| |
Karen and I linked arms as soon as our feet hit the concrete. I peered up at the steel overhang that shielded us. There were twenty transports lining the drop-off point. Father’s spaceship required a refuel, so it was hovering on the other side of the space port. Karen eyed the entrance of the mercantile section with hungry eyes. The mercantile was where space travelers could purchase supplies, equipment, and entertainment.
“I’m buying more fabric,” Karen insisted as Lex, David, Lena, and Anastacia exited the flyer. Anastacia hustled over to us, her eyes lit with wonder.
“Ladies, let’s go!” she urged. Lena appeared less eager. She sent a nasty look in my direction, but I didn’t let it bother me. We both knew that Father always found a way to get what he wanted. If I had refused, then Karen would have been ordered to assist David. The image of Jane and Tim’s fiery grave popped into my head. I buried the memory in the same area where I submerged the memory of finding Max’s head on the platter. I wasn’t going to think about that. As long as my mother and I were alive, everything was fine.
“Gwen, didn’t you hear me?” Anastacia whined. “Are you going to go with the guys to check out the unusual creatures, or shop for dresses with us?”
“We should probably stick together,” I suggested, which made Lex roll his eyes.
“Is that what Dad told you to do?” Lex mocked.
“Obviously,” Anastacia replied. “Gwen always does what Dad says. And she’s lucky for it. She gets the least number of punishments,” Anastacia complained, as if I had any control over the matter. If she hated the light punishments, then Anastacia could behave.
“Guys, we can’t stand here forever,” David pointed out. “Let’s just do both.”
“Fine,” Lex agreed. Of course he always listened to the opinion of a man over whatever a woman said, even if said female expressed the same thought. I shoved down my anger, confident that I would get some form of revenge against him. Karen, Anastacia, and I needed to come up with a plan, pronto.
“Let’s just see the unusual creatures first,” Karen said. “If we get that out of the way, we can shop.”
“Or you can do option number three,” a cool voice said. I wasn’t surprised that Father decided to crash what was supposed to be an adventure meant for the six of us. I spun to face him and was horrified to see my mother by his side. She wore a fitted black dress with a plunging neckline. Her dark eyes were empty of all emotion, which was a clear indicator that my father’s physician had drugged her. I wanted to snatch her up and make a run for the flyer. The fact that Lady Peirc wasn’t with father didn’t bode well for my mother. I knew better than to sift through Father’s mind, since he could detect me. All I could do was wait and hope that Mother did whatever he wanted. My breathing hitched when my mother began to sway on her feet.
“Mom, are you all right?” I inquired.
“Gwen, Rose will be fine. She had a minor procedure,” Father announced. All my siblings suddenly grew nervous—well, except for Lena. She appeared bored, like she already knew the outcome to this situation. Had I actually believed that Father confided in her, I would have entered her mind.
“All right, kids, your father is going to gamble with a few wealthy people,” the twisted lord explained. I was too worried about my mother to care about our afternoon being interrupted.
“Need me to read the minds of the other players?” I mentally asked my father.
“Exactly,” Father responded.
“Seriously?” Lex complained. “We earned our free time.” An arched brow told me that Lex was going to receive a light punishment. Karen must have noted that as well, because she placed a hand on our brother’s arm.
“It’s okay, Lex. Dad will reward us if we obey him,” Karen softly told him.
“Follow me, children,” my father said, before pulling a leash out of the pocket of his silk suit and connecting an end to a ring on my mother’s dress. He held the other end and walked over to the automatic doors. Lex and David followed my parents, and Karen was the next to step inside the building. Anastacia glanced at me, her worried eyes making my stomach twist.
“It will be fine, Gwen,” she told me. “Dad probably wants us to be his bodyguards.” Her assumption seemed likely, but what was my mother doing here? Instead of debating it, I linked arms with Anastacia and we walked into the building.
The store was to the left, a restaurant was to our right, and a bank of elevators were in front of us. Father walked over to the elevator to the left and waved his hand over a sensor that was beside the door. The door opened, and we piled into the lift. When the doors closed, my eyes landed on my mother, who was leaning against the wall. She wasn’t my father’s favorite, so why bring her? Maybe she was motivation? I was his obedient daughter, the one that always completed even the lowest of tasks for him. Why did Father find it necessary to drag a sedated person to the space port?
The doors opened and Father waltzed out of the elevator, my mother stumbling behind him. We stepped out into a wide hallway with doors on either side. My father strode to room 327 and waved his hand in front of the palm sensor. Moments later, the door swung open, the laughter of boisterous men traveling into the hallway. Great! I would have to enter the heads of drunk men. I made eye contact with Anastacia, who looked put out.
“If a drunk man thinks to put his hands on me, I’ll toss him against the wall,” she hissed. I nodded and we entered the room.
“Arnet, the lord brought his bastards and his concubine with him,” a man that had to be eight feet tall cheered. He sat at a table that was at least five feet tall, in a plush chair. His companion was equally as tall, and looked similar, but had shoulder-length brown hair.
“Artel, Lord Peirc is a man of his word,” he said, eying my mother with a grin.
“Sit on the couches,” my father ordered, before tossing the leash to Lex. He hopped up into the large chair across from Arnet. We all headed for one of the two super-sized couches leaning against the wall. Lex harshly handled my mother, tossing her onto the couch.
“Hey, pup, don’t damage the merchandise,” Arnet shouted. Karen and Anastacia both glanced at me, their worried gazes making me panic. Did my father think to offer up my mother to the winner? Fury briefly consumed me. But then I took deep breaths, not wanting to let my emotions distract me. I sat beside Mom. It concerned me that she could barely keep her eyes open. Karen sat beside me, her expression lacking the concern that was usually there. Instead, she seemed fascinated by the scene that was unfolding.
“The game is simple,” my father mentally told me. “A person declares that they have a certain card. If you believe him, you don’t challenge. If you don’t believe him, you challenge. If you win the challenge, they have to draw from the deck on the table. Before you ask, some people have to lie because you can only play even numbers.” This was a simple game of the galactic version of BS. I could help my father win the game.
“Let’s get started,” Artel said, right before taking a sip from a massive mug. Artel shuffled and handed out the cards. It took very little time for the game to start.
“I have a four,” Artel announced. It took little effort for me to slip into his mind and confirm that he was telling the truth.
“He’s telling the truth,” I mentally told my father. For the first few rounds all was well. I didn’t catch someone in a lie until Artel spoke.
“I have a ten,” he reported.
“He’s lying,” I mentally said to my father. “He has a three.”
“I’d like to challenge that,” my father smugly said. Artel cursed and dramatically revealed his card.
“Collect three cards, brother.” Arnet laughed. Artel scowled, but did as he was told. To my horror, the game progressed at a rapid pace. I jumped between minds, my forehead aching from the strain. Sweat began dripping from my back, as I sifted through the surface thoughts of drunk men. My sheer desperation was getting me through. At one point, I felt liquid dripping from my nose.
“Gwen, you’re bleeding!” Anastacia gasped. But I kept on going, determined not to fail. Artel cursed.
“You won, my lord. No need for your pet to give away any more of our hands. We believe you.”
Confusion swam in my gut. What in the hell was the giant talking about? Everyone on the couch aside from mom were equally confused. What did Dad gain by revealing my powers? What kind of game was he playing?
“You couldn’t handle your defeat?” my father, who only had a couple of cards in his hand, demanded. The two giants had too many cards to risk challenging my father.
“Indeed, Gwen is a talented woman,” Arnet agreed as he got to his feet. I blinked in surprise when he headed toward the couch. Perhaps the giant wanted to shake my hand. Dad would never let him harm me. He reached Lex and studied the leash.
“Expand the leash before you hand it to me, pup,” Arnet ordered. Lex complied, which was startling. Why did the giant want my mother’s leash? As soon as Arnet had the leash in his grip, he smiled at my mother. “Come, my dear Rose.”
“Wait,” Father said, which made my heart leap. He was going to challenge this man’s actions. I stood, ready to help in any way I could, not that I’d have a chance against a giant. “You have the proof that Rose can bear a gifted offspring,” Dad boasted. “Now give me my son.”
“Artel,” Arnet said. The other giant tapped his ear and muttered something. Moments later, the door opened and a well-dressed man with black hair and olive skin walked into the room. My father’s eyes filled with delight as his eyes rested on him.
“This is my heir, Obi,” my father declared, a wide grin on his face. Obi eyed us in confusion. I finally spoke up.
“Dad, what does Arnet want with Mom?” I asked, my voice steady.
“Well,” Arnet began. “Your brother Obi was caught in my region, so I captured him. Your father came up with quite the bargain. You see, I have a problem finding a wife that’s submissive. The Jantons are a warrior race, and many warrior women don’t see me as a fit mate. I need a powerful heir to restore my family’s honor. Your father said that I could use one of his concubine’s wombs if I return his son. I told him that humans were inferior, their race not even strong enough to bear a Janton. That’s when he told me of the humans being able to bear gifted children. I didn’t believe him and wanted a demonstration. You proved that you could read minds quite well. I had one of his doctors plant my seed in her womb just in case the deal went through. So it looks like I get what I wanted,” Arnet bragged.
Nausea began to fill me when I realized that had I lost, Mother wouldn’t have been forced to bear another’s child. The dead look in her eyes wasn’t there because she was drugged, she was miserable. I couldn’t let this happen. I had to stop that monster from taking my mother. I stepped forward, but was frozen by an invisible force. Anastacia shook her head, but I wasn’t giving up so easily. I slipped into Arnet’s mind, my will grasping his. I concentrated on forcing a thought into his mind. Arnet’s unfocused expression must have given me away, because my father roared my brother’s name.
“Lex!” Moments later, I felt sharp pain explode in my skull. The second blow knocked me out like a light.