The Chalice (46 page)

Her first impression was of Mordaq’s broad back sheltering a still form  on a

makeshift bed. By his sheer size, he dominated the scene, towering far above the medical staff and the wounded. She reached out and touched his arm , unprepared for the blatant anguish on his face as he turned, glancing over his shoulder. Between his huge hands, he clasped Hanna’s, gently caressing the lax fingers. Pale as a corpse and unmoving, Hanna appeared dead.

“How is she?” Kara gulped, fearing the worst.

The big male’s silvery eyes watered, the masculine chin trem bled. “We lost thechild,” he ground out. “The bitch kicked her in the stomach so hard, she

miscarried and now she’s hemorrhaging.”

Kara winced, aching with this new grief. They’d lost it! A baby everyonewanted so m uch. She did the only thing she could think to do, she hugged the big Warrior, offering what little comfort she had.

“I’m  so sorry,” she whispered, biting back a sob. “I know how m uch both of you

wanted the baby.”

He brushed a hand across his face, drawing a sharp breath. “I grieve for ourchild, but I have to think of Hanna’s feelings. She’s going to be so…I couldn’t livewithout my Hanna.” His face darkened, the tortured eyes grew hard. “The hybrid’stime is short.” He gnashed his teeth, knotting his fists. “I’ll laugh as I tear herlim b from  lim b.”

“You and everybody else,” she muttered, silently offering her support. “She’s

got a lot of enemies just waiting in line.”

A tech pushed them  aside and bent over Hanna, checking screens and cluckingto himself. He ran a hand-held monitor across the big woman’s stom ach, intent onstudying the sym bols. The m onitor clicked, buzzed a few times and glowedorange. He smiled, seem ing satisfied.

“Can they fix her?” With all the advanced technology, surely it would be a sim ple task. Hanna was meant to be a mother, the kind who supported her kids in everything they did. She was full of love and kindness, a born soccer mother. Mordaq would make a great father as well. W hat kid wouldn’t want the biggest,

meanest guy on the block as his dad?

The tech paused, gracing them  with a brief nod. “She’s very healthy and doingquite well in fact, given the severity of her injuries.” He fiddled with another bit ofequipm ent, adding as an afterthought. “There’s no reason why she can’t haveanother child. She’s perfectly capable.”

The heavy pressure in Kara’s chest eased somewhat. A moment of light-

headedness and she swayed, feeling faint. Hanna would be all right!

“How is she?” Dread slipped into the room .

“She’s going to be all right,” Kara sniffed, swiping a hand across her nose. “And

she can have more babies.”

Dread’s dark eyes bugged out. “She lost the baby!”

Mordaq nodded, the hard planes of his face etched with grief. “The bitch has a

lot to answer for.”

Dread whirled and headed for the door, dark locks flipping. “Shagal headed to

the upper levels a few m inutes ago. He wouldn’t say why but I overheard a few

comments and it sounds like they’re convening a trial or something.”

A trial? The only person who could be on trial had to be Siri! And if Siri was on

trial, she had a right to be there. I’m  Queen after all!

Mordaq started for the door, hesitating as his gaze rested on the unconscious Hanna. Stark pain radiated from  his glistening silvery eyes. His shoulders slum pedand he returned to his seat by the unconscious woman.

“I can’t leave her.” His teeth gnashed together. “I should be there to judge,” he muttered to himself. He took up Hanna’s lim p fingers and cradled the slim  digits to his breast. “She needs me here.”

“She certainly does,” Kara agreed, patting his shoulder. Guy was a total m ess and wouldn’t be any help anyway. “Tegan and Jaegar will decide her fate— and I’m positive it won’t be good.”

“She has to die,” he growled. “If the trial goes in her favor…”

“W hich it won’t,” she hurried to say. “And if by some m isguided chance it does,

there’s a whole army of furious women prepared to take her down.”

W hiplash quick, he grabbed her forearm, exerting trem endous pressure. “Prom ise m e,” he ground out, rage transform ing his striking features. “Promiseme she’ll pay.”

“I promise.”

****

Kara paused in front of the sentry standing watch at the doorway. Recognitionflashed in his silvery blue eyes and he bowed, m oving aside respectfully. Shedipped her head with what she believed was a regal nod, acknowledging hispresence as befitted her station. My station! She bit her lip, swallowing a snort ofderision. Like I’m  the queen of anything! She strode through the door, faltering asthe ominous mood of the crowd hit her with full force. The atmosphere of the

room  literally seethed with roiling tension.

A double line of armed Warriors ringed an open space in the center of thearena-like chamber. Bleachers lined every wall, filled to the brim  with interestedobservers. She pressed through the crush of onlookers, angling for a better view. Midpoint of the circle, Tegan and Jaegar stood near an empty stool, conversing inhushed tones, now and then glancing at the doorway. They seemed to beexpecting someone or something.

Dread caught her eye and waved her over. “They’re bringing in Siri,” shewhispered. “From  what I’ve been told, this’s going to be more like a judgment byher peers. Not like any trial we’ve seen.”

A judgm ent by her peers? Not that she cared, but the hybrid’s odds fell

exponentially in light of this new information. Could be a good thing!

“W hat exactly’s going to happen?” She twisted, trying to see around the broad shoulders of a breeder who’d parked his fat butt right in front of her. Top of the dum bass list!

“I don’t really know for sure.” Dread pinched down hard on the breeder’s muscular arm, brows drawn together in a frosty glare. He jerked, startled, scowling his displeasure but inched far enough to the side so they could see—if they jumped high enough.

Hands tied behind her back, a contingent of bodyguards ushered the sneeringhybrid into the room . Shouts of anger, bitter accusations and anticipatedpunishments echoed through the hall in an earsplitting din. Kara winced, coveringher ears before Jaegar motioned for silence. The guards halted by the stool,forcing the squirming hybrid to sit. Arrogant and unafraid, her contem ptuous eyesscanned the room , mocking the assem blage.

Kara’s stomach knotted. The bitch looked like she was thriving on theattention. Hatred reared its ugly head in a raging hot flash. I could strangle herwith my bare hands!

“ I’m  gonna kill that bitch,” Dread hissed, voicing her own feelings.

“Stand in line,” she whispered back. Ume’s small lifeless body filled her brain, torturing her with thoughts of violent retribution. She clenched her teeth, swallowing the taste of bile.

Jaegar raised his arms, preparing to speak. The room  stilled.

“We are gathered here to render judgm ent on the Deg’Nara hybrid known as

Siri.”

The room  erupted. Voices shouted encouragem ent. Ululating trills. Catcalls andwhistles. Feet drum m ed, vibrating the floor beneath her. Weapons clangedtogether, welded by the angry throng. The horrific noise drowned out Jaegar’snext words.

“Quiet!” Tegan’s deep voice shouted over the clamor. “Let Com m ander Jaegar

speak.”

W hen the room  was again quiet, Jaegar continued. “Although not her right asfull Chiagan-Se, the hybrid Siri has chosen to invoke the ancient law of trial by Shabat’Ka. We will honor that request.”

The room  erupted again.

“Shabat’Ka? W hat the frick’s Shabat’Ka?” Dread hissed.

“You got me!”

“W ho will accept the challenge?” Jaegar’s somber eyes perused the gathering.

The line of Warriors shifted as figures stepped into the circle.

“I accept the challenge,” Vaux called, bowing low.

“As do I,” Shagal said, moving into view, the red hair incongruous in the

solem n proceedings.

Dread started forward, skidding to a stop as Kara grabbed her arm . “Oh, no

you don’t,” she snapped. “Siri’d take your head off.”

The black woman wrenched her arm  free, slapping at her hand. “You aren’t my

boss.”

“I know it!” she hissed, catching another handhold. “But if Siri wins the

challenge, we’ll make sure she doesn’t do anything else.”

Dread’s dark head tipped as she considered. The dark eyes brightened. “You

prom ise?”

Another prom ise! Could she keep it? “Of course I do.”

“So there is no m istaking,” Jaegar added in warning. “This is a fight to the

death.”

More figures joined those in the center of the circle, male as well as fem ale.

“Jesus!” Dread choked out, wiping beats of sweat from  her forehead. “Glad you

stopped me.”

Tegan m oved from  Jaegar’s side to join the circle of willing participants. Arms

akimbo, he surveyed the combatants, silently assessing each.

“ I accept the challenge,” his m elodious voice rippled through the room . Several

Warriors knelt, bowing their heads and then faded into the crowd.

Tegan challenging the hybrid? W hat was he thinking? It simply wouldn’t do.

Wasn’t that supposed to be a job for his underlings? What happens if he getshurt? W hat if Siri wins?

“I think they’re deferring to Tegan,” Dread com mented, looking thoughtful.

“You’d think they’d want to protect him .”

Anxiety caused her feet to move. W ithout thinking, she started forward, only

to be stopped in her tracks by Dread blocking the way.

“ Don’t even think about it,” Dread snarled, shoving her back. “He wouldn’t be

their ruler if he wasn’t skilled in all forms of combat.”

“But…but what if she hurts him ?” She didn’t want to think of him  being injured,

let alone something even worse.

Dread chuffed, a soft whisper of m irth. “You think that skinny, ugly hybrid’s

gonna hurt that big ole gorgeous hunk of male? I don’t think so.”

“You think?”

“I know so.”

A fem ale voice rang out, im perious and demanding. “The challenge is mine to

accept! I claim  the right!”

Bi’ertise pushed through the line of Warriors, com ing to stand in the center ofthe circle, defiant determ ination emanating from  the rigid lines of her stance. Shepaced a slow circle of the Warriors, daring them  to reject her claim .

“ Bi’ertise….” Startled and dismayed, Jaegar shook his head ‘no.’ “Your claim  is

denied.”

“Pah!” she snarled, spinning to face him, the long silvery hair floating around her slender form . “I’ve more right than any to accept the challenge.” The large silver blue eyes sparked with fury as she glared at her life mate. “You know that!” she spat.

Siri laughed, a scornful grunt of m alicious humor. She stood up, viciouslyelbowing one of the guards out of the way and strode forward, stopping when shewas almost nose to nose with Bi’ertise.

“Well, little sister,” she snickered, the large eyes narrowed cruelly. “We meet

again, though I’m  somewhat surprised. I was told you perished long ago.”

Kara’s eyes slid sideways, catching Dread’s glance. “Sister?” she mouthed,

shocked. Eyes popping, Dread shrugged.

Bi’ertise’s chin rose, the full lips com pressed in a hard line. She stared at thehybrid for several long moments. The slender throat worked as she swallowedhard.

“No thanks to you, but I’m  very much alive.” She paused, the large eyes filling

with moisture. “Which is more than I can say for my poor mother.”

“Our mother you mean,” Siri’s lips quirked, an eyebrow arched, m ocking.

“She was never your mother,” Bi’ertise spat, tossing her head. She circled the

hybrid, eyes roving as if assessing every detail.

“ W hen I was young, I wanted so much to be you. I thought you were wonderful. Special! You were accepted, treated well, given everything I could never have. I was nothing but the lowest of Chiagan-Se breeding slaves.” She paused, drawing a deep breath. “And then you named my mother spy. You cheered as my mother was tortured— you and all the other Deg’Nara filth.” Tears spilled down her face. “My sweet mother was the only thing I had and you took her from  me.” She sniffed at the hybrid, delicate nostrils expanding. “You’re your father’s child— a filthy, traitorous Deg’Nara bitch. Nothing more.”

Bi’ertise stormed to Jaegar, furious heat radiated in pulsating waves. “I claim

the right,” she ground out through bared teeth. “I claim  the right.”

Gazes locked in com bat, the life mates glared at each other, chests heaving.

Veins popped out on Jaegar’s forehead. Time ceased to pass.