Mastering Their Human Read online

  Chapter Eight

  Grasping the wall with one hand, Ceddrik looked around in panicked dread as he pounded on the door with his fist. If Renn wasn’t home, or if he’d finally made good on his threat to disappear, Ceddrik was well and truly fucked.

  The neighborhood had gone to hell. No big surprise. All the black zones were slums and this one was no exception. The street was littered with abandoned vehicles and piles of garbage. Windows were boarded up or barred and still danger emanated from every doorway, every alley.

  A tiny light blinked on in the top corner of the doorframe. Ceddrik stepped back and looked into the miniature lens. Someone was inside Renn’s apartment. He prayed to the gods that it was Renn. The light blinked three times in quick succession then became a steady, demanding signal. He knew the routine, understood the need for security measures, but he despised the next step.

  Slowly, resenting the vulnerability, Ceddrik weakened his mental shields. To allow Renn to scan him from this distance, he risked revealing his identity to anyone else in close proximity. But one of them had to give and he was the one asking for admittance. The door jostled. He jerked it open and ducked inside.

  The interior of the tenement was even less appealing with its musty smell and graffiti-decorated walls. Renn stood on the second-floor landing, his dark gaze sharp and suspicious. “Are you on an errand for the overlord, or has he finally tired of you?”

  Ceddrik didn’t rise to the provocation. He took the stairs two at a time and rushed into Renn’s apartment. Unlike the building, the apartment was comfortable and clean. The furniture was custom, the carpeting plush, and the technology operational.

  You’ve benefited from my position as much, perhaps more so, than I have. And now you’ll share in my misfortune. Ceddrik had planned for every eventuality when he’d enlisted Renn’s help all those years ago. Their association had lasted much longer than he’d expected, but he’d never been willing to abandon his safety net. He’d been a captive once. No one would ever put him in a cage again!

  “Then it’s over?” Renn shut and locked the door. His watchful gaze belied his nonchalance. “The overlord threw you out?”

  I wish it were that simple. He paused. How much should he admit? How much did Renn need to know? The spirit escaped. She turned Kellan against me.

  “What? Her containment was impenetrable. How is this possible?” Finally understanding the scope of their danger, Renn began to pace.

  Obviously her containment wasn’t quite as impenetrable as I thought. She waited until I was expending a great deal of energy in another way and then she broke free.

  “We have to get the fuck off this planet. We need to get as far away from here as possible as fast as we can.”

  It won’t help. She’ll follow. She knows my energy pattern as well as she knows her own. We must find the seer. It’s our only hope.

  Renn laughed, a short burst of sound that had nothing to do with amusement. “That’s a legend. A myth. If there ever was such a person, they would be long dead by now.”

  No. They exist. I’ve dreamed of them all my life. They are real and we must find them before the spirit does. Alone I have some hope of destroying the seer, but if the spirit empowers them, the legend will come to pass.

  “Are you listening to yourself? If the spirit empowers the seer the legend will come to pass? You’ve always been eccentric, but this is out there even for you.”

  Ceddrik closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. I’m exhausted. I didn’t realize how much she augmented my energy. I must find a way of restoring my strength.

  Some of Renn’s agitation lessened. After a short pause he said, “Now that’s the sort of request I can help you with. Rumor has it there’s a conduit cruising the mutant bars. I’ve been meaning to look her up and see if she’s worth recruiting.”

  We have bigger problems than staffing your band of petty thieves.

  “Without my band of ‘petty thieves’ you would have come crawling back to me with your tail tucked between your legs long before now.”

  He was right, and resentment chilled Ceddrik’s insides. The information Renn’s people supplied had helped endear Ceddrik to the overlord. Without the tidbits of information and intercepted messages, Ceddrik would have been forced to rely more heavily on his abilities. And his control was unpredictable. Too often his probes were damaging, even deadly.

  With a frustrated hiss, he pushed away the memories. None of it mattered now. The spirit had seen to that. A conduit can augment my energy?

  “If she’s half as good as the rumors indicate, she’ll leave you so saturated you’ll scream for mercy.”

  I don’t need mercy. I need energy.

  “And I’m always looking for new talent. We’ve been taking care of each other for years. I see no reason to alter our arrangement. We’ll approach her, pretend we’re interesting in feeding her addiction, and then test the true scope of her abilities.”

  * * *

  Brianna sat at the small round table beside the pleasure pit, trying to disguise her disappointment. She’d had a leisurely bath and several hours to sort through her thoughts. The food was delicious and the men were on their best behavior. Still, she’d hoped to spend some time outdoors, away from prying eyes and locked doors.

  “Is the meal not to your liking?” Kellan had wolfed down his portion and sat back, sipping wine.

  “It’s wonderful.”

  “I’m sorry you weren’t able to see Lorelle while you spoke with her.” His gaze caressed her face, but his expression was carefully guarded. “Ship to ship was the only way we could coordinate a conversation with Stilox security and black zone limitations. The skiff’s communications systems are barely functional. It really was the best we could do without metaphysical assistance.” He shot Sean a sidelong glance then asked, “Was talking to her not enough to ease your fears?”

  “No, it was definitely her and she sounded happy.”

  “And she should arrive some time tomorrow,” Kellan reminded.

  “I know.”

  “Then what’s bothering you? You’ve hardly spoken since we sat down.”

  She felt ungrateful and petty. They had done everything she’d asked and more. “I just…” This was ridiculous. Speaking her mind had never been a problem for her before and she would not start cowering now. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me. I really do. I was just hoping for an outdoor setting. I need the wind on my face and the sun…” As she spoke, the main section of the ceiling retracted, revealing a transparent panel and the starry sky. The lights around them dimmed, accenting the view. She floated, suspended in the endless tranquility of space. “Wow,” she whispered, afraid of breaking the spell.

  Kellan touched her hand, drawing her attention back to the table. “The sun had already set, so I thought this was better than braving the woods at night.”

  Starlight accented the harsh angles of his features while making his dark eyes shine. The combination mesmerized her, made her feel uncertain and restless. “This is beautiful. How long can we stay up? Isn’t the skiff solar powered?”

  “The solar panels charge the energy cells, but the energy cells don’t require sunlight. We can stay aloft most of the night if that’s what you want.”

  “I’m not sure what I want,” she admitted with a nervous smile. “That’s the problem. Everything has happened so fast and most of it has been beyond my control. I’m so far out of my element I don’t know how to begin to reorder my life.”

  “What is your element?” Sean pushed back from the table and leaned against the embankment, his stance casual, nonthreatening. “Tell us about your life on Earth. Who were you before all this started?”

  Following his lead, she moved away from the table and took her wineglass with her. “I was born into a family of generals. My grandfather was a general. My father was a general. In fact we called my father ‘the General.’ I thought that was his name until I was about t
en.”

  “Your sister followed in the family tradition. Why did you choose a different path?” Kellan asked.

  “I faint at the sight of blood,” she admitted with a shiver. “I knew the armed forces weren’t for me. Confrontation is in my genes, however, so I chose a different battleground. The courtroom.”

  “You’re a lawyer?” Sean sounded intrigued.

  “I started out as a defense attorney, but I got tired of defending scumbags. I tried my hand as a prosecutor, but I have a hard time maintaining the needed detachment for criminal law. I switched to corporate about four years ago and it was a much better fit. It’s a lot less stressful and a lot less lucrative.”

  “Why isn’t it lucrative? You defend corporations when people bring lawsuits against them, right? Aren’t you paid for that?”

  Sean sounded disappointed now and she smiled. “I don’t represent the corporations. I represent the individual or groups of individuals harmed by the corporations. I would say thirty percent of my work is pro bono.”

  “Pro bono?” Kellan echoed.

  “That means I do it because I believe in the cause or because the court requests my services.”

  “Then you’re a warrior just like the rest of your family.” Kellan saluted her with his wine. “You just fight with words rather than weapons.”

  She took a leisurely sip, pleased by the recognition she saw in his eyes. “And how do you maintain order in the United Territories? How often does it come to bloodshed?”

  Kellan stood and joined them in the space beside the table. She stood against the wall and Sean leaned against the embankment, which left Kellan with his back to the door. If they hadn’t been in flight he probably wouldn’t have allowed the vulnerability. Kellan was nothing if not pragmatic.

  “Would it surprise you to learn there has been nothing more violent than a bar fight in my territory in the past three years?”

  “Bullshit.” Sean crossed his arms and shook his head, green eyes flashing.

  “Can Fane say the same?” Kellan slanted a smile meant to provoke the other man.

  “You’re serious?”

  “I might rule a council of warlords, but they abide by the truce I implemented three years ago. All hostilities have ceased and everyone has remained within the established boundaries.”

  “I knew the hostilities had greatly decreased since you were promoted, but no turf wars? No vendettas?” Sean shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he studied the overlord.

  “Not unless they covered their tracks extremely well. We’re all focused on a common goal. We want to improve the quality of life for the people in our territories and no one is going to do it for us. The elite are oblivious to anything that happens beyond the walls of Sanctum and mutants only care about mutants.”

  “What happens if someone switches their focus to a less noble goal, like expanding their territory or overthrowing the overlord?” Challenge infused Sean’s tone.

  “I act swiftly and decisively with anyone who violates the treaty. My standards are high, but everyone is held to the same standard. There are no exceptions. Everyone is bound by the same set of expectations.”

  “Are you really so incorruptible?” Brianna teased, hoping to ease the tension pulsing between her men. Her men? There was that phrase again. When had she started thinking of them as hers?

  “Oh, I’m corruptible, but I’m not a hypocrite. You know what you’re getting when you deal with me. I wear my corruption on my sleeve. I’m arrogant. I’m a bully. And I always get what I want.”

  His silky tone did cruel things to her senses. She hid her smile behind her wineglass, not wanting to encourage his bad behavior.

  A shadow moved in the far corner of the room, a dark shape against the charcoal wall. She lowered the glass and focused on the spot, but discerned no movement.

  “Would you like more wine?” Sean held out his hand for her glass.

  She shook her head. “I think I’ve had enough.” She passed Sean the glass and their fingertips brushed, sending sparks of awareness dancing across her fingers. She knew exactly what it felt like to have those fingers touch her and thrust into her, arousing her in ways she hadn’t expected to find pleasurable.

  Could he make it that good in reality or had the breath-stealing pleasure been part of the illusion? Intense and elemental. Their lovemaking had been that and more.

  Kellan insinuated himself between her and the embankment, crowding her without actually touching her. “Why don’t you want Sean to scan you?” He stared straight ahead, his tone casual.

  “Things didn’t turn out so well last time someone scanned my mind.”

  He caught her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. “Ceddrik is a hack compared to Sean. You have nothing to worry about.”

  She tugged her hand out of his light grasp, her skin tingling from the unexpected brush of his lips. These sneak attacks were worse than his frontal assaults. At least she could brace for impact when she saw him coming. His features tensed and his eyes glazed over, his muscles flexed, and his shoulders shuddered. She knew exactly what he looked like when he came.

  It wasn’t real! His physical body had never actually penetrated her pussy—unless his tongue counted. She had to stop thinking about this, had to stop thinking about them.

  “I don’t want anyone inside my head,” she said firmly. “I don’t care how good they are at it.”

  “I won’t hurt you.” Sean stood where Kellan had been, blocking her only retreat.

  You’re wasting time. Let him scan you or there will be consequences.

  Brianna gasped and pressed the heels of her hands to her temples. “She’s here. The spirit just spoke to me.”

  Sean turned, arms spread as they had been in the castle. “Show yourself!”

  Tell him to stop. I’m not the enemy.

  Then stop trying to manipulate me. Brianna wasn’t sure the spirit would hear her, but she had no intention of distracting Sean.

  It didn’t have to be like this. Remember that. You brought this on yourself.

  Pressure built inside Brianna’s head, pounding, throbbing. Kellan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. She cried out, clutching the front of his tunic as spikes of pain drove deeper into her brain.

  A wound opened and sensations flooded in, thoughts, images and emotions, inundating her mind, a raging river of external stimuli. She screamed, eyes tightly shut, face pressed into the bend of Kellan’s neck.

  She twisted and tumbled, lost in the buffeting current, powerless against the sweeping tide. Rage and fear, lust and heartbreak crashed over her, punishing and relentless. The chaotic deluge tossed her this way and that, no reason, no logic, no rationale.

  Then warm fingers sank through her hair and came to rest against her skull. Energy pushed into her mind, surrounding the opening, drawing it inward. Slowly the rush of sensations ebbed and the pain muted. The discomfort didn’t dissipate entirely, but it became manageable.

  Breathe, sweetheart. Just breathe through the pain. Let me figure out exactly what she did to you.

  Sean was there with her in the midst of the storm. Why in the world had she been afraid of this? He was calm and strong and agile. He flowed around her and through her like sun-warmed oil. She opened herself to him, surrendered and still.

  Little by little the pain faded. The blasting throb became a faint beat echoing in the distance.

  Better?

  Yes. Why could she hear his thoughts? Was she telepathic now or was this just because he was in her mind? What did you do? What did she do to me?

  She ripped open your mind, made you utterly empathic. Every thought, every emotion from anyone nearby was pouring into your mind.

  Now that the pain was gone, she realized she could still sense them. Fear radiated off Kellan, the emotion surprisingly strong. The indomitable overlord was frightened for her? How sweet. Why didn’t you close the opening?

>   I tried. It won’t stay closed. I’ve sealed it several times and it reopens. I’ve managed to stabilize it at this level. It isn’t growing any larger, but it won’t allow me to close it completely. A true healer might be able to do more, but for the time being I think it’s best if I leave well enough alone.

  He sounded a bit intrigued, but she could sense his worry. The specter in him might be fascinated by the development, but the man in him was concerned about her. I think she was trying to tell me to be a little more open-minded.

  Sean chuckled, the sound warm and encouraging. His arms slipped around her and eased her away from Kellan. The overlord hesitated then let go. Sean swung her up into his arms and carried her into the pleasure pit, situating himself against the embankment with her on his lap.

  Feeling dazed and lethargic, Brianna gazed into his green eyes. The color seemed rich and vivid after staring into Kellan’s night-black gaze for so long. “Is the pain gone?” he asked.

  She nodded. His thighs were hard under her bottom and she couldn’t help but realize where he had taken her. To an orgy pit, a soft, expansive area where they could stretch out and enjoy each other.

  Kellan remained near the entrance, leaning against the top edge of the embankment. Why was he being so cooperative? This wasn’t like him at all. Realizing she could answer her own question if she were brave enough to try, she turned her attention toward him without shifting her gaze from Sean’s face.

  Desire smoldered in Kellan, yet worry restrained the fiery urges. Was he afraid the spirit had done more damage than they realized?

  What’s wrong? You seem far away all of a sudden.

  “I’m not used to feeling other people’s emotions.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. “It’s distracting.”

  Sean smiled. “Is it all right if I scan your memory now?”

  She sighed. “I’m tempted to tell you no. I’m not afraid of you anymore, but if I allow you to perform the scan the spirit wins.”

  “Don’t turn this into a competition. This entity is dangerous. What she did to you was… I can only think of a handful of people who would be capable of doing what she did.”