Michaela (43 page)

At last Korkla did com. Zarl was in surgery, and no one knew if he would survive. However, his clanmates Yuder and Tidro had agreed that even if he did make it despite the horrific injuries he had suffered, their time as rulers was done. Clan Clajak’s ascension to the throne was a permanent matter.

Jessica is the Empress of Kalquor
, Michaela thought with amazement. However, Zarl remained uppermost in her concerns. “Does anyone know who attacked the emperor?” she asked Korkla.

She could hear the anger in her Dramok’s tone. “Nobek Marzklis of Clan Wagnox was seen in the Government House just prior to Zarl being found,” Korkla said.

“The clan that hangs out with Pwaldur? The ones thought to have abused Narpok?” Michaela’s stomach curdled. That whole bunch was monstrous.

Korkla agreed. “Their executions can’t be brutal enough,” he said. “That’s assuming they live long enough to be executed. If Bevau or Yuder catches them first, there won’t be anything left to pass judgment on.”

He signed off. Govi looked at the time and gave Michaela a worried look.

Already knowing what he was thinking, Michaela hugged him reassuringly. “You’re needed at work. Poor Narpok ... when I think of what she must have gone through with those animals—” She shuddered. “And her father allowed them to hurt her! Get your ass to work, Govi. Help her.”

The Imdiko sighed and crushed her against his body. “I don’t know that I can. In cases like these, it’s often the sufferer’s inner strength that brings them out of catatonia, not anything we doctors can do. Why don’t you come with me?”

Michaela snuggled against him but rejected the idea. “If I do, you’ll feel guilty about spending time with your patient and ignoring me. I think I might go to the Crown Prince’s suite and wait for Jessica to come home. She’s empress now, and don’t think that’s not freaking her out! Plus she loves Zarl like a father. She’ll need me.”

Govi sighed. “She’s not the only one who adores the Emperor, is she?”

Michaela gave him a weepy smile. “Okay, so I need her just as much. No matter how it turns out...”

She stopped, unable to continue. Govi dotted her face with comforting kisses until the worst of the crying passed.

Once Michaela was under control again he said, “I can’t stand the idea of you sitting around here feeling sad. If you want me to come back home or you want to come to the hospital, just com.”

Feeling his love, Michaela managed a smile for Govi. “I will.”

It amazed her that with all that had happened in the last few hours, Michaela still felt a sense of quiet joy beneath her fears. She had Govi. She had Korkla. She had Raxstad. Even the chance Zarl would not survive couldn’t change that. Grief might come, but in the end as long as she had her clan, everything would end up all right.

* * * *

Govi waffled a little while longer before finally leaving the home. Once she was alone, Michaela took her time doing makeup and arranging her hair. She sat in the large area she’d designated as her dressing room. It still had few furnishings, but a start had been made with her dressing vanity, a bench, and a lounger. Her clothes options were also starting to fill the space, taking up half a wall. She had a semi-circular mirror in which she could check her appearance from every possible angle.

Michaela enjoyed playing with her growing hair. It was getting long enough that she rarely wore a wig any longer. She practiced putting it up and taking it back down, purposefully taking her time. As long as Zarl was in surgery, Jessica would not be coming home. There was no hurry.

Michaela sighed as she thought about Zarl. She fought not to weep over the concerns he would die, concentrating on positive thoughts. She hoped that he would not only survive his injuries, but emerge as strong as before. The poor man had suffered enough pain in his life.

She was taking her hair down for the third time when she thought she heard the home’s main door opening and closing. Michaela paused and listened.

Were those footsteps? Conversation? It was hard to be sure with the surf pounding outside the open archway of her dressing room. Maybe her clanmates were home with news about Zarl. Maybe they had captured the bastards who had done so much harm.

Michaela half stood from her dressing table, which she’d found in the marketplace only days ago. The Joshadan importer had assured her it was handcarved. If so, the artisan had been enormously talented. The designs of fantastical figures and flowers were too intricate to be believed.

Michaela gave herself a quick check in the mirror to make sure she looked pretty for her men. She’d discovered she wore horrific bedhead when she’d first got in front of the mirror. She made a face at herself, thinking that was the image Govi would be carrying with him all day.

Reassured by her appearance, she called, “Hello? Is someone home? Govi? Korkla?”

She listened, but no one called back to her. Funny. She could have sworn someone had come in. Maybe they were in a part of the house where it was hard to hear. Maybe the surf outside overwhelmed her voice.

Michaela left her dressing room and wandered through the home. As she went, she inhaled the scent of the ocean. It smelled so good with the sea breeze wafting through the rooms. Michaela decided that when she went to Jessica’s level, she’d wait for her friend on one of the balconies. It was too beautiful a day to be indoors. Sunlight poured into the areas that opened onto the balconies of her home. Yes, she most definitely needed to be outside when possible today.

Her nose pointed upward as she inhaled the lovely ocean scent, Michaela stepped into the common room.

She was temporarily blinded by the dazzle of the morning sun beaming in through the archway. However, Michaela instantly identified the voice of Councilman Pwaldur when he said, “Here is my lovely new mate, home all by herself.”

Michaela’s eyes adjusted just in time to see Nobek Marzklis looming over her. She identified him by the pictures that the news vids had been running all morning. The brutal face, primitive with its thick brow and huge jaw, showed no pity.

Michaela yelped and tried to run before she thought about it. She didn’t have the opportunity turn away before the Nobek grabbed her and threw her onto the lounger cushions. He pinned her down.

Michaela opened her mouth to scream as loudly as she could. However, Pwaldur was right there. His hand, as broad as befitted a man his size, covered her mouth, muffling her attempt to cry for help.

He and Marzklis barely noticed her frantic struggles. The two men, both over the six-and-a-half foot mark, held Michaela down with no effort. When Dramok Wagnox and the hawk-faced Imdiko Stytyn pinned her legs and arms to the cushions, she finally gave up.

Pwaldur looked her over with the air of a man who had just purchased an expensive bit of merchandise. Michaela’s stomach curdled at the way he eyed her splayed, helpless body.

The traitorous councilman gave her a cold smile. “At long last, I get to introduce myself to the lovely boy-girl Michaela. I am so very happy to finally make your acquaintance.”

The other three men chuckled. They seemed to find Pwaldur’s polite words amusing given they were holding Michaela prisoner.

Then they started touching her, their hands seeking out inappropriate places. Michaela squalled in mingled horror and fury against Pwaldur’s palm. She doubled her efforts to fight them. It only resulted in more hateful laughter.

Marzklis pinched one breast cruelly. “She is an enticing creature, Pwaldur. A little too enticing.”

“She’s far too good for an aide’s clan.” Pwaldur leered at her. “Michaela, you are to be mine since I can’t abide that terrible creature who supplanted my daughter as princess. However, if you excite Marzklis too much, I will have to let him enjoy you.”

The Nobek rubbed his crotch to bring Michaela’s attention to how aroused he was. Her stomach roiled to see it.

He told her, “I love fighting for my fucks. Feel free to keep struggling, pretty one.”

Wagnox licked blubbery lips. “If you’re sharing your Matara, Pwaldur, then it’s too bad we don’t know how soon any of our beloved princes will return with the other prize.”

The bigger Dramok sighed with showy regret. “It is a shame. I would so enjoy shoving my cocks into this remarkable creature right now. However, we do need to get to the Crown Prince Clan’s quarters to await your Matara’s return.”

With Pwaldur grabbing her all over, Michaela was hard pressed to understand they planned to take Jessica hostage as well. He hurt her, pinching and grasping with a brutal grip while the others held her down. She screamed her fury and pain to the men’s obvious delight.

After a few seconds of that torment, Pwaldur let up. “Yet there is nothing wrong with building anticipation, my adorable, rare prize.” He gloated as he loomed over Michaela. “You will compensate me for all I’ve lost thanks to that bitch friend of yours.”

He moved to take control of her ankles from the smirking Imdiko. “Find something to tie her up with, would you Stytyn? A gag as well. We’ll have her get us into the Crown Prince Clan’s home and wait for the other one.”

Marzklis frowned at Pwaldur. “She’s not going to escape us. Besides, it’s more fun when they fight.”

Pwaldur shook his head as he sat on Michaela’s lower legs. He reached up and slapped one of her breasts. When she howled from the brutal pain, Wagnox put his hand over her mouth, his other hand still keeping her wrists imprisoned.

Pwaldur said, “I’d like both my hands free to play until the pretender gets home. Now, my beauty, lie very still and quiet.” His hand closed over Michaela’s crotch. He gave her a warning squeeze. “I know exactly how to hurt this part of you, so you’d do well to not fight any longer. Besides, if you indulge in too much struggling, Nobek Marzklis won’t be able to stop himself from enjoying you right here and now.”

The Nobek grinned down at Michaela with vicious delight. With Pwaldur cupping her groin, Michaela did not doubt they would hurt her if she dared to continue fighting.

She was forced to let the men tie and gag her. Then they carried her to the in-house transport, taking her up to the new Imperial Clan’s suite.

Showing up at the door triggered it to open automatically, allowing the traitors to enter Jessica’s home. Michaela wanted to resist them. She tensed to fight.

Marzklis showed her a huge knife and told her what he would do to her with it if she refused to cooperate. The threat made her instinctively press her thighs together, as if she could protect her most vulnerable parts. She knew the Nobek was not bluffing.

When Jessica comes home, she’ll have Bevau, Clajak, and Egilka with her
, Michaela told herself as the four monsters carried her into her friend’s home.
They’ll be more than a match for these bastards. They’ll keep her safe and get me out of this mess
.

She could only pray that she was right. Otherwise, both women would be better off dead.

* * * *

Hours of waiting crawled by. Bound, Michaela was made to lie on the floor of the suite’s entertainment room. Meanwhile, Pwaldur and his friends prowled the quarters, investigating the home of the now-Imperial Clan. Marzklis had emerged from his foray with a particularly brutal-looking knife, one with serrated edges. He handed it to Pwaldur.

“A souvenir, courtesy of Prince Bevau. He has quite the impressive arsenal. Just look at how that blade is fashioned, my friend. It will slide into your victim like their body is made of water, and rip them to shreds on the way back out.”

Pwaldur hefted it and smiled. “I hope I have the opportunity to use it, particularly against that pathetic Clajak. What did you claim for yourself?”

“Nothing. I want nothing that has been wielded in the hand of that half-Imdiko joke of a so-called warrior.”

At that moment, Stytyn emerged from the kitchen area licking his fingers. He scowled at Marzklis. “My breed is nothing to sneer at, my Nobek.”

Marzklis favored him with a humorless smile. “No, not when there are men such as yourself who do not shrink from the sight of blood or cringe when a woman cries. However, Bevau is no true Nobek. He does not deserve to be called one.”

Wagnox joined them. “We should put on the news vid and see how the search for us is progressing. We also want to celebrate when they announce Zarl’s death. I have found an ample supply of leshella.”

“Take a bottle with you,” Pwaldur warned. “We do not impair ourselves with any drink until we get off this planet with our prizes.”

His glance went to Michaela then. His hand stroked the vicious blade Marzklis had given him.

The men settled on the curved lounger that was similar to the one in Michaela’s home, though not sunken. The news vid came to life. It was consumed with the assault on Zarl and the whereabouts of his attackers.

It seemed to drone on forever. Michaela’s only consolation was that Pwaldur and his cronies didn’t touch her again. Pwaldur occasionally told her the things he planned to do with her, which made her want to retch. Laughing at her expression, Marzklis said he hoped Jessica was as unwilling as Michaela and that she would fight hard when he raped her.

“Those who fight the hardest always break best,” the Nobek sneered.

Michaela thought of Narpok. Hatred for the four men choked her. The worst of her rage was directed at Pwaldur, who listened to Marzklis’ words with no sign he connected them to his own daughter.