Marked for Danger (12 page)
Light exploded from Carina's hands and swept across the valley, burning everything. The smell of burning flesh rose in the air. Xandros stared as twenty or thirty burning bodies ran helter-skelter back through the trees trying to escape the fire Carina created. Trees exploded. The swarm of men were now lumps of cooked meat.
As suddenly as it had begun, the fire winked out, and Carina dropped to the ground.
Xandros lifted her head and checked her pulse. Passed out. He gazed down at the now barren valley. Thousands of Primarian soldiers were smoldering globs of burned flesh. Every piece of vegetation was destroyed. The very ground was scorched.
He blinked and stared at the Nariadian. The man nodded. “For Atlana.” The Nariadians turned and retreated back into their caves.
Xandros buried his face in Carina's neck. He didn't know whether to feel relief or fear when Shaun landed his shuttle on the newly barren ground.
What the fuck happened? Carina opened her eyes slowly. A med facility. That was good. But she remembered the death, the fire, the burning. The destruction had been incredible. She'd seen it before she'd collapsed. What had that alien done to her? He'd spoken the words, and she'd known them, said them, let the fire rise within her.
And what did that make her? Some kind of paranormal freak.
Xandros was in a chair at the foot of the bed, his head resting on his arms. She stared at him. He was her marked mate, and she didn't know what the fuck that meant.
That power. She didn't know what it was or what it was for. Her memories shouldn't have returned either. A mind wipe was permanent; the only known treatment was to submit to a brain scan on Teran Five. Yet she'd regained her memories without any help at all. Well, after some intense sex with Xandros Jasper.
She wondered what it all meant.
The med door opened, and a beautiful woman strode in. She wore a white flight suit and had auburn hair that shone in the artificial lights. When she pulled up a chair and sat beside Carina, her expression was serious. “How are you feeling?"
"I don't know,” Carina answered truthfully. “I've been kidnapped, mind wiped, found out I was part of some mystical prophecy bullshit, and some alien asshole said a few words which made me burn a few thousand soldiers to a crisp. How should I feel?"
The other woman's lips twitched. “If you have your memories, then you know who I am."
Carina glanced away. She knew. “Princess Sera Ellysa Placido, last heir to the Placidian throne."
The woman stood up, her back straight. “Yes. And apparently your target."
Carina shifted, uncomfortable under the woman's perceptive gaze. “I have a job to do."
The princess nodded. “Destroy the Brotherhood. My death wouldn't have mattered to you."
"I wasn't planning on actually killing you."
Princess Sera lifted her lips in a small, tight smile. “Not unless you had to.” The woman glanced down at Xandros's sleeping form. He hadn't even woken up. “He loves you, you know,” she said casually.
"Right,” Carina said bitterly. “I'm his newest acquisition, nothing more, Princess."
The princess cocked her head to the side. “We had to pry you from his arms."
Carina shrugged, even though her heart warmed at the thought. “I'm an expensive acquisition."
Princess Sera shook her head. “Pity."
"What is?” Carina asked reluctantly.
The other woman stared at Xandros's bent head. “He went into the Nyral rage when the Brotherhood took you. At that distance, it's rare. I've never seen the kind of connection between marked mates."
What could Carina say to that? She stared at the ceiling. “Yay me?"
The princess snorted, a very unladylike sound. “Yeah. It's not all it's cracked up to be, is it?” She stroked Carina's cheek. “Leo has talked about you so often. I feel as if I know you."
Carina glared at the woman. “You don't."
"Oh?” The princess raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Pissed that we interfered in your death wish, are you?"
"Yes,” she hissed under her breath. “What are you going to do now? Find me some nice dom to settle down with? One who won't mind that I've assassinated hundreds of people?"
"You already found one,” she said with a significant glance at Xandros. “Funny. The prophecies are so vague."
"What do you mean?"
"There were three...” The princess seemed to drift into thought, and then she shook her head sharply. “If you have your memories, then you know where Finn and Aron were taken."
Stars, she wished she could forget. They'd opened a portal, some magic transporter that had scared the shit out of her. “I'm not sure, but the priests did some kind of magic, and a doorway appeared."
"Do you remember the words they said?” the other woman asked quickly.
Carina rubbed her temples. She didn't want to remember, but the memory was sharp and clear...
Her knees were cold from the metal floor where she knelt. Dim light illuminated very little, except Challah Pestori, the priest's daughter, also kneeling, to her right. The rest was hidden in shadow.
"You should learn from this assassin, my daughter,” Father Pestori said from the darkness. “Even after she has served the Brotherhood by killing her target, she does not question me when I demand she take a soldier's cock in her mouth."
Bile rose in Carina's throat. The only thing that kept her still, kept her deadly knife sheathed, was the hope that she would have her revenge, that she would have the blood of the real leader of the Blueshift Brotherhood.
She shot a glance at Challah and noted the woman's face was pale. Her back was crisscrossed with new whip marks. A punishment, no doubt, for trying to protect one of her father's victims.
Her attention was caught by four Primarians that marched into view. They dragged two men into the light.
Aron and Finn. Damn it. She'd tried to warn them, told them to run.
Her fault. She'd revealed Shaun Fenway's intentions to Leo Eyler, knowing it would lead to the assassin's death or capture. She also knew the Brotherhood would turn on the other two Nyral males.
"But first, let's take out the garbage,” the priest intoned. He spoke words in a strange language, and she trembled. What was he doing?
The four priests chanted, their words resonating inside her. The urge to speak was so strong, her throat hurt. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she tried to blink them away.
Challah whimpered. “Father, please.” The pathetic sound was full of pain and fear.
"You must learn, my daughter, that you are not the only one I can use."
The chants flowed through Carina like electricity, and something elemental passed through her body to Pestori's fingers on her neck. He spoke again, his lined face hard and cold.
Noise like she'd never heard before roared in the little room. Bright light blinded her. Challah screamed, “No, Father, don't."
An eerie, creepy smile lifted Pestori's face, and he pointed his left hand toward the altar. Swirls of bright gold, silver, and purple appeared out of nowhere and formed a doorway.
Before Carina understood, the four priests dragged Aron and Finn to the swirls and threw them toward the brilliantly colored opening. The men screamed, a horrific sound that ripped through Carina like a laser-pistol shot.
They were sucked into the void, the swirls swallowing them like ripe fruit; and then they were gone with only sparkles and glitter left behind.
Carina thought she might scream in horror. Gone. They were gone. For a moment, her mind blanked, unable to process what she'd seen. She'd done that. She'd been the conduit, the live wire to make it happen.
Her fault.
Father Pestori dropped his fingers from her neck. “Not many have seen the fist beneath the robe, Rina Assassin. You are privileged..."
"Carina,” the princess said softly, breaking into Carina's memory.
She blinked for a moment. “The words?” She remembered. Her voice cracked as she repeated the words, stumbling over their pronunciation.
She stared at the princess and watched color drain from her face. Abruptly, the other woman sat down as if her legs couldn't hold her up anymore. “I was right. Holy comet."
"Fill me in?"
"It's a version of the Star Blessing, a Placidian chant. It transports objects, but I've never heard of it being used for people.” Princess Sera ran a trembling hand over her mouth. “I thought the man in charge of the Brotherhood might have a background in Placidian magic, but transporting people?"
"I thought Placidian royalty were the only ones with that kind of power.” Carina was uncomfortably aware that she'd accessed some strange power, a killing magic that had disintegrated over a thousand men.
"I thought so too until Leo showed me I was wrong,” the princess said wryly. She licked her lips and took a deep breath. “It seems that the Nyral population is connected to Placidians somehow. That's why many Nyral Doms and submissives have come to Placido to resettle."
"On that planet—” Carina couldn't get the words out. Fire. Ashes. Death.
Princess Sera nodded. “I saw.” She shuddered. “I know that crushing power too. It isn't pleasant."
"For a moment,” Carina said slowly, “I wanted them all dead, and I enjoyed it.” She stared at the princess helplessly. “I've been an assassin and never felt a moment's exhilaration at the kill. But this time—” She pursed her lips which had started to tremble. “This time, I loved it. Even as a part of my mind was horrified, a huge part of me was...gleeful.” There. She'd said it out loud, got it out of her like a poison.
Surprisingly, Princess Sera nodded immediately in agreement. “I know. It's terrifying, isn't it? I never knew how bloodthirsty I was until I smashed an enemy into the ground on Placido.” She touched Carina's hand. “It's natural and understandable. You weren't even in control of it."
"No. That man, that Nariadian, he—” What had he done? “He spoke some words and I...I...” She couldn't even put it into words.
"You were a conduit for something tremendous and dark.” Princess Sera stared off into space. “It's like life and death in the same moment."
"Yes.” Carina sat straight up. “Like a brilliant light that was black as night."
"It's power, Carina. It's not good or bad. It just is.” Sera focused on her. “Nyral submissives are uniquely qualified to understand this. Joined with the right force, you can resonate it, amplify it."
"I don't understand."
"In a scene, have you ever noticed that, though the dom has the power, you can increase the power in the room?” She smiled and shot Xandros a glance. “Not that Xandros needs anything, but a good scene requires two, not one.” Then she grinned. “Or three. Or four."
"And every addition adds...more.” Carina had seen the dynamic. It wasn't just doubled or tripled but grew exponentially as power passed between more people in sync.
"That's how Placidian power operates. It needs a certain kind of person, the kind who can balance power.” The princess glanced at the door. “Leo understands the balance. And he has control over it."
"Did you?” Somehow Carina found the power devouring.
"To some extent,” Princess Sera said. “But I didn't allow the power to pass through me, to release it.” She lifted her hands and curled them into fists. “I tried to grasp it tightly. By doing that, it slipped through my fingers.” Her smile was gentle, and her fingers spread wide open. “How many doms have you seen do the same thing? And when they do, we don't give them our true submission. The exchange is a fraud."
Carina nodded slowly. That was true. Most scenes she had with doms were a pale shadow, a bad imitation of the true dominance she needed. Until Xandros. Her gaze finally focused on Xandros, still sound asleep at the end of the bed.
His dark hair was mussed, and his face was turned toward her as he rested his head in his arms. Black circles surrounded his eyes, and the stubble on his cheeks emphasized the hollow dips. He looked tired and worried.
"How long have I been here?” Carina kept her gaze on Xandros.
"Three days.” The princess started to say something more, but a device on her wrist beeped. She pressed a button. “Are we there already?"
Leo's voice came through the device. “No. Another six hours. Shaun wants to see her. Is she awake?"
"She is. Send him in.” Princess Sera glanced at Xandros and frowned, lines appearing around her mouth. “Someday I hope you can explain this man's relationship to Shaun."
Shaun. Carina had forgotten he was part of this. “Hell, Princess, I can't even explain
my
relationship to Xandros."
A faint smile erased the frown. “Complicated. That seems to be a running theme with Nyral males.” She took a deep breath. “Well, try and rest. I'll see you later."
"Where are we going?” Carina had a bad feeling she already knew.
"Pelios. That's where we find the rest of the prophecy.” The princess swept out of the room.
Alone with her thoughts, Carina tried to piece her memories back together. Some were cloudy and blurry, but most of them were still intact. Frankly, Carina was too tired to give a shit about anything, even killing the head of the Brotherhood.
The door opened, and Shaun approached her side. He shot a quick glance at Xandros and tightened his lips. When his gaze met hers, memories flooded her. So many times she'd sought solace in his arms, always keeping her distance when they'd fucked, never revealing her true self.
"I've missed you,” he said calmly. His hazel eyes were almost molten gold, and she couldn't stop the regret that washed over her.
"I'm not the one who left."
He stared steadily until her gaze slid away. Then he said, “No? You and I both know you told Leo that I was Brotherhood. I know you were conveniently unavailable when we attacked Placido."
"She wasn't my target.” A lame excuse, and she knew it.
"Not yet. But you were part of the team to take her out. Instead, you tipped off Leo, and they escaped.” He leaned over her, his hands on either side of her head. “You were the reason Leo Eyler branded me as his."
True. When the Brotherhood had ordered Shaun and his team to kill Princess Sera Placido, she'd had to act. It wasn't hard to guess the princess would use her membership at one of the pleasure clubs on Sethos Five and that her new bodyguard, Leo Eyler, wouldn't leave her side.