Page 43 of Tamed
Domar paused to take a drink, her dark eyes narrowed and assessing. “Both females were already dead and your escort was simply doing their job. You can continue to castigate yourself if you like, but it’s unnecessary.”
“Why am I here? Is Heather all right?”
“Heather is fine and you are here because I have an offer for you. The offer is strictly voluntary and it will only be presented to you once. So consider carefully before you give me your final answer.”
“I’m not interested,” Jessie said firmly.
“Don’t be impertinent.” Domar’s expression hardened and warning flashed in her dark eyes. “You’re on your way to Houkdi. How well do you know their customs? All of the tribes are primitive by Torretian standards, but some are downright barbaric.”
She wasn’t saying anything Jessie didn’t already know. But Torret wasn’t really a better option. Not only were they at war with Altor and the Citadel. They were also on the brink of civil war. Still, they had spaceships, and running water. “What’s your offer?”
“Willingly fight for the new emperor and you will be richly rewarded.”
“What happened to the old emperor? And who is Verbet? I’m not overly familiar with Torretian society, but I’ve never heard of him.”
Domar’s eyes narrowed to gleaming slits. “That’s disappointing. Maybe you’re not the female I believed you to be.”
Jessie tensed. She was doing it again, pissing someone off for no reason. She was completely at the mercy of this female. If she wanted to stay alive, she needed to play nicely for a change. “I apologize for my ignorance. The information provided by the Citadel is spun sharply in Altor’s favor.”
The excuse seemed to please Domar. She inclined her head and her expression relaxed. “Verbet is Jevara’s half-brother. He is the only person alive with royal blood in his veins.”
“I see. And may I know what happened to Jevara?”
“A tragic accident.” A smirk lifted the corners of Domar’s mouth. Clearly, she found it anything but tragic. “Back to my offer. Just so there’s no misunderstanding, you must willingly switch sides in the war and agree to be claimed by males who are loyal to Verbet. This must be done within the week for you to receive the rest of my offer.”
“Which is?”
“A private villa with a trained staff.” Domar waved her hand and the image of a palatial home appeared between them. Pressed up against one of the massive underwater domes, all of the walls on one side of the house were transparent. Torret was a water planet. All of the cities were contained within similar domes. “A generous income and access to the highest echelons of Torretian society.” A hint of challenge shaped her smile as she added, “Or you can continue on to Houkdi and live in a tent in the middle of the desert.”
“You’re asking me to betray my friends and become a traitor.”
“A traitor to what? You were raised on an alien world and your one and only true friend is in a cabin down the hall.” Domar strolled over to an armless chair and sat down, crossing her long legs as she studied Jessie. “Just because you’re a conduit that doesn’t obligate you to serve the Citadel.”
Defiance sparked through Jessie and she struggled to keep her mouth closed. Domar was right. Heather was Jessie’s only close friend, but that didn’t mean she wanted her face rubbed in it. As for being loyal to the Citadel, Jessie wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
“Three transports left the Citadel this morning with conduits onboard. One was headed to Houkdi, one to Altor, and one to Pyron.”
Shocked by the accuracy of her knowledge, Jessie moved closer to Domar’s chair. “How do you know that?”
“The emperor counts on me to know such things.” Domar chuckled then continued with her explanation. “We sent an attack force to intercept each transport, so a total of six conduits should be on their way to Torret right now. We were hoping for eight, but Zevon refused to send anyone to Torret until he figures out what Verbet has in mind.”
And now Jessie had the answer to the mystery Heather had suggested they solve. But why the fuck wouldn’t Zevon tell all the conduits that Jevara—their primary enemy—was dead? It was more evidence of how little he respected them.
“Verbet’s intentions should be glaringly apparent by now,” Jessie muttered but her mind spun on ahead. Jill and Loren were among the conduits who shipped out today. They weren’t close friends but Jessie liked them both. The other two were followers. They would do whatever they were told. Verbet might have shifted the course of the war with this one daring act.
“I see that I’ve caught your interest.” Domar grinned. “According to my spies, Zevon’s mate put you in the hospital a few days ago. Was she punished for her brutality?”
Disconcerted by the accuracy of Domar’s information and the ease with which she had targeted her temptations, Jessie just stared back at her silently.
A sly smile bowed Domar’s lips, but her voice was filled with disdain. “Do people like that really deserve your loyalty? I’m offering you a choice. That’s more than anyone at the Citadel has ever done.”
Jessie searched her mind trying to find the reasons to refuse Domar. She was offering Jessie everything she’d always wanted, everything she’d dreamed about on that godforsaken island where she was raised. Wealth, comfort, respect, and power. She was so ready to experience her power. War was war. Why should she care which side she supported? Ever since the day she was taken from Earth without her permission, she’d been bullied and manipulated by everyone. None of these people deserved her loyalty.
“Zevon protected her,” Jessie muttered. “Kendra beat me senseless and Zevon did nothing about it.”
“So fight for Verbet. Fight for me and you can make Kendra pay for everything she has ever done to you.”
Gradually giving in to temptation, Jessie released the smoldering resentment she had harbored ever since leaving Earth. It had started with Ansley, then Eden, and finally Kendra. They all thought they were better than everyone else. They went through life as if the rules did not apply to them. They acted as if they were the only ones who mattered. Well, Jessie was about to prove them wrong.