When he failed to see what had hit him, his eyes widened. “What’s going on?”
Next I shot a burst of energy dead center between his legs, hitting his precious penis with enough force to drop him to his knees, groaning in pain. He looked back at my body, then whipped back to search the center of the room.
“How are you doing this?” he demanded.
Now that my emotions had been released, I couldn’t hold back. I gathered clusters of energy and continued to toss them at him. Over and over, with all the fury and helplessness raging inside me. He fell, and I used the thickened air to gather his knife. The sharp blade hovered in the air. As his eyes widened, I inched it closer to his neck.
He stilled, not daring to breathe.
“How does it feel to be helpless against another’s powers?” I taunted. The words were a whisper of wind, but he understood.
He opened his mouth to yell for help.
“Call your guards,” I said, pressing the knife even closer, “and it will be the last sound you ever make.”
His voice gurgled to quiet.
“That’s better.” Keeping the knife steady with one hand, I used my other to gather enough energy and tug off the gold band anchored at his neck.
“The moment you release me, I’ll be able to kill your body. A spirit cannot live without a host.”
“That’s true,” I admitted.
“How long do you think you can hold me like this?”
“As long as it takes. Are you an honorable man, Devyn?”
From the corner of my eyes, I saw him reaching up, intending to grab the knife and throw it away from him.
“Uh, uh, uh,” I said, and pushed more energy toward him, digging the tip a little deeper into his neck. A drop of amber-colored blood formed.
A growl of frustration parted his mouth, but his hands stilled.
“Are you an honorable man?” I asked again.
“Yes, damn you.”
“Then vow to me here and now to send me home at the next solar flare, and I will let you live.”
“No.”
“No? I can kill you now, reenter my body, and escape this place.”
“You would never make it past my guards. They were chosen for their telekinetic abilities, as well as their sadistic natures. When they spot you, and they will, they will make you regret the decision to leave me.”
“I bet you thought I’d never be able to hold a blade at your throat, either.”
Silence.
“You’re not going to kill me,” he finally said. Sweat dripped from his temples. “You’re a woman and a Raka. Your people might be rare, but I know you are peaceful. Sensual. Violence is used only by the ruling class.”
“Maybe I’m part of the ruling class, because you see, Devyn, I’m more than a government agent. I’m an assassin. I’ve killed countless people, and killing you will be no hardship. Why do you think I let EenLi capture me? Why do you think my man was trying to ‘buy’ me? So I could kill EenLi and destroy his slave ring.”
The Targon stiffened.
“I’m willing to let you live, however.” The moment I’d met those women in the cell, my goal had ceased to be proving my own worth or being known as the best. My goal had changed to one of savior. The women, Lucius. And I’d make a deal with the devil himself to do so. “What do you say, Targon? Your life for a ticket home.”
“Do I get to bed you for my troubles?”
“No. I will let you kiss my feet, though.”
He snorted. One of his hands tangled roughly in his hair as he considered my offer. Obviously, no one had ever gotten the best of him, and he didn’t know what to make of me—a true threat or a novel amusement. Had I been here on vacation, I might have enjoyed the king’s antics.
“What do you say?” I demanded. “I’m growing impatient.”
“I paid good money for you,” he whined.
“So I’ll pay you back.”
“You cannot pay me back the two warriors I gave up for you.”
“What if I promise not to cut off your penis? Will that help alleviate your sense of loss?”
He gulped. “We have ourselves a deal, Raka.”
Chapter 25
Though I remained on alert, I released my energy-hold on the knife and necklace and they clanged to the floor. I quickly reentered my body and popped to my feet. Devyn stayed true to his word and didn’t call for his men, nor did he try to kill me. He merely pushed to his feet, then dusted off his kilt (or whatever the hell that skirt thing was called). All the while, a dark expression tightened his handsome features.
I gathered the fallen items and faced him directly. “You got something to say?”
“I am very angry about this.”
“You’ll get over it. How long until the next solar flare?”
At first, he didn’t answer. He shoved a hand through his hair and stared up at the ceiling, before finally expelling a long breath. “A solar flare isn’t needed. Come,” he said, the single word whipping out with the force of a bullet. He spun on his heel.
I followed after him, still not dropping my guard. “What do you mean, one is not needed?”
“Solar flares are only needed to travel from Earth, not Targon. Here we use the Skyway.”
The gel-like pool, I realized. I tucked that information away, knowing I’d have to give a full report to Michael.
When Devyn and I strode into the narrow hallway that led into the white stone room where I’d found the necklaces, the guards posted at the walls stood at perfect attention. I was so agitated, so ready to be home, my limbs were shaking.
“Open,” Devyn said.
Two of the men immediately complied, prying the doors apart. Devyn and I slipped inside. As the doors closed behind us, Devyn said, “This human of yours.” His tone displayed a complete lack of interest, but I knew better. He didn’t turn to look at me. “What makes him so special? And do not tell me he is yours. There is a reason, something that sets him apart.”
I leapt up the stairs two at a time, the king right on my heels. This man was taking me to Lucius and the enslaved women, so I was feeling generous toward him. “He stirs something inside me,” I answered. “He fires my blood in a way I don’t understand.”
“I could do the same. I promise you.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not.”
A pause. Then, “What if I am taking you back to Earth simply to kill your human and get him out of my way? If he’s not already dead,” he added. He took the necklace I still held and wrapped it around his neck.
“He’s not, and you know I’ll kill you if you hurt him.” I had placed a lot of trust in this one self-centered man. But I was prepared to kill him at any time—if he didn’t kill me first. I was willing to take the chance, though.
“I want you for my own,” he said. “I haven’t tried to hide that fact.”
“You do have some pride, don’t you?”
“Not really.” A wicked twinkle entered his eyes, and he grabbed my hand, jerking me to a stop. Light from the Skyway caressed his face, illuminating his pale skin. His dark hair wisped over his forehead. “Why don’t we strike another bargain, you and I, hmm? I’ll give you my royal oath to help you save your man if you’ll give me a single night with you.”
I flipped my hair over my shoulder with a flick of my wrist. “We made a bargain already. I didn’t knife you, and now you’re taking me home.”
“Ah, but I can do more than simply take you home. I can save your man…and take you to EenLi.”
He was deadly serious, no hint of teasing in his expression. The wicked twinkle was gone. I stood, watching him, bathed in indecision. Trust him. Not trust him. Either way, he’d just offered me something I couldn’t turn down, no matter the price.