Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

R oyal Guesthouse

Zade looked at Ashlyn, lying in bed, waiting for him. She was beautiful. Smart. Courageous. And she loved him. All of him. He’d felt it in the Yielding. There was no doubt, no insecurity. Her love was deep and true, as was his. The knowledge was a gift in and of itself. A gift he would cherish. Safeguard. Protect.

Ashlyn sat up and wrapped the sheet around herself, sarong style. “You don’t have to accept C’Nar’s challenge, you know. The Council has officially voted. No one can take the seat from us. He’s posturing. Trying to lure you into a fight you know he’ll have rigged somehow.”

Zade sat down in the chair next to the bed, away from temptation. And danger. His mate may not have been battle trained, but she had the heart of a warrior and a temper. He’d known that about her from the beginning, the color of her hair a dead giveaway. “I have to kill him, shenga . Had he not come here, I would have tracked him down. You will not be safe until he is dead.”

“You’re right, no one will be safe until the Ubrions have been completely stripped of power and resources. That isn’t going to happen overnight, and killing one of them won’t take care of the others. We have control over the seat now. Let’s use it.”

“I agree. We will use the seat to neutralize the others. C’Nar, however, must die today.” Zade took a deep breath and charged on. “I want you to leave. Immediately. Before he gets off his ship.”

Ashlyn stiffened. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why?”

Zade’s hands clenched. His eyes found and locked onto hers. “Because you are his wife. You’re wearing his chains of obedience.”

Her body jerked in surprise. Horror. “What?!” she shrieked.

“Why did you run toward the Dark One?”

“I…I..” Ashlyn’s eyes rounded in understanding. In shock. Dread. “I went to find Rachel and bumped into him. He whispered in my ear, told me to run, so I did. I ran. When you got hurt, I was so focused on you, I forgot about it.”

Zade nodded. “He gave you an order. You had no choice. You ran straight for Bone Crusher, knowing he was going to kill you. I know. I relived it during the Yielding. I felt the compulsion take hold of you.”

Shaking, she scrambled off the bed and began to pace, dragging the sheet with her. “How? When? I never agreed to be his wife.”

“I’ve been thinking about that.”

Ashlyn stopped pacing and swung around towards him angrily. “You’ve been thinking about it and didn’t think to share it with me? Talk to me about it?” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Warn me?”

“There was no reason to upset you when Ubrion was nowhere near you,” he growled. “Now that’s changed. I want you to go back to The Reaper and wait, out of reach, until he’s dead.”

“No.”

“Then promise, no matter what happens while I am in the arena, you will stay well away from his people and go nowhere without guards. I’m sure he’s learned from his mistake, and realized you are far more valuable to him as a living puppet.”

“You think he’s come here to turn me into his sex slave?” she snorted.

Zade rubbed the scruff on his cheek, hesitating. “That would only be the beginning. I have no doubt he wants me dead, but ultimately, in his eyes, I am irrelevant. He knows the chains of obedience are already working or you wouldn't have obeyed his command to run to the Dark One. The Ubrions are in league with the Dark Ones, which has become very apparent, and they obey the A’Nua Na-KI. A command from C’Nar could be a command from the A’Nua Na-KI.”

“Wait. I’ve heard that name before. Who are the A’Nua Na-KI?”

Again, Zade hesitated. “The undead.”

“Whoa! Slow down. Back the fuck up. The what?!”

“The undead. They are powerful, evil blood drinkers. Fearless. Unwavering. They have no conscience, care for nothing and no one, not even their own kind. I have never come face to face with one. I don’t know that anyone has and lived. They use the Dark Ones as mediaries, rarely showing themselves. The Dark Ones won’t make a move without orders from the A’Nua Na-KI.”

Ashlyn’s mind raced, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. “Do you realize what we’ve done?”

At Zade’s blank look, she continued, “If what you’re saying is true, then we didn’t just steal the Council seat from the Ubrions. We stole it from the A’Nua Na-KI.”

They stared at one another in stunned silence. Long minutes ticked by before Zade said, “All he has to do is figure out a way to get you within hearing distance. He could turn you into the perfect assassin, order you to kill someone and then forget, or command you to order the destruction of whole cities.”

“Or force me to allow the Dark Ones and the A’Nua Na-KI into Cappra to take whatever they want.”

“You now hold a very powerful position, which they could use mercilessly. Whatever they wanted you to do, you would be unable to resist, while no one would blame them for anything you did. That is absolute power. You are also human. Don’t forget there is a bounty out on any human they can catch. You, in particular, will be an irresistible target.”

Ashlyn came to where Zade was sitting, knelt between his legs and rested her hands on his thighs, all her anger gone. Her eyes shone with love and absolute faith in his ability to protect her. “I’ll stay away from him, my love, but I’m not going to hide. Let them come. We’ll be ready.”

For the first time in his life, Zade’s hand was less than steady as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “No one is ever ready for the A’Nua Na-KI. The undead are evil incarnate. I can’t lose you, shenga .”

“You won’t. We live together and die together. Those assholes think they know what they’re up against. They don’t. I may not have superpowers, but I have the biggest, fiercest military commander, prince, and Saltrec warrior on Caldor as my mate, and a Council seat at my disposal. It is they who won’t be ready for us .”

Zade’s chest filled with pride for his mate. She was incredible. A week ago, she was afraid to play fake fiancé, and now she was ready to take on the undead and their Dark One servants, ready to step into the most powerful position a planet in the Intergalactic community has. A slow grin replaced his frown. “You’re right, mate. No one will be ready for us.”

Ashlyn sat on the edge of her seat as Zade and C'Nar entered the arena. Zade radiated confidence. C’Nar practically slithered in, his eyes shifty and full of malice. She bit the inside of her lip as the arena floor began undulating. Sand rolled and churned beneath their feet, making the coming fight more treacherous.

She watched as Zade scanned the arena, only stopping when his gaze came to rest on her. She tingled with awareness as his molten eyes held hers captive. The determination and intensity of his stare burned deep into her soul. His message was clear; he was in the arena for her and her alone. He would fight for her. He was prepared to die for her.

He moved like a panther, each step radiating raw energy and predatory grace as he strode to the center of the arena, his focus on her unwavering.

She wanted to touch him; yearned to feel the heat of him pressing against her again, ached for his possession, his strokes deep and sure. The thought of being close to him sent flutters of anticipation pulsing through her. She shivered with awareness. Fear mixed with desire created a powerful aphrodisiac. OMG. Scared and turned on at the same time. What’s wrong with me? Zade could get killed out there and here I am practically salivating over him.

“C'Nar has Tandek blades,” Cam growled. The tension in his voice finally pulled her focus away from Zade. She watched anxiously as Cam turned slightly away and put his hand to his earpiece. Ashlyn couldn’t hear the conversation, but he didn’t look happy. Who was he talking to? Dagan? He and Sasha had stayed in their quarters. Sasha was tired and not feeling well.

Ashlyn clutched Rachel’s shoulder as her stomach plummeted. She didn’t care how it looked, or if anyone saw her panic. “What are ‘tan-deck’ blades?”

“I’m looking. Give me a sec..” Rachel typed in the query on the tablet she’d brought. “I’m glad we brought Cam’s nanoprocessor . I’m not supposed to have access to any technology Earth hasn’t traded for, but you know me. I figure since we’re not on Earth right now, the rules don’t apply.”

“I don’t care if you have a fancy laptop. Just hurry. They’re about to start.” Ashlyn’s gaze was glued to Zade, her heart racing like a jackhammer against her ribs, her palms sweaty. She knew her brother-in-law. He didn’t get upset over little things. He, like most Caldorians she had met, was skilled in all types of combat. If Cam was upset, there was a good reason for it.

“Here we go. Oh, no,” Rachel whispered. “This is bad.”

“What? What is it?” Rachel’s hesitation made Ashlyn’s fear skyrocket even more, confirming her suspicions.

“The Tandek, or ‘Blade of Suffering’, was originally employed in ancient Cappran duels.” Rachel continued to read aloud from her tablet. “Made of a light-blue metal only found on Cappra, the Tandek has a short, slender blade with a sharpened edge polished to a silver sheen, with a glowing purple stripe down its center. A small red light near the hilt flickers like a firefly. The metal blade is warm to the touch and hums like a tuning fork. The edge is laced with Neuravex-13 , a deadly compound which, when released into the bloodstream, causes agonizing pain and hemorrhaging throughout the entire body. There is no known cure. Although not against Cappran law, the use of Tandek blades has become exceedingly rare. Combat resulting in death to resolve personal conflict is generally considered too extreme and primitive in modern Cappran society.”

Emotion clogged Ashlyn’s throat. “They can’t do that. We have to stop the fight right now. He wants to kill Zade in a sanctioned execution so he can control me without anyone protesting. Too primitive? More like sadistic and depraved.”

Rachel shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. The seat is yours now, with or without Zade. They can’t double down and win it back.”

Ashlyn leaned closer to Rachel so no one else could hear. “They’re not trying to win it back. They never lost it.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ashlyn lifted the edges of her long skirt to show her chains of obedience. “Remember these?”

Shrugging, Rachel whispered, “So? You think C’Nar wants to kill Zade so the chains don’t work, and he can trick you into new ones?”

“No. He doesn’t need new ones. These work just fine for him.”

“What?!” Rachel whisper shouted.

Nodding, Ashlyn covered the offensive chains and explained the situation. “Somehow that asshole found a way to get what he wanted. Zade thinks C’Nar pre-programmed them before he put them on me, and with some carefully chosen words out of me, was able to complete the connection without me knowing about it. I agreed to wear them for my husband, not for Zade specifically.”

Cam ended his discussion and tapped his communication device, his attention back on Rachel and Ashlyn as the scene unfolded in front of them. “I just spoke to one of our people down there. He said Zade was informed of C’Nar’s intention to use the blades and he still agreed to the fight.”

“So, they’re going to hack at each other until the poison kills one of them?”

“Zade declined Tandek blades of his own. He chose traditional Caldorian battle blades. They’re much lighter than Tandek blades, and perfectly balanced. Zade has trained on them, and is an expert in hand-to-hand, close quarter combat in general. However, the battle blades are not laced with neurotoxins. Zade will be the only one who suffers the effects of the poison if he gets cut.”

Ashlyn covered her mouth with trembling hands, her eyes huge saucers. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Not in the slightest, I’m afraid. He even gave instructions for no one to interfere.” Cam bent to kiss Rachel comfortingly before adding, “He also requested a message be delivered to you, Ashlyn.”

“What message?” she croaked. Her fingers trembled as she brushed at a tear welling in her eye. What could Zade possibly have to say to her at a time like this?

“He said to tell you that he still has unfinished business with you, and there will be no getting out of it, so focus on that.”

She gasped as his meaning sank in. Zade wanted her to focus on sex while he was getting killed?! She couldn’t sit there daydreaming about how good it felt to have him deep inside her while he was getting stabbed. She may have been fantasizing about sex earlier, she reasoned to herself, but the fight hadn’t started yet. She whipped her head back around to the pit, searching for him. He stood unmoving, his eyes directed upward into the crowd, waiting for her to see him.

Once she made eye contact, she was unable to break away. His unwavering gaze was almost hypnotic, mesmerizing her. She felt herself falling, almost in a trance, into a swirling cauldron of liquid heat and carnal hunger. His eyes spoke of desire. Passion. Determination. The air between them crackled with tension as the world faded away. All that existed were the two of them. Her body flushed as she recalled with exquisite detail what he said he was going to do to her with his hands, his mouth, his tongue. Her cheeks grew rosy. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips.

A satisfied grin spread across his face as she squirmed in her seat. Smug bastard. He knows what he’s doing to me. I’m achy, needy, and too distracted to be completely terrified, just like he planned. No. Just like he ordered.

Zade stood at the center of the arena pit, finding his sense of balance in the undulating waves of sand as C’Nar loomed closer. He could hear the crowd cheering, but he blocked the noise, his entire focus on his enemy.

Zade braced himself for impact, an electric charge of anticipation crackling through him. This was no test. He had no doubt C’Nar was one of the most vicious, merciless warriors on Cappra. He didn’t care. C’Nar tried to kill his mate. For that alone he was going to die.

The crowd's roar grew louder as he steeled himself for battle, the smell of ozone burning in his nose, warning him that danger was coming with a force too powerful to resist.

Adrenaline buzzed through his system. He brought his battle blades up as they began circling, each sizing up the other's weaknesses and strengths. His senses were acute. He was aware of every movement, every sound, every breath of his opponent. He could see the sweat on C'Nar's forehead, smell the sour stink of his fear, feel the burning heat of his hatred.

He locked eyes with C’Nar as they began their dance of death. Their blades collided with a loud clang, the sharp ringing sound echoing in the closed arena. C’Nar was a powerful opponent, and the impact sent shockwaves up Zade’s arms.

C’Nar lunged, but Zade, anticipating the move, adeptly changed direction and thrust upward in a swift counterattack. C'Nar evaded and struck back with a flurry of lethal moves, each one aimed for a quick kill. Zade was ready, fighting with a single-minded focus.

The ground shook and undulated, forcing them to constantly adjust their footing as they fought with a speed and agility beyond human capability. Their movements were fast and intricate, almost like a choreographed dance, blocking and deflecting blows with precision and strength, their movements graceful and fluid. The fight grew more frenzied with each passing moment.

The spectators grew silent, the air heavy with unease and dread. Shadows lingered in the corners, the only sounds the squeal and clang of metal against metal.

C’Nar’s rage flared brighter with every contact, his face a twisted mask of hatred. They clashed again and again, each strike more brutal than the last. They were both highly skilled fighters. Neither would get an easy victory. Finally, Zade saw an opening and twisted to the side, slashing backwards, scoring the first cut.

C’Nar staggered and retreated, a silent snarl on his lips. Zade pressed his advantage, struck hard and fast, scoring another blow before C’Nar rolled completely out of range and regained his footing.

Zade waited, ready for the attack he knew was coming, eyes steady on his opponent.

C'Nar lunged, moved faster than Zade anticipated. The poisoned tip nicked his thigh. The cut immediately began to throb, the pain increasing with each passing moment.

C'Nar smiled twistedly, his eyes full of malice as he circled Zade, looking for another opportunity to strike, waiting for the poison to spread.

Zade’s muscles began to burn, and he broke out in an unnatural, cold sweat. Rather than retreat, he grit his teeth against the pain and advanced, his blades moving so fast they were almost a blur. He focused on the next block, the next strike, the next step, until C’Nar stumbled in the shifting sand and dropped his blades in an effort to catch himself.

C’Nar scrambled wildly, stabbing his hands into the undulating sand, searching, seeking the deadly blades. An inhuman battle cry ripped from his throat as he launched himself at Zade, spraying a shower of sand up as he swiped one blade viciously upward, death in his eyes.

Prepared this time, Zade ducked and swung in one fluid motion, lashing out with a barrage of lightning-fast strokes.

C’Nar crumpled, dead before he hit the ground.

The crowd erupted in whoops and hollers.

The sand settled.

The fight was over.

Ashlyn couldn’t wait another second. She jumped up from her seat, uncaring of who she had to push or shove to get to Zade. He was hurt, but he was alive, and that’s all that mattered.

Eyes brimming with tears, she ran across the arena into his waiting arms, the momentum taking them both to the ground.

Half laughing, half crying, she showered him with kisses. “You’re not dead. Cam said those blades were poisoned. I was so scared,” she blubbered.

“You should know, we Saltrec are harder to kill than that.” He groaned as the pain in his wounds intensified, the poison spreading quickly. “You were supposed to be thinking about what I’m going to do,” he gritted his teeth against the fire spreading to every cell in his body, “to make you beg.” He groaned again, his eyes bright with fever. He coughed, tiny droplets of blood spattering the sand.

“Oh, shut up.” She tried, unsuccessfully, to rip her clothing into bandage strips. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

“ Shenga . What are you doing?”

“You are not allowed to die,” she huffed, “not after all we’ve been through, so just shut up and let me doctor you.”

“As..,” he rasped, coughing up more blood, “as you wish.”

From slightly behind and to the side of them, Ocliver held out a hand. In it was a small vial. “Make him drink this.”

“Get away from us, you bastard. This is all your fault!” Ashlyn raged, not bothering to look in his direction, her movements frantic. Zade was fading right in front of her. She gave up trying to rip her blouse and settled for applying pressure to the wound. No! No! No! Not again!

A sudden sense of suffocation stalled her progress. She covered her mouth with her sleeve and coughed. When she lowered her arm, her sleeve was covered in blood. What the hell?

Bren’s words drifted back to her. ‘ You will live together or die together. ’

She glanced at her sleeve, then turned frightened eyes back to Zade. He wasn’t dying. They were dying. Both of them. Together. Her heart skipped a beat. Slammed in her chest. Raced. Sputtered.

“Princess Ashlyn, if you want to live, you will take a sip from this vial and force him to drink the rest.” Ocliver sank down next to Ashlyn and held out the vial. “Do it now, or it will be too late for both of you.”

In slow motion, she tore her gaze from Zade and looked at the vial, then into Ocliver’s dead eyes. “I don’t understand,” she rasped. “You hate us. You…win.”

“No child,” he said, his tone urgent. Grave. “I have waited thousands of years for someone like you. Now drink.”

Zade used the last of his strength to sit up and reach for the vial.

“Zade, no! He’s evil! We can’t trust him! There’s no cure!” she cried. “It’s a sick, sick trick!”

Zade leaned heavily into her and wrapped one arm sluggishly around her shoulders. He kissed her tenderly, unmindful of the blood. Uncaring of the excruciating pain. She was everything to him. He would march through raging infernos, stand in front of a firing squad, sacrifice himself, to protect this woman he’d come to love. “We are dying. What can this do, other than kill us faster?”

Without hesitating, he took the vial out of Ocliver’s outstretched hand and nearly drank the entire contents in one swallow. Almost immediately his pain began to subside. He held the vial to her lips. “It is safe. He speaks the truth. Drink, shenga .”

Shaking like a leaf, she cupped her hands around Zade’s much larger ones and took a tiny sip.

Glowering at the kneeling Ocliver, Zade didn’t take his eyes off the foul alien as people began converging on them. He needed answers. Specifically, how did a lackey come to possess a cure that, by all rights, did not exist?

“Drink the rest, warrior.” Ocliver said, dipping his head toward the vial. “Hurry.”

“No. She is the one that needs it.”

“You are one now, are you not? You were injured. She will heal when you do the same. Drink.”

Every instinct Zade had screamed at him not to trust Ocliver. Not to trust what he was seeing. He hadn’t survived this long by ignoring his instincts.

His gaze narrowed to mere slits as he rose to his feet. He helped Ashlyn up and gently pushed her behind him as he faced the Cappran. “Who are you?”

“I will come to your private quarters in one hour. That should be enough time for the elixir to completely restore you.” Ocliver smiled, razor sharp teeth gleaming in the light as he walked away. Over his shoulder he added, “Bring only those you trust implicitly.”