined into a lean fighting machine. He longed to see those curves rounded by a child, carrying on the tradition of the Nyral people. He wanted a girl with the same fire and the same intense expression.
All those things were pipe dreams, fantasies blown away by the reality of the Primarians.
Bad enough to face a squad of those persistent assholes, but with an Ardasian seer, it was impossible. The seer would read any action they might take, any defense they might mount. The only way to win was to run, and right now, there was nowhere to run. Shaun wouldn't get to them before the Primarians. To save her, he had to lead them off, fool the Ardasian as he'd fooled others of his kind in the past.
Quietly, he picked up her clothes and handed them to her. They dressed without speaking. Then, she wrapped her arms around herself and spoke.
"Xandros,” she said in a low voice. “I need my weapons. I can take the Ardasian."
"No.” In two strides, he was beside her, taking her in his arms. “Shaun is on his way. And we'll escape."
Her gaze met his. She knew. He didn't have to say it. Somehow she knew he wasn't going with her. He pressed her face to his chest and buried his nose in what was left of her hair. Stars, he loved her. The thought solidified, and he realized he had loved this woman all his life.
He might have declared his feelings at that moment, but a sound at the entrance made him freeze. Slowly, he retrieved his laser gun and crouched on the fringes of the firelight.
Atlana stumbled into the cave, blood streaming from her mouth, her green eyes glowing in the darkness. Xandros and Carina rushed forward and caught the Ardasian just as she started to collapse.
"The Primarians’ seer is dead. I killed him.” Her green eyes were brilliant and bright, power emanating from them.
"Atlana—” Carina started to speak, but Atlana gripped her hand and aimed her eerie gaze at her.
"Must show you.” She glanced at Xandros. “Carry me. Waterfall. Cave."
He lifted the Ardasian woman into his arms. Xandros carried her to the falling water cascading down next to the cave. “Where, Atlana?'
"Through the water. Cave. Prophecy.” Atlana coughed, and blood spattered from her mouth.
Xandros shouldered his way through the water and ignored the cold, wet sensation. He hoped there was something in this cave to help the Ardasian woman. But there was only darkness.
When Carina lit the lantern she'd brought with her, all he saw was more cave drawings. “What is this place?"
"Sindar's grave,” Atlana said and coughed up more blood.
"There has to be a way to help you,” Carina insisted.
"I am done. My part is over. Here with Sindar, I will die. The seer caused me to bleed internally.” She managed a tremulous smile. “It took me too much time to access his mind."
"What are we doing here?” Carina asked. “Let me get help."
"No. I'm too far gone. It's fitting.” Atlana coughed again. Xandros set her down gently on the cave floor, and he and Carina knelt beside her.
With surprising strength, the woman reached out her hands and gripped them both. “Listen. The writings say that the bond you have is the second step to the Brotherhood's destruction. Leo Eyler's mating to the princess is first. Now your mating to Xandros. Both of you hold the key.” Her voice was insistent, desperate. “You will bring forth the enforcer.” She raised her arm and pointed. “The enforcer will kill the Brotherhood's leader."
Xandros stared at the writings. The picture Atlana indicated showed the Brotherhood as a three-headed snake. “And who is the enforcer?” he asked. Part of him already knew who she was going to say.
"His family name is Fenway.” Atlana coughed, and her hand fell away from his arm. “Through him, the Brotherhood is destroyed."
"Atlana—” He held her upright as she started to collapse.
Her gaze held his. “She is more than a Nyral submissive. Her blood holds power. That's why the Brotherhood could not completely mind wipe her. That's why she regained her memories.” Atlana's voice faded. “I've gained you time, but not much.” She smiled at Carina. “You are assassin and queen both. You are the messenger, sustained by your bond to him.” Her eyes closed, and she relaxed in Xandros's arms. “I go to be with my people."
The life bled out of her. Xandros gently stroked the hair away from her face. How old had she been? Thirty? Forty? It was difficult to tell. He laid her down on the cave floor and glanced at Carina.
Tears glinted in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. “What now?"
"Now I'll lead the Primarians away from this valley,” he said firmly. “I promised Atlana I would take care of the Nariadians.” He rose and checked his laser gun. It was charged and ready. Then he started for the waterfall.
Carina was right behind him. He stopped and glared at her. “You're staying."
"I'm going.” She held his hostile stare. “When I didn't remember who I was, I was a burden. Now I can help you."
"Against a thousand Primarians?” He gripped her shoulders and shook her. “You're not even fully recovered from what they did to you. If they capture you, all this is for nothing. Atlana died for nothing. Wait for Shaun."
"I'm going,” she said through pursed lips.
"You do exactly what I tell you to.” He didn't wait for her answer.
When they stepped out of the water, several Nariadians stood on the rocks surrounding them. Their faces were filled with grief, with questions. They seemed to know Atlana was dead, even though he didn't tell them. He couldn't even speak their language.
One of the men came forward and touched Carina. Xandros's rage rose to the surface, and he leaped forward. Two of the Nariadians gripped him, and for some reason, their restraint held him. The Nariadian with his hand on Carina spoke five words, and her mark flared bright white. Her eyes clouded over with a milky film. Xandros stared at her. Carina raised her arms, her hands facing each other. Light formed between them, and Xandros felt the power surge through him.
Words poured from Carina's mouth, words he didn't understand, yet he sensed their force. Wind rose and whipped the trees into a frenzy. Lightning cracked across the sky, and thunder exploded. Electricity streaked down the valley floor, and fires erupted everywhere. The light moved like an immoveable bolt of fire, incinerating all that impeded it.
In the valley below, men screamed in agony, and shouts of warning were cut short. A swath of destruction burned across a huge section down in the darkness. Xandros saw Primarian soldiers illuminated by the bolt of hot light that cut through everything, and then they were incinerated, their ashes scattering, their weapons useless.
Carina's feet rose from the rocks, and she levitated, her jagged hair whipping and blowing in the wind. More fire ripped through the forest below, and the sound of laser rifles reverberated off the rock walls. A number of soldiers streamed out of the trees and rushed toward them.