Star's Storm: Lords of Kassis Book 2 (15 page)

“No, he was aboard his own ship and has
already returned to the surface,” Mena said. “The Elpidios have no
quarrel with you, Lord Ajaska. We were merely concluding a
transaction for crystals that our world desperately needs. If you
need assistance in securing your son, I offer myself and my ships
in support.”

“I appreciate the offer but do not think it
will be necessary,” Ajaska responded coolly. “Let your Grand Ruler
know that if he wants to negotiate for crystals to contact my son,
Torak, or myself,” Ajaska added harshly. “Tai Tek is a traitor to
our world. He will be executed for his part in trying to
assassinate the royal family. The same goes for any other who think
to harm the Royal House of Kassis.”

Mena bowed her head in understanding of the
unspoken message; get out or die. Her eyes turned to the female who
was standing silently next to Lord Torak. Her eyes widened in
disbelief as the memory that floated on the edges of her mind
suddenly solidified. With a silent curse, she motioned for the
communication's officer to cut the open link. The moment it was
done, Commander Mena Rue turned and barked out commands to those
commanding the other ships. They needed to return to Elpidios as
soon as possible. If what she remembered was true, life was about
to get very, very interesting.

Mena walked into the commander's room off
the bridge and sat down at the console built into the desk. The
unique beep reserved for communications between fleet commanders
sounded. She grimaced when she saw who was identified on the link.
She debated on what she should tell the Grand Ruler before deciding
on the truth. Perhaps the new information she had would be even
more useful than the promise of a Kassisan traitor.

*.*.*

Dakar raised his hand silently to stop Star
and Madas. He listened carefully then motioned that guards were
approaching. Star raised the crossbow, pressing it snuggly against
her shoulder as she moved back against the wall. Out of the corner
of her eye, she could see Dakar’s fist tighten around the laser
pistol he held in one hand. Madas’ quiet breath sounded close to
her ear as her friend pressed against her back.

They had already dispatched five guards on
their way down from the control room. They were on the second level
and had one more to go. Dakar took a deep breath and spun out into
the corridor firing as he went. Star turned in the opposite
direction covering his back. She fired one arrow into a guard as he
raised his arm to fire at Dakar. The blast from his laser hit the
wall right above her head instead as he collapsed face first into
the cold stone floor.

“Clear,” Star said in a calm voice the
belied how she was really feeling.

“Let’s go,” Dakar grunted out. “We have one
more level then we need to get out of here as soon as
possible.”

Madas motioned for Star to go ahead of her
as she followed Dakar down another long corridor before coming upon
another set of narrow, winding steps. They moved down them rapidly.
Dakar paused as he approached the last few steps.

“Let me check it out first,” he
whispered.

“No, we don’t have time,” Star hissed. “You
heard the informant. Tai Tek is here. I won’t give him a chance to
get to Jazin before we do!”

Dakar’s mouth tightened but that was the
only thing that showed his disagreement. He nodded instead and
moved down the last steps that opened into a long, dark narrow
corridor. He glanced around the corner but didn’t see anyone. He
stepped into the opening and began counting the doors, pausing at
the fifth one.

“Lord Jazin,” Dakar called out quietly,
looking into the small square cut in the door to see if he could
see anything.

“Dakar?” Jazin responded hoarsely.

“Yes, my lord,” Dakar said in relief. “Give
me a second to get the door open.”

*.*.*

Jazin swayed dizzily for a moment before he
locked his muscles. Sweat stung the numerous cuts as it ran down
his body but he ignored it. At least he was still standing, he
thought in relief. When he heard the footsteps approaching, he had
feared it was either the guards or Tai Tek returning. He was
prepared to fight. He would not be tortured again. He relaxed his
fingers, dropping the rock that was cutting into his palm. His
mouth went dry to the point he couldn’t even ask Dakar about
Star.

The door opened suddenly and a small,
delicate shape burst through it answering his unspoken question.
Star’s soft cry of rage filled the cold, dark cell as she rushed
toward Jazin’s swaying form.

“Jazin,” she cried out, dropping the
crossbow on the floor so she could wrap her arms around him.

Jazin’s body collapsed in on itself at her
tender touch. He was vaguely aware of Star and Madas’ arms
controlling his descent to the floor. A part of him wanted to rage
at his weakness. He did not want his mate to see him too weak to
protect her. It was his place to be strong. Unfortunately, his body
wasn’t in the mood to agree with what his mind was trying to tell
it.

“What have they done to you?” Star whispered
running her hand over his bruised and battered face. “Madas, you
have to help him.”

Madas looked up at Dakar with concern. “He
is very weak. We must get him to the star ship as soon as
possible.”

“I’ve notified Armet we are in and warned
him Tai Tek had returned,” Dakar said coming to kneel next to
Jazin. “He will be in the center courtyard in twenty minutes.
Jazin, I need to give you a Fast Patch,” Dakar said grimly.

“What is a Fast Patch?” Star asked when she
heard the hesitancy in Dakar’s voice as he spoke to Jazin.

Dakar reached into the bag he was carrying
and pulled out a container of water and a small package. He ripped
the package open, revealing a small round yellow patch. He held the
water to Jazin’s mouth, letting a small amount flow into it before
repeating the procedure until about a quarter of the container was
gone. Once he felt Jazin had enough water to handle the dose of
medicine his system he was about to receive, he moved to place the
patch in the center of Jazin’s chest over his heart.

Star’s hand shot out stopping him before he
could place it. “What is a Fast Patch?” She asked again, this time
there was a trace of steel in her voice.

Dakar glanced at Star before he looked down
at Jazin’s still face. “It will accelerate the healing process.
Within minutes of being absorbed into the system, his body will
begin healing itself,” Dakar stated grimly.

“What are you not telling me?” Star asked
tightening her grip on his wrist.

“What he is not telling you is there is a
side effect,” Madas said quietly. “The medicine will cause him to
become very, very aggressive. It will give him added strength and
will inhibit pain. I have seen it used only once before because of
its side effects. It took many men to restrain the man given the
dosage and he had to be contained in a cage for many hours until
the medicine was completely out of his system. This is why it is
banned.”

Star looked at Jazin’s labored breathing.
Her hand trembled as she touched his cold, clammy skin. She let her
gaze moved down over the torn flesh of his shoulders, chest, and
stomach. A large discoloration around his ribs stood out, telling
her he probably had several broken ribs.

“Will it kill him?” She asked quietly,
refusing to look at the two people waiting for her decision.

“No,” Dakar said with quiet confidence.
“But, I can’t promise he won’t try to kill us.”

Star’s head jerked up and she glared at
Dakar. “He would never hurt me. I’ll keep him under control. You
just get us the fuck out of here as fast as you can,” she said as
she released Dakar’s wrist.

Dakar nodded before slapping his hand down
on Jazin’s chest. He stood up and moved back toward the door. Madas
laid her hand on Star’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze before
she stood and moved toward the door as well. They both turned and
looked warily at Jazin.

Almost immediately, Star could see a change
in Jazin’s breathing and color. His skin grew warm then almost hot
to the touch. His breathing became steadier, faster. Her eyes
widened as smaller cuts and bruises began to disappear right before
her eyes. One minute she was kneeling next to Jazin’s still body,
the next moment she was lying on her back under it.

A deep, animalistic snarl echoed around the
cell. Madas let out a cry of protest and stepped forward only to be
stopped when Dakar wrapped an arm around her waist. Jazin’s eyes
flashed at Madas as he pressed his body down over Star’s smaller
one, pinning her to the floor under him.

“Don’t,” Dakar murmured urgently in Madas’
ear. “He is marking her as his. If you try to stop him, he will
attack and kill us both. He does not recognize any of us but he
recognizes her scent. He will do anything to protect her.”

Jazin’s low growled reverberated as his eyes
swung to Dakar. “Mine!” He snarled, wrapping his arm around Star’s
tiny waist and pulling her up against his body. “Mine!” He repeated
turning to look at Star’s wide, frightened eyes with a fierce
possessive look.

“Star,” Madas whispered. “We need to leave.
I hear footsteps approaching.”

Star turned her head even as Jazin stood
with her still trapped against him. Her body hanging against his
like a rag doll. She nervously licked her dry lips. She needed to
get through to him that they were not the ones he needed to
fight.

“Jazin,” Star said, slowly raising her arm
up so she could lay her palm against his hot cheek. “Sweetheart, we
need to leave. The bad guys are coming and they want to hurt you
again. I won’t let them ever hurt you again but I can’t fight all
of them. We need to follow Dakar and Madas. They are our friends.
Can you do that?” Star asked in a trembling voice.

Jazin turned his head and sniffed Star’s
wrist before he opened his mouth and ran his tongue over the
rapidly beating pulse. “Mine,” he purred.

“Yes, I’m yours but the bad men will hurt
me, kill me, if they catch me,” Star whispered desperately as she
saw Dakar and Madas motioning for her to hurry. “Please, help me.
I’m scared.”

Jazin’s eyes narrowed and he growled again.
“Go!” He snarled turning with Star in his arms still.

“Put me down,” Star begged. “We can move
faster if I follow you.”

Jazin shook his head forcibly but Star
pushed against him, pleading softly, until he reluctantly let her
slide down his long length. Even as her feet touched the ground his
fingers locked around her wrist like an iron shackle. She barely
had time to scoop up her crossbow before she was pulled through the
door and into the dark corridor.

“This way,” Dakar muttered. “There is a
hidden set of steps. If we are lucky, Tai Tek won’t be aware of
them.”

Star’s side hurt but she refused to complain
or slow down. Not that she had much choice in the matter. Jazin was
being a wild man at the moment. The narrow, hidden passage at the
opposite end of the corridor had been a surprise. It reminded Star
of some of the hidden passages in the English castles her, Jo, and
River toured one summer between shows. The architecture was very
similar making her wonder if perhaps humans were really the
descendants of aliens after all.

She stumbled as they neared the top. Jazin
immediately whipped around and wrapped his other arm around her
pressing her against the wall. He buried his nose in her neck and
licked a drop of sweat as it trailed down along the side of her
silky skin. He pressed closer, grinding his pelvis into hers. She
choked back the squeak of surprise that threatened to alert
everyone in the fortress to their location when she felt his hard
erection.

“You have got to be joking me!” She hissed
out, wiggling in an effort to get free. “You are horny? Now?”

Madas soft chuckle barely reached her ears
but it was enough to let her know that her friend heard her
startled exclamation. Star’s face burned with embarrassment. Jazin
continued to rub against her, licking and sucking on her neck,
shoulder and earlobe like they were a couple of horny teenagers in
the back of a matinee.

“Will you stop that!” Star hissed in his ear
as his hand reached up under her shirt searching for her
breast.

Dakar rolled his eyes before he motioned for
Madas to go ahead of him. “I told you the medicine makes him more
aggressive.”

“Aggressive I can understand. But horny?”
Star muttered as she fought to grab the hand that had found her
small breast and was pulling at her nipple. She moaned as she felt
her body respond. “Jazin not now, damn it!”

“Someone comes!” Madas hissed out pressing
back against the dark opening.

Ten guards came rushing down the corridor. A
silent curse burst from Dakar’s lips before he let out a roar of
rage and pulled his laser sword. In such close confines, the laser
pistol would be too dangerous. The blasts would ricochet off the
smooth, polished walls like sunlight on a mirror. He cut three down
almost immediately before the others regrouped and fought back.
Madas charged into the melee, swirling and slicing with her sharp
claws and slamming attackers back with her tail. Three of the
guards circled around, spying Jazin. Star’s eyes blazed with pure
hatred when she saw one with a long, lighted whip he was
unfurling.

“Oh, like hell no!” She snapped out, raising
the crossbow over Jazin’s shoulder and releasing an arrow.

The guard dropped the laser whip and grabbed
his chest. He looked at Star’s blazing eyes in disbelief before he
fell backwards, dead. Star wasn’t finished. She released two
additional arrows. One pierce the throat of the other guard while
the other hit the third guard in the shoulder, knocking him
backwards into Madas who turned and swiped her unsheathed claws
across his neck.