Corbin's Captive (16 page)

He tipped the vial so a drop of Trill spilt from it onto Corbin's lips, "...and I will walk away, convince the others that we are chasing shadows and buy you enough time to make your escape."

Corbin tried to back away, but his legs were rooted to the ground. Tremors vibrated through his body, causing his muscles to tense.

His stomach cramped, and the all too familiar iron grip of need twisted in his gut. His mind told him that this wasn't right. He needed to fight the overwhelming temptation shoved in his face now.

He could do this.

Yani, Yani, Yani ... go back and live ...
His mother's voice echoed in his head. Yani's face, her willingness to sacrifice everything, even her royal life of privilege, just to be with him, was more than he deserved.

That was why he wouldn't fall to the whims of his addiction, not this time, and not ever again.

He grabbed Gor's wrist and ripped the vial of Trill from his hand. Gor fell back and laughed, believing he had just brokered the deal. His mirth was short lived. Corbin threw the vial to the ground and crushed it beneath his boot.

Gor's face paled for a brief second, then, without warning, he charged Corbin, grabbing him by the waist and taking him down.

Corbin could do nothing but go with the momentum, as Gor tackled him. His back hit the ground hard.

Gor lifted off and landed a fist on the side of his head. He went to hit him again.

Corbin blocked the punch and nailed Gor in the neck with a punch of his own, stunning the Azurian. Corbin took the opportunity to throw him off. He stood and watched in surprise at how quickly Gor recovered. The attacker lunged forward.

* * * *

Corbin recovered just as quickly and twisted out of the way. At the same moment, he lashed out with one of his dreads and roped it around Gor's neck, yanking him back.

A gurgling noise came from Gor as his body snapped back into Corbin's arms. The minute Gor's body collided with his chest, Corbin heaved him off the ground and bridged back, slamming Gor's head and upper back on the hard ground.

It knocked the wind out of the prince. Not giving him a chance to recover, Corbin pounced on him and began pummeling him with fury-filled fists.

He lost all control. Rage erupted from deep inside him; Every nightmare, every beating he received from his father, all the indignations he suffered as a result, poured out of him in a violent torrent of emotional release.

Corbin found himself unable to stop pummeling the Azurian prince until a scream punctured through the fog in his mind.

"Corbin enough!"

Kaden's voice broke through the fog of rage driving his punches. Two sets of strong arms pulled him off Gor.

Nal and Kaden held him between them. His heavy breathing started to calm and his senses began to return to him. He looked down at his clenched fists and blanched. Gor's blood covered his knuckles.

Kaden's grip loosened slightly, "It's over, Corbin. Let it be."

He looked at the Dreg leader, still a bit dazed from the intense emotions still draining from him. Nal stood at his right, he turned to regard the Elvin. His sympathetic expression bewildered Corbin.

Looking around he saw the band of men surrounding them. His father, Joran, Nal, Kaden and three more Dreg warriors stood facing him in silence.

Kaden motioned to Nal, and they took Corbin to a large rock and had him sit. One of the Dreg warriors walked over to them and began to examine his facial bruises and broken knuckles. Two more dragged an unconscious Gor to a nearby tree, and began to administer first aid.

Teagan walked over to him. As usual, his face a mask of disgust whenever he looked at him. He dismissed the warrior tending to Corbin's injuries.

"You bastard, look at the trouble you've caused. I'm going to recommend that the council exiles you to the harshest most filthiest–"

Joran stepped between them, "Enough Father!"

Nal and Kaden, came up behind Teagan. "Corbin will receive a fair trial. Teagan, it is not your concern."

Teagan turned to Nal. "He doesn't deserve a fair trial. He has been nothing but a disgrace to his people." He turned back to Corbin and clutched a fist full of dreads, pulling Corbin's head back so that he could stare him in the eyes. "I should have killed you the moment you were born."

Corbin stared back at him with cold eyes. His father wasn't worth the sweat it would take to beat him into a bloody heap of flesh and bone.

"Get your filthy hands off my life-mate you pathetic waste of Dreg male!"

All activity stopped. Shocked expressions watched Yani walk toward Corbin's father.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

"Who do you think you are?"

Yani glared at Teagan. She marched up to him, planted her hands on her hips and looked up at the elder Dreg's stunned face.

"If anyone deserves to be thrown into the fiery abyss, it is you!"

She slapped his hand from Corbin's dreads. Astonishingly, he actually removed it.

"I have every intention of defending Corbin at any trial, anywhere." She pointedly looked over at Nal.

Prince Nal narrowed his eyes, although he couldn't quite hide his respect for Yani's courage in the face of insurmountable odds.

"I'm afraid that Corbin's crimes are not within the realm of Zen politics. While it would seem obvious you went willingly with him, the reasons I must arrest him are not so easily dismissed."

He was right. Yani knew that. How could she possibly dissuade the Elvin court from prosecuting Corbin?

"Yani, Nal is right, I have to face the consequences of my actions."

She took Corbin's hand and held it to her heart. "I can't bear to see you leave. I will do everything in my power to help you Corbin." She turned to Nal once again.

"I don't care who I have to step on to do it."

Nal sighed, "I'm sorry Princess, but there is nothing I can do. Corbin must answer to a higher power than me."

Kaden approached. "I am also prepared to speak on Corbin's behalf, in the hopes that the Elvin elders will have mercy when passing down their sentence." He turned to Corbin, "I have already discussed the issue with the Communal Counsel. There was a split decision Corbin, we were forced to turn the matter over to the Elvin court."

It stunned Corbin. The Counsel's split decision indicated that at least some of the Dreg Chieftains supported him. He looked at Yani, and her expression showed that she realized that as well. Nonetheless, he was thankful that at the very least his own people did not want to prosecute him.

"Well I intend to crucify that bastard for what he's done."

Joran stepped in front of Gor. Somehow, the bastard had managed to stand and stumble towards the group, with his arm supporting his mid-torso.

"This is no longer your affair, Gor. Princess Yani has already conceded that she fled willingly with Corbin, to escape you!"

Gor turned to glare at Yani, "It doesn't matter what
she
wants."

Corbin jumped to his feet and charged at Gor.

Kaden and Joran caught him and struggled to hold him back.

"The fuck it doesn't! She doesn't want to be bound to a brute like you."

Everyone tensed, waiting for Gor to retaliate. Instead, he grimaced and looked away, then back to Yani. The look of rejection on his face stopped her from tossing additional insults at him.

He turned his back to them and walked towards the tree, where the other two Dreg warriors waited to finish bandaging his broken ribs.

Teagan remained silent, but the disdained look on his face told Yani he fought to remain that way. She shook her head with disbelief. Not even now, when his eldest son faced possible execution, did he have the decency to show the least bit of compassion for him.

Joran walked past his father and knelt down before Corbin. "Brother, I swear I will stand by you, whatever it takes." He stared into Corbin's eyes and placed his hand over Corbin's heart.

Yani watched the two brothers exchange silent knowledge. She turned to see Teagan's expression turn to shame. He looked down, his hands fisted, but said nothing. Did he finally feel guilt for what he did to Corbin? Nal took hold of Corbin's arm and indicated for him to stand. Once Corbin was on his feet, Nal cuffed his wrists behind his back with a pair of energy cuffs.

Yani's heart broke. One by one, the men circled Corbin. Nal lead them to the Trans-shuttle waiting a few yards away from their location. She followed behind, holding her head down.

A river of tears flowed from her eyes. She watched as the drops fell to the desert floor, leaving a trail of small, wet, spots on the yellow sand.
Corbin. How was she ever going to live without him?

* * * *

Honestly, if his reasons for being here were anything else other them sentencing, Corbin would feel honored to be presented at the Elvin High Court. It reminded him of the coliseums back on Yor, where the training warriors sparred off to impress potential senior mentors.

Unlike Yor arenas however, the floor shined with polished, white stone, tiles that showed his reflection when he looked down. The circular room rose up in tiers, with the lowest tiers reserved for noble classes, including the royal family, and the higher ones for citizen spectators.

The trial of a Dreg accused of crimes against the Elvin people, packed the courtroom. A large plinth that contained seats, where the royal family and Prince Nal sat, stood tall in the center of the room. Corbin knelt in front of it on a small round platform, raised about a foot off the floor.

The Elvin Elders, who would judge him and pass down the sentence, sat in a semi-circle around Corbin, on a raised stage facing him.

A tall, thin Elder stood and approached the front of the stage. His long white and red robes billowed behind him as he walked. His long, white, hair hung loose, nearly to his knees. He stood slightly hunched over and motioned with his hand for Corbin to stand.

"Rise, Dreg Corbin."

When Corbin stood, he raised his arms up and out to the sides. Looking up at the royal family, he inclined his head and then returned his attention to Corbin.

"We have heard testimony from reliable Elvin citizens that you have conducted illegal transactions with the D'vlin, enemies of the Elvin people. The subject of these dealings has put the lives of the Elvin at risk.

"It is considered however, that our security forces did intercept the D'vlin from creating a biological weapon with the Velix Coral you, Dreg Corbin, are accused of selling to them, for your own perverse needs."

Corbin felt a stab of shame as the Elder proceeded to read over all the accusations against him. His mind wandered as the lengthy speech continued. The chances of him escaping with less than a life sentence seemed futile. His only regret sat in the stands, with two of her sisters and brother.

Corbin stared at the Elvin elder, stone faced, listening to the summary of the case against him. Ancients, he would never see her again, after today. He burned her face and body in his memory, making sure every inch of her was permanently imprinted in his mind. If anything good had come of his fucked up life, it had been Yani.

Her eyes met his. The love for him in their depths blatantly displayed for everyone to see. She hid nothing about her feelings for him. For that alone he loved her.

"Dreg Corbin, are you ready to hear your sentence?"

Corbin solemnly nodded.

"It is taken into consideration all the testimony from Dreg Corbin's family, his Sovereign leader, and Princess Yani of Zen. It is also acknowledged the seriousness of his crime. Given this evidence, this court condemns Dreg Corbin to no less than three years of exile to the Elvin Death Lands. May your Ancients be with you."

A loud gasp resounded from the Dreg and Zen sections. Three years wasn't that bad. However, three years in the unforgivably hostile environment of the Elvin Death Lands was a life sentence in itself.

Few have survived less than a year, let alone three. He inclined his head to the Elders and then bowed to the royal Elvin family. Prince Nal bowed back, startling his own kin.

After formally accepting his sentence, three heavily armed Elvin guards surrounded Corbin and led him away. As they walked him across the court to the rear entrance where a hover shuttle waited to take him away, he turned one last time to look at Yani.

She had moved from her seat, and now stood clutching the railing. She placed her hand over her belly and mouthed the words, "I love you, forever." He smiled up at her and mouthed them back. Then he let her know without words, through the sheer determination in his eyes, that nothing would keep him from returning to her.

The last thing he saw as they ushered him out the door was Yani, head held high, and her lovely face expressing her indissoluble faith that he would do just that.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Yani stood outside her bedroom, gazing at the three moons in the Zen night sky. Finally, three years to the day when Corbin left for the Death Lands to serve his sentence, has arrived. She spent the months, days, hours and minutes leading to this moment searching the stars every night, looking for some miraculous sign that Corbin had survived his exile.

Hours passed with her praying to Ver for his safe return. Her family constantly buzzed around her, trying their best to lift her moods. Although she appreciated their efforts, only one thing could make her complete again. The only thing that made her life bearable was the small miracle tugging on her skirt at that very moment.

Her heart warmed, as it always did when she stared into the face of a small, three-year-old boy, whose smiling face resembled his father's so well. She reached down and untangled the mass of tiny, untamable, dreads.

"Mama, when do we go? I don't like this suit."

She laughed and bent down to pick Illiano up. She had named him after Corbin's mother. "Soon Ano. And don't worry, you will be able to remove that suit as soon as we reach Elvin."

He pouted. "Why does Gra-ma always make me wear clothes?"

Yani laughed again, knowing her son had a found habit of rampaging naked through the castle at the most inopportune moments. While her father and siblings found it hilarious, her mother, ever the proper regal queen, was mortified.