Precious Starlight (Quads of Galafrax Book 3) (12 page)

“Miss Daisy, you need to come with us.” Another of the soldiers stepped forward, his jaw set in a firm line.

“As a citizen of Galafrax, I don’t have to do a bloody thing, or go anywhere I don’t want to.” Hands on her hips, she glared at the men, refusing to back down even if she was trembling inside.
Where are my men? Why are these soldiers here?

“Daisy! Thank heavens you’re safe!” But and Lik raced into the room, the soldiers parting for them.
Oh, crap.

She tried to back up, but they crowded around her quickly. “Oh, no you don’t! Get away from me!”

“You're safe now, our lovely Daisy…no harm will come to you,” Lik loudly proclaimed. Daisy struggled against his grip, her mind racing as to how she could escape. But pulled her into his arms, pressing her face against his chest to muffle her shouts of protest. Using his strength against her, he captured and gripped her wrists and held them down. She hissed at the bite of pain. She gasped as something cold and stinging pressed against her neck. Panic swelled as she realised they were drugging her, and she fought harder, but it took only moments for her to weaken.

“No, no, I don’t want this,” she mumbled as her body sagged like a wet noodle. Fighting was utterly fucking useless.

Her head spun and her muscles refused to co-operate… her tongue felt thick in her mouth and she swore drool was now trickling out the corner of her lips. But swept her up in her arms and whispered in her ear.

“We’ve got you now, Daisy, and your men are never coming. You belong to us and there is no escape, so get used to it, our little pale flower.”

Yup, Daisy was far up shit creek, and the paddle was nowhere in sight.

* * * *

“You know glaring at the electrified field won’t weaken it,” Bex said in a calm manner, sitting on the bench next to Tos. He barely refrained from sucker-punching his little brother. Only the fact they were all in this situation together held him back from injuring Bex.

The violent tension in Tos’s body vibrated through his whole being. He sat on the edge of the bench on the far wall of the prison cell.

Tos growled, his inner rage consuming him, making his vision a veil of Demos blood red. His fingers itched to feel the heat of the Councillors' blood sliding through it. He’d dance on their insides after he’d slit them open and they spilled out all over the floor.

“I’m going to kill them.” His growl was low, deadly.

“And none of us here will stop you, in fact, we’ll cheer you on. The dickheads have stolen what’s ours and broken every Galafrax law in doing so. Kind of makes you wonder what other things these Councillors have been getting away with.” Bex tilted his head slightly to the right in evident thought.

Tos turned his glare onto Bex. “How can you stay so calm, knowing they could be harming her at this moment while we are here, helpless to do anything about it?”

Bex’s gaze darkened, matching Tos’s own violent fury.

“Don’t mistake my outer calm for what I feel inside for our
sheraz
, Tos. I’m in agreement. If they dare to hurt her, force her into anything, I’ll hold the demon spawn down and you can do your worst. But, I, unlike you, pave our future road ahead of time. Someone has to make sure we have solid ground to walk on or we’ll be, as Daisy has said, ‘up shit creek without a paddle’. We have solid stones to stand on. I just hope those stones turn up soon.”

“Bex, what have you done?” Loz asked from the other side of the room, his tone full of warning.

“We don’t know if we should be insulted or flattered to be called stones, Bex.”

Tos bounced to his feet as two richly robed Demos men strode between the cells of the Tri-Qui palace dungeon.

Instant recognition of two of the High Lords of Galafrax made him pause and stare in disbelief.

“My Lords!” Loz’s head bobbed in a curt, but respectful bow. Tos glanced at Bex, who didn’t look as surprised as his other brothers by the High Lords' appearance.

“Rocks are steady and always strong, my Lords,” Bex smiled slyly, “and while I’d love to sit and discuss rock metaphors, our human
sheraz
is in danger at this very moment.”

“Already on it,” Lord Gol nodded to his brother Hul. He deactivated the force field holding them. “When I got your message that a human female was being abused by a set of our appointed High Councillors, we came as soon as we were able.”

“Just how did Bex contact you?” Loz fell into step with Gol as they swiftly made their way out of the dungeon area and up the old black stone stairs. Tos wanted to know that as well, as it finally sank in to never to underestimate his youngest brother. Bex held more tricks than anyone knew and he planned every move with cunning.

“As Demos with a human wife to treasure, I thought it best our wives have other females to talk and share with, so they do not feel what our Kat calls
homesickness
," said Gol. "So we talk with the Fire Bond brothers. Our wives are now good friends.”

“I sent Daisy’s message to the Fire Bond brothers, adding in that we were heading to the palace to rescue her,” Bex explained in a matter-of-fact way.

“The Fire Bond brothers contacted us and thought you may need our help. Once we heard you’d been arrested, we came as quickly as we could. We have your Daisy’s message as evidence, but it is not enough. We need solid evidence against them for what they are doing.”

“You won’t need any fucking evidence if they're dead,” Tos growled again. “She can’t defend herself against being drugged.”

Both Gol and Hul’s faces dropped, darkly frowning. “Then we must hurry. I heard the claiming ceremony is about to start. If this drug is what I think it is, then she is at their mercy. Not to mention, it violates Galafrax law, not giving the female freedom of choice.”

A cold chill of fear, of not reaching her in time, ran down Tos’ spine.
No, don’t think about it––just get to her, as she’ll need to be calm and level headed.
Nothing in the whole nine galaxies would stop Tos from seeking his bloody revenge if they harmed even one cell on her skin.

“Before we burst in, I may have a plan which will work, so they don’t scuttle off.” Everyone paused and turned to stare at Bex expectantly.

Learning from hard experience, Tos knew when to listen to their youngest born. Every plan he’d had thus far had been fantastic.

“Tell us, but hurry,” Tos demanded.

Bex’s grin was calculating. “Brothers, don’t worry. If we do it this way, we’ll get our challenge after all and the High Councillors will be brought exactly where they belong.” Bex moved forward to walk beside the High Lords. “Didn’t happen to bring any extra robes with you, my Lords?”

* * * *

“Nod for me, my pet.”

Lik lowered his six-foot-two frame to meet her gaze. Lust gleamed in his gold eyes, but it made her want to vomit rather than melt like her men’s gazes did.

Nod?

'Fuck, no!' she wanted to scream and yell, but found her head bobbing up and down, as if her head were held by invisible strings like a marionette. These four red assholes held those strings.

Panic replaced rage when But took her arm, leading her into a room dominated by a large bed. The brothers worked together to strip her of her clothing. Her heart pounded fearfully as their golden eyes darkened and they ran their hands over her naked curves.

“As soon as the ceremony is over, this is ours to enjoy.” The Councillors grinned at each other in smug satisfaction. Councillor Pot focused on her. “Don’t think they will ever come for you, Daisy…we’ve had them locked up and charged with treason against Galafrax. Most often, the penalty is death.”

What? These fucking bastards had her men locked up?
No, no, no!
She fought with all her might against the drug making her so obedient.

“Let us hurry, then. I want to fuck her.” Lik ran his hand down her naked back. The others nodded and began to dress her again in what she assumed were ceremonial robes, kind of like an Earth wedding dress.

Daisy inwardly sighed in relief. At least they wouldn’t be raping her just yet.

“Utterly magnificent. Soon all of Galafrax will see and know what a beautiful human
sheraz
we have acquired.”

Yeah, and you’ll be losing body parts when I start hacking the moment this drug wears off.

Talk about a shotgun, or rather drugged-up, wedding. She screamed silently for any kind of natural disaster to happen, or her men to come to her rescue, but who was going to rescue them?

Lik placed dainty slippers on her feet. Satisfied with their preparations, they surrounded her like the four red horsemen of doom, leading her out of their quarters. With each second they moved deeper into the Palace, the more she lost hope she could escape.

No way, in this life or the next, would she ever give up on her men. Guards pushed open large, decorative double doors.

Light blinded her momentarily and she blinked against it. When her eyes finally adjusted, she found they were on a raised platform, surrounded by a large gathering of Demos quads and among them some Demos women. All chatted away, clearly here for the ceremony as their gazes turned upon her and the Councillors caging her in.

“Friends and honoured guests, welcome to our bonding ceremony. Blessed are we to have won the heart of this lovely human female, Daisy,” But proclaimed loudly.

Fuck, I’m really screwed.

Her heart pounded and real fear gripped her chest, tears blurring her vision as they spilled down her cheeks. She guessed it was one thing they couldn’t stop: her body's natural reaction to the stress they’d put her under. Was this really how her life would end? Slave to the same race who proclaimed her rescued and safe in their lands?

Her body began shaking, tears freely falling down her cheeks.

“Stop the shaking, Daisy,” whispered Pot from behind her, but her body wouldn’t obey.

“Is she all right?” an observant Demos male, who stood on stage with them, asked after studying her for a moment.

“She’s fine, aren’t you, Daisy? Just overjoyed at becoming ours,” But all but snarled at the official.

Don’t believe him, please, see the truth,
she pleaded with her eyes.

“You're fine, are you, Daisy?” the official asked.

“Nod for him,” her puppet master Pot commanded. Her head bobbed obediently.

“Very well, shall we proceed?”

“Yes, we are eager to have our
sheraz
alone.” But grinned at the official, who chuckled.

Dickhead.

The official clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the crowd. “Demos quads of Galafrax, what a joyous occasion it is, to bond the High Councillors R’galas of our Third City to this lovely human female. Before I begin, is there any objection or challenge to this female who has chosen these men as hers?”

Daisy actually managed to roll her eyes and her nose twitched. Was she regaining control over some of her body? Her breathing was becoming more laboured, as a cold sweat broke out over her skin. What the hell was happening? Was she having an adverse reaction to the drug they’d given her?

Things went from bad to worse.
If I did pass out, then they couldn’t complete the bonding thingy.

“Yes, we object!”

Oh thank god, someone with some sense.
She peered out into the crowd from where the voice had bellowed.

The crowd parted as hoods were thrown back to reveal only two of one set of quads. From the gasps and sudden bows by those surrounding them, they were men of high ranking or great power.

“The High Lords!” gasped Lik, standing on her left.

Yay for the High Lords––whoever they are...

They strode forward. “We have strong evidence to suggest Miss Daisy here is not a willing participant in this bonding."

Several of the crowd gasped at the High Lords' words.

Oh hell, yes… Please help me!
She tried to open her mouth fighting against the drug, only to have her body shake further. She blinked––was she seeing more than her usual quadruple? Things were a little blurred and she blinked again to try to clear her vision.

“You dare accuse us of forcing her to be ours?” But moved to stand in front of her.

“No, we do not accuse you.”

“We do!” From different points on the stage, her men walked in to surround the High Councillors. Her heart leapt in her chest. Oh god, were they a sight for her blurry and sore eyes. She recognized each one: Loz’s commanding tone and Tos's fierce glare directed at the High Councillors while, on the other side, Bex winked and Cir looked at her with concern.

She glanced up at the tight faces of the High Councillors and smirked.

You guys are so screwed.

“My brothers and I challenge you for drugging and attempting to steal our
sheraz
!”

God, she loved Loz…

Challenge
. Her dimming mind barely registered that it was a fight of some kind.

“Daisy!” She noted Cir running, his eyes wide in unambiguous panic, but why was he tilting sideways?
Oh, yeah
… it wasn’t him moving sideways, she was falling.