Rayne's Return (Hearts of ICARUS Book 3) (21 page)

Ari’s hand tightened briefly on her wrist, and she looked up at him, their eyes locking.  “I’ll do it under one condition.”  There was something different about his voice.  It was deeper, more resonate, and somehow, warmer than before.

“What’s that?” she whispered. 

“I want you to promise that while you’re in the tub, you’ll think of us.”

Rayne nodded slowly, mesmerized by the growing heat in his amber eyes.  “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

“You two are killing me,” Landor said hoarsely.  Rayne tore her gaze from Ari and watched in surprise as Landor shoved his chair back, stood up, and rounded the table with quick steps, stopping beside her.  He reached down, placed his hands at her waist, lifted her straight up out of her chair, and pressed his mouth to hers. 

She was so startled that at first she didn’t do anything at all.  Then she began to register the intense sensations of his lips against hers.  The softness.  The heat.  The taste that matched his scent.  The overwhelming intimacy of their mouths pressed together.  She cupped his jaw with one hand, and was distracted for a moment by the texture of his skin, so different from her own.  Then his tongue slipped into her mouth and caressed hers, and she knew instantly that this was something she’d never get enough of. 

For years she’d tried to imagine what it would feel like to kiss a man.  Unfortunately, the idea of having someone else’s tongue in her mouth wasn’t remotely appealing, and she’d never been able to imagine it in a way to change that opinion.  She knew it had to be a lot more enjoyable than it sounded, otherwise people wouldn’t do it.  After Salene experienced her first kisses with the Gryphons, she’d asked her about it, but Salene had only told her that it was something she had to discover for herself.  She was more than willing to follow her sister’s advice, but the only men she had any interest in experimenting with hadn’t yet made an appearance.

Landor took his time exploring her mouth, causing hot chills to race over every inch of her skin.  She was mildly surprised to realize that she was getting wet, her nipples had hardened, and her body had gone limp.  She spared a moment to acknowledge the fact that Salene had been right.  It was definitely something she’d had to experience for herself.  Then Landor growled softly when she stroked her tongue along his, and she stopped thinking and let herself get lost in the moment.

Rayne felt Con press up against her back and knew that both he and Ari were watching intently, their pleasure and arousal rising with hers and Landor’s.  When Landor raised his head, breaking the kiss, they were both panting a little, but she felt a sudden, intense need for Con and Ari.  Before she had a chance to process the feeling she was in Con’s arms, his jade eyes glowing with heat as he lowered his mouth to hers.  Her tongue met his eagerly, as though she’d been craving his touch and taste for hours instead of just a few seconds. 

She was surprised all over again when she found that Con’s kiss was nothing like Landor’s at all.  Landor had been patient, giving her time to explore and experience her first kiss fully.  Con was more intense and powerful, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and claiming it in a way that caused shivers to race up and down her spine.  By the time Con broke the kiss she was gasping, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed, only this time embarrassment had nothing to do with it.  At the same time she felt an indescribably strong
need
for Ari that went beyond simple desire. 

Then she was in Ari’s arms, staring into his hot, amber eyes, and all thought vanished again as he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.  One hand lightly stroked her throat while he kissed her, causing her skin to pebble and her nipples to harden even more.  She pressed her body tightly against his, not even hearing her own moans as he stoked her passion higher and higher by the moment. 

And then, it was over.  Ari raised his head and gazed into her eyes as they both struggled to pull air into their lungs.  When she was breathing almost normally again, he set her back down in her chair, leaving her staring up at the three of them in confusion.

Landor spoke quickly to head off the hurt feelings he saw coming.  “We want you, Rayne,” he said, brushing a few strands of hair from her cheek.  “More than you can imagine.  But you’re not ready yet, so we need to leave before we go too far.”

“Why am I not ready?”

“Because you’re still much too weak for what all of us want,” Con said.  “But there’s no rush.  We know that you’re ours, and you know that we’re yours.  We can wait and, in the meantime, get to know each other as we agreed.”

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to run your own bath after all, though,” Ari said.  “I’m not altogether sure I can do that without…well, it would be best for us all if I don’t.  I’m sorry.”

“That’s all right,” she said, her fingers going to her lips.  “I appreciate that you’re thinking of my well-being.”  She smiled.  “At least you’ve given me something to think about while I’m sitting in there, all alone, covered in nothing but hot water and bubbles.”

Con laughed softly, then bent down to kiss her gently on the lips.  “Tease,” he whispered. 

“We had that coming,” Landor said, then brushed her cheek with his fingertips.  “Enjoy your bath,
Kisu
.”

Rayne sat staring at the door after they left, committing as much of her first kisses to memory as she could.  Then she got up and went into the bathroom to start the water in the tub with a smile on her face that didn’t fade even when she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

***

“Did we really just walk away from her?” Con asked as the three of them stood in the corridor outside of Rayne’s room.

“I’m not sure that I’d call that painful looking hobble of yours
walking
, but yes, that’s what we did,” Landor replied.

“It’s the right thing to do for Rayne,” Ari said. 

“I know it is, otherwise I’d still be in there,” Con said.  “I just can’t quite believe we actually had the strength to do it.”

“Well, we did, and if we’re going to stay away, we need to get busy with something other than standing out here wishing…,” Landor paused and cleared his throat.  “Con, you and I will go see Pip.  Ari, please keep an eye on things here.”

“Of course,” Ari replied.  “I’ve got some work to do anyway.”

“We’ll fill you in when we get back,” Landor promised, then turned and began walking toward the elevator with Con at his side. 

“How do you want to handle this?” Con asked as he and Landor stepped into the elevator.  He pressed the button that would take them to the deck where the infirmary was located and they both watched as the doors slid shut.

“I’m not certain,” Landor replied as the elevator doors opened a moment later.  “Follow my lead.”

Con nodded and walked beside Landor in silence as they crossed the waiting room, then pushed through the swinging doors into the triage area.  The head med tech, a man named Blake Henry that they’d known since his boyhood, was stocking a supply cabinet.   He looked up and smiled as they entered.  “Hi Landor, Con.”

“Hello, Blake,” Landor said, returning his smile.  “Is Pip around?”

“He just stepped away for a moment.”  They all looked up when a door opened at the other side of the room, and the slender young doctor entered. 

“Good evening Landor, Con,” Pip said. 

“Good evening Pip,” Landor said, then turned to Blake.  “Would you mind giving us a few minutes with Pip?”

“Not at all,” Blake replied, closing the cabinet.  “I’m done for the night anyway.  Goodnight, Pip,” he said, then exchanged friendly nods with the Bearen-Hirus and left.

“Is something wrong?” Pip asked, his brown eyes worried.

“Not exactly,” Landor said.  “We need your assistance with something, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Pip replied.

“We have a human male that we want to sedate, but not injure in any way,” Landor said.  “Hopefully you can tell us what to use, and how much.”

“Is it a healthy man?”

“Yes, I believe so,” Landor said. 

“How long do you want him out for?”

Landor glanced at Con, who shrugged.  “Three or four hours should do it.”

“That’s simple enough,” Pip said.  “Do you want an injectable or oral medication?”

“Whatever works fastest,” Con said.  “Speed is important.”

“In that case it’ll have to be injectable.”  Pip went to the pharmaceutical cabinet and unlocked it by pressing his thumb to the security scanner.  “How big is the man?” he asked while reaching inside for a bottle of pale yellow fluid.

“I’d say he’s about your size, Pip,” he said.  “What do you think, Con?”

Con studied Pip for a moment, then nodded.  “Yes, that’s about right.”

Pip removed a syringe from a drawer, popped off the sterile cover, filled it with the drug, and then replaced the cover.  He relocked the cabinet and handed the syringe to Landor.  “Inject that into his upper arm, and in less than five seconds he’ll be out for about four hours.”

Landor looked at the syringe for a moment, then handed it to Con.  “Thank you, Pip, this will help us out tremendously. 

“You’re welcome, Landor,” Pip said, smiling before turning around to go back to whatever he’d been doing before they arrived.  He made two steps before Con injected the drug into his arm.  Pip gasped in surprise, then slumped over so quickly that Con barely had time to catch him.  He picked him up and laid him on a medi-cot while Landor locked the infirmary doors.

“Should we restrain him?” Con asked.

“Not unless we’re forced to,” Landor replied.  “Go on and give it a try.”

“Controller, open eyes,” Con said.  Nothing.  “Fifty seven, open eyes.”  Still nothing. 

“Try it the way Rayne wrote it,” Landor suggested. 

“Controller fifty seven, open eyes,” Con tried, then grimaced.  “It’s a good thing we knocked him out first.”

“Yes, and if we can’t get control of this thing, we’ll have to keep him knocked out until it can be removed,” Landor said.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Con said.  He frowned in thought.  “Number fifty seven, open eyes.”

“No, that’s not exactly what she wrote,” Landor said.  “Remember the pound sign?” 

Con nodded.  “Controller pound fifty seven, open eyes.”

“No, Con.  The pound sign is indicative of a number.”  He looked at Pip.  “Controller number fifty seven, open eyes.”

Pip’s eyes popped open.  Landor and Con exchanged looks of surprise.  They’d suspected this, had even expected it, but somehow, it still surprised them. 

“Any ideas on what to ask?” Con wondered.

“Controller number fifty seven, deactivate host suicide program.”

“Invalid command protocol,” Pip said in a flat voice.

“Great,” Con muttered.  “Looks like Pip’s going to be in a hibernation tank until we get back to Jasan.”

“Not so fast,” Landor said.  “Controller number fifty seven, state command syntax to deactivate a core program sequence.”

“Syntax to deactivate a core program sequence is as follows,” Pip said in a chilling monotone.  “
Controller number
state controller number
access core program sequence control.
  When controlled host responds
core program sequence control accessed
, then state
execute core command deactivation
then state name of program to be deactivated.”

“Okay, let’s run with that,” Landor said as much to himself as to Con.  “Controller number fifty-seven, access core program sequence control”

“Core program sequence control accessed,” said Pip.

“Execute core command deactivation—host suicide program,” said Landor, who then held his breath waiting for a response.

After a two-second-long eternity, Pip said, “Command accepted.  Host suicide program is now in inactive mode.” 

“Very good,” Con said.  “That was clever of you.”

“Thanks, now let’s see if it’ll tell us why it was planted here,” Landor said.  “Controller number fifty seven, state last operational orders received.”

“Covertly obtain genetic material from prime subjects and transport to secondary coordinates,” Pip’s voice replied.

“Controller number fifty seven, identify prime subjects by name,” Landor ordered.

“Landor Bearen-Hiru, Condor Bearen-Hiru, Aridor Bearen-Hiru.”

“
Squilik
shit,” Con whispered.  “Controller number fifty seven, did you carry out that order?”

“Affirmative.”

“Double
squilik
shit,” Landor said hoarsely.  He cleared his throat, then asked the next question.  “Controller number fifty seven, when did you carry out that order?”

Pip named a date and time a week past.  Three days before Rayne was abducted, in fact.  A suspicion began to grow in Landor’s mind.  A suspicion that made him ill to think of.  He wasn’t altogether sure he wanted to know if he was right, but he had to ask.  “Controller number fifty seven, how long have you been aware that Princess Rayne Dracon is the prime subjects’
berezi
?”

“Thirty eight days, fourteen hours, seven minutes,” Pip’s voice replied.

Landor’s face paled and he thought, for a few moments, that he was going to actually throw up, something he’d never done in his entire life.  He looked at Con, who didn’t look much better than he felt. 

“Controller number fifty seven,” Con said, his voice barely above a whisper, “did you provide that information along with the genetic material?”

“Affirmative.”

“Damn,” Landor whispered.  “She was taken because of us.”

“No, Landor,” Con argued.  “She was taken because of her connection to us, but that is not our fault any more than it’s her fault.”

“It’s our fault we weren’t careful enough with the information,” Landor retorted. 

“We never told anyone,” Con said.  “The only way this thing in Pip’s head could have found out was by spying on us.”

Landor took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.  “Controller number fifty seven, what is the identity of those you take orders from?”

“This controller does not possess sufficient data to provide a meaningful response.”

“Controller number fifty seven, how do you receive your orders?” Con asked.