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  He plucked one of the small white flowers and motioned for Elaina to draw close to the bars. She did, watching him with wide eyes.

  “Open your mouth,” he commanded.

  “Yes, Master.” Elaina obeyed at once, feeling a familiar rush of pleasure at obeying the command of her Master.

  “Don’t call me that,” he said harshly. But his fingers were gentle when he placed a single white blossom on her tongue. “Hold it in your mouth and let it dissolve,” he directed. “And tell the other females to do the same. You too,” he ordered Zerana who had been watching silently behind Elaina.

  She nodded. “Of course, Master Valdor. And…will this cure us of the Need?”

  “It should,” Terex said grimly, passing the long-stemmed flowers through the golden bars. “But if not, just be sure you drink plenty of water in the next few days—rainwater will be best—but really any water should do. I don’t think the treatment plants can filter out the antivirus this plant is carrying—it’s too small.”

  “I don’t understand,” Zerana said hesitantly. “But I will do as you say, Master Valdor—we all will.”

  “Good.” He turned to go but Elaina called him back.

  “Terex…wait.”

  He looked back at her briefly. “Yes? What is it—I have much to do before I can meet you at the side entrance of the harem.”

  “It’s just…you look so sad.” Elaina put a hand through the bars, reaching for him, wanting to feel his touch again. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He shook his head but didn’t take her outstretched hand. “Listen, distribute the blossoms among the females of the harem and don’t worry—I saved a bunch for your sister as well. They’re back at the ship.”

  “Oh, Terex!” She put a hand to her heart, her eyes suddenly wet with unshed tears. Gina—I can save her now! If we can only get out of here on time!

  “Go,” Terex said firmly. “I’ll meet you later. I have to take care of something first.”

  Elaina felt like her heart was going to burst as he strode quickly away. But even as she followed Zerana into the harem to distribute the little healer blossoms to all the women there, she felt a little doubt nagging at her heart. What was wrong with Terex? She knew she was right—there was something troubling him deeply. But what?

  * * * * *

  “What? What do you mean there are no blossoms to harvest?” Krumf the Fourth—otherwise known as Krumf the first—roared at the viewscreen where the trembling head gardener stood, twisting his hands together in abject terror.

  And well he should be terrified! What he was saying was unthinkable!

  Krumf was in his private chamber—where everything was covered in gold or made of gold—only the best for the Supreme Leader. He’d been getting dressed in his richest robes, thinking that as soon as his guards brought him the essence of the little healers, he would go and visit his exotic new slave.

  The regenerating drink always gave him a burst of sexual energy when he first drank it and youthened back to hearty middle age. He was looking forward to seeing the little Earth bitch cry and beg while he took her—it would be most satisfying to show her that he was her true master now and let her know she would never be seeing that impudent Kindred, Commander Terex again.

  Yes, all was right in Krumf’s world…until his communications officer told him there was an urgent call for him on the viewscreen and the gardener came on telling him this unbelievable news.

  “What do you mean?” he roared again. “How could this happen?”

  “Your Supreme Excellency, when we got here a ship was already docked on Grs and it looked like another had just landed and taken off,” the gardener said. “When we entered the growing complex, we found the guard dead in the corridor. And when we reached the growing room, well…look.”

  He moved the handheld com-link he was using to speak to Krumf, showing a room where every blossom had been stripped clean of its long purple stalk. There wasn’t a single one left—just a few tattered petals caught in the teeth of the automatic harvester which came down from the ceiling and combed through the plants, separating the flowers from their stalks so that the long process of blooming could begin again.

  “There was another body here too,” the gardener said. “We’re not sure what species though because it hasn’t got a head. It looks like some kind of battle took place before the blossoms were harvested.”

  “This can’t be right,” Krumf said blankly. “How could this happen? Who took the blossoms? Where are they?”

  “Coming down from the sky in the form of healing rain as we speak,” a voice behind him said.

  Krumf spun around—moving as well as a male of his years could. He was close to the edge of death—he could feel its cold hand clutching at his heart, just as he always did before he drank the distilled essence of the little healers. It was an uncomfortable feeling but he got an even more uncomfortable one when he saw who was standing in his private chamber.

  It was Master Valdor—his old enemy who had been wandering the palace halls like a ghost ever since he got back and saw the sweeping changes Krumf had made while he was gone. Or was it? As he watched, another male stepped up who looked enough like Valdor to be his twin. Was it Commander Terex? He couldn’t tell them apart. But if so—what was Terex doing out of his cell?

  “Hello, Krumf,” the first Valdor said. “I take it you got the news. There will be no renewal or regeneration for you this time.”

  “What are you talking about? Guards!” Krumf shouted, but no one came.

  “They’re busy trying to quell the riots going on in the streets,” one of the Valdors said. “You see, when Commander Terex seeded the clouds with your precious blossoms, the rain itself became a cure for the Need.”

  “The females you enslaved have woken up,” the other Valdor—who must be Terex—rumbled. “The effects of the little healer are immediate—they’re no longer feeling the need to obey every little thing their ‘Masters’ tell them to do.”

  “And other males—honorable males who have been hiding among you, waiting to speak out—are beginning to mobilize,” Valdor told him. “They’re overthrowing your world order—storming your palace. I don’t imagine you’d live much longer even if you did get your quarter-century dose of the little healer serum.”

  “What are you saying?” Krumf began to panic, though he tried not to show it. “You can’t just take over! You can’t let all the females go free! They’ll ruin everything!”

  “The way you ruined everything?” Valdor demanded harshly. “The way you polluted the environment with no thought for anything but enriching yourself? The way you enslaved females to suit your misogynistic desires?” He stepped forward and a long, wickedly sharp sword suddenly appeared in his hand. “The way you killed my people?” he growled.

  “Now…now Valdor, that’s all in the p-past!” Krumf stuttered. “It was over a hundred cycles ago!”

  “Not to me.” Valdor’s voice throbbed with a quiet intensity. “To me, it’s been only over a single solar year. I left a planet that was green with life, filled with vibrant people of both races living in harmony and came back to find a lifeless husk where you’ve stamped out the will of anyone who opposed you. Surely the Goddess has a special place in the lowest level of the Seven Hells for such as you.”

  “Valdor…you can’t!” Krumf backed away. “You don’t understand…I’m the Supreme Leader!”

  “Not anymore. This is for my people and for all the harm you’ve done, you old bastard!”

  There was a sweeping arch of silver, a biting pain, and Krumf’s head rolled from his shoulders. His body stiffened…then sank to the ground, the neck spouting weakly onto the gold-tipped carpeting.

  * * * * *

  Terex stared at Valdor from the corner of his eye. The other male was breathing hard, a wild, fierce expression on his face, so like Terex’s own.

  “Are you well, Brother?” he asked at last since Valdor seemed fixated on the sight of the he