Conduit - M J Marlow (best short books to read txt) 📗

closely. “They did something to you before you came in,” George hissed. He motioned to the guards. “Take this one to the Infirmary.” “Do your worst,” Jason shrugged. “It isn’t going to help you when Dulcie and Everd get started on you.” He let them unlock the door and stepped out without a fight. While they reached for cuffs, he palmed the key and backed away to slide it into Jonas’ cell; telling him what he had done. Then he went with George and the guards without a struggle. When he was shoved into the Infirmary, however, and saw his sister strapped down on a table, whimpering in pain; he lost it. “You’re hurting her, you bastards!” He was at the table, trying to remove the straps. “Let her go,” he protested as the guards yanked him back. “Can’t you see she’s in pain?” “It’s nothing we’re doing, boy,” George assured him. “Your sister is going through the mating urge now. We’re keeping her sedated, but she is still in a great deal of pain.” That was enough for Jason. He took out the guards and got their tranq gun out. He shot George and the nurse and then freed me from the straps. He pulled out the IV line and shoved the stand aside to help me sit. I was limp and moaning as he got me to my feet. He slapped my cheeks and I opened my eyes and glared at him. He smiled and held me as I began to regain my strength. Then I was shoving him aside. He got the guns and followed me as I ran towards Everd. My body and mind held only one thought, one urge; I needed to be with Everd. “Stop her!” Winston’s voice echoed over the intercom. “She cannot be allowed near the male!” Jason watched as I swept soldiers aside without pause. He only got in two shots when we ran into an entire squad in front of us. I felt his pain as he was struck, but I could not stop. I had to get past these men. They were between me and the one I wanted; the one I needed. “Don’t you understand?” I screamed as they shot at me and I sent the darts back at them. “I need him!” I entered the corridor and Winston was standing there with another squad. “You should be running, Doctor. Do you want these men to die because you were too stupid to see the truth?” My body began to glow and I could feel the fire raging inside of me. Pain surged through me and I felt my back split open. I could not let it stop me. I continued towards him with blood pouring down my back and some of the men ran. “No one,” I said as I sent the remaining men into a room and locked them inside. “No one,” I continued as I raised Winston off the ground with my mind and then tossed him into the wall. “Gets between a Sylenni queen and her mate!” Winston watched in shock as I ripped the wall off the box holding Everd. “We must go!” I cried as he came to me and I was in his arms. “I do not want to hurt anyone.” Everd nodded and picked me up in his arms. He hissed as Winston struggled to his feet and the man backed away. Then we focused and the floor above us parted like air. When we were out, there was no sign that we had done this. Winston was shaking in terror at what he had unleashed. Everd could feel the others, but he would not stop for them. They understood. I felt their power encasing us and holding the worst of the force as Everd and I mated within. The power added to our joining and we both felt as if we were being ripped apart by it. When it was over, we collapsed in each other’s arms. When we woke, we found the others lying unconscious around us, their bodies cut and bruised from the forces they could not hold back. Jeeps were turned over, men were wearing casts, and there were boulders strewn in places they should not be. “Did we do that?” Everd asked as he held me in his arms. I was still weak and found standing hard. “Look, Dulcie.” I followed his eyes and saw my family there. I was on my feet then. “Your family is all here for our mating.” “Dulcie!” Sally screamed and threw herself at me, nearly knocking me off the ground. “I knew you weren’t dead!” “She’s still a bit weak though, fledgling,” Everd said as he caught us both. “Perhaps you can restrain your joy a bit?” “Oh geez, Dulcie,” Sally reddened as she saw how pale I was. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Her eyes widened as she saw the wings. “Do they hurt?” “A bit,” I smiled weakly. “It will be a few days before I am strong enough to use them.” I grabbed Everd’s hand on my shoulder as a tall, dark-eyed man approached. “You would be my grandfather?” “I have that honor,” Antonio smiled and bowed. “Though I never expected to have a grandchild with wings.” “You will soon have great-grandchildren with wings, Prince Antonio,” Everd smiled as he laid his hand on my abdomen. “The first should be arriving in three months.” “Does everything go quickly with you people.” “Yes,” Everd nodded. He looked at the cuff on his left wrist, transferred from my right when we joined, and his pride was plain. “I never thought I would have a human for a grandfather, but it is an honor for me, sir.” I smiled up at him and at my grandfather and then felt a strange sense of wrongness. I watched Winston being brought out in cuffs. He saw us and paled. He had learned his lesson. My eyes swept the area and then my mind. Someone was missing. I left Everd on the run and he watched as I approached the prisoners. He could feel my desperation and he followed me quickly. He saw the tears on my face as I turned. “I can’t hear them, Everd,” I told him plainly and showed him who I meant. “Did we hurt them?” “No,” Everd said as he put his arms around me to calm me. “We were shielded. No one in the base was touched.” “Then where are they?” I turned and looked in every direction and saw a large black vehicle moving away with a squad of jeeps in a convoy. I tried to fly and my back blazed in pain. I was on my knees, sobbing. Everd held me as Chandri flew off to investigate. He sent back word when the vehicles stopped to get gas three hours later. He could not sense any minds in the large vehicle, he told them. He continued to follow, however. We knew the Vyrashtu shielding was in place. Everd rocked me as I burst into tears. “They are in trouble because of me, Everd,” I whimpered as my emotions were drowning in hormonal changes. I grabbed his arm. “You must help them.” “Calm, my lady,” Everd crooned as he sent his mind into mine to ease my worry. “Calm. We will help them, but you must stay calm.” “Yes,” I nodded, as my eyes drifted closed. “Calm.” “Wow,” Snitch said as he watched me fall asleep. “That’s a neat trick.” “It was necessary,” Everd said as he rose with me nestled in his arms. “Dulcie needs to rest, and she will not do so if she worries about your brothers and the other prisoners.” He looked at Ashad. “That I leave to you, brothers. I will take our queen home.” He looked at my family. “You are welcome to the valley, but I must hurry with her.” He flew off with me asleep in his arms. Even asleep, I could feel his worry and I began to whimper. He calmed me again and I woke to find myself inside a chamber surrounded by blue. I tried to panic, but my mind was locked to calm. I had no reason to be afraid. I was safe. Everything was as it should be. I saw someone coming and smiled as Everd laid his hand on the glass. His mind sailed into mine. I was in a healing chamber, he told me. The hormonal changes were too drastic and I needed to remain calm. I had no reason to question him on this; he had been a Sylenni his entire life, I was just learning how. When they finally let me out of the chamber, I was ready to give birth. Evred led me to a chamber with a wall of netting and showed me how to hold on as the pain ripped through me. He knelt at my feet with a basket filled with fur and caught our children, six perfectly formed Sylenni females, all sealed in egg sacs. I watched as he laid them on a padded table under a heat lamp and our children began to break free. I was helped to a couch and Everd wiped my body and face as Dovid tended to the young. “You have done well, little queen,” Dovid smiled as he brought them to me two at a time to nurse. “Six perfectly healthy females.” He stroked my cheek and Everd hissed at him. He backed away, hands out in apology. “When we arrive home…” “Home?” I caught the word and frowned. I looked at Everd. “But you said the ship was broken.” “It has been repaired,” Everd said a little too quickly. “He was right!” I sat up too quickly and pain shot through me. “You were lying to me when you said the ship was damaged.” I looked at them then. “You came here on purpose! This whole thing was planned!” “It was necessary, Dulcie,” Everd replied. “Our females were gone! We needed to find others…” “So you did this to me?” I broke in coldly. “You made me have your children because it was necessary?” “I think our little queen needs to be calmed, Everd,” Dovid said as he took the chicks away from me. “I leave that to you.” Everd helped me to my feet and I saw him heading me back towards the healing chambers. I shook my head and struggled. I was not going back in there! They could keep me in there forever, and I would be helpless. I slugged him across the face and tried to run, but my body was so weak. There was such pain as I had never known. Everd caught me as I fell and carried me to the chamber. I beat on the glass as it closed around me. The look of regret on his face did nothing to ease my anger. “You will accept this one day, my mate,” Everd sighed. “Until then, rest and heal.” I saw him lower his hand to a control panel and I shook my head as he punched some of the buttons. I sank down on my knees, sobbing as the gasses entered the chamber. “Do not cry, Dulcie. We are giving you a grand purpose now.” “You are no better than the Vyrashtu!” I cried as I glared at him. I saw him pale. “At least he was honest with me!” Everd shook his head and watched as I was sedated. Then he set the zero-g and watched as I floated up in the gasses keeping me calmed. He was still standing there when Ashad joined him. Everd could feel Ashad’s brief surge of jealousy and he understood it. If Ashad had been my chosen, he would have felt the same way. “I understand from Dovid that our little queen is not happy,” he said as he watched me. “She knows?” “She has accused us of dishonesty,”