Betrayed: The Blue Barbarian Series (The Blue Barbarians Book 6) Read online

  “Mmm. It’s time for bed, anyway.”

  “Bed?” Atan looks puzzled at the nest we lay upon.

  “Yes. Come along to the sleeping chambers. Valencia and Atareek were surprised at this also.” I almost giggle at remembering the shock on their faces. Hekran and I had a good laugh at their expense.

  Both males rise with me, staying naked. The three of us walk to the next cavern to find the sleeping holes. The air is colder in here, but the water will be fine.

  Diont shivers, our combined fluids cold and wet on his groin. Atan does not seem to be faring much better.

  “You want us to bathe first? Instead of wiping off?”

  I giggle and quickly get into a water-filled crevice. I almost moan at the warmth of the water. “We sleep in here. See how this portion is higher? Your head can’t get below the water. And when morning comes, the air heats automatically and wakes us.”

  They look at each other with something akin to horror. “Try it once,” I encourage, already snuggly and warm. “If you don’t like it, we can always go back to my nest. However, the temperature drops everywhere in the caverns. It is a lot of furs you two will be cuddling under.”

  Atan dips his foot into a crevice. “Holy hell. It feels so good.” Another human saying. He quickly plunges in, sighing, leaving Diont behind.

  Diont has broken out in goosebumps all over his gorgeous skin, stretched taut over tight muscles. “There is steam coming from the water,” he says, his voice lit with curiosity.

  “The water grows warmer as the air grows colder,” I explain. “Or at least it feels that way. The air is warm in the morning, so warm that you dry almost instantly when you rise.”

  He plunges in and gives a hard moan. “Why the hell did I wait so long?”

  I smile sleepily. “Imagine getting out of this warmth to run back to the nest shivering wet.”

  “Nah, I think I’ll stay here tonight and see how the morning is.”

  “Good choice,” Atan grins. “Though in our village, it is nice to hold you while we sleep.”

  “Mmm,” I agree. “I do stay warm between you both.”

  “I love you,” Diont whispers.

  “I love you as well. And Atan, I love you.”

  “You own my heart, goddess.”

  There is but one glow rock in the room, and without warmth or a glow from any others, it begins to fizzle weaker. It will never go completely out, but it darkens during the cold to sleep. When the temperature warms, the rock will brighten.

  And with that thought and the warmth surrounding my limbs, I fall asleep.

  Chapter Nine

  My lovers rise with me in the morning. We head back to the chamber where we left our bags and clothing to dress. I am not looking forward to the hours I must waste with Shen’robi today. But, at least my brother is spared.

  “Do me a favor and wear the bellychain we gave you. Even if it is daylight out. Please.”

  The look on Atan’s face is so earnest I can’t help but agree. “Okay. But no one will see it under the higher waist of the skirt I will wear today.”

  “It doesn’t matter if it is seen. We know we are engaged,” Diont says.

  “I was thinking that if anything should happen—and it won’t because if you’re not back in a few hours, we will come searching for you—but if there is an emergency, you will have instant light if you tug down your skirt.”

  “If it makes you happy,” I agree.

  “Thank you.” He looks relieved as he kisses my lips.

  Such simple pleasures to keep my mates happy. I head out into the main area to find Shen’robi waiting. She hands me a filled waterskin and a small bag with straps that I can tie around my waist or back, hence the reason I wore a high-waisted skirt. Carefully I inspect the bag, expecting trickery. Perhaps supplies missing for first aid. Or not enough food. Inside the satchel is an assortment of dried meat and roots, some berries. There are also extra leathers to use as bandaging, healing salve, braided rope.

  Despite my misgivings, I can find nothing wrong with her packing. It appears she has nothing up her sleeve. Nodding, I tie it up and hook it to my waist and the straps of my halter on my back, ready to get this over with.

  We climb the vines up the entrance and slip out of the hidden tree into the dark forest. It is the only spot where the skies are muted with shadow though it is nothing like the ink of night. The forest is a dark, eerie spot, but the world clears of clouds as soon as we leave the shaded branches of the trees, and soon we are on the trail heading up the mountain.

  “Thank you for coming with me,” Shen’robi says, and it is baiting rather than sincere.

  I snort, a rather unladylike sound and not at all fit for royalty. “You’re aware I wanted to go nowhere with you. I do not trust you.”

  She smiles, unperturbed. “I know. But I meant what I said. It is more beneficial for us to show solidarity among our people, isn’t it?” She hands me a skin of water, then opens her own, taking a deep swallow.

  I follow. It is hot out.

  “Soon enough, you will have another pleasure mating with Atan and Diont. You should not mind sparing a couple of hours for someone else in the tribe.”

  “I choose them. They choose me. It should be as simple as that.”

  “But it is not. It does not look good in the eyes of our people. You and I can work together for change.”

  Just on the other side of the winding mountain trail, the land opens up to fields. Wildflowers are scattered throughout the brush, dotting the land with bits of color.

  I stumble, catching myself just as Shen’robi reaches out to steady me.

  “Careful,” she snaps. “Don’t twist an ankle. We have a long way to walk.”

  She takes another swig of her water, and so I do the same. The water tastes sweet—a bit sweeter than usual, and I guzzle a good amount.

  She looks strangely satisfied. “Come on. The herbs that I saw are still quite a bit away.”

  We begin trekking forward, the sun high in the sky. No cause for alarm should the dark hit unexpectedly because I still don’t trust her. But in case she does plan to trick me, I am glad my mates had me wear my belly chain of glow rocks beneath my skirt. In case Shen’robi has any qualms about deserting me. Not that I think a single strand of glow rocks could hold off massive amounts of night monsters, but it should be able to buy me time to find a place to hide. Perhaps start a fire and tuck in for the night. She’ll be surprised when I show up in the morning and accuse her of my death.

  My arms and legs tingle as we walk further. I glance over at Shen’robi, puzzled. She seems to be going strong, despite the unusual warmth in the air. I’m not sure why I’m feeling odd in this higher elevation, but I seem to have worked up a sweat.

  “Not much further,” she says. “I love the height of this mountain. The clearing at the top. It’s flat and free of most shrubbery.”

  “The sun is stronger than I thought,” I mutter. “I’m not feeling so great.”

  I open the waterskin and drink the last of the water.

  “It is not you,” she says calmly. “It is the root of anrukis that I simmered in the water overnight.”

  My mouth drops. Anrukis is an herb that brings about relaxation. Too much tends to paralyze the limbs. We use it in cases of extreme anxiety.

  “Why?”

  “Because the last two times we fought, you bested me. And I am not risking it again.”

  “You wish to fight?”

  She smiles. “Always.”

  “What happened with the whole need-to-band-together-for-our-people ruse?”

  She shrugs. “I lied. I have big plans for you, Eretar.”

  “Everyone knows I left with you. Do you think you can drug me and leave me out for the night creatures? Do you think no one will come searching when we are not back before dinner? Or if you show up alone?”

  “Night creatures?” She laughs. “It’s a far cry from being dark, isn’t it?”

  I am confused.
What else is she up to?

  She leans in. “When you’re gone, I’m going to forcibly mate your males. I’m going to tie them up and lick them until they’re hard. Then I’m going to sit on them and and have my way. Once I’m impregnated, I’ll finally release them to go home to their own village.”

  I’d love to smack her across the face, but my arm is so heavy.

  “You think the surface people won’t come after their own when Atan and Diont don’t show up?”

  She shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll let them go by then to keep the peace between the tribes. But their babies will live on inside of me…the babies that should be yours. Instead, they’ll be mine.” She leans in, and the glimmer in her eyes looks evil.

  “So where will I be?” I ask carefully.

  Just then, the air around us begins to whir.

  At first, I think it is a trick of my drugged mind. I’m about to rub my eyes clear when my mouth drops as the air shimmers with a red glow despite the daylight. The wind kicks up our braids to whip around our faces.

  Shen’robi whistles and raises an arm toward the sky, waving wildly. “Here! Right here!”

  The red light condenses into a beam which shines near us, roving back and forth as if it searches.

  “Great Goddess! Are those the aliens who abducted our people once before?” I have to yell to be heard over the noisy wind. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. There’s no possible way Shen’robi can be manipulating this. It must be trickery of some kind.

  “Yes. They’ve so kindly agreed to take you. People will weep over the loss and without you here, your brother will be tossed from leadership. The line will fall to me, especially as I will have offspring soon. I thought about using Hekran’s seed, but this is my chance to have the offspring that should belong to you.”

  “Are you crazy? How the hell are you going to explain my disappearance?”

  “Trust me. Your crazy surface people are probably tracking it right now. No one will doubt my story that you have been abducted by aliens.”

  Then the bitch grabs me by the arms and pushes me into the light beam.

  Chapter Ten

  When I come to, I’m somehow attached to the ceiling. I try to move my arms, but they’re so heavy they don’t budge. Where am I? Then I remember being drugged with anrukis.

  The walls are slick and false, made of unnatural material in a bright, cold gleam of gray. From my position, I’m staring down at the floor with huge sections cut out. The holes are covered with a giant weaving of the strange wall pieces strung across the holes like the weavings of a basket. The light is dim, and the air is musty and stale as if there are no windows to let in fresh air.

  The memories rush in suddenly. The flash of lights that surrounded us and the red light that lifted us like magic, stopping all the sounds of the world. I remember Shen’robi’s gleeful face as she pushed me into the light.

  But at the last moment, I’d remembered the story from Miranda in which her Earth mate pushed her into the alien light beam. So I grabbed Shen’robi’s arm and held on tight.

  Frantically, I look about the room. And my mood lifts.

  Shen’robi is attached along with me, just about five feet away. There’s a nest of strings surrounding our midsection like the webbing spun from a spider.

  “Shen’robi!” I hiss. “Shen’robi!”

  She moans softly.

  “What have you done?”

  Her eyes open, and she looks dazed for a few moments. Then, the snarl is back in her voice. “What am I doing here?”

  “We were both caught in the red beam of light.”

  “But I wasn’t supposed to be! This is a misunderstanding. Hey!” She screams out at the top of her lungs. “Hey, someone! I am Shen’robi.”

  “Hush,” I hiss. “Do not call attention that we have awaken—”

  The door opens.

  Creatures unlike anything we have ever seen emerge from the door. Even Shen’robi gasps though she is the one who called them to us. They are gray, darker and less shiny than the walls, with half their heads missing. Instead of skin and hair behind their heads, gray bulbous matter is exposed, wet and throbbing. Their eyes are large and black like a larger than life insect. Their arms are too long, draping strangely down to their knees.

  The one that speaks uses Blaedonian from the surface dwellers. It is a good thing that Shen’robi and I both speak it, or we would be lost in the conversation.

  “We removed what you call a glow rock from your person to test its authenticity. We have verified it is exactly what we are looking for.”

  “I told you.” Shen’robi sounds triumphant. “I brought your payment. Now free me. She is the one that you want. The queen.”

  Icy fingers of fear clutch my heart. Has more than one of my own people betrayed me?

  “Shen’robi.” My voice is a whisper. She is far more gone than I expected.

  “We require more of these items you call rocks.”

  Shen’robi hardens her tone as if forgetting that she is tied to the ceiling. “That was not the deal. The deal was one glow rock for the removal of her. Not to wake up and find myself trussed like dinner.”

  “We require more of these. We will scour your planet in search of them. We do not need your service. You will fetch a price on your own, along with the one you sold to us.”

  “What? You can’t do that. We had a deal.”

  “You are a fool. Thank you for the coordinates to this planet. I will return to extract the information about where the other glow rocks are kept when we are ready to explore.”

  He turns and leaves, leaving her open-mouthed.

  “What were you thinking?” I snap at her. “Did you really trust strangers? Summon these demons to our planet?”

  She doesn’t answer, and then something else dawns on me.

  “How the hell did you summon them?”

  Only the fact that she is a cocky female spurs her decision to answer me. “When we were shown the space-vessel by the surface dwellers. I took some time to break away from the rest. I insert a glow rock into the control area without anyone noticing. I spoke into the communicator, and it spoke back. I made a deal then and there to give them a glow rock if they would sneak to our planet and get rid of you.”

  “How did they know where to find us?” My voice is weary from her stupidity.

  “The aliens told me a tracker was in the drawer and all I had to do was keep it on my person. When their ship entered our atmosphere, they could find me wherever I was. And as long as I had you with me in three moons’ time, when the sun was at the highest point, they would take you off my hands. It is why I insisted that you come with me to the surface. I knew to present the arrangement for the leaders to get along. I assumed you would think it was Hekran that I wanted and volunteer to come along yourself, allowing me to get rid of you.”

  “And now they have you.” My voice is mocking because she certainly didn’t expect that.

  “I’ll simply tell them where to find more glow rocks in exchange for my freedom.”

  “You’d pave the way to our people, fool?” I snap. “They’d have to travel to the caverns where we live to get to them.”

  “Not our people. Your surface friends. The extra glow rocks are there.”

  My gasp is audible. “You would sell out our own people?”

  “They are more your people than mine.”

  “We are all the same! We come from the same stock.”

  She snorted. “They diluted our bloodline with humans.”

  I am incredulous. I have no idea where this hidden personality has been all this time. “If we get out of this in one piece, I will banish you,” I grit. “You had better hope those with the dirty bloodlines take you in.”

  “I’ll buy my freedom,” she says. “But you can die.”

  The door opens again, and the gray alien returns.

  “I’m ready to make a deal,” Shen’robi calls out. “I’ll give you the locations of the best
of the glow rocks. All I ask in return is that you let me watch when your ship takes off with her on it.”

  The alien retrieves a long, tube-like object attached to the wall, turns a switch and water blasts full blast from the end, shooting into the grated holes beneath us. He raises it and sprays Shen’robi with it. The fine strands of webbing dissolve instantly and she drops with a thud, crashing to the grated floor below. She shrieks upon impact and holds still as she breathes through her pain. The alien turns off the water and places the tube back into the wall. He calmly walks to her and lifts her by one arm.

  By. One. Arm.

  He’s incredibly strong, considering he has no muscle tone or definition of any kind. Her feet dangle as he pulls her through the door that opens and closes at his approach. When it zips shut, I’m left alone in the chilled room.

  With the shock wearing off, I realize it’s quite cold against the sleek walls. The thin strands of fine silk that create a web-like sling are hardly any warmth. I’d kill to be like one of the surface people and warm my own temperature. Alas, it is a gift they evolved into, not us.

  But then I notice some of the water that was splashed from the spraying of Shen’robi has dampened my own strands of silk. I wiggle furiously and some of the wetter ones begin to snap.

  There are enough breaking that I can wiggle a hand free.

  I twist my left hand into the longer, dry strands that are still holding strong and rake the nails of my right hand back and forth over the damp pieces. One by one, the silk strands fall. With a crack, I’m released, but instead of falling like Shen’robi, I’m hanging onto the strands with my left arm.

  At least I can jump at my leisure this way.

  I suck in a breath, count to three, and drop. I soften my knees as I fall, absorbing the impact. But the cold grate is hard and pinches through the soles of my moccasins. I remember this odd material. Metal. The humans have a sharp tool called an axe made from the strange substance. These aliens use it in abundance. My feet give way, and I collapse onto the metal grate, the sharp pieces cutting into my cheek where I roll. I hold still for a few seconds, feeling the pain coil through my body. At least we know what the metal grate is for, I think as I listen to the liquid drip below. It drains the water that flows from the tube away. Slowly I haul myself up and search the room. Surely there can be a hiding place nearby. I think we’re still on the planet, but I have no idea if they would assume I’ve escaped or not. Perhaps they will go outside and search for me. If I am lucky, it is dark out or close to it. The numbness in my body would have lasted several hours, so we have been out for a while.