Abducted Read online

  “So it could. Yes, I see.” Tazaxx nodded. “Very well. I’ll be pleased to send you the ashes—for a nominal fee of course.”

  “Of course.” Sarden’s deep voice was wooden.

  “And do you wish to see any other females?” Tazaxx inquired, raising one mud-eyebrow.

  “No, I…no.” Sarden coughed. “Just the one. The little Thonilan.”

  “Yes, indeed. I tell you what—since I couldn’t satisfy your other offer, I’ll give her to you for a mere ninety-nine thousand.” Tazaxx nodded genially, as if he was being generous.

  “Yes, all right. Ninety-nine is all right,” Sarden said in a low voice. “I…I really must be going now. If you could just have her delivered to my shuttle.”

  “I’d be happy to. Come right this way.” Tazaxx tapped the wall beside the lighted room with Sellah’s body in it. To my surprise, it slid open smoothly, revealing another long, dark corridor. “It’s a shortcut,” Tazaxx explained when I looked at it in surprise. “An underground passageway from my display area back to the docking accommodations where your shuttle is parked. We can arrange for payment there since you’re in such a rush.”

  “Of course. Thank you,” Sarden said mechanically. I was getting really worried about him—he seemed like he was barely holding it together. I squeezed his hand and looked up at him but he didn’t respond. Even with the smart-fabric mask on, I could tell his face was set like a stone.

  He’s still numb, I thought as we followed Tazaxx through the short-cut corridor. It hasn’t really hit him yet, but it will. I intended to be there for him when it did. I felt so bad for him, seeing his sister like that! What a terrible, gruesome death. And she had died alone, isolated in that horrible cage with no one to help her bear the pain or hold her hand. Poor Sellah…

  I squeezed Sarden’s hand harder and felt my eyes burning. My throat was tight and somehow I couldn’t seem to swallow the lump that had formed there.

  “Here we are. I’ll just go get Floosh to see to the financial transaction and fetch your purchase,” Tazaxx remarked as we came out into the warehouse where Sarden’s small shuttle was parked. “I’ll return shortly.”

  He left us alone, disappearing back through the door we had come from, and for a moment we just stood there.

  “Sarden…” I said at last but he didn’t look at me. “Sarden.”

  At last he turned his head.

  “Yes?” he asked in a low, toneless voice. “What is it?”

  “Sarden, please.” I stood on my tiptoes and put my arms around his neck, trying to bring him down to me, trying to ease his pain.

  At first he didn’t seem to know what I was doing but then he bent down, letting me hug him even if he didn’t exactly hug me back.

  “Sarden,” I said again, pressing my face to his neck. “Honey, I’m so sorry.”

  He fell to his knees then, his arms wrapping around my midsection, his face pressed between my breasts. I put my arms around him tight—wishing I could take the pain for him. For a long moment, we stayed like that, with Sarden holding me silently. He didn’t cry but I could feel the ache of grief inside him—I swear I could.

  “I failed her,” he said at last, his deep voice hoarse with agony. “She’s been gone a whole week. I should have come sooner. I should have found her before she got sick. I—”

  “There was nothing you could have done,” I whispered. “You tried—you did everything you could.”

  “No, I didn’t,” he said fiercely, pulling away. “I never should have left her in the first place—I should have fought for my place on the throne. But I told myself it wasn’t worth it—that the Eloim people wouldn’t want a half-breed ruling them. I left the responsibility and burden to Sellah and that idiot, Hurxx, who didn’t protect her. Who let her get taken…”

  “I’m so sorry.” I felt tears running down my cheeks and couldn’t seem to stop them.

  “Don’t be.” Sarden’s eyes glittered as he looked at me. He cupped my cheek in his palm. “I thank you for your tears, Zoe, because I cannot shed them myself.”

  “Why not?” I asked, swiping at my eyes. “I don’t understand.”

  “I can’t let myself grieve until I get vengeance.” He stood and looked down at me, his voice a low, menacing growl. “Vengeance on the pirates who took her in the first place…and on my fool of a cousin, Hurxx, who should have protected her and didn’t.”

  “And Tazaxx?” I asked, knowing he was probably somewhere on that list.

  Sarden nodded. “But not now—later when he’s least expecting it. After Grav has had time to take his ward to safety.”

  “Thank you, my friend,” Grav rumbled. He hadn’t said a word this whole time but I could see the terrible compassion on his face. “There are no words for the pain you must feel,” he told Sarden. “I will help you take vengeance for Sellah’s death if you wish.”

  “Thank you.” Sarden nodded formally. “I will take you up on that offer.”

  “Here we are. I believe this is the female you purchased?” It was Floosh—or POC as I had been calling him in my head. He waddled in from the back door with Teeny in tow. Her eyes got wide when she saw Grav but she didn’t say a thing.

  Sarden and Grav shot each other one last meaningful look but Sarden didn’t utter another word else except to thank POC for bringing the girl.

  “If you would like to follow me to my Master’s back office, we can arrange for the payment,” POC said to him.

  “Fine. I’ll come.” Sarden squared his shoulders. “My new acquisition will be safe with my Protector.”

  “As you wish.” POC waddled towards the door on his tiny little feet and Sarden followed him.

  “I’m coming too,” I said, hurrying to stay with him. As we left the vast, echoing room, I turned my head and saw Teeny rush into Grav’s arms.

  “Grav! You came! You came for me!” she whispered breathlessly. He laughed and swung her around, looking happier and less scary than any time I could remember since I’d met him in the VIP lounge.

  “Teeny! Didn’t I promise I would always come for you? Didn’t I swear it on my life?” He squeezed her very gently to his broad chest and she covered his rough face in kisses. She looked like a little girl greeting an adoring uncle—I couldn’t believe the big, tough Vorn (or Vorn half-breed? I still didn’t know what he was) had such a soft heart.

  The sweet little reunion almost made me feel a little better. Then I looked at Sarden’s broad back and felt worse again. Poor guy! And he wasn’t even going to let himself grieve until he killed everyone responsible for Sellah’s death.

  He could say that but I knew the truth—there’s no way to put off that kind of deep grief. When it comes knocking, you have to open the door because you can’t keep it out.

  “Just a little further down,” POC was saying as he led us around another bend in the dark tunnel. “This is my master’s accounting area…”

  We were heading for an open door at the end of the corridor and passing several others along the way which all appeared to be locked. They were dark and quiet and I wondered if they were back entrances to some of the “exhibits” we had seen. Then we passed one that was different—it had a window.

  Sarden had his head down, looking at his feet as he walked. I could only imagine the effort it cost him to keep up this awful charade. I, however, was looking around and so the window caught my eye—and in it, the flash of a woman’s face. A golden eye…a flick of silky, black hair… Had I really seen that?

  I couldn’t be sure. It was there and gone so quickly I thought I must have imagined it. I stopped for a moment and looked again but I didn’t see anything—just a lighted square in the metal door. Just my mind playing tricks on me.

  “And here I am afraid you must come in alone,” POC said, breaking my concentration. He was gesturing to the open door and talking to Sarden. “Master Tazaxx does not allow anyone but his business partners into his inner accounting sanctum.”