Shattered Soul (11 page)

A trickle of amusement went through Ceri as she studied her niece anew. “You wed a Daamen.”

“’Aye.”

“I’d have known by the way you talk.”

Reya looked uncomprehendingly at her.

“You say some words the way they do,” Ceri pointed out.

“Oh.” Reya smiled. “It rubs off on some of us.”

“Share a bed, share their life, you’re bound to pick up something,” Ceri replied.

They both laughed, a momentary understanding of similar humour. When it died away, however, there was a wealth of unsaid things between them and Ceri felt uncomfortable, something she’d never have felt before when facing another sister warrior.

But hell, this particular sister warrior, her second cousin, was almost a stranger yet not. Damn it, fourteen years missing crapped up a lot of things. Where the hell was the fifteen year old girl she remembered? How could she possibly relate to this woman who now ruled?

The silence stretched out as they eyed each other.

“You’ve seen the recording of the Reekas’ pardon?” Reya finally asked.

“Yes.”

“I hope it makes you feel easier about being aboard a hunters’ ship.”

“This wouldn’t be my first choice of transport.”

Leaning back in her chair, Reya studied her intently. “They are looking after you?”

“As tenderly as if I was still worth a fortune.”

A cold glint of amusement showed in Reya’s eyes. “Trust me, this is something that even they don’t feel totally comfortable with.”

“I don’t think Abra could give a vagrat’s arse.”

Reya shrugged. “I don’t care. As long as they return you safely to us ’tis all that matters.”

“You’ve changed,” Ceri said bluntly.

“And you haven’t.” Reya continued her steady regard. “I am so sorry that we couldn’t save Rani.”

“Do you have any idea where her body was taken?” Ceri asked.

“Nay. I wish I did.”

“I don’t know why they’d want her. She was dying.” Unconsciously, Ceri gripped the armrest of the chair. “As soon as she was thawed out, she’d die.” Or maybe she wasn’t dead.

“’Tis another mystery,” Reya stated. “How you thawed out in a freezer unit. By all accounts you should be dead and still frozen.”

“Yes.” Ceri wasn’t going to refute it.

“But you’re alive and you did thaw out.”

“Living proof right here.”

Reya’s expression was thoughtful. “Do you have any idea what h+0" idea wappened to you? Any explanation?”

“Just a cold snap that came through the floor, that’s the last thing I remember. Well,” Ceri arched one brow, “that and crawling out of the freezer feeling like an ice block.”

Reya gazed unseeingly at something just off the viscomm screen and Ceri could just about see her brain tick over. Now the Reya she remembered was a deep thinker so obviously some things didn’t change. It was a welcome observation. This mature Reya still had some of the young teen she remembered in her. It helped steady the strange displacement sensation.

Reya blinked and looked back at Ceri. “Once you’re back on Comll, I’ll send a party of warriors to the cave to see if they can track anything—”

“No need,” Ceri interrupted. “I’m going back as soon as I can. In fact, I won’t be meeting with you. I’m going back as soon as Abra can drop me off somewhere.”

“Nay.”

“Yes.”

Reya took a deep breath. “Ceri, you’ve been through an experience that has taken fourteen years of your life away. Away from us. We want you home.”

“And I want my sister.”

The words fell between them. Several heartbeats of silence passed while they appraised each other.

Reya stated, “I am the Reeka leader.”

“When I was last conscious in this world, Karana was leader,” Ceri returned evenly.

“My mother is dead.” The chill crept back into Reya’s voice and eyes. “I and Tenia are now the leaders. Our word is law.”

The challenge was there between them. A Reeka leader talking to one of her subjects, a sister warrior and a follower.

Ceri leaned forward, her gaze locked on Reya. “Until three days ago, little cousin, I was an outlaw.”

“We were pardoned eleven years ago.”

“For me the outlaw years finished three days ago.”

A muscle ticked in Reya’s jaw. “You are a Reeka warrior, you have been pardoned. Do you doubt me as your leader, Ceri?”

“You are leader of the Reekas,” Ceri acknowledged. “But a lot of years separate us. I will not waste time going home. The trail to Rani will be cold by then—”

“We don’t know when Rani was taken. It could have been years ago.”

“I’m going back. I’m not waiting.”

The glitter of Reya’s ice green eyes was deadly, her voice a cold whip. “You will wait for me.”

Leaning back in the chair, Ceri shrugged. “Do you remember anything much of me, Reya?”

“Enough to know you were a thorn in my mother’s side.”

The woman didn’t pull punches. Ceri smiled slowly. Anyone who didn’t know Reya would have thought nothing changed in her expression or posture but Ceri knew the girl she’d once been, and that girl still gave away some indication of her emotions. Namely, the determined glint in her eyes. Apart from her mother, Reya had never backed down from anyone.

“I wasn’t one of the warriors known for always doing as she was ordered,” Ceri said mildly. “Especially if I didn’t think it was in my best interests.”

“But you always ended up obeying.” Reya’s ga"11 Reyaze watchful.

“I knew your mother.”

“Ceri,” Reya said softly. “Wait for me.”

“You are weeks away, cousin.”

“As your leader, I request you to wait.”

There it was between them. As your leader.

“If this was Tenia, what would you do?” Ceri queried.

Reya’s chin lifted, her eyes so cold now they were like pale green lakes of ice.

“I thought so,” Ceri said in satisfaction.

Reya looked at her for several long seconds, her gaze assessing, and Ceri returned it evenly. Oh yes, Reya was her mother’s daughter all right. She had the same steady regard, the same knack of appearing to see right into one’s soul. Only now she did it with a coldness that could send chills down a sister warrior’s spine.

“I understand how you feel,” Reya said quietly. “But we can help you.”

“I don’t want to wait any longer.”

“You’ve been imprisoned for fourteen years, what’s four more weeks? Nothing.”

“It’s four weeks closer to finding Rani.”

“If she can be found.”

“I will find her.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because I will find her.”

“Ceri, we can…”

Reya’s voice faded as Ceri became aware of something happening... inside her. Frowning slightly, she concentrated. Something cold was curling through her stomach, seeming to flow along her veins in a chill progression, moving slowly but surely through her middle.

The pain struck sudden, sharp and with deadly intent.

“Ah!”
The cry broke abruptly from Ceri.

Dimly she heard Reya ask sharply, “What’s wrong?”

A cold claw felt as though it was ripping right through her. Something gripped her stomach and pulled, slicing through her flesh, and she doubled over in the chair, biting back the cry of pain that almost escaped her. She felt as though her intestines were twisting upon themselves, knotting and pulling tight.

Gripping the armrests she dug her nails in, biting her lip, holding back the cry of pain that threatened to break free.

“Ceri!” Reya’s voice was alarmed. “Ceri! Call for Abra! Abra! Damn it, where are you?”

The pain was excruciating. It knifed through her, ripping and tearing now as though whatever surged through her was seeking to get out... or seeking to get in.

In her head she heard Rani screaming, felt the fragments of thought, the fear, and the rage
. Rani! God, where are you? Rani!

The pain ripped and tore, it felt like a clawed hand had hold of her heart and gripped it, squeezing and crushing, making the muscle shudder and her gasp for breath as agony shot through her chest and down her left arm.

The world went black before her eyes and from faraway she heard voices. Harsh voices, and roars, Abra’s voice, Vane asking something, a wet hissing that seeped through her mind and made her recoil.

~ * ~

Inner> Sanctum of the Outlaw Sector

Overlord’s Fortress

The pain was excruciating. It knifed through Rani, ripping and tearing now as though whatever surged through her was seeking to get out... or seeking to get in.

In her head she heard someone screaming.
Ceri. Ceri was screaming
. But then she couldn’t remember who Ceri was, only that she was so important to her and knowing she was in pain.

Ceri?

Who was Ceri?

Living and dying and being dragged back.

I don’t want to come back.

I shouldn’t be coming back!

I can’t be here!

Fragments of thought, the fear and the rage.
Ceri! Ceri, I’m here! Help me! Oh God, help me!

The pain ripped and tore and it felt like a clawed hand had hold of her heart and gripped it, squeezing and crushing, making the muscle shudder and her gasp for breath as agony shot through her chest and down her left arm.

The world went orange before her eyes. Horned beasts too huge to comprehend, smaller shadows that flitted around the cell. Touches that were cruel yet tentative, gripping, smoothing, stroking. Seeking to calm her but enjoying her fear and fury, hellish beasts that roared and laughed, that lapped at her tears like thirsty hounds and lapped at her blood like hungry carrion eaters.

~ * ~

Bounty Hunters’ Ship

It was all mixed up, a jumble of noise and sensations, a rotting smell that assaulted her senses, a feel of decaying flesh, and something else...

Something else...

In the corner of the ship she saw a dark shape, dim, blurred, but there nonetheless.

Darknen...

The Darknen comes...

“The Darknen,” she gritted through clenched teeth.

“What?” A hard voice sounded near her ear. “Ceri, open your eyes. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“The Darknen.”

White hot agony jolted through her, throwing her backwards, and she barely felt the hands that caught her, the arms that supported her.

The agony was so intense she started to shiver, writhing to get away from it, twisting and turning, drawing her knees up to her chest before pushing to her hands and knees and trying to crawl away...

Crawl away from the pain. Crawl, crawl as fast as I can...

~ * ~

Inner Sanctum of the Outlaw Sector

Overlord’s Fortress

White-hot agony jolted through her, throwing her backwards, and she hit the hard rock floor.

The agony was so intense she started to shiver, writhing to get away from it, twisting and turning, drawing her knees up to her chest before pushing to her hands and knees and trying to crawl away...

g h

Crawl away from the pain. Crawl, crawl as fast as I can...

Rani tried to crawl away from the pain. Chains clinked and a clawed hand had hold of her shoulder, pulling her back...

Back...

Back to the horror inside her...

I won’t go back! I won’t!

Someone in front of her blocked her desperate scuttle away.  A hand laid upon her shoulder, replacing the clawed hand that slipped away.

Opening her eyes, she looked up through a curtain of wild hair. A hand pushed it aside gently, tucking the long, tangled strands behind her ears. The gentle hand belonged to the fair-haired man with the ruthless blue eyes.

“Warrior,” he said quietly, and she leaned into his hand as it cupped her burning cheek.

Help me. Help me. Please help me. I burn. I hurt. Help me!

“There is no escape,” he said. “Submit while you still can.”

No! No, no, no! Nooooooo!

She tried to lunge upright, her shattered soul shrieking and trying to hide from the orange claws that shredded through her protective aura, slicing and pulling, piercing the tiny, glowing pieces of soul that screamed and screamed...

...and screamed

...she screamed and screamed

...and it echoed and echoed...

And the darkness swallowed her.

~ * ~

“Maybe you should feed her,” Fredrico said, watching as the warrior stood unmoving in the cell.

Since the last attack she’d had, she hadn’t moved for several hours, her head bowed, her breathing slow but still ragged.

“No food until she submits.” Phemar’s voice held fury.

“She’s been here for days.” Fredrico slapped the electronic book reader into his palm several times. “How long can she last without food or water?” Hell, for that matter, she hadn’t relieved herself or anything. That wasn’t normal. But then again, what was normal in this place?

The Overlord brought his throne to a halt beside Fredrico. “Time is of the essence, Phemar. How long now?”

The sucking sound of Phemar’s breath sounded wetly. “I don’t know.”

The Overlord’s pupils dilated. “You do not know?”

Well, this should be interesting. Fredrico slanted a glance at Veknor who was watching the exchange closely from his normal position against the wall. As usual, the ebony space pirate gave not one thought away in his expression.

“She should have responded by now.” Walking forward, Phemar looked at the silent warrior. “Though her posture is more subdued.”

True, she didn’t shift an inch when Phemar moved closer, but Fredrico wouldn’t have trusted her that inch, either. Still, he wasn’t about to point anything out to the twisted dark mystic. It was his party and he wouldn’t appreciate anyone raining on it.

Phemar moved closer and the warrior didn’t move. Raising his hand he murmured something and she fell to her knees. A gurgle of laughter sounded from his ruined throat and he turned to face The Overlord. “I was right. It is working!”

“We have no time to waste.” The Overlord’s hand clenched around the sceptre on his lap. “Is she ready?”