Shattered Soul (7 page)

“Really?” Hearing the slightly tense note in the Daamen wench’s voice, Reya turned and regarded her thoughtfully.

Sabra met her gaze steadily but didn’t say a word. Not that Reya had expected it. Sabra was a Security Officer with the Intergalactic Peace Ship and no doubt she’d seen and done things most people would never know about. It was something they both had in common.

“She must be very frightened.” Tenia frowned worriedly.

Sabra shook her head. “From what Abra said she’s sleeping. I don’t know what that freeze kind of thing does, but mayhap it has slowed her reflexes and awareness.”

Reya looked at her long and hard.

Sabra met her gaze blandly but as the seconds ticked passed, she finally shrugged. “All right, Abra has kept her doped up.”

“Because he’s worried she’ll rip him apart,” Reya drawled.

“Exactly.” ’Twould seem that for her, time has stood still.” Sabra nodded towards the image photo. “She hasn’t aged one fraction. Your cousin Ceri looks exactly the way she does in that image photo.”

“The freezing process was like a snap freeze.” Reya understood that only too well.

Tenia glanced at her curiously. “You’ve seen this before?”

“In the Outlaw Sector.” Moving quietly, Reya crossed to the table and dropped gracefully into one of the chairs. “One of us needs to meet up with the hunters’ ship.”

“I thought you’d say that.” Sabra took a sip of the icy berry juice. “I have a fleet craft leaving in the morning if one of you wants to come with me.”

“With you?” Tenia was surprised. “You’re going?”

“Of course. This warrants looking into.” Sabra’s smile was pleasant, but her eyes were watchful.

“Ceri is a security risk,” Reya stated bluntly. “A snap-freeze and return to life is unheard of. Security needs to check it out.”

Tenia didn’t look impressed. Sabra was unfazed.

Reya mentally shook her head in cold amusement before focusing on the issue at hand. “I’ll go.”

“What?” Tenia looked across the table. “Maybe I should go.”

“Nay.” Reya met her gaze steadily. “I should be the one.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m the oldest.”

Tenia snorted.

“And the toughest.”

Tenia snorted again.

“And because one of us is needed here.” Reya smiled slightly. “And you’re pregnant again.”

Tenia’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know? We haven’t told anyone yet!”

“You came over three days in a row and ate all the strawberries in our garden. That, sister, is always a sign that you’re pregnant.”

“You always were too smart for your own good.”

Reya’s cold eyes sparkled with a hint of laughter.

“Anyway,” Tenia continued, “That doesn’t mean that I can’t be the one to go.”

“Wrong again. We agreed a long time ago that only one of us would go to check uncidtto checertain things out. You being pregnant means that I’m the one to go.”

Tenia frowned.

Ignoring her, Reya looked at Sabra. “I’ll be at the fleet craft in the morn.”

~ * ~

Maverk walked into his sprawling home, loving the warmth of the family home. His blonde daughter with the fiery highlights in her tumbling curls danced along beside him, holding his hand and chattering. He glanced down and smiled into her upraised face.

Brilliant green eyes sparkled up at him, but rather than the pale, ice green of her mother’s, they held a warmth that drew everyone to her. But woe betide anyone who crossed his cherished daughter, the minx had a cutting edge that showed when someone pushed her too much. Aye, his sweet little daughter had her very own icy demeanour, though she’d also inherited his sense of humour. To Maverk, it was an enchanting mix.

Once inside, she darted away and disappeared into the depths of the house, calling for the family lycats.

“Reya?” He called. “You home yet from your meeting, my love?”

“In here.” Her cool voice filtered through the open doorway to the lounge.

Eager as always to see his beloved wife, Maverk strode into the lounge. He drank in the sight of her as he crossed the big room.

Standing near the sideboard, Reya was holding something in her hand. Rather than wearing the more traditional flowing tunic of the Daamens, Reya always wore her Reeka clothes, the sleeveless vest, short skirt and rawhide boots showing off her lithe, strong figure to mouth-watering perfection. A warrior born, was his Reya.

She turned and smiled at him, warmth flickering in the cold depths of her eyes. The riot of gold/red curls spilled over her shoulders and down her back, and as always his hands itched to sink into the thick, silky depths.

“How did the walk go?” Reya queried.

“Shanay talks way too much.”

“Just like her father.”

“Wicked wench.” Sweeping Reya into his arms, Maverk swooped down and caught her mouth in a deep, drugging kiss.

One kiss was never enough. Heat flickered through him, his body starting to become aroused at just the feel of her in his arms, her soft breasts against his chest, her strong, shapely body pressed to his. The sweet honeyed depths of her mouth had him slaking his thirst but his bodily demands would have to wait until their daughter slept and they had privacy.

Lifting his head, he grinned down at her soft, desire-swept expression. This was the Reya no one but himself ever saw. To everyone else apart from their daughter, she was the ice-cold Reeka warrior leader. One cutting glance from those pale, ice-green eyes had most people swallowing back any smart remark they might have been about to make. Merchants had stopped trying to haggle with her. It never failed to turn him on when he was in public with his ice warrior, knowing that beneath that cold demeanour was a sultry, hot wench who burned just for him.

Stars, he loved his daughter dearly, but he couldn’t wait for her to be asleep so he could bury himself once more in his ice warrior’s heated depths.

“So,” he said, trying to bring his libido under control, “how did the meeting go?”

“The meeting,” Reya repeated.

Eyes twinkling, Mavrt inklingerk said, “The meeting. The one with Tenia and Sabra?”

“Ah.” Reya looked at him for several seconds. “I’ve something to show and tell you.”

Maverk released her as she stepped back, watching as she reached out and picked up the image photo on the sideboard. Taking it from her proffered hand, he studied it. Puzzled, he looked at Reya.

“You’re looking at my mother’s cousins,” Reya stated bluntly. “Ceri and Rani.”

“But they look to be... frozen?”

“Aye. They are. Apparently they were caught in a snap-freeze while running from bounty hunters in the Outlaw Sector. This image was taken by the pack leader right before the cave-in. The image has only just come to light. Abra has one of them aboard his ship now.”

“Her body?” Maverk winced in sympathy. “Ah, lass, I’m so sorry.”

Reya looked at him steadily. “She’s alive.”

“What?”

“Somehow, we don’t know why or how, the ice melted and Ceri is alive.”

“Ceri?”

“The blonde. The dark-haired one, Rani, is missing.”

“She escaped somehow?”

“Nay. The ice was cut and her body taken. Only Ceri was left there.”

Maverk scratched his head. “So how did Abra end up with Ceri?”

“He got the photo image and co-ordinates through another bounty hunter. The original hunter died and left this little legacy.” There was that cutting edge to her cold voice. “But Abra is keeping her drugged since she awoke yesterday for fear she’ll fight them in the ship. He doesn’t want to hurt her... I think.”

“He wouldn’t be game to. I’d tear him apart personally.” Maverk looked searchingly at her. “Lass, we can leave right now to pick her up.”

“They’re six weeks away.”

“I can have us there in four weeks. Sonja fitted a little extra something to our trade ship engines. I know Darvk would let us borrow it.”

“’Tis no need, I can go with Sabra in the fleet craft.”

“Reya, this survivor is your relative and a Reeka. That makes her family and friend to we Daamens.” Twining a long, silky lock of her hair around his finger, Maverk tilted her head back so he could rest his forehead against hers. Gazing directly into her eyes, he said softly, “Shanay and I will accompany you on this journey.”

“Shanay?”

“Shanay is a warrior and a leader-in-training. ’Tis time she sees some of the other responsibilities, aye?”

Reya smiled slightly. “Brawn and brains, pretty boy. You never cease to surprise me.”

His grin was totally wicked. “Wait until our daughter is in bed, then I’ll show you some other surprises.”

“You are bad.”

“You have no idea.”

~ * ~

Inner Sanctum of the Outlaw Sector

Overlord’s Fortress

The warrior paced in the glass-walled box. Now and again she ltim again aunched herself at the walls, only to rebound back. Her eyes glittered with a feral light, and her wild mane of hair half covered her face. Several times she pushed it back over her shoulders impatiently. Finally she ripped a piece of rawhide lacing from her bodice and tied it back.

From this Fredrico deduced that she wasn’t entirely insane. Sitting on the table, booted feet swinging, he sipped from the mug of hot una and watched her resume pacing.

“Phemar is coming,” Veknor announced as he entered the chamber.

Fredrico grunted.

“He’s planning on breaking through her insanity,” Veknor continued.

“I don’t think she’s that insane,” Fredrico replied.

“No?” Veknor raised his brows as she threw herself once again at the glass wall. “She’s not exactly rational, to my way of thinking.”

Fredrico took another sip of hot una. Oh, the warrior wasn’t rational, there was no doubt about that, but nor was she completely insane. Now and again he saw a flare of something in her eyes, almost recognition, but it was quickly blurred by the orange smoke that slid across her irises.

At that moment Phemar entered the chamber, the stench of rotting meat permeating him. Veknor took a small step back and breathed a little shallower. Fredrico grinned at him behind the dark mystic’s back.

Phemar stood in front of the walled box and the Reeka went berserk, snarling and clawing at the glass.

“I don’t think she likes him.” Fredrico took another sip.

“You’re full of predictions this morning.” Veknor leaned back against the table and crossed his ankles as he studied the warrior.

Phemar laid one rotting hand against the glass directly over where hers lay on the other side and she recoiled violently, hissing, her eyes narrowed to slits of hate.

“And not very happy to be back,” Veknor murmured.

Fredrico couldn’t blame her. The slimy touch of Phemar wasn’t to everyone’s taste, including himself, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Nor could lost souls.

Dark shadows flittered through the door and rose to linger at the ceiling, casting darkness over one wall. Calmly drinking his una, Fredrico wondered how Phemar was going to subdue the warrior.

“Fredrico, Veknor.” Phemar partly turned towards them, his face hidden by the folds of his hood. “I need you.”

Placing the cup on the table, Fredrico slid off and walked to Phemar’s side. The warrior glanced from him to Veknor who ranged up on Phemar’s other side, then back to Phemar.

“What do you need us to do?” Veknor queried.

“Catch her,” Phemar said, and with one swoop of his hand the glass wall shattered.

The Reeka lunged forward and Fredrico only had time to yell a startled swear word before he threw himself in her pathway.

Grappling her around the waist, he felt the full force of her knee slam up into his abdomen, knocking the breath from him. Unprepared for the strength her insanity gave her, he didn’t have time to conjure up his own darkness. He fell, winded, and dimly heard Veknor fighting with her. Glass tinkled, something crashed, and there was the sound of Veknor’s cursing.

“Do not use your powers!” Phemar warned them.

p>

Rolling to his feet, Fredrico was just in time to see Veknor being lifted off his feet by two hands fisted in his billowing shirt. The Reeka stood tall, lifting the ebony space pirate with ease. His feet swung off the ground. She stood a full head taller than him, half a head taller than Fredrico.

She was strong, she was tall, she was deadly, and she was enraged.

For a split second Fredrico could appreciate her in all her wild beauty. The thick hair, so dark a red as to be almost black, swirled down her back. Her green eyes glittered with rage and the feminine muscles in her legs and arms were clearly visible.

A true Reeka warrior woman.

An insane Reeka warrior woman.

An insane Reeka warrior woman with a touch of hellish strength.

She didn’t even grunt as she hoisted Veknor up and threw him over the table. The ebony pirate disappeared over the other side with a curse.

Fredrico barrelled forward again, this time watching her carefully but the warrior was focused on Phemar. Moving with a slithering grace, she circled him.

The dark mystic watched her, the dull gleam of his eyes shining briefly from the darkness of his hood.

Hands outstretched, she lunged and would have succeeded in grabbing him by the throat if Fredrico hadn’t dived at her, catching her full force behind the knees to send her sprawling onto the stone floor.

Without missing a beat she twisted, but Veknor was on top of her before she could complete it. Even with two of them, they grappled to hold her down.

“Guards!” Fredrico yelled. “Bloody get in here!”

Four guards pushed through the doorway, no surprise on their faces at what they saw. Nothing surprised those who lived in The Overlord’s fortress.

Two of them immediately helped pin her down.

“What the hell are you playing at?” Veknor snarled up at Phemar.

“Her reflexes haven’t diminished with time. I am pleased.” Phemar gestured to one of the standing guards. “Are they here yet?”

“Yes.” He retreated and returned with an armful of thick chains.

Fredrico knew immediately what was going to happen. Phemar crouched and reached for the warrior’s hair but Fredrico waylaid him, grabbing a silken fistful and jerking her head upright.