No Words Alone (16 page)

Xera took a breath and sat up straight. “I’m
getting married, sis. I promised I’d tell you. Check the message
burst for details; I don’t know how long we have.”

Gem’s eyes glittered with the tears she
fought. “Are you happy about it?”

How was Xera to answer that? There was so
much she wanted to say, to confide, but there was no time. “He’s a
good man. I think, given time, you might like him.”

“He hasn’t hurt you?”

Xera forced a smile. “I’m only hurting that I
can’t see you again. I’m sorry, sis. I didn’t mean for it to end
this way.”

“It’s not ended! You’re still my sister,” Gem
said fiercely. “If they won’t let you come home, I’ll find a way to
come to you.”

Alarmed, Xera said quickly, “No! You have a
family. Even assuming you can find a craft, it’s an eight-month
journey and a hostile border; you don’t belong here.”

A muscle jumped in Gem’s jaw. “Then I’ll send
Brandy.”

“She’s married!”

“Not anymore.”

Confused (Brandy’s hasty marriage had been
only months old when Xera was captured) Xera still protested. It
was a nice thought, but the two of them were not known for playing
well with each other. If Brandy showed up, there would soon be a
war of galactic dimensions. Age had not mellowed them out. “Not if
you love me, sis! You know I love her, but
no.
”

Gem looked slightly cheered. “Your
independent streak is showing.”

“Maybe I needed reminding of it,” Xera said,
feeling grateful. She and her sibling might be very different, but
it was good to draw strength from her family and she had needed
this connection more than she could say. “Thank you, sis. I love
you. Trust me. Believe in me.”

“Done,” Gem said. “I…” The screen went
blank.

The communications computer attempted to
reconnect, but it was useless. The beam had broken.

Xera leaned her head back against her chair
and closed her eyes. It was disappointing but okay. They’d said all
that needed to be said. Gem would worry, but that was her nature as
an older sister. Better she worry than grieve.

As for Xera, she felt much better. Gem
couldn’t have planned a better resolve booster than to threaten to
send Brandy. A visit wouldn’t be terrible, but the chances were too
great that she would get stuck with the girl. She couldn’t be an
ambassador while bickering with her sibling. Who would take her
seriously?

A tone sounded at her chamber door. “Enter,”
she called, and was surprised to see both Ryven and Namae come
in.

“I’m sorry to disturb you so soon. You are
needed on the bridge,” Ryven informed her as his sister set to work
repairing Xera’s makeup.

Xera tried to keep eye contact with him in
spite of Namae’s ministrations. “What’s up?”

Ryven’s eyes glittered. “Your former captain
is making accusations.”

“Ah.” Xera sat still as she thought about
that. “What’s he saying?”

“He accuses you of treason, us of torture.
He’s a pitiful little man.”

Suddenly unsure, she frowned at him. “You
didn’t, did you? Torture him?”

He raised a brow. “He is intact.”

She distrusted the gleam in his eye. It
looked too much like satisfaction. “What did you do?”

“Withheld pain medication and healing
accelerators for his knee. He was allowed anesthetic for the
operation on it, however; mostly for the comfort of the attending
surgeon.”

She sighed. Scorpio justice was rough stuff.
“What about the others?”

“Also intact. They were interrogated, but not
with force. We have other means.”

She grunted, glad he didn’t elaborate. There
were some pathways her mind just didn’t need to wander. “They’re
looking for a scapegoat, then.”

“What?”

“Someone to blame,” she translated, rising
from her chair. “Let’s see if we can head this off.”

He waited until they were in the hallway to
ask, “Would she really send your sister?”

She looked at him, silently acknowledging
what she had assumed: her conversation with Gem had been far from
private, with both sides listening in. “You’d better hope not;
Brandy can be a terror underfoot.”

He considered her thoughtfully. “My brother
is yet unwed.”

A crack of laughter surprised her. “Don’t
wish that on him! Whatever sins he’s committed, he doesn’t deserve
that.”

Ryven frowned at her words, but she didn’t
care. He had no idea. She elaborated, “Brandy is moody, solitary
and cranky. I think it’s her frustrated mothering instinct that
bothers her. She ran off and got married a few months ago, and now
it seems she’s not. I don’t know if the guy got scared and ran off
or what, but one crisis at a time is enough. Let’s see what our
good captain has to say, why don’t we?”

He had quite a lot, as it happened.

Captain Khan’s image on the screen was pale.
As a concession to his injury, he was seated in a wheelchair. New
lines were deeply etched around his mouth and eyes, lines of pain
and hatred. That hatred was focused on Xera as she entered the
bridge. Immediately he launched into a snarled tirade. “You….”

His words were abruptly cut off. They could
see the commander to whom they’d first spoken reprimanding Khan,
but they could not hear the words. There was a great deal of
gesturing and flying spittle on Khan’s part, though.

Little man syndrome.
The thought
flashed through Xera’s head and she had to clamp down on a smile
that could wreak havoc if seen. Any hint of mockery on her part
might rile the GE, and they didn’t need that. She could feel
Ryven’s deadly focus as he moved subtly closer to her. For his
sake, she was glad Khan wasn’t here in person; he would be dead.
Ryven had no qualms about covering his hands with blood. She didn’t
share his sentiments.

Finally Khan calmed down. His fists were
clenched, but his posture was more subdued as his commander
reactivated the sound. “In light of his emotional investment in the
proceedings, I will speak for Captain Khan. He has accused the
former Lieutenant Harrisdaughter of treason.” He glanced down,
consulting his notes. “He claims the Lieutenant seduced the alien
leader.” He glanced up, “That would be you, Commander Atarus; in
order to save her own life. He further claims that she shared
information with you and assisted in the capture of his crew.
Several of his crewmembers agree this is true. Furthermore, they
report that the Lieutenant was already known for her ‘sexually
generous nature.’”

“Have they been isolated and individually
questioned?” Ryven inquired calmly. His coolness was strange in the
face of the charges, almost as if he knew more than he was saying.
“You’ll see the conflict in their testimonies soon enough if you
do.

“As for the claim of my seduction…” His mouth
tipped up. “You may be interested to note that my bride is still a
virgin, as any physician could tell on the slightest of
examinations. We anticipated this line of questioning and took
steps to preserve the...
evidence
.”

The commander looked taken aback, but it was
nothing to Xera’s chagrin. She couldn’t help staring at Ryven. He
quietly touched her shoulder as he informed the Commander, “With my
bride’s permission, you may send a medic to confirm the truth. I
will guarantee their safe return if you do. Of course, we will
demand the satisfaction of the Captain’s execution in return, along
with his lying crewmen.”

“That’s a freaking lie!” Captain Khan
snarled. “You’re no more a virgin than….” His portion of the screen
suddenly went dark.

The commander looked strained. “We will get
back to you on that. Excuse me.” The screen went blank.

Even Xera was surprised by the abruptness,
but it didn’t stop her from glaring at Ryven.

He looked innocently at her. “You’d have
suggested the same if you’d thought of it first.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Then you weren’t really
planning this all along?”

He looked at her patronizingly, but his
answer was soft, for her ears only. “You’ve been in my bed, woman.
Do you think I would bother to save any evidence for
him?
I
waited for you; no one else.”

She relaxed under his reassuring gaze. “You
know, for an alien, you’re a rather nice guy.”

He smirked. “One who’s planning to bed you
thoroughly at the very soonest convenience.”

She flushed, understanding that this was now
a matter of pride as well as desire. No man liked to admit publicly
that his wife was untouched. Even for the best cause, that had to
chafe.

“Do you think they’ll accept the invitation?” Ryven
asked.

She laughed without humor. “I doubt it. My
guess is that they’ll try to wiggle out with some diplomatic
maneuver. The GE isn’t much into beheading these days. If anything,
they’ll court martial him. He would be demoted and jailed.”

“I should have gutted him when I had the
chance.”

She couldn’t help a smile. “Barbarian.”

“Efficient,” he countered.

“Ruthless,” she added, just to see his eyes
glitter.

He bent closer to murmur, “You will soon see
how much.”

Invisible flames licked her, and she
shivered.

It took over an hour, but the commander finally
contacted them. He looked grim. “In light of further investigation,
we have decided to dismiss Captain Khan’s accusations. It seems his
testimony conflicts with that of several of his crewmen. The
Lieutenant’s…medical examination won’t be required. The captain
aside, none of us here in command are interested in questioning her
honor.”

“Very wise,” Ryven’s father commented,
speaking up for the first time in a while. “I suggest we take a
recess from our discussions. If there is nothing urgent, we will
recommence in twelve hours.”

Fatigue set in as the tension drained from
Xera. She glanced at her husband (or soon-to-be husband, or
whatever he truly was) and saw him nod at the Lord Governor. “We
will retire, then. Rest well.” He linked arms with her and escorted
her from the bridge.

Their masks of unaffectedness did not last
past their stateroom door. Ryven cupped her jaw in his hand. He and
Xera simply breathed, simply existed as their tension drained away.
After a short period of relaxation, however, Xera grew
restless.

She stirred. "How do you do that? Calm me
that way?"

He nuzzled her temple. "It's a talent," he
whispered. "Like so very many other things you have yet to enjoy."
He kissed her, demonstrating another. This one left her breathless.
He kept his touches light, teased her until she made a sound of
impatience and attacked his mouth. He laughed and took over the
kiss, ramped up the heat, the seriousness, until the laughter died
in flame and passion.

They were too raw to take it slowly. She’d
been hurt; he hurt for her. This demanded a vengeance that found
its expression in the bedroom. They were both more clothed than not
when he mounted her, took the virginity with which he’d taunted the
captain.

The first act of love in a woman’s life is
never comfortable; there is pain, and very little stars and comets,
despite what the poets say. There was desire, yes, but they
unwittingly turned the act itself into an expression of violence.
It was an act of pride for him, pride of the conqueror taking his
rightful due, with little memory of how much he wanted the woman
herself.

Xera was...not herself. Her sister’s call,
the accusations, the reminder of her status; they all were too
much. No matter that she could now put “beloved” in front of “war
prize,” a new rebellion was born in her heart. A shell of anger
formed around the new hurts and focused on the nearest target. She
was glad and sorry when he reared above her with a cry. She waited
a moment as he lay there, supported by his elbows on either side,
and then subtly nudged him off.

He glanced at her and moved away when he saw
her wince. “I’m sorry.”

“I need to clean up,” she growled as she slid
off the bed. That should have been his first incontrovertible
indication that something was wrong. Before he might have been
excused for thinking it was merely the loss of her innocence that
disturbed her. His judgment was understandably clouded.

The bathrooms on the warship were tiny,
little more than closets, even for those of rank. Xera forced
herself to be strong as she cleaned herself. The tears were too
close. Rage shimmered just under her skin. But if she lost it in
front of him, he would insist on trying to talk, and she wasn’t
ready to be that naked in front of him.

She looked in the mirror, saw her glittering
eyes and hard mouth, and knew he’d never believe she was all right.
Lying wasn’t an option, but strength might get her what she needed.
“Be strong,” she hissed to herself, showing her teeth. “Be
strong
.”

“Xera?” Ryven’s quiet voice came through the
door, very close.

She took a breath and opened it. “I need some
time alone.” She had never seen him look solemn. It disturbed
her.

Those brimstone eyes moved over her face,
took in the tension of her body. A hint of sadness entered his
gaze. Slowly, gently, he raised a hand and touched the curve where
her neck met her shoulder. He did nothing else, simply let the
moment be.

Slowly, the absence of pressure caused her
shoulders to loosen. Bewildered, she stared at his chest, unable to
understand why. He wasn’t forcing her, wasn’t demanding. He simply
stood there and offered silent support. Without the touch, the
moment couldn’t have drained her resistance, stole away her anger.
With it, only moments passed until tears gathered in her eyes,
tears of relief and sorrow. She didn’t want him to go, didn’t want
him to take his comforting presence away. She stepped close and
wrapped her arms around him on a sob.

Chapter 13