The Chalice (35 page)

Anne dusted off her hands. “Most of it looks unusable but maybe the wom enwould feel better if they had some of their own possessions. I think we shouldbring them  down here and let them  pick through and see if they can locateanything of their own.”

“First things first,” Kara rem inded her. “Last thing we need is to do is go down to the planet looking like Chiagan-Se. If any of this stuff is still wearable, we need it. If we could find som ething of Hanna’s, we should be able to disguise the big guy there.”

“Pooh,” Dread sniffed, sizing the breeder up. “He ain’t big. He’s a little guy. He

can wear som e of Ume’s stuff.”

Shagal straightened, drawing himself to his full height, the fiery red hair anincongruous em bellishment to the furious artisan. He snarled, baring his sharpfangs. “You belittle me too much fem ale.” He reached for the Tar strapped to hisside. “I may not be Warrior caste, but I have trained as one.” The Tarunsheathed.   Between   narrowed   eyelids,   the   silvered   orbs   glinted   withunsuppressed fury. He took one step and then another. Electric currents crackledin the stillness. The Tar sliced the air, humm ing an ominous melody.

Anne squeaked in alarm .

Adrenalin surging through her system, Kara sailed through space, landing in aprotective crouch in front of Dread. Between her breast and the tip of the Tar wasthe span of m ere inches.

“W hoa there, Shagal.” She held out her hands, palms up. Knees wobbled, heart ham m ered a rapid staccato in her ribcage. “Just calm  down. We’re all on the same side here.”

An aura of scorching rage surrounded the breeder, so tangible she could feel

the pulsating waves of heat. Rigid and tense, he was on the verge of meltdown.

“I survived when many did not,” he ground out between clenched teeth, glittering eyes fraught with pain. “I fought when scores of my brothers and sisters fell beneath the brutality of the Deg’Nara, dying by the m illions.” The Tar dipped just a tad. “I will not suffer her abuse any further. I do not expect the female’s friendship, but I demand her respect.”

“You got it,” Kara crooned a soothing wisp of sound. “Som etimes Dread’s brain

isn’t attached to her mouth. But she’s a good fighter and we need her alive.”

She could feel the tremors wracking the woman behind her. Something she

never expected to experience— Dread was petrified!

The tip of the Tar dropped, pointing at the floor. He shuddered, chest

expanding as he drew in air. The charged atm osphere eased.

“I didn’t…I didn’t mean anything,” Dread m umbled. “I’m  sorry.”

“There you go,” Kara felt her lips quiver with abject relief. “She’s apologizing.

She didn’t m ean it. You’re good. She’s good. We’re all good.”

He visibly relaxed and then bowed, a courtly gesture of unsurpassed grace. “Iaccept your apology and I offer you m ine. My anger was unacceptable. I willendeavor to contain m yself in the future.”

“Heck,” Dread laughed, stepping from   behind as she wiped a sheen of perspiration from  her forehead. “I m ight’ve been a little scared, but I was totally im pressed. Didn’t know you had it in you.” She slapped his arm , a wide smile pasted on her full lips. “Guess I was wrong. I feel a whole lot better now knowing you can handle yourself.”

For what seem ed the first time, Shagal regarded Danesha with som ething

more than irritation. His large eyes roamed over her curvaceous figure, taking in

every line and minute detail. He looked…interested.

Kara heaved a silent sigh. Cripes! She wasn’t made for this kind of shit! If lifewas fair and there really was a God, she’d be at home in her own bed sufferingfrom  a never-ending nightmare. Or better yet— she’d overdosed on drugs, existingin a La La Land of her own make believe. Made m ore sense than reality—if thiswas reality. I’m  so ready to wake up! But if she woke up, there’d be no Tegan andthat she couldn’t accept.

“So,” Anne’s cheerful voice interjected. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Kara scratched her neck, the musty wool itching and unpleasant. Why’d she’dpicked it to wear was beyond her, but Protia’s climate was cold and she neededthe warmth. The fabrics of the breeders were only good for lim ited modesty, notthe wind-swept topography of the wintry planet below.

Anxious, m illing around the docking port, the other women wore similar item sand except for their surroundings, they looked like any group of human travelers. Shagal on the other hand stood out like a sore thum b. It’d taken the artisanssome time to concoct a reasonable fit from  the human garm ents and the finalresult was somewhat…gaudy to say the least. Besides the bizarre tunic and ill-fitting leggings, a cloak of m any colors covered him  from  head to toe, concealingthe various weapons he sported. She chuckled. The orange hair was beginning togrow on her.

Susie, who Kara thought of as Goth Girl, was selected as the fourth m em ber ofthe team . She hugged herself, black-tattooed lips blowing a lock of m idnight bluehair from  her dead-white face, the result of layers of thick makeup caking herfeatures. Wonder where she got it? Several shiny loops pierced the thin nostrilsand gilded studs poked through her left eyebrow. Kara leaned in for a closerinspection, convinced she spotted a few new ones. Goth Girl caught her look.

“This waiting is driving me nuts,” she groused, tugging at her sleeves with

blackened fingernails. “Let’s just get the hell down there and buy the crap.”

“You scared?” Kara asked, wondering at the girl’s nervous energy. Maybe she’s

just an over-achiever!

“Shit yeah I’m  scared. Only an idiot wouldn’t be.”

“Me, too,” Kara whispered. “Why’d you volunteer? You could’ve stayed behind.”

“I know how to fight,” Goth admitted reluctantly. She rubbed her forehead, grimacing as she spoke. “I’ve been in com bat situations more tim es than I care to admit. Just thinking about it makes me all jittery and uptight. Spent some time in Special Ops before I got tired of all the fighting. But I can handle myself as well as any guy.”

Good to hear! She patted the girl’s arm . “I’m  glad you’ll be with us.”

Last to join the crew was Dina. Spiky blonde hair tufted in a Mohawk from  thecenter of her shaved skull. From  her m akeshift appearance here, back on Earth,she’d have hung with a biker gang. She looked hard, bad-assed and mean. Biker Chick was a perfect choice.

A cluster of bystanders ringed the transport, tossing out last minute words of

advice and wishing them  luck. Hanna twined herself around Mordaq, holding on as though they’d be parted for an eternity. He hugged her to him, their lips fused one last time and then he clim bed into the transport. Stricken, the big wom an slum ped, hands covering her face while Moira offered muted words of com fort.

It was time to go. Her heart hammered, pounding out a ferocious rhythm . Shefelt faint, pissed at herself for stepping up yet again. Wonder if I’ll ever get myhead out of my ass!

A hush fell over the assem blage. Kara felt a tingle run up her spine, knowingwithout seeing that Tegan had entered the port. She’d purposely avoided tellinghim  she was planning to go, convinced he’d veto her involvement if he’d had anyidea she was accompanying the landing team .

He was right behind her. She could feel his body heat. Here we go!

“W hy are you dressed like that?” he demanded.

She turned, drawing a deep breath. “I’m  going with them .”

His face flam ed, a snarl slashed his sculpted lips. “No,” he growled. “You. Are.

Not. Go back to your quarters.”

Her chin came up. Men telling her what to do was high on her fuck you and the

horse you rode in on list. “I don’t think so,” she said, shaking her head.

“There are others who are better suited for the task,” he snapped, muscles bunching beneath his carved cheeks. The long braids fell forward as he loomed over her. “I forbid you to go.”

“ Forbid me? You forbid me?” Her dander rose, back stiffened. Men didn’t tell her what to do. She told them . And really! How dare he? “You don’t own m e and you can’t tell me what to do.”

A collective gasp of astonishm ent broke from  the onlookers. Several Warrior

bodyguards stepped forward, shock ream ing their grim  faces.

His lips parted, spreading in an evil grin. “I com mand this ship and those on it.

As such, I do own you. You’ll do as I say or suffer the consequences.”

“And what would those be?”

If he thought he could bully her into backing down, he was in for a big frickin’surprise. I’m  not that easy! Besides, he’d already made the fatal m istake ofproving he was a pushover when it came to her wishes. She had the right—andthe responsibility. If she was Queen, and it seemed she was, sending someone inher place wasn’t the honorable or fair thing to do. A ruler had the same burdenfor the whole to bear as did the lowest servant. She’d read that somewhere— or

something like it.

“You’re too important.” His voice grew soft, pleading. “I fear for your safety.”

Just like a man! Using the whitewash! She worried at her lip. Not working!

“So I’m  m ore im portant than say,” she pointed, “little Moira over there. She’s

more expendable than I am?”

“That is not what I meant,” he muttered, silver blues flashing. “But as their

Queen, you’re needed here in case something happens on the planet.”

She reached out, bracing her hands against his tensed forearms, willing him  tounderstand. “If som ething happens on the planet, then I’ve only myself to blame. I don’t expect the others to do som ething I wouldn’t do myself. Would you requireone of your breeders to take your place if the reverse were true?”

“No,” he shot out, angered. “Of course not.”

“Then don’t expect me to do it. I won’t send another in my place.”

For what seemed an eternity, he glared and she glared back, gritting her teeth. If she gave in, what would he presum e to tell her to do the next tim e? Ain’t gonnahappen!

“We   have   to   go,”   Shagal   murm ured,   disrupting   their   im passe.   “The tem perature’s dropping and if we wait too m uch longer, we may as well go after the next rest period.”

Tegan gazed at her for several moments, m isery peeking from  the depths of

his soul. “Go then,” he whispered for her alone. “But be careful.”

His big hands captured her face. Before the startled congregation, he kissedher, forcing her lips to part as his tongue swept hers. The kiss spoke of possession —of need— of dom inance. And then it changed, tantalizing and teasing. Nippingand licking. A com e back to me kiss.

Her knees grew weak, m ind em ptied of all but the rush of searing passionreawakened by his caress. She pressed against him, arm s wrapping and holdinghim  to her heart. She felt the groan emanating from  the deep recesses of hischest and answered with the heat of her lips. This being—this man reached acrossspace and time and took ownership of all that she was and all that she wanted tobe, and she gloried in that possession.

The prolonged kiss ended. He gazed into her face and then his lips caught hers

for a fleeting mom ent.

“Be safe,” he m urm ured, thum bs stroking the planes of her cheeks, warm  and soothing. “Stay near Shagal and if you run into trouble, contact the transport. Mordaq will com e and I’ll be right behind.”

She nodded, unable to speak around the lump clogging her throat and therapid onset of chattering teeth. W hat if they didn’t make it back? W hat ifsomething happened while she was away? What if?

Shagal took her arm, leading her towards the transport. “I won’t let anythinghappen to her or the others,” he grinned a sassy sm irk, taking in the wholegroup. “And we’ll come back with everything we need.”

He sounded so confident, Kara recovered a small fragm ent of courage. It wasjust a shopping trip after all. She loved shopping and visiting a market on theother side of the universe would be a great story to tell her grandchildren som eday. How many women were ever given such an opportunity?

Shagal stood near the entry and waved the wom en in. Anne, Dread, Goth Girl, Biker Chick and finally her. The five horsewomen of the apocalypse. She steppedin and found a seat near a small window next to the pilot’s cubicle. The teeth stillchattered but the lum p subsided enough to swallow. She took a quick intake ofbreath, wrinkling her nose at the pungent odor. The transport sm elled of somesort of old machine oil and metallic fumes, the ancient scents entrenched in thevery core of the vehicle. The interior spoke of years of hard use and maleunconcern. Worn and frayed padding covered the m esh seats, but the enginejum ped to life the moment Mordaq punched in. Rattling and shaking as it warmedup, the craft’s [tinny/ tiny??rusty, tin can? ] noises set her nerves even m ore onedge. Would it even m ake it to the surface?

“Hang on,” Mordaq called over his shoulder as he adjusted the various knobs

and handles.

She reached for a handhold, sliding sideways onto the floor as the transportflew forward, gaining mom entum  as it neared the outer wall of the mother ship. The G-force slam m ed her like a giant fist, the vibrations shaking the cabin sofiercely she feared it was breaking apart. Screams and curses echoed from  theother women. Panicked, she clung to the seat, gagging on the upsurge of bile asher stom ach roiled and flipped. She’d forgotten how m uch she hated flying! Herhead jerked, teeth popped together. Ohmygawd! They were going to die!