Delivered by the Defender (Kindred Tales)

“Will the two of you please call me back as soon as you find her?” Valen had an uneasy feeling in his gut. “I, er, would like to say a word to her.”

“Oh, of course!” Jessica nodded. “We’ll call you back shortly, Defender Valen.”

“Thank you.” Valen nodded and then the viewscreen went blank.

He tried to get back to his work, but his already tenuous concentration was now completely broken. What if something had happened to the little Elite? What if she somehow hadn’t gotten on the shuttle?

But she must have! he told himself. I left her in the middle of a group of warriors—no one would dare to try and steal her in such company.

Would they?

The next time Pashmeena put her head in to say there was a call, he was already standing in front of the viewscreen waiting.

“Yes, yes—put it through,” he said and she nodded quickly and left.

But when the viewscreeen flickered to life again, Selena wasn’t on it. It was Jessica and Tolern again. The Ambassador was looking gravely concerned and his wife had red eyes and looked as though she’d been crying.

“You didn’t find her?” Valen asked, his heart sinking.

Tolern shook his head.

“I’m afraid not. She wasn’t in her quarters and when I checked at the shuttle station, they said that, though her name was on the passenger manifest, her seat was empty during the flight. It was assumed that she’d decided to stay on Ma’shorka Centra for some reason and just hadn’t canceled her ticket.”

Valen groaned and put a hand to his face.

“This is my fault. I should have waited to see her actually walk into the connecting tunnel that led to the shuttle before leaving!”

“Will you please go to the spaceport and find out anything you can?” Jessica asked, swiping at her wet eyes. “We’re coming right over on the next shuttle, but we won’t get there for a couple of hours at least.”

“Of course—I’m on my way right now,” Valen promised.

“The Goddess go with you, Brother. I hope this is all a misunderstanding and Selena is safe and well,” Tolern said.

But it was clear to Valen that the Ambassador didn’t really think that was so. He doubtless knew enough about Ma’shorkan society to understand what little chance of surviving a female alone had. Putting an arm around his mate’s shoulders, he tried to comfort her but the troubled look remained on his face.

Valen was a lot more than troubled himself—he was sick with worry. Where was Selena? What had happened to the curvy little Elite after he turned away at the spaceport without seeing her safely aboard the shuttle?

He had no answers but he prayed to the Goddess he was about to get some.

58

“This one’s for the holding cell.” Yorbus pushed Selena roughly down the long hallway, towards the Ma’shorkan Court guard at the far end, wearing a black and white uniform.

“Her Highness won’t be none too pleased about that, either,” Gonadal remarked, frowning. “She wanted the little bimbap sent away to prison at once.”

“Well, she’s going there tomorrow,” Yorbus remarked. “No way she’ll be able to get word to any fancy Defender after we let the Court guards know the circumstances.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Selena said, her voice trembling but indignant.

“Shut up, bimbap!” Gonadal grabbed her by the front of her t-shirt and dragged her up, shoving his face into hers. “Nobody cares if you hear or not because you don’t count.” He shouted, right in her face, making Selena wince.

“You’re going away for a hundred thousand lifetimes, or didn’t you hear his Justness?”

“You’re disgusting.” Selena didn’t know where she got the courage to call him out, but the words just seemed to come on their own. “You’re a corrupt, misogynistic asshole—both of you are!”

“Little bitch!” Gonadal spat. He drew back and slapped Selena across the face.

“Maybe we ought to teach her a lesson before we send her to the holding cell,” Yorbus sneered. “Let her use that smart mouth of hers to polish our knobs.”

Selena felt sick with anger and rage. Her ears were ringing from the guard’s brutal blow and she could taste blood in the corner of her mouth.

“I promise you, anything you stick in my mouth, I’m biting off!” she snapped.

“Is that right? What if I break your jaw for you first, you little bimbap? See how well you bite after that,” Yorbus snarled menacingly.

“We’ve no time for this, Yorbus.” Gonadal spat on the floor, as though to get a bad taste out of his mouth, and shoved Selena away so hard that she stumbled and almost fell. “Best just see her to the holding cell and tell her Highness the matter’s taken care of. You know she’ll be itching to hear our report and she doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“That she doesn’t. I just don’t like leaving that little bimbap without teaching her a lesson. Females need to be kept in their place,” Yorbus argued.