Slavemaster's Woman, The (34 page)

“Military training.” Rube shrugged as he
looked at Cushla’s father. “I agree with him. He should go.”

“You can’t go anywhere if you can’t get
out.”

Their heads snapped around in response to
the female voice behind them.

Juliada …

The female royal who’d snuck into Tarken’s
quarters moons ago, stood just inside the solarium door.

Stars bedamned!
How they had failed
to hear her enter was a major blunder. Even worse, she held a
security remote in her hand. While her thumb slid across it she
smiled shrewdly and then activated it.

There was an echoing click that had them all
cringing. They were locked in.

Chapter Twenty Five

“Quit with the games, Juliada.” Rube
approached her.

Before he could reach her, Juliada shoved
the remote down her pants and then immediately wrapped the long,
sleeveless tunic she wore around her body as if to further protect
it.

“Like that would stop me,” Rube snorted.

“It will if I tell you that I will scream,
call the guards and cry rape.”

“I’m a royal, Juliada, and your cousin. I
will merely tell them you’re just being a bitch.”

Juliada snorted and then peeked around Rube,
her gaze falling to Tarken. “The slavemaster can retrieve it.” She
grinned.

Tarken groaned inwardly. He couldn’t believe
the bad fortune of having Juliada catch them. The woman had been a
thorn in his side ever since he’d taken the position of
slavemaster. He’d hoped that when he took her up against the wall,
making a quick and furious job of it, she would find him
undesirable and leave him be, but the woman never ceased to pursue
him. She even had the audacity to turn up a few times at the
taverns he frequented, completely unabashed at being seen in places
that royals were unlikely to be seen. Turning, he looked at her
long slim frame.

Hades blazes, and here she was again
prowling after him like horny lubtip beast!

Her features proclaimed her royal blood, the
fine bone structure, the flowing auburn hair, and the blue-green
eyes. However, the beauty she was so proud of was really only skin
deep. In her core, she was a vicious, mean-spirited harpy.

Unfortunately, he had to get the security
remote from her, so he could get to Cushla before the revolt began.
Sighing inwardly, Tarken regrettably knew what he had to do.
“Juliada.” He made his voice deliberately low and alluring. It had
the desired effect as he noticed the little shiver she gave at the
sound of her name on his tongue.

Walking seductively toward Tarken, she all
but purred at him, “I have missed you slavemaster. Why have you
been away from my bed for so long?”

“I recall nothing of being in your bed,
Juliada,” he answered, which technically was the truth.

“Of course,” Juliada cooed. “You’re much
more creative than that, my sexy slavemaster. The castle corridor
was quite memorable.”

Rube and Bazil’s brows both rose. Bazil
began to say something but Rube motioned for him to remain silent.
“What are you doing here Juliada?” Rube asked.

“Something is going to happen. I can feel it
in the air. The tension…” Her gaze returned to Tarken. “The
anticipation.” She smoothed her hands over her stomach and her
breasts as she gave Tarken a smoldering look.”It excites me.” She
took another step closer to him. “I thought we could have fun like
we used to. You remember don’t you, Tarken? It was so glorious! The
way you left me I could barely speak my own name.” She smiled
seductively at him. “They way you took me against the hard, stone
wall, your lust for me at its rawest.”

Bazil’s face reddened, the outrage that
seemed to be simmering barely suppressed.

Rube cautioned him with a hand on his
shoulder and a squeeze.

Tarken let his gaze travel her length, when
he met her gaze again he ran his tongue over his lips.

Juliada’s breathing became fast and
shallow.

“Ach yes, Juliada, I remember. I could think
of nothing else for dawnings after.” In truth, he felt lowly and
used, though the experience did give him some perspective on what
the slaves often endured being forced into sex. It aided in
softening his approach at sexing the female slaves for
training.

It also aided in his method of approach with
Cushla when he had first bedded her—
Cushla…
Tarken’s mind
flitted to thoughts of her. He missed her terribly, the sweetness
of her smell, her beautiful face, the softness of her skin beneath
his touch…her voice. Even in wrath, her voice soothed Tarken’s
insides—his beloved, intelligent and vexing woman.

He didn’t have to force the enamored smile
that creased his lips as he thought about Cushla, a smile that
Juliada clearly thought was meant for her, Tarken realized. Now
refocusing on the royal, he saw she returned a smile of her own,
and he concentrated on the matter at hand and continued with his
ploy. “I have tried to find the time to return to you.” He reached
out, and Juliada placed her hand in his. He drew her closer as he
raised her hand to his lips where he gave it a soft kiss. “But
being in service to the king keeps me very busy.”

She looked up into his eyes, and he could
see her desire burning brightly. “You should have said something to
me. I would’ve talked to the king. He grants me anything I
desire—and I would’ve told him that I desire you.”

Leaning closer to her, he inhaled her scent,
she smelled of spices, flowers and lust. It did nothing for him,
nothing but flare his desire for Cushla even further. “And I you,”
he whispered seductively.

Again, she shivered.

Looking around the room, Tarken spotted a
white cabana with a plush lounge bed inside. The curtains could be
closed for privacy. Nodding towards it, he guided her in that
direction. “This will suit our purpose I think.”

As they stepped closer to the cabana, Rube
blocked their path. “Enough Juliada. Hand over the remote. We don’t
have time for your nonsense.” Rube held his hand out in
anticipation.

She gave him an irritated look. “Stars Rube,
you’re such a buzz kill.”

“And you have always been a pain in the ass,
cousin. Hand it over.”

Juliada pulled her hand from Tarken’s, gave
him one last look of longing and then sighed, her mouth twisting
into a frown. Reaching down her pants, she retrieved the remote and
slapped it into his hand. Crossing her hands over her chest with a
scowl, she turned her face away from him, her chin lifting a
notch.

Tarken was baffled. “What the hell is going
on?” He looked between Rube and Juliada, waiting for an
explanation.

“She’s our inside person…and my cousin,”
Rube informed both Tarken and Bazil.

“I thought
you
were the inside
person.” Tarken and Bazil replied simultaneously. They seemed to be
doing that a lot.

Rube grinned and walked to the pool,
grabbing one of the folded towels from a bench on the way.
Kneeling, he dipped the cloth the water and began to wipe off the
remote. Looking over his shoulder he quipped, “You weren’t feigning
about being aroused were you Juliada?”

She blushed deeply and grimaced.

“I’m the second inside person, but Juliada
can get into places I cannot,” Rube continued. He stood, tossed the
towel aside and snickered as he examined the remote. “I don’t think
you short circuited the thing.” Still smirking, he glanced over at
Tarken. “Imagine finding
me
naked in your bed
slavemaster.”

“What in hellfires are you insinuating?”
Tarken lifted a brow. “I didn’t think you swung that way
royal.”

Juliada began to laugh. “The dawning you
found me in your bed—what do you think I was doing there? I was
searching for the control pad. When you retuned, I had to hide in
plain sight.”

“You were hiding little, Juliada.” Tarken,
referred to finding her naked.

Again Juliada laughed. “Well, I would’ve had
another go at you, but—”

“We’ve got to hurry.” Bazil interrupted.
“This delay has cost us precious time, and I’ve heard just about
enough of this little liaison the two of you apparently have
shared.”

“I agree,” Tarken stated. “We still have to
locate the master control panel for the slave bands. I can make it
to my quarters quickly and shut off that one, but we still must
find the other before we begin.”

“I know where it is,” Juliada volunteered.
“I located it a few dawning’s ago.”

All eyes turned to her.

“It in the king’s bedchamber, and so is the
remaining muartzin stone.” She shrugged.

“We’ll get that one later.” Tarken glanced
over at Rube. “I’ll deactivate the one in my quarters first. For
now, let’s get out of this room before we’re seen by someone who
might give a damn that we’re here.”

Rube swiped his hand across the remote, and
the doors unlocked. “Meet us at the dawn side corner, behind the
wallom bushes. Kleb has likely returned by now and is gathering the
rebels. He’ll be awaiting our signal. How fast can you make
it?”

“Give me five ticks of the time piece,”
Tarken called as he left through one door while the others left
through the opposite door. While he left he heard Rube say to
Juliada, “The kings bedchamber eh?”

“Well cousin,” she replied. “A woman must
know how and to whom she should align herself with for the better
good.”

Tarken snickered at the comment as he left
the garden. Without any hassle, he returned to his quarters where
he made short work of turning off the panel. He was back with the
others in no time.

Bazil opened another passage, and they made
their way inside. Along the way, Bazil pointed out openings that
needed to be left ajar for the rebels to enter. He also marked the
floor of the passages with luminous disks as a guide to those who
entered.

Since the king had a habit of monitoring all
commlink transmissions that occurred in and around the castle,
their only means of communication would be by messenger, and the
system of hand and facial signals they had contrived. They worked
their way up the passageway, opening doorways and marking the way,
moving quickly and quietly.

“Stop,” Juliada whispered. She grabbed
Tarken by the arm. “We’re close to the king’s bedchamber. I should
take the slavemaster there while you continue on.”

Rube arched an eyebrow at her. “Really
Juliada? Thinking of mating at a time like this?”

“To turn off the slave band panel, you ass!”
she hissed back. “I don’t know how to work the fucking thing!”

Bazil huffed but had to agree. “That was one
of our issues, trying to figure out how to deactivate the main
slave band controller.”

“I can do it,” Tarken assured him.

“Fine.” Bazil nodded. “The two of you take
care of it. We’ll continue here. Let’s meet in the hall leading to
the throne room. I’m hoping Cushla has been taken there.”

The two groups parted ways with Bazil and
Rube continuing down the passage.

Juliada took Tarken down a different
passage. Stopping some distance along the way, she pressed two
spots on the wall and a portion of it opened silently. Taking his
hand, she guided him inside the royal bedchamber after checking to
be sure the room was empty.

Tarken gazed around the cavernous chamber
while taking in its excesses of opulence.

Marble floors inlayed with highly polished
and difficult to obtain lapis, silk wallpapers, gilded mirrors, red
velvety hangings trimmed with expensive rialderem gems were
slathered throughout the chamber.

Tarken shook his head at the extravagances
finding them gaudy, but what caught his eye were the numerous rugs
scattered throughout the room. He recognized several of the
pelts--animal skins, rare, some extinct even—illegal to possess or
sell in any of the galactic markets. Having had an opportunity to
visit an animal sanctuary where he viewed and touched some the
exotic and beautiful creatures, seeing this disgusting display gave
him yet another reason to be sickened by Mecor’s doings. How could
he have allowed himself to be employed by such a heartless man?

“This way.” Juliada tugged on his arm,
pulling Tarken from his rumination. She turned to the left and
walked into another smaller room, which was just as elaborately
decorated.

Through an archway, Tarken could see the
king’s bed and wardrobes, all adorned with red velvet and jeweled
trim, and the bed itself was the largest he’d ever seen. It could
sleep at least ten children comfortably or several adults. Again,
he found himself shaking his head at the vulgar things that might
have occurred there, the rumors he’d heard. “Did you really bed the
king just so you could find the panel?”

The woman bit her lip, her eyes slipping
upward.

Tarken followed the line of her gaze to the
chains and cuffs that dangled from a canopy rail surrounding the
bed.

“He thinks I did, but we took care of
that.”

“We?” Tarken questioned her reply.

“It was group effort, me and the two guards
he always has posted when forcing females in his chamber…” Juliada
tisked and shook her head. “Royal or slave, it mattered not to
him.”

“Or family member?” Tarken grimaced.

“He’s a sick man,” Juliada answered.

“How many of the guards are allies?”

“A very small handful, many however, are
loyal out of fear. The king is sadistic.”

“So I’ve heard.” Tarken was beginning to see
this woman in a different light. She was risking her life, maybe
torture even because of her involvement in the uprising. “You’re a
brave woman, Juliada.”

Her response was to harrumph. “I did what I
had to do. I should’ve killed him, but there are many enemies
inside, Scoac being one of them. He has his own set of followers,
and I have it on good word he has his eyes on the power. Anyway,
the risk paid off.