Battling Rapture (18 page)

“We’ve found nothing so far,” Rhine said.

“The keep is secure,” Venn said. “I contacted Lord Velth. He
claims to have no knowledge of House Ivar’s actions, and assures me he will
investigate the matter. At this point, the entire House is in disgrace. If I
were him, I would disband it or gut it and place a new family in the position.”

Olaf stepped forward. “Skela Ja is the uncle of Isor Ja. He
raised him after the death of Isor Ja’s father. Skela Ja is definitely not an
exotic cloth dealer. He is a hunter by trade.”

“What planet?” Tor asked.

“R’riors. It is temperate and not unlike our own. The atmosphere
is slightly less dense,” Olaf replied.

Gunter said, “There doesn’t seem to be any traceable
communication between Lady Helsa and Skela Ja.”

Venn grunted. Everyone was quiet for several minutes.

“If you’ve looked everyplace you think he could be—” Camryn
began.

“Why not look where you think he couldn’t be,” Niki said.

“Exactly,” Camryn said.

“What does that mean?” Rhine asked.

“Well, he obviously isn’t hiding in one of your people’s
homes. You’ve checked all the buildings. What does that leave?” Niki said.

“You believe he is hiding on the land, but not leaving a
sign that he is there,” Venn said.

“It would make sense if he was a hunter. What better way to
hunt prey than to become one with the habitat?” Rhine shook his head.

“He would be someplace usually deserted, but easy for
someone who knows how to blend in. He would know how to survive without fire.”
Niki said.

“All he would need is a water source,” Rhine said.

They all sat quietly. Rhine thought of all the places which
would be perfect for a hunter to hide.

“The Lady’s Copse,” the men all said together.

Venn nodded. “No one has much reason to go there. We stopped
cutting back the brush in the copse when I was a boy. We no longer use wood as
our primary source of heat. It is just an overgrown wooded area now. It is a
perfect hiding place. The trees are dense and the area is shielded from outside
view.”

“It is near the lake, so Skela Ja would have access to
water,” Rhine added. “He could be in the trees or have made a bed in the fallen
leaves.”

“Let’s expect to move in an hour. I need to see the full
council in my study,” Venn said.

The men stood. Rhine ran his hand down Niki’s braid and she
patted his hand. They followed Venn out. As soon as the door was closed, Venn
switched directions. He headed for a side exit. When they’d cleared the keep
and were headed for the Lady’s Copse. Rhine started laughing.

“You laugh now, but you wouldn’t have been laughing as you
watched your woman walk right into danger because you don’t have the ability to
say no to her,” Venn said.

Rhine sobered immediately. “I was thinking rope.”

“My advice is to save rope for pleasurable activities. If
not, they tend to get mad. Trickery is better,” Venn said.

“She’s going to be angry anyway.”

“Yes, but she won’t be mad about you leaving her in addition
to you overpowering her.”

Rhine agreed he did have a point. They were careful to
remain as quiet as possible. The Lady’s Copse was situated to the west of the
lake. They didn’t need to cut as much wood, so the area had overgrown. Obviously
they’d become too lax about security within the holding.

They split up and spread out so they could each enter the
copse from a different point. Rhine stood and observed his surroundings. The
denseness of the foliage lent the copse an air of being a completely different
world. Birds fluttered overhead and settled. He allowed full rein to his
senses.

He looked for unsettled leaves and brush, which would have
been caused by something more than the smaller animals which inhabited the
copse. So far Skela Ja hadn’t left a scent on his prey. Rhine smelled the air,
looking for anything which did not belong. Maybe the man would slip up here,
where he felt no one could find him.

He heard skittering to his left. It was a sound too small
for a man. Slowly, Rhine moved farther into a space which had become woodland
in such a short period of time. He watched his footfalls as well as the trees
and foliage around and above him. Surely Skela Ja would notice how quiet the
animals had become. They waited now that their privacy had been invaded by the
five men.

A boulder caught his eye. At first he couldn’t understand
why. Then he saw it. The stone had obviously been moved from its original
resting place. Dirt and water marks lined the edge showing where it had
previously been in the ground. He pulled his blaster from his hip, and moved
closer. There was the chance that when he disturbed the area, it would trigger
a trap. It was what he would have done in the hunter’s place.

He pulled his pad and signaled his location to his cousins.
He moved closer. The boulder held down the edge of a camouflaged tarp. Fallen
leaves were spread across the top. If he hadn’t been looking carefully he might
have missed it.

His cousins appeared silently around him. He allowed them
time to notice what he’d noticed. They did not speak. He found a long tree
branch that had fallen to the woodland floor. He used the branch to snag the
edge of the camouflaged tarp, and fling it away.

A shallow trench had been dug in the earth. There was
nothing there to suggest anything about its creator. The hunter had left
nothing behind. Not even a change of clothing. Rhine recovered the hole and
scattered leaves along the top of the tarp. They signaled each other and once
again moved through the copse, looking for more evidence Skela Ja had been
there. They found nothing out of place. They would obviously need to set a trap
for the hunter at his resting place.

Olaf remained behind, hiding in some leaves and shrubbery.
Rhine walked with Venn, Tor and Gunter out of the copse and around the lake.
The breeze brought her scent to him before he saw her. She marched toward him
through the sparingly spread out trees surrounding the lake with Varin keeping
pace beside her. He didn’t need the blast of fury emanating from her to know
she seethed. Her eyebrows were so drawn a line appeared between her eyes. Her
jaw was tight and she clenched her fists at her side. His cousins stepped away
from him slightly.

“Traitors,” he whispered.

He heard the whoosh of an arrow leaving a bow. He pulled his
blaster even as he ran toward Niki. He felt air displace behind him as the
arrow travelled past the place he would have been. Varin had already pulled
Niki to the ground and covered her with his body. His cousins fired into the
trees to the left, covering him as he ran to Niki.

Then he realized the arrows were following him. He couldn’t
lead them to Niki. He had to trust in her ability to protect herself and
Varin’s ability to shield her. He changed direction. He dove behind a tree and
gazed around it. Three arrows hit the trunk in rapid succession. He jerked
back. He’d seen enough to know Niki and Varin had taken refuge behind another
tree.

“Stay there, Niki,” he yelled.

“I’m not the crazy person who just outran a bevy of arrows,”
she yelled back.

Rhine fired at the tree line where the arrows were coming
from. He couldn’t see anyone. He glanced over at Niki. She was also firing her
blaster at the tree line. They couldn’t stay there forever. Already guards
converged on the area.

Rhine waited for the second after an arrow was released and
darted to another of the widely space trees. He did this again and again until
he was close to the tree in which he believed the hunter hid. He gazed into the
tree canopy. He smiled as he caught sight of the hunter’s arm moving back to
nock the arrow. Camouflage or not, he had a clear shot. Rhine fired three
shots. The hunter called out once and fell.

Rhine raced to where he’d fallen. His angle hadn’t been the
best, so unless the man broke his neck in the fall, he might still be alive.
They reached the fallen man quickly, with Niki only a few moments behind. Skela
Ja bled from a small wound on the side of his neck, a belly shot and an arm
wound.

Venn directed one of the guards to climb the tree, and make
sure there weren’t any more surprises waiting for them.

“Skela Ja,” Rhine said.

The man looked up at him with disdain. He was covered in
dirt and leaves.

“You are still alive. You should be as dead as my nephew.”
Skela Ja coughed and blood coated his lips. “You cheated and shot him, all to
steal a slave.”

“Well, this slave slapped your nephew around a bit before he
lost me in a card game fair and square. He wasn’t a prize, and certainly not
worth being full of holes right now. You shouldn’t have wasted your time,” Niki
said. She gazed down at the man with a sneer.

The man lunged at her and she kicked him back. Rhine turned
to Venn.

“Do we end his suffering here or chat with him a bit more?”
he asked his cousin conversationally.

“We should definitely chat. I have a cell all ready for him
under the keep.” Venn looked eager.

“You heard your lord, tie this offal up and transport him to
one of the cells under Huntu Keep,” Rhine commanded.

Rhine grabbed Niki and pulled her closer to his side. He’d
felt such fear for her while she had apparently been as calm as the lake on a
clear day. Touching her soothed him, so he gave in and rubbed her back. That
she let him was reassuring.

“Thank you for keeping her safe, Varin,” he said to the
younger man.

“Yeah, thanks, Varin, though I can keep myself safe, even if
no one will believe me,” Niki muttered.

“I understand, Niki. Having Varin with you helped ease my
worry about your safety.” He lied. He’d worried anyway.

She patted his stomach. “I’m going to show you some
meditation exercises. You worry too much.”

As long as they were naked while they completed these
meditation exercises, he was all for it. They slowly began walking toward the
keep.

“Did she really slap Isor Ja?” Venn asked quietly.

Olaf still brushed leaves and dirt off his clothes from
where he’d been hiding in the underbrush. “The gambler had a black eye and she
is quick with a punch or hit.”

“I thought we discussed the fact that I can hear you and you
shouldn’t speak about me as if I’m not here,” Niki said.

“I thought she said she liked it,” Olaf whispered.

Chapter Ten

Niki considered stabbing herself just to prove she hadn’t
been bored to death. She shifted again on the sofa and Camryn patted her leg
reassuringly. It was her sister’s fault she was currently surrounded by
Ordanian noblewomen for the sixth time in the last six weeks. Each week they
got a new batch as though they’d been ordered from a catalogue. As Camryn’s
sister and Rhine’s woman, she was considered part of Camryn’s court. Since both
Camryn and Rhine took the position seriously, she was forced to sit still for
hours as these women talked. Thank goodness for the occasional card game and
horseback ride or she would have locked herself in her room and flagellated
herself with Rhine’s ornamental ties.

“Just a little while longer,” Bronwyn whispered.

Apparently Bronwyn had been raised from birth to hold these
conversations and make nice with others. Camryn hadn’t begun these
get-togethers until after Niki arrived. Niki wondered what brought on this
massive public relations campaign. That was what it was. Camryn was charming
and appeared highly educated about issues from each of the woman’s tribes.

They’d all been guests for a week and would be leaving
shortly when their husbands returned from conference with Rhine, Venn and the
rest of the Huntu boys.

“Will you remain with your sister when Sir Rhine returns to
travel, Mistress Niki?” Kadlin, Lady Velth asked.

She’d been especially nice to Camryn after the House Ivar
faux pas. Venn was correct. Lord Velth had stripped the family of their
position and placed another high-born Velth family in their place.

“I will do as Sir Rhine directs me, Lady Velth,” she
responded.

All the women nodded as if Niki was imparting sacred wisdom.
She’d learned the trick early. All she had to do was say anything she did was
at Rhine’s direction or proclaim she would do Rhine’s bidding if they asked her
a question she didn’t want to answer. It worked perfectly every time. Poor
Rhine probably had a reputation now as a strict taskmaster when he was really
putty in her hands—most of the time.

The door opened and the men entered to take their ladies
away. She realized her torture was almost at an end and she wanted to shout a
chorus of halleluiahs. She stood and crossed to Rhine. He immediately pulled
her to his side and laid his arm loosely around her waist. She calmed almost
immediately. There was a rustle of activity as each guest left the keep. She
stood next to Rhine and smiled politely as he clasped hands and said a few
words to each person. He was very diplomatic.

What in the world was he doing with her?

He pulled her into his arms as the door closed for the final
time.

“Don’t worry. They’re gone,” he said.

“We have two days before our next guests arrive,” Camryn
said to Bronwyn.

“Why is she torturing me?” Niki whispered the words against
Rhine’s chest.

Her body shook along with his as he laughed. She caught
movement out of the corner of her eye. Camryn was leaving the room without
Venn. She looked a little nervous. Usually after the guests left, she would
hang around and listen to the men analyze how their meetings went. She could be
going to the bathroom, but…Niki didn’t believe that for a moment.

She tugged away from Rhine. “Hey, I need the little
mistress’s room. Be back in a sec.”

She didn’t wait for permission despite the lies she liked to
tell Camryn’s guests. She did exit the room quickly to follow her sister.
Camryn wasn’t in the hallway, so she asked the guard at the front door where
she’d gone. He pointed her toward the area behind the stairs.

She checked every room. She found her in the communications
room. Camryn stopped speaking as Niki walked in. They stared at each other.

“What are you up to, Cam?”

Camryn smiled nervously. “Come here.”

Niki walked forward and looked at the screen on the desk.
She sat next to Camryn. On the screen were two women and a man. The man was
attractive, with brown skin, slanted eyes and wavy, shoulder length brown hair.
He could have been from any humanoid species, maybe even from Earth. The women
were spectacular. Their skin glowed in the way a pearl would if coated in
glitter. One had crayon red hair and the other coal black.

“These are the people who helped us locate you. Captain
Acia, Shunyuan and Cheris. Shunyuan is from Earth.”

“Thank you,” Niki said.

“It was our pleasure,” the redheaded woman said.

Her voice was mesmerizing. Niki could understand the words,
but she swore she heard bells and chimes tinkling.

“What’s going on here, Cam? You look as though you’re up to
something,” Niki asked.

“They are freedom fighters. They work for the Anti-Slavery
Alliance.
We
work for the Anti-Slavery Alliance.” Camryn stared at her
and waited for her response.

“Does your husband know you’re in this Alliance?” She was
all for it, but she knew Camryn took her role as Lady Huntu seriously.

“I’m working on it. Why do you think I’ve been practically
running for office around here trying to portray both you and me as people and
not former slaves? Your ‘I’m a good little woman routine’ has actually been
helping a little.”

Niki grinned. “Glad I could be of service. So what’s the
plan? I’m in.”

“Exactly what are you in?” Rhine said.

They both looked up to find both Venn and Rhine in the open
doorway.

“Call us back when you have more information,” Captain Acia
said.

The screen went blank and Camryn pushed a button on the
keypad. Niki assessed the situation and figured she’d let her sister, who’d
been wrapping men around her fingers since she was a toddler, explain their way
out of this one.

“Camryn, what have you done?” Venn asked with a frown.

“I haven’t done anything, Venn,” she said. Cam’s smile
dazzled.

Yeah, that’s why Niki was just going to sit there and be
quiet.

“Did I hear the Dovian captain on the communicator?” he
asked.

“Why yes. I was introducing her to Niki.”

“Camryn,” Venn said.

“Venn.”

He sighed. “I promise I won’t be angry. I just want to know
how to prepare.”

Camryn regarded him for several long moments.

“Well, Captain Acia and I are part of the Anti-Slavery
Alliance.”

Niki held her breath as she looked back and forth between
the two. Venn’s eyes narrowed.

“What have you helped them with so far?” he asked.

“Venn, you know slavery is rampant throughout the United
Universe. Not every enslaved person is as lucky as Niki and me. What if you’d
never walked past me in that market? What if I’d been purchased by a Gastronian
or one of the Tuetvon beast people? Where would I be now? Where would my sister
be now?” Camryn had tears in her eyes.

Where would they be? Camryn was correct. They were in a
position to at least help poke holes in the slave trade in the universe. Venn
walked forward and Niki took her eyes off them and stared at Rhine. His eyes
were locked on her. She jerked a bit. She’d expected him to be watching Camryn
just as everyone else was. Come on, her sister even cried prettily. She didn’t
cry ugly as most people did, with a red face and a runny nose. Yet he was
staring at Niki and not her sister.

She stood to make room for Venn as he moved to comfort his
wife. Rhine beckoned to her and she walked toward him. He led her out of the
room.

“You and your sister together are double the vexation,” he
said.

She bristled. “I don’t know what you mean. You’re going to
have to be specific.”

“Calm down, hellion.” He tugged her braid. “You’re worth the
trouble.”

The comment stopped her in her tracks. She looked up at him.
Maybe he did think she was worth it. She thought about everything they’d done.
He’d defended A’Di so Niki wouldn’t do it herself and be killed. He’d helped
her find the courage to begin fixing her relationship with her sister. He
didn’t try to make her change. He just warned her when she was about to jump
off a cliff. He was her friend. It was too bad she wanted so much more from
him.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, and hugged him. Other
than Camryn, he was the first person to tell her she was worth their time. He
kissed the crown of her head.

“You know, she’s right. If you hadn’t found me, someone
would have killed me by now. I would never have stopped giving attitude,
fighting and running. She’s right to help. We may not be able to do a lot, but
we can do our part.”

“Hmm.”

But the sound meant he was listening, even if he didn’t want
to. She pulled away and he took her hand and walked with her back to their
room. Once inside, he pulled her to the bed and tucked her into his side.

“What are the risks of helping the Alliance?” she asked.

“The United Universe has many laws about slavery. Each
planet is self-governing as long as they don’t make laws which contradict
universal law. If we could convince Ordanian Council to forbid citizens from
taking new slaves, it would be illegal to require they free any they already
own. It would violate the universal law.”

“Who makes universal laws?”

“Each galaxy has two representatives who are elected to
United Universe Assembly.”

“How many galaxies are there?”

“Well, your galaxy is the newest discovered and it has been
labeled the twelve thousandth galaxy.”

“Oh.” The numbers were staggering.

“Of course, some galaxies really don’t have evolved life.
The life forms are sentient, but only barely. The newest galaxies have no
representation in the United Universe Assembly.”

“So it is the United Universe Assembly laws which ultimately
have to be changed.”

“Yes. Unfortunately, the slave trade is a large business in
most galaxies. Economic structures will topple on several planets if it is
outlawed.”

“So you all will be making powerful enemies if you speak out
against slavery?”

“Yes.”

The problem was bigger than she’d imagined. She was a
fighter, not a diplomat. She wouldn’t know how to even begin a campaign to
convince one planet to change its laws, much less thousands of them. She’d be
better as a mercenary. But she couldn’t keep her new family as an outlaw. She
would lead trouble to their door with every visit.

And how would she get around? Maybe she could join the crew
who’d discovered her whereabouts. They already had one team member from Earth.
But she’d promised Rhine almost two years of time. She wouldn’t break her word.
She had time to investigate her options.

She looked at him. He lay with his eyes closed. He appeared
peaceful, almost as if Camryn hadn’t already broken a few laws and he and his
cousin weren’t going to have to hide the proverbial bodies.

She wondered if he still was in love with Camryn. Niki
cringed and her stomach churned. She rubbed the spot over her heart. There was
an ache deep inside her chest.

They all treated her sister well. She would find one or all
of them with Camryn in her garden talking about any and everything. The men
treated her as a little sister, humoring her and bringing her things they
believed she would like. The youngest Huntu, Hans, let Camryn treat him as
though he was a hair mannequin while he read to her in the afternoons.

But they were just as solicitous of Niki. She’d been sort of
suspicious at first, but realized the men simply recognized her as family. They
even let her spar with them, though she knew they pulled punches. She was
grateful. She didn’t want to be killed because one of the giants forgot she was
smaller than they were.

Rhine didn’t treat her as if she were his second choice.
He’d never once called her by Camryn’s name or suggested she be more like her
sister.

“Don’t worry so much, Niki,” he said quietly.

She looked into his clear blue eyes. She might shatter if
she discovered she was just a stand-in for her sister in his mind. She wouldn’t
ask. She couldn’t take the chance he would confirm his continued love of her
sister. She didn’t have talks about feelings, anyway.
But you do brood about
them.

Suddenly, Rhine rolled away from her, stood and began to
remove his clothing.

“So you’re just going to go from zero to sixty just like
that?” She wasn’t really complaining.

“You will not relax, so I will help you.”

Did he time his words to coincide with the removal of his
pants? It was sort of brilliant.

“I feel more excited than relaxed.”

He winked at her. “The relaxation comes afterward. Strip.”

She stood on the bed and discarded her clothes as quickly as
possible. He stepped forward and she moved to the edge of the bed. His hands
cradled her face as he pulled her closer. He leaned forward as if to kiss her,
but didn’t. He held his mouth a hairsbreadth away from hers. Her eyes fluttered
completely closed as she waited. The anticipation sent delicate little shivers
down her spine.

Then his lips touched hers. Softly at first, they glided
across her lips before parting to deepen the delicious contact. His tongue
danced with hers and she tried to immerse herself in the exquisite feeling.
Whatever this was she felt when with him was addictive. She wanted to absorb
what he made her feel into her pores. With a simple kiss he could turn her to
mush and convince her she didn’t care if she were vulnerable.

His hands slid from her jaw and traced her neck and back. As
he slid his palms around to her belly, she gave in to her constant craving and
touched him. She caressed his shoulders before sliding her hands slowly over
his triceps. Being close to him caused her breasts to feel heavy and sensitive.
Her pussy pulsed with anticipation.

His palms dragged across her rib cage before closing over
her breasts. She exhaled in relief. She needed his touch. His mouth left hers
and he trailed kisses across her jaw, and down her neck. Every once in a while
he would scrape his teeth against her skin. Her breath caught every time.