Gentle Chains (The Eleyi Saga Book 1) (20 page)

His wings fill the air, blocking out the sun and moons, and as all eyes
are drawn to him, I am pushed unceremoniously onto the sands. A shield snaps in
place, keeping the audience separated from Miwya as he arches through the air
and spews fire. -
I’m ready. Attack,-
I order, straightening, and as he
banks, veering toward me, I let my mind go blessed blank. The crowd sees me,
standing alone, my wings curled to my back, as the draken dives and I hear the
gasp of breath, the tingle of anticipation going through them. At the last
possible second, I roll, ducking under his breath of fire, and I feel it singe
my hair. He whips around, his tail almost hitting me as I dance back. I pull my
whip, and it sings through the air, pulling a screech from Miwya as I unfurl my
wings. The crowd screams their approval. I beat him back, and in my head, I can
hear his laughter, ringing through me like a wave of pure delight, chasing down
the adrenaline high.

We fight across the sands, while the crowd watches in a frenzy of
anticipation. The fires come closer until we’re almost circled, and I am pinned
between him and the bank of flames.

When I touch his nose, and he lowers his head under my caress, I think I
will go deaf from the delight of the crowd, ringing across the sands and over
the desert.

Then the phalanx floods the arena floor, and the frenzy freezes. -
We
can’t lose,-
I murmur to him, half drunk, pulling myself into the saddle
that Kristoff provided. -
Not now.-

He grunts an affirmation, and we’re in the air, dodging the attacks that
come too fast to follow. I stab at the glads with my hurkya, watching the crowd
go berserk when blood sprays. I jerk the hooked blade free, waving it at theM as
Miwya savages a gladiator who has attacked his foreleg.

He’s wounded, though not so much that I am worried. Faster than I would
believe possible—yet longer than I would assume, from the way Miwya is
beginning to flag—the gladiators are defeated. When I look around, the blood
haze clears from my vision. I see them lying on the sand in rapidly drying
pools of blood and I slide down Miwya’s back. His head rests on my shoulders as
I salute the crowd.

Their screams, emotion that pours from them like waves on Eleyiar, catch
me in their embrace, and I ride it, a high like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
Miwya is watching from my shoulder, and I am vaguely aware that he is worried,
just as I’m aware that the Ja is pleased, and Prator is stunned.

But it doesn’t matter. None of it matters, and it falls away as I fall
under the spell of the crowd that now belongs to me.

Chapter
24

Juhan’tr

-Something is bothering you.-
Fendra’de
blinks at me over the rim of her cup, and I force a smile. The wingless Eleyi
sees too much and after two weeks of caring for her, it is very easy to forget
myself with her, to forget it is not only
my
secrets I keep.

-I’m tired,-
I say, brushing aside
her words.

She shifts, looking at me, intently. -
There is talk of you among the
sick. Whispers about you taking pain and easing the way into death.-

She doesn’t say more, doesn’t push for an explanation that I cannot
give. I look down at my hands, and my gaze snags on the stumps that used to be
her wings. Inanely, I wonder if she is still Fendra’de. What would a wingless
Eleyi be called? We’ve never had one, never needed to name them.

-I didn’t mean it,-
I
whisper. -
They were hurting, and I could help. It wasn’t supposed to be
noticed.-

She inhales sharply, and I feel the sudden presence of Eleyi minds,
listening and attentive. -
Juhan, does she know? Does Renult know what we can
do?-

I’m shaking my head
. -Of course not. I’d never betray Eleyiar that way.-

She doesn’t say that I already have. That exposing our darkest ability
in a place as unprotected as this spells disaster and danger for all Eleyi.

What would the Others do, if they knew that we could do more than pick
up emotions and thoughts? That we
could
steal them, with very little
effort. That the strongest of us could force our will and actions on weaker
minds.

When Others first came to Eleyiar, we didn’t know to keep our psychic
abilities a secret. But even then, there were things we didn’t talk about, we
didn’t share with outsiders. Things that were too dark for us to speak of even
to each other. And it saved us from annihilation.

It became taboo and skills, once prized, faded until they were only
whispered myths. Hushed lessons passed between ancient mentors and the most
skilled students. Even on Eleyiar, it is a skill that is feared, something that
sets us apart from the Others.

-You can’t tell her, Juhan. I don’t know or care
what game you and the human are playing but this is not a secret you can
share,-
Fendra’de says, her voice urgent and harsh in my mind.

My anger spikes and I’m furious, suddenly. I sit back on my heels, ready
to stand. -
You
don’t
know. I
am playing a game, a very dangerous one, and I’ll do anything I have to to win.
Even if that means trading every Eleyi life as currency. The Eleyi did nothing
for me or my sister when she was Taken. And you expect me to give a damn about
them now?-
I glare at her, feeling betrayed.
–I am
here.
Not searching the galaxy for my
sister—here. Helping you, doing everything I can to make your life a little
better. Don’t berate me for that.-
I move away from them, needing space.
I’ve been avoiding thinking about still being here. I want to be—I’m useful
here, in a way that I haven’t been since before I was Taken. But I can’t deny
the guilt that seems to dodge every movement, every time I steal a little pain,
make a passing easier.

I should be looking for Chosi. Not here on a
slave planet that haunts me, healing whores who would rather die.

Without conscious thought, I crouch by a
slave. Her face was crushed by falling rubble, one leg shattered in the
collapse. Burns cover the damaged limbs. Her fingers and toes are twitching as
she sleeps—or maybe she’s just unconscious. I grab a med patch and affix it to
her shoulder—the pain meds will kick in almost instantly. I watch, waiting for
her limbs to relax. That’s when I slip into her mind, drifting as gently as I
can. Her walls are completely devastated—all rational thought is overridden by
the pain so intense it makes my breath catch. I let my mental walls lower, and
the pain floods over me.

I open my mind to her, and her pain seeps out
of her, filling me. I grit my teeth, closing my eyes. The slave is relaxing,
her body losing tension, settling in an easy, healing sleep.

Someone touches my back and I gasp, wrenching
away from them. I fall on my hands and stifle a moan as pain shrieks through
me. Too much—I took too much. The wounds were too intense, and I was too
distracted by my own thoughts—and now I’m floundering under the stolen pain.

I feel, distantly, a flutter of concern, and
someone shouts for Sadi. Her hand brushes against mine and I scream as the pain
crests, everything tight and vicious.

And then everything fades away as I black out.

I can feel again, the harsh board I’m lying on, splinters digging into
me. The lingering cold of space. The ashy taste of the air. Sadi’s hand in mine
as she sits cross-legged at my side. I groan, my stomach cramping with sudden
nausea. “Where are we?” I mutter, swallowing hard to keep from throwing up.

I can feel the wash of relief in Sadi as she says, “Still on Cenktari.”

“What happened?” I ask and there is a quiet that makes my skin crawl. I
glance at her, at Tin standing behind her. He looks exhausted, Sadi a thin
wraith next to him. And we’re in a private room—something is wrong.

It’s agonizing, moving. My body is stiff, and screams with protest as I
twist my head to look around.I remember, slowly. Fighting with Fendra. Helping
the slave girl. Echoes of pain still twist in my legs. I lick my lips, and
reach for Sadi’s mind. It’s exhausted and terrified. I probe a little deeper.
What I find shocks me.

-How
long was I unconscious?-

-Three
days. That slave—she’s fine. Like nothing ever happened.-
Sadi
says, a touch of accusation in her voice. I look away, guilt and fear crashing
over me. I can’t do this—can’t keep risking myself to save the slaves around
me. And that kills a little piece of my soul.
. –Juhan, -
Sadi whispers
in my mind and draws me to her.

And knowing I am a coward, I lean into her embrace.

Brando is on the Leen when I stumble aboard.

I would think he is expected, but Sadi freezes, her eyes narrowing
dangerously as she stares. The tension spikes and I flinch, swaying on my feet.
-
Don’t,-
I plead. -
Argue later, but I can’t handle the emotion right
now.-

Sadi bites her lip, looking away from the still silent bodyguard. “I’m
going to help Juhan lie down. Tin, will you deal with this?” She waves a vague
hand at Brando and something like amusement sparks across his psyche.

“Your father has been called back to New Earth from Geruin,” Brando says
quietly.

“Thanks for the message. You should likely return to the Arizona,” Sadi
retorts.

“Can’t. I’ve been ordered back to your security detail.”

A spike of fear and outrage slams into me and I groan, stumbling.

“I can’t do this right now. Brando, go away. I’ll deal with you later,”
she says, her voice deliberately empty. “Tin, get us off-planet.”

She brushes past Brando, and I stumble along with her until a strong arm
slips around my shoulder, lifting my weight from Sadi. He glances at her for a
split-second and she brushes a lock of hair from her eyes. “He’s in your old
room,” she says.

There is a flicker of amusement from Brando and he teases, “Not your
room, Sadi?”

“Oh, shut up,” she says without heat and Brando laughs soundlessly. She
trails us to the tiny room that’s somehow become mine and I let out a sigh of
relief as I fall into the bed. Sadi pulls a blanket up over my wings and I try
to control the shivers that shake me and the bed. “I have to help Tin,” she
murmurs and I nod.

“Go. I’ll stay with him,” Brando orders, nudging her gently aside.

Sadi almost runs from the room and I look at Brando. His mental walls
are down. -
Why?-

-Do you know what you did?-
Brando asks, leaning against the wall.

I’m silent, thinking about Fendra’de, her body crumpled and discarded on
the fire-scorched stones. About the psyche that jerked me home, how familiar
and broken it felt as it wrapped around me. -
She wasn’t strong enough to
bring me back.-

I twist enough to look up at him and whatever he sees in my eyes, it
makes the bodyguard nod. “She was hiding some of her injuries—but there was no
one psychically strong enough to pull you back. She was all they had, and she
wanted to.”

“Sadi shouldn’t have allowed it. I’m not worth wasting another life on,”
I say bitterly, my head dropping to the pillow.

Brando moves, silent, sitting on the floor near my bed. “Zoe told me
about your sister.” I glance up, startled and meet his unflinching, unfriendly
gaze. “Are you using Sadi?”

I can’t feel anything in his psyche—no emotional tells, nothing but a
blank slate that is as terrifying as it is smooth. And yet, staring at him, I
don’t doubt that he will kill me if he thinks I am hurting Sadiene.

I smile coldly. “No more than the lady is using me.”

Something flickers in his eyes—admiration?—before it’s gone and he nods,
standing. “Madame Tali was not happy about the self-sacrifice of Fendra’de,” he
says, walking to the door.

“How not happy?” I call after him.

Brando grins, a rare smile that lights ups his face and brightens his
eyes and I can understand, for a heartbeat, why she loves him. He pitches his
voice to echo down the hall. “We’ve been thrown off The Scarlet Stain. The
cybertulres are going to have a field day with this.”

Distantly, I can hear Sadi cursing and Brando’s laughter trails him
through the ship as he ambles away. I pillow my head on my arms, and ignore the
fact that I’m making enemies across the galaxy.

She will be furious when I tell her that I need to go to Chosi’le
now
. I wonder if she’ll allow it. For
all that I am presented as free, we know the truth, and the brand on my leg has
gone nowhere. I am still a slave. And that knowledge grinds into me, chipping
away at my patience and psyche.

“Leen?” I call, and the ship chirps at me. “Tell Sadi I need to speak
with her when she has a moment.”

“Acknowledged.”

A few minutes later, Sadi comes into my room, and sits on the bed near
me. “What is it?” she asks, and I roll to my side. She looks exhausted—dark
shadows under her eyes, a strained expression I hadn’t noticed before, and it’s
impossible to ignore the weight she’s lost. For a moment, I consider not saying
anything, waiting. She doesn’t need more stress, and I’m about to give her
exactly that.

I push aside my worry for the tiny human girl who owns me. All that
matters is my sister. She’s all that
can
matter.

“We need to talk,” I say, and she tenses.

“Brando thinks so too.” Her tone is light, but I can feel the anxious
undercurrent in her emotions. “Why do I get the feeling I won’t like any of the
conversations?”

I sit up, biting back a groan as my muscles spasm. Leaning over, I kiss
her quickly on the cheek. “Because you’re extraordinarily perceptive,
sweetling.”

She startles, jerking back. I’m not sure if it’s because of the kiss or
the endearment, but for a moment, something flares across her psyche and her
cheeks burn. Then she stands and smiles, a forced smile. “Well, let’s get it
over with.”

With a sigh, I struggle to stand and follow her.

When we’re all sitting around the tiny table in the galley, Sadi finally
looks at Brando. “Explain,” she says, giving him an expectant look.

He glances at me and shrugs. “Your father doesn’t trust you, Sadi. And
your consort has a habit of making enemies. We thought it best to increase your
security.”

Tin stirs in his seat. “Sadi has a security detail. You should have
consulted me,” he says, voice low, struggling to contain his anger.

“This went over your head,” Brando answers easily.

Sadi stands, stalks over to the cabinet, and pulls out a chocolate bar.
Across from me, amusement spikes in Brando and Sadi narrows her eyes at him
before he can say anything. “Did it occur to either you or Daddy that I’m happy
with Tin’s service, that I didn’t want him replaced?”

“Yes. But the decision was made that your feelings were less important
than your safety.”

Anger flares in her before she chokes it off. “Fine,” she says evenly.
“But Tin stays. I’m not having him punished because you or Daddy feel
threatened.”

“Fair enough,” Brando says too easily and Sadi takes a satisfied bite of
her chocolate.

-That had already been decided, hadn’t it?-
I
ask, looking at my hands.

-Of course,-
Brando says.

There is something different about him—something loose and almost
relaxed. Sadi pauses halfway through her chocolate, wraps it and looks at me.
“Your turn. What was
that
? What
caused your blackout?”