Page 56 of Chieftain
It was that simple and that complicated. Khaion could never claim me as his. He could never tell his crew, family, or people that I belonged to him, heart and soul, just as he did to me.
And I could have cared less. As long as I knew where his heart lay, just like at this moment, I could go the rest of my life without the words.
Nansar led us away from the hangar, his thick-soled boots clopping against the tarmac. The concrete soon gave way to inlaid stone paving that wound through an orchard, with sweet-smelling lavender fruit heavy on the branches and dark violet foliage dappled in sunshine. The pathway then narrowed, surrounded, and shaded by bright, colorful leaves and flowers. As we stepped into the sun again, a small gasp of pleasure escaped my lips.
The luxurious courtyard was fit for a queen, with an awe-inspiring rectangular pool in the center. The tranquil water shimmered in brilliant teal, illuminated by the filtered sunlight that danced through surrounding sturdy stone columns. One edge of the pool had a luxurious seating area decorated with plush couches and an unusual contraption that appeared to bethe alien version of a hammock. Across from that was a stunning fountain depicting an otherworldly creature - something between a lion and a giraffe - mesmerizing in its grandeur. At the back of the villa, perched on one corner of the pool, sat a cozy pool house designed in the same style as the villa, only on a much smaller scale.
"I thought you might enjoy staying in the pool house instead of the villa," Nansar dropped his arm, catching my hand in his. I thought I heard a faint growl emanating from Khaion's direction. "It will give you more freedom and privacy."
"Is it secure?" Khaion stepped beside me, his gaze assessing the small abode, although I saw his eyes dip to where Nansar held my hand loosely on his arm.
"Of course," Nansar appeared slightly affronted. "It has an excellent alarm system, and, of course, my guard will keep watch day and night." His gaze flickered at me. "You are welcome anywhere on the villa’s grounds. My home is your home.”
Khaion gave a snort that told me what he thought of Nansar’s graciousness but covered it by striding to the pool house. Giving a sweeping flourish of his arm, Nansar moved toward the small abode.
The pool house was small—just a sitting room, bedroom, and bathroom—although well-appointed in luxury. In the corner of the sitting room was a small counter and sink, along with a wall-mounted mechanism that appeared to be a much smaller version of the Bardaga's food generator. Even though the space was small, it was luxurious. I wouldn't mind staying here for a few days, but that wasn't the plan.
“I hope you will join me in the villa dining room for meals,” Nansar invited. “I have the best chef in seven galaxies.”
I doubted anybody could be as good as Orzon but politely responded with a "thank you."
Nansar preened with pride, smiling broadly while I inspected the pool house. Khaion was silent too, but his silence seethed, a more restrained pose than my host’s relaxed affectation.
"I do not wish to be a rude host," Nansar told Khaion as he led us from the house. "But the longer the Bardaga is in orbit, the more likely my father will hear of our alliance. That is something I believe neither of us wishes."
Khaion frowned but issued a curt nod. "I understand. You have my thanks. Your willingness to help will save many." He turned to me, and although his demeanor was stoic, his golden eyes blazed with emotion. "You will be safe here, little human. We will return to collect you quickly."
“Good luck,” I offered, trying to seem as blasé as possible. We knew this might happen and planned for just this contingency. Khaion possessed the forethought to hide another stealth suit in the shuttle. He would program the auto navigator to return the shuttle to the Bardaga and slip away just before it took off. Khaion would never leave me. Even so, when he turned to walk away, my heart clenched, and a scream rose in my throat.
Calm down, Emmy.
As soon as Khaion donned the stealth suit, he would return to my side. Plus, he insisted on hiding a comm unit on my ankle so I could remain in contact. Not to mention our secret weapons, Charick and Bartuk. The stealth suits made them invisibleto untrained eyes. My eyes danced around the stone patio, touching every column surrounding the teal waters, looking for the shimmering displacement of light that would suggest Charick and Bartuk’s presence. Not that my eyes were all that trained, but after the third instance of Charick’s materialization sending me screaming into Khaion’s arms, my love taught me how to recognize if someone in the suit was nearby.
At the pool's far end, my questing gaze caught a flash of movement. I relaxed briefly until I realized the anomaly wasn't a trick of reflected light. The flash happened again, and I recognized the deep chestnut color of fur peeking out from behind one of the wide stone columns.
I opened my mouth to scream. At the same time, Khaion turned, nostrils flaring. He'd caught the Kerzak's scent. How could he not? I could smell the creature myself, and there wasn't anything special about my nose.
Khaion ran for me, hands unsheathing the thick blades he wore at his back. I stepped toward him, only to find Nansar's arms slip around my waist, holding me back.
Four guards possessed the nerve to wade into Khaion’s path. He dispatched them easily. Two met the end of his blades, while the others met the strength of his fist.
I struggled against Nansar and felt the cold sharpness of a blade press against my throat. Khaion saw it, too, and froze, allowing himself to be restrained by the remaining guards.
"Dammit, Utar," Nansar snarled close to my ear as the blade scratched against my skin. "I told you to stay hidden until the Bardaga was out of orbit. Khaion knows we are working together. Now we'll have to kill him."
The Kerzak lumbered from behind the column. I recognized him immediately, a sinking dread pooling in my stomach. This was the same creature I'd run into at Dixa's tavern. His black eyes narrowed on me, and the long gray tongue slurped over his fangs.
“Good!” Utar grunted. “Vaktaire chieftain killed my comrade. I will take great pleasure in his death.”
Khaion seethed, his golden eyes not missing a move of the approaching Kerzak. His golden eyes flickered in my direction, holding both worry and determination. I could see his mind working, evaluating all the angles, trying to find the best way to attack and keep me safe.
"He's all yours. Just make sure they'll never find the body. And make sure it looks like an accident. I can't have a dead Vaktaire tied to the Aljani. It would be a political nightmare." Nansar dropped the knife from my throat, sheathing it at his waist. I tried to jerk away, but he twisted my arm behind my back, and I bit my lip against the pain. Like hell, I would let this bastard know he hurt me. Luckily, how he twisted me put me in the perfect position to do something about it.
"You fucker! You lied." At the same moment, I hissed and drove my heel into the curve of his ankle. I felt the joint give way as Nansar blurted out what must be an Aljani curse word that didn’t translate. Something that sounded likeberikslap. Based on the pain etched on Nansar's face, the word might have been the Aljani version offuck. I glanced at Khaion as the Aljani jerked me about, something like pride flashing across my warrior’s face.
"Yes, I did," Nansar muttered, pain thickening his voice. He twisted my arm tighter in revenge. I would never give him the satisfaction of seeing my pain and stuck my tongue out at him as he shoved me toward Utar.
My God, this Kerzak was enormous. The hand wrapped around my arm was as large as my butt—seriously, I could have sat in his palm. His head lowered, and large, black nostrils flared, drawing in my scent with such force that the hair lifted from the curve of my neck.
