Forbidden (A Serian Novel) (14 page)

Everyone followed suit.

Anara realized what upset Gage when she saw a Serian walk by with his pet. The dogs on Seria had four legs and the same build as the ones from Earth, but nothing else in common. Scales covered them, instead of soft fur. No one could train any other animal on their planet.. The creature moved close to her, hissing as it sniffed the air. Anara smelled and felt his foul breath as his snout came close to her face

"Come on!" The owner jerked the chain around the animal's neck.

Anara's shoulders dropped as relief filled her. "Way too close for my comfort."

Gage nodded and started walking again, until they come up outside a home larger than Gage's. "This is it."

All dressed in black, they stayed in the shadows. Waiting. Malevolence surrounded Jacrar's home. Harsh angles and stone carvings of scary creatures made up the outside of the large home. No lights shined anywhere, and bars covered the windows, perhaps not so much to keep people out but to keep them in.

"I'll go in first. Wait for my signal." Gage stalked up to the door. Two guards stepped in his way.

Anara held her breath in fear, letting loose when each soldier clasped him on the shoulders. She could still hear them speak from where she hid.

"What's your reason for coming here?"
The guard with dark glasses asked.

"I think I'll keep my plan to myself." Gage then leaned in close to speak in the soldier’s ear so no one heard.

"What's his game?" Nasim whispered in her ear, suspicion lacing his words.

Anara nudged him with her elbow. She didn't waste her time answering him. The trust she felt in Ryder stayed strong and she didn't suspect Gage. He would help them without a hidden agenda.

"I think we should be switching shifts." The other guard nudged Gage with his elbow, then trudged away, leaving the door wide open for anyone to enter.

Anara moved forward, the others trailing her.

"What happened?" She pulled Gage to a stop.

"There are more Serians on
this planet who don't believe in the laws and who despise Jacrar." He didn't say anything else as they traveled through the home.

The vacant home.
They searched everywhere and found no one.

She froze at the sight of the last room. Blood co
vered the stone floor and walls. Her vision blurred from tears as she looked at the chair with leather straps, chains fixed to walls, and more chains hanging from the ceiling. They’d found a torture room.

The fire in the fireplace started to dwindle. She re
cognized the brand lying in the fire as the one they used to mark half-breeds. Anara touched the brand on her neck.

Mean looking weapons hung everywhere.

Whips, knives, large sticks with protruding rusted spikes, and some other dangerous-looking weapons she'd never seen before layered the wall around and above the fireplace. Fresh blood covered every weapon.

She braced herself against the wall clear of weapons and cried. Her body shook as she realized her defeat, let everything that happened over the past days hit her all at once.

No sign of Ryder in the gruesome room. He’d been here, though. Right then, she truly understood what people meant when they said Lamiras could not live without the other. She didn't want to go on without him, and yet she never felt him leave her completely.

"He can't be dead." Panic blocked her from using her gift until she cast her fear aside and took a deep breath. She used every ounce of power to search for Ryder. After ten minutes scouring frantically for him, never giving up, the search finally paid off as she broke through his block.

Get out, Anara, it's a trap!

She took to heart the urgency of his warning and jumped up. She couldn't help the gratifying relief she felt when his voice entered her mind, but she didn't waste time.

"We have to hurry. This is all a trap." She scanned their surrounding area. Her eyes popped open and saw the worried expression mimicked on Talia and Gage's faces. They saw it too. "The whole place is surrounded."

"How could this happen? The guard
s would've warned me," Gage said.

She understood his disbelief, because he trusted the
m. "Maybe they are traitors, or maybe they were found out and didn't know any more than we do."

Gage nodded and started to lead them through a narrow hall.

Ryder's voice caressed her.
Lenya, you have to listen to me. I can get you out, but you have to trust me.

Deep down, she felt his fear that she didn't trust him
. I trust you.
Always, she would trust him.

His relief made her grin.

Two doors down, turn left.

She moved around Gage, relaying to the group ev
erything Ryder said.

This was my room, and in the closet behind the shelf is a door. My mother had the passage made secretly in case I needed to escape my father.

Nasim lifted the shelf with ease and Anara opened the door to show a dark passage. She couldn't see a thing through the darkness.

Everyone hurried as fast as they could, without light, through the passage. Anara tripped, scraping her leg against the rock lining the ground. Gage grabbed her up and she kept going. Ryder growled in her head, and she covered her mouth to contain her snicker. The way he reacted when another man touched her made her smile. She found the situation more amusing since his friend only wanted to help.

I don't believe that's funny, lenya.

The wall went a few rounds with her elbow; she didn't care, with her mind focused only on getting to Ryder.
Tell me where you are.
She needed to save him. She knew how her life would end up without him and she refused to give in easily.

No! Look what I've gotten you into.

Look what he’d gotten her into? Men took credit for everything.
No, you look! I chose to come back to Seria. I chose to come to this home. I chose to love you. And now, I choose to get my Lamira back.

Ryder embraced her mentally. She felt his fingertips against her cheeks and she stumbled.
Again.

"Anara.
Are we almost there?" Nasim spoke from the back of their line.

"Yes, he says to slow our pace and the opening would be right ahead," Anara said.

You'll find the latch hidden on the wall. Feel along the right side until the rock becomes smooth.
She slid her hand across the wall, looking for the latch. The smooth rock came seconds later, and then the latch.

The stale air hit her as the door swung open. Ou
tside, she came to a complete stop, and raised her weapon to aim at the guards who waited for them.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ryder didn't know where Jacrar had taken him and didn't care, as long as Anara stayed away. He grinned when his father's scream echoed through the home. The door splintered into pieces as Jacrar kicked through in a rage. Ryder would've jumped if he could move.

"You warned her!" Even the soldiers stepped back from Jacrar's outcry. "Worthless!" His fist crashed against Ryder's jaw, adding to the pain already consu
ming his body.

Ryder smiled, because his Lamira had outsmarted his father. No one ever evaded Jacrar’s father's grasp, much less more than once. He felt pride for his Anara. "How did I warn her, father? I've been here the whole time."

"Don’t act like I’m stupid. I know about Lamiras and your connection. I'm done with you. Your time has come to an end." He grabbed the lone weapon in his reach. "I'm truly disappointed I don't get to see you cry while I torture your half-breed. At least I can laugh at her tears when I show her your lifeless body."

Jacrar plunged his knife into Ryder’s gut and twisted the blade.

Ryder cried out, unable to keep silent any longer. The knife sliced a path down his stomach with ease. He started to choke as blood poured out his mouth. His last thought was of Anara. The connection between them wavered until it vanished into nothing. The fatal wound drained him, his power weakened, and left him no choice but to let go.

His father leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "You are no son of mine.
Always weak and soft. Now look where that got you."

The gleam in Jacrar's eyes showed how little he truly cared for Ryder.

He despised his father and hoped one day soon someone would kill him. Torture him the same way he had his own son, the others before him and those who’d come after Ryder’s death.

****

Jacrar shook with rage as he twisted the knife one last time. There would be no coming back from that one. After years of waiting for the day, it felt even more satisfying than he’d dreamed. Now, he just needed to wait on the half-breed to show up and all would be perfect.

"I want the girl." His second in command, Malik, spoke up as he stood beside him. "I know her and we have some unfinished business."

Even better. Malik was just as sick as him and whatever he had planned would be perfect. "You can have her, but only after she sees Ryder dead. I want to see that sorrow in her eyes that she was too late and thus was the cause of his death."

"Deal."
The gleam in his comrade's eyes showed a promise of pain.

Having sex with a half-breed was not Jacrar's thing, but Malik enjoyed it very much. He was the one who’d killed the last healer they had during one of his play times.

"This will be so much fun."

Chapter Twenty-Four

Anara followed Ryder's energy until they stood outside another scary-looking home. Jacrar seemed to like the spooky look.

Everyone stood around her, including two more Serians. Anara couldn't believe what was happening. Days before, she would never have trusted a Serian. Now, she found herself mated to one and working with three others.

"I can't believe they tricked me. I should've known when he appointed me to guarding doors. I haven't done that in years." Mikhail widened his stance and crossed his arms.

"I figured it was because I was protecting the half-breed," the one named Slade said. He was a little shorter than the rest, but still as big. His hair was blond like hers and he kept it short. When he walked, she'd caught him limping. There was no doubt he had Antika blood.

At least she felt like she could trust him since he protected a half-breed.

Mikhail stood tall like Nasim, but his frame smaller in size. His shirt strained against muscular arms and chest. He removed his shades to rub his eyes. A short glimpse of his face revealed pure white eyes, shocking her.

He replaced his glasses with a scowl on his face. "Have a problem?"

Anara shook her head. After studying him, she could tell he didn't have Antika blood, but she didn't know what gift he carried.
What is he?

Shoving her question aside, Anara tore her gaze from Mikhail to see the point of entrance. Her body
tensed, and she itched to get to Ryder. One guard stood in the front entrance and one in the back. Anara opened her mind and found six more guards, Ryder, and someone else. Her breath caught. It couldn't be . . . .

"Laili."

Slade spun to look at her. "You know the healer?"

That was who he protected. "She's my best friend, but I thought sh
e was dead."

Then Slade smiled. "
She's safe at the moment. Jacrar is using her to heal Ryder."

"Anara, let's go. We'll get her too." Gage pointed two fingers at Mikhail and Isen, signaling them toward the back entrance. They nodded and moved with stealth.

Nasim snuck behind the first guard to wrap an arm around his neck. He tightened until the guard's struggles stopped and his body went limp. Inside, two more stood around, oblivious to their surroundings.

Anara fired a shot from the weapon Gage insisted she use. The shot had more force than her maccas, but made no sound. It was a death shot.

Gage shot the other with no hesitation.

Every step closer she got to Ryder, her heart rate intensified. Pounding echoed in her ears. She took one step forward and dropped. Her head cracked against the floor. Her stomach muscles cramped, sweat beaded on her forehead, and a taste of iron filled her mouth. Choking, she clawed helplessly at her throat, fighting to breathe.

She felt everyone drop beside her.

"You need to break away from him now, Anara,” Talia begged with urgency. “Throw your wall up. I'll help, but it's too strong for me to do alone."
A slight pause. "I'll need you too, Gage, just follow me."

Anara tried to nod. She pushed hard with her mind and threw a block between herself and Ryder. Shoving him away broke her, but she couldn't save him if she
died, too, and she felt him barely hanging on.

The last push from Talia and Gage severed all co
nnection and left her alone once again. Anara opened her eyes.

"Their connection runs this deep?" Gage asked. His voice sounded out of breath as he pushed his fingers through his hair.

Standing on unstable legs, Anara ignored everyone's exchange of words. She balanced against the wall, all her energy directed at walking toward Ryder. She held her weapon pointed ahead.

Nasim grabbed her arm to stop her. "Anara, wait. You're weak and—"

"No. You wait. My Lamira is dying and I can't stand here without trying to help him." She kept moving forward.

A Jatron walked out the room and froze.

Anara shot him before he could take a breath.

"Go in there and get Laili. I'll need her help." She glanced at Gage and Talia. "She can heal Ryder."

They left without hesitation.

Finding the room that held Ryder, she burst through the door,
then stopped. Ryder lay still in the floor. She tore her eyes away from him to look across the room. A soldier stood in front of another opened door with his weapon raised.
Kill me, I don’t care.

Just in time, Isen came up behind him and used his own weapon t
o nail the soldier on the head.

The soldier collapsed, and Anara fell to the floor beside Ryder.

Blood gushed from a large gash in his stomach. No one would survive a fatal wound like his. Tears streamed down her face, sobs wracked her body.

She dropped her wall and reached for him. Uncaring about the pain, she needed to hold him. She found only a small spark of energy and wrapped her own life force around him as pain radiated inside her.

Acacia, who could surely feel their pain, came to her and tried to calm her.

Nasim held his hands against Ryder's gut to hold the bleeding. Disbelief flickered in his gaze, but he didn't stop.

Anara cried out in relief when Laili walked in the door. She'd saved Anara once when no one else would have attempted. Now, Laili could help once again. She needed her to.

As Laili registered the situation, the shock on her face at seeing Anara turned into sadness. She dropped beside Nasim and pushed his hands away. Anara felt amazement at Laili's composure as light emanated from her hands.

Ryder's body convulsed as it repaired itself. Anara fell back with the shock. Bones snapped into place and arteries stitched back together. She could only imagine how painful the torture had been if the healing hurt so bad.

Blood and sweat covered her body. Her breathing became steady, though her hands still shook. She looked at Ryder with his wounds healed. He didn't wake. She kept surrounding him with her energy and didn't let go. Would he survive if she did let go? It didn’t seem like he was getting any better. They'd found him too late.

Talia squeezed Anara's shoulder.

"His body is healed, but he lives because of you. You're holding him here." Her voice spoke softly, laced with sorrow.

Anara knew what she meant. Ryder wouldn't live if she let go. Healing his body didn’t help. She glanced over to Laili, slumped against the wall with Nasim by her side. Laili had risked her own life to save him. To save a Serian. Anara felt so much love for her friend.

"We have to get out of here."

She heard Gage's voice, but didn't want to listen, and she didn't have the strength to use her gift to search her surroundings. "We can't leave him here."

"It doesn't matter. We're going to have to fight our way out." Talia moved away from Anara.

"Our guests have arrived. I guess a little late, by the grim looks on their faces." Jacrar's evil voice filled the room.

Everyone froze. A chill ran down Anara's spine and rage overthrew any fear she felt. The man who’d killed her parents and her Lamira stood in front of her. He deserved to die. She jerked her weapon up and aimed.

"Anara, watch out!" Laili yelled with her gaze glued behind Anara.

A scream of pain kept her from shooting Jacrar.

Anara turned too late. A thick arm snaked around her neck and another wrenched the weapon from her hand. She couldn't see him, but his smell . . . .

Jacrar stood in front of her with a smile on his face.

The others moved to help her and came up short. Serians surrounded them and gave them no choice but to fight.

The Serian struggled to hold her as she started to kick and thrash around. A sharp stab in her neck caused her to falter for a few moments. She started again, but finally her body grew numb.
Weak.

He’d drugged her! She tried to stay awake for Ryder's sake, but it became impossible. She knew tears slipped down her face, but she couldn't feel them. Once she succumbed to darkness, Ryder would too, only his would be permanent.

Her head flopped as the Serian lifted her limp body into his arms and carried her out, away from her family. Before the Serian got her out the back door, she caught sight of Isen on his knees holding his bleeding side.

She rolled her head to see who held her.
Malik.
Dread raced through her as the drug seized complete control.

****

She awoke sprawled on the floor in the bright and cold room as the ceiling seemed to spin. A familiar thick and spicy scent permeated the small room. Malik.

She tried thinking about anything else, but couldn't. He had come back for her and took her away from Ryder, leaving him to die without her.

Handsome and full of lies, Malik made her sick. She berated herself for ever believing he loved her. For making her think she loved him. She didn't. Never did. She and Ryder had true love.

She felt him watching her.
Defiling her. She chanced a quick glance and her stomach lurched. Those good looks she used to blush about didn't attract her anymore. It was hard to find anyone attractive after they've beaten you and left you to die. The hair she used to love running her fingers through didn’t move her any more. Rather, she longed to tear it off his head. The twinkling blue eyes made her want to gouge his eyes out. And his smile made her want to smash his teeth in.

The night he’d left her to die, she wanted to give up, but Laili had stopped her. She’d saved Anara's life and risked her own in the process. Anara refused to let Laili's good deed go to waste. Malik hadn't won before, and she couldn't let him now.

She tried to move and remembered he’d drugged her. He'd planned well, smart enough not to make the same mistake.

"Did you miss me?" He stalked closer to her par
alyzed body. "I've missed you."

She tried to cringe away from his featherlight touch and failed with her body numb. He traced his finger across her lips slowly before lifting her with ease onto his lap. While he held her against him, she hoped the numbness stayed.

"I want this to be slow. Romantic." His eyes sparkled with excitement and his grin showed promise of pain and torture. "First, we need to clean you up. I'll get everything ready."

He placed her onto the hard floor once again, and walked to the door. "Don't go anywhere."

Anara wanted to scream as his laugh echoed through her head. At first, she attempted to move her fingers back and forth, but only managed a small twitch. Moving became easier as she practiced. Her whole body started slowly to feel like hers again.

He hadn’t tied her up; stupid mistake on Malik's part. He relied too much on his drug. After pulling up into a sitting position, she took a deep breath and attempted to get to her feet. Her body smacked against the floor and she barely caught herself before her head hit, too.

Standing came slowly, but she managed, then she tried to move toward the door. On unsteady legs, she grasped the wall for support as she made her way to the chair, the only object in the room she could use as a weapon. She tested its weight. Heavy. She tried picking the chair up and growled with frustration when she only managed a mere inch above the ground. She kept trying until she was able to swing the chair high enough.

Footsteps grew loud, closer. Her chance was coming. The door opened and she swung hard. The impact slammed her target against the wall.

Her mouth dropped and her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh no!"
She dropped to the floor beside Mikhail. Knocked out cold. She didn't want to be around when he woke up, knowing his white eyes would cut straight through her.

She jumped backward when Malik stepped in, his grin telling all.

"Nice job. Too bad you got the wrong person." His hands gripped her arms tight as he jerked her close to his body. Warm breath tickled her ear, and she gagged. "I have the bath ready. Why don't we go enjoy ourselves while your friend wakes up?"

He dragged her out of the door before locking up tight.

She kicked her feet, twisted her body, and screamed until her throat grew hoarse.
Stupid!
Her help had come and she’d knocked him out.