DarykRogue (15 page)

Xandra smiled, glad she had a common bond with the woman.
“My parents were miners in Opali.”

Malena frowned, a spark of recognition in her eyes. “I think
perhaps I’ve heard of you.”

Unease crept up Xandra’s spine. What if Malena had heard of
what happened to Xandra’s family and believed what the authorities had said
about Xandra?

“But maybe not,” Malena said. “Come, share a meal with us.”

The older woman’s gaze turned from wary to warmer, and
Xandra’s tight muscles relaxed a little.

While the women drew together a meal, Malena warmed up to
Xandra so quickly she wondered at the transformation.

“Come over here, my dear. You look too thin. You should eat
more,” Malena said as she placed a plate of bread and fruit in Xandra’s hands.

“No.” Xandra handed the plate to a young woman who looked as
if she could gain several pounds and still be thin. “I ate already this
morning. But thank you.”

Malena nodded and smiled. “A good woman you are, Xandra.”
Malena tilted her head to the side. “May I speak with you over there?”

Curious, Xandra nodded and followed the woman to a large
alcove that proved to be an entrance to a bathing room. At least the women had
running water and a way to cleanse.

Xandra couldn’t help but marvel at the conditions. “This
place isn’t quite what I expected. It’s a bit stuffy and crowded. But you have
beds and running water and a bathing room. How extraordinary.”

Malena kept her voice low so it didn’t sail over the din the
other women made as they prepared to eat. “It is amazing. But it’s all the
fault of Rayder Tyrus.”

“Rayder?”

“I heard from Phili that Rayder insisted the women be moved
into these accommodations a long time ago. Rumor has it before Rayder came
three years ago women were just thrown down here and barely fed. Rayder pointed
out to the admiral that half-starved, half-dead women were little use on the
slave market.” Malena snorted. “You’d think that idiotic admiral would have
known that already.”

Had altruism affected Rayder’s decision to keep the women
healthy or simply a desire to assure his purse was lined with money? “I see.
Are you great friends with Phili?”

Malena laughed, her eyes sparkling with genuine mirth. “Oh
no. That two-faced mother of a dragon would never be my friend.”

Xandra didn’t hold back a smile. “How long have you been
down here?”

“For five weeks. I was on a pleasure cruise with my husband
when the
Beast
came alongside.” Malena swallowed hard, her eyes filled
with hard memories. “My husband was killed in the fight.”

“By the god. I’m sorry to hear that.”

Malena shrugged. “Don’t be sorry about my husband. He was a
filthy miner. We only managed to get the cruise because my lover arranged it.”

Xandra’s mouth popped open and shock must have shown on her
face because Malena chuckled.

“Don’t be so surprised, Xandra. I’m from Magonia, but I’m
not like most women you’ve met. I’m not some innocent creature without a mind
of my own. I don’t think you are either.” Leaning against a wall, Malena
stuffed one hand through her short hair. “You’re in a position to help me.”

“I am?”

“Your husband isn’t like the rest of the slavers on this
Magon-forsaken ship. Rayder has been good to the women. A few of the slaves
have been down here longer than I have. They say he’s visited at least a few
times a week. He may be a slaver, but there’s something very different about
him. He’s never taken a woman out of here to have sex, nor does he call us
names or mistreat us in any way. Half the women here are in love with him.”

Xandra’s lips twitched in a half-smile as disbelief warred
with belief. Malena’s description of him rang true and false. “It makes no
sense. Why would a man like that be on a ship like this?”

“That’s the rub.” Malena nodded. “Maybe you can use that
against him to get us set free.”

Recognizing a possible ally, Xandra relaxed a little. “Have
you ever hoped to escape?”

Malena nodded and crossed her arms. “Every day. What about
you?”

A loud bang announced the door at the top of the stairs had
closed. The snick of a lock sounded.

Xandra stepped out of the alcove and looked around. Phili
was nowhere to be found.

Malena chuckled. “Well, would you look at that? The bitch
has locked you in here with us.”

Chapter Ten

Rayder took in the jungle around him, half cautious and the
other half excited to be on land again. Birds sang happily in the trees,
lending virtue to the jungle it didn’t have. The jungle had everything a man
needed to survive and everything that could kill him too.

A dragon’s roar in the far distance reminded Rayder and the
men with him that danger could present itself at any time. Rayder and the other
men slashed the foliage with their swords, and the sharp metal cut through with
ease. Paths didn’t exist through the greenery. Plants grew so furiously in the
Tarrian jungle that everything they hacked down would have grown back within a
couple of days. Feudal lords who ruled the castles in the jungle always
employed men to keep the jungle back—it proved a fulltime job.

His mind turned to Xandra for the eight-hundredth time, and
no matter how many times he pushed back thoughts of her, it didn’t work. He’d
left her well protected with his dagger, and she was resourceful and
intelligent.

She’d be fine.

Didn’t matter. Worry ate at him, especially with the admiral
on board.

“Fuck,” he whispered under his breath.

He couldn’t afford to worry, even if she was his mate. He
needed to keep his mind on the dangers that lurked in the jungle. They’d
narrowly avoided a fight with a dragon, and some of the men had wanted to take
on the creature. Rayder had warned them they didn’t have the time. Drakus Fina
expected them at his camp. While he didn’t tell the men, Rayder wanted to know
what was happening in Dragonia before he set foot on the
Beast
again.
He’d never liked living on a ship, not the whole three years he’d sailed and
rose up the ranks, waiting for the right time to take revenge.

He knew what some of his fellow Daryk Ones would have said
to him about Admiral Aramus.

Just kill the bastard and be done with it.

He could have long ago.

Problem was this. He killed in self-defense in battle and to
save an innocent. The admiral deserved it, but Rayder needed a little more time
to accomplish his revenge. To ruin the admiral’s life once and for all without
hurting the innocent women on the ship.

Second, he wanted to make it out alive if he could. Now that
Xandra was in his life, he would have children. He would fulfill his promise to
his mother. Nothing stood in his way. Magonian women proved fertile. He’d never
expected the good fortune of his mate being a Magonian woman in the first
place.

The black stench of the ship had wended its way into his
heart, and maybe if he stayed on the
Beast
long enough, his soul would
be as filthy as the rotters who trailed behind him into the jungle.

Xandra wormed her way into his thoughts.

Xandra.

By the god, she did things to him no woman had ever done.
She reached him in ways no other woman had. He wanted to make slow, passionate
love to her, give her pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. If he gave a woman
one orgasm or at the very least some pleasure, he was happy enough. With
Xandra, he wanted her writhing, squeezing his cock as her body exploded in
ecstasy. And he wanted her to come so many times that she fell asleep in his
arms.

It had taken everything he had not to seduce her into full
sex. She made him happy, and he’d almost forgotten that emotion until he met
her.

Aggravating thoughts such as these swirled in his head
despite his efforts to keep his mind on the dangers before him. From the few
landmarks he could depend upon in the jungle, he knew they neared Drakus Fina’s
camp.

He held up one arm and made a fist. The men behind him
stopped. Rayder cupped his hands around his mouth and made a shrill call that
mimicked a bird not found in the Tarrian jungle. Out of the jungle came the
return undulating call. It was safe to enter camp.

Daryk Ones who served as guards for Drakus Fina halted the
group not far from the perimeter. As far as camps went, it was a large complex.
Anyone trying to find the camp had to guess if they resided in the same place.
Men frequently had to cut back the vines, creepers and other plants that would
have overtaken the camp daily.

Once the guards realized it was Rayder, they allowed him and
the other men to enter the encampment. While the slavers headed to the trading
tent or the drinking tent, Rayder headed straight for Drakus’ elaborate, large
tent near the center. His gut roiled at the thought of hobnobbing with the
slaver and rogue Daryk One, but what choice did he have? He’d made this trip
for supplies and to forge a fake bond with Drakus Fina more than once. He’d do
it again.

Two guards at Drakus’ tent nodded and parted the tent
opening without saying a word. Drakus didn’t stand on ceremony with other
slavers.

At first the tent’s unusual splendor came to Rayder’s
attention. A huge bed dominated the tent with frilly pillows tossed here and
there and exotically colored linens. Plunder such as statuary and other art
stolen from Magonian ships stood around the room in hasty disarray.

Lying on the bed, propped on his elbows, was a large man in
his late thirties, his blue eyes sharp with intelligence and cruelty.

Drakus Fina.

Like all the Daryk Ones, he wore a sleeveless tunic. Like
every Daryk One, the man was muscular and powerful. Long blond hair flowed over
Drakus’ shoulders to mid-chest. But Drakus wore something else.

A woman.

An extraordinarily homely woman, at least in the face. The
naked woman’s body was half-draped over Drakus’ naked lower body. She slurped
and gulped noisily at the man’s cock.

Blasé, Rayder watched the rogue leader take his pleasure.
Many men would have found the scene arousing, but Rayder didn’t. Rayder knew
the slave had probably been called to the tent to service the leader over and
over again. After all, a man like Drakus Fina owned concubines whom he treated
with callousness.

The woman looked up, her eyes widening in shock. Her white
hair flowed around her shoulders. She stopped sucking, her mouth still wide
around the huge penis.

Drakus grunted as he saw Rayder standing there. “Rayder.
Enjoying the show? Pippan, don’t stop or I’ll have to hurt you.” His voice was
nonchalant and calm even as his breathing quickened. “Show Rayder how talented
you are and perhaps I’ll share him with you.”

The woman’s cheeks flushed. Maybe she wasn’t used to having
someone watch her commit fellatio. She returned to her work—for the look in her
eyes said this was work and certainly not pleasure.

“I can return later.” Rayder figured he could give the woman
some privacy.

“Stay,” Drakus said as he gasped. “If you’re lucky, perhaps
you can watch me fuck her.”

Damned if he would. He gritted his teeth. He couldn’t watch
a man rape another woman, and he wouldn’t suffer even Drakus to hurt her.
Fuck.
That would screw his plans. Rayder bit his inner cheek, his mind whirling in
turmoil. He hadn’t lied to Xandra. Rayder would do what he could to protect the
woman. Killing Drakus now would create a huge problem.

Luckily, the woman seemed clever enough to realize what
would happen if she didn’t please Drakus. She moved faster, her hand pumping,
mouth sucking and licking with quickening pace. Drakus groaned, his hips
twitching, and it didn’t take more than thirty seconds before Drakus lay back
and let out a throaty gasp of pleasure as he shot come down the woman’s throat.

“That’s it,” Drakus said as he panted. “Lick it all off,
girl.”

Rayder’s stomach wrenched. He hated this.

The young woman continued to lick until Drakus barked an
order. “Stop.”

The nameless woman started and stumbled off the bed. “As you
wish.”

Rayder surveyed the woman’s naked body. The girl might be
homely of face, but her body more than made up for it. She’d fetch a fine price
in the slave market. Rayder couldn’t banish the disgust that curled inside him.

Drakus sat up as his cock went flaccid. He slid off the bed
and reached for his breeches. He stepped into them, buttoned them up and smiled
at Rayder.

Drakus gestured at the woman. “Please take her. As a welcome
present.”

Trembling, the woman gazed at Drakus with wide blue eyes.
Rayder saw fear there. Fear and hatred for Drakus. Disgust rose inside Rayder
at the woman’s situation. Helplessness also burned within Rayder. He could do
little to help the woman here and now.

“No.” Rayder walked toward the woman. “I’ve had mine earlier
today.”

Drakus grunted as he reached for a goblet on a side table
and poured red wine. He slammed back the wine with one gulp. He choked and some
of the wine ran down his chin.

Drakus wiped away the wine with his forearm. “You aren’t
usually so reluctant to take a gift, Rayder. Why is that?”

“You’ve never offered me a woman.”

“Fuck her.”

Rayder’s blood started to boil. “I don’t rape.”

Drakus laughed and he slammed the goblet down on the table.
“Come on. You know you could make her willing.”

“If I have to
make
her do anything, it’s rape.”

Drakus’ eyes burned with a curious mixture of humor and
contempt. “Such a noble man for a scum-sucking slaver. You vex me, Rayder.”

“You’ve known me three years. It’s just the way I am.”

“Never understood that.” Drakus walked closer, eyes laser
sharp and filled with barely concealed menace. “Unless you aren’t who I think
you are.”