Bound: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance, page 15
CHAPTER 7
Infuriated by the persistent telepathic signal pinging away inside his mind, Cylex slipped from the training center and hurried toward the nearest storeroom. He was so damn tired of Jevara’s pettiness and his irrational demands. Cylex was just about ready to hop on the next commuter transport and leave the star system for good. A ragged sigh followed the thought. It was impossible and he knew it. His three younger sisters would be unprotected if he left. Two were employed, yet naive. He had kept them insulated from the uglier realities of life. He wanted them to enjoy their innocence as long as possible. The youngest was still in school. The only way he could leave was if he took them with him, and he couldn’t afford that option right now.
Cylex paused for several deep breaths, regaining his composure. He could not reveal his frustration to the emperor. He must appear like a loyal servant, even if that loyalty was wearing dangerously thin. He activated the subdermal comm-link in his forearm and responded to the telepathic page.
“It has been nine days since your last check-in,” Jevara sneered. His miniature holo-image shifted and wavered, flickering for a moment before it stabilized. “Where in all of hell’s realms have you been?”
“At my post, sire. I warned you that my new position would make it even harder to communicate. Not only am I inside the Citadel, but I am seldom left alone.” He wasn’t sure why he had been chosen to guard the conduits, but the assignment was a double-edged sword. It forced him to interact with his targets. He knew their names and personalities. He had seen them lose their tempers and laugh, even break down in tears. In a word they were ‘real’ to him now. Guarding them also gave him access to information he was no longer certain he wanted to pass on. Jevara was an amoral tyrant and Cylex found the thought of assisting him in any capacity repellent.
“Even bodyguards have to piss.”
It took everything Cylex had not to glare openly at the petulant emperor. “Did you need something specific?”
“I need some godsdamn information! Have you forgotten the reason you’re there?”
Cylex tensed. He really hated this worthless piece of shit, and it was getting harder and harder to conceal the fact. “The conduits were uncomfortable with me at first, but they are starting to speak openly in front of me. I am confident that they will soon say something actionable. When they do, I will immediately report it to you.”
“You have been shadowing them for almost two weeks. They did not say anything ‘actionable’ in all that time?” Jevara’s brows arched nearly to his hairline. “I think you are full of shit.”
The feeling was mutual. “I am sorry you feel that way, sire. I am doing the best I can.”
“It’s amazing how much more people can accomplish with the right motivation.” Jevara made an intricate series of gestures with his left hand and a different holo-image took over Cylex’s display. Anias, the oldest of Cylex’s sisters, sat playing some sort of table game with a beautiful dark-haired woman. Both were dressed in the sheer dresses of Jevara’s pleasure givers. Understanding slammed into Cylex, momentarily robbing him of breath. “She has been bathed and prepared for my pleasure.” Jevara’s image replaced the other scene. “As of right now, I have not touched her. Tell me something I do not already know or I will walk down the hall and bury my cock deep in her sweet virgin body.”
A strangled growl escaped Cylex’s throat before he regained the ability to speak. “If you touch her, I will kill you.”
“I have no doubt you will try, but sweet Anias will have been fucked by every guard in this palace long before you arrive. Now talk.”
Days ago Cylex had decided not to tell Jevara anything more. Raina and Cara had potentially dangerous abilities, but they had yet to harm anyone. They did not deserve what Jevara had in store for them. But neither did Anias! How could he protect Raina and Cara without allowing his sister to be abused?
He scrambled for facts that would not endanger the conduits, something true yet harmless. He could only think of one and he wasn’t sure it would satisfy Jevara. “One of the girls is dream sharing with her potential mates. They have not yet claimed her, but it is only a matter of time.”
“Interesting. Why did you keep this from me?”
“I did not think it relevant. The males are on a spaceship, so they could not claim her if they wanted to. If that changed, I would have informed you.”
“Which conduit is stronger?”
Cylex tensed, already feeling guilty about what he’d shared. “They are both pretty useless right now. Their mentor is teaching them the skills they will need once their power has been unleashed, but the courtships have not officially begun. We have plenty of time.”
“Are either of them still a virgin? You know how I love virgin cunt.”
The evil gleam in Jevara’s eyes made Cylex clench his teeth. The emperor was truly depraved and Anias was now entirely at his mercy. “I have no idea.”
Jevara studied him intently for a long, tense moment. “You have played spy long enough. You have twenty-four hours to bring me one of the conduits. I do not care which one.”
“But, sire, I cannot accomplish that in a single day. I need time to plan and set things in motion.”
“Fine. Three days, but not a minute more. If you fail in this, you will find me balls deep in your sister’s ass!”
Unable to conceal his loathing any longer, Cylex fisted his hands and glared at his nemesis.
“Do not test me on this, Cylex,” Jevara warned. “If you betray me, your sister will be the centerpiece at my next dinner party.”
Jevara ended the comm and Cylex punched the nearest wall. Pain shot up his arm and white noise filled his ears as his knuckles connected with riveted metal. A red haze passed over his vision but he managed not to make a sound. Jevara’s sexual excesses and his obscene dinner parties were notorious. It was one of the reasons Cylex had hidden his sisters off world. This was not the first time Jevara had threatened them. Cylex’s chest burned and he drew in a quick breath. Apparently, he had not hidden them well enough.
Anias had just turned nineteen but she was incredibly innocent. She had spent the last five years focused on her younger sisters. Cylex provided for them financially, but Anias took care of them. She was selfless and sweet. It was unthinkable that her first sexual encounter would be with someone as repugnant as Jevara.
Regaining as much calm as he could muster, Cylex left the storeroom and returned to the training center. He walked over to Nadis. “I need to speak with President Raydo. I will return as quickly as I can.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, glancing around the room with obvious concern. “Should we move to a more secure location?”
“It is a personal matter. The trainees are not in danger.” And he would make damn sure it stayed that way.
She nodded though worry still shadowed her gaze. “I will let Zevon know you are coming.”
Fortifying himself with a deep breath, Tov raised his knuckles and knocked on the door to Zevon’s office. Usually Zevon’s assistant sat at a desk in the outer room, but the young male was nowhere in sight.
“It’s open,” Zevon called.
The door was ajar, so Tov widened the opening and walked inside. The office was large and ornately decorated, a sharp contrast to the personality of its occupant. Zevon was a no-nonsense soldier and a highly skilled controller. He was more comfortable sleeping in a primitive tent than in the luxurious apartment reserved for the Citadel’s president. He had been elected as a disruptor, an agent of much needed change.
Tov looked around, allowing his distaste to show. “How can you stand this office? The decor is… distracting.”
“I have been too busy putting out fires to worry about the decorating,” Zevon dismissed.
“It has been what, nine months? Are the governors still resisting every change you make?”
“I expected that,” Zevon insisted with a slightly curled lip. “But it’s not just the governors. Each day brings more disgruntled department heads and frustrated mystics. This place has been mismanaged for decades.”
“And you are no longer allowed to exert your authority with your fists,” Tov pointed out, hoping to lighten his friend’s mood.
“That’s the worst part,” Zevon agreed, finally relaxing. He stood and came around to the front of the desk. “Were you just checking in to make sure I hadn’t put my fist through a wall?”
“I was hoping you’d had time to consider the message I sent you earlier.”
Zevon shrugged. “I skimmed through it, but I’m not sure I see the benefit of joining forces with the Torretian rebels.”
“That’s why Laidon wants to meet with you. He has information that he insists will benefit us greatly. I don’t see a reason not to listen to what he has to say. He also has a friend in serious danger and he needs our help to—”
A rhythmic beeping interrupted Tov and a disembodied voice said, “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but this is important.” Apparently, Zevon’s assistant had returned.
“Go on.”
“Cylex Bekar is headed up here. Provost Nadis did not say what he wanted, only that it seemed urgent.”
“It better be urgent if he left Cara and Raina unprotected,” Tov growled out, more than annoyed by the trainee’s choice.
“Should I tell him you are with someone?” the assistant prompted.
“No,” Zevon decided. “When he arrives, send him in.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Should I come back?” Tov asked, anxiously glancing toward the door. “There are important elements to our conversation that I have yet to explain.”
“Stay.” A faint smile tugged at one corner of Zevon’s mouth. “I am pretty sure I know what he wants, and you will want to hear it.”
Tov had no idea what that meant, but he knew better than to argue with the president.
Cylex arrived a short time later. His purposeful steps faltered when he spotted Tov but he focused on Zevon and greeted, “Thank you for seeing me, sir.”
Zevon leaned against the front of his desk, his expression grim. “You have chosen to leave your post without permission. This better be important.”
“May I speak frankly, sir?”
“Of course.” He crossed his arms over his chest and watched Cylex intently.
Tov shifted his gaze back and forth between the two. Zevon might know what this was about, but Tov had no idea.
“Jevara sent me here to spy on you, sir. I am very sorry that it took this long to admit.” Cylex rushed through the confession as if the words burned his throat.
Tov looked at Zevon, bracing for his reaction. Zevon chuckled, the response shocking Tov and Cylex. Why would Zevon find this amusing? Tov sure as hell did not.
“You just cost me a hundred credits,” Zevon said.
Clearly confused by the statement, Cylex asked, “How so? If I may ask.”
“Draven bet me a hundred credits that you would confess to being a spy. I was certain we would need to confront you before you admitted the truth.”
“You knew he was a spy, yet you allowed him to guard my mate and her cousin?” This was unbelievable. And he’d said Draven knew about this also. Tov would be having words with Flora’s mates as soon as he finished here.
“Relax,” Zevon urged. “They were never in any danger. We have monitored every move he made, every message he sent.”
Cylex clasped his hands behind his back and his features hardened into an expressionless mask. “What will become of me now?”
“Draven knew you were hiding something the first time he saw you. He suspected you were working for Jevara, but he also thought you were a great candidate for recruitment. Was he right?”
“This is why I was assigned to Raina and Cara,” Cylex was obviously piecing it all together. “You wanted to see if I would pass on what I learned.”
“Yes,” Zevon admitted. “You learned all sorts of things that Jevara could have used, but you chose not to tell him any of it. Why?”
“I work for Jevara out of necessity and because he has threatened those I love. The threats have escalated drastically, and now one of my sisters is in imminent danger. She is the reason I am here. If you will allow me to mount a rescue mission, I will tell you everything I know. After seven years in Jevara’s service, I know a lot.”
Zevon unfolded his arms and moved behind his desk. “Everyone has information they want to sell today.” His eyes narrowed as he sat down. He glanced at Cylex then shifted his gaze back to Tov. “Is your rebel friend nearby?”
“He is within streaming range.”
“Have a seat.” He motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. “I would like to question them simultaneously. By comparing their information, I should be able to establish the validity of each claim. The information will only match if it is factual, or if they are in league. But that is highly unlikely.”
“It’s a good idea,” Tov agreed. He had considered Laidon a friend at the academy, but it had been years since they interacted, even casually. It would be nice to feel more secure in the renewed friendship. Besides, if they were going to mount a rescue mission for Cylex’s sister, they might as well rescue Laidon’s friend too.
Activating the control matrix in his desktop, Zevon pushed his hand into the holo-grid and launched a quick series of commands. “He is clear for streaming.”
Light flickered in Tov’s peripheral vision as Laidon materialized beside the chairs. He looked rather mussed and tired as if he’d slept in his clothes.
“Thanks for seeing me,” Laidon said.
“You fucking traitor!” Cylex vaulted out of his chair and leaped over Tov’s legs. His shoulder collided with Laidon’s chest, propelling him over backward.
Fists were flying fast and hard before they hit the floor.
Zevon shook his head as he hurried out from behind his desk. “I guess they know each other.”
Tov grasped Cylex’s arm and tried to pull him off Laidon. Laidon used the pause to place an especially vicious punch. Blood gushed from Cylex’s nose and he twisted free of Tov’s hold, attacking Laidon with renewed aggression.
Zevon motioned Tov back and they let the other two brawl for a few moments. They rolled across the floor, pummeling each other with equal force. A chair toppled and the table collided with the wall as the enemies rolled one direction and then the other.
“Enough!” Zevon shouted after each had had ample opportunity to express his hatred.
Laidon shoved Cylex off him then scrambled to his feet. “What the hell is he doing here? This fucker is Jevara’s henchman!”
“Says the faithless traitor,” Cylex countered, wiping his face with his sleeve. It did little more than smear blood across his cheek and chin.
“You cannot trust one word he says,” Laidon insisted, pointing at Cylex. He wiped away the blood from his mouth, creating a smear similar to Cylex’s. “He has been Jevara’s right hand for years.”
“Is this personal or political?” When the combatants continued to glare at each other, Zevon asked Cylex, “Why do you hate Laidon so vehemently?”
Without breaking eye contact with his enemy, Cylex replied, “The conflict is personal. I apologize for reacting the way I did. It was a shock to see him at the Citadel.”
“What are you doing here?” Laidon asked bitterly. “Are you playing both sides against each other now?”
“Regardless of your feelings for each other, it seems to me that you two have an awful lot in common,” Zevon told them.
Laidon scoffed. “I have nothing in common with that amoral coward. I have always fought for my beliefs.”
“You do not know me,” Cylex snapped. “Do not pretend that you do.”
“Sit down, shut your mouths, and I will tell you what is going to happen.” Zevon waited until they complied before he continued.
There were only two chairs, so Tov remained slightly back, silently observing. He had done his part. Laidon was in the room with Zevon. Maybe he should discreetly slip from the office and check on Cara and Raina. This was a secure facility, but knowing that they were currently unguarded did not sit well with him.
Easily guessing Tov’s quandary, Zevon ordered, “Stay. You are right in the middle of this mess.”
“Yes, sir.”
Zevon moved behind his desk and sat down, pressing back into his tall chair. “You both claim to have information that I will find valuable. You also claim that Jevara is threatening someone you care about to ensure your cooperation. Jevara is holding Cylex’s sister. Laidon, who is he using to motivate you?”
“My situation is more complicated,” Laidon told him. “Shalia is a rebel operative. She is the source of much of my information. As of right now, Jevara is not aware that she is a spy but that could change at any moment.”
Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Zevon directed, “Tell me the three most important facts this operative passed on to you.”
Laidon gazed straight ahead. “The first was that you have a Torretian spy posing as a trainee. Though the information is still valid, the warning appears to have arrived one day too late.”
Zevon waved away Laidon’s complaint. “The warning is appreciated, but we have always known. Give me another fact.”
Laidon remained tense, but he looked at Zevon. “Jevara is working with an Altorian general named Azar Turin. He has a blood tie to one of the conduits just recovered from Earth.”
“That useless bastard. I was not aware of that one, but I am not surprised. Azar is only loyal to himself. Prefect Yites needs to know about this. The Altorians trade with Azar on a regular basis.” Zevon reached over and sent a quick message, likely to Prefect Yites, then he studied Laidon for a moment in silence. “I will rescue your operative because it’s the right thing to do, but I do not yet see the value of a formal alliance.”
