TheDutyofPain Read online

She walked up to it and ran her hands lovingly over the frame. “Oh yes. This is going to work.”

  The three men with one face looked at each other with concern before Terlio continued his briefing. He told her where she needed to go, how she needed to get there and that Larsilk would be coming with her. He could nullify Ixa’s talent and get her to the ship without drugging her.

  Alda didn’t point out the glaring flaw in their logic. She wanted to get Ixa back to normal, and if that left Alda stranded on a strange world for a few hours, she would accept it.

  Larsilk’s arms were around her waist, his chin on her shoulder. He was nervous, but there was something else in his grip that hinted at a different sort of tension. Bukel and Keelor were holding tight to the supports as the shuttle was buffeted by wind.

  Quuro was going to get them as close as he could, but then, it would be up to her.

  Alda had run pre-flight checks on her rider and was satisfied with what she had seen. It would take them into the hurricane, and hopefully, she could get to Ixa before Ixa got to the city.

  The droplight flashed and Alda gripped her controls, watching as the flashing grew faster and faster, until it was holding solid. Larsilk was as tight to her as a second skin when she gunned the rider out the dropped hatch and into the storming air of Rishgar.

  The rider rocked and bucked as she fought it into position, and the moment they were in place, Alda cut the power.

  * * * *

  Terlio watched Larsilk and Alda drop straight down toward the ground. “What is she doing? They will never pull out of that.”

  Quuro looked at Keelor, and they grinned.

  “What are you two grinning about?”

  Quuro laughed, “Alda knows what she is doing. She is dropping into the eye of the storm using their body weight to make their descent as straight as possible. She will kick it on the moment she knows she can control it.”

  Keelor chuckled and Terlio grabbed him by the shoulder. “Why did you touch her?”

  “Why shouldn’t I touch her? She is ours after all. I knew it the moment I saw her. I am the darker passions of Markenow. It is why I was left behind before they realised that we had split into more than two. They were satisfied keeping the darkness while the light wailed and tried to atone.”

  Terlio stiffened and Bukel said softly. “Watch the screens. We can beat the hell out of ourselves later. For now, we need them to arrive safely.”

  Terlio snarled. “Later.”

  Keelor grinned at him. “Bring it.”

  * * * *

  Larsilk must be very trusting, that or he had passed out. As the ground approached and Ixa was visible, Alda kicked the machine into life. Her rider swirled around and landed several meters from Ixa.

  The pain of her body and mind was screaming. Ixa was desperately trying to get her talent under control, but it was too much, too soon.

  Alda took a few steps forward, but Ixa blasted her. “Don’t. Stop. I can’t control it.”

  Alda nodded, got to her knees and lay flat on her belly. She heard Larsilk yell, “What are you doing?” She crawled forward along the rocks, inch by inch, to Ixa’s side.

  She bent her head down and breathed then looked up and focussed on the woman who was screaming to the skies, her arms in the air with helpless rage.

  It took twenty minutes to get her there, but when Alda was able to reach out, the screaming stopped. Ixa collapsed in exhaustion. “You. You were there when they did this to me.”

  “Yes, I was. I couldn’t help you then, but I can help you now.” Alda’s grip was firm, and Ixa’s pain receded. “They can put you back to where you started. They can reset you to the point where you won’t cause this kind of damage from the moment you wake up.”

  Ixa gasped. “Can they take my talent away?”

  Alda sighed at the plaintive begging in her tone. “No, but they can make the breeze blow once again.”

  “How?”

  “The Sector Guard, they have another talent who can put you back to where your genes say you should be.”

  “What makes them different from the Raiders?” Ixa’s voice came up and the winds blew strong for a moment.

  “They won’t ask more of you than you are willing to give. I was about to be sold to the Raiders when the Sector Guard came for me. The Raiders came for me anyway, but I don’t believe that the Guard normally parts with what they have claimed.”

  Larsilk was coming up on Ixa’s other side. He made a hushing motion with his hand and Alda kept talking.

  “You have a chance to start again, Ixa. Another world, another life, a new start. You can do it. Many races in the Alliance and Nyal empires have mild talents who simply live as regular folk do. They aren’t forced into service, are not shackled and are not given over just because genetics played a game of power with them.”

  Ixa sobbed. “I just want to go home.”

  Alda sighed. “Resicor is the one thing I can’t offer you.”

  Larsilk came up and took Ixa’s hand. The winds fell immediately.

  Ixa looked up at him and freaked out, “You! No! Get away!”

  Alda took the pain and panic that his presence gave Ixa. “No. Ixa. Look at the eyes. The same face but different eyes. The same man who turned your power up to high shattered him. The orange-eyed one was the darkness inside him.”

  She held on and continued to take what Ixa gave her. “Larsilk, can you fly my rider?”

  He scowled. “I believe so, yes.”

  “Good. Get her on it as fast as you can.” She pulled Ixa to her feet. “Go with him, I order you to. Promise me you won’t let go of him. He is cancelling out your talent with his.”

  Larsilk took Ixa’s hand and started walking with her. “Why are you staying here?”

  “The rider only holds two adults. It won’t lift off with me on it.”

  “You knew this before we dropped?”

  “Of course. There wasn’t really an option, now was there?” She raised her brows and made a shooing motion. “Come back for me when you can.”

  The shuttle was near the city, and it turned to come toward them now that the wind was gone.

  “Why don’t you want to wait until the shuttle gets here?” Larsilk was suspicious.

  “Do you really think that the Raiders will leave an uncontrolled weapon of mass destruction on a planet and not want to see if they can retrieve it? Do you think that they won’t wonder why she didn’t continue expanding her storm?”

  She didn’t have to say anything else. Ixa wrapped her arms around Larsilk, and he got the rider into a wobbling elevation before he turned and gunned it for the shuttle.

  Alda kept an eye out for anything incoming and wished that she was more surprised when a ship rose out of the water and made its way toward her.

  Alda gathered some of the more recent pains she had taken and charged her skin with them. Anyone who touched her was going to get a debilitating shock. She may be a Pain Taker, but it was time to give something back.

  Chapter Ten

  Terlio looked down at the rocks and scowled at Quuro, “Can’t we get down there any faster?”

  “Not if we don’t want to squish her. She is hopping around quite a bit. Do you know what is happening to those men who touch her?”

  Keelor chuckled. “She is giving the pain back. Apparently, she can store the memory of pain and the bio signature of those who experienced it. She used it to pick a lock. My lock.”

  Terlio scowled at him. “Why was she in your room?”

  Keelor crossed his arms and smirked, “You would rather that she was in the cells, surrounded by pain she could not ease?”

  Terlio fought his jealousy. Jealousy was Keelor’s domain, so how could it spill over into him? They had been together while Keelor had been dominant. It was not something they did often, but it had been necessary to get all of them into the Raider’s habitat.

  “I can cast an illusion now. Let’s see if it drives them back.” Keelor leaned on the navigat
or seat and focussed on an image of the full contingent of Udell warriors coming at the Raiders on the rocks.

  Alda watched the landing of the shuttle and the moment they were close enough, she ran for it.

  When she sprinted into the ship and the door sealed behind her, Terlio found he could breathe again. “Get us to Teklan, Quuro.”

  The pilot nodded, and without any hesitation, they were climbing through the skies.

  * * * *

  Alda lay on the deck, gasping for air and groaning as she squirmed her way toward the wall. A smeared trail of blood showed her path, and when she reached the wall, she let herself relax.

  Bukel lifted her in his arms and carried her to a foldout bunk. “Who cut you?”

  “Shot me. It was a man with a thorn that shot from his wrist. It sliced right through the armour and kept going. Good thing I am so squishy, it sealed right up.”

  She winced as he peeled the fabric, and then he had to call for Terlio.

  They got her out of the pertinent armour in a few seconds, but Bukel winced at the wound. “That isn’t good. It isn’t sealing.”

  “I am guessing that that is the idea.” She held the pad on it to keep from bleeding everywhere.

  “I am not sure what to do. Larsilk is better at this. He is with Ixa, however. She is slow to go under.”

  “I can tell you what you need. Can you get me a manifest of what the ship has available?”

  Bukel nodded and got her a pad, while Keelor rolled up his sleeves. “I will do this.”

  She chuckled. “You were an excellent assistant the first time, I think. I…wow my head hurts.”

  “We will fix that soon. Now, tell us what to do.”

  Bukel handed her the manifest, and she started to list the items that they could use to slow the flow of blood. She passed out before they closed the wound, but she was sure she would be fine.

  “Holy mother of Olsted!” Screaming as she woke wasn’t her favourite thing to do, but the green fire rippling around her was not something to be ignored.

  Her five companions were standing, and they breathed a sigh of relief as one being.

  As her vision cleared, she grimaced up at the Kozue with the silver eyes. “You must be Flame.”

  He laughed and helped her sit up. “You must be naked.” He walked to a shelf and brought her a bodysuit. “You are the Pain Taker, correct?”

  She shrugged and slipped into the bodysuit with relief. Being naked in a room full of men may rank high on the fantasy scale, but in reality, it made her nervous. “I am. It is all I have ever been.”

  “Well, the anticoagulant on whatever struck you was very powerful. Your men did excellent after care, but they were only able to slow the bleeding.”

  She chuckled. “They are not my men.”

  “I think they would differ.” He was amused. “They wouldn’t let anyone near you until I was available. Reset is still working on the cyborg.”

  “How is Vek?” She checked her suit’s closure and sighed at the feeling of being covered once again.

  “He is responding well to treatment, but removing the mechanicals is tricky and Reset can’t work if they are there.”

  “Where is he?”

  Flame raised his eyebrows and led the way. Alda followed him into a room where two women were working on Vek, and he was covered in sweat.

  She quickly moved to his head and pressed her palms to him, taking the pain he was trying not to express.

  The women working on him looked up and smiled. One nodded. “I am Reset, this is my assistant Heura.”

  “I am Alda. Vek and I have met before.” She concentrated and the women worked faster.

  Alda looked and beckoned to Terlio. “Can you soften the metal in his chest?”

  Belatedly, she looked to Reset, “Would that help?”

  Reset winced and nodded. “The faster we can pull the metal works, the faster I can heal him. If Quad is willing to do the messy bit, Flame and I can seal him and heal him.”

  Flame rubbed his hands together. “Standing by.”

  Terlio looked queasy, “As my lady commands.” He reached into the metal, made a fist and ripped it up and out.

  Alda caught the agony, Flame kept the man from dying and Reset rebuilt his body over the course of the next two hours.

  The pain of Flame’s talent was enough to deal with, but when she looked down into Vek’s eyes, she saw the tears seeping down his cheeks. It was worth it.

  The moment that Reset straightened, a column of mist that formed behind her caught her.

  Alda’s back was on fire, but she smiled and took a few steps toward her companions before she pitched forward.

  Vek reached out and caught her before she hit the ground.

  “Thank you, Pain Taker. I did not think to see you again, but I am glad you came.” He pulled her in, and she realised he was going to kiss her. Hands pulled her back and held her tight.

  Vek tilted his head. “Really? Five of them?”

  Alda looked at her companions and their protective glowering.

  Keelor was standing between her and the other male. The others were holding her tight. “Sort of.”

  She did not have the energy to explain Quad to Vek, besides she wasn’t quite sure how to explain it to herself.

  “Gentlemen, can we get back to Udell base, so I can find out what is going on?”

  They didn’t need to be told twice.

  Her crowd of five hustled her out of medical, past a Dhemon and two Drai before they were on the newly fuelled shuttle and lifting off for Udell base.

  Chapter Eleven

  Waking in bed with arms around her was a little alarming. As she turned and saw the dark brown eyes of the man sharing the bed with her, she was left with only one conclusion. “Markenow?”

  He leaned in and kissed her in response. His body was hot against hers, and as he shifted, she welcomed him.

  He was not her first lover, but as she shivered in his arms over and over, she had a thought that he may be the last. No one could follow in her memory after that moment.

  After the first rush of learning was over, she lay on her side with him wrapped around her back. “I am guessing that good morning might be a dangerous thing to say after that.”

  He chuckled. “Good morning, Alda. I have waited a very long time to hear you say my name.”

  She sighed, “Will you now let me know what is going on?”

  He brushed lips across her temple. “It should be coming back now.”

  She remembered, remembered meeting four of him, them stacking together and the bright blue of Quad’s eyes.

  “Blue of Quad plus the orange of Keelor, equals beautiful brown eyes.”

  His skin was paler than hers, and she enjoyed watching him stroking her hand with his.

  “That is true. Would you like to hear the whole story?”

  She nodded. “Yes, and then breakfast. I don’t think I have eaten in a while.”

  He agreed. “Once upon a time, I was a pickpocket on Resicor. I was caught, and my mental ability to be unnoticed got noticed. It was a minor talent, so I was not considered valuable and my government sold me to the Raiders for experimentation.

  “The creature that enhanced Ixa was the same one who worked on me. He had a plan, and Juhl worked to inject DNA, RNA and other substances into me. When I was packed full of potential, the enhancer worked to activate all those powers, all that potential at the same time.

  “I felt as if I was being ripped apart. My body screamed and my mind shrieked as each day the enhancer went to work on me. Finally, Keelor emerged.

  “They were satisfied that he was the end result of the experiment, and they locked me in the cells. We talked, and while it was obvious that he was made of my darker impulses, he had compassion for those around us. We planned an escape, and it had two options. The first was that we would both escape and try to reconnect later. The second was that Keelor would remain behind as a failed escape and give them his life in se
rvice.

  “You know what happened next. I escaped, and he was left behind to play the long game. Every few months, they would run him through the minders, but as he and I were not psychically connected, they found nothing.”

  She nodded. “So, when they sent him to get me on Udell, you and he reformed.”

  He pressed a kiss to her temple. “We did. He was shocked that I had continued to split, and so, he could legitimately say that he had not seen the Guardsman known as Quad before.”

  She sighed and enjoyed his embrace, the feel of his body against hers. When his stomach growled, she laughed. “I am glad you beat me to that.”

  He chuckled, and they got to their feet, dressing in bodysuits that were clean and comfortable. “Why did you have to strip to stack together in Guardian’s office?”

  He smiled as they made their way to the commissary. “One, my body doesn’t replicate artificial fibres, two, I was showing off. I enjoy everything about you, and it was only a matter of time before I was going to be allowed to court you. I thought I would simply show you what was on offer, times four.”

  After loading a tray and having a seat, she said, “You need to learn some basic first aid, you know. If I keep touching people in agony and getting injured, you will have to do better than following my instructions.”

  “I don’t want you in danger.”

  “Tough.” She smiled as she worked through her fruit salad.

  Dev walked in and joined them after she loaded up her breakfast tray, “You are back up to date?”

  Alda nodded.

  “Thank goodness. It was hard keeping everyone away from you.”

  Alda quirked her brow, “You had to keep everyone away?”

  “Sure. We are family, sort of. We are all in the same job and the same danger. Who can we lean on if not each other?” Dev shrugged and worked on her meal.

  Razer and Tech came in, followed by Phase and Rupture, Guardian and Pax gathered, and with each addition, another table was shoved together until they were all eating at one long, unified structure.

  Guardian smiled, “So, Quad is now Quint, huh?”

  Markenow grinned. “Whole at last. Yes.”

  “What happened to the minders at the base?” Alda asked Pax.