Star's Storm(23)

Madas chuckled. “I believe his expression will change shortly. Come, the sooner we leave the sooner we arrive at where we are going.”

*.*.*

“Star ship 782.226 clearance granted. Safe journey,” the voice of the control tower stated.

Star trembled nervously from where she was strapped into the chair. She had a clear view of out the front viewport. She watched as the ground slowly slipped away, becoming smaller. A burst of power had her jerking back into her seat. She held onto the hand grips so hard her knuckles turned white. Within seconds, the darkness of deep space surrounded her and she felt herself relaxing again. She heard a mumble of voices over the communications system as the control tower gave them clearance to the jump gate. Armet answered calmly. Before she could let out the breath she was holding all the way, the lights dimmed on the inside of the star ship while outside colors flared as the ship picked up speed as it entered the first jump gate.

“Oh yeah, now this is smooth,” Dakar said with a grin of appreciation on his face. “Madas, I know the Tearnats don’t have a ship like this. Where in the hell did you get it?”

Madas chuckled as she relaxed back. She was a good pilot but she was nowhere as good as the two warriors in front of her. She had done her homework last night after she had worn her mate out. She knew Gril was going to come after her once he realized what she was up to. He was very protective of her. She often got amused at his need to protect her and his possessive behavior. She enjoyed keeping him on his claws. He was an excellent lover but when he was outraged with her over something, a shiver of delight flared in Madas as she thought of her mate’s reaction to this little adventure.

Yes, it will be worth his anger when I return, Madas thought with a small smile.

“It is a gift from a friend of Lord Jazin. He confirmed that Jazin was not on board the fighter when it exploded. A traitor to the Tearnat was the victim. Tai Tek is behind your prince’s disappearance,” Madas assured both men.

“How do you know for sure this ‘supposed’ friend is on our side?” Star asked, worrying her bottom lip. “What if it is a trap?”

Madas reached over and gently unclenched Star’s fisted hand and held it tenderly in her larger one. “Trust me, little warrior. I would not lead you into a trap. The warrior who gave me this star ship is to be trusted. He knew things about you that only your mate could have told him. Things that he would not have share with an enemy, not even under torture.”

Star’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of Jazin telling someone else about her. “Like what?” She asked in an unsteady voice.

Madas reached over and picked up a strand of golden hair, letting it run over her slender fingers. “Like how your hair is the color of the sun touched with gold on a clear day and how beautiful, strong, and brave you were against those much larger and fiercer than you. He spoke of your courage and loyalty. But most of all, he spoke of his respect and love for you.”

A single tear slid down Star’s face. For a moment, it was as if she could feel Jazin brushing it away with a tender kiss. She closed her eyes and pulled an image of him into her mind. She gripped Madas hand tightly, wishing with everything in her that it was Jazin holding it. She breathed deeply before she opened her eyes and stared at her friend.

“He is alive,” Star whispered. “I can feel him. In here,” she said, touching her chest over her heart. “I can feel him calling to me.”

Madas nodded. “He is alive, little warrior. He has much to live for.”





Chapter 8


Pain racked Jazin’s body where he hung from the wall. He leaned forward, resting his head against the hard stone trying to relieve the pressure on his shoulders. Exhaustion beat at him but he refused to give into it. He let his mind turn instead to Star. Over the past week or more since he had been captured, the picture of her face staring up at him was the only thing that kept him from going insane. Tai Tek had personally been seeing to his torture. The numerous cuts, bruises, and burns attested to the former councilman’s desire to take his frustration out on Jazin. His methods of trying to extract information from him were becoming more brutal. His latest ploy was to see how long Jazin could stand upright without dislocating both of his shoulders. His arms were chained out to the side and only his standing, gripping the chains tightly in his fists prevented the heavy weights attached to the ends from pulling his arms out of their sockets. He had been like this for the past six hours or more. Every once in a while, Tai Tek would come in with a whip and viciously strike him over and over, leaving his back a bloody mass of torn flesh. Jazin refused to give Tai Tek the satisfaction of seeing him in pain. He stared at the wall with a cold, impassive face as blow after blow ripped at his flesh. His mind turned to Star and the memories of how her gentle hands had caressed him the night before he left. Tai Tek had left him several hours ago with a curse that he would make sure Jazin talked when he returned or else.