Delivered by the Defender (Kindred Tales)

But if you don’t give it up, you’ll never leave Ma’shorka Centra, whispered a practical little voice in her head. You’ll die here, Selena—and probably in a pretty bad way.

“All right, take it,” she said, reaching up to unhook the tiny gold ring with its diamond-like jewel and passing it through the grate to Moll. “And listen—here’s where you need to go and what you need to say…”

65

“Hurry up…come on…” Valen paced in his home office, staring at the dark viewscreen. He had informed the spaceport authorities that they would shortly be compelled to give up the surveillance video which had been recorded on the holo-cam, and the male in charge—a short plump little bastard with a fringe of grayish-purple hair around his balding head—had sneered at him.

“Try and get a warrant, Kindred,” he spat, glaring at Valen. “The information recorded on our cameras is for Ma’shorkan eyes only—the High Court will never grant your request!”

“Don’t you give a damn that a female’s life is in danger?” Valen had demanded. “No, of course you don’t,” he went on, answering his own question. “Because to you, females are lower than dirt—something to be used and tossed aside. You don’t even think of them as people!”

“Why should I?” the official sneered. “Not all males share your race’s foolish views. Females are for breeding and working. Who cares if the one you had got taken? Just go and get yourself another!”

“There is no other for me!” Valen had snarled. But he knew it would do no good to stand there arguing with the spaceport official. He would never be able to make this bastard understand how special and beautiful and perfect Selena was. He would never be able to convince him that females weren’t just interchangeable sex slaves fit only to be used until they no longer pleased a male, who could then toss them away.

“Expect to hear from someone placed very high above you,” he’d said instead, slapping a card with the address of his home viewscreen onto the male’s desk. “I will get the warrant and you will be sending me the footage I need, very soon.”

“Keep dreaming!” the official called as Valen left his office. “You’ll never see private footage meant only for Ma’shorkans!”

Hours later, Valen was still fuming from the encounter. He knew perfectly well why the spaceport officials kept the footage of their security cameras private. Because if the many abductions of foreign females that happened there every day were ever made public, it would severely affect the Ma’shorkan Tourism Industry.

No male wanted to bring his wife or daughter to a place where they might be stolen away if he couldn’t protect them adequately. The only reason the planet was so popular with the Kindred was the fact that a Kindred warrior in Rage was more than a match for any would-be slave-taker. After a few short and bloody incidents, the slavers had learned to leave the big warriors and their brides alone, which meant that almost any female in the company of a Kindred was safe…as long as she didn’t wander away.

Selena would have been safe too—if only you’d stayed to see her actually board the shuttle, whispered an accusatory voice in his head. But no—you couldn’t bear to be with her one more moment when you knew you couldn’t have her. You left, like the coward you are—left her and she was taken. Now she’s paying for your sins…

Valen clenched his eyes shut, put his hands to either side of his head and squeezed, trying to shut the little voice up.

“Goddess!” he groaned aloud. “Please help me!”

His “prayer” was more of an exclamation of pain and guilt, but to his surprise, a strong, female voice actually answered him.

“I sent you a female who was perfect for you in every way, Warrior,” the voice said. “And you chose to push her away. Now you ask for my help?”

Valen was so stunned he didn’t know what to say. He stopped pacing abruptly and stood there, slack-jawed, in the middle of his office.

“Goddess?” he asked at last, his voice coming out hoarse and uncertain.

“I am She.” The Goddess’s voice seemed to make the entire house tremble to its foundations and for a moment, it seemed as though there wasn’t enough air to fill his lungs.

Valen licked his lips nervously and gasped in a breath.

“I…I don’t know what to say. I had heard of you speaking directly to your children before, but I never thought you would speak to me,” he said at last.

“I try not to interfere in the lives of my Warriors and their brides,” the Goddess said. “But I have felt your pain. Do you repent of how you treated the female I sent you?”

“With all my heart!” Valen said fervently. “Please, Goddess—will you help me get her back?”