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Nikol confronted Garmon alone at the door to his kitse. “Where is Tseju?”
“He went for a medic.” Garmon’s gaze darted around, not meeting Nikol’s gaze.
Anger coursed through him but Nikol needed answers first. “Why wasn’t a medic summoned immediately?”
Folds formed between Garmon’s brows. “You have made it clear Medic Crox is not to see any of the tutanis without your express permission.”
Nikol grabbed his shirt and slammed Garmon into the door behind him. “She is hurt! You were to protect her!”
Garmon met his gaze evenly. “Punishment was given. Isn’t that the correct way to handle a defiant tutanis?”
“Punishment?!” What could she have done to warrant punishment in the little time he’d been gone? Darcy had promised and Nikol refused to believe she would have lied to him. In fact, he was confident she hadn’t. There were many things between them but lying had not been a part of it.
Breathing deeply, Nikol gritted his teeth and stared at Garmon. Tseju came running with the medic in tow before he could smash Garmon’s teeth down his throat. He flung Garmon to the side and lunged for Tseju.
Within seconds, he had the younger guard pinned to the wall with his knife pressed to his throat. This was the one responsible for Darcy’s pain. “I warned you. Explain yourself and give me a reason you shouldn’t die.”
“I did not know,” Tseju rushed to say, leaning his neck away from the sharp edge of the blade. “I was not told she was First Placement.”
It was not an answer.
“You were to guard her, not hurt her,” Nikol rasped as his hand trembled with the need to increase the pressure of the knife and end Tseju’s filthy life.
Tseju’s breath sawed against his lungs and he lowered his gaze. The moment was frozen as Nikol’s heart pounded. For all the lives he’d ended, never had he thirsted more to act.
Cecilee interrupted the moment. She opened the door behind them and only looked at Nikol. “Darcy is calling for you.”
Nikol dropped Tseju from where he’d had him lifted against the wall. He faced Medic Crox, who he didn’t trust at all. His voice vibrated with pent up anger in need of release. “Heal her and take away every bit of scarring. There is to be nothing left to remind her of this event.”
Medic Crox cringed from Nikol’s fury but entered carrying a silver case. His salacious gaze traveled over the waiting tutanis. Nikol’s low growl hurried his steps. At his alcove, he stopped Crox. “You will treat her with respect and care or I will rip your tongue from your mouth.”
Crox blanched even as he nodded. “It will be as you wish, Nikol.”
Darcy’s eyes were open when they walked in. Pale and shaking, she let out a whimper seeing Crox enter the alcove and tried to scramble away to the other side of the bed. Her desperate struggle to move away from the medic and pained grimace were more than Nikol could bear. He was at her side in an instant and eased her down. “It will be alright, astéri. Crox is here to heal you.”
She clung to his hand and Nikol glared at Crox. He didn’t like seeing his proud Darcy brought low like this. “Fix her. Now!”
Crox dropped to his knees at the side of the bed and opened his case. Neutralizer in one hand, he peeled the covers from Darcy’s back. At seeing the damage, he winced and eyed Nikol. “She has been punished. Lothar likes tutanis to suffer a while. He said the lessons won’t stick otherwise.”
Well aware of the sickening policy, Nikol continued to stare at Crox. The medic lowered his gaze and went to work healing Darcy. The moment the wounds began to diminish, the lines of pain on Darcy’s face smoothed out. Nikol held her hand and wiped the hair back from her face. Her next breath slipped free on a sigh of relief.
Nikol watched intently to ensure Crox missed nothing. When her back was free of any marks, he reached down and carefully turned Darcy over. In his rush earlier, he hadn’t considered if all the lash marks were contained to the same area. Some punishment involved having a female whipped on the front and back of her body to convey the seriousness of the error.
Fortunately for everyone around him, she was unmarked on the front. Crox extended a trembling hand to one of her breast, lust gleaming in his gaze.
“Touch her there and I will not hesitate to kill you.”
Crox jerked back and stood. He set a small thumb size vile on the table. “I’d give her an injection as an added precaution, but the effects on the physiology for the Earth slaves are not well documented. They are frail and can respond in disastrous ways to our universal treatments. This is an oral serum if she shows signs of developing an internal infection.”
***
Darcy was aware enough to know she was no longer suffering. She was in and out for several hours before finally shaking off the last effects of the whipping. Glancing around, she realized Nikol held her in his lap. She wasn’t sure he’d moved the entire time she rested. “Nikol.”
He clutched her close and pressed his face to the top of her head, “This was not supposed to happen. I vowed you would be safe.”
His body shook beneath her. Needing to soothe whatever emotion he was feeling, Darcy patted his forearm locked around her midsection. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not,” he snapped.
Darcy swallowed. It wasn’t. She’d been whipped.
“What happened? You can tell me and I won’t be angry.”
Darcy attempted to sit up but Nikol wasn’t having it. She relaxed back into his arms. “Brax confronted me in the hall with Garmon. He touched me and I ran.”
Nikol was still beneath her so Darcy rushed to add, “I wasn’t running away, Nikol.”
He ran a hand down her back. “I didn’t think you were.”
She nodded. “I think...I guess Garmon thought I was trying to escape.”
It was the only reason she could think of for why he’d chased her down.
“He told Tseju and Tseju didn’t want to make a mistake like before. He took me for punishment.”
“It’s my fault.” Nikol squeezed her and nuzzled the top of her head. “I was harsh with Tseju the last time you were at risk.”
They sat in silence. Darcy thought when she awakened, she’d be angrier and blame Nikol. But she didn’t. How many times had he warned her?
This was their culture and though Nikol had done things to her it was nothing that physically injured her like the whipping. Even the spanking had been erotic. At the time, she’d been pissed and embarrassed but the pain didn’t rate. Forced orgasms were no fun but she hadn’t truly suffered from those either.
After a while, he said, “I will make it up to you. Anything, Darcy. Anything you want of me.”
Darcy stayed curled in his arms. After the medic healed the lash marks, she wasn’t feeling any more pain. Just tenderness from where the wounds had been. “Anything?”
Nikol placed his jaw on top of her head. “Yes.”
This was a change. She hid her smile and kept her face tucked under his chin. “You’d let me wear more than a shellam?”
“Yes,” came his instant reply.
Hmmm. He must be serious about seeking her forgiveness though Darcy didn’t blame him for the actions of others. “What about sleeping in my own bed?”
He’d been adamant about not letting her move out of his alcove. There was a long pause.
“Yes.”
Darcy stiffened. She hadn’t expected his agreement and tried to pull away slightly to read his face. Nikol smashed her head back down. Darcy sighed. “Daily walks out of the kitse?”
He paused longer this time, his arms tightening about her before he reluctantly grunted, “Yes.”
He worried for her safety. She understood that now more than ever. He’d warned her of the danger present in his world. First with Ryz, then when she’d risked her life to get a message out on the comp system.
This last time was different. She’d been following his orders to seek medical care prior to Tseju taking her to be whipped. None of that mattered at this moment though. Nikol was drowning in enough sorrow for the injuries she’d suffered and was shouldering all the blame.
Maybe it was time to admit there was no way to escape without jeopardizing those around her or herself. What if Cecilee or one of the others had been dragged with her to their antiquated version of punishment?
But that didn’t stop her from asking, “Would you let me go?”
The hand curled about her naked waist formed a fist. “Is that what you require? Are your thoughts of remaining here too painful?”
His voice was toneless, revealing no hint of his thoughts. Darcy considered the question seriously. Could she leave Nikol? She was fooling herself if she didn’t admit that she’d fallen in love with him.
Her heart cracked with a hurt so deep she could barely describe it. She was in love with a man who kept women as sex slaves.
“Darcy? Is that what you need to forgive me?”
Nikol pulled her mind back from her thoughts. She blinked away the burn in her eyes and shook her head. Defeat loomed. The future she’d wanted for herself was far out of reach and she had to accept that. “No. No, I don’t want that.”
Nikol leaned back and tipped her face up. “Then tell me what you need to put this behind us.”
“I just need you to hold me, Nikol. That’s all,” she said burying her face back in his chest.
***
Nikol spent the next morning arguing with Dain after their sparring session. Everything was ready and set in motion. This was a now or never moment to take Lothar down in one continuous blow. Except Nikol didn’t want to go. Not even for something as important as this. It would mean leaving Darcy again. The fear he held that something would happen to her if he was gone was unfathomable.
Tseju insisted she had tried to escape and he thought he was following protocol by having her whipped. Nikol didn’t believe him. Bringing it up to Darcy again would only remind her of why she should leave him. If he couldn’t protect her, why would she ever trust him again?
Tseju was still alive simply because he was blooded kin to Dain. No other reason would have stayed Nikol’s hand. It was for his friend alone, he let Tseju live. For now. He reserved the right to take out his anger in the form of pain at a later date
“You have to go. We’ve worked toward this for years. The end is finally within our grasp, Nikol,” Dain urged.
“And if something happens to her while we are gone?” There was no need to explain who he was talking about.
Dain glanced around before leaning toward Nikol. “Will she be any safer here if you don’t follow through on what we have been planning? The end is near.”
He was right. Darcy would never be safe living under Lothar’s rule with things as they stood. “Fine.”
Back at his suite, Nikol informed Garmon of his plans to leave, eyeing Tseju all the while. Trust was broken there and would likely not be mended. He’d almost lost Darcy twice to Tseju’s carelessness.
“We’ll look forward to your return,” Garmon said.
Upon entering, Nikol drew to a stop. Twirling around the colorful fountain, Darcy danced with Amia in a style Nikol wasn’t familiar with. He watched as her hips swiveled in an erotic loop and her breasts bounced and swayed with each seductive twirl. She looked in his direction on a spin and stopped.
Her smile blossomed and her eyes lightened. As she drew near, Nikol grasped her at the hips and tugged her in close. True to his word, Lothar had sent out the announcement confirming Darcy as Nikol’s First Placement. He hadn’t explained what that entailed to her yet.
At least no one could touch her now without suffering the consequences. It wasn’t much but it would suffice enough to allow for Nikol to leave and take care of business. Hopefully, his last of this nature.
“What has you frowning?” Darcy asked, rubbing a finger between his brows.
“I have to leave.”
She jerked back then paled. “You’ll be gone?”
Her fear was a tangible thing and Nikol hated it. Drawing her close, he nudged his horns against the side of her face and whispered, “It’s important or I wouldn’t leave you. Believe this if nothing else, astéri.”
After the abuse she’d suffered while in his care, it was understandable if she didn’t trust his word. Nikol would have given her anything after the medic healed the wounds on her back, including her freedom if she’d asked. Instead, Darcy had chosen to stay with him. He planned to make it worth her while when he returned.
His comm buzzed. It was Dain. He straightened and glided both hands over Darcy’s red hair then kissed her forehead and said against her mouth. “I’ll make this better, Darcy.”
Her lips softened beneath his and she gave him a quick kiss in return. “Hurry back.”
She stepped away from the embrace with a brave look on her face and Nikol had to turn and leave before he changed his mind. He maintained his composure walking through the kitse, out his section of the house and onto his ship.
Speaking was something he wasn’t capable of without lashing out. Wise to the turbulent emotions going through him, Dain was silent until they took off. “Once we destroy Lothar, you will be able to love her openly.”
Love. Nikol inhaled sharply. He didn’t think in terms of love but Darcy would be the one he wanted to experience that with.
“Let’s do this.” Nikol sent an encrypted message to Smiki and received confirmation.
Afterward, he exchanged a look with Dain and received a determined nod in return. Now or never.
They traveled to the location of one of the most profitable auctions under Lothar’s ownership and were greeted with a sickening abundance of groveling. Nikol was well aware the one who ran this facility was skimming funds off the sales he managed on their behalf but it played into his favor. Going through the tedious greetings, he and Dain were finally able to closet themselves away in a private office.
“Scan for listening devices,” he instructed.
Dain already had a detector in hand as he made a complete circuit of the space. “Clear.”
Nikol leaned back in the chair and rocked back. “Then let it begin.”