Dragon Lords Books 1 - 4 Box Set: Anniversary Edition (71 page)

O
lena blinked
, fighting to regain consciousness. Her head filled with wild images—images of the past, of nightmares, of death and blood, of her crew, of random men she had seduced and stabbed with her firefly pin, of the crash, of Yusef. They jumbled in her head, confusing her, making her feel like a helpless child, making her feel like a woman, making her feel like a prisoner.

No, that would be the ties on her hands that made her feel like a prisoner.

Olena flinched, blinking rapidly in the dim blue light. She moaned, but a gag stopped the sound from leaving her lips. Her mouth worked, trying to be free of it. It was clamped too tightly, hurting her jaw with its tight pull.

Taking quick stock of her surroundings, she saw that she was in a tent. The bold curve of the Medical Alliance Missionary symbol was on the outside wall, glowing dark in the blue artificial illumination of a camp light. She didn’t know where she was, but she guessed she was still on Qurilixen. Doc wouldn’t leave until he had Nadja. Plus, she highly doubted Doc planned on taking her along as excess baggage.

By the feel of the gurney beneath her back and the restraints on her hands, she wasn’t going to get much farther than this.

“Father, no!”

Olena froze. That was Nadja screaming. She twisted her head around, trying to get her bearings. The tent flap was behind her head. She saw it flutter in the breeze, showing a little crack of what was happening outside. Nadja was strapped down to a chair, her eyes pleading with her father for mercy. Olena struggled to get free. The unbreakable steel bonds were too tight.

“There, there Nadja,” she heard Doc answer. “If you’re telling me the truth, you have nothing to worry about.”

Olena couldn’t see what was happening. She tried to force her hand to slide through the wrist clamp. The raw sting of tearing flesh hurt, but she pulled harder. Blood wet her hands. She couldn’t get free. Nadja’s whimpering surrounded her. Olena stopped fighting her binds. If this man was willing to torture his own daughter, then he wouldn’t think twice about hurting a pirate.

“Go make sure she wasn’t followed,” Doc ordered. Olena again tried to see out, but the flap wouldn’t move. The breeze had died down. She shook violently. Her mind yelling to Yusef to come for her, to save her just one more time.

“
O
lena
.” Yusef stopped, his head tilting to the side. He glanced around the red passageway of the palace. Panic overwhelmed him with a sense of urgency. Turning to Olek, he said, “Quick. Our wives are in trouble.”

“
W
ho have you whored for
?” Doc Aleksander yelled at his daughter. She strained to hear more but couldn’t for a long while. “Give me his name.”

Olena heard footsteps coming around to the tent flap. Quickly, she whipped her hair over her face and held completely still. The hair would allow her to peek without being detected. A presence entered the room. She saw a large, looming shadow pass her vision, moving behind her.

“Last chance,” Aleksander warned. “I’ll have a name.”

Olena realized he was still outside the tent. She forced herself to stay motionless as Nadja whimpered in continued agony. She couldn’t hear everything that was said, but she didn’t need to.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have all night,” Aleksander said. His henchman didn’t move from Olena’s tent. You see, daughter, I have made some friends of my own on this accursed planet. It seems your precious Draig aren’t liked by my friends. And if I help them, they’ll help me. So tell me, which prince is yours?”

There was no answer.

Olena stiffened. The henchman was at her feet. The gurney was slowly rolled forward toward the flap. She wanted to scream, but knew she had to be calm. Fear only defeated, and she needed a plan.

“You are such a disappointment.” Aleksander said in disgust to his daughter. “Well, if hurting you won’t get us anywhere, what if I hurt one of your little friends?”

Oh no. It was time to panic.

To Olena’s horror, the Doc yelled, “Bring out the pirate!”

Olena closed her eyes and didn’t move. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest. Everything she had, called to Yusef, begging him to save her, to come for her. Her face was angled in the wrong direction and she couldn’t see anything but the passing of trees and tents.

“She had nothing to do with this,” Nadja said.

“Olena,” she heard the Doc say gently. He hovered close, as his fingers moved to tap lightly at her face. “Time to wake up.”

Olena blinked, automatically stiffening against her bonds at the feel of his hand on her. She thrashed back and forth to throw his fingers off her.

“What shall I do to her, Nadja?” Doc didn’t take his eyes away from his newest victim. There was a perverse pleasure on his face as he looked down at her, more perverse than his carnal attraction had been. He took a laser scalpel to Olena’s face. Olena stopped moving, her wide eyes following as it moved down. “Carve out her eyes? Her nose? Take off her lips?”

The inert tip of the laser skimmed the bow of her upper lip, grazing lightly. Olena didn’t dare move, braced for the worst.

“Don’t.” Nadja sounded weak.

Don’t!
Olena’s mind screamed in unison.

“Then tell me what I want to know. Who is the father of that bastard you carry?” he bellowed, storming away from Olena to scream at his daughter. Olena relaxed slightly as the blade was drawn away. Her nose flared with each heavy breath as she tried to gain control of her fear. She had to get out. She pulled desperately to be free. She had to get Nadja out. If she’d just told Yusef what was going on, they wouldn’t be here now. “That bastard inside you will be dissolved.”

Olena stopped to watch from the corner of her eye. To her surprise, the manacles were freed from Nadja’s wrists and she was allowed to move. She couldn’t see all that was happening, but Nadja was pulled to her feet.

“The time for being a child is over, Nadja,” Doc whispered. “It’s time for you to take your place amongst your peers.”

Olena felt tears coming to her eyes. She mumbled against the gag. Her mind and body called out for Yusef. She needed him. She couldn’t get out of this on her own. Not this time.

“Do you love me, Nadja?” Olena heard Doc ask. She didn’t hear Nadja’s answer, but his next words left her cold. “Then dissect her.”

“What…?” Nadja breathed hard, her gaze wild as she looked at Olena strapped to the table.

Olena saw the large laser scalpel in Nadja’s hand. Doc pointed in her direction. She fearfully looked at Olena and then back at her father. She had been pushed to the edge. Blood trailed down one of the woman’s arms from a narrow cut. Nadja didn’t pay attention to the wound.

“She is a common thief, a pirate.” Doc gave his daughter a shove toward Olena. “She broke her word to me.”

“No.” Nadja gasped. The scalpel fell from her fingers to the ground. Olena took a deep, gasping breath of relief. Nadja turned to run. Her father caught her easily.

“Cut out her eyes,” he ordered his daughter with a cruel twist of his lips. “Or I’ll burn your lying ones from your head.”

To prove his point he motioned for a hot poker to be brought from the fire. The angry red metal smoked and curled with heat. Olena screamed against her gag for him to stop. She jerked her feet.

“Hold her down.” Doc motioned toward Nadja. Olena tried to get free, but her wrists only bled more.

“No!” Nadja screamed.

Hands were instantly on Nadja, gripping her shoulders and arms, lifting her legs into the air when she would kick. Her father took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. The hot poker waved dangerously at the action.

“It’s time you learn, Nadja,” he told her. “You don’t lie to your father.”

Nadja kicked, trying to get free. The poker loomed closer to her face.

“Will you do as you’re told?” His voice mocked his daughter with its calmness.

To Olena’s horror, Nadja nodded.

“Let her go.” Doc handed the poker back to one of the men who threw it into the flames. Then, reaching to the ground, he retrieved the scalpel. Nadja took it at his insistence, her fingers shaking horribly as she pressed the button. A laser shot out, nearly six inches long and sharper than the most deadly of blades.

Olena moaned, shaking her head as her eyes pleaded Nadja to stop.

“Take the eyes,” Doc ordered.

Nadja sniffed, the calmness returning to her as Doc led her forward to Olena. Her fingers trembled slightly as she lifted her hand to Olena’s cheek.

Olena pleaded with her eyes, begging Nadja to stop. Nadja’s fingers slipped in Olena’s tears, her own falling to splash in droplets on Olena’s shoulder.

Oh, damn Jack and his theory on fear. She was terrified! She had no plan of action, no way out. Yusef was her only idea.

Yusef,
her mind cried out.
Yusef, please!

“I’m sorry.” Nadja lifted the scalpel close to Olena’s temple. Olena closed her eyes, trying to turn her head away, knowing that her eyelids were no match for the scalpel. Nadja’s fingers pressed deeper into her skin to hold her still. The laser dipped close to Olena’s cheek. She heard it humming softly, felt its heat ready to sear her flesh. Olena peeked at Nadja, trying to plead with her. The woman didn’t see her, was looking through her. Then, Nadja turned to her father and said, “I love you.”

Doc Aleksander smiled. To Olena’s utter disbelief, Nadja turned, thrusting the blade into her father’s heart. The man blinked in surprise. Nadja stood completely frozen, unable to move as a fine mist of blood sprayed from Doc’s chest over the two women. Doc fell to his knees.

Chaos erupted all around the campsite. Yusef and Olek burst from the trees, subduing Doc’s men with slashes to their throats and rips through their guts. Olena’s heart leapt in her chest. He had come for her,

Nadja didn’t move throughout the whole fight. Olena moaned at her, trying to get her attention. Nadja didn’t hear her. She stared down at her father.

Soon Yusef was above his wife, his body shifted to dragon form. Olena would recognize him anywhere. His hands were on her wrist, pulling at the steel with all his strength. He opened it enough to let her slip free before doing the second one.

Olena gasped, tears streaming down her shaken face. Her bloodied hands reached up and Yusef pulled her into his chest.

“You came,” She desperately clung to him, feeling him shifting to human form beneath her fingers. She didn’t dare open her eyes. This was one dream she didn’t want to end. “You came.”

Yusef ran his fingers over her body, as if to make sure she was unharmed. Aside from her raw and bloodied wrists, she was fine. Olek went to Nadja who kneeled on the ground by her father. The danger was gone. Olek motioned Yusef to go. Yusef nodded in ready agreement.

Yusef lifted her into his arms and sprinted to the safety of the palace. Olena clung to him. His voice rang out as he called up commands to the guards, ordering them to help Olek.

Olena shivered, unsure if it was gratitude or residual fear. He didn’t stop running until he reached the medical ward. The doctors came at his call while he set her on a bed.

Olena blinked. Looking at Tal, she said, “They injected me with something.”

Tal looked questioningly at Yusef, but did not ask her to clarify.

“Her wrists,” Yusef added.

“Put her in the medical unit,” Tal said. “We’ll do a complete set of tests to make sure she is unharmed.”

Yusef picked up his wife, refusing to let her walk as he carried her to the back room. He set her down, standing her between two large metal plates.

Then, pressing a button on the unit’s control panel, Tal said, “We have to go in the other room. The unit will X-ray her and test her to make sure she wasn’t poisoned.”

Yusef ran his fingers to tenderly brush back Olena’s hair, and all she could think to whisper was, “You came.”

O
lena was
in the medical unit for what felt like hours. After it finished scanning her body, Tal came back in the room to start the next sequence of tests. Yusef was there, watching her from the doorway, trying to smile whenever she caught his eye. Then, to her surprise, she saw Nadja standing beside him.

She whispered something to Yusef, who frowned but nodded his head. He motioned to Tal. Tal pushed a button and the two women were left alone.

“I’m sorry,” Nadja said instantly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Olena chuckled lightly. “Don’t apologize. You saved my life.”

“I couldn’t let him kill again. You have nothing to worry about.” Nadja swayed on her feet and Olena could tell she was worn out. “As Doc’s heir, I dissolved the family. They won’t be back.”

Nadja moved over to the machine as it beeped. Absently, she reached to the panel and pushed a button for it to continue. She pulled up a chair, waited as it cycled, and then pressed another button.

“Nadja, I’m sorry. I know he was your father.”

Nadja held up a hand to stop her. “I am one of the few who could have done it without backlash. No, it was time for his terror to end.”

“Still,” Olena began.

Tears came to Nadja’s eyes and she sniffed. Shaking her head, she held her hand for silence. No more words were needed on the subject. “Thank you.”

The unit beeped again and Nadja glanced down to the screen.

“Are you in pain?” Nadja asked at the panel’s prompting.

“No,” Olena said.

Nadja pressed a button.

“How’s your baby?” Olena asked, remembering what Doc had said.

Nadja read the panel and grinned. Laughing lightly, she said, “Hopefully as healthy as yours.”

S
he was pregnant
. Olena wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Nadja had looked at her like she should have been ecstatic. She was numb. Should a pirate even have children? Should an ex-pirate? Surely there was some sort of cosmic law against it—or at least there should have been. Olena would make a terrible mother. She didn’t know the first thing about babies, except to avoid them. And children? The only children she knew were…

She couldn’t even think about the past.

Nadja erased the information about her pregnancy for her, saying that men should find out from their wives, not nosy medics. Olena also had the feeling that Nadja understood her hesitance and was giving her the precious gift of time to mull the news over.

Dawn was fast approaching. Yusef waited up all night by her side. Sometimes, when it was allowed, he sat beside her, not saying a word. Olena kept her eyes closed and her head back, resting against the machine. She pretended she was too tired to talk.

As she finally finished with the extensive checkup, it was determined that she had near perfect health. Tal said she was well enough to leave, warning her to be more careful in the future—though it was clear he knew the warning was lost on Olena.

Yusef nodded his thanks to the man as he lifted his wife into his arms. Olena’s head rested on his shoulder, snuggling into his warmth. By the time Yusef got her home, she was fast asleep.

Y
usef woke
his wife in the late morning hours by stroking her cheek and smoothing his fingers over her hair. Tenderly, he kissed her temple and said, “I have to go. Agro discovered Pia was right about King Attor’s motives. He seeks to kill Morrigan, Nadja, and Pia.”

Olena furrowed her brow, appearing almost hurt. “What about me?”

Yusef chuckled. “It seems he’s taken a liking to you, firebird. He saw me cart you away at the Breeding Festival and decided he wanted you for himself. That is why you were kidnapped and I was attacked.”

“Well,” she murmured, still sleepy. She yawned and covered her mouth. “Can you really blame him?”

Yusef laughed louder, just happy she was safe. Everything else could be figured out in time. “The spy gave Agro directions to King Attor’s hidden camp. The trackers go there even now to confirm it. If he is there, then I’ll go with my brothers to face him.”

Olena sat up, forcing herself awake. “No, you can’t leave.”

“Do you think I’ll dishonor you in battle?” He frowned. “I am healed enough to make you proud.”

“No,” she dismissed. “I know you will beat him. I just want you to stay here with me today. Can’t you go killing another time?”

“Ah, well.” He leaned to kiss her. “Tempting as you are, wife, I would have this business finished. I don’t know about you, but I would like to get back to the Outpost. This house is too…”

“White?” she offered, with a grimace of distaste.

“Exactly. Now, go back to sleep. I’ll send the queen to check on you later.”

Olena nodded, instantly closing her eyes and burrowing under the blankets. To Yusef’s amazement, she was asleep before he even turned around.

W
hen Olena awoke later
in the afternoon, she was still a little groggy. For about an hour, she laid in bed, not moving. Her dreams had been sweet and full of hope for the first time in her life. She barely remembered her conversation with Yusef until she heard the queen calling to her from the front door.

Olena stumbled from the bedroom, still dressed in her clothes from the night before. She caught her reflection briefly. Sleep wrinkles pressed into her cheeks from the blankets and her hair was tousled.

“You didn’t answer the door,” Queen Mede said. “I was worried.”

Olena yawned through a smile, absently scratching her backside where her pirate’s brand had been. The queen chuckled at the disoriented display.

“
Aaoow
,” Olena yawned loudly, stretching her arms over her head and twisting back and forth in a stretch. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine. I needed to get up eventually. Where’s Yusef?”

“He asked me to come and check on you and tell you that they are off to battle the Var.”

“Oh,” Olena said, rubbing her eyes. “When will they be back?”

The queen smiled, clearly glad to see the confidence Olena had in her son.

“Agro discovered —” the queen began.

Olena nodded, breaking in, “Yusef said something about it this morning—that is if I wasn’t dreaming it.”

Olena walked over to the couch and sat, leisurely motioning to Queen Mede to join her. “The trackers found the campsite I take it?”

“They did. It’s a small encampment south of here next to the borders. They could be gone for the rest of the night.”

Olena frowned at that. She wanted Yusef home now.

“I have to ask,” the queen said. “Are you happy here with my son?”

The forward question surprised her. Yusef was her only true happiness. There was nothing else for her but him. She had never known true happiness before meeting her dragon warrior.

Seeing the look, Queen Mede had her answer. “Does he know you’re happy?”

“Why?” Olena sat up straighter. Insecure, she asked, “Did he say something?”

“As a mother, I have a bond with him. I know my son. He is troubled and, I do confess, I pressed the issue. He thinks you mean to leave him.”

“He said that?” Olena was stunned. How could he not know how she felt? She was sure it was written all over her face.

“He did. He made me promise not to talk to you, but, ah, I am his mother and he can’t boss me around.”

Olena laughed. “Are all men blind or just mine? I figured everyone saw me as a besotted fool. I’m surprised I haven’t been drooling and trailing after him.”

“You hide yourself better than you think,” Queen Mede said. “When I first met you I couldn’t tell a single thing you might be thinking. I could only hope you meant it when you took his life to yours.”

“You mean because I married him?” Olena asked, questioning the queen’s dire tone of finality. “If it didn’t work out, couldn’t he have just found someone else? It’s not like I would have ruined him.”

“Ah, but you see, you
have
ruined him for all others.” Queen Mede sighed. “None of my new daughters understand what is happening to them. I will give you the same speech I gave Morrigan earlier. Draig men are given a crystal when they are born. It’s their guiding light. When you were paired by the crystal, your lives became joined in such a way that can never be taken back. You exchanged part of your souls. By crushing the crystal, you assured that the exchange would never be reversed. In a way, you are now his guiding light.”

Olena listened silently.

“He has put his every chance at happiness in you, Olena. He gave his life to you.” The queen’s gaze shifted to gold as if to punctuate her meaning. “There will never be anyone else for him so long as he lives. That is a long time for our people, and for you. By giving you his life, he shortened his and extended yours so your fates could remain together. If you chose to leave him, he would be alone for the rest of his days. That is a long time of loneliness. When he took you to his tent, it was his choice. When you stayed, that was yours. There will be no other in his bed or his heart. There simply can’t be.”

“I am such an idiot,” she whispered. Then louder, she asked, “But if you say he can feel me, then can’t he feel that I was just scared? That I don’t intend to go?”

“Ah, they may hide it well, for our warriors are men of extraordinary, albeit frustrating, pride. But inside, they are still men and men have fears like all others. I think it might be worse for our husbands, because they will never permit themselves to show it.”

“They’re afraid?”

“Deep down at their core they are impossible romantics.” The queen moved to stand and smiled a secret smile. “They fall hopelessly and unreservedly in love at first sight and can never hope to fall out again.”