Chapter Ten
A few hours later, Thorin sat next to the bed fully clothed and watched Vala sleep.
He wasn’t sure why he’d offered her the traditional first cleaning as he never would’ve thought to give one to a Barren in the past, but it had just seemed right.
And not just because she’d cried out in pleasure and never flinched from his glowing body.
No, he admired who she was rather than her station, much like how she accepted him as a male instead of a half-Brevkan bastard. She should be accorded every honor given to a fertile female.
For a brief moment, he’d yearned to keep her at his side. He hadn’t gone rogue or been rough with her. Thorin had been in complete control the entire claiming. It was a first for him and he wished it to be the same always.
But after giving him the gift of her desiring him regardless of his heritage, he wasn’t about to steal her freedom away. He would do whatever it took to deliver her safely to the new colony.
She snuggled deeper into her pillow, her white hair sliding over her cheek, and he smiled. He could watch her all night and never tire of it. She was a lightness in the darkness. Thorin may have to return to the torture of his barbaric visions soon enough, but for the moment, he beheld innocence and beauty. He would treasure the view and memorize it to counter future urges and dark moments.
He leaned over and was about to pull the blanket back up over her shoulders when his communicator vibrated at his waist. As quietly as he could, he rose and exited the room.
The room adjacent to his was also secure since it was reserved for a general’s mistress, so he entered it and said, “Computer, patch through communications.”
The voice of the nighttime command deck officer in charge, Yutven Surrell, filled the room. “Sorry to disturb you, sir. But there’s a situation you should see. It’s too delicate to discuss over communications.”
“Understood. I will make my way directly.”
Despite the fact Thorin wanted to leave a message for Vala so that she didn’t wake up to an empty room, Yutven’s voice had wavered; something made him nervous. Thorin needed to take care of his ship and its cargo. Otherwise, Vala and every other person on board might suffer from his negligence.
He strode down one corridor, took an elevator and finally made his way to the command deck. Yutven sat in the raised chair in the middle. Thorin noted that only males he had served many times over with in the past manned the various stations instead of the usual nighttime staff.
As soon as Thorin stopped next to the command chair, Yutven said without preamble, “There is a problem in engineering. The engines stalled and no amount of contacting the various engineering officers has been successful. Visuals for those parts of the ship won’t come online, either.”
“Did you send anyone to investigate?”
“Aye, sir. However, once they entered the engineering department, they ceased communications. And before you ask, the computer reports nothing unusual. Rather than risk more warriors, I thought it wise to contact you. Also, due to the sensitive nature of the situation, I replaced the usual night staff with more experienced officers.”
Thorin nodded. “Send everything you have about this situation to my personal office. I’m going to go over the facts and put together a team. For the moment, keep the area in question quarantined, complete with force field barriers. Let me know the second anything changes.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
Thorin walked to his small office off the command deck. As much as he wanted to trust Yutven, it was only the second mission they had worked together. He wasn’t about to divulge the possibility of traitors or even a mutiny as the source of the current situation to anyone he didn’t trust completely.
Which meant he needed to assemble a few males he would entrust his life to.
Once his door had locked, he said, “Computer, contact Ryven Xanna.”
“Connecting,” the computer stated.
After about thirty seconds, Ryven’s voice came over the line. “What is it?”
Thorin dismissed Ryven’s crankiness given the late hour. “There is a situation. I want you and Syzel to come to my personal office as soon as possible.”
Ryven’s voice was more alert when he replied, “Understood. I’ll pick him up on the way and be there shortly.”
The line went dead and Thorin sat at his desk. Pulling up the information, he scanned the readouts and visuals recorded before the investigative team had gone silent. In his experience, there was always some sort of reading, even if miniscule, that occurred right before an event. He needed to find it.
And once he did, he’d lead a team himself. If anyone could find out what was going on, it was him, Ryven, and Syzel.
Although just in case he faced a new type of enemy or threat, he’d also make sure to record a message for Vala and reinstate her security clearance. He wouldn’t allow cockiness to possibly cause the female pain.
Quickly setting things up for Vala, Thorin turned back to the data. Only the situation at hand mattered.
~~~
Vala opened her eyes to an empty room. She listened for any noises from the cleaning area, but there was only silence.
Thorin was gone.
She shouldn’t care since she had no claim on him, but his absence made her heart squeeze. The one and only time a male would probably ever treat her as if she were a fertile female had come and gone. She would merely be a Barren once more.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly moved her legs until they hung over the side of the bed. The slight pain between her thighs reminded her of what had happened the night before.
Thorin’s glorious glowing body above her as he came flashed into her mind.
Vala quickly pushed the vision away. It was time to forget about Thorin and focus on the much more important task of trying to discover any traitors aboard the ship. If there was one thing Vala could do to forget her problems, it was to go to work.
While she’d experimented a little with moving her lower body before falling asleep, Vala had yet to stand since the reversing of her paralysis. She carefully scooted to the edge of the bed and attempted to push herself off. The second she was upright, her legs wobbled and she fell back onto the bed.
After a few more tries, she finally managed to remain standing. Slowly she made her way to the new clothing left for her on the far side of the room. Just as she reached for the brown dress, a flash of red on her ankle caught her eye. Placing a hand against the wall for support, she leaned over to take a closer look.
Vala’s normally golden skin had turned red around her ankle, almost like a large cuff. At about her mid-calf, the red faded back to her usual skin tone. She lightly touched the red area, but it felt like any other part of her body; smooth and slightly warm to the touch. Since Kelderans didn’t change skin color after a claiming, the result had to be because of Thorin’s Brevkan half.
She brushed the skin again with her fingertips. The red had covered the markings on her skin as well, although devoured might be a better phrase since her runic markings had been erased in the red sections. If it were related to being a Brevkan’s possession, she wondered why the doctor in her research notes hadn’t mentioned it.
She’d keep an eye on it and maybe research it later. For the time being, she dismissed the oddity to put on her dress.
After a little more pacing around the room to test out her strength, Vala stood at the door and gave Thorin’s quarters one last glance. For the most part, she’d hated being restricted to the room. But now that she was leaving, she wanted to stay a little longer.
Ridiculous, Vala. Squaring her shoulders, Vala turned and exited the room. Only when she spotted her first warrior did she quickly bow her head and lower her gaze. She needed to remember that the rest of the ship saw her as a Barren. Not only that, the law did as well. If she landed in trouble and broke the law, not even Thorin would be able to assist her.
Keeping her head down, Vala clenched her fingers and headed toward her former room. With each person she passed, she fought the urge to meet their gazes.
And each time she did, anger gathered in her belly.
Thorin had done more than claim her virginity. The male had also started to make her believe she was the equal of others.
In her heart, she believed that. But staying out of jail was her top priority and she needed to be careful.
When she finally entered the designated Barren section of the ship, Vala raised her head again. The first female she saw was Setla, the female she knew from her childhood and the one who had been terrified aboard the shuttle to the colony ship. Vala smiled. “Hello, Setla. Do you remember me?”
The female bobbed her head and whispered, “Sorry, but I must go.”
Setla hurried down the corridor. Vala barely had time to frown at her actions when another female voice filled the space, “Don’t mind her. She thinks the rumors about warriors wanting revenge on the general through his mistress are true. Someone started a new rumor as well, about how jealous males also take out the mistress’s friends and acquaintances.”
Vala swung around. A slightly older black-haired female with lavender skin, wearing a flowing, multicolored dress, smirked at her. Since she had a head wrap on, Vala had no idea if the female was a Barren or not. Vala raised her brows and then blurted the question, “Who are you?”
The female snorted. “I had heard how working with the princess had changed you, but I had yet to believe it. I guess it’s true.”
Vala studied the female but didn’t recognize her from her previous assignment. “While I’m flattered to be associated with Princess Kalahn, you still haven’t answered my question. Only the Barren are allowed in this section of the ship unless there is an emergency.” She waved toward the head wrap. “Without seeing your forehead, I’m not sure how to address you.”
The female stood and placed a hand on her hip. She scrutinized Vala a second before replying, “Why does it matter? I can’t see you bowing down to me if I turned out to be a fertile female.”
Vala dug her nails into her palm to tame her irritation. The other female seemed not to dance around issues. Vala wouldn’t mind if she knew if the other female was a Barren. However, until she found out the truth, Vala needed to watch her tongue.
Thankfully the other woman spoke up before Vala could. “My name is Azalyn. The reason why I’m in this part of the ship is because I wanted a respite from my older brother and his bride. They seem determined to find me a lord before we reach Jasvar. My trips to the Barren section over the last week have been the highlight of the journey so far. You all have freedoms I could only dream of.”
So she wasn’t one of the Barren, then. “Freedom is a subjective word.”
The corner of Azalyn’s mouth ticked up. “Do elaborate.” Vala hesitated and the female rolled her eyes. “You have nothing to fear from me. But if you need formal permission to speak freely without consequence, then I give it.”
Vala looked closer at the female. While not an empath, Vala didn’t sense any hidden agenda in the female’s posture. “Let’s confirm your identity on the ship and then I’ll speak freely.”
Azalyn raised an eyebrow. “You are more commanding than the others. I think we’re going to get along well in the future, if you’re part of the colony, that is.”
She dismissed the part about being friends and said, “You are in our sanctuary. Of course I’m going to vet who you are. Even the law would recognize my right to do so.”
Azalyn motioned with a hand. “Then lead me to whatever computer you need to use so that you can scan my retina.”
Vala moved to a console nearby. “Here.”
The female came and waited. Vala said, “Computer, scan retina for identity and display file. Record of this scan is confidential to the Barren and not to be shared in the public access files.”
For a second, the computer said nothing and Vala wondered if Thorin had curbed her access. Then the computer answered, “Ready for the scan.”
Azalyn leaned forward. Once the computer finished, Vala read the results:
Azalyn Rippak Sulani. Age 40. Member of the prominent merchant Sulani family through fostering. Officially severed ties with the Rippak family when the Sulanis took her in, and she adopted the Sulani surname at maturity. Passed fertile scan. Single. Special note: access to palace grounds is prohibited. Not allowed within sight distance of any member of the royal family, as decreed by King Kastor. Granted permission to leave Keldera to join the colony on Jasvar.
Vala barely paid attention to the other details and focused on the bit concerning the royal family. She met Azalyn’s dark eyes. “What did you do to merit being prohibited from the palace grounds? While few have access, even fewer have an official entry stating they’re not allowed inside.”
Azalyn smiled. “So, you noticed my record, I see.” Vala opened her mouth to press, but Azalyn continued, “I made the mistake of falling in love with a prince. I suggest you avoid doing the same, if given the chance.”
While detailed information about the heir to the Kelderan throne, Prince Keltor, wasn’t public knowledge, Princess Kalahn had told Vala a little about her brother’s youth.
Keltor had wanted to take a shop assistant’s daughter as his bride. Azalyn had been told Keltor was betrothed to another and that if she didn’t want her father to lose his position, she needed to forget Keltor existed and go into hiding.
The female had disappeared. Not even Prince Kason had been able to find her.
Vala finally made her mouth work. “You loved Prince Keltor.”
Azalyn’s gaze shuttered. “I don’t know how you know which prince it was, but I don’t wish to ever hear that name again.”
At the anger in Azalyn’s tone, Vala debated what to do. For all she knew, Azalyn had ties with the antimonarchy group. More than most, Azalyn had reason to hate the royal family.
However, before she could make a decision, Azalyn walked a few feet away from her and said, “Report me if you like, for invading your space. But I’ll leave now and never return. It seems I can’t find as much peace in this section of the ship as I had hoped.”
With that, the female disappeared down the hallway.
As if Vala already didn’t have enough tasks to do, she now had another.
However, she wasn’t going to condemn Azalyn before even looking into her. After all, the female had suffered enough pain simply because she’d fallen in love with the wrong person. Another accusation could ruin her reputation forever.
But if she were innocent, that would cause another conundrum. Mainly, if Vala should tell Princess Kalahn about Azalyn’s place on the colony. Because if she did, Kalahn would probably share the news with her eldest brother, Keltor.
Vala had never met Prince Keltor and didn’t know what would happen if he found out about Azalyn. Vala suspected the female was one of his potential destined brides, which meant she was one of a handful of females who could bear him offspring.
History was full of stories about princes and kings claiming females against their will, all in the name of propagating their lines. While not even a prince could take a female by force and go unscathed, the royal family could imprison or threaten the female into silence and acceptance.
Poor Azalyn had no idea what might be coming her way.
With a deep breath, Vala turned and headed to her old quarters. It was time to return to her old life and get to work.