The Tracker's Quest: (Forced To Serve #6) Read online

  Ji nodded. He had read females were kept in isolation until they were needed, but it was still unnerving to see proof of it in their most progressive urban area. The contrast with Rylen made him more appreciative than ever. One day he would show Seta the beautifully clad and smiling females on his home planet.

  Chapter 2

  Seta lasted two days without food, but it was all she had managed. The dress she had been forced to put on was nothing more than a series of fabric strips overlapping each other, most of which barely covered physical essentials. The nearly transparent fabric chafed and was obviously not created to enhance a female’s comfort. Great slashes across the mid-section revealed delicate skin which hadn’t seen light in years. To be as modest as possible, she had buttoned her black weapon vest over the skimpy top even though Arghane had confiscated her laser weapon.

  Seta knew her father had only forced the clothing change because he perversely liked to incite a certain amount of lust in the males regularly attending to him in his court. Keeping them hungry for anything, whether it was food or females, allowed him to keep a tight rein on his all male staff. Only he—as their suzerain—had the power to grant them the right to indulge in meeting either need.

  She well knew her father’s fondness for using bonding lust as an incentive. Her first bonding experience had been with Chief Arghane’s predecessor. Arghane would no doubt like to have her father’s permission to indulge with her too. His predecessor had left massive bruises on her arms which had had angered her father into exiling the older male from both his canton and his employment. Her personal devastation over the sordid experience though had not caused her Ethos sire any second thoughts at all. Instead, her teary gaze over the physical humiliation and shame had incited a lecture on doing her duty and earning her keep as his offspring.

  Two weeks after the horrible incident, she and Rena had been promised to the merchant. A whole Earth year passed before that detestable male had raised sufficient money to pay the steep union price for the pair of them. He had been even worse to deal with than Arghane’s predecessor, frequently trading bonding use of them as it suited his whims. Long before she had acted to end his life, her Ethosian mate’s death had lived in her intentions. Now she understood it had been Zorinda who had given her the strength to actually take up the knife she had used to stab him to death.

  Wiser now from her many years of true freedom among more civilized beings, she saw the main problem on Ethos was males like her father who propagated the bartering system. His abuse of his power was to blame. Pondering her sire’s death seemed a good use of the dark thoughts running through her mind, but finding a way to ensure his ongoing suffering would suit her better. Death would just see him replaced in his canton with another, perhaps even worse suzerain. If that happened, there would be no reprieve for any of her siblings.

  No. . .the Ethos tyrant who abused her family needed to understand what it felt like to have another person controlling his fate. Only then could she contemplate sending the male who sired her back to the Creators. Until the time of her true revenge she would merely dream of his downfall. . .and plan.

  Seta found herself thinking about Rena, her spiritual dual-sib who had lived most of her short life feeling incredible shame for their abuse. In doing so, her determination grew stronger to spare the rest of the females in their immediate family. Her mother had died after bearing the Suzerain eight offspring, but several of her mother’s female siblings remained, as well as their unbartered offspring.

  She thought of the black mist swirling over the glass to cloud it while Arghane had watched her strip and reluctantly dress. The anger in her movements made her feel physically stronger and better able to deal with her incarceration. She accepted it was the demon’s way of showing her 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 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 towards 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 such a chance,” Seta replied back coldly, 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 backwards and being slammed hard against the wall. His head spun dizzily as Seta of Trax walked calmly towards him. In her glowing eyes, he did actually see his death. Since he was not ready to die, playing along with her madness might be the wisest strategy. He saw now 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. And one day he would have his pick.

  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 only that he served with you on a ship. . .Uhhh. . .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 Seta 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 to 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. Damaged from the abuse of her and Rena’s first mate, her sire had decided it best to make separate second unions for her and Rena the second time. Citing a compassion for their poor first match, a compassion she had known better than to believe, he had agreed to unions with two younger males.

  Rena’s male never made an appearance. However, the second male who paid her own 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 his character. 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 worst flaw was being 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 it were a common practice to do so. But what amazed her most was Ji completely ignoring the guard’s laser weapons pointed at his back as he walked to meet her.

  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.”

  “Yes, I got the same 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 of 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 can 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.”

  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 alarm. 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 the power within you until you intend to use it. I learned that lesson from witnessing Captain Synar’s glowing eyes on several occasions now,” 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 which 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 female 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. The path now free of his obstruction, she started walking towards 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 for your company.”

  “No male concerns me other than you, Great Suzerain. As to my future, I prefer 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 at least some of them a 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 her father 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. 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.”