Slave Empire III - The Shrike (37 page)

“No. I’ll
always want to be closer.”

“Ah, well I
wish I could share my skin with you, but alas…” He lowered her to
the floor, and she looked up at him.

“So what’s
happened to all the shitty memories?”

“They’re still
there, but now there’s something in front of them, blocking them.
Something sweet and pure and tough as nails. It’s kind of pink and
fluffy, and warm and clever… and it has a name.”

“Your favourite
blankie?”

“Okay you’ve
got to stop speaking in Earth riddles or I’ll have to get a
dictionary.”

“Well, a
blankie is -”

“Rayne… Her
name is Rayne.”

She wrinkled
her nose. “That’s cold wet stuff that falls from the sky on cloudy
days.”

“Hey, try to
keep up. I’m trying to be romantic.”

“If calling me
pink and fluffy is your idea of romantic you’ve got a lot to learn,
buster.”

He smiled and
murmured, “
Elloran leraan reyale erreth; dravoth, ren darellin
raylar mayarin toth
.”

“That’s more
like, or it would be if I knew what it meant, but it sounds as sexy
as all hell.”

“It means ‘you
are the light that holds the darkness at bay, and everything I have
ever done has led me to this day’.”

Rayne stared at
him in astonishment. Although heavily accented, he had spoken in
English. “Wow, you’ve really been studying those Earth data files,
huh?”

“A language as
beautiful as yours should not be allowed to die.”

“I’m going to
learn Antian.”

He laughed.
“That will take the rest of your life.”

“I’m not that
thick.”

“No, but the
language is. It fills four databanks.”

“So, you’ve
changed your mind about bloody stupid romantic ideas?”

“I never really
thought they were stupid, just out of my reach.”

“All you had to
do was open your hands.”

He nodded. “But
I didn’t know how. When you ran away to Atlan…” His eyes filled
with sorrow. “I was going to save you or die trying, because either
way you would be free. No innocent has ever lost their freedom
because of me, and I wasn’t about to let you be the first. I was
only sure about one thing: I didn’t want to live without you. I
accepted it when you left because that was your wish and I hoped
you’d come back, but there was no way I could let them lock you up
because of me.”

Two tears
escaped her stinging eyes to roll down her cheeks. “You shouldn’t
have done that.”

“Like you
shouldn’t have sacrificed yourself on Darmon.” He wiped away a
tear. “You’re raining again.”

“It’s been a
stormy day.”

“Ah, so you
have had a peek at the Antian database.”

“I learnt that
on Atlan, when I was trying to find out more about you. Tarke means
‘storm’, so together we’re a rainstorm.”

“There will
probably be the odd wet day.”

She slid her
hands up to clasp his neck. “Where I come from, they say trust has
to be earned.”

“Where I come
from, trust is given, but you have earned it, in any case.”

Rayne pulled
his head down and stood on tiptoe to kiss him, and he smiled when
she drew back.

“Testing,
testing.”

She giggled.
“It is pretty unbelievable.”

“It’s safe to
believe it. Test all you want.”

Rayne embraced
him and rested her cheek on his chest, and he held her close. With
him, her life would be a roller coaster ride of joy and pain, but
it would be worth it. She marvelled that someone like him would
want someone like her, and go to such extraordinary lengths to make
it happen. He had overcome deep-seated psychosis from the horrific
life he had led as a slave just so he could allow her to get close
to him. The fact that he had only managed to do it on an execution
block did not dilute it as far as she was concerned. If anything,
it made it even more poignant. He had wanted to trust just one
person before he died, and he had chosen her.

Nothing
defeated the Shrike; not decades of slavery and torture; not the
loss of his home world and race, and not even the greatest empire
in the galaxy. He was an enigmatic force of nature, unstoppable and
intense, helping all who needed him without asking for anything in
return, and she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her
life with him, on any terms. She foresaw many adventures ahead of
them, venturing into the unknown to find new marvels, as he had
found and saved her on a dying world so long ago. Despite what he
had told her, she was certain he would have rescued her from it,
too, had the Atlanteans not done so, but he must have known they
would.

All around
Shadowen, the largest fleet of space-faring vessels ever assembled
escorted them home. A few had stayed behind to collect the dead and
salvage ships that were too damaged to travel, while Atlan reeled
from the shock of losing its High Council and most of its
priesthood and civilian leaders. She mourned Tallyn’s loss, and she
was sure Tarke’s capture had not been his idea. Somehow, she
doubted Atlan would try to capture him again. They would know, as
she did, that he could have destroyed their world had he wished it.
Atlan had been defenceless when Tarke had given the order to stop
the battle. She understood now why his people revered him, and had
laid down their lives to save him, as he had saved them. He was
unique and irreplaceable. He was the Shrike.

****

About the
author

T. C. Southwell
was born in Sri Lanka and moved to the Seychelles with her family
when she was a baby. She spent her formative years exploring the
islands – mostly alone. Naturally, her imagination flourished and
she developed a keen love of other worlds. The family travelled
through Europe and Africa and, after the death of her father,
settled in South Africa. T. C. Southwell has written over thirty
novels and five screenplays. Her hobbies include motorcycling,
horse riding and art.

All
illustrations and cover designs by the author.

Contact the
author at [email protected]

Acknowledgements

Mike Baum and
Janet Longman, former employers, for their support, encouragement,
and help. My mother, without whose financial support I could not
have dedicated myself to writing for ten years. Isabel Cooke,
former agent, whose encouragement and enthusiasm led to many more
books being written, including this one. Suzanne Stephan, former
agent, who has helped me so much over the years, and Vanessa
Finaughty, best friend and former business partner, for her
support, encouragement and editing skills.