The Chalice (47 page)

“This is so not good,” Dread hissed. “She doesn’t look like she could take Siri.

One of them  big Warrior boys would be a better choice.”

“Shut!” Kara snapped, straining to hear. A part of her hoped Jaegar would

relent, but another part…

“She killed my mother and left me to die,” Bi’ertise voice took on a pleading

tone. “If not for you, I’d have died on Seffra.”

Jaegar’s hand lifted to the female’s neck, stroking the elegant curve. “W hy

must it be you?” he m urm ured, the tim bre of his voice despairing.

“I have the right,” she choked on a sob. “Please!”

Jaegar’s hand fell, a slow reluctant drop. The crowd waited in hushed

expectation.

He cleared his throat. He hesitated as if pained, but the words needed to be

said. “The choice is made. Bi’ertise will accept the challenge.”

The assembly went wild, scream ing, shouting, whistling, stomping. The din was

overpowering.

“I should be the one,” Vaux’s angry voice soared over the howling mob.

“No! Me!” another m ale called out.

“Me!”

“I’m  the one!”

“Quiet!” Tegan shouted, the sound resonating against the walls of the huge chamber. “The choice has been made. Bi’ertise, life mate of Commander Jaegar will accept the challenge.” He bowed to Bi’ertise, honoring her as champion. “May the Gods grant you victory.”

“And will you grant me life if I win?” Siri’s voice rang out. “The principles of

Shabat’Ka dem and you grant such a boon.”

Jaegar’s grim  look boded ill for the hybrid. “You are correct.” He considered fora brief moment. “If you survive the Shabat’Ka, I will grant you the sameconsideration you gave my life mate when you abandoned her on Seffra.”

The room  rum bled with the crowd’s displeasure.

“Pah!” Siri snorted, her disgust all too clear. “Death is m y boon if I prevail?”

“You m ay survive the wasteland,” he said, brushing at an im aginary bit of dust

on his sleeve, “as my life m ate did.” His silvery head dipped to the side as he studied her—the spider to the fly. “You are free to elect death now if that is your wish.”

The hybrid glared, the am ber eyes prom ising violent retribution. Jaegar calm ly

returned her look, unm oved by her poisonous stare.

The great room  stilled, waiting for Siri’s reply.

Her nostrils flared, lips tightened with fury. “I will accept the Shabat’Ka,” she

ground out. “And I will dance on your grave when the tim e comes.”

“So be it,” Jaegar said. His attention returned to Bi’ertise. The hard look softened, grew pensive. “As the one challenged, you have the right to pick the weapon.”

“But…” Siri fiercely interjected.

Tegan cut her off with a slash of his arm . “It is Bi’ertise’s right. She is the one

challenged.”

Jaegar coughed, as though the words stuck in his throat. His anguished eyes

focused on his life mate. “W hat weapon do you choose?”

“Stragonars,” Bi’ertise answered without hesitation.

He winced, the already pale skin growing paler. He brushed back his whitehair. Even from  where she stood, Kara could see his hand trem ble. He nodded attwo W arriors who hurried from  the room .

Bi’ertise took that m oment to prepare, disrobing to the brief loincloth of a Chiagan-Se Warrior. Impressive as a Greek statue, Kara could only stare inenvious   adm iration.   Sleek   m uscles   rippled   down   the   female’s   slim  torsoconverging in a vee at the apex of the trim  hips. Well-developed thighs meldedinto long shapely legs, the calves wrapped in the leathery straps of her Rom an-style sandals. As she watched, Bi’ertise reached up, gathering her silvery locksinto a knot at the nape of her neck.

“W hat’s a stragonar?” Dread hissed.

“W hatever it is,” Kara whispered. “Jaegar isn’t happy.”

“Like he’d be happy with whatever she chose!”

“A strange choice of weapons,” Siri sneered though som ewhat less arrogant. “I

would have expected Tars.”

Bi’ertise sm iled, a chilling twist of her sculpted lips. “I know what youexpected, but I watched you train all those revolutions ago. I know yourstrengths…and your weaknesses.” The unpleasant sm ile faded. “Hand to hand

combat would not be your first option. You prefer to lurk in the shadows, striking when your victim  is at his m ost defenseless. But for me, the choice is clear. I

remembered and I trained, never doubting this moment would come.”

“You will still die,” the hybrid laughed. “Only slower I think.”

“We shall see,” Bi’ertise said, sm oothing a hand over her face.

The Warriors returned, each carrying a polished silver box which theypresented to Tegan and Jaegar for inspection. Each accepted one and opened it,silently exam ining the contents.

Nodding in satisfaction, Tegan returned the container. “The weapons are

acceptable.”

Jaegar did the same, fingers lightly skim m ing the interior. “I find no

im perfections.”

The boxes were presented to the com batants, the first to Bi’ertise and the

second to Siri.

Bi’ertise took out the weapons and slipped them  on. Kara’s stomach did anauseating flip-flop. She almost puked at first glim pse. Stragonars were double-edged daggers made to fit on the backs of the hands, the wicked curving bladesflared at the centers, sharp and deadly-appearing. It wasn’t hard to im agine thekind of damage the weapons could inflict in the heat of battle.

“I’m  not feeling real good about this,” Dread rasped, her dusky skin turning an

ashen grey. “That bitch better not hurt her.”

“Maybe we can stop this.”

“If it could be stopped, someone would have done it by now.” Dread’s dark eyes shone with anguished dism ay. “For being so far advanced, these guys are acting like a bunch of frickin’ savages.”

“My thoughts exactly. We already figured out the Chiagan-Se society is based

on feudal beginnings, but this is ridiculous!”

Rising to her tiptoes, graceful as a ballet dancer, Bi’ertise flexed her arms, the

muscles undulating as she stretched. She relaxed, rotating her shoulders and

neck, then crouched in readiness, hands fisted, blades out.

Siri paced back and forth, her attention focused solely on Bi’ertise, weavingand bobbing, searching for an advantage m uch like a snake would before it struckits victim .

“You m ay begin,” Tegan said.

Siri screeched a battle cry. Arms wind-milling, the two fem ales attacked,ripping and slicing. Sparks flew as the blades met in m id-air, the clang of metalresonating through the hall. Too close for comfort!

“I can’t watch this,” Kara moaned, slapping hands over her face. Grunts of pain

and meaty thuds am plified by the loss of vision only served to fuel her vivid imaginings about the terrible fight. A woman yelped in pain. I need to see! She squinted, peeking through trembling fingers.

Bi’ertise feinted to the right and rolled, grazing the back of Siri’s leg. A thinline of blood oozed from  the wound. The hybrid kicked out, slamm ing a bootedfoot against Bi’ertise’s slender neck. She crashed to the floor, dodging Siri’sdownward slash by mere hairs.

Jaegar cursed, starting forward only to be held in place by Tegan’s brawny

arm .

Springing to her feet, Bi’ertise spun out of reach com ing to rest a mere tensteps from  Kara’s position. Crimson dotted the sleek skin seeping from  cuts andgouges on every lim b. The fem ale was taking a harsh pounding.

The hybrid pressed the attack, whirling like a freakin’ dervish as she boundedafter her opponent, the flurried movem ents so rapid as to confuse the eyes of theonlookers. She fought with the wild ferocity of a Viking berserker with littleregard to her own safety.

Bi’ertise   countered   with   skill   and   precision,   deflecting   each   blow   and

responding in kind, but it was obvious she was tiring.

“Bitch’s gonna kill Bi’ertise,” Dread groaned, tossing her dark locks. “We gotta

do som ething.”

“Do what? We step out there and we’ll end up dead. Siri’d love that.”

The hybrid squealed as Bi’ertise flipped through the air, high enough to vaultover the head of Siri, raking the hybrid’s back with the stragonar as she camedown, landing in a squat. The acrobatic feat was awe-inspiring!

Siri whipped to face her, seething with fury. Sharp teeth bared in a snarl, sheflew at Bi’ertise, drawing blood with every jab and swipe of the blades. Strongerthan the Chiagan-Se female, the hybrid drove her back, ripping and tearing in agrisly display of hate-filled rage. Bi’ertise went down on one knee, hands dartingas she warded off the hammering blows. Sweat gleamed on her face, mixing withstreaks of blood and running in rivulets down her cheeks.

Bi’ertise was fading, slowing down. Tears welled in her large silvery blue eyes. Sad acceptance wreathed her features as she fell back, arms crossed protectivelyover her face.

“She ain’t gonna m ake it,” Dread cried out. “That bitch is gonna win.”

Crowing with triumph, Siri danced a silly jig of exultation and then slasheddown, screeching like a banshee. Kara’s heart skipped several beats. She couldn’tbreathe. Stunned! The end had com e.

The scene froze, the actors unmoving. Absolute silence. All eyes were glued to

the two women in the center of the circle, watching and waiting.

Siri made a gurgling noise and staggered back, reeling into the line of

Warriors. She lurched, turning to face the crowd. Blood pulsed from  her neck,covering her chest in crimson gore. Her mouth opened as if she were about tospeak but all that could be heard was a hissing whim per. In slow motion, she sankto her knees, arms spread as if in supplication.

Black dots floated in Kara’s vision, the floor shifted. I’m  going to faint!

The hybrid’s head tilted back, the hideous wound inflicted by Bi’ertise’sstragonar gaped open bubbling scarlet. She collapsed, sprawling with theuncoordinated gracelessness of a broken doll, the wide am ber eyes focused on thepath to the stars. Siri was dead!

“She did it!” Dread screamed. She grabbed Kara in a bear hug, squeezing her breath out and laughing like a crazy wom an. The gathering exploded, cheering and shouting.

The Chiagan-Se female had won! But at what cost?

Bi’ertise leaned on an elbow staring with anguished eyes at her sister. Shecrawled to the lifeless body, gently touched the hybrid’s face and then curled intoa ball, wailing with grief. Jaegar rushed from  the sidelines, cradling her againsthis broad chest, moisture shining on the high cheekbones. He burrowed his faceagainst her hair, rocking and crooning a wordless lullaby.

Kara pushed her way through, kneeling down to stroke the female’s shoulder.

Too traumatized to speak, she offered what comfort she could through physical

contact.

Bi’ertise sniffed, rubbing her face against Jaegar’s check. “When I was young Iwanted her to love me.” The words were soft and m uffled. “But she was ashamedof my mother and me. We were a rem inder of her tainted blood.” She sobbed, aswift gasp of pain. “I wanted us to be a fam ily.”

“She was Deg’Nara,” Jaegar m urm ured, kissing her brow. “There was nothing

you could have done to change that.”

He rose to his feet, lifting Bi’ertise with ease. “You need m edical attention.”

Kara swallowed, the painful lum p in her throat causing her to gulp audibly. “Noone expected you to be happy with the outcome. Only Siri would have viewed theend result as a victory. You’re not Siri.”

“Thank the Gods,” was Jaegar’s hoarse reply.

He started from  the room, pausing to glance at Tegan. “You’re in temporary

command of the ship. Have the navigator take us home. We all need to rest.”

“As you wish,” Tegan acknowledged him  with a brief nod. He reached for her

hand. Bending from  his great height, he kissed her fingertips, lips lingering for just a moment. His breath felt warm  against her cold hand. Her riotous thoughts steadied, balanced.

“You could have stopped this.”

He straightened up, gazing into her eyes. “I could have,” he adm itted,

unrepentant. “But under our laws, she had the right.”

“Bi’ertise could have been killed,” she objected, withdrawing her hand. Beyond Tegan’s broad form, a team  of med-tech’s loaded the hybrid’s body on a stretcher. As she watched, they covered the remains with silver sheeting, tying the material down with black cords. She drew a deep breath, almost feeling pity for the female. Siri’d yearned to be Deg’Nara but she was only tolerated because of her sire’s position in the hierarchy of the destroyers. Unlike Bi’ertise who was accepted and loved, the hybrid lived in the nether world between both cultures. A wasted life. She exhaled, feeling a tad bit calmer. The finality of death eased whatever hatred still remained.