Page 51 of Indentured Companion
“The entire Council complex is on lockdown right now to the general public, Ma’am.” The skinny white figure in front of me speaks. “Emergency services can attend to your sister here.”
“I don’t think my sister needs emergency services. She needs the Dynast.”
“The Dynast?” The guy in front of me speaks, and I experimentally grip the arms of the hover chair. My subconscious seems to know where I am, even if I can’t take in the true appearance of the grey blob behind the peacekeepers. Cassie has brought me back, and Vrajan is somewhere in there. “Why would she need to see the Korvian Councillor?”
“Feed.” I fumbled through my lips and tap into what fumes I have left to pull myself to sit forward. Can I make it? Will I fall over if I try to stand now? I should really try…but I’m…so tired. My head lolls and I lose time, lifting my head and blinking through the fog to find the conversation has moved on.
“-have to confirm her identity before we can let her inside.”
“Fine! Just hurry up. My sister is literally running out of time.” Cassie’s voice is scratchy from crying. “Please, call whoever you have to, but this is Valerie Stone. She’s the feeding companion to the Dynast, andneedsto see him.” Yes…Vrajan…I need to see him. I need to feed him. I need his bite. I’m so empty without him. I writhe in the chair, my body shuddering. What with? Cold? Pain? Need? All of the above? I yawn and struggle to keep my eyes open. I slip off, only to gasp and whimper as Cassie grabs my shoulders to pull me back in the chair. Shit. I must have passed out again. There’s now a woman in a black dress in front of me. She’s hovering with yellow wings buzzing behind her. I can’t make much else about her out, with my vision being so blurred.
“-have to hurry. Bring her over here. I’ve ordered an emergency transport vehicle with diplomatic immunity to take Miss Stone back to the Dynast’s vessel.”
“No, no she needs to see him right now.”
“Oh trust me, she’s about to.” The fuzzy yellow and black figure moves over my head. I suddenly slump back into the chair as we move at speed to the left.
“Where are you taking my sister?!” Yeah, what she said? I drop my cheek onto my left shoulder, and then force my chin upward to look at my latest captor.
“Right here.” She stops my hover chair and flutters around to land in front of me again. I groan at the effort to turn my head forward to follow her. “Hi, I’m the Dynast’s lawyer. I worked with his Queen to get him out of prison.” Wait, what?I’mVrajan’s Queen. He was in prison? What?! My head hurts too much to understand what she’s talking about. “Your timing isperfect.I called through security ahead of him and cleared the way for you two to leave, and do, well your thing.” She chuckles by my ear. Fuck. Too much noise. She needs to go away so I can sleep… It’s so hard to keep my eyes open…“He’s on his way. The shuttle is behind you. Please try and get him inside as soon as you can? I think the last thinganyonewants is apublicfeeding frenzy.” I phase in and out of some of what she said, but I got the most important part.
Vrajan is coming. Soon I’ll be safe in his arms again. I’m not going to die. I smile and tears well in my eyes, finding a 30th wind from somewhere to keep my lids from shutting. For a moment, I can’t see anything through my tears as I blink them away. The flying lawyer lady cups my cheek and moves out of the way. “Ah, here we go. Show time.”
Chapter 37
In my arms.
Vrajan.
I march past the councillors in the entrance hall. I don’t know why they are here. To see what happens next? Or to simply make sure I have left with my feeding companion? I care not.
“Dynast we are-” Olphan tries to speak to me, stepping into my path. He bounces off my left shoulder as I stride forward like the unstoppable force I am. He stumbles into Getrata, but I do not care to look back and see if he’s alright. My focus and my vision is only on Valerie. I see her through the glass doors long before I push them open. I gasp and my heart clenches at the sight of my lovely Valerie. She’s sat in a hover chair, her long brown hair wavy from her plait, which has long since gone with her hair tie. Her skin is almost as pale as mine. Her lids are half shut over her brown eyes, and her pupils are slack as they are dilated. She starts to pant at my approach and her hands grip the arms of the chair. Her feet clumsily slide down to the floor when she realises I am running towards her. Xetolota holds the handles of the hover chair, and chooses her moment well. She waits until the last moment, and when Valerie pushes herself out of the chair to stand, Xetolota runs with the chair out of the way.
“Valerie.”I reach her just as her knees give out, and wrap my arms around her. I hiss loudly and she paws at my green robe desperately.
“Vrajan.” She whines, in agony without my bite. She feels the same fire assailing her heart as I do. Only her blood and my venom can quench our flames and give us peace. I am on my knees and cradle her with one arm. My free hand comes up take hold of my veil.
“USE THE SHUTTLE!” Someone dares to interfere, and I turn my head to screech at them. My mouth is wide open and both veils press to the hollow of my wide mouth and fangs. The Peacekeepers, a human and a Qeknian, cower back from me. I pant and refocus on Valerie’s hands as they slip from my robe, and I snap my head back to her.
“…Vra…ja…I…” Her eyes start to roll back into her head. It must be now. I spot the transport shuttle, and know we’re both going to be vulnerable once I begin the feed. I scoop her up and in two strides, we are safely seated inside. The door shuts quickly, and the engine rumbles, but I barely notice.
“Hold on, my Queen.” I remove both veils and my headdress. I hold the back of her head and between her shoulder blades. “Give me your blood, and take my Bonding Succour. We will feed and heal together.” I bring her neck to my mouth and bite her.
The heavens sing and a symphony fills my soul. At the first wet hit of her blood warming my throat, I moan and hungrily drink from Valerie. I swallow her blood and pump her full of my Bonding Succour. I know when it’s starting to work, as her hands come up and fist at my robe with renewed strength. I drink and drink until her heart is stronger, but tells me to take no more. Then I lick at her wound to savour every rich drop. It’s like I’ve crawled for days through unforgiving hot sands, and now float in a cool lake of tranquillity. Later I will rage and use all my connections as the newly appointed Korvian Councillor to find out who took my precious Valerie and risked her life. I will make them pay for making her suffer and putting her in danger like this. I will find every single one of the unit who took her, and hunt down the hand behind them that put them to task.
But for now, I put any plans to avenge my beloved aside to worship her. If we were not so weak, I think I would have ripped her dress off already to continue the frenzy. However, weareboth weak. Our bodies are just not capable of anything more right now. I collapse beside Valerie, pawing at her until she’s flush to my chest and I can cage her there protectively. I close my eyes and take in the smell of her hair. The warmth of her body. The frailty of my dear feeding companion. I weep, having come so close to losing her. I feel the inferno of the feeding frenzy in my veins, tempered with exhaustion, and know it will be all consuming once we have rested. The fuse has been lit, and the explosion is coming. I will just have to wait until we are both strong enough to weather the blast.
I press a kiss to her brow and fresh tears slide down my pale cheeks. I am relieved to have Valerie back, but fear how close I came to losing her. How desperate my enemies are to prevent my elevation to equal the other Councillors, and therefore pave the way for the Korvis to return to Theskian space. They targeted Valerie. My sweet and foul mouthed beloved. I hold her tighter and chew my lips to smother my sniffling. I want to sleep, and will do so for hours, once I have Valerie securely on my ship. I will tuck her into the red silk sheets of our bed, set a course towards my Mother’s Hive ship, and pass out beside her once we are on an intercept course with Korvian escort ships. Only then, can I rest knowing she is safe.
Oh, and of course, once we awaken, we will writhe together with my venom pumping through our veins. Never will she be deprived of my Bonding Succour again. Tradition be damned. Next time? Valerie is standing right beside me when I go into the council chambers to debateanything.If they don’t like it? Then I’ll be there remotely instead, where I know Valerie and I are safe. I pass the time thinking about all kinds of legal action I can take, considering how badly I was treated. I’m sure the Indentured Servitude Agency would have a say about one of their assets being endangered whilst under contract. Not to mention, that Qeknian Lawyer, Xetolota, seems like a competent sort. She didn’t seem to view me as a monster, and she worked quickly to carry out my mother’s orders. I will have to ensure she is put on retainer, considering her efficient work. It will be useful to have an efficient and determined Theskian lawyer.
“…grats.” I hyper-focus on Valerie as she mumbles something against my chest.
“Pardon?” My body aches and will need time to recover, but her blood courses through me and soothes what was previously a wild fire of pain. Hearing her voice is yet another sweet elixir. “What did you say Val?”
“…” She groans and I wonder if she’s asleep. She should be. Her body was in withdrawal without my venom, and the pain she must have been in will have exhausted her. “…gratulations.” Valerie doesn’t open her eyes, but she does press a groggy kiss to my chest through my robes. “Councillor.” I laugh and nuzzle my mouth over her brow.
“Sleep, my love. Get your rest, for whenIam rested, my body will be consumed with the feeding frenzy. Our symbiosis has tempered it, for now.”
