Page 50 of Retribution
“Thanks,” Layla said, not wishing to admit that she didn’t own many physical books, as all her belongings had been left behind on Earth. Another reason why Zamek’s gift of the electronic library had been so thoughtful, as well as the few hardback books he’d given her, most of them compilations of ancient Kall war songs.
“Perhaps now isn’t the best time to say this,” Fallonn said, “but I hope you and Zamek find happiness together, despite theunusualbeginning you had. You must have been terrified of him when he carried you out of that courtroom.”
“I was frightened of him,” Layla admitted, finding Fallonn easy to talk to. “But I’m not afraid of him anymore.”
“I know he hurt you and came close to killing you at some point,” Fallonn said, her expression drawing with compassion. “I sense the residual bloodlust inside him when he looks at you, but also his deep regret. I also sense his affection for you. But it goes beyond affection. He’s possessive of you, and very protective. He would kill anyone who tried to harm you, and he wouldn’t just kill them, he would make them suffer.”
Well now. This was a whole lot of information. Layla sucked in a quick breath as she tried to process all that Fallonn had just said. But the talkative empath continued.
“He’ll never let you go, and if you try to escape, he’ll hunt you down.” Her eyes glinted with worry. “Please don’t try running away. It wouldn’t take him long to find you, and he would definitely punish you if you ran away.”
“I don’t wish to run away,” Layla assured the young female. She tapped her right upper arm. “Besides, I’ve been injected with one of those slave trackers.”
“Yes, I know you have a tracker, but masters can’t access the locations of their missing slaves on their own. They must go to a slave office and allow the authorities to track the slave. In such cases, which are quite rare, the captured slaves are then punished publicly in town. It’s an awful practice. I’m glad Xazzok and Zamek don’t own slaves. Well, except for Zamek owning you, of course, but that is different, since he’s done it to keep you safe.”
Layla shuddered at the idea of being punished publicly in Sumlin. She hadn’t known that Zamek wouldn’t be able to track her himself, nor that slaves were sometimes punished in public. During her studies of Kall culture, she’d tended to gloss over the information about their practice of enslaving criminals, as it made her uncomfortable.
Voices could be heard in the corridor and a worried look crossed Fallonn’s face. “Oh, you must promise not to repeat any of what I just said to you to anyone, but most especially my husband,” she said in a rapid whisper, “for he would not approve of how freely I spoke to you about Zamek’s emotions. I just wished to reassure you of his devotion to you, that is all, to help you better come to terms with your new position here. I sense you are still struggling at times. But please, let’s keep it a secret between us?”
It was impossible not to like Fallonn. She was sweet but a bit mischievous, and she very much wore her heart on her sleeve. Layla suspected they would become close friends. She also suspected that Xazzok might discipline her if he discovered how freely she’d spoken.
With no wish to get Fallonn into trouble with her husband, Layla nodded in agreement and whispered, “Secret? What secret? I don’t even recall a thing we talked about in this room,” in a conspiratorial tone.
“Oh, I knew I would like you,” Fallonn said with a giggle, but quickly fell silent as the library door zipped open and Zamek and Xazzok strode inside.
“Ah, there you are, wife,” Xazzok said. “The Holy Ones are requesting your assistance with one of the small children, a tiny female, who was left outside their temple. They are having trouble calming the child.”
“It’s always my honor to help with the children on the mountaintop. I’m ready to leave now,” Fallonn said, walking up to her husband.
Layla respected the petite Flourishian all the more, just knowing she was on her way to help one of the children who’d been left at the temple. Holy Ones were actually the children born of slaves, and the peaceful religious group always cared for each child left at their temples.
Once Layla was alone with Zamek in the library, he took her in his arms and placed a kiss atop her hair. She basked in the closeness and hugged him back. Of course, at that exact moment, her stomach chose to rumble loudly. Her face flooded with warmth.
“Come,” Zamek said, guiding her out into the corridor, “and we will enjoy the midday meal together. Then, if you’d like, I will take you on a walk through the vineyard. I wish for you to become better acquainted with your new home, and I will show you the boundaries of my property and which locations are safe for you to walk on your own.”
Freedom. A small slice of it. He was trying his best to help her not feel so caged in. She stroked his arm and smiled up at him, gratitude swelling within her. “Thank you, Zamek, I-I would like that very much.”
Chapter 24
Fourteen days later…
Zamek marched awayfrom the council building, feeling on top of the world—a human expression, but it described his current mood better than any Kall turn of phrase he could think of.
The council members had just approved the license for his marriage to Layla, and he was now free to marry her whenever he wished. As soon as they exchanged vows, she would no longer be a slave. She would be a wife and he would no longer need to worry about Kall authorities attempting to force his hand in the expected act of retribution. Many in Sumlin and nearby Brutt would think he’d gone mad, and there was still a possibility that he might be demoted back down to a warrior, but he would worry about that when the time came.
Layla. She was all that mattered.
Human wives were afforded the same level of protection on his planet as Kall wives, even those who were former slaves. Layla would be the first female from a judgment of retribution who would become a wife—the council had been unable to find any instances of this happening before in the recorded history of planet Kall—but the council members had also assured him that Layla would still be entitled to the same protection as a wife.
Thank the stars for Commander Edek’s help. The commander had informed Zamek how he’d managed to get his own marriage license to a human female approved, and Zamek had employed the same tactics in the council chamber today. To be more specific, he’d blackmailed the entire council, threatening to expose their lack of foresight when it came to protecting Sumlin from a criminal known as Teyya. One of the council members had had business dealings with the dishonorable male Teyya, dealings his fellow council members should not have overlooked.
Satisfaction surged through Zamek as he recalled how easily the entire council had caved to his demands once he mentioned his knowledge of Teyya’s criminal activities in Sumlin. Every face on the podium had paled, turning light pink, and they’d exchanged worried looks before quickly conceding.
And now Layla would become Zamek’s wife. He couldn’t wait to return home and inform her of the council’s decision.
* * *
Zamek arrivedhome in the late afternoon. The sun blazed over the vineyard and warmed his face when he lifted it to the sky for one brief moment. He entered his home and froze at the sight of Commander Vavvis standing in the entryway, accompanied by two well-known members of the High Council.
