“He’s watching her—watching and soon he will do more than watch. Soon she will be dead. And with her will die all their hopes and dreams—with her will die their future!” Two cackled madly in his ear, breaking the weird spell.
Suddenly Thrace found himself rushing outward, leaving the small blue and green planet. He blinked and found he was back on Yonnie Six with Two’s skeletal hand gripping his forearm. With a disgusted grunt, he shook the other male off and took a step back, his hand going to his blaster.
“Get back,” he ordered when Two started to come after him. “I don’t know how in the Seven Hells you did that and I don’t care. I’ve done as Trin asked and delivered you to X. Now I’m going back and I hope to all the Gods never to see your disgusting face again.”
“No!” Two howled, thin fists curling at his sides. “No, you cannot leave me like this! You’re supposed to kill me! You are supposed to be my doom! And you promised—you promised! I showed you everything as I said I would—you promised!”
Thrace hesitated, his foot on the steps of the life pod.
“I said I’d think about it and I have. I choose not to kill you.”
“But you have to,” Two wailed. He was crawling on his hands and knees now, groveling and writhing on the grass like an animal in distress. Lord X followed after him with a helpless look on his face as though he didn’t know what to do.
“No, I don’t. You said I was supposed to be your doom, not your killer,” Thrace pointed out. “What could be a worse doom than to be stuck here with only your clone for company while you die a slow, agonizing death? The same death you wanted for Trin.”
“I knew you wouldn’t let her die!” Two protested. “Have mercy, Thrace—I’m in agony.” He curled in on himself and clutched his thin sides. “I could bear it if it was just the brain rot but you know how the passion berry wine works—the pain is intense and the only cure is penetration and insemination.”
“That should be no problem.” Thrace laughed harshly. “You’ve got your scion with you, don’t you?”
Two’s face went very still. “What are you suggesting?”
“I’m saying you should go fuck yourself—literally.”
Turning a deaf ear to Two’s protests and howls of pain, Thrace turned and slipped back into the life pod, closing the door behind him.
It was time to get back to what really mattered. Time to get back to Trin.
* * * * *
Trin had already moved The Alacrity some distance from its original orbit around Yonnie Six but they weren’t quite out of range yet. So she had to take the incoming call when Thrace hailed the ship from his life pod.
“Where are you?” he asked at once when his image popped up on her viewscreen.
“In my cabin.” Trin had thought it best to take this particular call alone instead of from the command center of the ship.
“No—I mean where’s the ship?” He sounded impatient and unhappy. “I’m out here in the same orbit you were at before but The Alacrity isn’t here.
Trin took a deep breath. “That’s because we’re plotting a course back home—to Zetta Prime.”
“What?” He frowned. “You’re not actually going there are you?”
“I have to.”
“No you don’t. Or if you do, then I’ll go with you.”
“A male on Zetta Prime?” Trin gave a dull, humorless laugh.
“Why not? There must be a few despite what your people believe,” Thrace insisted. “Just as there are a few Havoc who choose to break their vows and bond themselves to females.”
“A very few. Mostly they belong to a small fringe element of females who still wish to preserve our bonds with Yonnie Six.” Trin ran a hand through her hair. “They aren’t recognized in polite society. And my mother, who is a pillar of the community, does not count any of them among her friends.”
“Forget about your mother for a while,” Thrace said. “What about this…this ritual she wants you to do? You’re not going back for that, are you?”
“The Purification of the Defiled,” Trin said dully. “Yes, I must undergo it.”
“But you said it was painful and disfiguring. What did you mean by that?”
Trin shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it fucking well does!” he snarled. “Trin, tell me if you’re going into danger. I need to be there to protect you!”
“I was protecting myself a long time before you came on the scene,” Trin snapped at the viewscreen. She passed a shaking hand over her face. “And anyway this…this is something no one could protect me from. Not even the kindest and bravest and most loyal slave. Which is why…” She took a deep breath. “Which is why I am releasing you from my service. You are free.”
“What? No!” His eyes widened. “You can’t do this! My debt isn’t paid! And even if it was, my place is with you—at your side. You know that, Trin.”
“Where I am going, you cannot follow.” Trin lifted her chin. “Consider your debt paid in full. If you were here, I would personally remove your collar. As it is, you have my permission to remove it yourself.”
“I don’t want to—you hear me?” His silver-blue eyes were blazing now. “I don’t want to leave you or take off the damn collar! And even if I did, you’d still own me. Haven’t you heard anything I’ve said to you? You own my heart, Trin.” He clenched a fist over his chest. “My fucking heart.”
Trin felt like the icy shell that had covered her emotions was finally breaking apart but she tried to remain strong.
“I’m sorry, Thrace,” she said in a voice that only wavered a little. “You…you have given me loyal and steadfast service but I cannot take you with me. I will have no need of a slave on Zetta Prime.”
“Yes, but you might need a bodyguard!” he growled. Then his voice dropped to a soft, pleading tone. “Why are you going back there to let them torture you, baby?” he asked. “Why can’t you just forget about all that and come with me? We can make our own way. We don’t need anyone else but each other.”
For a moment Trin almost considered it. It would be so wonderful to go away with Thrace, just the two of them…but there were more people to consider.
“I can’t,” she said. “My crew…I’m sure my mother will make the payment on The Alacrity and see that they are able to keep their livelihood if I go back home and do this. I don’t have the credit for another mission and I’ll never be able to trade on Yonnie Six again. I have to be responsible.”
“I told you we’d earn some money somehow,” Thrace argued but Trin shook her head.”
“I’m sorry but no. I can’t.”
“Tell the truth.” He looked grim. “The welfare of your crew isn’t the only reason you’re doing this, is it?”
“No.” Trin felt her mask of calm beginning to crack. “No…it’s not.” She looked him in the eyes though it hurt to do so. “I’m doing this because I…because I deserve to be punished.”
“Why?” Thrace demanded. “Why should you be punished just for making love with me? We did it to save your life.”
“I know. But…I enjoyed it.” Trin hung her head. “Enjoyed being penetrated by a male. I…” She looked up at him. “I allowed myself to derive pleasure from the feeling of you inside me…from the thrust of your shaft within my most secret and forbidden places.”
“You had to.” Thrace ran a hand through his hair in agitation. “You had to, baby! You had to come to be cured—I told you that!”
“It doesn’t change the fact of what we did or how I felt about it.” Trin put a trembling hand to her eyes. “I have never felt such pleasure. And now…now I must pay for it with pain.”
“Trin, baby—no!” Thrace looked so upset it tore at her heart. He seemed to want to reach right through the viewscreen and drag her to him. Trin wished desperately that he could. She wanted to feel those big, warm, muscular arms around her just once more, making her feel safe and loved and protected. Making her feel cherished.