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The first few nights had been the worst, but each time she thought he was losing interest, Jevara invented a new erotic game or painful humiliation. She had now been at the palace for three weeks and each time he motioned her over, she despised him a little more. He was an infestation that needed to be eradicated. And she was going to do everything in her power to ensure the success of the extermination.
Jevara had bent her over his desk a few hours ago, so she was invisible to him again. Better still, it was unlikely that he would remember her existence until after dinner. She should have several more hours of peace and quiet before she had to endure his touch again. If only he would say something meaningful, all of the rest would be worthwhile.
As if hearing her thought, Jevara accepted a holo-comm from one of his operatives. She hadn’t figure out this one’s name, but he was posing as a trainee at the Citadel. That was not an easy ruse to pull off. Only those with legitimate talent were accepted for training. It was not something that could be faked. With messy dark hair and pale blue eyes, the spy was handsome enough. But something about him made Shalia uncomfortable. His gaze saw too much and his lips confessed too little. She was not sure what they were, but this male had secrets.
“Your check-ins have become infrequent, Cylex.” Jevara growled out the complaint. “Are you still dedicated to this mission?”
Cylex was a relatively common name. Still, paired with his appearance and abilities, Laidon might be able to figure out his identity.
“Of course I am, sire,” Cylex insisted. “It is nearly impossible to contact you from the Citadel. I have to be on a ship or one of the planets to send these messages. I am doing the best I can.”
“Get on with it then,” Jevara urged. “What have you learned?”
“Everyone is buzzing about the three cousins Draven Aldar brought back from Earth. Most conclude that they are runaway conduits, but I have yet to determine the truth.”
“Gossip does not interest me. I need confirmed facts.”
“I am working on it.” Impatience sharpened his tone. “Trainees are kept incredibly busy. It doesn’t leave me much time for anything else.”
“Fine. Comm when you know more.” Jevara terminated the connection with a wave of his hand.
Shalia took a deep breath, dreading the moment when his gaze locked on her. Instead, he sent a comm request to someone named Azar Turin. Again, the name meant nothing to her, so she was surprised when his likeness formed. Azar was clearly Altorian. Why was the emperor of Torret contacting an Altorian? Their worlds were at war.
Azar had mahogany hair and green eyes. He was in his late fifties or early sixties. “Make it quick. I do not have a lot of time.”
Wow. That was not the level of deference usually offered to the emperor.
“Well,General,” Jevara stressed sarcastically. “That is unfortunate because I have a pile of universal credits with your name on them.”
“And what do I have to do for them?” Azar crossed his arms over his chest, looking dubious.
“The same as usual. Provide information.”
“Just spit it out,” the general advised. “What do you need to know?”
“Tell me verified facts about the cousins Draven Aldar brought back from Earth.”
“Fuck off,” Azar snapped. “One of those females is my daughter and the others are none of your business. All three are Altorian. They have nothing to do with you.”
“Are they conduits?” Jevara persisted.
Azar reached up and terminated the link.
“Well, that was rude.”
She wasn’t sure if any of the information she’d just overheard was important, but she would write a detailed message to Laidon and pass it on after dinner. The kitchen slave who was acting as their courier had drawn her attention a few days after she arrived. She sent a quick update every few days, but this was the first time she’d had new information to pass on. Hopefully, it would not be the last.
Jevara started to turn his head, so Shalia quickly lowered her gaze.
“Come here, slave,” he ordered. “My thoughts are troubled, and I calm down faster with my cock in your mouth.”
CHAPTER4
Cara power-walked through the formal gardens behind her parents’ massive house. A security drone shadowed her every move. She’d been allowed to roam the estate since returning from the Citadel, but the drone made it clear that Lezod and Grinnel didn’t trust her. That was fine. She didn’t trust them either.
The orderly paths and fragrant bushes had fascinated Cara the first time she’d seen them. Now she wanted to rip the plants from the ground and destroy the symmetry of the geometric design. Her blood surged and her heart thudded. She felt restless and angry, and she wasn’t sure why.
Well, that wasn’t true. She was furious with her parents for taking her to the Citadel knowing full well what would happen to her. She resented her grandmother and her Earth mother for forcing her to live a lie. And the more she learned about Altorian customs, the more convinced she was that she needed to escape, and not just this estate but the entire planet. All of those feelings were understandable. But she had also snapped at the staff and argued with anyone who dared to speak to her. Taking out her frustrations on others wasn’t Cara’s usual habit. Something was wrong, something serious and beyond her control.
