Victorious Star (30 page)

Seht stretched and yawned dramatically. “You know, returning sounds like a good idea.”

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Lord Syrhus curled his lip. “If I have to suffer through more of Moribund’s patronizing, you’re going to suffer with me, and he still wants to talk with you.”

Seht lowered his brows. “That human has nothing to say that I want to hear.”

Lord Syrhus grinned. “Good, then I leave it in your hands to find a way to get us released from this farce as quickly and politely as possible.”

Seht lifted his chin. “The way you are monopolizing my time makes me wonder if you actually missed me.”

Lord Syrhus’s expression became somber. “I did miss you. Are you coming home this time?”

Seht looked Syrhus straight in the eye. “This is not the time, or the place, cousin.” A smile softened his expression. “But I have missed you as well.”

Syrhus sighed. “Anyway, did you wish to send your
rehkyt
back to the enclave with mine?”

Seht focused on Victoria. “That might not be a bad idea. I do not trust Moribund. Not where she is concerned.”

“You suspect revenge?”

Seht snorted. “From Moribund? I expect revenge. He is not one to let a transgression go with impunity.”

Lord Syrhus nodded. “I’ll make sure she gets back to your suite in one piece.” He snapped his fingers. “All right, pets, it’s time to go back. I expect you to be good for
A’syr
Khem.”

The
rehkyts
reluctantly climbed off of Victoria.

“You can drop your hands, pet.” Seht’s voice vibrated with humor.

Victoria sat up and grabbed for her robe.
I can’t believe you let them do that to me in front of everybody…
She thrust her arms into the sleeves and picked up her fallen sash.

Seht stood up. “Stand up, you’re going with them.”

Victoria got to her feet and looked up at him in shock.
You’re sending me away?

Seht took the sash from her hands. “Yes.” He wrapped the sash around her waist.
It’s safer this way. I don’t want to take the chance that Moribund will find a way to corner you in this crowd.
He raised a brow.
And I think you’ve had enough adventures for one night.
He pressed a kiss to Victoria’s brow. “Be good, and stay out of trouble. I expect to find you washed and in my bed when I get back.”

Victoria nodded sullenly.
Yes,
‘Syr.

The aqua-eyed
A’syr
Khem was more than happy to take Victoria’s lead from Seht’s hand. The two golden
rehkyt
grabbed Victoria’s arms, gleefully sandwiching her between them.

Victoria looked to one side and found Kazi Sakata standing very quietly against a wall, staring straight at her. Unnerved, she jerked her gaze off of the expressionless nav-pilot and allowed herself to be led away.

The doors were opened and they stepped into the hall before the lifts. Victoria and the
rehkyt
were herded to one side where another party of guards and their
rehkyt
waited.

Victoria snorted.
Looks like all the kids are being sent to bed while the grown-ups play.

Victoria flinched.
Oh, shit…
She could not stop herself from glancing down and noticing the massive erection straining behind his knee-length leather kilt. Apparently he still hadn’t been given any relief, only this time he wasn’t being held on a chain.

The male
rehkyt
strode for her.

Victoria shoved the two golden
rehkyt
none too gently behind her. She ignored their squeals and bared her teeth at the approaching male.
Don’t even try it, buddy.

The male stopped and anger flushed his face. He bared his own teeth. “You can’t think you can take me?” He took an aggressive step toward her. “Or stop me.”

Victoria slid into a nice square fighting stance. A deep growl boiled from her chest. She’d have to take out his knees first…

A’syr
Khem shoved himself in front of Victoria. “Torque, get back to your place!” He glared at Victoria. “Get back and calm down.”

Victoria stepped back. She was immediately grabbed by Lord Syrhus’s two
rehkyt.
They stroked her arms and purred at her.

Torque’s head jerked up. “You can’t expect me to ignore her?”

Nehkyx
Bhenhu stepped from a group of guards. “I expect you to do your work and leave the females alone!”

Torque clenched his teeth, and glared at him from the corner of his eye. “Like this?” He pointed at his obvious erection. “I can barely see straight as it is! She’s a prime, damn it.”

A’syr
Khem crossed his arms. “With all due respect,
Nehkyx
Bhenhu, but are you out of your mind? An aroused male prime to guard a pride of females?”

Nehkyx
Bhenhu scowled. “It wasn’t my idea.” He looked at his charge. Torque was still staring obsessively at Victoria. “All right, I see your point. Do any of the
rehkyt
want to suck him off?”

Several female voices answered with enthusiasm.

Torque focused on Victoria. “How about you, pretty? Care to give me your mouth?”

Victoria snorted.
Fat chance.
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around the two
rehkyt
pressed to her sides.

One of them looked up. “Why not? He’s really very handsome.”

Victoria shook her head firmly then rolled her eyes.
Why does everybody think I should have sex with whoever wants me?

Torque released his rigid hardness from the folds of his kilt. He groaned as she expertly and enthusiastically serviced him with her hands and mouth, but his eyes stayed hot and hard on Victoria.

Nehkyx
Bhenhu tapped his foot impatiently. “Cum.”

Torque shot a glare at the
nehkyx,
then threw his head back and gasped, pumping into the female’s mouth.

The blonde wiped her lips with a delicate hand and stood.

Torque shot a look of resentment at Victoria, then dropped a kiss on the blonde’s lips.

She dashed back to the group with a smile.

The lifts opened and everyone was herded in.

Victoria refused to look behind her at Torque. Someone had gotten the bright idea to stick her at the front of the line with him at the end. Her shoulders ached with tension. On top of that, the golden
rehkyt
took every opportunity to slip their hands under her clothes. They seemed to find pinching her nipples highly entertaining and kept pulling up the hem of her robe to squeeze her butt-cheeks.

Victoria held her temper with grim determination.
I am going to kick Seht’s ass for this…
Distracted by the
rehkyt
staring at her back and the two with their hands in her clothes, she was startled when the line came to a sharp halt. She strained her neck but couldn’t see anything.

“Keep your head down,”
A’syr
Khem whispered harshly. The com-unit pinned to his shoulder crackled with code. He led his three charges to the wall then pressed them against it. “If fighting starts, get down on the floor and make yourself as small as you can.”

Victoria stared at him.
Fighting?

Torque,
Mahfeht’syr
Ehru’s male
rehkyt
lunged through the line, followed by four other armed
rehkyt
males, all headed for the front.

Victoria looked up the line again and finally saw the group of mercenaries in heavy black armor blocking the hall. The guards at the front of the line had their rifles pointed and more than a few had swords out. Arguing was happening, but she couldn’t make out what was being said. Whatever it was, the guards were most definitely not happy about it. She could see a lot of shaking heads.

A’syr
Khem looked over at Victoria grimly. “They’re asking us to turn you over to them.”

Victoria’s mouth fell open.
Me?

A’syr
Khem nodded at the mercenaries blocking the hall. “We don’t know who sent them, but we’ll find out.” He grinned, showing his long teeth. “From their corpses, if necessary.”

Victoria had no idea who did what first, but suddenly the hall was full of shouting and small power-blasts hitting the walls. Swords flashed and the scent of spilled blood filled the hall.

Victoria shoved the two
rehkyt
down on the floor, then under her. She was more able to defend herself than they were. They whimpered and trembled. Victoria pressed her lips to their brows, unable to offer a word of comfort.

The power-blasts abruptly ceased, but the fighting grew more ferocious as the mercenaries pulled long vicious blades from their armored suits. Screams echoed in the halls. Victoria noted with satisfaction that the heavily armored men were slowly losing to the faster
skeldhis,
but the fight was far from over.

Three of the mercenaries made it through the line of fighting and spotted Victoria huddled on the floor over the
rehkyt.
They pointed and shouted into their com-units.

A’syr
Khem swore bitterly, drew his sword and lunged for them.

Victoria scowled.
Piss!
If
A’syr
Khem fell, they were sitting targets. She looked sharply around for a weapon, any weapon. She spotted Kazi Sakata watching from a cross hallway.
What the hell is she doing here?
Victoria focused on the sword sheathed on Sakata’s hip.

One of the three mercenaries broke away from
A’syr
Khem and headed straight for Victoria, grinning. His jagged knife was as long as her forearm, and dripping scarlet.

Victoria felt heat wash up her spine then sear the back of her skull. She exploded from the floor and lunged toward Sakata and her blade. She had her hand on the sword and the blade drawn before the mercenary could turn to follow her.

Sakata did not move, or reach for her sword. But her head turned, keeping Victoria within view.

Victoria lunged back into the hall and dove under the mercenary’s guard, slashing for the unprotected armor seam where his thigh armor joined his body armor. The live steel blade bit and slid smoothly, slicing between his armor plates and though the man’s flight suit, severing the major artery where his leg joined his torso. She twisted, pulling the blade away.

He screamed and went down in a welter of blood.

Three more mercenaries came at her from the fight in the hall.

Victoria bared her teeth and released a vicious feral snarl.
They want to bleed? So be it!
She grinned as she ducked and lunged under their attacks, slashing into the suit joints to sever arteries and hamstrings. Then more came at her…

A heavily muscular, dark-haired male
rehkyt
walked toward her and she jerked around to face him, sword up. His scent was somewhat familiar.

“Easy, it’s over,” he said calmly. “Put the sword down.”

Victoria narrowed her eyes at him. Was he challenging her?

The two female
rehkyt
exploded from the wall and rushed toward her.

The male
rehkyt
shouted. “Stay away! She’s in
rahyt!”

A
skeldhi
grabbed his arm. “Wait, she knows them.”

Victoria took a startled step back from the two female
rehkyt.
She recognized their scent as they surrounded her. They were unarmed and making sounds of distress. Their body movements and scent begged for assurance. She lowered the blade.

Victoria allowed them to snuggle close and held still as they kissed her cheeks and lips. She groaned as the fury bled from her. She did not protest as the sword was gently pulled from her fingers and dropped to clatter on the bloodstained deck.

Victoria blinked awake with Lord Syrhus’s two golden
rehkyt
wrapped tight against her. A tremor shook her body. White-hot agony slammed up her spine to collect in her skull. She grabbed her head and gasped.

Both rehkyt shouted. “She’s hurt! Somebody help!”

Victoria’s knees gave out and she fell to the floor gagging with pain. Blood tears dripped from her cheeks and spattered on the polished deck under her.

“I don’t see any sword cuts…”
A’syr
Khem caught her face in his palms. Alarm raced across his expression. “Holy Mother, her eyes are bleeding!” He looked up. “We have to get her to medical, now!”

The pain hammered her again, and her body went into spasms.