Shades of Dark (46 page)

“If you and Sullivan can’t break it, then I’d probably not be much more help. Let Hayden dig his own grave.”

“Sully said he’s turning Hayden over to you and Jodey, when we get to meetpoint with the
Nowicki
.”

“Surprised me too, but it’s sensible. Sullivan can always be accused of having a personal vendetta against Burke. We can’t. The man’s been kidnapping Takan women and breeding jukors. I don’t give a damn about his bank account or status as an heir.”

“Will anyone even listen to us?” I didn’t try to hide the tiredness in my voice.

“Eventually yes, some will. That’s the best we can hope for. Burke’s just the first step, though. Jodey’s already talking to people like Falkner, and he’s picking up dissenters, adding them to his crew. But it’s going to take time, Chaz. It’s going to take time, resources, planning. And don’t think for a minute the Farosians and Stol aren’t thinking the same thing. I don’t care what Tage puts forth. Fleet has fractured. That leaves the Empire vulnerable.”

“The Serians may once again rule the Baris sector, and Regarth will walk as a prince among kings,” I intoned turning to look at Sully and Del. Their voices had quieted, but judging from the flare of energies, their conversation had not.

Zeno sat on the floor, glassy eyed, unmoving.

“At least he’ll have his pick of ships here,” Philip said, watching Sully and Del as I was. “That will solve a big problem for you and Sullivan on the
Karn.
”

I couldn’t hold the truth inside me any longer. “I’m not staying with the
Karn.
”

“Chaz?” Philip stared down at me.

I glanced at him then back at the two silvery-limned
Kyi
. “When we meet up with Jodey, I’m going with you and him.”

“You’re leaving Sullivan.” It wasn’t a question.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yes.”

“Does he know?”

“Not in so many words, but…yeah.” And he’d deemed it a right decision, through a pain that had seared us both.

Philip’s silence told me I’d shocked him. I chanced a glance. Disbelief warred with concern on his face. “But you love him.”

“Yeah to that too.” My voice broke, the tightness in my chest strangling my words. I was leaving Sully. I sucked in a deep breath and headed for the prince and his student.

Del’s eyes glittered as I came up on his left.
Hello, angel.

“Hello, Regarth,” I said out loud. I switched a look from him to Sully. “Which one of you is going to get the primary codes for me?”

“I wouldn’t dream of denying Gabriel his deserved fun with Cousin Hayden.”

“This won’t take long,” Sully said but not before slanting a quick, narrow-eyed glance at Del. “Guthrie, if you have any specific questions about Tage, they’ll need to wait. I’ll do a deeper probe later, but Chasidah needs those codes.”

“Not a
zragkor
. We’ll need him functioning later,” Philip said as we followed Sully to a cargo bay that opened through the rear wall. Hayden Burke sat blankly—and alone—at one edge of a dirty tool bench just inside the double doors, hands loosely in his lap. His gaze seemed to note our arrival then drifted away. Like Gregor’s had.

Sully stood in front of his cousin and, with one finger, tilted the man’s face up until he was looking directly into his eyes. “Hello, Hayden,” he said quietly.

Something like alarm flared briefly in Hayden’s eyes.

“Just when you think you have everything under control, you don’t. That seems to be a lesson we both have learned lately, doesn’t it? But here I am. And here you are. Your jukors are dead. I couldn’t save the women you kidnapped, but at least you won’t be doing that anymore. And thanks for the ships. Both of them. They’ll come in handy.”

Hayden’s respiration increased. His gaze was fixed on Sully’s except when something sparked in the
Kyi
close to him, or a surge flashed down Sully’s cheek. Then an almost imperceptible tremor moved under Hayden’s skin, but his body was locked in stasis.

“I have a few preliminary questions,” Sully said. “I’m sure you won’t mind answering them. Your cooperation now will make things go much better later on. Let’s start with the encryption on your ship’s primaries. I have a captain anxious to fly her, and if anything—
anything—
were ever to happen to this very special captain, I will hold you responsible. And you would pay. Very slowly and very painfully.” Sully’s voice dropped to a deep, threatening growl. “For a very, very long time.”

Del stood on Hayden’s left, his mouth twisting in a small but satisfied smile at the fear coming in waves from Hayden Burke. A different kind of symphony.

If I hadn’t wanted those codes so badly, I would have walked away. I hated Hayden Burke. But I hated more watching Sully and Del draw power from Hayden’s fear. And I was not about to contact Sully through mind-speak and tell him to hurry up. The last thing I wanted right now was to experience what he was experiencing.

“Tell me about that pretty encryption, Hayden.”

Hayden’s voice, his fear, his anger exploded into my mind. I staggered against Philip as the series of letters and numbers that would unlock the
Lucky Seven
were etched in my brain. I knew them as well as Hayden knew them.

But I knew so much more.

I felt Sully’s raw hunger for the fear. I felt Del’s probing and slicing to make the emotions that much deeper, more intense. I felt them demand, I felt them feed, the
Kyi
surging, blossoming, expanding like an uncontrollable heat rushing through my body. It was heady. It was erotic. It was horrible.

I pushed it away and suddenly felt Sully’s shock at my presence. He hadn’t realized I was part of his link with Del.

And I felt Del’s gleeful satisfaction at adding one more riveting stanza to the symphony he’d been orchestrating since we found him on Narfial.

Damn you, Regarth!

She wanted the codes. She has them now, irrevocably.

Sully spun toward me, one hand out, expression pained.
Angel-mine, I’m so sorry.

I backed up, teeth clenched, stomach threatening to heave. Philip’s hand closely tightly around my arm. If his link with Sully was open, then he’d felt what I had. If not, he probably was guessing what had happened.

All of what you are is hers, Gabriel. All of you!
Del was almost shouting.
How dare you let her demand you be what you’re not? This is your right. And it is hers.
He grabbed Hayden’s mind with his own and wrenched it.

Abject horror shot through me, followed immediately by a surge of heat so powerful I felt it could lift me off my feet. I sucked in a hard breath, my body intensely alive, electric, and resonating strongly to Sully’s.

Just like when we made love. But this time Del was there too.

Del licked his lips and chuckled softly.
A good student requires an even better teacher.

No.
Sully’s voice was rough and shaking with anger as he turned to Del.
Damn you to hell! You will not use her like that. It ends now!

Light flashed, a blinding surge of power. A hot pain seared my mind. Something else blistered against my skin. I screamed, dropping to my knees, hands on my head. Then Philip was dragging me backward out of the cargo bay. All I could hear was my own breath and the sound of my boots and his scuffling against the debris-covered decking as a harsh wind whirled over us. Lengths of old cable and ceiling tiles flew through the air. Philip and I finally found shelter halfway across the lower staging area, our backs against a pair of wide duro-hards that shielded us from most of the impact.

I grabbed Philip’s arm and hauled myself upright. He was tight-lipped, his face holding a fury I’d never seen before. I knew why. “Del opened your link with Sully too, didn’t he?” I rasped out as a silent war waged in flashes of light just out of my sight, and an unholy windstorm whipped my hair across my face.

“Go unlock Burke’s ship.”

“They’re going to kill each other. I’m not letting that happen.”

“You can’t stop them.”

“Like hell I can’t.” I lunged forward.

Philip yanked me back. “Regarth will use you to incite Sully. Again.”

A flash of light flared so brightly I was forced to close my eyes. My heart stopped but there was another. A third. Sully was still alive. I knew it.

I shoved Philip away. He caught a handful of my sleeve. “Chaz!”

I pulled the
Kyi
-killer from its holster. “Sully was right. This stops. Now.” I jerked back, hard, then ran, heart pounding, mouth dry, praying for another flare of energy that told me the battle was still on. And Gabriel Sullivan was still alive.

A wall of light poured from the cargo bay’s open doors, sparkling, roiling. I hesitated only a moment then plunged through, almost stepping on Hayden, who was cringing, cowering on the floor next to the bench. It was probably the safest place for him to be. I sprinted past him, my eye on two forms struggling with each other near the bay’s left wall.

The whirlwind had stopped, the energies that had poured outward now returning to the two men. Lightning flashed so brightly that my eyes stung. I swiped at them with my sleeve as I ran past broken duro-hards and servostairs. I saw Del stumble, saw Sully barrel into him, body and energy surging forward. Then Del was down, panting, blood dripping from his mouth. Sully shoved another rush of energy at him. But Del rolled sideways, swinging a swath of star-filled energy as he did, catching Sully’s legs, whipping him around. This time he stumbled, crashing against a lopsided set of servostairs. Del was up, moving, a wall of blazing energy in front of him like a force field. Sully’s left arm and leg were trapped in the twisted metal. He wrenched against it and for a second nothing happened. Then the wreckage flew at Del.

Del dropped and rolled again. A wave of energy crashed back against Sully, pinning him to the floor.

I was running flat out now, lungs burning. I saw the problem. Sully was a street fighter, used to the physical. Attacking with the
Kyi
wasn’t his instinctual response. Del had spent twenty years learning to fight with the power of the
Kyi
. It had nothing to do with who was the more powerful. Del had the expertise and instincts Sully lacked.

I was close enough that I could see long gashes in Del’s coat, energy spewing through. I could see blood dripping down the side of Sully’s face. I skidded to a halt ten feet from them, and locked my arms. “Freeze, Regarth, or I’ll fry your fucking brains!”

Del turned, one arm still out, energy flowing from his hand, locking Sully down. His smile widened to a broad grin. “This is delightful. Gabriel, your
ky’sara
has come to play. And she’s brought Tage’s new toy.”

A new toy I knew dismally little about. If I shot Del, the outflow might also harm Sully. I tapped the laser-sights on. A small red dot appeared on his chest. “Let him go, Regarth. Take Burke’s ship and get out of here. And never come near us again.”

Chasidah.
Sully’s voice was strained.
Get. Out. Now.

“You’re giving me Burke’s ship? You mean, you don’t want to kill me?” Del shook his head. “Angel, where is your passion?”

“Under control.” Which was exactly what Del didn’t want. He wanted to feed on a
ky’sara
’s anger, fear, and desperation. He got Captain Chasidah Bergren, pride of the Sixth Fleet, instead. “I’m not your plaything. Death is not a sport I take pleasure in. Let Sully go. Leave.” I kept my tone even, my mind blank, my duro-hards permanently shut. “
Now,
Regarth.” I stepped closer.

He sighed, lowering his hand. The silver energy faded but only slightly. Sully struggled to sit, pulling himself up on one elbow, panting. But Del’s energy still pushed against him.

“All the way, Regarth.”

“If I release him, lover, he’ll kill me. That would be unpleasant.”

“Do as she says, Regarth.” Philip’s voice—and hard footsteps—boomed across the cargo bay. “You can call a
sen’mral
. A truce of brothers. It’s inviolate. No one kills anyone. Protection in the code of the clan.”

I’d never heard of a
sen’mral,
but I trusted Philip’s research. And I wanted a truce. I didn’t want to press the trigger of the
Kyi
-killer while Sully was linked so strongly to Del. I was very aware that by doing so, they both might die.

Del looked at Sully, one brow arched. “Would you grant me that, Brother? A
sen’mral
? A ship, my freedom? Your gift to your
guri
?”

Sully nodded slowly. “I would so love to kill you,” he said hoarsely, “but that will have to wait for another lifetime. So yes, a
sen’mral
. On my word. And yours.”

I waited, holding my breath. Del made a fist, bringing the energy back to his hand with an almost palpable snap. Philip, Norlack rifle aimed at Del, was a few feet from my side. Sully pushed himself onto his knees.

Del’s hand swung down. My world exploded, again.

I sailed backward, blinded, lungs burning. I hit the floor, a cargo crate, something with sharp edges, something that dug into my spine. I yelped, hearing someone cry out as I tried, blinded and near retching from pain, to get my feet under me, but it was like trying to claw through a bulkhead. That made no sense, but I managed to pull myself to my knees. I swiped at my face until my vision was merely blurry but I could see. And I saw Del standing, energy rolling from both hands, circling me, holding me in place. I was kneeling, but I felt as if I were pushing against the outflow from the thruster engines on a heavy-air fighter. I could get…only…so…far.