Who is Ava Frost?
There are hints to her identity in Blown Away. Here's another clue.
I'm going to share an excerpt from the current work in progress, a novel to follow my recent release, Blown Away. The excerpt is from a story called, The Infamous Ava Frost.
Fifty years had passed in the wink of a star, but in her mind, Ava remained twenty-three and still smuggled contraband from one side of the galaxy to the other.
Most of the men who’d entered her life were gone. Regardless through death or separation, they’d faded into the memories of her past. Two remained embedded in her psyche, one who stayed with her in heart and soul, and one who’d stayed by her side. After all these years, she’d come back, unable to let go of the ghost she couldn’t have.
Xavier.
The man was a blessing on the eyes and an addiction she’d never denied.
Ava pulled the long metal pin from her hair and let the braid tumble free to drop down the middle of her back. It had held her hair twisted upon her head in a respectful manner. It was the same metal she’d lived and died for. Ironic, she should flaunt it under their noses as they led her to the disintegration chamber. She tucked it back into the braid, leaving her hair down. She’d paid for that metal in more than blood. Ava had paid with her soul.
Today she wore the stiff clothing of a lady. She hated formal attire, stuffy dresses and corseted tops were never her thing. Even after she’d left smuggling, she’d never adopted the garments or short cropped matronly hair styles of the women her age. Instead she’d favored the fitted pants and boots of her youth and though society deemed it inappropriate, she never cared. She didn’t belong in their circles, those grandmothers, wives and mothers. She never had and after fifty years, it wasn’t going to change.
As she stared out the porthole at the world below, swirling with pinks and greens, she knew this would be her final destination. She’d never return to space. They’d caught her, the infamous Ava Frost.
Ava heard him approach and eyed his reflection in the glass. Tall, handsome as he’d ever been, her heart stuttered. Her hand slipped up to her breast to settle the erratic beat. She’d never get used to it, the way her body reacted in his presence. She had run from him and to him for the last five decades. Both her pain and joy, gods she loved him, and it would cause her death.
“Ava.” His voice moved over her like the wind, whispering across the silken sands of Dorias’s third moon. She closed her eyes and held onto the railing. Frail she might appear, but she wasn’t. In fact, she held on for no other reason than the man behind her always made her weak.
“It’s time.”
Now on to the serial story, When Souls Collide.
Have a good weekend!
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Jarod slipped into the drain. He tugged on the harness and tightened the rope. Ursus stumbled forward when the clamp on his harness caught and smacked his head on the top of the drain.
“You coming or am I dragging you?”
Ursus yanked back and a loud thud echoed from down in the pipe, followed by some very colorful Kalos words.
“Coming, dear.”
“Don’t call me dear,” Jarod snarled. The rope snapped taunt and Ursus shot downwards through the pipe. He flew out the end and the rope caught, holding him dangling over the massive cistern. Jarod hung a few feet below him, swinging back and forth, glaring up. Lights around the chamber began to glow. Ursus glanced down. Dark shadows moved through the water under them. Very big shadows.
“Tell them to ease off the rope!”
And drop into the water as a tid-bit? “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“Tell them to give us some slack. We have to get to the other side of this chamber.”
“I told you I can’t swim.”
“Don’t worry, the current will suck you into the main.”
Why did that sound like a bad idea? He should take his knife and cut the bastard free. However, if he did that, the city would drown. Ursus glanced up the pipe at the light that poured down then spoke into his com.
“Lower us.”
They dropped into the dark, swirling water. As he hit, Ursus made a mental note to explain the difference between lower and drop by means of a few excruciating field exercises.
As promised the current caught him and washed him towards the main and their prime objective, and all would be okay if he could get to the surface for air.
Only when he thought he was about to drown, a hand snagged his wrist and tugged him to the surface. Ursus gasped for air and flailed.
“Stop splashing.”
Terrified, Ursus snagged Jarod braid and pulled him under. Jarod grabbed his shoulders while they were submerged, and brought his knee up into Ursus’s groin. Eyes popped wide and air bubbles whooshed from his mouth, racing for the surface. Instant paralysis. He sucked in a lungful of water to replace the wasted oxygen and immediately realized his mistake. His heart raced and he grabbed for Jarod in desperation to get to the surface. Air, gods he needed air.
Jarod hooked his arm around Ursus’s neck and arched back. With the crook of his elbow locked around Ursus’s throat, Jarod pulled him to the surface, then tipped them both on their backs to float.
Ursus vomited up water, desperately trying to suck in air past the liquid obstruction. He vomited again and successfully drew a breath. “When I get out of here, I’m going to hurt you for that,” Ursus growled through his clenched jaw and coughed again, spewing more fluid from his mouth.
“If you keep splashing around like that, there won’t be enough left of you to hurt me.”
The shadows. Ursus went still.
Jarod’s voice dropped. “They’re under us. Don’t move. Drift with the currant. They operate on sonar. Vibrations in the water draw them.”
“What are they?”
“Garvers. Water dracos. Big teeth, bigger appetites. If they bump you, drift. Don’t move. They like their food alive. If they think you’re a carcass, they’ll pass on the meal.”
“I hate you.”
“Likewise.” Jarod tightened his grip.
As they approached the opening to the main, Jarod released him and sank below the water, gliding away. He resurfaced at a deck, off to Ursus’s left. “Don’t move. I can see a big one under you.”
Crap. Don’t move? Kind of hard not to, knowing he was floating on the surface like fish food. Instead Ursus closed his eyes and laid back, staying on the surface as he had with Jarod, doing his best to remain calm and afloat.
Something sharp slid along the back of his leg. Ursus felt a gash open in the fabric and his flesh. “Anytime now. Something just sliced me.”
“Dorsal fin. Gods. Get out of the water.”
“I thought you said no moving.”
“That’s before you started bleeding.” Jarod pulled himself up onto the dry deck next to the main and began to tug the rope. “Kick. Swim. Get your ass out.”
Ursus kicked and went under, drawing in a lungful of water. The rope yanked and he resurfaced, coughing, flailing his arms and slapping the surface.
“Gods, now I’ve got to save you. The stuff I do to please my woman.”
Ursus glanced up and just before he went under. Jarod dove, spear in hand.
#####
Jarod pushed him up on the deck and disappeared, reemerging a second later, throwing his spear onto the deck and hefting his body out of the water. He staggered around Ursus and caught himself against the metal wall, his shoulders rose and fell in heavy breaths, his head was dropped. Ursus rolled to his side and vomited. He blinked and watched as a red pool formed around Jarod’s feet. He sucked in and vomited again, clearing his lungs to a watery wheeze.
“You’re bleeding.” Ursus coughed and rolled to his hands and knees, hacking out more of the fluid.
“Yes. A flesh wound,” Jarod rasped back. His voice sounded uneven, strained.
Ursus eyed the quickly growing red puddle. “That’s a lot of blood…”
Jarod turned around, his arm from the just below the elbow, gone.”
“Shit.” Flesh wound indeed. Ursus staggered to his feet, fumbling with his belt while Jarod slid down the wall, cradling the stub. His face remained like stone but pain radiated from his eyes.
“You’re going to bleed out.”
“You think?” Jarod laughed, then cringed. He eyed Ursus who pulled his belt free and snagged Jarod’s discarded spear, snapping the shaft in two over his knee.
“What are you doing?” His voice came out in labored gasps.
“I promised Tesza I’d bring you back alive.”
Jarod laughed again. “This is what you wanted. Why don’t you just let me die?”
“Can’t. I promised.”
“Can’t say I’d have returned the favor.”
“You already did. You hauled my butt out of that water. Why?” Ursus grabbed his arm and slid the buckled belt around it, slipping the broken shaft under the leather. “This might hurt a bit.”
Jarod raised a brow.
“Never mind.” Ursus gave it several twists till the flow of blood stopped. He fastened the tourniquet with a torn strip of fabric and dropped next to Jarod, leaning against the wall. “A fine picture we present.”
Jarod closed his eyes and nodded. “Gods that hurt. Next time I won’t use my fist to knock its teeth down its throat.”
Showing posts with label When Souls Collide/Serial Saturday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label When Souls Collide/Serial Saturday. Show all posts
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
When Souls Collide, Chapter 15, part 2
I'm excited to announce, Blown Away, is out in print! I pre-ordered a copy from Amazon and it shipped yesterday. Here's the link if you'd like to pick up a copy:
http://www.amazon.com/Blown-Away-D-L-Jackson/dp/1608202100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291468057&sr=1-1
On to the story. Have a great Saturday.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
The bastard had knocked him out and left him on the slope, taking his wife. Did he really think he wouldn’t come after her? He could have killed him, but didn’t. He should have, when he had the chance.
But he couldn’t bury Tesza with him.
The streets were empty, void of life when the army of fury strolled in. At the front, a tall man with ice hair and hard eyes. Energy rolled off him in angry waves. In his hand he clutched a spear, crusted with dried blood.
“Tesza!”
Nobody came out of the houses, everywhere the city whispered with the voices of ghosts. The horde rounded a corner. A fountain bubbled before them. Sitting with her hand dipped in the water crying, was a child.
Jarod froze. Her dark hair was pulled back with colorful ribbons, her bright pink dress stained, torn and dirty. She glanced up with eyes full of red tears.
The horde came to a stop. Not a warrior drew a breath. The tiny child of perhaps three raised her hand to her mouth and coughed, spraying blood across the front of her once beautiful dress. She began to cry again, wailing for her mother. Jarod waited, but nobody came to collect her.
She turned her brown eyes to his violet and reached out to him with both arms, blood rolling down her cheeks. “I can’t find mommy.”
Jarod hesitated, unsure. She was a child, not the enemy, not the face he’d pictured dying from his disease. With a growl he strode forward, scooped her into his arms and made for the High City’s infirmary. “We’ll find your mommy.” He brushed her hair from her eyes and kissed her forehead. So hot for one so little.
Tesza had been right. There were more than soldiers affected by his plague. He refused to listen, to look. He was as heartless as those who killed his people. She’d tried to tell him she didn’t want to be responsible for killing all the Kori, that there were children and women who’d suffer. He never imagined what it would look like.
He’d had blood lust, wanted to crush his enemy under his boot and hadn’t cared who or what got in the way.
Now he did.
One small child opened Jarod’s eyes, and what he saw, made him sick. Gods, he’d been a fool. No wonder she jumped and left him behind. He was a heartless bastard. He’d find her, make amends if he could. Hopefully the Kori hadn’t already killed her.
#####
They stopped and stared, mouths open. The sounds of footsteps and spiked boots echoed down the corridor. Jarod handed the child off to a nurse. “Where is the Kalos woman?”
The nurse shook her head and backed up.
“I won’t suck your soul, woman. Where did they take my wife?”
She spun on her heel and took flight, running as fast as she could with the child in her arms. Jarod growled and kicked a cart, sending it crashing into a wall. “I want my wife!” Was it so hard to understand? They had what they needed by now. They had no reason to keep her. “Search every room. Find Tesza.”
Warriors scattered in all directions, Kori hospital staff fled before them. He strode down the hall, glancing in every room he passed until he came to one on the end. Two guards rose to their feet and pointed lazr’s at him.
Jarod jumped at them, growling and they dropped their weapons, running for their lives from the soul-sucking demon. Stepping through the door, he came to an abrupt stop. Inside Ursus stood next to the bed, holding her hand, his forehead pressed against Tesza’s. Tubes and monitors covered every inch of her body.
Jarod ground down on his teeth. The bastard touched her. He should be holding her, caring for her.
Not him.
Jarod stormed in. He grabbed the back of Ursus’s shirt and catapulted him across the room, into a wall. “Get off my wife.”
Ursus rolled as Jarod lunged with his spear; he grabbed a wheeled cart and sent it careening at Jarod. It caught him across the thighs, sending him over it and onto the floor.
Jarod leapt on him the second he hit, one hand wrapped on his throat the other cocked to punch. Ursus bucked and rolled, throwing him over his head, toppling more medical equipment. Monitors started screeching, lights flashing.
“I’m going to kill you,” Jarod snarled and yanked his knees to his chest, snapping to his feet. In a low crouch he retrieved his spear while Ursus regained his feet and faced him.
Ursus grabbed a metal tray, holding it in front like a shield. Jarod smiled, shook his head and launched forward, punching a hole through the center of the tray with the tip of his spear. “Par steel.”
“How’d you heathens get Par steel?” Ursus stepped to the side and yanked, sending the spear and the tray through the doorway.
“Does it matter?” Jarod dived for the spear. Ursus tackled him sliding him out of arm’s reach of the weapon.
“Don’t need that to kill you.” Jarod punched. The uppercut caught Ursus under the jaw. He wobbled, fell back and Jarod straddled him. One fist back, the other hand at his throat again.
The high-pitched whine of a lazr’ fired up behind them.
Not again. Jarod growled and lowered his fist, furious with the interruption. He’d been about to plant his fist through the front of bastard’s skull.
“Step out into the hall.”
Jarod turned and faced Colonel Pilot Callas. He’d no intention of leaving his wife in the arms of that man or in his commander’s custody. Death threat or no. He may have been wrong about the innocents, but he wasn’t wrong about Tesza. She belonged to him.
“Don’t make me shoot you in front of Tesza. The last thing she needs is more excitement.”
Jarod’s gaze traveled to the bed. Tesza’s eyes were open and she stared at the scene in horror.
Alive. She’s still alive. They hadn’t murdered her.
Her eyes plead for him to listen. Lips moved, but only a silent please made it past them.
Jarod raised his hands and rose to his feet, stepping out into the hall.
“We finally meet,” Pilot said.
“I only want my wife. You have the antivirus.”
“Ursus claims she’s his wife.” Colonel Pilot adjusted the weapon and coughed, doing his best to hold it on Jarod. “Under normal circumstances, I’d shoot you, but this isn’t normal. I’m glad you’re here.”
Jarod blinked. They were glad he was here?
“Tesza needs blood, Kalos blood.”
Jarod turned and glanced at the bed. “How much did you take from her?”
“No more than you did.” Jarod flinched. It was true. The only reason she was in that bed was because of him.
“Why didn’t you let her die? You have what you need?”
“She’s a Kori citizen.”
“She’s Kalos and my wife.” Jarod balled his hands to fists at his sides. She was all he’d left. He’d failed his people, failed his family and he’d failed Tesza. Ursus couldn’t have her, wouldn’t have her. Jarod glanced through the door to see Ursus at her side again, pressing his damned forehead to Tesza’s. He ground down on his teeth. “You’re mistaken.”
“She was a virgin when Ursus claimed her. By our laws, that makes her his wife.” Pilot fixed him with a stern stare. “We marry once. There’s no divorce.”
“She was bonded to me as an infant, by Kalos law she’s my wife until death. We have sealed our marriage. She’s accepted me.”
“Then we have a problem.” Pilot lowered his weapon. “Which we’ll worry about after you give her blood.”
Jarod eyed Tesza and the bastard again. He resisted the urge to rush in and rip him from his wife. “I’m not saving her for you, or him, I’m saving her because I love her. Understand that I’m not leaving without her. Your troops are too sick to retaliate. Don’t get between me and what’s mine, or I’ll destroy this city while you lay in your sick beds recovering.”
“Your blood first. Then we’ll talk. We’ve much to discuss, much to settle.”
“There’s nothing to settle.” Jarod turned and followed a nurse that motioned to him. “You’re running out of time. Give me my wife. I’m the only one who can save you.”
“We have the anti-virus,” Pilot called out behind him.
“The plague is the least of your worries. Rain’s coming, Pilot.” He glanced out a window as he passed. The rains had picked up, outside the wind howled. They’d need to leave soon. The city was about to be under water and they’d all die. He’d seen the children, the sick in their beds, not all were killers. Tesza had been right, he had to save them, he wasn’t heartless. His conscious wouldn’t let him do anything else. Silently he hoped Pilot couldn’t see through his bluff.
#####
“How can we evacuate when half the city is too sick to get out of bed,” Ursus said. He turned his head toward where Jarod reclined, recovering from the transfusion.
“We might be able to stop the flooding.”
Ursus nodded. “I’m listening.”
“There are channels that run under this city, each has a relief valve that can redirect the flow out to sea.”
“I’m aware of the channels, but I’ve never seen relief valves.”
A moment of brief shock crossed Jarod’s face. “That’s because they’re hidden.”
“Why are you helping us?” What motivated him now? He’d the Kori at his mercy. They’d killed his people for eons, chased them from world to world, slaughtered them here for seventy years and could and would continue to do so.
“I’m sick of killing. Do I need any other reason?”
“Don’t hold this against me, but I have a hard time trusting you and anything you have to do with the water.”
Jarod nodded. “I’ve already helped you more than I ever thought I would. You either trust me, or all your people in this city will die. I hold all the codes to open the valves.”
“Where are the valves?”
“I’ll take you to them, but we have to hurry. We’re running out of time, soon the channels will be too full to enter.”
Ursus nodded and sat up, putting his hand to his forehead. The dizziness was still there, but the bleeding had slowed and the fever had eased. Tesza had saved them just in time. Another day and surely he’d been at the point of no return, fodder for the worms.
Jarod sat up and stared directly across the space between them. “Does she love you?”
“I believe she does.”
“But do you know it?”
“Why are you asking this question?”
Jarod rose to his feet and reached out a hand to Ursus. “Because I need to know more about the competition. Killing you will only make her hate me. That’s not my intent. I love her. I’ve loved her from childhood and I’m not going to let you take her.”
“I’ve waited my life for her, and you can’t keep me from holding what fate and the gods have declared is mine.”
“Then you and I will have a talk after this is over.” Jarod’s face remained cool. “Yes?”
From the look in his eyes, Jarod wanted to do anything but talk. “Yes.” They’d have their talk alright. Somebody had a good ass-kicking coming to them, courtesy of Ursus’s boot.
“Could you both stop with all the posturing and release the valves before we all die,” a small hoarse voice came from behind them. Ursus and Jarod’s heads snapped around to see Tesza with her eyes open, watching them. “Both of you come back. And we’ll all talk. If only one of you comes back, I’m done.”
#####
Ursus shifted on the balls of his feet, rubbing his arms, trying to kill the ache. This was the last thing he’d ever imagined himself doing. He glanced down at Jarod, who was on his hands and knees, his ass sticking out of a storm drain.
He huffed and moved his attention to an overhead light. The last thing he wanted was to get caught with his eyes on the royal ass of the King of the Kalos. He refrained from planting his boot in Jared’s backside and giving him a shove.
Jarod’s hand snaked out of the drain reaching towards him. “Give it to me?”
Ursus shifted on his feet, not wanting to look down again. Several of his soldiers coughed into their fists, one snickered. Ursus glared at them. All went silent. News traveled fast. Not only did the Butcher have a wife, he had a husband.
“What’s taking so long? Give me the damned tool!”
Ursus stooped down and slapped the tool into Jarod’s hand. He wobbled, still a bit dizzy from the virus and grabbed the back of Jarod’s pants to steady himself. He jumped and whacked his head on the pipe. There was a loud ringing followed by what Ursus could only assume were some really foul words. The tool was flung from the pipe and nailed Ursus in the shin, who proceeded to cuss as fluently as Jarod.
“Stay off my ass.”
“I wasn’t trying…,”
“Don’t touch me again. I’ll kill you.”
Ursus snorted and threw the tool back at Jarod.
Laughter exploded around him. Ursus swung his gaze around the squad, silencing it. “You see how he’s adjusting the valves. Don’t stand there. Find a drain and adjust the valves.”
More laughter. More cussing from inside the pipe. Why did his life have to go like this? Ursus ground his teeth, trying to think of anything other than the asshole he found himself, in a round-a-bout way, married to. Apparently, now that the men were feeling better, they took a great deal amusement from the situation.
Gods. He wanted to shove him down the pipe. Tesza would hate him for it. So Ursus moved away, doing his best to fight the urge. One kick, one push and he’d send him into the underground channels and out of his life. If there ever was a temptation, this was it.
Jarod backed out of the pipe and glared at Ursus. “What are you looking at?”
“Trust me, nothing I’m interested in.”
Jarod growled and rose to his feet, smacking his head on the top of the channel. He rubbed his head and glanced around. Several of the squad members suddenly became occupied. “What’s going on here?”
Ursus shook his head. “Nothing. We done here? Is the city safe? I thought it was something complicated.”
“We have to go deeper, into the channels. I have to unlock the system. There’s a set of dials with specific codes. It’s all hands on. We’re going to need cables or ropes.”
“We’re?” Ursus narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”
“You’re going down there with me. Do you think I’m going to chance that you’ll cut the cable and take Tesza all to yourself?”
“Great.”
“What?”
Ursus snarled and dropped the equipment belt he was wearing, and then yanked his shirt over his head. “I can’t swim.”
“Do I need to get you some floaties?” The corner of Jarod’s mouth curled.
“No, I think I’ll manage.” Gods he wanted to punch the bastard. What did Tesza see in him? She’d warned them. Come back together, or don’t come back at all.
“Consider this your first lesson. But it’s not the water you should be afraid of. It’s what’s in it.”
Ursus scowled. He’d remembered the returning unit, minus three-quarters of the men. Who knew what swam down there now that it was flooded. Knee deep, he could handle, chin deep another matter altogether.
Jarod pulled a shirt over his head and grabbed his spear. “They make good eating if they don’t eat you first.”
http://www.amazon.com/Blown-Away-D-L-Jackson/dp/1608202100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291468057&sr=1-1
On to the story. Have a great Saturday.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
The bastard had knocked him out and left him on the slope, taking his wife. Did he really think he wouldn’t come after her? He could have killed him, but didn’t. He should have, when he had the chance.
But he couldn’t bury Tesza with him.
The streets were empty, void of life when the army of fury strolled in. At the front, a tall man with ice hair and hard eyes. Energy rolled off him in angry waves. In his hand he clutched a spear, crusted with dried blood.
“Tesza!”
Nobody came out of the houses, everywhere the city whispered with the voices of ghosts. The horde rounded a corner. A fountain bubbled before them. Sitting with her hand dipped in the water crying, was a child.
Jarod froze. Her dark hair was pulled back with colorful ribbons, her bright pink dress stained, torn and dirty. She glanced up with eyes full of red tears.
The horde came to a stop. Not a warrior drew a breath. The tiny child of perhaps three raised her hand to her mouth and coughed, spraying blood across the front of her once beautiful dress. She began to cry again, wailing for her mother. Jarod waited, but nobody came to collect her.
She turned her brown eyes to his violet and reached out to him with both arms, blood rolling down her cheeks. “I can’t find mommy.”
Jarod hesitated, unsure. She was a child, not the enemy, not the face he’d pictured dying from his disease. With a growl he strode forward, scooped her into his arms and made for the High City’s infirmary. “We’ll find your mommy.” He brushed her hair from her eyes and kissed her forehead. So hot for one so little.
Tesza had been right. There were more than soldiers affected by his plague. He refused to listen, to look. He was as heartless as those who killed his people. She’d tried to tell him she didn’t want to be responsible for killing all the Kori, that there were children and women who’d suffer. He never imagined what it would look like.
He’d had blood lust, wanted to crush his enemy under his boot and hadn’t cared who or what got in the way.
Now he did.
One small child opened Jarod’s eyes, and what he saw, made him sick. Gods, he’d been a fool. No wonder she jumped and left him behind. He was a heartless bastard. He’d find her, make amends if he could. Hopefully the Kori hadn’t already killed her.
#####
They stopped and stared, mouths open. The sounds of footsteps and spiked boots echoed down the corridor. Jarod handed the child off to a nurse. “Where is the Kalos woman?”
The nurse shook her head and backed up.
“I won’t suck your soul, woman. Where did they take my wife?”
She spun on her heel and took flight, running as fast as she could with the child in her arms. Jarod growled and kicked a cart, sending it crashing into a wall. “I want my wife!” Was it so hard to understand? They had what they needed by now. They had no reason to keep her. “Search every room. Find Tesza.”
Warriors scattered in all directions, Kori hospital staff fled before them. He strode down the hall, glancing in every room he passed until he came to one on the end. Two guards rose to their feet and pointed lazr’s at him.
Jarod jumped at them, growling and they dropped their weapons, running for their lives from the soul-sucking demon. Stepping through the door, he came to an abrupt stop. Inside Ursus stood next to the bed, holding her hand, his forehead pressed against Tesza’s. Tubes and monitors covered every inch of her body.
Jarod ground down on his teeth. The bastard touched her. He should be holding her, caring for her.
Not him.
Jarod stormed in. He grabbed the back of Ursus’s shirt and catapulted him across the room, into a wall. “Get off my wife.”
Ursus rolled as Jarod lunged with his spear; he grabbed a wheeled cart and sent it careening at Jarod. It caught him across the thighs, sending him over it and onto the floor.
Jarod leapt on him the second he hit, one hand wrapped on his throat the other cocked to punch. Ursus bucked and rolled, throwing him over his head, toppling more medical equipment. Monitors started screeching, lights flashing.
“I’m going to kill you,” Jarod snarled and yanked his knees to his chest, snapping to his feet. In a low crouch he retrieved his spear while Ursus regained his feet and faced him.
Ursus grabbed a metal tray, holding it in front like a shield. Jarod smiled, shook his head and launched forward, punching a hole through the center of the tray with the tip of his spear. “Par steel.”
“How’d you heathens get Par steel?” Ursus stepped to the side and yanked, sending the spear and the tray through the doorway.
“Does it matter?” Jarod dived for the spear. Ursus tackled him sliding him out of arm’s reach of the weapon.
“Don’t need that to kill you.” Jarod punched. The uppercut caught Ursus under the jaw. He wobbled, fell back and Jarod straddled him. One fist back, the other hand at his throat again.
The high-pitched whine of a lazr’ fired up behind them.
Not again. Jarod growled and lowered his fist, furious with the interruption. He’d been about to plant his fist through the front of bastard’s skull.
“Step out into the hall.”
Jarod turned and faced Colonel Pilot Callas. He’d no intention of leaving his wife in the arms of that man or in his commander’s custody. Death threat or no. He may have been wrong about the innocents, but he wasn’t wrong about Tesza. She belonged to him.
“Don’t make me shoot you in front of Tesza. The last thing she needs is more excitement.”
Jarod’s gaze traveled to the bed. Tesza’s eyes were open and she stared at the scene in horror.
Alive. She’s still alive. They hadn’t murdered her.
Her eyes plead for him to listen. Lips moved, but only a silent please made it past them.
Jarod raised his hands and rose to his feet, stepping out into the hall.
“We finally meet,” Pilot said.
“I only want my wife. You have the antivirus.”
“Ursus claims she’s his wife.” Colonel Pilot adjusted the weapon and coughed, doing his best to hold it on Jarod. “Under normal circumstances, I’d shoot you, but this isn’t normal. I’m glad you’re here.”
Jarod blinked. They were glad he was here?
“Tesza needs blood, Kalos blood.”
Jarod turned and glanced at the bed. “How much did you take from her?”
“No more than you did.” Jarod flinched. It was true. The only reason she was in that bed was because of him.
“Why didn’t you let her die? You have what you need?”
“She’s a Kori citizen.”
“She’s Kalos and my wife.” Jarod balled his hands to fists at his sides. She was all he’d left. He’d failed his people, failed his family and he’d failed Tesza. Ursus couldn’t have her, wouldn’t have her. Jarod glanced through the door to see Ursus at her side again, pressing his damned forehead to Tesza’s. He ground down on his teeth. “You’re mistaken.”
“She was a virgin when Ursus claimed her. By our laws, that makes her his wife.” Pilot fixed him with a stern stare. “We marry once. There’s no divorce.”
“She was bonded to me as an infant, by Kalos law she’s my wife until death. We have sealed our marriage. She’s accepted me.”
“Then we have a problem.” Pilot lowered his weapon. “Which we’ll worry about after you give her blood.”
Jarod eyed Tesza and the bastard again. He resisted the urge to rush in and rip him from his wife. “I’m not saving her for you, or him, I’m saving her because I love her. Understand that I’m not leaving without her. Your troops are too sick to retaliate. Don’t get between me and what’s mine, or I’ll destroy this city while you lay in your sick beds recovering.”
“Your blood first. Then we’ll talk. We’ve much to discuss, much to settle.”
“There’s nothing to settle.” Jarod turned and followed a nurse that motioned to him. “You’re running out of time. Give me my wife. I’m the only one who can save you.”
“We have the anti-virus,” Pilot called out behind him.
“The plague is the least of your worries. Rain’s coming, Pilot.” He glanced out a window as he passed. The rains had picked up, outside the wind howled. They’d need to leave soon. The city was about to be under water and they’d all die. He’d seen the children, the sick in their beds, not all were killers. Tesza had been right, he had to save them, he wasn’t heartless. His conscious wouldn’t let him do anything else. Silently he hoped Pilot couldn’t see through his bluff.
#####
“How can we evacuate when half the city is too sick to get out of bed,” Ursus said. He turned his head toward where Jarod reclined, recovering from the transfusion.
“We might be able to stop the flooding.”
Ursus nodded. “I’m listening.”
“There are channels that run under this city, each has a relief valve that can redirect the flow out to sea.”
“I’m aware of the channels, but I’ve never seen relief valves.”
A moment of brief shock crossed Jarod’s face. “That’s because they’re hidden.”
“Why are you helping us?” What motivated him now? He’d the Kori at his mercy. They’d killed his people for eons, chased them from world to world, slaughtered them here for seventy years and could and would continue to do so.
“I’m sick of killing. Do I need any other reason?”
“Don’t hold this against me, but I have a hard time trusting you and anything you have to do with the water.”
Jarod nodded. “I’ve already helped you more than I ever thought I would. You either trust me, or all your people in this city will die. I hold all the codes to open the valves.”
“Where are the valves?”
“I’ll take you to them, but we have to hurry. We’re running out of time, soon the channels will be too full to enter.”
Ursus nodded and sat up, putting his hand to his forehead. The dizziness was still there, but the bleeding had slowed and the fever had eased. Tesza had saved them just in time. Another day and surely he’d been at the point of no return, fodder for the worms.
Jarod sat up and stared directly across the space between them. “Does she love you?”
“I believe she does.”
“But do you know it?”
“Why are you asking this question?”
Jarod rose to his feet and reached out a hand to Ursus. “Because I need to know more about the competition. Killing you will only make her hate me. That’s not my intent. I love her. I’ve loved her from childhood and I’m not going to let you take her.”
“I’ve waited my life for her, and you can’t keep me from holding what fate and the gods have declared is mine.”
“Then you and I will have a talk after this is over.” Jarod’s face remained cool. “Yes?”
From the look in his eyes, Jarod wanted to do anything but talk. “Yes.” They’d have their talk alright. Somebody had a good ass-kicking coming to them, courtesy of Ursus’s boot.
“Could you both stop with all the posturing and release the valves before we all die,” a small hoarse voice came from behind them. Ursus and Jarod’s heads snapped around to see Tesza with her eyes open, watching them. “Both of you come back. And we’ll all talk. If only one of you comes back, I’m done.”
#####
Ursus shifted on the balls of his feet, rubbing his arms, trying to kill the ache. This was the last thing he’d ever imagined himself doing. He glanced down at Jarod, who was on his hands and knees, his ass sticking out of a storm drain.
He huffed and moved his attention to an overhead light. The last thing he wanted was to get caught with his eyes on the royal ass of the King of the Kalos. He refrained from planting his boot in Jared’s backside and giving him a shove.
Jarod’s hand snaked out of the drain reaching towards him. “Give it to me?”
Ursus shifted on his feet, not wanting to look down again. Several of his soldiers coughed into their fists, one snickered. Ursus glared at them. All went silent. News traveled fast. Not only did the Butcher have a wife, he had a husband.
“What’s taking so long? Give me the damned tool!”
Ursus stooped down and slapped the tool into Jarod’s hand. He wobbled, still a bit dizzy from the virus and grabbed the back of Jarod’s pants to steady himself. He jumped and whacked his head on the pipe. There was a loud ringing followed by what Ursus could only assume were some really foul words. The tool was flung from the pipe and nailed Ursus in the shin, who proceeded to cuss as fluently as Jarod.
“Stay off my ass.”
“I wasn’t trying…,”
“Don’t touch me again. I’ll kill you.”
Ursus snorted and threw the tool back at Jarod.
Laughter exploded around him. Ursus swung his gaze around the squad, silencing it. “You see how he’s adjusting the valves. Don’t stand there. Find a drain and adjust the valves.”
More laughter. More cussing from inside the pipe. Why did his life have to go like this? Ursus ground his teeth, trying to think of anything other than the asshole he found himself, in a round-a-bout way, married to. Apparently, now that the men were feeling better, they took a great deal amusement from the situation.
Gods. He wanted to shove him down the pipe. Tesza would hate him for it. So Ursus moved away, doing his best to fight the urge. One kick, one push and he’d send him into the underground channels and out of his life. If there ever was a temptation, this was it.
Jarod backed out of the pipe and glared at Ursus. “What are you looking at?”
“Trust me, nothing I’m interested in.”
Jarod growled and rose to his feet, smacking his head on the top of the channel. He rubbed his head and glanced around. Several of the squad members suddenly became occupied. “What’s going on here?”
Ursus shook his head. “Nothing. We done here? Is the city safe? I thought it was something complicated.”
“We have to go deeper, into the channels. I have to unlock the system. There’s a set of dials with specific codes. It’s all hands on. We’re going to need cables or ropes.”
“We’re?” Ursus narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”
“You’re going down there with me. Do you think I’m going to chance that you’ll cut the cable and take Tesza all to yourself?”
“Great.”
“What?”
Ursus snarled and dropped the equipment belt he was wearing, and then yanked his shirt over his head. “I can’t swim.”
“Do I need to get you some floaties?” The corner of Jarod’s mouth curled.
“No, I think I’ll manage.” Gods he wanted to punch the bastard. What did Tesza see in him? She’d warned them. Come back together, or don’t come back at all.
“Consider this your first lesson. But it’s not the water you should be afraid of. It’s what’s in it.”
Ursus scowled. He’d remembered the returning unit, minus three-quarters of the men. Who knew what swam down there now that it was flooded. Knee deep, he could handle, chin deep another matter altogether.
Jarod pulled a shirt over his head and grabbed his spear. “They make good eating if they don’t eat you first.”
Saturday, October 16, 2010
When Souls Collide Chapter 14, part 1
Hello, all.
Power outage so this post was a little late coming today. Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend.
On to the story.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Ursus wheezed and coughed into his hand. He studied his palm. Inside, clots of blood the size of his thumbnail sat. His body ached, every muscle, every joint. He wiped his palm on his pants, grinding the blood in. He had two weeks. Tops. How could he let his heart overrule his head?
“You should have a doctor look at that.” A young officer, one of his squad leaders, nodded to the stain left on his pants. “All kinds of nasty things you can pick up in these swamps.”
“Yes.” He’d found the nastiest. The pale haired bitch could run, but he’d find her. Ursus ignored the rest of what he said and stared at the returning troops. He counted fifteen and waited. Ursus adjusted the com and called the squadron leader.
“Where’s the rest of the unit?”
The man pushed his hover-jet to the shore and swung his leg over, removing his helmet. He didn’t bother with the com. “You’re looking at it, sir.”
“You left with sixty.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And…”
“Swamp monsters.”
Ursus stared over the water. The rain poured down, drenching the already saturated troops. “Monsters?”
“Yes sir, and nets. The Kalos bastards trapped us in nets and let the monsters feast.”
Cold-blooded bitch. Ursus coughed and covered his mouth again. This was Kalos territory. His troops were fighting guerrilla warfare against a people that had learned to adapt to an environment that his people hadn’t even figured out. If he sent another unit after them, the casualties would be just as heavy, but he couldn’t wait. Time wasn’t a friend to the Kori.
Jarod knew it. All he had to do was delay and he could defeat them without a battle. Ursus had to bring the battle to him. “We have to go in another way.”
“What about air support?”
“Colonel Pilot disabled all the aircraft.”
“Why’d he do that, sir?”
Ursus debated whether to tell him why and decided the panic the news could induce would be worse. His troops would flee in fear of becoming infected with a plague they didn’t know they already carried. “That’s classified.”
“We’ll have to cut through the other side, by land.”
“Perhaps.” Ursus had an itch that raced down the back of his neck. Instinct told him that’s just what Jarod wanted. Flooding season was here, he’d have to head for high ground. Ursus studied the horizon and the mountain range in the distance.
Jarod wanted them deeper into his territory. If he were in Jarod’s place, that’s what he would do. Just chasing them through that range could take months.
Ursus coughed again. He didn’t have months. The young officer stood, waiting for orders. Ursus glanced into his eyes and saw the tell-tale copper spots. Hemorrhaging. No, they had days.
“Gather the entire division. I want all available land-craft and foot soldiers on the edge of that mountain range in two hours.”
“Sir that range is two and a half hours away in clear weather.”
“Then you better move.”
#####
“The planet is under permanent quarantine. You won’t receive relief, nor will any further troops arrive as support. We are cutting all contact with you. We can’t risk this plague ever transmitting to our home world. If you survive, you’re on your own.”
Pilot nodded. It was over. As far as his home world was concerned, the troops were lost, this planet a bad memory.
They’d decided to cut free and leave the primitives and dying troops where they sat.
It was no longer important eradicating the Kalos or retrieving the stolen artifact that may or may not exist. As legend went, a thousand years ago a princess was murdered and a powerful weapon taken from her person, a weapon that could flatten the Kori home world and half the galaxy it occupied. After a thousand years, many doubted if the story was true. Many had already called it a story. Many decided to cut their losses and believe it. Perhaps the weapon never existed. Even Pilot had his doubts.
But the Kalos did have a weapon, it may not flatten worlds, but it could drop an empire into a grave. The off-world leaders couldn’t take chances. Soon all Kori people on this cursed planet and their families would die. He’d stood at this window, days before and made a decision.
It had been the wrong one. He doomed them to life or death on this world. His wife, his children would never see him again. Supplies would never come. Life as he knew it would disappear. Like much in history, they would become that, a lost division. Alive or dead. Lost.
The hospitals were already filling with the sick. Soldiers out in the field reported fevers, coughing up blood, dizziness and disorientation. It would only get uglier from here. Pilot ached inside and out. Blood leaked from his eyes and nose. A rag shoved in his pocket, stained bright red, witness to the illness.
It would only be a matter of time. He prayed to the gods the woman could be retrieved, but as each hour went by, Pilot feared it wouldn’t happen.
The Kalos king was no fool.
Power outage so this post was a little late coming today. Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend.
On to the story.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Ursus wheezed and coughed into his hand. He studied his palm. Inside, clots of blood the size of his thumbnail sat. His body ached, every muscle, every joint. He wiped his palm on his pants, grinding the blood in. He had two weeks. Tops. How could he let his heart overrule his head?
“You should have a doctor look at that.” A young officer, one of his squad leaders, nodded to the stain left on his pants. “All kinds of nasty things you can pick up in these swamps.”
“Yes.” He’d found the nastiest. The pale haired bitch could run, but he’d find her. Ursus ignored the rest of what he said and stared at the returning troops. He counted fifteen and waited. Ursus adjusted the com and called the squadron leader.
“Where’s the rest of the unit?”
The man pushed his hover-jet to the shore and swung his leg over, removing his helmet. He didn’t bother with the com. “You’re looking at it, sir.”
“You left with sixty.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And…”
“Swamp monsters.”
Ursus stared over the water. The rain poured down, drenching the already saturated troops. “Monsters?”
“Yes sir, and nets. The Kalos bastards trapped us in nets and let the monsters feast.”
Cold-blooded bitch. Ursus coughed and covered his mouth again. This was Kalos territory. His troops were fighting guerrilla warfare against a people that had learned to adapt to an environment that his people hadn’t even figured out. If he sent another unit after them, the casualties would be just as heavy, but he couldn’t wait. Time wasn’t a friend to the Kori.
Jarod knew it. All he had to do was delay and he could defeat them without a battle. Ursus had to bring the battle to him. “We have to go in another way.”
“What about air support?”
“Colonel Pilot disabled all the aircraft.”
“Why’d he do that, sir?”
Ursus debated whether to tell him why and decided the panic the news could induce would be worse. His troops would flee in fear of becoming infected with a plague they didn’t know they already carried. “That’s classified.”
“We’ll have to cut through the other side, by land.”
“Perhaps.” Ursus had an itch that raced down the back of his neck. Instinct told him that’s just what Jarod wanted. Flooding season was here, he’d have to head for high ground. Ursus studied the horizon and the mountain range in the distance.
Jarod wanted them deeper into his territory. If he were in Jarod’s place, that’s what he would do. Just chasing them through that range could take months.
Ursus coughed again. He didn’t have months. The young officer stood, waiting for orders. Ursus glanced into his eyes and saw the tell-tale copper spots. Hemorrhaging. No, they had days.
“Gather the entire division. I want all available land-craft and foot soldiers on the edge of that mountain range in two hours.”
“Sir that range is two and a half hours away in clear weather.”
“Then you better move.”
#####
“The planet is under permanent quarantine. You won’t receive relief, nor will any further troops arrive as support. We are cutting all contact with you. We can’t risk this plague ever transmitting to our home world. If you survive, you’re on your own.”
Pilot nodded. It was over. As far as his home world was concerned, the troops were lost, this planet a bad memory.
They’d decided to cut free and leave the primitives and dying troops where they sat.
It was no longer important eradicating the Kalos or retrieving the stolen artifact that may or may not exist. As legend went, a thousand years ago a princess was murdered and a powerful weapon taken from her person, a weapon that could flatten the Kori home world and half the galaxy it occupied. After a thousand years, many doubted if the story was true. Many had already called it a story. Many decided to cut their losses and believe it. Perhaps the weapon never existed. Even Pilot had his doubts.
But the Kalos did have a weapon, it may not flatten worlds, but it could drop an empire into a grave. The off-world leaders couldn’t take chances. Soon all Kori people on this cursed planet and their families would die. He’d stood at this window, days before and made a decision.
It had been the wrong one. He doomed them to life or death on this world. His wife, his children would never see him again. Supplies would never come. Life as he knew it would disappear. Like much in history, they would become that, a lost division. Alive or dead. Lost.
The hospitals were already filling with the sick. Soldiers out in the field reported fevers, coughing up blood, dizziness and disorientation. It would only get uglier from here. Pilot ached inside and out. Blood leaked from his eyes and nose. A rag shoved in his pocket, stained bright red, witness to the illness.
It would only be a matter of time. He prayed to the gods the woman could be retrieved, but as each hour went by, Pilot feared it wouldn’t happen.
The Kalos king was no fool.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
When Souls Collide Chapter 11, part 2
I guess I should probably explain something before I get to the next chapter. We're at chapter 11 now and you're not going to see 12. Sorry 12 is bad ju ju. Everytime I put it in a draft, something happens to the chapter, or the story, or my computer. Seriously--it's cursed. So like broken mirrors and walking under ladders, I simply avoid having a chapter 12 until I send it off to my editor or for someone to read.
Which begs me to ask, anybody out there having any routines or odd quirks when they write???
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
At first she felt the hand on her shoulder as someone slid under the blanket next to her. Tesza scooted into his warmth. Ursus had already dressed. She sniffed and inhaled the savory scents of breakfast.
Hard to believe he was a cold-blooded killer, the way he cared for her. His hand slid around her waist and lower, touching her thigh and sliding between her legs, slipping inside her. Tesza moaned and pushed into his probing fingers, savoring the touch.
“Forget him, Tesza. You’re mine now. I’ve waited a long time to consummate our marriage.”
Tesza gasped, her eyes snapped open and she tried to pull away from the man that held her, nuzzling her neck.
Shit. Where had Jarod come from? He was within his rights to claim her. All her life she’d waited for her moment with him, now it seemed diminished, not what she’d really sought.
“Get off me, Jarod.”
“You’re my wife. The people demanded I give you to him in hopes you would seduce away his life and that of our enemies. It’s sat like acid in my gut for days. I haven’t slept, I haven’t eaten. I can’t make the pain of my decision go away. I want to erase his touch from your skin, his image from your eyes. I need to make you forget him. I will make you forget him.” Pain carried on his voice. His hand withdrew.
Hurt?
He pulled on her, ripping her soul down the middle. Gods she loved him too. Needed him.
But she’d betrayed him, her people, by giving the cure to Ursus. The tone of his words made it clear. He loved her, wanted her, and he hurt for sharing her with Ursus. He pulled back and rolled her over, gazing in her eyes. “I can wait for you to come to me. But I won’t wait forever. Forget him. He’s dead, and soon all his kind will be.”
“Dead?”
“You’ve infected him.” He stroked her cheek, touching her softly. “You’ve saved us.”
“I can’t be responsible for killing all those people.” Should she tell him she’d betrayed him? No.
“I can’t give him the cure.”
“The fruit nuts are all around us. You’re not evil, Jarod. Surely you wouldn’t let children and women die from this.”
“I have to, Tesza.” Jarod shook his head. He ran his thumb along the pink welt on her face that had started to heal.
“Gods, no.”
“You are queen of the Kalos, Tesza; you’d do well to remember that.” He slid his hand down her shoulder and cupped her breast. Tesza took a deep breath and closed her eyes. His hands were gentle, but they still felt wrong.
“I’ve had you followed, protected every step of the way. You must know this killed me inside, forcing you out. I had no choice. That man you were with murdered six brutally before you returned to camp that night. The clan would not sympathize, not after that. They wanted you dead. I could spare you that, but you couldn’t stay. It was the law, I was bound by it.”
“That Red-Clan woman?”
“She gave her life to save you. She knew they were about to find you and intercepted. Don’t dishonor her sacrifice or your people by loving an enemy soldier. Let him go Tesza. I will honor you and give you the world. He can give you nothing but pain and a life on the run. They will never accept you, even if you save them.”
“Do you know what you ask?”
“We will live because of you. Our people will continue forever.”
“And another will become extinct.”
“They brought it upon themselves. Forget him. He would’ve had you executed anyway. With him you would’ve died. With me, you’ll live, be free. You’ll be happy. I love you, Tesza. I’ve always loved you.”
“Then don’t do this. Save the innocents and I will stay with you.”
“I am saving the innocents, Tesza. I am.” He kissed her sliding his tongue into her mouth. She didn’t fight him, but she didn’t give him anything back either. He thought she’d followed through, when she’d betrayed him, trading the lives of her people for another’s.
“You’ll love me back someday. This is part of life. Survival.”
“I loved you once.” She still loved him, but she was also angry with him and wouldn’t reward him with the truth.
“You will again.”
He got up. “Dress, eat and come outside. We can’t delay travel further or we’ll be caught in the floods.” Jarod stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “He will return with a force. Watch Tesza and see. He’ll come to kill us all. He tortured men for the same information he wanted from you. He only used you to find our clans. To find me.”
"How can I believe you, after everything that's happened?"
Jarod placed his hand over his heart. “My soul could never lie to you. You will see.”
****
Ursus opened his eyes. Pain stabbed through his brain. His mouth felt dry. He reached up and touched his nose, flinching. Dried blood crusted around it. Certainly broken.
He stared at the sky and the faces of children who stood over him. They peered back with curiosity.
Shit.
Jarod had dumped him in a community location. He let his gaze sweep the area. The square.
Shit. A very public location.
The sound of boots tramping towards him and he turned his head to stare at a squad of his men who approached.
“Sir.” One man addressed him. Ursus blinked, pushing away the blinding light and sharp pains from behind his eyes. Something wasn’t right. Had the cure worked? He could feel the fever settling in. Every joint in his body ached.
The bastard had dumped him in a public square with children. Ursus ground down on his teeth. Next time they met, he wouldn’t be as kind. He’d beat Jarod to a fraction from extinction, then crush his bones to dust under his heel.
Gods, he hated that bastard.
“Sir, are you okay?”
Fuck no. “Yes,” he groaned and forced himself to sit. His vision warbled before him. He was going to hurt that bastard.
Ursus rubbed his forehead. She hadn’t said how long. Days? Weeks? Months? Was he infected? Did the cure work? If not, how long before he succumbed to the plague? How long before his people contracted it?
He’d no intention of bringing this back to them, but more than likely, he did. No, what she'd given him--he couldn’t be cured. Not with this fever.
His first priority was to alert Colonel Pilot of the danger. There was a good chance Pilot would execute him for what he’d done, but to keep it from them would be worse.
His squad leader offered him a hand. Ursus stared at it, debating the consequences and then slapped his hand into the soldier’s. Whatever damage was done, was done. There was nothing left to do but move forward.
Ursus cringed as the man tugged him to his feet. Aches, a burning in his muscles and joints. Gods, this illness acted quickly. He put his hand to his forehead and steadied himself.
“I need to see Colonel Pilot.” Explaining this wouldn’t be easy. Pilot could execute him on the spot. He’d broken half a dozen military laws, as well as temple laws.
“He’s been looking for you.”
Ursus nodded.
“What happened, sir?”
“Nothing a lazr’-whipping won’t remedy.” Ursus rubbed one of his temples. “I can make it from here. Finish your patrol.” Had he infected them? Could it spread that fast? The soldiers nodded and returned to their squad, marching from the square. Around him, still life. Civilians stopped and stared. Children, women, men...
Which begs me to ask, anybody out there having any routines or odd quirks when they write???
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
At first she felt the hand on her shoulder as someone slid under the blanket next to her. Tesza scooted into his warmth. Ursus had already dressed. She sniffed and inhaled the savory scents of breakfast.
Hard to believe he was a cold-blooded killer, the way he cared for her. His hand slid around her waist and lower, touching her thigh and sliding between her legs, slipping inside her. Tesza moaned and pushed into his probing fingers, savoring the touch.
“Forget him, Tesza. You’re mine now. I’ve waited a long time to consummate our marriage.”
Tesza gasped, her eyes snapped open and she tried to pull away from the man that held her, nuzzling her neck.
Shit. Where had Jarod come from? He was within his rights to claim her. All her life she’d waited for her moment with him, now it seemed diminished, not what she’d really sought.
“Get off me, Jarod.”
“You’re my wife. The people demanded I give you to him in hopes you would seduce away his life and that of our enemies. It’s sat like acid in my gut for days. I haven’t slept, I haven’t eaten. I can’t make the pain of my decision go away. I want to erase his touch from your skin, his image from your eyes. I need to make you forget him. I will make you forget him.” Pain carried on his voice. His hand withdrew.
Hurt?
He pulled on her, ripping her soul down the middle. Gods she loved him too. Needed him.
But she’d betrayed him, her people, by giving the cure to Ursus. The tone of his words made it clear. He loved her, wanted her, and he hurt for sharing her with Ursus. He pulled back and rolled her over, gazing in her eyes. “I can wait for you to come to me. But I won’t wait forever. Forget him. He’s dead, and soon all his kind will be.”
“Dead?”
“You’ve infected him.” He stroked her cheek, touching her softly. “You’ve saved us.”
“I can’t be responsible for killing all those people.” Should she tell him she’d betrayed him? No.
“I can’t give him the cure.”
“The fruit nuts are all around us. You’re not evil, Jarod. Surely you wouldn’t let children and women die from this.”
“I have to, Tesza.” Jarod shook his head. He ran his thumb along the pink welt on her face that had started to heal.
“Gods, no.”
“You are queen of the Kalos, Tesza; you’d do well to remember that.” He slid his hand down her shoulder and cupped her breast. Tesza took a deep breath and closed her eyes. His hands were gentle, but they still felt wrong.
“I’ve had you followed, protected every step of the way. You must know this killed me inside, forcing you out. I had no choice. That man you were with murdered six brutally before you returned to camp that night. The clan would not sympathize, not after that. They wanted you dead. I could spare you that, but you couldn’t stay. It was the law, I was bound by it.”
“That Red-Clan woman?”
“She gave her life to save you. She knew they were about to find you and intercepted. Don’t dishonor her sacrifice or your people by loving an enemy soldier. Let him go Tesza. I will honor you and give you the world. He can give you nothing but pain and a life on the run. They will never accept you, even if you save them.”
“Do you know what you ask?”
“We will live because of you. Our people will continue forever.”
“And another will become extinct.”
“They brought it upon themselves. Forget him. He would’ve had you executed anyway. With him you would’ve died. With me, you’ll live, be free. You’ll be happy. I love you, Tesza. I’ve always loved you.”
“Then don’t do this. Save the innocents and I will stay with you.”
“I am saving the innocents, Tesza. I am.” He kissed her sliding his tongue into her mouth. She didn’t fight him, but she didn’t give him anything back either. He thought she’d followed through, when she’d betrayed him, trading the lives of her people for another’s.
“You’ll love me back someday. This is part of life. Survival.”
“I loved you once.” She still loved him, but she was also angry with him and wouldn’t reward him with the truth.
“You will again.”
He got up. “Dress, eat and come outside. We can’t delay travel further or we’ll be caught in the floods.” Jarod stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “He will return with a force. Watch Tesza and see. He’ll come to kill us all. He tortured men for the same information he wanted from you. He only used you to find our clans. To find me.”
"How can I believe you, after everything that's happened?"
Jarod placed his hand over his heart. “My soul could never lie to you. You will see.”
****
Ursus opened his eyes. Pain stabbed through his brain. His mouth felt dry. He reached up and touched his nose, flinching. Dried blood crusted around it. Certainly broken.
He stared at the sky and the faces of children who stood over him. They peered back with curiosity.
Shit.
Jarod had dumped him in a community location. He let his gaze sweep the area. The square.
Shit. A very public location.
The sound of boots tramping towards him and he turned his head to stare at a squad of his men who approached.
“Sir.” One man addressed him. Ursus blinked, pushing away the blinding light and sharp pains from behind his eyes. Something wasn’t right. Had the cure worked? He could feel the fever settling in. Every joint in his body ached.
The bastard had dumped him in a public square with children. Ursus ground down on his teeth. Next time they met, he wouldn’t be as kind. He’d beat Jarod to a fraction from extinction, then crush his bones to dust under his heel.
Gods, he hated that bastard.
“Sir, are you okay?”
Fuck no. “Yes,” he groaned and forced himself to sit. His vision warbled before him. He was going to hurt that bastard.
Ursus rubbed his forehead. She hadn’t said how long. Days? Weeks? Months? Was he infected? Did the cure work? If not, how long before he succumbed to the plague? How long before his people contracted it?
He’d no intention of bringing this back to them, but more than likely, he did. No, what she'd given him--he couldn’t be cured. Not with this fever.
His first priority was to alert Colonel Pilot of the danger. There was a good chance Pilot would execute him for what he’d done, but to keep it from them would be worse.
His squad leader offered him a hand. Ursus stared at it, debating the consequences and then slapped his hand into the soldier’s. Whatever damage was done, was done. There was nothing left to do but move forward.
Ursus cringed as the man tugged him to his feet. Aches, a burning in his muscles and joints. Gods, this illness acted quickly. He put his hand to his forehead and steadied himself.
“I need to see Colonel Pilot.” Explaining this wouldn’t be easy. Pilot could execute him on the spot. He’d broken half a dozen military laws, as well as temple laws.
“He’s been looking for you.”
Ursus nodded.
“What happened, sir?”
“Nothing a lazr’-whipping won’t remedy.” Ursus rubbed one of his temples. “I can make it from here. Finish your patrol.” Had he infected them? Could it spread that fast? The soldiers nodded and returned to their squad, marching from the square. Around him, still life. Civilians stopped and stared. Children, women, men...
Saturday, September 11, 2010
When Souls Collide Chapter 11, part 1
I've been working edits and I'm in between writing the second and third novels in the Blown Away series.
So far for the Blown Away series I've got these titles:
Detonate
Happy Trails
Bomb Voyage
The Infamous Ava Frost
The first two will be out in print in November.
The first four stories are two novellas to a book that are linked in world, events and characters. It's my hopes that one story will flow into the other and create a larger picture for the reader. Each of the finished novels comes in at around 90k words or roughly 350-375 words pages (depending on formatting). So, even though they are considered novellas, the book is large as a whole.
The next I'd like to add to this series is a full novel I'm working on re-wrtiting:
Legionarii
This is a novel I started three years ago and one of my personal favorites. In this novel I stretch my world-building to the extremes and it's my hopes it will be a favorite of yours too.
Okay, let's get on with the story.
Enjoy.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
“Get up.”
Something sharp pressed against his neck. Ursus cracked an eye and stared at a mob. The tip of the spear retreated, allowing him to move. Slowly he untangled himself from Tesza’s Arms and rose to his feet.
He swept the room, looking for his weapon and found it in the hands of a man leaning against the wall, pointing it at him. “Get dressed.”
Ursus glanced down at Tesza, where the blanket had slipped free, exposing her breasts. The man’s eyes travelled down and he smiled.
“My wife’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Ursus’s gaze snapped from her and he glared at the man with the lazr’. “She’s not your wife.” He reached down and pulled the cover over her, hiding her body from the man’s eyes.
“She’s been my wife since the day she was born.”
“You cast her out.”
“I knew she would follow through. Tesza’s not a coward. It only took a bit of prodding to get her to act.”
“You call carving up her face, prodding?”
“Shhh. You’ll wake her. I want her to think you left on your own.”
Ursus growled. The cave felt small, packed with Kalos warriors. Each man was dressed in a Kori uniform, altered to add his own primitive touch. Dyed, painted, embroidered, cut, torn, anything to make the garments look like it was something other than what they were. Each mutilated uniform represented a dead soldier under Ursus’s command. How could he not despise them?
“Who are you?”
“I know who you are, Captain Ursus Devot. The Butcher of Kalos.” The tall blond man raised a brow and kept the weapon pointed at him. “I have to say it’s not very flattering that you don’t recognize me.”
Ursus studied the face. The man had the dark violet eyes of a Kalos nobleman. An aquiline nose and hard mouth. He kept his long, ice-blond hair tied back out of his face, exposing the facial tattoo on his forehead that came down the bridge of his nose and spiraled around in a specific design that matched on each cheek. Beast-like, dragon-like. What were they?
Not just an honor mark, a family crest. One Ursus thought he’d seen before, but couldn’t place.
The man was on the lean side, probably from years of running and starvation. But it didn’t make him look weak. No, he carried a strength—emanated it. A quality seen in great leaders. What was it about him?
“My grandfather bound my people to this planet.” The corner of the man’s mouth lifted in an arrogant smile that wasn’t remotely friendly.
Crap. The Kalos king, Jarod. Ursus blinked and glanced over at Tesza. Tesza was a queen?
Shit.
“Outside.” Ursus bent to get his pack and the man shook his head, powering up the lazr’. A high pitched whine emitted a warning that could blast him to dust in a moment.
Ursus ducked out of the cave onto the ledge. A break in the rain gave way to the day star shining through the clouds, steaming the saturated jungle. Even the air felt as though water could be squeezed from it.
“You’re free to go.” Jarod tossed his pack at his feet.
“Like that?”
“Yes.”
Ursus glanced over Jarod’s shoulder, into the cave.
“I said you were free to go. My wife stays.”
“You’re mistaken. She’s not your wife, she’s mine.”
The man tipped his head back and laughed. “Do you really think Tesza loves you? She’s been trained from childhood to do what she did. Pity. You’re a bigger fool than I thought. She infected you.”
The heat of anger stained Ursus’s face. He balled his fists to his side and resisted the urge to pounce. They wanted him to take the disease back to his people, infect them. That he couldn’t do, and wouldn’t with the cure she’d given him. But he wasn’t about to leave Tesza at the mercy of these men.
“I see you’re going to be stubborn.” Jarod adjusted the weapon. “How do you set this to stun?” Without waiting for an answer, he pointed and fired. The bolt hit Ursus like a charging draco. He froze where he stood, trying to draw a breath. His body refused to obey.
Jarod smiled. “Never mind.”
The world around Ursus disappeared. He hit the floor of the ledge face first. Pain radiated from his nose across his face, blood gushed from his nostrils, a warm, metallic smell, then blackness closed in.
So far for the Blown Away series I've got these titles:
Detonate
Happy Trails
Bomb Voyage
The Infamous Ava Frost
The first two will be out in print in November.
The first four stories are two novellas to a book that are linked in world, events and characters. It's my hopes that one story will flow into the other and create a larger picture for the reader. Each of the finished novels comes in at around 90k words or roughly 350-375 words pages (depending on formatting). So, even though they are considered novellas, the book is large as a whole.
The next I'd like to add to this series is a full novel I'm working on re-wrtiting:
Legionarii
This is a novel I started three years ago and one of my personal favorites. In this novel I stretch my world-building to the extremes and it's my hopes it will be a favorite of yours too.
Okay, let's get on with the story.
Enjoy.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
“Get up.”
Something sharp pressed against his neck. Ursus cracked an eye and stared at a mob. The tip of the spear retreated, allowing him to move. Slowly he untangled himself from Tesza’s Arms and rose to his feet.
He swept the room, looking for his weapon and found it in the hands of a man leaning against the wall, pointing it at him. “Get dressed.”
Ursus glanced down at Tesza, where the blanket had slipped free, exposing her breasts. The man’s eyes travelled down and he smiled.
“My wife’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Ursus’s gaze snapped from her and he glared at the man with the lazr’. “She’s not your wife.” He reached down and pulled the cover over her, hiding her body from the man’s eyes.
“She’s been my wife since the day she was born.”
“You cast her out.”
“I knew she would follow through. Tesza’s not a coward. It only took a bit of prodding to get her to act.”
“You call carving up her face, prodding?”
“Shhh. You’ll wake her. I want her to think you left on your own.”
Ursus growled. The cave felt small, packed with Kalos warriors. Each man was dressed in a Kori uniform, altered to add his own primitive touch. Dyed, painted, embroidered, cut, torn, anything to make the garments look like it was something other than what they were. Each mutilated uniform represented a dead soldier under Ursus’s command. How could he not despise them?
“Who are you?”
“I know who you are, Captain Ursus Devot. The Butcher of Kalos.” The tall blond man raised a brow and kept the weapon pointed at him. “I have to say it’s not very flattering that you don’t recognize me.”
Ursus studied the face. The man had the dark violet eyes of a Kalos nobleman. An aquiline nose and hard mouth. He kept his long, ice-blond hair tied back out of his face, exposing the facial tattoo on his forehead that came down the bridge of his nose and spiraled around in a specific design that matched on each cheek. Beast-like, dragon-like. What were they?
Not just an honor mark, a family crest. One Ursus thought he’d seen before, but couldn’t place.
The man was on the lean side, probably from years of running and starvation. But it didn’t make him look weak. No, he carried a strength—emanated it. A quality seen in great leaders. What was it about him?
“My grandfather bound my people to this planet.” The corner of the man’s mouth lifted in an arrogant smile that wasn’t remotely friendly.
Crap. The Kalos king, Jarod. Ursus blinked and glanced over at Tesza. Tesza was a queen?
Shit.
“Outside.” Ursus bent to get his pack and the man shook his head, powering up the lazr’. A high pitched whine emitted a warning that could blast him to dust in a moment.
Ursus ducked out of the cave onto the ledge. A break in the rain gave way to the day star shining through the clouds, steaming the saturated jungle. Even the air felt as though water could be squeezed from it.
“You’re free to go.” Jarod tossed his pack at his feet.
“Like that?”
“Yes.”
Ursus glanced over Jarod’s shoulder, into the cave.
“I said you were free to go. My wife stays.”
“You’re mistaken. She’s not your wife, she’s mine.”
The man tipped his head back and laughed. “Do you really think Tesza loves you? She’s been trained from childhood to do what she did. Pity. You’re a bigger fool than I thought. She infected you.”
The heat of anger stained Ursus’s face. He balled his fists to his side and resisted the urge to pounce. They wanted him to take the disease back to his people, infect them. That he couldn’t do, and wouldn’t with the cure she’d given him. But he wasn’t about to leave Tesza at the mercy of these men.
“I see you’re going to be stubborn.” Jarod adjusted the weapon. “How do you set this to stun?” Without waiting for an answer, he pointed and fired. The bolt hit Ursus like a charging draco. He froze where he stood, trying to draw a breath. His body refused to obey.
Jarod smiled. “Never mind.”
The world around Ursus disappeared. He hit the floor of the ledge face first. Pain radiated from his nose across his face, blood gushed from his nostrils, a warm, metallic smell, then blackness closed in.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
When Souls Collide, Chapter 10, Part 2
Will be out today, but I wanted to get this post out to all of you.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Tesza sat naked, wrapped in the blanket, watching as Ursus dropped his clothing, piece by piece. Their garments were wet and needed to dry. She’d had no choice but to remove them.
She could have him. She had the fruit nut, she could cure him. Would her family, the clans even know?
No.
But if she gave him the cure, then her people wouldn’t have a defense. She’d hurt Jarod further, something she’d never intended. Even in his absence, she couldn’t get him off her mind. She was caught in the middle of a hopeless game of tug-o-war. Her heart and soul pulled both ways, making her feel as though they would shred apart. Who to love, who to betray. She couldn’t have both.
Tesza jumped to her feet and pulled the blanket tighter, pacing back and forth in front of the fire. She’d spent her entire life preparing for a moment like this, and now that it was here… She glanced over her shoulder. No.
He came up behind her and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back against him. “Stop acting like a caged animal. I won’t do anything you don’t want.”
“Then let me go.”
“That, I can’t do.” He turned her around and backed her across the cave to the blanket spread before the fire. “Even if I wanted too.”
“I want to sleep. I’m tired.”
Ursus brushed her hair out of her face and stared into her eyes. “If that is what you want.”
She nodded. She couldn’t do it. Even knowing the cure was within arm’s reach.
He lowered her to the blanket and pulled her to her side and against his chest. His heart beat against her back and his breath tickled her neck. She shoved her elbow into his gut. He grunted and tightened his hold.
“Back off.” She couldn’t think with him so close, needing space to resist.
Ursus growled, hooked her leg and rolled her to her back, pinning her under his naked weight. His erection pressed against her hip. Tesza shoved on his shoulders.
“Get off.”
“No.” His eyes grew darker.
“You said you wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want.”
“You want.”
She shoved again then smacked his shoulder. “No.”
“Liar.”
Tesza bucked up and shoved on his hips rolling him off. He grabbed her as he went, taking her over, across the floor of the cave. She landed belly down on the bare dirt, his hard body pressed against her back. This time his cock was pressed against her ass.
“Get the fuck off me. I won’t be responsible for infecting you and your people.”
He rocked back pulling her to her knees and ran his hands up and down her body, stopping to cup her breasts. His cock slid against her lips. Tesza sucked in a breath. Heat centered between her thighs, and an ache started. She had to break contact, stop this before it went too far. Tesza grabbed his pinkie finger, pried his hand off and rolled out of his grasp, ending on her feet facing him.
He rose to his full height and strode forward, his jaw twitched and his eyes shot bolts through her. She dodged around the fire and snatched his lazr’ out of his discarded holster, leveling it at him.
“Get back.”
In three strides he was in front of her, knocking the lazr’ out of her hand. It flew across the cave and crashed against the wall. “Don’t run from me.”
“Don’t touch me.” Tesza backed up a step. Ursus moved forward and she kicked him in the thigh, hitting a nerve and dropping him to the floor of the cave. He snagged her ankle, yanking her feet out from under her. She landed with a loud oomph. Ursus threw his body on top of her, grabbing a handful of hair on both sides of her head, lifting her to meet his gaze. “You can’t deny you want me.”
Tesza stared into his eyes, then reached up and pulled him into a kiss. She bit his bottom lip and tried to buck up again.
Ursus grabbed her hands and slammed them over her head. His knee shoved her thighs apart. “Stop resisting.”
“Get off.”
He lowered his mouth and kissed her. She could feel his erection pressed against her. One sharp thrust and he’d be in her, but he held back. The ache began to build. Heat and energy rocketed through her blood. Her pulse picked up and lava flowed through her veins.
Need.
Want.
She brought both legs up and wrapped them around his hips, pulling him in closer, tighter. He held back, refusing to enter her.
Gods.
“You want me. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me no and I’ll stop,” he said.
“I’ll kill you.”
“Like I don’t fucking know.” He kissed her again, pressing the back of her hands against the sandy floor. “Say no, Tesza.” His warm breath washed over her face. The heat of it, his body, sent tremors through her.
The ache intensified.
“I want you.” She had the cure, why should she care? Her clan had cast her out to die. Her body was past caring, her mind fogged with adrenaline from the struggle.
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
He released her hands and she laced her fingers in his hair. “I swear to the gods, if you don’t do it now, I’ll never give you another chance,” Tesza said.
Ursus thrust inside her. Tesza screamed from the force of it. She’d expected the pain, but she hadn’t expected the other part. Love. Gods, she loved him. Nothing had ever felt so beautiful.
The ache exploded, morphing into something else. Energy pulsed through her body like a shockwave. He withdrew and did it again and again. She couldn’t take him deep enough to satisfy it.
The world around her began to spin. Tesza arched up meeting him with like force, knowing there was nothing she could or would do to change the future, wanting only this moment forever.
“I claim you as my wife, my mate.”
Tesza’s eyes snapped open. His wife? She cried out as an orgasm hit, pulling her deeper into madness, making her forget for the moment she belonged to another. Stars exploded around her and she felt her soul link to his and part of his thread into hers. Their energies snapped taunt and locked together for what she knew would be eternity.
He hadn’t lied. Their souls collided with such force she could barely breathe, yet he continued to take her. Over and over. Deeper. Marking her, owning her.
One last hard thrust and he came. The power of it pushed her into another orgasm. She screamed and arched into him, devouring the moment, knowing with a certainty she’d betray her people to save him.
Knowing she could do nothing else.
Ursus’s chest rose and fell. He relaxed on his elbows, remaining inside her and pressed his forehead to hers. “You can’t leave me, you’re tied to me. You belong to me.”
“Ursus…” Tesza sucked in a breath. She should tell him but couldn’t. She knew in that moment she belonged to him as much as she did Jarod. Forever the three souls would be linked. For good or evil.
“We’ll go back in the morning.”
Tesza nodded, too exhausted to say anything further. The collision had drained her. She glanced off to the side at a split fruit and reached out, scooping the pit from the floor. Tesza slipped it into his hand and pushed his fingers closed over it. Her eyes searched his as she sold her people out.
Could she run away with him? Would his people accept her? Her eyes slid shut and she drifted off, barely aware that Ursus rolled to his back and rested her across his chest. Tomorrow she’d face the consequences. Tonight, she’d be the woman in his arms and nothing more.
“My love. My mate,” he murmured and all consciousness slipped into a fog.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Tesza sat naked, wrapped in the blanket, watching as Ursus dropped his clothing, piece by piece. Their garments were wet and needed to dry. She’d had no choice but to remove them.
She could have him. She had the fruit nut, she could cure him. Would her family, the clans even know?
No.
But if she gave him the cure, then her people wouldn’t have a defense. She’d hurt Jarod further, something she’d never intended. Even in his absence, she couldn’t get him off her mind. She was caught in the middle of a hopeless game of tug-o-war. Her heart and soul pulled both ways, making her feel as though they would shred apart. Who to love, who to betray. She couldn’t have both.
Tesza jumped to her feet and pulled the blanket tighter, pacing back and forth in front of the fire. She’d spent her entire life preparing for a moment like this, and now that it was here… She glanced over her shoulder. No.
He came up behind her and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back against him. “Stop acting like a caged animal. I won’t do anything you don’t want.”
“Then let me go.”
“That, I can’t do.” He turned her around and backed her across the cave to the blanket spread before the fire. “Even if I wanted too.”
“I want to sleep. I’m tired.”
Ursus brushed her hair out of her face and stared into her eyes. “If that is what you want.”
She nodded. She couldn’t do it. Even knowing the cure was within arm’s reach.
He lowered her to the blanket and pulled her to her side and against his chest. His heart beat against her back and his breath tickled her neck. She shoved her elbow into his gut. He grunted and tightened his hold.
“Back off.” She couldn’t think with him so close, needing space to resist.
Ursus growled, hooked her leg and rolled her to her back, pinning her under his naked weight. His erection pressed against her hip. Tesza shoved on his shoulders.
“Get off.”
“No.” His eyes grew darker.
“You said you wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want.”
“You want.”
She shoved again then smacked his shoulder. “No.”
“Liar.”
Tesza bucked up and shoved on his hips rolling him off. He grabbed her as he went, taking her over, across the floor of the cave. She landed belly down on the bare dirt, his hard body pressed against her back. This time his cock was pressed against her ass.
“Get the fuck off me. I won’t be responsible for infecting you and your people.”
He rocked back pulling her to her knees and ran his hands up and down her body, stopping to cup her breasts. His cock slid against her lips. Tesza sucked in a breath. Heat centered between her thighs, and an ache started. She had to break contact, stop this before it went too far. Tesza grabbed his pinkie finger, pried his hand off and rolled out of his grasp, ending on her feet facing him.
He rose to his full height and strode forward, his jaw twitched and his eyes shot bolts through her. She dodged around the fire and snatched his lazr’ out of his discarded holster, leveling it at him.
“Get back.”
In three strides he was in front of her, knocking the lazr’ out of her hand. It flew across the cave and crashed against the wall. “Don’t run from me.”
“Don’t touch me.” Tesza backed up a step. Ursus moved forward and she kicked him in the thigh, hitting a nerve and dropping him to the floor of the cave. He snagged her ankle, yanking her feet out from under her. She landed with a loud oomph. Ursus threw his body on top of her, grabbing a handful of hair on both sides of her head, lifting her to meet his gaze. “You can’t deny you want me.”
Tesza stared into his eyes, then reached up and pulled him into a kiss. She bit his bottom lip and tried to buck up again.
Ursus grabbed her hands and slammed them over her head. His knee shoved her thighs apart. “Stop resisting.”
“Get off.”
He lowered his mouth and kissed her. She could feel his erection pressed against her. One sharp thrust and he’d be in her, but he held back. The ache began to build. Heat and energy rocketed through her blood. Her pulse picked up and lava flowed through her veins.
Need.
Want.
She brought both legs up and wrapped them around his hips, pulling him in closer, tighter. He held back, refusing to enter her.
Gods.
“You want me. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me no and I’ll stop,” he said.
“I’ll kill you.”
“Like I don’t fucking know.” He kissed her again, pressing the back of her hands against the sandy floor. “Say no, Tesza.” His warm breath washed over her face. The heat of it, his body, sent tremors through her.
The ache intensified.
“I want you.” She had the cure, why should she care? Her clan had cast her out to die. Her body was past caring, her mind fogged with adrenaline from the struggle.
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
He released her hands and she laced her fingers in his hair. “I swear to the gods, if you don’t do it now, I’ll never give you another chance,” Tesza said.
Ursus thrust inside her. Tesza screamed from the force of it. She’d expected the pain, but she hadn’t expected the other part. Love. Gods, she loved him. Nothing had ever felt so beautiful.
The ache exploded, morphing into something else. Energy pulsed through her body like a shockwave. He withdrew and did it again and again. She couldn’t take him deep enough to satisfy it.
The world around her began to spin. Tesza arched up meeting him with like force, knowing there was nothing she could or would do to change the future, wanting only this moment forever.
“I claim you as my wife, my mate.”
Tesza’s eyes snapped open. His wife? She cried out as an orgasm hit, pulling her deeper into madness, making her forget for the moment she belonged to another. Stars exploded around her and she felt her soul link to his and part of his thread into hers. Their energies snapped taunt and locked together for what she knew would be eternity.
He hadn’t lied. Their souls collided with such force she could barely breathe, yet he continued to take her. Over and over. Deeper. Marking her, owning her.
One last hard thrust and he came. The power of it pushed her into another orgasm. She screamed and arched into him, devouring the moment, knowing with a certainty she’d betray her people to save him.
Knowing she could do nothing else.
Ursus’s chest rose and fell. He relaxed on his elbows, remaining inside her and pressed his forehead to hers. “You can’t leave me, you’re tied to me. You belong to me.”
“Ursus…” Tesza sucked in a breath. She should tell him but couldn’t. She knew in that moment she belonged to him as much as she did Jarod. Forever the three souls would be linked. For good or evil.
“We’ll go back in the morning.”
Tesza nodded, too exhausted to say anything further. The collision had drained her. She glanced off to the side at a split fruit and reached out, scooping the pit from the floor. Tesza slipped it into his hand and pushed his fingers closed over it. Her eyes searched his as she sold her people out.
Could she run away with him? Would his people accept her? Her eyes slid shut and she drifted off, barely aware that Ursus rolled to his back and rested her across his chest. Tomorrow she’d face the consequences. Tonight, she’d be the woman in his arms and nothing more.
“My love. My mate,” he murmured and all consciousness slipped into a fog.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
When Souls Collide, chapter 10, part 1
Yup, that time of the week again.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Ursus ran the boat onto the beach. He glanced at the darkening sky and pushed it farther in. Scanning the beach, he searched for a sign of her passing. Footprints across the sand moved inland, into thick vegetation. What was she doing? Was this where she lived?
He checked his weapon. Fully charged. The star would fall soon and the island would be wrapped in darkness. Ursus had lived on the world long enough to know that was when the predators came out. He’d need to get to high ground, shelter and be behind the protection of a fire.
The cliffs looked promising. Caves could provide cover, but what about Tesza? The urge to protect her was too strong. He needed to set up camp then find her. She wasn’t safe alone.
Ursus shoved vegetation out of his face. The cliffs stood in front of him. Climbing hand over hand up their surface was Tesza. He squinted and eyed her as she stopped and plucked a fruit from a vine growing on the rocky surface. She tucked it in the fold of her shirt she’d created by clamping the bottom of the garment in her teeth. She scooted sideways along the rocks and grabbed another.
Perhaps this was the cure? She’d gone to a lot of trouble for the fruit.
She reached a ledge pulled herself up and walked into the mouth of a cave. He dropped back into the foliage when she peeked out, looking down. She scanned back and forth for a couple of seconds then ducked back in.
Ursus approached the cliffs and began to climb. When he reached the ledge he spotted her with her back to him, cracking the fruit against a rock. He crept up behind her.
Tesza froze, dropping the rock in her hand. She jumped to her feet and spun around. First fear, then her face relaxed.
“Ursus.”
He didn’t say anything. He took two steps, grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed his forehead against hers.
“You shouldn’t have followed me. The rains are coming. If they get heavy, you won’t make it back to the city.”
He lifted his head and slid his hand up to her cheek. He had no intention of going back without her. “Wherever you go, I will follow. You’re my soul.”
“Why? You can’t have me.”
“I can’t live without you.” Even now an ached built in his chest, threatening to burst open and bleed out.
Tesza shrugged his hands off and stepped back. “You can’t leave in the dark, but come daylight, perhaps the rains will hold off.”
“I’m not leaving you,” he said.
“You can’t come with me.”
“Then neither of us will go anywhere.”
Tesza began to gather brush, putting it into a pile. She glanced over her shoulder. “Do you have a lazr’?”
Ursus pulled his weapon and fired at the pile, engulfing it in flames. He holstered it and reached up, slipping his thumbs under the straps of his pack, dropping it to the floor.
Tesza whipped around, firelight danced across the surface of her skin. She stepped back. “What are you doing?”
“We’re camping for the night? Yes?”
Her gaze rested on the pack. She swallowed. “Yes.”
He stooped down and dug a couple of blankets from the pack and spread one out. “Come here.”
Tesza shook her head and backed deeper into the cave.
“Don’t make me come after you.”
“This is a bad idea.”
“The storms will chill the air. If you want to stay warm, we need to sleep together near the fire.”
Tesza slid down the wall and sat on her heels, staring at him like a wary animal. “Give me a blanket. I’ll be fine.”
Ursus growled and strode forward. He snatched her wrist and tossed her over his shoulder, carting her over to the cave opening. “Stop delaying the inevitable.”
“No. Put me down.”
He carried her outside where the rain had already started. “It’s too late. The rain’s here.”
Ursus could feel Tesza lift her head from his back as she studied the sky.
“Put me down, now.”
He complied, taking his time, letting her slide down his chest, keeping as much body to body contact as he could. Her shirt caught on his equipment harness and rolled up as her feet made the trip to the ledge.
Ursus explored the skin left exposed, sliding his hand along it, leaving his fingers splayed on her lower back. She tilted her head up. Little drops of rain raced down her forehead and cheeks, continuing lower, forming a trail that soaked her shirt, ran between her breasts and disappeared beneath the drenched fabric.
He followed their path, lowering his head and kissing the raindrops from her breasts.
Tesza clutched him tight and gasped.
“There’s nowhere to go now,” Ursus whispered against her bare skin. “The monsoons have come.”
“They’ll be light at first. We can make it to mainland if we leave in the morning. We can’t be together. It’s over.” Tesza broke free and tipped her head up, letting the rain pelt her face, trying to hide tears Ursus had already seen. “I don’t want you.”
“Liar,” Ursus whispered. He held his hand up and let the torrent fill his palm. “It falls like ice, but I can taste the heated rain on your skin.” His fingers stroked her cheek, brushing down her shoulder. “And you tremble under my touch.”
“You’re mistaken.”
His nostrils flared. “Am I?” He grabbed her hand and put it over his heart. “Do you believe in destiny?”
“The only destiny is the one we make.” Her eyes widened and drifted up until she gazed into his.
“No. I never planned to love my enemy.” He held her gaze, letting her feel the beat of his heart. “For you. It beats for you. It always has. I can’t deny my destiny, nor can you.” He lowered his mouth and nibbled her bottom lip. “You were made for me. Your body melds to mine. We fit. We belong. Our energies reach for each other.” The steam from his breath floated between them. He pressed his forehead to hers and energy radiated from every place of contact, proving his point.
“You’d die to love me,” she whispered.
“I’ll die if I don’t.” Ursus captured her lips, drawing the air from her lungs and the spirit from her fight. He wouldn’t give her another chance to resist. He could no longer hold back.
How could she deny she hungered for him, starved for him? Ached? It had been all he’d felt since he’d first seen her in the sector of the old city. Her hands slid up his chest and she let him take possession her. Was there life without her?
No.
He scooped her into his arms and took her back to the cave, where he intended to strip her bare and prove to her that he couldn’t live without her.
Ursus lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “What haunts you?”
Tesza shivered. “You.”
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Ursus ran the boat onto the beach. He glanced at the darkening sky and pushed it farther in. Scanning the beach, he searched for a sign of her passing. Footprints across the sand moved inland, into thick vegetation. What was she doing? Was this where she lived?
He checked his weapon. Fully charged. The star would fall soon and the island would be wrapped in darkness. Ursus had lived on the world long enough to know that was when the predators came out. He’d need to get to high ground, shelter and be behind the protection of a fire.
The cliffs looked promising. Caves could provide cover, but what about Tesza? The urge to protect her was too strong. He needed to set up camp then find her. She wasn’t safe alone.
Ursus shoved vegetation out of his face. The cliffs stood in front of him. Climbing hand over hand up their surface was Tesza. He squinted and eyed her as she stopped and plucked a fruit from a vine growing on the rocky surface. She tucked it in the fold of her shirt she’d created by clamping the bottom of the garment in her teeth. She scooted sideways along the rocks and grabbed another.
Perhaps this was the cure? She’d gone to a lot of trouble for the fruit.
She reached a ledge pulled herself up and walked into the mouth of a cave. He dropped back into the foliage when she peeked out, looking down. She scanned back and forth for a couple of seconds then ducked back in.
Ursus approached the cliffs and began to climb. When he reached the ledge he spotted her with her back to him, cracking the fruit against a rock. He crept up behind her.
Tesza froze, dropping the rock in her hand. She jumped to her feet and spun around. First fear, then her face relaxed.
“Ursus.”
He didn’t say anything. He took two steps, grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed his forehead against hers.
“You shouldn’t have followed me. The rains are coming. If they get heavy, you won’t make it back to the city.”
He lifted his head and slid his hand up to her cheek. He had no intention of going back without her. “Wherever you go, I will follow. You’re my soul.”
“Why? You can’t have me.”
“I can’t live without you.” Even now an ached built in his chest, threatening to burst open and bleed out.
Tesza shrugged his hands off and stepped back. “You can’t leave in the dark, but come daylight, perhaps the rains will hold off.”
“I’m not leaving you,” he said.
“You can’t come with me.”
“Then neither of us will go anywhere.”
Tesza began to gather brush, putting it into a pile. She glanced over her shoulder. “Do you have a lazr’?”
Ursus pulled his weapon and fired at the pile, engulfing it in flames. He holstered it and reached up, slipping his thumbs under the straps of his pack, dropping it to the floor.
Tesza whipped around, firelight danced across the surface of her skin. She stepped back. “What are you doing?”
“We’re camping for the night? Yes?”
Her gaze rested on the pack. She swallowed. “Yes.”
He stooped down and dug a couple of blankets from the pack and spread one out. “Come here.”
Tesza shook her head and backed deeper into the cave.
“Don’t make me come after you.”
“This is a bad idea.”
“The storms will chill the air. If you want to stay warm, we need to sleep together near the fire.”
Tesza slid down the wall and sat on her heels, staring at him like a wary animal. “Give me a blanket. I’ll be fine.”
Ursus growled and strode forward. He snatched her wrist and tossed her over his shoulder, carting her over to the cave opening. “Stop delaying the inevitable.”
“No. Put me down.”
He carried her outside where the rain had already started. “It’s too late. The rain’s here.”
Ursus could feel Tesza lift her head from his back as she studied the sky.
“Put me down, now.”
He complied, taking his time, letting her slide down his chest, keeping as much body to body contact as he could. Her shirt caught on his equipment harness and rolled up as her feet made the trip to the ledge.
Ursus explored the skin left exposed, sliding his hand along it, leaving his fingers splayed on her lower back. She tilted her head up. Little drops of rain raced down her forehead and cheeks, continuing lower, forming a trail that soaked her shirt, ran between her breasts and disappeared beneath the drenched fabric.
He followed their path, lowering his head and kissing the raindrops from her breasts.
Tesza clutched him tight and gasped.
“There’s nowhere to go now,” Ursus whispered against her bare skin. “The monsoons have come.”
“They’ll be light at first. We can make it to mainland if we leave in the morning. We can’t be together. It’s over.” Tesza broke free and tipped her head up, letting the rain pelt her face, trying to hide tears Ursus had already seen. “I don’t want you.”
“Liar,” Ursus whispered. He held his hand up and let the torrent fill his palm. “It falls like ice, but I can taste the heated rain on your skin.” His fingers stroked her cheek, brushing down her shoulder. “And you tremble under my touch.”
“You’re mistaken.”
His nostrils flared. “Am I?” He grabbed her hand and put it over his heart. “Do you believe in destiny?”
“The only destiny is the one we make.” Her eyes widened and drifted up until she gazed into his.
“No. I never planned to love my enemy.” He held her gaze, letting her feel the beat of his heart. “For you. It beats for you. It always has. I can’t deny my destiny, nor can you.” He lowered his mouth and nibbled her bottom lip. “You were made for me. Your body melds to mine. We fit. We belong. Our energies reach for each other.” The steam from his breath floated between them. He pressed his forehead to hers and energy radiated from every place of contact, proving his point.
“You’d die to love me,” she whispered.
“I’ll die if I don’t.” Ursus captured her lips, drawing the air from her lungs and the spirit from her fight. He wouldn’t give her another chance to resist. He could no longer hold back.
How could she deny she hungered for him, starved for him? Ached? It had been all he’d felt since he’d first seen her in the sector of the old city. Her hands slid up his chest and she let him take possession her. Was there life without her?
No.
He scooped her into his arms and took her back to the cave, where he intended to strip her bare and prove to her that he couldn’t live without her.
Ursus lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “What haunts you?”
Tesza shivered. “You.”
Saturday, August 21, 2010
When Souls Collide Chapter 9
http://backwardmomentum.blogspot.com/
If you have a moment, hop on over and check out what words of wisdom Marva Dasef has to share.
There's a lot that's happened already this month. Slipping the Past was also reviewed by Got Erotic Romance! Reviews, and I just had to share a snippet and link.
"What a wonderful, inventive, and suspenseful read. From the prologue you know you are reading a book quite different from most anything else out there."
For the full review, go here: http://goteroticromance.blogspot.com/2010/08/blog-post.html?zx=2b00d7cec28c76d
And my inspiration for Blown Away, my novel that's being released in November with Passion in Print http://passioninprint.com/future.php, is home from the Marines this week. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have my son here. Looks like a weekend full of barbequing and catching up.
Could it get any better?
Okay, time to stop rambling and post a little story. Ah, what the heck, I'll give you the whole chapter. Enjoy.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Tesza awoke with a gasp. Realizing Ursus held her, his arm wrapped over her waist, her body cupped to his. The palm of his hand was splayed over her belly. The heat it projected sent jolts of lust bolting through her pelvis.
“You fell asleep.” He nuzzled the back on her neck, inhaling the scent of her hair. “You smell like wild flowers.”
Tesza smiled at his enjoyment of the scent. She made her own oils and lotions. Among her people she was one of the best. She knew every plant in the jungle, every healing property and even those that catered to vanity.
He nipped the back of her neck. “Do you taste as sweet as you smell?”
Tesza stiffened in his arms. She knew the wonders of that mouth, the pain and pleasure it brought. Her thighs tightened and a shiver slid up her spine. Ursus used his leg to hook hers and roll her onto her back. He lifted his body until he pressed her to the mattress. His knee slid between her thighs forcing them open and onto either side of his hips. He rested on his elbows, touching his forehead against hers in a very intimate sign of Kori affection.
She couldn’t say anything, only stare into his face and feel his erection pressed against her, hot even between the layers of clothes. Tesza licked her lips and watched his eyes track downward. They drifted back up and locked onto her. Darker, hotter.
“You are my mate. I should take you; show you that you belong to me. There’s too much between us.”
“You’d die.” He wasn’t infected. His eyes remained clear. She could prevent it.
The corner of his mouth twitched. “I’m beginning not to care.”
“I care.”
He lifted his head and pulled away. “Are you hungry?”
Tesza nodded, still unable to speak. The scant distance he’d put between them made her want to weep. What was happening to her? Why did she care for him?
His gaze swept over her face, stopping on the wound. “I’ll make breakfast, and then I’m treating that injury before infection gets worse.”
Tesza nodded. For now, she’d let him tend to it. She could end this. She could save her people and give him what he craved. Her body. But inside her soul screamed at the thought of hurting him.
“Good. Go back to sleep. Rest and I’ll be back when it’s ready. He grabbed the cover and pulled it over her shoulder.
It only seemed like it had been minutes. A hand dropped to her shoulder. Tesza didn’t open her eyes immediately, but savored the energy that shot between her and the man whose touch sent her heart racing.
“Tesza.”
She rolled over and opened her eyes. Ursus sat on the bed next to her. He held a tube of ointment and some bandages.
“Let me dress that first.”
Tesza bit her lip. Why did he care? He hated her kind. Did he only treat her this way to get her secret? “What’s in it?”
“Oils, carsi flower.” He held the tube up. “It’s from my world, but it has strong anti-bacterial properties. Smells like shit, but it will keep you from scarring.”
She wrinkled her nose and yanked the blanket over her head. She could think of ten other plants on this world that would do the same thing and they didn’t smell like shit.
“Come on, let me see that wound.” The cover was pulled back and Ursus had a bead of the goop on the end of his finger.
Tesza sniffed and threw the cover over her head again. She’d thought he meant it smelled bad, not that it really smelled like shit. “No. That’s awful.”
“It works. I put it on all my wounds. You won’t smell it after awhile. Come on, let me see that cut.” He began to pull on the blanket again and Tesza tightened her grip.
“I know of something else that doesn’t smell as bad.”
“I have this for now. Quit being such a baby.” He pried the blanket off her and stared down, moving in with the gob. Tesza made a snapping motion with her teeth, threatening to bite him.
Ursus yanked his hand back. “Are you going to bite me?”
“If you touch me with that.”
“Is that a challenge?” His eyes sparked.
“No. A promise.” She growled at him and did her best to show her teeth.
He plopped his finger down on her nose, leaving the glob sticking to the end. Tesza eyes watered and she pulled the blanket up. In the attempt to wipe it off, she worked it in deeper. “Ursus. It stinks.” She scrubbed harder, only managing to release more of the oils, making it even more pungent. She spluttered and scrambled out of the bed, glancing around the room for water. Spotting a glass next to the bed, she grabbed it and dumped it over her head, rubbing her face vigorously. The water ran down, pouring over the front of shirt she’d slept in, soaking it over her breasts. She spluttered and stared at him through wet tendrils.
His eyes darkened and shifted to the wet shirt. For a second, he ceased to breathe.
Tesza froze. “Ursus?”
He growled and grabbed her wrist, yanking her onto the bed and throwing his body over hers, covering her. A hand slid under the shirt, pushing it up. His hard erection strained against the front of his pants, grinding into her. Both hands grabbed her wrists and yanked them over her head and pressed his forehead to hers, staring her in her eyes.
“Are you trying to kill me, woman?”
“You’re the one that put that nasty stuff on me.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” He pushed his hard cock against her again.
Tesza swallowed. “Don’t do it.”
“I believe I’d die a very happy man.” His lips brushed hers. “Say no.”
Tesza opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She wanted him as bad as he wanted her. She knew she should be screaming it out, stopping him. “I…”
“You feel it. Need it. It doesn’t have to be this way, Tesza. You could give me the cure; we could have all we desire. Touch each other deeper than we ever thought possible. I could give you pleasure.”
“No,” she whispered. He heart slammed in pain at the simple word. The fire began to die in his eyes. He lifted his forehead, nodded and moved away. He grabbed the tube and smeared a glob on the wound before she could react, pressing a bandage over it and taping it in place.
“Your breakfast is getting cold.” He got up and walked to the door, glancing over his shoulder and stopping in the threshold. “I have to meet my commander, I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.” He disappeared through the door. It slammed shut with a loud bang.
Tesza bit her lip and jumped off the bed. She had to leave. She had to put as much distance between them as she could before she made the mistake and killed him. The virus mutated too fast. If the rains came before she got to the antidote, he’d be lost. Only the viral parasite could stop it.
She opened a trunk by the bed and searched through the garments. She glanced out the window. Daylight was only now starting to filter down on the planet. If she moved, she could be out of the city before most of it was awake. Hopefully safe and unnoticed.
She grabbed a pair of his pants, a little big but a torn strip of fabric would work fine for a belt. She jumped into them, rolling them up to her ankles and yanked the shirt over her head. She grabbed another of his and dropped it over her head. She twisted her hair into a knot at the back of her neck and dug to the bottom of the chest for a pair of shoes and spotted the boots she’d worn when she first met Ursus. The garments were gone, but he’d kept the boots. Had he anticipated her staying?
She shoved her feet into the boots, grabbed a piece of flatbread and stepped through the door as it opened. He shouldn’t have trusted her to stay. She couldn’t. She was sorry if she got him in trouble, but anything would be better than killing him.
The air outside felt cold and the scent of approaching showers permeated the streets. The rainy season was here. She needed to leave, get out before she couldn’t. Carefully she slid into the shadows of an alley and headed for the jungle.
She’d miss him. Gods, she’d miss him.
#####
Ursus watched her go and followed from a safe distance. He knew the minute he’d stepped out the door, she’d leave. He’d follow to keep her safe. He adjusted his pack, sliding his weapon into his holster. If she got into trouble, he’d be there.
She kept to the back streets, climbing in and out of the ruins. At one point she slipped down into a hidden cistern, and waded through underground canals, an area he hadn’t realized existed.
The massive subterranean structure paid tribute to the ingenuity of the people who built the city. Once the tunnels opened up, Ursus found himself facing the jungle and a part of the city partially submerged underwater. The tips of buildings, stone domes and debris islands stood before him.
She slipped onto a roof line, running along its edge until she reached a large dome. Looking both ways, she slipped through an opening in a stained glass pattern, and re-emerged moments later in a small boat with a pole, pushing her way along through the sunken city. Ursus peeked into the structure to see several similar boats tethered inside. Obviously a hidden port for those who used the canals and travelled the city underground.
Like mud gats.
He stepped into a boat, slipped the knot free and pushed off, following Tesza as she slid into a mangroves. Birds and reptiles sat in the trees, mosses and vegetation hung everywhere. Riots of blooms in pinks, blues, and whites floated on the waters or wrapped around the trees, stretching for the canopy. Every breeze brought petals raining down. Showers of deceptive beauty.
Occasionally there would be a splash and wakes through the water as larger beasts moved under the surface. Flesh-eaters. Ursus slipped the guard off his holster so he could slide his weapon free on a seconds notice.
Gods, he hated the water, avoided it if he could. The mangrove was a dangerous place to be in a boat, let alone attempting to travel through on foot. It appeared the clans had been using this area to get in and out of the High city, slipping under Kori noses.
It was assumed no one in their right minds would try to navigate these swamps. Tesza did it like it was second nature. As other members of the Kalos must do. A situation that would need to be remedied if the city was to be rebuilt and settled as planned.
#####
Several times Tesza felt eyes on her, and glanced over her shoulder. Nobody followed. Her imaginations seemed to be weaving tales in her head. She was alone. Ursus would be safe.
Shelter needed to be found before star fall. The next outpost stretched at least two days ahead of her. The mangroves were too hostile to navigate at night and the outpost would be unreachable even with mechanical transportation.
Creatures hunted the swamps in the dark hours, creatures that could easily make a light snack of her. She knew the swamp forked ahead, taking her to an island, where some of the clan stayed during hunting and salvaging trips. With the rainy season approaching, the island would be unoccupied. The clans would be well on their way south by now, avoiding the floods.
She’d be cutting it close, staying on the island for the night. The monsoons could start at any time and she’d be trapped in a place with hungry beasts and savage waters.
Tesza decided to harvest the viral parasite. If ever the plague broke out, she wouldn’t want the innocents to suffer. She’d move it, plant it and hide it from the clans. Nobody deserved the hemorrhaging fever. Hallow-fever as it was called. Its victims liquefied on the inside within days of contracting the illness. Ursus had protected her, loved her. He above all didn’t deserve it.
She navigated the boat to the left channel, heading for the island where the remedy grew on the cliffs. She’d stay the night, take some of the fruit and be off before star rise. Hopefully, the rains didn’t start first.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
When Souls Collide, Chapter 8, Part 1.
The sun is shining and the extreme humidity and heat are gone. The day beckons to me. So we'll just get to the nitty-gritty.
Have a great Saturday!
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Ursus needed to touch her, protect her. When she’d blamed herself for the damage to her face, it was all he could do not to find those responsible and slaughter them. “You’re not at fault.”
Tesza moved away, hugging her body, shivering in the steamy room.
Ursus couldn’t fight the pull. He needed to touch her, breaking contact was painful. In three strides he crossed the room and tugged her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Tesza began to cry. Silent sobs, picking up intensity the longer her held her, until she shook in his arms.
He reached up and patted her head, unsure what else she needed. “Stop. Stop crying.” He’d never dealt with a crying female and never an enemy female. Comfort was not in his nature.
Tesza was different. He couldn’t get her out of his head. She’d become an addiction, an obsession. He never waited to see if those he hunted could feel or react. He’d always shot them, never looked them in the eyes or spoke a word. Ursus had always been unfeeling, uncaring that they were gone, exterminated. They were one less rodent to hunt. Why had she been different? Was it truly her energy that called like a siren’s song, or something more? Had her evil possessed him?
Tezsa wasn’t a rodent and she wasn’t evil. “You’re not one of them.”
She stiffened under his hold. “One of what, Ursus?” She yanked away and backed into a corner. “Don’t touch me. I’m not a pet.”
Ursus closed in. “No, no you’re not.”
“Then don’t pat my head, don’t touch me.”
“I can’t stop myself. I need to touch you, taste you, climb inside you and merge with you flesh and bone. I can’t get close enough. I can’t think. You’ve possessed me.”
Her gaze riveted to his. “Possessed?” The word came out in a hoarse whisper.
“You haunt me even as you stand there. Please. Please don’t push me away. I can’t take it.” He stepped closer and she pressed back into the corner, eyes wide, her chest rising and falling.
“It hurts.” Ursus took another step forward.
“No.” She sank to her heels, staring up at him like a wounded animal. The look in her eyes ripped his heart to shreds. “Don’t come any closer.”
Ursus balled his hands and fought the urge to snag her off the floor. “Don’t play innocent. I can taste your lust in the air. You desire me as much as I need you. No games, Tezsa.”
She shook her head and dropped her gaze to the floor. “It’s not that I don’t want you. I can’t do this.”
"I would never hurt you.”
"Can you say the same for the others of my kind?”
No. He’d hurt them before and would do it again. Who was she to question him? Ursus snarled and spun around. “Everything you require is here. I’ll be back with food and medicine for your wound. Don’t try to leave this room. If you attempt to escape, I’ll tie you down.”
He stormed out, letting the metal panel slam shut with a bang behind him. Inside his body felt like it burned, sharp pains raced through his chest and his teeth hurt where he’d nearly pulverized them by clenching down. He’d make her see she needed him as much as he needed her. Tesza was his.
Have a great Saturday!
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Ursus needed to touch her, protect her. When she’d blamed herself for the damage to her face, it was all he could do not to find those responsible and slaughter them. “You’re not at fault.”
Tesza moved away, hugging her body, shivering in the steamy room.
Ursus couldn’t fight the pull. He needed to touch her, breaking contact was painful. In three strides he crossed the room and tugged her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Tesza began to cry. Silent sobs, picking up intensity the longer her held her, until she shook in his arms.
He reached up and patted her head, unsure what else she needed. “Stop. Stop crying.” He’d never dealt with a crying female and never an enemy female. Comfort was not in his nature.
Tesza was different. He couldn’t get her out of his head. She’d become an addiction, an obsession. He never waited to see if those he hunted could feel or react. He’d always shot them, never looked them in the eyes or spoke a word. Ursus had always been unfeeling, uncaring that they were gone, exterminated. They were one less rodent to hunt. Why had she been different? Was it truly her energy that called like a siren’s song, or something more? Had her evil possessed him?
Tezsa wasn’t a rodent and she wasn’t evil. “You’re not one of them.”
She stiffened under his hold. “One of what, Ursus?” She yanked away and backed into a corner. “Don’t touch me. I’m not a pet.”
Ursus closed in. “No, no you’re not.”
“Then don’t pat my head, don’t touch me.”
“I can’t stop myself. I need to touch you, taste you, climb inside you and merge with you flesh and bone. I can’t get close enough. I can’t think. You’ve possessed me.”
Her gaze riveted to his. “Possessed?” The word came out in a hoarse whisper.
“You haunt me even as you stand there. Please. Please don’t push me away. I can’t take it.” He stepped closer and she pressed back into the corner, eyes wide, her chest rising and falling.
“It hurts.” Ursus took another step forward.
“No.” She sank to her heels, staring up at him like a wounded animal. The look in her eyes ripped his heart to shreds. “Don’t come any closer.”
Ursus balled his hands and fought the urge to snag her off the floor. “Don’t play innocent. I can taste your lust in the air. You desire me as much as I need you. No games, Tezsa.”
She shook her head and dropped her gaze to the floor. “It’s not that I don’t want you. I can’t do this.”
"I would never hurt you.”
"Can you say the same for the others of my kind?”
No. He’d hurt them before and would do it again. Who was she to question him? Ursus snarled and spun around. “Everything you require is here. I’ll be back with food and medicine for your wound. Don’t try to leave this room. If you attempt to escape, I’ll tie you down.”
He stormed out, letting the metal panel slam shut with a bang behind him. Inside his body felt like it burned, sharp pains raced through his chest and his teeth hurt where he’d nearly pulverized them by clenching down. He’d make her see she needed him as much as he needed her. Tesza was his.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
When Souls Collide Chapter 7, Part 2
As approach the end of one deadline, my thoughts turn to new projects. What will I write next?
Yeah, I have another that waits, that I know my publisher wants, but sometimes the right side of the brain needs to work on something different. Call it a neural vacation and I'm definitely sitting on that beach.
Will it be a comic romance--a contemporary? You ever feel like switching gears and changing it up with something very different from the normal?
Yeah, that's where I'm at. Something different. Sometimes all it takes is a suggestion from a friend for me to swap out the muse. (You know who you are.) So, I've swapped the muse and I'm sinking my teeth into some comedy.
Here's something to sink your teeth into.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Ursus stared at the door to secure containment. They never needed cells before. The enemy had always been exterminated in the field. The old city’s cells were refurbished for this one prisoner.
Pilot’s gut told him she held the key and he’d yet to be wrong. Ursus pressed his hand into the pad and the door slid open. A soldier standing at the entrance directed him to a visual scanner on the wall. Ursus braced his face against the device and waited while a nano-beam measured the patterns in his eyes.
“ID confirmed,” the computer chirped and a second set of doors opened leading to the cells.
“I’ll go alone from here,” Ursus said. The soldier saluted and stepped back, allowing him access. Ursus walked through and the door shut behind him. He blinked to let his eyes adjust to the dim light.
#####
Tesza sat up and rubbed her eyes. The ringing on the metal flooring signaled someone’s approach. Since yesterday when they’d brought her in, nothing but quiet. Not a single Kori showed their face. She’d begun to wonder if they’d locked her in and left her, to starve or drown when the city flooded.
The door to her cell swung open and the outline of a tall man filled the frame. His form, backlit from the lights, darkened his countenance. Tesza narrowed her eyes, squinting. She scooted back on the bunk until she wedged her back firmly in the corner.
Her heart pounded, threatening to break her ribs. What did the man want? She’d remembered the woman in the courtyard. They didn’t just kill them anymore. The Kori were getting bold.
He took two steps into the room and kicked the door shut behind him. She jumped and her breath hitched. Gods. Ursus.
“I thought I told you to get out of the city.”
Tesza burst into tears. She swallowed hard, unable to speak.
He strode over to her and grabbed her arms, hauling her to her feet, yanking her closer. “Do you have any idea what kind of mess you’re in?”
Tesza nodded. She knew when she saw him again it would be at the cost of her life, but what did it matter? Without her people and that she’d been cast out into the wilderness, she’d have died anyway.
He let her go, tipping her face up. “What am I going to do with you?” His touch felt soft, bordering on gentle. Strong hands that looked as if they could crush upon contact, handled her as though she’d fracture. So contradictory, her Ursus.
Her Ursus? He wasn’t anything to her but an enemy. Tesza yanked away.
“Don’t turn from me.” He grabbed her chin and moved her face to his. His eyes took on a hard edge. “Ever.”
He eyed the wound on the side of her face. Tesza instinctively reached to cover it, and he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
“Who did this?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes,” he growled. Ursus touched the wound lightly, then turned her head to the light to examine it closer. “Did they do this because of me?”
“Yes.”
“Your people are barbarians.”
“As are yours.”
Ursus dropped his hand and stepped back. “Gather your things, you’re coming with me.”
“I’ve nothing.”
He nodded, opened the door and gestured for her to walk through ahead of him. “That will change.”
“They will execute you for helping me.”
“Who said I was helping you?”
Was he helping her? Tesza stepped past him and into a corridor. “If you’re not helping me, then what are you doing?”
“I need information, Tesza.”
The words stung her heart. Tesza’s spirit sank. How could she be so foolish to believe he cared about her, wanted her?
“My feelings for you haven’t changed.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I am bound by duty to interrogate you. To retrieve the information I seek by any means necessary.”
He grabbed her arm and directed her toward the next door. “Don’t say anything and keep your eyes down.”
The door opened and Ursus shoved her through.
“Sir, you cannot take the prisoner from here.”
“Don’t question my tactics.”
“Sir?”
“Stand down soldier or your ass will be in the brig.”
The soldier saluted and stepped back. Tesza kept her eyes averted, but could feel the disgust in the man as she passed. They all felt that way. Except Ursus.
“I have to call the General to confirm your orders.” The soldier let the door to outside shut, prohibiting their exit. Tesza could hear the rise and falls of his tones as he spoke through his headset. Ursus developed a tick in his jaw as he stared at the soldier. The soldier’s eyes flitted from Tesza to Ursus. When she made eye contact, the soldier raised his weapon.
Ursus reached over and pushed the barrel away. “Leave her.” Tesza dropped her eyes.
“Yes sir.” The soldier pressed his palm into the pad and the door opened. “I was protecting you. They can suck your soul through their eyes.”
“They are as humanoid as you or I. Do I look as though she’s sucked my soul?”
“No sir. The prisoner is yours. General Pilot asked me to relay a message. Storms are approaching from the east. You have less time.”
Ursus nodded and snagged Tesza’s arm, pushing her through the door.
As soon as the door shut, Ursus barked. “I told you to keep your eyes down. They’ll shoot you. The men are afraid of your people.”
“Why should they be afraid of us? We’re not the ones slaughtering others because of their race.”
“People are afraid of what they don’t understand. No matter what my people do to extinguish yours, you magically survive. The soldiers are a superstitious lot, raised from childhood to believe the Kalos are evil. Beliefs ingrained from birth are not easily dismissed.”
“We’re not evil.” Accept for the gift she held.
“The Kori know nothing different. To them, you’re beasts,” he said. “Enough talk.” Ursus urged her forward. “Be quiet. Keep your eyes down or next time I might not be able to stop them.”
Tesza kept her mouth shut. Everywhere they went she could feel eyes on her. The urge to look up and see who, was almost overwhelming, but Ursus’s warning stopped her. There was no question they’d shoot her.
He opened a door and shoved her through. As soon as it shut, he spun her around and pushed her back against the wall. Both hands went to the sides of her face. “I’ve mourned you every day since you left.” His mouth connected and he worked his lips softly over hers, coaxing her mouth open.
Bolts of heat quickened her blood. Lust, undeniable lust. Tesza grabbed his hips and pulled him into her. No matter that he wanted information that could locate her people, that he would kill them, that she could kill him, desire blossomed in the pit of her stomach and worked through her in an intense heat. Gods she wanted him. Needed him.
He groaned and deepened the kiss.
He missed her?
For the moment she’d forgotten the injury on her face. But when his hand grazed it, sharp pains shot from around the wound. Tezsa flinched.
Ursus stepped back and tipped her head to the side. “We need to get some ointment on that.”
“Don’t bother. I’m nothing without it.”
“It will scar or the infection could spread.”
But the infection hadn’t spread, not the one he was talking about. Not yet. If she had anything to do about it, never. “Why do I care? I’m already dead.”
“Because you’re not going to die. Not while you’re in my custody.”
“You don’t understand. I want to die.” Tezsa twisted away from him. “I have to die. I can’t hurt you and I can’t betray my people if I do.”
“You still claim them. Even if they did this to you?” He turned her around and lightly touched her cheek next to the cut.
“I did that to myself.”
“You cut the mark from your face?”
“No. My actions caused this. I’m a traitor.”
Yeah, I have another that waits, that I know my publisher wants, but sometimes the right side of the brain needs to work on something different. Call it a neural vacation and I'm definitely sitting on that beach.
Will it be a comic romance--a contemporary? You ever feel like switching gears and changing it up with something very different from the normal?
Yeah, that's where I'm at. Something different. Sometimes all it takes is a suggestion from a friend for me to swap out the muse. (You know who you are.) So, I've swapped the muse and I'm sinking my teeth into some comedy.
Here's something to sink your teeth into.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Ursus stared at the door to secure containment. They never needed cells before. The enemy had always been exterminated in the field. The old city’s cells were refurbished for this one prisoner.
Pilot’s gut told him she held the key and he’d yet to be wrong. Ursus pressed his hand into the pad and the door slid open. A soldier standing at the entrance directed him to a visual scanner on the wall. Ursus braced his face against the device and waited while a nano-beam measured the patterns in his eyes.
“ID confirmed,” the computer chirped and a second set of doors opened leading to the cells.
“I’ll go alone from here,” Ursus said. The soldier saluted and stepped back, allowing him access. Ursus walked through and the door shut behind him. He blinked to let his eyes adjust to the dim light.
#####
Tesza sat up and rubbed her eyes. The ringing on the metal flooring signaled someone’s approach. Since yesterday when they’d brought her in, nothing but quiet. Not a single Kori showed their face. She’d begun to wonder if they’d locked her in and left her, to starve or drown when the city flooded.
The door to her cell swung open and the outline of a tall man filled the frame. His form, backlit from the lights, darkened his countenance. Tesza narrowed her eyes, squinting. She scooted back on the bunk until she wedged her back firmly in the corner.
Her heart pounded, threatening to break her ribs. What did the man want? She’d remembered the woman in the courtyard. They didn’t just kill them anymore. The Kori were getting bold.
He took two steps into the room and kicked the door shut behind him. She jumped and her breath hitched. Gods. Ursus.
“I thought I told you to get out of the city.”
Tesza burst into tears. She swallowed hard, unable to speak.
He strode over to her and grabbed her arms, hauling her to her feet, yanking her closer. “Do you have any idea what kind of mess you’re in?”
Tesza nodded. She knew when she saw him again it would be at the cost of her life, but what did it matter? Without her people and that she’d been cast out into the wilderness, she’d have died anyway.
He let her go, tipping her face up. “What am I going to do with you?” His touch felt soft, bordering on gentle. Strong hands that looked as if they could crush upon contact, handled her as though she’d fracture. So contradictory, her Ursus.
Her Ursus? He wasn’t anything to her but an enemy. Tesza yanked away.
“Don’t turn from me.” He grabbed her chin and moved her face to his. His eyes took on a hard edge. “Ever.”
He eyed the wound on the side of her face. Tesza instinctively reached to cover it, and he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
“Who did this?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes,” he growled. Ursus touched the wound lightly, then turned her head to the light to examine it closer. “Did they do this because of me?”
“Yes.”
“Your people are barbarians.”
“As are yours.”
Ursus dropped his hand and stepped back. “Gather your things, you’re coming with me.”
“I’ve nothing.”
He nodded, opened the door and gestured for her to walk through ahead of him. “That will change.”
“They will execute you for helping me.”
“Who said I was helping you?”
Was he helping her? Tesza stepped past him and into a corridor. “If you’re not helping me, then what are you doing?”
“I need information, Tesza.”
The words stung her heart. Tesza’s spirit sank. How could she be so foolish to believe he cared about her, wanted her?
“My feelings for you haven’t changed.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I am bound by duty to interrogate you. To retrieve the information I seek by any means necessary.”
He grabbed her arm and directed her toward the next door. “Don’t say anything and keep your eyes down.”
The door opened and Ursus shoved her through.
“Sir, you cannot take the prisoner from here.”
“Don’t question my tactics.”
“Sir?”
“Stand down soldier or your ass will be in the brig.”
The soldier saluted and stepped back. Tesza kept her eyes averted, but could feel the disgust in the man as she passed. They all felt that way. Except Ursus.
“I have to call the General to confirm your orders.” The soldier let the door to outside shut, prohibiting their exit. Tesza could hear the rise and falls of his tones as he spoke through his headset. Ursus developed a tick in his jaw as he stared at the soldier. The soldier’s eyes flitted from Tesza to Ursus. When she made eye contact, the soldier raised his weapon.
Ursus reached over and pushed the barrel away. “Leave her.” Tesza dropped her eyes.
“Yes sir.” The soldier pressed his palm into the pad and the door opened. “I was protecting you. They can suck your soul through their eyes.”
“They are as humanoid as you or I. Do I look as though she’s sucked my soul?”
“No sir. The prisoner is yours. General Pilot asked me to relay a message. Storms are approaching from the east. You have less time.”
Ursus nodded and snagged Tesza’s arm, pushing her through the door.
As soon as the door shut, Ursus barked. “I told you to keep your eyes down. They’ll shoot you. The men are afraid of your people.”
“Why should they be afraid of us? We’re not the ones slaughtering others because of their race.”
“People are afraid of what they don’t understand. No matter what my people do to extinguish yours, you magically survive. The soldiers are a superstitious lot, raised from childhood to believe the Kalos are evil. Beliefs ingrained from birth are not easily dismissed.”
“We’re not evil.” Accept for the gift she held.
“The Kori know nothing different. To them, you’re beasts,” he said. “Enough talk.” Ursus urged her forward. “Be quiet. Keep your eyes down or next time I might not be able to stop them.”
Tesza kept her mouth shut. Everywhere they went she could feel eyes on her. The urge to look up and see who, was almost overwhelming, but Ursus’s warning stopped her. There was no question they’d shoot her.
He opened a door and shoved her through. As soon as it shut, he spun her around and pushed her back against the wall. Both hands went to the sides of her face. “I’ve mourned you every day since you left.” His mouth connected and he worked his lips softly over hers, coaxing her mouth open.
Bolts of heat quickened her blood. Lust, undeniable lust. Tesza grabbed his hips and pulled him into her. No matter that he wanted information that could locate her people, that he would kill them, that she could kill him, desire blossomed in the pit of her stomach and worked through her in an intense heat. Gods she wanted him. Needed him.
He groaned and deepened the kiss.
He missed her?
For the moment she’d forgotten the injury on her face. But when his hand grazed it, sharp pains shot from around the wound. Tezsa flinched.
Ursus stepped back and tipped her head to the side. “We need to get some ointment on that.”
“Don’t bother. I’m nothing without it.”
“It will scar or the infection could spread.”
But the infection hadn’t spread, not the one he was talking about. Not yet. If she had anything to do about it, never. “Why do I care? I’m already dead.”
“Because you’re not going to die. Not while you’re in my custody.”
“You don’t understand. I want to die.” Tezsa twisted away from him. “I have to die. I can’t hurt you and I can’t betray my people if I do.”
“You still claim them. Even if they did this to you?” He turned her around and lightly touched her cheek next to the cut.
“I did that to myself.”
“You cut the mark from your face?”
“No. My actions caused this. I’m a traitor.”
Saturday, July 17, 2010
When Souls Collide Chapter 7 Part 1
For those of you who haven't had a chance to follow this story from the start, I will be reposting it on my blog, Para-Fanatics, starting at the end of August. All the chapters will be available to catch-up to where we are here.
Deadlines first, however. I'm nose down on my latest. But as soon as my newest novel, Blown away is off to the editor, I'm all yours. :).
Heres a couple of blurbs for Blown Away, that will be available in print in November:
http://passioninprint.com/future.php
Detonate
Alice MacKay can't keep up with all the bomb threats in Trios Port. When Boomer, a former Terran Marine with more than a healthy dose of arrogance, strolls into her office for an interview, she can't get rid of him fast enough. But disarming bombs is easier than disarming amorous Marines. When Boomer decides to stick around, MacKay wonders if she's met her match.
Happy Trails
Jenna's been infatuated with Tyson Rivers since she boarded the mining ship, but the scoop's explosive ordnance officer doesn't seem to know she's there. Too shy to introduce herself, she decides to snoop in his personnel file instead. When Tyson catches her digging, he realizes he's not the only one feeling the attraction, but could his tactics to get her alone end with a bigger bang than he expected?
And last but not least...story time!
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Captain Ursus Devot approached the main office, the heels of his boots clicked against the stone tile. The metal spikes for jungle patrol embedded in the soles, made it no secret he approached. They were the only boots that kept him and his men on their feet in the muddy terrain. Geared out in his field clothes, he hadn’t time to change or clean up. His orders were to report immediately, and they couldn’t be ignored.
Colonel Pilot Calla was as fierce a man as his reputation. He had more kills in his unit than any other Kori division. It took him three days to sweep, cleanup and lock down High city when others tried for years.
A request to his office meant one of two things. You’d done something wrong, in which the punishment would be immediate and without mercy, or he wanted something.
Ursus knocked.
“Enter,” a voice called from the other side.
Ursus saluted and waited. He’d taken a female Kalos to his quarters. Perhaps someone saw her leave?
“We’ve captured a Kalos spy, dressed as one of our own.” His commander flipped a knife from blade to hilt, blade to hilt. A sharp face, with angles that could cut flesh and a straight, hard mouth, Pilot’s temperament was as severe as he looked. Black eyes without mercy stared at Ursus while he continued to flip the knife, catching it on instinct, not slipping or missing once. “Inside the city.” Flip. Flip. Flip. “One wonders where the clothes came from and how they got in.”
The Kalos were known to take uniforms off the dead Kori soldiers, so this was nothing new. There was only a slim chance that the one they’d captured was the captivating Tesza. Probably a male.
“They scavenge clothes off our soldiers all the time.”
Commander Callas raised a brow. “Indeed. But it wasn’t a uniform they had on.” Flip. Flip. Flip. The knife kept perfect cadence. “Civilian and expensive. Imported. Do you suppose we have sympathizers within our ranks?”
“I have yet to see one, sir. Who is he, the spy? A man of rank?”
“He? I never said the spy was male, Captain. I believe that she knows the location of the Kalos leader. It appears they’ve cast her out.” He caught the blade and held it, balancing it on the tips of his fingers, holding it steady. His brow furrowed, a sure sign something rattled him. Pilot Callas never wore his feelings on his face. He’d be displeased to know for a fleet moment, he had. He narrowed his eyes as he noticed Ursus studying him. “I want you to find out what she knows.”
“Torture her?”
“Whatever means you chose. I’ve heard you’ve done it before. Does the fact that it’s female bother you? Do you feel sympathy for them?” The colonel flipped the knife again, catching the handle and burying the blade into the wood of his desk, his stoic demeanor back.
“No sir. Extinction is the only thing they deserve.” Unless they were Tesza.
The colonel nodded. “Whatever mark they cut from her face, they didn’t want us to see.”
“Those marks indicate they’re able to breed others, marks of honor. I doubt that was the reason.” Why did I tell him that? Ursus shut his mouth before he let anymore slip.
“You know this how?”
“It’s not the first interrogation I’ve done.”
He grunted and nodded his head. “Yes, you didn’t seem intimidated by the contact at the levee camp.”
It seemed more a comment than a question. The colonel’s eyes bore into him as if digging into his mind and seeking the truth he hid. Ursus buried his thoughts, afraid he just might be able to do it. Rumors said he had an uncanny ability for uncovering the facts, digging up things that were hidden.
“No. I don’t buy into children’s stories.”
“It’s why I’ve called you here. Get the information, but make sure you keep her alive. I believe she is the key to cracking this resistance and seeing our goal of eradication come to fruit.”
“Yes sir.” Ursus saluted and did an about-face.
“Captain?”
Ursus turned back around. “Yes sir.”
“You’ve got a week and the flooding season will be here. We’ll need to move to higher ground. There isn’t time to replace the levees and I expect the city to be under water by the end of the week. I want the information before that. You’ll find her locked up in section 12-A.”
“Yes sir.” The original levees had been destroyed, but not by the Kori. The people of this world detonated all the ships on the planet and disabled their metropolises, making them as hostile as possible for the forces when they invaded. The only technology around was what the Kori brought with them, the planet was primitive outside that.
If the levees hadn’t been blown this morning, they’d been able to occupy the city through the flooding season. The Kalos king was no fool, even if he was primitive.
The Kalos may have de-evolved, but they’d dug in and thus far proved to be impossible to exterminate. It was the why the Kori government called in Colonel Pilot Calla, a man without remorse and he expected his men to be as cold.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
When Souls Collide Chapter 6
A big chunk today.
Enjoy.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Chapter 6
“What’s the meaning of this?” Jarod held the red stone necklace clutched in his fist, an inch from her face. He’d just spent the last hour explaining to the widows of his murdered warriors how they died with honor to protect their people against the Kori. Then his wife strolled into camp dressed like one and smelling like one.
“You look like a Kori whore and stink of them. Yet you tell me you didn’t break Fourth night vows, you didn’t have sex with one? You went to the city for this?” He flung the necklace against the wall, scattering the rare stones like marbles.
The incense clung to the clothing, making her feel even cheaper. Tesza swallowed hard. She was a carrier. It was her duty if caught to follow through, even if it meant death. Even if it meant breaking her Fourth night vows. She shouldn’t have gone to the city. None of this would be happening now.
Rage moved over Jarod’s face and his hands curled into fists at his sides. He nodded to the guards by the door then addressed her father. “Leave us.” All left the room, shutting the door behind them.
Tesza shifted on her feet.
“You disobeyed me for that? You betrayed your people for that?”
“It was all I had of my past. I wanted…”
“It’s forbidden for you to go anywhere on Fourth day, you know this.” He glared shards of ice. “You met one of them? Who?”
Tesza nodded. “The Butcher.”
“Yet here you stand in front of me. He didn’t kill you. Why?”
“I don’t know. He believes there’s some kind of bond between us.” But it wasn’t a belief; there was a bond she couldn’t explain, one that kept her from hurting him as much as it kept Ursus from killing her.
“Why didn’t you infect him? You know who he is, how many of our people he’s responsible for killing.”
She could say it was because of tonight, but he’d know she lied. This time she shook her head. Her eyes darted to the door, desperately wanting to leave. How could she explain any of it? She’d not only betrayed her people, she’d betrayed him by feeling something for the enemy soldier.
“You knew you were forbidden the city, yet you recklessly disobeyed me. Then, when the opportunity presented itself, you betrayed your people.”
“Jarod. I…”
“You’re a traitor.”
Tesza gasped from the sting of his words. Pain knifed its way through her body, twisting her insides. How could she explain her actions?
Her entire life she’d been prepped to be his wife. She grew up with him. Played with him as a child, loved him as an adolescent. She loved him now. She’d been bred, raised and taught to please him in all her actions. Then on the eve of her marriage ceremony, she offered him disloyalty. She was a traitor.
“Please. I couldn’t. You have to understand.” Jarod once told her the last thing he ever wanted was to share her with another man. It was why he kept her close, kept her from her calling. He knew if she should get caught, her responsibility to her people overrode his wishes and desires.
“How could you do this to me? Your people? I loved you Tesza, I still love you.”
“Jarod, please…”
He reached out and touched her face, tracing the mark. “I forbid you the city because of this. I didn’t want you hurt, raped or killed. Do you have any idea what he could have done to you?”
Tesza swallowed. She had an idea. She’d seen the crying women and children. She was lucky to have escaped with her life.
“I can’t choose who nature picks as the carriers, but I can prevent you from throwing yourself into a dangerous situation. Gods, it was Fourth night. You left me on Fourth night and let another touch you. You were my wife. Did you feel something for him? Want him, Tesza?”
“Were?” Everything else he said faded away. One little word brought her life crashing down around her.
“You’ve forced my hand, broken our laws. This can’t go unpunished. Several died today. Their wives and children are out there. You can’t stay. How will I explain my own queen’s betrayal of her people? If you’d infected him, I could forgive you, they could forgive you. But this, this is nothing but disloyalty.”
“I...”
“Shut your mouth before I have you executed for treason.”
Tesza’s mouth snapped shut. His demeanor grew colder. Tesza shivered. This was a side she’d never thought to see directed at her.
Rage.
The king, her once future husband curled his lip into a snarl. “You no longer carry the honor to wear that mark.”
Tesza reached up and touched her face. It was a mark she’d carried from birth. The day she was sworn in as a carrier. A bringer of life to her people.
Jarod yanked her hand away from it. “You’re dead to us.” Pain flashed through his eyes. He spun and barked for her father, who stepped inside.
“You’re family is no longer among the nobles of the High Imperial House. You are to report to the lemans ranks, and wear the shame of your daughter there.” He stormed through the door. Soldiers filed in and snagged her arms, dragging her toward the exit. Tesza threw herself back and screamed. Nobody gave her a second glance or attempted to help. Even her father turned his shoulder to her and didn’t look again. Today, she became a ghost.
#####
Beaten, dressed in torn Kori garments, Tesza was driven from her home with brick, stone and animal dung. In her mind she deserved death. Her bare feet were mangled from running across the crumbling ruins and sliced from glass and stone. Tesza sank down on a boulder by a stream and dipped the bleeding flesh into the icy water.
Pain sliced through her. She cried out and rocked back and forth. It hurt, but nothing compared to the pain in her soul and her loss of the one man she’d loved since childhood.
Being cast from the clan was one matter, she could possibly find sanctuary with one of the outlying families, but being cast from Jarod’s marriage bed was entirely different. No Kalos clan would have her. They were forbidden to even look at her. To aid her was to suffer her fate.
Tesza tied the torn strips of fabric over her breasts to keep her blouse closed. He face throbbed where the tattoo had been cut away. Crude stitches held it together. Already it began to fester. A scar could not be avoided. One look and the Kalos would know she was the traitor.
If Jarod had only listened. But why should he believe her? She was guilty. Guilty of caring for the enemy. Even if she hadn’t intercourse with the soldier, she’d craved it, wanted it. She couldn’t deny that she’d lain in bed with the enemy and let him touch her, caress her.
Then she walked away. She let him touch her without reason. Infidelity in Jarod’s eyes, betrayal in her people.
Tesza pulled her knees to her chest. She was as good as dead. Outcasts didn’t live long outside the clan. If the elements didn’t get her, the hungry beasts of the jungle or the Kori would. Ursus had been a rare exception and he was too deep within the Kori outpost to seek out without being seen.
Ursus. He’d told her to leave before he couldn’t let her go. Perhaps... No, he would be in as grave a danger if she hid there. The compulsion to be with him was too strong. She’d murder millions, perhaps billions if the infection got off-world. What a mess she’d gotten into.
Though all the pain and disgrace, she still could close her eyes and feel the heat of his touch and taste his lips. And damn, her body became aroused. Tesza slid her hand inside her blouse to touch the nipple that became hard. Gods she still wanted him.
She cupped the water and splashed it into her face. The image reflected back at her, bloodied, bruised and swollen. Nothing like the face she remembered. Even if she snuck into the encampment in High city, would he recognize her, want her with the way she looked?
Tesza slapped the water and screamed. How, how could she think about going back to him? She tilted her head back and glanced at the darkening sky through the canopy above. The flooding season was upon them. Soon the Kori encampment would be moving on and Ursus lost.
She’d see him one last time. Gods. She had to.
#####
She’d back track and come through the underground. Tesza leapt over a fallen column. Bare feet left a bloody trail behind her. Bits of twigs and rocks stuck to her wounds, each step sent shooting pains up her legs.
“She’s this way. Follow the blood.”
Tesza paused and glanced over her shoulder, shadows danced along the side of a building. She dodged behind the corner of a partially collapsed wall, her chest rose and fell. They were getting too close. She couldn’t slip into the underground with them watching.
Bolts slammed into the ground off to the side, across the abandoned plaza.
“There’s another. Get her.”
Tesza narrowed her eyes. Another? Here? In daylight. Chances were good they’d kill her. No Kori had touched any of the carriers in years. Coming here didn’t make sense.
She sucked in a breath and backed away, stepping in a mud puddle, coating her feet in hopes of sealing them long enough to mask her retreat.
“No,” a young woman screamed. Tesza ducked low and watched as five Kori soldiers dragged her into the open. They looped cords over her wrists and fired their grappling clamps into a building and tree on either side of her. Tesza found herself entranced. They’d touched her?
The cords snapped tight, yanking her limbs straight. The sounds of cracking bone and shrieking filled the clearing. The force of the cables lifted the woman’s feet off the ground. Blood poured from cuts around her hands. She threw her head back and howled.
“Shut her up.”
One of the soldiers ripped her shirt down the front and tore it from her body. He balled it up, grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, stuffing the wad into her mouth.
Tesza froze. This was what she was supposed to have done. Let the animals touch her, give them the infection.
No matter the brutality of the situation before her, Tesza couldn’t bring herself to move from where she sat. Lure them away, stop them. The woman would probably hate her if she did.
She wondered why she pitied them the end that was coming. They may think they’d control with the Red-Clan woman strung up, at their mercy. But they didn’t. The woman knew this.
Skin stretched tight, showing the disconnected joints, enhancing the ball parts of the woman’s sockets. The pain had to be unbearable, but she didn’t fight. She didn’t kick or make any attempt to stop the direction in which the situation traveled.
“Do you suppose they can really drain our lives?” A soldier asked, sticking the tip of his lazr’ under her jaw.
The woman’s eyes watered, but she did her best to look brave, unaffected. She knew what she had to do. The mark on her cheek said it all. She was one of them, one like Tesza. Raised from childhood to be a carrier. Did she worry about the innocents as Tesza had? She made eye contact. No. She was ready to die to do what she must.
Tesza’s heart raced. She should stop this. They didn’t know what they were about to do. She steadied herself, took a deep breath and rose from her position. The soldiers were too occupied to notice.
The Red-Clan woman shook her head, warning her back, making it clear she didn’t want this stopped. The look on her face, branded Tesza a traitor.
“I say we have some fun. There’s nobody here to stop us and I think the stories of soul-sucking are just that. The Butcher touched one and lives. He touched six and nothing happened. What do you say? Is it a story to keep us from touching Kalos’s females,” the soldier asked the helpless woman.
She turned her head from him.
Tesza bit her lip. She could stop this, step into the clearing, lure them away. No one deserved to die like that. The woman made eye contact again.
The soldier unbuttoned her pants while she hung helpless before him. He yanked them down and used his knife to cut the fabric away, leaving her hanging naked except for her boots.
“Pretty for an evil bitch.” He shoved her and she swung back and forth on her dislocated arms. Tesza could hear the cries through the gag. Gods. They were going to do it.
“I still have my soul, whore. You can’t do it, can you?” The man reached for his belt and a blue bolt flew past him, hitting the woman. The soldier stumbled back and fell to the brick that paved the courtyard. The hanging woman lit and disintegrated, leaving only a pile of ash. The cables whipped loose through the air. One slammed into the building next to where Tesza watched, exploding part of the plaster wall. She dropped, covering her head, hoping they didn’t look in her direction.
“What’s going on here?”
Tesza’s head snapped up. A tall man in the uniform of an officer, walked into the clearing. He had a lazr’ pointed at the soldier on the ground.
Tesza caught the insignia on his collar and bit down on her lip harder, drawing blood. Colonel Pilot Calla. Walking evil. A horrific legend among the clans. His men slaughtered more of her people than any other Kori division.
“We were about to torture her for information.”
“That’s not what it looked like to me.” The officer squeezed the trigger and turned the soldier on the ground to dust. “Now, do one of you want to tell me what was really going on here?”
One of the soldiers opened his mouth and the officer spun on him before he got a word out. “Rape,” Col Calla said.
“We were…”
“Going to rape the wretched creature.”
“Yes, sir.”
More soldiers entered the clearing surrounding the group. “Do you know the penalty for this? For even touching one of them?”
“She was nothing but a Kalos bitch.”
“You didn’t address me as sir.” The officer raised his lazr’ and fired. The man dissolved. “I don’t tolerate disobedience within the ranks.” He turned his weapon on another and glanced over at the cable attached to the tree. “String them up like they did the Kalos whore. I want a visual reminder for those that think they can make their own laws. They’ll hang until they die.”
He spun on his heel to leave and stopped cold. His gaze riveted down to Tesza. “Well, what do we have here?”
Enjoy.
All rights are the intellectual property of the author. No part may be copied or reproduced without the permission of the author.
***Warning. The following story contains erotic elements, explicit language and violence. Read at your own risk.***
Chapter 6
“What’s the meaning of this?” Jarod held the red stone necklace clutched in his fist, an inch from her face. He’d just spent the last hour explaining to the widows of his murdered warriors how they died with honor to protect their people against the Kori. Then his wife strolled into camp dressed like one and smelling like one.
“You look like a Kori whore and stink of them. Yet you tell me you didn’t break Fourth night vows, you didn’t have sex with one? You went to the city for this?” He flung the necklace against the wall, scattering the rare stones like marbles.
The incense clung to the clothing, making her feel even cheaper. Tesza swallowed hard. She was a carrier. It was her duty if caught to follow through, even if it meant death. Even if it meant breaking her Fourth night vows. She shouldn’t have gone to the city. None of this would be happening now.
Rage moved over Jarod’s face and his hands curled into fists at his sides. He nodded to the guards by the door then addressed her father. “Leave us.” All left the room, shutting the door behind them.
Tesza shifted on her feet.
“You disobeyed me for that? You betrayed your people for that?”
“It was all I had of my past. I wanted…”
“It’s forbidden for you to go anywhere on Fourth day, you know this.” He glared shards of ice. “You met one of them? Who?”
Tesza nodded. “The Butcher.”
“Yet here you stand in front of me. He didn’t kill you. Why?”
“I don’t know. He believes there’s some kind of bond between us.” But it wasn’t a belief; there was a bond she couldn’t explain, one that kept her from hurting him as much as it kept Ursus from killing her.
“Why didn’t you infect him? You know who he is, how many of our people he’s responsible for killing.”
She could say it was because of tonight, but he’d know she lied. This time she shook her head. Her eyes darted to the door, desperately wanting to leave. How could she explain any of it? She’d not only betrayed her people, she’d betrayed him by feeling something for the enemy soldier.
“You knew you were forbidden the city, yet you recklessly disobeyed me. Then, when the opportunity presented itself, you betrayed your people.”
“Jarod. I…”
“You’re a traitor.”
Tesza gasped from the sting of his words. Pain knifed its way through her body, twisting her insides. How could she explain her actions?
Her entire life she’d been prepped to be his wife. She grew up with him. Played with him as a child, loved him as an adolescent. She loved him now. She’d been bred, raised and taught to please him in all her actions. Then on the eve of her marriage ceremony, she offered him disloyalty. She was a traitor.
“Please. I couldn’t. You have to understand.” Jarod once told her the last thing he ever wanted was to share her with another man. It was why he kept her close, kept her from her calling. He knew if she should get caught, her responsibility to her people overrode his wishes and desires.
“How could you do this to me? Your people? I loved you Tesza, I still love you.”
“Jarod, please…”
He reached out and touched her face, tracing the mark. “I forbid you the city because of this. I didn’t want you hurt, raped or killed. Do you have any idea what he could have done to you?”
Tesza swallowed. She had an idea. She’d seen the crying women and children. She was lucky to have escaped with her life.
“I can’t choose who nature picks as the carriers, but I can prevent you from throwing yourself into a dangerous situation. Gods, it was Fourth night. You left me on Fourth night and let another touch you. You were my wife. Did you feel something for him? Want him, Tesza?”
“Were?” Everything else he said faded away. One little word brought her life crashing down around her.
“You’ve forced my hand, broken our laws. This can’t go unpunished. Several died today. Their wives and children are out there. You can’t stay. How will I explain my own queen’s betrayal of her people? If you’d infected him, I could forgive you, they could forgive you. But this, this is nothing but disloyalty.”
“I...”
“Shut your mouth before I have you executed for treason.”
Tesza’s mouth snapped shut. His demeanor grew colder. Tesza shivered. This was a side she’d never thought to see directed at her.
Rage.
The king, her once future husband curled his lip into a snarl. “You no longer carry the honor to wear that mark.”
Tesza reached up and touched her face. It was a mark she’d carried from birth. The day she was sworn in as a carrier. A bringer of life to her people.
Jarod yanked her hand away from it. “You’re dead to us.” Pain flashed through his eyes. He spun and barked for her father, who stepped inside.
“You’re family is no longer among the nobles of the High Imperial House. You are to report to the lemans ranks, and wear the shame of your daughter there.” He stormed through the door. Soldiers filed in and snagged her arms, dragging her toward the exit. Tesza threw herself back and screamed. Nobody gave her a second glance or attempted to help. Even her father turned his shoulder to her and didn’t look again. Today, she became a ghost.
#####
Beaten, dressed in torn Kori garments, Tesza was driven from her home with brick, stone and animal dung. In her mind she deserved death. Her bare feet were mangled from running across the crumbling ruins and sliced from glass and stone. Tesza sank down on a boulder by a stream and dipped the bleeding flesh into the icy water.
Pain sliced through her. She cried out and rocked back and forth. It hurt, but nothing compared to the pain in her soul and her loss of the one man she’d loved since childhood.
Being cast from the clan was one matter, she could possibly find sanctuary with one of the outlying families, but being cast from Jarod’s marriage bed was entirely different. No Kalos clan would have her. They were forbidden to even look at her. To aid her was to suffer her fate.
Tesza tied the torn strips of fabric over her breasts to keep her blouse closed. He face throbbed where the tattoo had been cut away. Crude stitches held it together. Already it began to fester. A scar could not be avoided. One look and the Kalos would know she was the traitor.
If Jarod had only listened. But why should he believe her? She was guilty. Guilty of caring for the enemy. Even if she hadn’t intercourse with the soldier, she’d craved it, wanted it. She couldn’t deny that she’d lain in bed with the enemy and let him touch her, caress her.
Then she walked away. She let him touch her without reason. Infidelity in Jarod’s eyes, betrayal in her people.
Tesza pulled her knees to her chest. She was as good as dead. Outcasts didn’t live long outside the clan. If the elements didn’t get her, the hungry beasts of the jungle or the Kori would. Ursus had been a rare exception and he was too deep within the Kori outpost to seek out without being seen.
Ursus. He’d told her to leave before he couldn’t let her go. Perhaps... No, he would be in as grave a danger if she hid there. The compulsion to be with him was too strong. She’d murder millions, perhaps billions if the infection got off-world. What a mess she’d gotten into.
Though all the pain and disgrace, she still could close her eyes and feel the heat of his touch and taste his lips. And damn, her body became aroused. Tesza slid her hand inside her blouse to touch the nipple that became hard. Gods she still wanted him.
She cupped the water and splashed it into her face. The image reflected back at her, bloodied, bruised and swollen. Nothing like the face she remembered. Even if she snuck into the encampment in High city, would he recognize her, want her with the way she looked?
Tesza slapped the water and screamed. How, how could she think about going back to him? She tilted her head back and glanced at the darkening sky through the canopy above. The flooding season was upon them. Soon the Kori encampment would be moving on and Ursus lost.
She’d see him one last time. Gods. She had to.
#####
She’d back track and come through the underground. Tesza leapt over a fallen column. Bare feet left a bloody trail behind her. Bits of twigs and rocks stuck to her wounds, each step sent shooting pains up her legs.
“She’s this way. Follow the blood.”
Tesza paused and glanced over her shoulder, shadows danced along the side of a building. She dodged behind the corner of a partially collapsed wall, her chest rose and fell. They were getting too close. She couldn’t slip into the underground with them watching.
Bolts slammed into the ground off to the side, across the abandoned plaza.
“There’s another. Get her.”
Tesza narrowed her eyes. Another? Here? In daylight. Chances were good they’d kill her. No Kori had touched any of the carriers in years. Coming here didn’t make sense.
She sucked in a breath and backed away, stepping in a mud puddle, coating her feet in hopes of sealing them long enough to mask her retreat.
“No,” a young woman screamed. Tesza ducked low and watched as five Kori soldiers dragged her into the open. They looped cords over her wrists and fired their grappling clamps into a building and tree on either side of her. Tesza found herself entranced. They’d touched her?
The cords snapped tight, yanking her limbs straight. The sounds of cracking bone and shrieking filled the clearing. The force of the cables lifted the woman’s feet off the ground. Blood poured from cuts around her hands. She threw her head back and howled.
“Shut her up.”
One of the soldiers ripped her shirt down the front and tore it from her body. He balled it up, grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, stuffing the wad into her mouth.
Tesza froze. This was what she was supposed to have done. Let the animals touch her, give them the infection.
No matter the brutality of the situation before her, Tesza couldn’t bring herself to move from where she sat. Lure them away, stop them. The woman would probably hate her if she did.
She wondered why she pitied them the end that was coming. They may think they’d control with the Red-Clan woman strung up, at their mercy. But they didn’t. The woman knew this.
Skin stretched tight, showing the disconnected joints, enhancing the ball parts of the woman’s sockets. The pain had to be unbearable, but she didn’t fight. She didn’t kick or make any attempt to stop the direction in which the situation traveled.
“Do you suppose they can really drain our lives?” A soldier asked, sticking the tip of his lazr’ under her jaw.
The woman’s eyes watered, but she did her best to look brave, unaffected. She knew what she had to do. The mark on her cheek said it all. She was one of them, one like Tesza. Raised from childhood to be a carrier. Did she worry about the innocents as Tesza had? She made eye contact. No. She was ready to die to do what she must.
Tesza’s heart raced. She should stop this. They didn’t know what they were about to do. She steadied herself, took a deep breath and rose from her position. The soldiers were too occupied to notice.
The Red-Clan woman shook her head, warning her back, making it clear she didn’t want this stopped. The look on her face, branded Tesza a traitor.
“I say we have some fun. There’s nobody here to stop us and I think the stories of soul-sucking are just that. The Butcher touched one and lives. He touched six and nothing happened. What do you say? Is it a story to keep us from touching Kalos’s females,” the soldier asked the helpless woman.
She turned her head from him.
Tesza bit her lip. She could stop this, step into the clearing, lure them away. No one deserved to die like that. The woman made eye contact again.
The soldier unbuttoned her pants while she hung helpless before him. He yanked them down and used his knife to cut the fabric away, leaving her hanging naked except for her boots.
“Pretty for an evil bitch.” He shoved her and she swung back and forth on her dislocated arms. Tesza could hear the cries through the gag. Gods. They were going to do it.
“I still have my soul, whore. You can’t do it, can you?” The man reached for his belt and a blue bolt flew past him, hitting the woman. The soldier stumbled back and fell to the brick that paved the courtyard. The hanging woman lit and disintegrated, leaving only a pile of ash. The cables whipped loose through the air. One slammed into the building next to where Tesza watched, exploding part of the plaster wall. She dropped, covering her head, hoping they didn’t look in her direction.
“What’s going on here?”
Tesza’s head snapped up. A tall man in the uniform of an officer, walked into the clearing. He had a lazr’ pointed at the soldier on the ground.
Tesza caught the insignia on his collar and bit down on her lip harder, drawing blood. Colonel Pilot Calla. Walking evil. A horrific legend among the clans. His men slaughtered more of her people than any other Kori division.
“We were about to torture her for information.”
“That’s not what it looked like to me.” The officer squeezed the trigger and turned the soldier on the ground to dust. “Now, do one of you want to tell me what was really going on here?”
One of the soldiers opened his mouth and the officer spun on him before he got a word out. “Rape,” Col Calla said.
“We were…”
“Going to rape the wretched creature.”
“Yes, sir.”
More soldiers entered the clearing surrounding the group. “Do you know the penalty for this? For even touching one of them?”
“She was nothing but a Kalos bitch.”
“You didn’t address me as sir.” The officer raised his lazr’ and fired. The man dissolved. “I don’t tolerate disobedience within the ranks.” He turned his weapon on another and glanced over at the cable attached to the tree. “String them up like they did the Kalos whore. I want a visual reminder for those that think they can make their own laws. They’ll hang until they die.”
He spun on his heel to leave and stopped cold. His gaze riveted down to Tesza. “Well, what do we have here?”
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