T he journey from the spaceport to the palace took over three hours and the tension in Ahnna’s stomach twisted the higher they ascended.
The Tetriarch’s domain thrust into the stormy sky from Turis’ peak like some mocking phallic symbolism, the palace walls shooting out from balls of mountain rock. Glass clad spires marked the highest point on the planet Verdon. The palace had a spaceport that extended in a vast ring eastwards from Turis at an altitude of nineteen hundred feet, but Captain Anaisha Sur didn’t merit the luxury of an air approach.
Entering the final elevator, Ahnna stood as close to Tierc as she dared.
He shook his head at her and reluctantly she gave him more space, the butterflies in her stomach tripping to more gratifying regions. Tierc had been fighting his mating urge from the moment she cuffed his hands behind his back at the insistence of palace security and Tierc’s reaction intrigued her. He favored making love to her, a man who enjoyed control in the bedroom, but something about her and those cuffs turned him on. Maybe the sexually charged nature of their first meeting influenced him, or perhaps his constant awareness of the ShiftLok restraints, especially when he dealt with his attraction to her, affected his response. Either way, what turned Tierc on, made her hot.
One day, they would be free to experiment. At least, free to make love without fear of being watched. True freedom was an aspiration, a state of being Ahnna was no longer convinced applied in the Paragon galaxy, except for the favored descendants of the humans who migrated here, the grand families who had constructed the Central Alliance, like House Verdon, a self-styled empire encompassing hundreds of star systems.
Tierc glanced at her, his expression troubled, his colored eyes hiding the window to his true feelings. God, he looked sexy, his bound arms displaying his bare chest and thick abs to perfection. She wanted to press her lips against the corner of his mouth, to taste him, to kiss him so her nipples turned hard. She watched the bulge in his pants thicken and wet her lips.
Tierc growled, a low rumbling sound that had their guard escort raising their weapons.
“He’s fine,” Ahnna said quickly.
The elevator jolting to a gentle stop provided a welcome distraction. They walked another mile through increasingly luxurious corridors and halls. Polished wood floors turned to gleaming limestone. Gold decorated ornate pillars framed every double-height door. Windows appeared with balconies overlooking sky and distant verdant valleys of gold, the palace so high the view skipped the less salubrious metropolis surrounding Turis entirely. They approached a twenty-strong troop guarding ornate double doors that surely needed machinery to be opened.
An official stepped out from behind a pillar two meters in diameter.
Guards circled Tierc, forcing Ahnna back. She swung around to the man in black robes. “What are you doing? I came here in good faith!”
“Anaisha Sur, do not be concerned. All is well, but Terson proved himself a force in the arena. The Tetriarch’s security cannot be compromised. Her Grace sends you greetings. She wishes I inform you that she has reconsidered your proposal and wishes you to see the price House Verdon is willing to offer for your slave. If you would come this way…”
“Wait, Terson stays with me.”
“That is not possible. Your slave will remain in the guard’s custody until your return. You have the Tetriarch’s word he will not come to harm.”
Nausea swept through her, born from a sense of powerlessness. She was supposed to stay with Tierc. She carried the GSR comms-link hidden beneath her braided hair and the camera was once more pinned to her tunic. Without her, Zeke had no way of recording Tierc’s situation, and even Tierc’s Qui couldn’t break those cuffs. He would be entirely alone. Octiron Entertainment had little influence in the Verdon sector and the Central Alliance cared little about individual rights so far out from Primaera, and they weren’t even citizens.
“Captain Sur?” the official murmured, indicating a door to his left.
Tierc’s nod almost convinced her, but Ahnna physically could not move.
“No.” She lifted her chin, her decision made. “Please inform the Tetriarch that I am no longer willing to trade.” The moment she spoke the words, guilt flooded her. She’d be abandoning Xecara. The Tetriarch had denied Xecara’s presence and she only had Octiron’s adamant insistence that the High Priestess was a prisoner in this palace. Crandal had forcefully rejected the Tetriarch’s assertion otherwise. The band squeezing her stomach tightened. “No,” she repeated. “We must leave, unless we are prisoners here?”
Shock widened the official’s eyes. “Of course not. If you wish to leave…” He frowned, worried puzzlement on his face. “Officer, please escort Captain Sur and her slave back to the city.”
Relief flooded her, but then Tierc dropped to his knee and bowed his head.
“Captain, I respect your concern for my welfare. It is unnecessary.”
No one spoke although curious eyes surveyed them both. Ahnna sensed interest, surprise at her slave’s audacity, but no one rebuked him. Apparently, he was her slave to discipline. Tierc wanted to continue their mission and the official’s readiness to let them leave disarmed her. This could be how business was conducted in House Verdon.
Still she hesitated. “How long will this take?”
“As much time as you require. No more than an hour. The Tetriarch expects you for evening repast.”
“I will be back within the hour,” she said to Tierc. She faced a guard with a more prestigious sash and leather hide instead of skin. She couldn’t see his eyes for his helmet. “He is not to be harmed.”
The guard snapped a sharp bow, grunted something that sounded like assent.
No one moved as Tierc rose from the floor. His wane smile failed to reassure.
Her heart lurched as the official led her through the door and it swung shut behind them. Her guide made small talk as they walked further into the mountain. There were no windows here. The walls radiated an orange glow. After ten minutes they arrived at a circular room, empty except for a round trap door inset into the middle of a stone floor.
Ahnna remained in the threshold, unwilling to enter.
The official beckoned her forward. “Please, Captain Sur, you requested proof of life.”
“The High Priestess? She’s here?” Ice gripped her heart.
“Yes.”
“Down there?” Ahnna pointed at the trap door, her hand shaking. Nerves steadied under a growing fury. She stalked over, bent down and lifted the unlocked metal covering. It needed a concerted effort and then the hinged door lifted. Momentum took over and the trapdoor clanged against the stone floor. A panicked cry sounded from the black depths below, a terrifying hole, a shaft that sank deep into rock. She could smell damp and that same foul stench that permeated the Krakan Toll. Staring into the dark, Ahnna’s mind flashed back to the dank hole that had haunted her childhood, guaranteed her good behavior, her dedication to learning and obedience.
She shot a fierce glare at the official beside her. “I need a light.”
Visibly startled, he moved to a panel on the wall. That same soft glow that had emanated from the corridor walls diffused the sunken depths and Ahnna got down on her stomach to peer over the edge. A tiny hunched figure cowered far below, shielding her eyes.
“Shit,” Ahnna whispered. She caught sight of metal rungs built into the wall and swung a leg over, feeling for the ladder with her feet and testing its weight. The rungs held. Gingerly, heart in her mouth, she lowered herself over the edge.
“Captain!” The official bounded over and grabbed her wrist, his grip strong. “What are you doing?”
“I need to see her face,” Ahnna countered, jerking free. “Verify this child is Xecara.”
The man looked down past Ahnna’s body and then nodded. “Do not attempt to bring her up. Guards are outside.”
Ahnna gulped a breath.
Every step down took her back to those petrifying days spent in the punishment hole back at the HD-X compound. The feeling of abandonment, nightmares, visions, pure unending misery such that she had spent her days with her eyes tightly shut against the stifling dark, hugging her shaking knees and panting with terror.
The young girl keened as Ahnna got closer, shrinking back against the wall.
As Ahnna’s foot touched the wet murky ground, she had to work around Xecara for space. Tierc couldn’t have done this. He wouldn’t have fit in the tiny space. “I won’t hurt you,” she whispered. “I want to take you home, back to Sorsei. Please, let me see you.”
God, it didn’t matter if this child was Xecara or not! No way could Ahnna leave her here.
“Can you stand? Please, I want to see your face. I want you to see mine.”
Ahnna crouched as best she could, reaching for the girl’s underarms so she could lift her. Long nails scratched Ahnna’s wrists, clutched at the arms of her tunic. With the girl’s cooperation, Ahnna got the child onto her feet, supported her with an arm around her waist. Her other hand smoothed long straggly dark hair out her eyes.
Pale white eyes squinted at Ahnna from a dirt-smeared face, the retinas clear as a bell, the yellow pupils holding that red fleck that the Sorsei claimed to be a spiritual mark. Xecara had been decreed High Priestess at birth, this young alien girl the most important child born to the Sorsei in generations, and it didn’t matter whether Ahnna gave their faith any credence or not, only death would stop her from seeing this pitiful mass of flesh and bones returned to her family and home world.
“What is your name?” Ahnna asked.
“Xecara.” She whimpered. “I want to go home.”
“I know, honey,” Ahnna choked out, tears in her eyes. “I promise you, I’m going to get you home.” She hugged Xecara’s skeletal frame and looked up at the Verdon official. “I’m bringing her with me.”
“That is not acceptable.”
Fear darkened Ahnna’s vision. She had no weapon, a contract with Octiron to abide by, and only the man she loved to bargain with. Tierc relied on her to get him through this challenge. Their whole strategy relied on House Verdon’s vaulted allegiance to honest trade, whatever the goods involved. “No, please. I can’t leave her down here, I can’t. Please, appeal to the Tetriarch on my behalf, I beg you. I will make a deal, I swear.”
The official cursed, mumbled something and then his head disappeared.
Ahnna gnawed on her lip, the child’s arms wrapping around her waist.
“Don’t leave me, please,” Xecara pleaded, her sweet voice so tiny.
“I’m going to do everything I possibly can, Xecara.”
Doubts filled her mind. House Verdon couldn’t release Xecara in this condition, they would be pariahs in the Paragon Galaxy, the Sorsei would riot in protest!
“Captain Sur.”
Ahnna looked up, her body shaking with nerves, sick to her stomach. She couldn’t quite see the official.
“The Tetriarch will grant both you and Xecara an audience. Your slave will meet you there.”
“Oh, thank God.” Ahnna gripped Xecara’s shoulders. “We’re getting you out of this hole, Xecara. I’m going to help you climb. I’ll be right behind you, I promise.” Her heart fluttered with hope and dread. There would be a price to pay. No mercy came free, not in Paragon.
* * *
Hard to believe this angel was the same child. Ahnna had helped Xecara bathe, washed and brushed her silky curls, and helped her into undergarments and a simple white dress. Xecara still looked slight and pale, but there was not a mark on her and her natural skin color was the palest white. She stared at a plate of delicacies that had appeared while they were in the bathroom, pink fruit and sweetened breads. Her hand reached out.
“Did they feed you?” Ahnna asked her, not entirely sure they could have done, but Xecara was stronger than she looked.
“Yes. It didn’t taste nice.”
Two places had been laid at the table with glasses of water. Ahnna sat Xecara down and filled plates for both of them. She nibbled at a piece of strawberry-tasting fruit, bade Xecara to eat slowly, and fretted over Tierc. He would be worried about her. God, she prayed the Tetriarch had kept her word, that he was unharmed. Xecara had stopped eating, her wide strange eyes fixed on Ahnna, tears collecting in her eyes and then forming tracks down her cheeks.
Ahnna fell to her knees before her and took juice-smeared fingers in her own. “Honey, what is it?”
“I can’t go back. It’s too dark and lonely. Please Ahnna, I want to stay with you.”
Her head dropped forward until their foreheads touched.
An ache pierced Ahnna’s heart. “We’ll work something out, Xecara. I swear.”
So many promises she had no idea how she would keep.
The door opened, and they both jumped at the sound of marching boots. Six guards stomped in and formed a corridor. A new official dressed in a gold robe walked in.
“Captain Sur, High Priestess, the Tetriarch will see you now.”
“Is Terson—my slave—is he alright?
“He is already with the Tetriarch, Captain. Please follow me.”
Ahnna took Xecara’s hand, trailed the man down another corridor and found herself back at the enormous doors where she had left Tierc. This time they were open. She walked into a hall so large she could barely make out the Tetriarch on her throne. Awed, Xecara stayed glued to her side. Ahnna walked forwards. A large cage holding a prisoner stood to one side. He jumped up when they entered.
Tierc!
“Ahnna.” Crandal’s voice from her comms-link made her jump. “Do not speak. Give them no sign that I am speaking to you! Tierc’s life depends on what you do now. All you have to do is listen!”
What the hell?
“The Tetriarch will not agree to exchange Xecara for Terson.”
Ahnna’s blood turned cold.
“Remember you can’t speak. They can’t find out who you really are and the comms-link carries the GSR insignia.”
What did Crandal want?
“You need to make Tierc a more attractive proposition, demonstrate he is merchandise more valuable than a little Sorsei girl carrying a meaningless title. The Tetriarch doesn’t care about the Sorsei; she just wants to make a point. She will want Tierc if you sell him properly. You see, we know what Tierc can do, what he is, what the cuffs prevent him from becoming.”
Ahnna’s throat turned dry, she struggled to breathe.
“We recovered footage from the drone in the caverns. It recorded Tierc in his true Qui form. We know he can fly. We know his cuffs were no longer bound to his body when you returned from Altaira. Axo ran biological scans on you both. And we know you later rebound them to his body. Tierc is a shapeshifter and his secret is out. The revelation will be the series’ highlight. All of Paragon will know his secret. Ahnna? You’ve slowed down, you look alarmed, and you will raise suspicion you cannot afford if you and Tierc want to get out of this alive.”
It took a monumental effort to calm her nerves, they were only halfway down the hall, and Xecara was eyeing her anxiously. Ahnna squeezed the little girl’s hand. “It’s okay, honey.”
“You have to reveal to the Tetriarch what it means to be Qui,” Crandal continued. “Reveal Tierc’s shapeshifting ability, his wings. You must persuade Tierc to cooperate, to trust you on this, but you cannot reveal anything about Octiron Entertainment or the Great Space Race or the Tetriarch will not release any of you. Blink if you understand.”
Blink? The drone pinned to her tunic would not see her blink. Had Zeke another vid drone recording them? She blinked experimentally and Crandal responded immediately. “Good. See? You understand? Tierc will not be alone. We are able to monitor him. We have to. Our audience will want to see what happens to him.”
Ahnna cursed silently, nausea back in her throat. Telling the Tetriarch the truth of a Qui’s nature… telling the galaxy… betrayed Tierc.
“This is one of those changes to your contract, Ahnna. If you don’t comply with my instructions, you will lose everything. Your chance at freedom… Tierc’s chance at freedom… and Xecara will remain on Verdon in the Tetriarch’s custody. You cannot reveal why you are doing this, you cannot reveal that Octiron know about Tierc’s true nature. The audience needs a good story and you two have stopped fighting. You’ve become boring. This will change everything, increase ratings. Fighting us on this will not help you. Think very carefully, Ahnna. And prepare yourself, call on your HD-X training to get you through the next few minutes, because you are about to give the performance of your lifetime.”
Xecara moaned and Ahnna looked down, realized with horror that she held the girl’s hand too tightly. She let go and wrapped her arm around Xecara’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, Xecara. I got frightened, just for a moment.”
Shit, shit shit! They should have listened to Jalo. Now what was she going to do? The whoosh of blood grew loud in her ears and Tierc was gripping the bars of his cage, peering at her. She checked her rising pressure, managed her heart beat down to a normal level and steeled her resolve for the task ahead. He would hate her, believe she’d betrayed him, never forgive her, but an entire galaxy would know House Verdon held him prisoner. Octiron would be forced to ensure his release. Tierc could look after himself. Xecara could not.
Ahnna stopped at a respectable distance.
The Tetriarch broke the awkward silence. “Captain Sur. I trust you have verified Xecara’s identity.”
“Yes, your Grace.”
“As you can see, Xecara is fine. I have begun negotiations with Sorsei and we are making good progress. We have proposed a solution, Xecara’s release in five years in return for a change of government on Sorsei. So you see, I am unwilling to agree to a straight exchange. Terson is uniquely gifted and I would enjoy his presence immensely, but I need to put House Verdon before pleasure.”
How the fuck had Crandal known?
* * *
Tierc cursed the cuffs suppressing his shift. He couldn’t even use pheromones to influence the Tetriarch. Her Grace had learned from her experience at the arena and a ventilation system drew air from the main hall into the cage and out through a filtration system. His pheromones had been neutralized.
The chances of a deal looked increasingly unlikely. That was the worry. Ahnna wouldn’t give Xecara up easily. He saw how the child clung to Ahnna, pulling on her sleeve. Ahnna had her arm around the little girl’s shoulder, drawing her in. She whispered words of comfort in the child’s ear, a mother protecting her young. Ahnna had regained her composure. For a moment there, she’d looked about to break from the pressure.
She stood quietly, absorbing the Tetriarch’s opening gambit, and then her eyes narrowed. “My slave is more valuable than you are aware, your Grace.”
“His pheromonal control is impressive and I am tempted, but—”
“Forgive me, your Grace, Terson is unique, a creature with a DNA you will not find elsewhere.”
“Unique? In what way?”
“He has the ability to shapeshift, from human to his own true nature.”
Tierc turned cold. He stepped forward, disbelief curdling his stomach. Ahnna wouldn’t. She had promised. Agreed to protect his secret. The betrayal rendered him speechless, ripped him in two.
The Tetriarch laughed. “Show me!”
“I will need to approach him. The cuffs control his ability. I need to remove them.”
Tierc jerked back from the bars. Skal! She was doing this. Exposing him!
The Tetriarch waved her hand towards him. “I look forward to the demonstration.”
Ahnna nodded, turned to Tierc, and there was anguish in her eyes that halted his blind descent into rage. “Terson, approach the bars. Turn around.” She gave the instruction quietly, expecting him to obey. Her voice gave one story, her eyes another entirely. Faced away from the Tetriarch, only he could see her expression and Ahnna looked haunted, desperate, pleading for him to do as she asked. He had never seen her so frightened, so needing of his help.
He shook his head, not sure what to believe. “You swore to protect me.” He hunted for words the Tetriarch wouldn’t suspect. “That was our bargain.” Anger roughened his voice, hurt constricted his throat.
Tears shone in her eyes. “And you agreed to this exchange. I will return Xecara to her family. I cannot lose this child too.” And then her lips moved silently, the softest of whispers only he could hear. “Tierc, please, I beg you.”
He stepped back, mind and heart reeling, hunting for an explanation that made sense.
Ahnna had to believe this her only choice, had formed a bond with the child, one strong enough she could sacrifice his freedom for the High Priestess, a child snatched from her world, from her mother, just like Joseph. He glanced at the little girl, so fragile against the backdrop of the Tetriarch’s throne room, and standing frozen, terrified, with wide pale eyes. His hopes of a future, of a life with the mate he had grown to love, died before Ahnna’s need to return this child home, and what else could Ahnna do?
It had only been the cuffs that had helped him contain his Qui so long.
He had placed too much hope into keeping his secret, fading into the background, forgotten as the years went by. The thick disappointment tasted like acid, but he trusted Ahnna with his life. Axo would pull him out of there as soon as Ahnna was free, and the price of the challenge was to be his revelation of his true nature.
Silent, unable to speak, Tierc approached the bars and turned around. He felt Ahnna’s hands on his cuffs, winced as the cuff retracted its connections to bones and nerves. Suddenly free, his arms dropped by his waist and he turned.
Ahnna stepped back out of reach, cuffs dangling from her fingers.
“Show them. Show them your Qui. Everything.”
She continued to move back. Only when she reached Xecara and turned the child away did Tierc understand. He shifted in a second. His pants stretched and ripped. His body grew taller, bulkier, blue-grey scales formed.
Ahnna paled, guilt replaced by terror. She took another step back, this one an involuntary movement, taking the High Priestess with her. “Everything! Your wings.” Her voice scraped the bottom of horror mixed with alarm.
Skal. Ahnna had not seen his Qui form on Altaira. He had gradually resumed his human form as her peril passed. He doubted Ahnna had ever seen a Qui fully formed before. He was the boogey man of her nightmares.
The Tetriarch had no such concern. She rose from her throne, eyes fixed on his huge cock, alight with renewed interest. Her fascination crawled under his scales. Wings sprouted from his shoulders, huge wings dark with raven-like feathers shot with silver that reached the floor and suddenly the Tetriarch cried out, “Guards! Force-field!”
Tierc ground his sharpened teeth together. A force-field would obstruct a transport and prevent him escaping between the bars. Within seconds of revealing his true nature, his fears had come to pass. A sparkling curtain of energy blinked into existence before settling into a transparent shimmer. Naked, he stood vulnerable and exposed, stripped of even the semblance of freedom Octiron had allowed him. The full extent of his situation hit hard. He operated in Paragon under commercial law and Ahnna had sold him as a slave under a false identity. There was no guarantee Octiron could or would protect him, especially now his deceit had been revealed.
“Do we have a deal?” Ahnna asked the Tetriarch quietly. “Terson for Xecara.”
“Take her. You have one hour to vacate Verdon and never return. Wait!”
Ahnna paled. She began to shake uncontrollably. Her mouth opened, but no words emerged. She did meet Tierc’s eyes, for a second, her cheeks aflame, Ahnna apparently no longer able to control her nanos.
The Tetriarch approached Tierc’s cage. “Leave the cuffs. Are they coded to you?”
“Yes. They are useless to anyone else.”
“Leave them anyway. I will have someone look at them.”
Ahnna’s face remained blank, but Tierc detected her discomfort. She handed the cuffs to a guard. It made sense. If Ahnna refused, the Tetriarch would know she’d lied. Right now, Xecara was their priority.
“Now leave,” the Tetriarch ordered, “before I change my mind. Weldon will arrange air transport back to your ship.”
Ahnna turned and hurried down the hallway, midway stooping down to sweep a lagging Xecara into her arms. She didn’t look back.
The moment Ahnna left, the Tetriarch signaled her aide. “Contact Sorsei. Inform them I agree to their terms. The High Priestess will be released today. I want the document signed within the hour.”
“Your Grace.” He scurried off and a guard of more senior rank replaced him.
The Tetriarch eyed her new acquisition. Tierc glowered back.
“So, what creature are you exactly?”
Tierc clamped his jaw shut.
House Verdon’s ruler smiled, her eyes devoid of humor. “Octiron Entertainment informs me you are Qui, from another universe entirely.”
Tierc’s stomach lurched. Octiron! Skal! Fucking Crandal!
“I have been following your story with great interest. I wasn’t convinced I wanted to exchange you for my little priestess, but,” she circled her hand encompassing Tierc’s physique, “this was a surprise and I could not resist.”
“Octiron.” That nasty sensation in the pit of his stomach, Jalo’s unease, Octiron’s manipulation of the rules, all began to make sense. “This whole challenge was a set up. Draw Ahnna in with a political prisoner you were ready to release. How exactly will Octiron benefit?”
“I have agreed a relaxation of broadcast regulations that will increase my popularity amongst my citizens. Octiron has granted me editorial control of this challenge. I will appear magnanimous, hospitable, ruthless, but no more or less than my reputation or galactic laws allow.”
“The Central Alliance outlaws trafficking.”
“Of Paragon citizens, yes.”
Tierc’s jaw tightened. “So what am I now? A live exhibit? For your personal entertainment or the masses?”
“Oh most definitely for the masses.” She eyed the officer guard beside her. “I suspect we will need a more secure environment for Tierc.”
“Your Grace.”
“What about Ahnna?” Tierc asked.
“I don’t know. We can watch the next episode to find out.”
“Skal.” Tierc could contain his anger no longer. Heat flooded his eyes and the Tetriarch jolted back in alarm, her mouth falling open. Tierc launched forward and thrust his hands through the energy field, aiming straight for an iron bar. An incredible force shoved him back. His wings shrank in and he rolled to his feet in one easy movement.
“Fascinating. I so much prefer to tame a rebel.” Her eyes locked on Tierc’s, eyes aglitter. “Punish him.”
Tierc swung around, searching for a means. Light rolled towards him on all sides and then the most utter crucifying pain enclosed him. The force-field web encased him body to toe and swept him two feet off the floor and held him there, arms and legs akimbo. He got a two second grace period and then sight and sound disappeared.
A million needles stabbed every inch of his body.