Peyton 313 (34 page)

She thought of the black mist swirling over the glass to cloud it while Arghane had watched her strip and reluctantly dress. Unmetered anger in her movements made her feel physically stronger and better able to deal with her incarceration. She accepted the intense emotion was the demon’s way of showing her that she was willing to help.

Since Arghane had watched her dress and then eat the food he had sent to her, Seta glared at her collector as the door opened. She grabbed her uniform pants and shoes, which were bundled together inside her folded shirt. She had tied the sleeves and now slung the pack over one shoulder. Arghane grinned at her action, but he made no move to remove it from her until she passed by him. His arm shot out, gripping hers.

“I’ll take those disrespectful clothes,” he said.

Seta glared at the hand on her arm. Keeping her anger in check suddenly became an impossibility. She turned slowly to fully face him as her body filled with a fiery heat that went everywhere. She even felt her eyes getting hot.

Shaking at the energy suddenly coursing through her, she dodged Arghane’s next grab. A feral animal sound erupted from her throat that he would dare touch her. She took a menacing step toward the male who stepped back in sudden surprise.

“Touch me again and you will surely die,” Seta warned. Reaching out a hand, she gripped her torturer’s wide wrist, squeezing hard until she heard a crunching sound. She released him only when Arghane called out and backed farther away from her.

“Are you truly as insane as you are acting?” he demanded.

“Yes. I am insane. Why don’t you go tell the suzerain on me? Or do you fear his reaction to hearing a mere female managed to harm you?”

Arghane shook his hand, glaring at the red ring around his wrist. The angry female’s grip had burned like fire and his digits were now numb. He might actually have to be checked for damage.

“What possesses you to fight me?” he demanded.

Seta snorted. “Maybe it’s because I don’t consider you worthy of living. Now let’s get this over with, Arghane. I’m tired of waiting to see my duplicitous sire.”

Frowning at her strangely glowing eyes, Arghane motioned ahead, watching as Seta turned her back to him and began walking. He was suddenly wondering if the crazed female was planning to harm the suzerain. And more importantly, could she do it?

“I absolutely could do it if I chose,” Seta said, reading his thoughts. “But I will not harm the suzerain yet. I have different plans for him.”

Arghane frowned again. “Good. Just know I will kill you to save him.”

“You might try, but I will kill you before you get that chance,” Seta coldly replied back, not turning around. “I speak only truth, Arghane. After your death, I will walk through your spilled life force and do what I want to the suzerain. So leave me be if you wish to live. The creature within me hates you on my behalf. She wishes for your death as much as I do.”

“You talk nonsense. What creature inside you?” he demanded.

When she didn’t answer his question, Arghane reached out and grabbed Seta’s arm to turn her to face him. The next thing he knew he was flying backward and being slammed hard against the wall. His head spun dizzily as Seta of Trax walked calmly toward him. In her glowing eyes he actually did see his death. Since he was not ready to die, playing along with her madness might be the wisest strategy. He now saw that he had taken the Siren’s assertions of her training too lightly.

“My apologies for my disrespect, daughter of Trax,” he blurted out finally, breathing out only when he saw Seta come to a full stop. Without another word, she turned back and started walking forward again.

Reeling, Arghane climbed slowly to his feet despite the pain. Seta’s appealing hips sent the strips swaying in the dress he had chosen, but earning time with her suddenly held no allure at all for him. Let the Siren suitor buy the suzerain’s errant offspring. What did he care? There were many more fair-haired females among the suzerain’s progeny.

He almost bumped into her as she whirled around to him again. Shock had him calling out when she grabbed his throat and lifted him from the ground.

“What Siren suitor?” Seta demanded. “Who is trying to buy me?”

“His name is Ji Warro. He told us he served with you on a ship. . .uh. . .I can’t talk while you’re choking me,” he protested, stumbling as she dropped him abruptly back down to the floor. He was still in shock that she had been able to lift his considerable weight. “The Siren says you are already his.”

Snorting at the arrogance of the male who had evidently followed her to Ethos, no matter that she had not wished it, she still didn’t bother trying to explain Ji to Arghane. It was none of his business.

“He said I was his? If so, it is only in his dreams,” Seta declared.

Resigned to dealing with the added complication, she trudged to the gallery to face both males who thought they owned her. It was Ji’s own fault he was about to lose a fortune for no good reason. Her father was going to demand an exorbitant union price from him and would still bargain for use of her tracking skills if he could manage it. Of this, she had no doubt.

“Hands off if you value your life,” Seta warned when she felt Arghane’s touch on her arm again. His tentative hold became a whisper of air near her skin instead.

The rest of their walk was made in total silence.

Chapter 3

Lifting her chin, Seta swallowed her repulsion and strolled into the receiving gallery. Inside she headed straight for the platform where her father sat waiting for her. The last time she had been summoned before him, it was to be informed she had a second suitor for a mate. Damaged from the abuse of their first mate, her sire had decided it best to make separate second unions for her and Rena. Citing compassion for their poor first match he had made arrangements with two younger males.

Rena’s male never ever made an appearance. However, the second male who paid her union price had been very young—much younger than her. Perhaps he had been decent as well, but she had not lingered long enough to find out. She had seen him only once, but well recalled the entire day of grooming she had endured before being presented to him.

In contrast, the male who waited for her now was not young at all. He was decent in most things, so far as she had seen in her time with him. The Siren’s worse flaw was he was more arrogant than any male she had ever encountered on Ethos.

As if her thoughts about his nature had asked for evidence of the understanding, she watched as Ji snubbed the still seated suzerain. He rose from his seat of honor and strode out to meet her as if it were common practice to do so. But what amazed her most was Ji seemed to completely ignore the laser weapons of the suzerain’s guards pointed at his back as he did so.

Seta had no choice but to stop walking when Ji stopped in front of her, blocking her progress forward.

“Have they fed you yet?” he demanded.

Despite being emotionally touched by the fury in the unexpected question, Seta snorted in disbelief that Ji could be so inane at such a critical time. “You should not have come here. The purpose of the union suite is to extort all the funds they can from the suitor with no real promise of any return. They might still refuse your offer for me.”

“Aye, I got that impression. However, the bad bargain is mostly done and the suzerain will honor our agreement if he values his life. Now answer my question,” Ji ordered.

“If you must know before moving out my way, I will tell you. Wearing these garments is the price I paid for food. Yes, I have eaten and so far managed to keep my uniform as well,” Seta replied calmly.

“Good. Then no one has to die
yet
,” Ji said calmly in return, watching a flash of red pass over her eyes. “Why don’t you let me hold your uniform if you’re not going to wear it. I think I could safeguard it best.”

“Brave words for a male with at least seven laser weapons pointed at his back,” Seta declared. When Ji didn’t move, she sighed and handed over her self-made pack. “Fine. Here.”

Ji inclined his head slightly, not quite bowing, but at least acknowledging her compliance. He didn’t want to appear too deferential with Suzerain Trax watching their interaction so closely.

“I think the steep union price I have promised your sire is sufficient to ensure my life will continue for quite a while longer. The transfer of funds from Rylen will take approximately one Earth week. I have at least that long to convince him of the wisdom of accepting. Perhaps your mission for the suzerain will be completed by the time my account with him has been settled to his satisfaction.”

Seta snorted. “Since I no longer consider my life for sale or barter to any male, you have made a poor exchange for your wealth, Siren of Rylen. In the end, you will have no female to show for what you have paid, regardless of the suzerain’s decision.”

Ji inclined his head, his Siren blood dancing in response to her challenge. “The deal is outside of our control, but I am thinking it worth the expenditure of funds just to see you adorned in something so purely female once more. Though I wish you were covered from the eyes of these bastards, I confess I am enjoying your Ethos attire. It has been a long time since you wore such clothing, Seta. I believe the last time was on the mission to Lotharius when I was not allowed to enjoy the sight of them.”

Seta tilted her head up until she met Ji’s gaze. His gaze on her clothing was admiring, but the concern she saw made her stomach flutter in mild concern. Instantly her thoughts scrambled and collected into massive worry for Ji’s well-being. What if her father learned of her genuine fondness for the Siren? What if he killed Ji just to get even with her?

She raised her voice and stepped away from him. “Why are we wasting so much time discussing my clothing? Step aside, Siren. I must present myself to the suzerain.”

“I block your way because you need to calm down first, Seta of Trax. It is not wise to stir up that power within you until you intend to use it. I learned that lesson from Captain Synar’s glowing eyes,” Ji whispered.

Seta frowned and lowered her voice again. “What are you saying?”

Ji lowered his voice and bent closer. “Your eyes, Seta. Your eyes are glowing red with the power that lives in you. Now pretend you are not glad to see me so I will not appear to be a liar about the friction between us.”

“That’s what I was trying to do,” Seta yelled. She reached out and used one arm to physically move Ji out of the way, but he remained firmly in place. Apparently, Zorinda only helped when she wanted to help. Lesson learned there. The demon liked the Siren.

She raised her voice again. “Step aside, Siren. I am no more willing to have you now than I was on the ship. And since when does a Siren have to buy a mate?”

As she walked around Ji, Seta saw her disrespectful words made both the suzerain and Chief Arghane glare at her. The caustic comment was meant to offend so she was surprised when Ji laughed loudly instead of yelling back at her like she thought he would.

“I agree. Buying a mate is highly unconventional. However, offering your sire a fair union price will make a highly entertaining story to tell my parents when I introduce you to them,” Ji said loudly in reply.

He turned toward Suzerain Trax who was now watching them both with a sharper gaze and bowed his head at the male’s laugh. Then he turned back and glared down at the woman who had captured his heart.

“There are many other ways I could obtain your full compliance, Seta of Trax. This way amuses me—for now.”

Seta snorted at a bravado she knew was only half pretension in Ji’s case. Path now free of his obstruction, she started walking toward the suzerain again. When she was the proper distance from his seat, she knelt and placed her forehead on the floor and waited to be acknowledged by him.

Above her prone body, she heard Ji hiss and draw in a breath at her actions, but she couldn’t concern herself with his disgust of Ethos protocol. She knew the rules of the suzerain’s canton. Ji didn’t. And she would follow the rules for as long as it suited her own deception.

“You may rise and speak to me, Seta of Trax.”

Seta climbed to her feet and lifted her chin. “Greetings, Suzerain. Your guard’s hostile reception delayed my arrival. I failed to convince Chief Arghane of the importance of our immediate communication.”

“You were detained solely because I wished it, Seta of Trax. I still haven’t forgiven you or your dual-birth sibling for running away from my canton. Many others have tried to do the same since you and Rena managed your desertion. You live today only because I have an important task for your Peace Alliance skills however much your warrior training insults my sensibilities. I am contemplating letting you continue to live after you have found my treasure if the Siren’s wealth is not a lie. A union with him may turn out to be in your best interests and mine. You might want to speak cautiously to the male who has decided to pay your very steep union price.”

“No male concerns me other than you, Great Suzerain. As to my future, I prefer that you honor our original agreement of allowing my direct family siblings to choose their own union mates. It would vastly improve morale among all your offspring to allow them choice in the matter. To acquire good will and favor among your progeny perhaps would require less management in the long term than retrieving and punishing defectors.”

Seta bowed her head after her speech, but raised it quickly to see his reaction to her bold words. Her sire leaned back, saying nothing as he stared at her, no doubt pondering how to punish her nerve. Ji wasn’t the only one with leverage though. The very fact she hadn’t been slapped to the floor by one of his guards was proof he really did need her help.

“And you would naturally want to exercise this power of choice over your own situation I suppose.”

Seta shook her head. She had Zorinda. That was the only power she intended to use.

“No. I choose not to exercise it because I have no wish for a union with the Siren. But I understand you cannot keep such a promise to me while losing honor in your bargain with him. To make up for the loss of funds from my union price, you may have my death in exchange for keeping your word about the others. You may credit my deceased dual-sib as the reason for my sacrifice. I’m sure my dead body hanging in the canton’s sports arena would serve your needs more than adding a few additional credits to your coffer. As a female who detests being touched, I am of little use to a Siren anyway. Ji knows I would kill him in his sleep if he ever touched me. He wants me because I’m the only female who has ever resisted him.”