Rising Zero Read online

  When the weapon came out, she pulled Darmon forward with a jerk and put him behind her as she raised her hand. The blast formed and came out, and her outstretched palm bounced it back where it had come from. The small weapon shattered and hit the man holding it. He was tackled from all sides and dragged out for the attempted regicide.

  Dylia looked at her palm and blew at the scorch mark. “Fucker.”

  “Will you let me up now?” Darmon was amused.

  She released him, and he stood, hugging her before he whispered in her ear, “That was well done. Now the rumors will spread that spending time in my bed is not all you do.”

  She sighed and looked back toward the kids. “And I just cursed in front of children. Stellar day.”

  He laughed and then introduced himself to her aunt with no surprise at her last name.

  Nanda explained the children’s current living standards and looked to Dylia. “Your companion will advise you on what she has observed, I am sure.”

  Dylia smiled brightly. “Oh. I will let him know.”

  One of the local magistrates took Darmon and showed him around.

  Nanda came up to her and whispered, “Did you just stop a pulse blast with your hand?”

  Dylia turned her palm up. The scorch mark was fading, but it was still visible.

  “Ah, so you are a rising?”

  “I am.”

  “Ah. Does your father know?”

  Dylia snorted. “I stopped talking to him when he sold me into bond because my brother needed money. That is a sting that doesn’t go away. Five years of my life that I won’t get back. I was nearly free of the contract, and I was hit by the rising. It has not been a good week.”

  “Oh. I see.”

  “I really hope you don’t, because the best thing that my father did was to brace me for the rising. Those machines that rejuvenated the children have created a dangerous situation that will be evolving in the next two decades.”

  “They aren’t...”

  Dylia looked at the children showing off for Darmon. “They might be, and that is the problem. Please keep this confidential.”

  “Yes, they have had a hard enough time. I won’t do anything to increase that for them. Thank you for recognizing things.”

  Dylia smiled slightly. “Thank my father. This is his legacy.”

  Chapter Nine

  Back on the shuttle, Dylia didn’t want to sit. “I can’t believe he did it again.”

  “There have been random outputs, but when the source was determined, it was decided that the children and the equipment be allowed to remain in place.”

  She glared at him. “I want to be mad at you for not telling me, but I have only known you for just over two days. So, it is forgivable. I just can’t believe that there are so many primed risings just waiting for a second exposure.”

  “We will watch them.”

  She crossed her arms. “We will teach them.”

  That finally surprised him. “What?”

  “I want to bring them to the edge of the capital and actually train them for the rising. Train them to be defenders if they want to be.”

  He took her hand. “What has brought this on?”

  “My father’s interference. They are not going to blow up near their loved ones. We know they are primed for rising, so why not activate them in a controlled environment when they are old enough to know why?”

  Darmon cocked his head. “There are males and females?”

  “You saw them. Three girls are the oldest. I know that one of them wants to be a defender.” She chuckled and sighed. “They deserve a chance to survive the rising without hurting their friends or family.”

  “They don’t have families. That is the point.”

  She looked at him, surprised. “They could get married or simply have children. They could be on a hike with spouse and children and come upon a kekxite deposit and kablam! You would have a tragedy. They have already lost everything once. I don’t want them to have to risk it again.”

  “Fair point. So, what do you propose?”

  “Enroll them in Kesandra College. The buildings are on the edge of the capitol, it is a small facility, and it already takes advanced children from across the globe. These children would need some time to accelerate their learning, but I have no doubt that after six months, they would be up to speed. That is one of the delightful side effects of the syndrome. Once treated, the minds are filled with incalculable thirst.”

  “Perhaps we could put them there as an interim measure to see how they do.” He lifted her hand and kissed the palm, licking the skin before his tongue tip flicked under her sleeve, and she started shaking as she kept herself from orgasming.

  His eyes crinkled in amusement. “You are holding back.”

  She nodded. “Of course, I am. I am not going to give more than necessary until I know that kids will be safe.”

  “Interesting.” He leaned over and pulled her across his lap, the wrap of her skirt was designed for this opportunity, and he slid his hand up the inside of her thighs, rubbing the point where the silk of her stockings met her skin. He gripped the intricate knots of her hair and bent her head back, exposing her neck.

  Her heart pounded at the very vulnerable position she was in. He used his teeth to open her dress closure, and he wrapped his lips around her nipple, and he sucked... hard. While he sucked, he teased his way between her thighs, his fingers parting her folds and two sliding into her.

  He kept his thumb pressed to her clit as his fingers slid in and out of her. He switched his torture to her other breast, and she squeaked in surprise. She was on the edge of shrieking but didn’t want to distract the pilots at the front of the shuttle. She pulled her finger to her lips and bit her knuckle. The pain worked, and the pleasure receded until Darmon moved his head between her breasts, and she felt the sharp stab that sent heat racing through her.

  Her body bucked despite her efforts. Her sex clutched at his fingers, and she shook in his grip.

  Tears were running from her eyes into her hairline. She sniffled and took her bruised finger from her mouth. Darmon raised his head, and she moved to close her dress. He sighed and lifted her into his arms, holding her close. He murmured against her neck, “I am sorry. No one defies me, so this was all that sprang to mind.”

  She realized what he thought she was sniffling about. She lifted her hand. “I hurt my finger.”

  He looked at her face and then at her finger in surprise. He took her finger and slid it into his mouth, sucking gently.

  Dylia stared at the image of his lips wrapped around her finger, not to mention what it felt like and noticed that the heavy throb of pain had faded. “What are you doing?”

  His lips curved, and he slowly slurped free of her. “I have the option for a healing enzyme in my saliva. I don’t use it much, but this felt like an opportunity to help you and mitigate a bit of the guilt I have.”

  “Why guilt?”

  “I didn’t give you an option.”

  She giggled, and then, she started laughing.

  “Apparently, I am missing something.”

  Dylia grinned and held out her hand, generating a dagger before letting it dissipate.

  He blushed. “I forgot about that. So, I will know if you mean no.”

  “Most definitely. I just wondered what the neck-arched thing was about.”

  He chuckled. “I love the way it looks. Your neck is vulnerable, your shoulders are back, and breasts are arched upward. It is a very sexy pose.”

  “Poses, huh? Wow, this is a little advanced for me.” She tried to close her dress, but there was no way she was going to be able to while in her current seat.

  She scrambled to her feet, and he reluctantly let her go. She had to open her dress completely, and that made Darmon lean back in his seat and watched her. The fastening had skewed in the preceding events, and it had to be fastened from the hip up to the shoulder and then over to her neck.

  When she was done, he pulled
her back into his lap.

  “Your arms are no substitute for a safety harness.” She leaned against his shoulder, and he slid a hand inside her dress to rest on the outside of her thigh.

  “I am a defender, Dylia. You are safe with me.” He tilted his head to rest on hers. “You saved me today.”

  “You would have ducked.”

  “Yes, but there were children behind me. Your actions saved some of those little ones that you want to educate into high society.”

  “No, I want them to be educated to save themselves and others when they rise. And I want them to have all options for their future.”

  “Fine. I will give the orders to start up a wing of the college dedicated to them. From there, they will have to be eased into the bond-contract system. Will you accept that?”

  “Of course. That is my idea. We just can’t dump them into that system too soon. They still need a chance to be kids.” She was firm on that point.

  “Fine. I will make sure that they have scheduled fun time.”

  She nodded, and then, she asked a question about what she had noticed that morning. “Dr. Faus was concerned with something this morning. Something inside me. Do you know what it was?”

  “Well, he was shocked that I had managed to cum. There was no doubt residue inside you.”

  “Why is that a surprise?”

  “Well, I don’t normally produce semen. It isn’t something that happens in the standard course of intimate relations for me.”

  She nodded and then, “I have another question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “At the orgy, you made a lot of noise with your partner or partners, and with me, you are very quiet. So, what am I doing wrong?”

  He kissed her forehead. “Nothing. I was in public and supposed to be engaging in vigorous sex, so I went through the motions and mimicked the sounds of other males in the vicinity. Those ladies also never got a look at my cock, either, and I certainly didn’t let it move with them.”

  She smiled. “I feel so blessed.”

  He squeezed her. “You aren’t blessed, you are chosen.”

  “Ah, yes. That’s right. So, how long are we going to be able to pass me off as your companion before your parents send in a suitable princess from another world?”

  “I won’t want her, and we are in an advantageous situation for trade. Bending over backward isn’t needed. Why would you think that they would try and send me a bride?”

  Dylia wrinkled her nose. “Because I met them? They were very appalled that you had taken a public companion.”

  “That wore off once they met you.”

  “Yeah, but you think they weren’t trying to find you a wife a decade ago? You are deluded.” She snorted.

  He cuddled her. “It doesn’t matter. You are mine.”

  “You don’t know me. There is probably a very genteel lady out there who wants nothing but to have royal babies and attend tea parties.”

  He snorted and tugged her hair back. “Why are you on this particular vein of thought?”

  “I am trying not to get attached to you, and since this is a lifetime appointment as a defender, it would be best to distance myself now.”

  “It isn’t going to work. You are descended from the same species I am. That has created a bond that goes beyond rank.” He squeezed her thigh. “I think that we could get along very well for decades or centuries.”

  She squeaked “Centuries?”

  “We are both descended from drakes, have both gone through the rising, and the scans and tests indicate that your cells have ceased any natural degradation. Your body is adapting day by day but not dying. Nor is mine.”

  Dylia lifted her head, and he was staring at her with a very calm expression. He dipped his head, and he brushed her lips with his in a slow kiss that continued on for the rest of the flight back to the palace.

  When he ended the kiss, the shuttle was silent, and the palace was visible in the window beyond. “How long have we been on the ground?”

  He stroked her cheek. “Five minutes. You really enjoy kissing.”

  She blushed. “I skipped all of the early sexual experimentation and ended up in your lab. I just like the feel of your tongue inside me. And it is a nice, slow, and steady heat in my veins.”

  “Why do you always tell me the truth? It is a strange habit.”

  She widened her eyes. “Oh. My dad wasn’t able to deal with social subtleties, so bald honesty became a habit. I didn’t have to talk during my years in bond, so I never got out of practice.”

  She tried to sit up, but he had her tucked against him, and her feet just kicked a little bit in the air. “Um, shouldn’t we go?”

  He smiled and touched his forehead to hers. “There is nothing more that I want than to be balls deep inside you. So, I think that is what we will do next.”

  She blinked when he stood up with her in his arms and winced when he walked out into the sunlight. The press corps was waiting for them to talk about the visit to the southern continent, and he simply inclined his head and took off with Dylia in his arms.

  He flew around the palace before landing on his balcony and walking inside with her.

  He set her on her feet near the desk and began stripping out of his layers. Dylia looked over at his desk and wandered over, leaning one hip against it. “So, you mentioned poses. What kind of pose did you have in mind? Was it something like this?”

  She slid her left thigh out of her dress, exposing her leg to the hip. He was transfixed.

  “Or was it something like this?” She leaned over his desk, flipped her skirt back at the slit so that it draped over her back and left her entire leg and buttock exposed. She cocked her knee slightly and looked at him over her shoulder.

  He was standing with his shirt in his hands and staring at her. She shrugged when he didn’t react beyond that and reached behind her to grab her skirt. A hand grabbed her wrist and fingers slid into her. Darmon groaned when he felt how ready she was.

  When he slid into her, she grunted in relief. It was what the make-out session had been priming her for. She clung to the desk as he rocked her forward. He plunged and retreated in silence, aside from their heavy breathing. Eventually, he leaned forward and wrapped a hand around her, opening her dress with a sharp tug. He held her breasts and pulled her back onto him. She put her hands over his and arched her back. He murmured something and bent his head to her neck where it met her shoulder.

  She flung her neck back, and she felt the pain before the pleasure started to rip through her. His hips hammered at her, and she widened her stance. His cock twisted inside her, and while another wave of spasms hit her, he dropped onto her and groaned as he jerked into her.

  Dylia was smashed into his desk, her hands and his hands between her and the polished wood. She was thankful that the desk implements were inches away from her head. That would have been a little awkward. He was no longer at her neck but rather pressing his forehead against her neck.

  She tried to push up, but he pushed her down. “Just a moment...” He stopped and groaned. His hips bucked against hers.

  He shuddered and sighed as he relaxed. She waited until he was relaxed and his hands were flexing under hers.

  He pressed a kiss to her neck. “I wonder if I will ever get my fill of you.”

  She chuckled. “Give it some time.”

  He kissed her neck again. “I definitely will.”

  They remained pressed together for a few more minutes, and then, Darmon sighed and stood up, helping her back to her feet.

  She excused herself to go and clean up, but he stopped and kissed her softly before letting her go. She sighed, and he slid his hand between her thighs, gently running his fingers around her swollen folds.

  He smiled when he lifted his head. “Together, we make an intoxicating scent.”

  Her cheeks were crimson as she held her dress together and made her way to the shower room. She hung her dress up and showered. Her hair was the only part of her that had
n’t been licked at some point during the day. When she felt like the heat on her skin had been cooled, she exited the shower and checked the mirror. The bite mark was unmistakable. She was glad that the dress would hide it. She turned to get her dress. It was gone. “Damnit.”

  She wrapped herself in a towel and crept out, looking for the dress thief. It could be a servant, but it could be Darmon.

  “Oh. Dr. Faus.” She looked at the physician, and he was examining the stains on her dress. She blushed. “I see you have found my clothing.”

  “Yes, miss. I need it to find out what you are giving off that is attracting him. Something about you is triggering him to climax, and that hasn’t happened before.”

  “Um, but he has had sex before. I have seen it.” She chuckled weakly.

  The doctor looked up from the dress. “Yes, but this isn’t sex. This is something else.”

  That echoed through her head as she went in search of something to wear. It was something else.

  Chapter Ten

  Her dressers found her, and she was wrapped in silk for dinner. Literally. It was similar to the night before, with them making sure she had gone to the bathroom first.

  The single wrap of silk started at her shoulders, exposing her neck, and then, it flattened and contained her breasts, snugged over her ribs, and then was looped over her hips. Once it passed her hips, it was tacked together until it reached her ankles. Well, no sprinting in this one.

  “Is there a purpose to these evening outfits?”

  The seamstress chuckled. “His highness believes that by depicting you as a sexual object, it will remove attempts on your life.”

  “Ah, so they won’t come after me if all I am good for is entertainment.” She could see the logic of that. “What happens if that isn’t all I am good for?”

  “I am guessing that there will be attempts on your life. Many noble houses want to move their daughters into the palace.”

  “Of course. Darmon is a good age for it. Why did his parents abdicate? They seem so young.”

  One of the young women smiled. “They wanted to travel the stars together, and they are older than they look. Her highness was nearly fifty when she had her son.”