Warrior's Paradox (Cadi Warriors Book 3) Page 4

  “Don’t take this personal, my treasure, but I’m going to clean you up and hand you to your mother,” Kagan informed his little female with a deep chuckle and a proud smile.

  Once clean and bundled, Kagan placed Graca on Giselle’s chest. The young instantly turned her head and rooted around till she found what she was looking for.

  “I think she will be just fine.” Ion smiled wistfully. “This was why I gave-up my home.” The lanky pale female nodded.

  Tytus saw that he was no longer needed. The babe was healthy, despite her early arrival.

  “Congratulations. I will let the others know the good news.”

  “Tytus,” Kagan captured his attention.

  “Yes, Daimio,” he replied as he paused by the door.

  “Thank you, for being here.”

  “It was my honor,” Tytus said reverently with a bow, as he cast a final glance at the new family.

  Dagaa nearly knocked Tytus over the second he opened the door.

  “How are they?” Dagaa asked anxiously.

  “They are well. The child is very healthy,” he reported. “It’s a girl. Graca.”

  An excited murmur moved through the hall.

  “I want to see her.” Sabin bounced excitedly at the news.

  “I will take you in soon. I’m certain Giselle is very tired,” Dagaa told the youth.

  “I AM very tired. It is past MY bedtime,” the child informed Dagaa, looking aggravated that he was forced to wait to see his new sister.

  Several people laughed at the young warrior’s indignant response. The mood was light and happy now.

  “Giselle is truly alright. Things sounded…”

  “Disturbing,” Tytus finished Dagaa’s sentence for him.

  “I’m just glad the little male wasn’t here to hear any of it,” Madhava stated with a grimace.

  “Stop it you two. I told you that’s how pregnant human woman are,” Providence admonished both of her mates.

  “How? Tired?” Sabin asked curiously, before Providence led him to a chair.

  “Does Kagan still possess all of his parts?” Dagaa whispered.

  “Yes.” Tytus chuckled as he recalled Giselle’s threat to un-man Kagan. “Although I think the Daimio is already ensnared. Graca has her tail tightly wrapped around her sire’s heart.”

  Dagaa beamed at the mental image. Being Graca’s Second sire, he was nearly as proud as Kagan. Tytus couldn’t stop smiling himself. His face was starting to hurt. Kali had looked kindly on them today.

  “I should head back to my lab. Unfortunately, that translator won’t fix itself. Hail me if you need anything at all.”

  “Will do,” Dagaa said with a slap to the back.

  As Tytus left, he nodded to Petal, Stone’s furry mate. She was still sitting vigil, with her fuzzy sleeping babe. He paused as he looked at the child. The little one didn’t appear all that dissimilar to what a purely human infant probably looked like. Suddenly, Tytus wondered if the brain waves from a human, could help bridge the gap he was having trouble overcoming, with his Toufik translator.

  Tytus hurried back to his lab at the edge of the city, bristling with excitement and renewed encouragement. He paused as he entered the lab. Something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Tytus shook it off as he took a seat at his desk and pulled up the physiological data on the humans, Toufik, and Cadi.

  “There,” he exclaimed as he examined the information on screen. “The Toufik and humans have matching markers in numerous areas that indicate linguistics.” He pumped his fist in the air, the way he’d seen Providence do when she got excited. “Maybe Providence will help me. I can hook up the translator and have her run through various images.”

  Tytus excitedly prepped everything with that in mind.

  June

  June covered her mouth to muffle her heavy breathing, as she pressed against the wall. The demon had rushed into the lab so fast, she didn’t have time to take cover. When he paused, June was certain he’d turn and see her. Instead, he headed straight for his desk. The moment his back was turned, June ducked down behind a work bench. She crawled around to the other side, so he couldn’t see her as she moved through the room.

  June shook her head in disbelief when she realized she could probably stand up and do a series of jumping jacks, and the demon still wouldn’t notice she was there. He was so intent on his work, nothing less than a freight train barreling through the lab would capture his attention.

  June tilted her head as she studied the fiery man. She smiled at how he talked to himself while he worked. Unlike earlier, he seemed excited. June almost laughed out loud when he threw his fist in the air. His expression turned serious again as he continued to work.

  June couldn’t help but admire his profile. He had several days of stubble on his chin and above his full mouth. The bridge of his nose was a bit more defined than hers, as well as his brow, but they didn’t look harsh on his angular face. He reminded her of a red skinned version of Matt Bomer, intellectual, rugged, and sexy at the same time. The man tugged his black hair into a knot on the top of his head and continued working, oblivious that she was watching from a dozen feet away. Embroiled in his work, he didn’t seem that scary. He fascinated her more than anything.

  The giant man worked long past dark and June started to get tired. It had been a long, wild day. Carefully she returned to the task she’d been doing before he arrived. June crawled to the wall, where she’d located an access cover. Gingerly June popped the hatch, pausing when it gave way with a click.

  God, I hope that wasn’t as loud as it sounded.

  When the demon didn’t move, she eased the panel from the opening. June was grateful when she found the space wasn’t entirely filled with conduit. There was just enough room to give her a safe place to sleep. June climbed in and propped the access door over the hole.

  June jolted awake when a shuffling sound passed by her hiding spot. She was glad the access hatch was under a counter, or the red man would’ve easily noticed it was open. June peeked out to observe the demon enter his bedroom. After a minute, the motion activated lights cut off, casting her in total darkness.

  “Well shit,” she mumbled.

  If she came out from her hiding place, the lights would go on. The demon in the other room would surely see that.

  Crap! I have to pee, June fidgeted.

  Thankfully, before long she heard heavy, relaxed breathing coming from the bedroom. June exited her hiding place, then hustled into the bedroom as the sconces on the lab walls blared to life. She closed the door, so just a crack of light entered the bedroom. June looked at the dim room, letting her eyes adjust.

  Thank goodness there aren’t motion activated lights in here, she thought as she tiptoed towards the bathroom. The image of the slumbering giant being startled awake didn’t sit well with her.

  June’s foot suddenly hit an obstacle on the floor. Her hand flew to her mouth to repress the curse that nearly flew out. She froze as the demon grunted. She watched in dread as he turned over, but he didn’t wake, so she rushed into the bathroom and shut the door quietly.

  I am so done with this nonsense. The subterfuge and uncertainty were quickly growing old. Then you need to pull up your big girl panties and figure out a way to approach him. Ha, too bad I’m not wearing any panties.

  June looked at herself in the black polished stone that acted as a mirror. She lamented the fact the elastic on her skivvies failed a month ago. It felt weird going around without anything covering her lady bits. She hadn’t been wearing her Earth clothes, like Riley, the day they snuck onto the M’s ship.

  Ugh, the M’s interpretation of human style, leaves a lot to be desired.

  Not only did they not believe in underwear, but the generic pant-shirt combo they provided her, was a shade of yellow that was not flattering at all.

  Well at least they keep you warm.

  June headed back to the lab. She managed to avoid the land mines on the bedroom floor, w
hile painfully aware of every twitch made by the giant in the bed.

  “God that man needs a maid.” June sighed, feeling relieved to be out of the bedroom, as she leaned against the lab wall.

  The big red alien was like so many scientists back home, far too interested in his work to be concerned with anything else. June smiled. She couldn’t blame him. She easily got caught up in her work too.

  “Well I guess I’m up after that harrowing little adventure,” she mumbled.

  June continued her exploration of the lab. She attempting to figure out what various things were as she quietly perused the space.

  June shook her head as she threw away a fruit pit, sitting on the big man’s desk. Before long, her OCD got the best of her, and she found herself cleaning up and organizing piles and parts. June stopped and turned in a circle when she realized she had probably done more than she should have.

  “Smart, real smart,” June shook her head.

  Tytus quo Munitor

  Tytus awoke and was eager to see if Providence would be willing to come help him. He quickly ate first meal then headed into his lab. Tytus paused.

  “Something is very different.”

  He turned around in the room. He had done a lot of things the night before, but he didn’t recall reorganizing his hand tools. Then again, when he got busy, he often didn’t remember where he lay his tools, as he looked for something else. Before Tytus could tease out the niggling in the back of his mind, his handheld pinged.

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “Tytus, Kagan needs you at the manor.” Cyprian reported.

  “Are Giselle and the young okay?” Tytus asked, suddenly concerned.

  “Yes. They are well. We have another report of missing Toufik. This time the numbers are too large to ignore.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  With everything going on, he was doing nothing but travelling back and forth between the manor and his lab. At this rate, he’d never finish anything.

  When Tytus arrived in the manor council room, numerous regents were already gathered. Kagan sat at the head of the oblong table. He nodded to Tytus as he took a seat.

  “I’ve questioned the guards at the Toufik refugee camp, but none of them seem to know anything helpful about the missing citizens. Rumor points to the usual political dissidents,” Feroze, the regent from the southern province, reported.

  Tytus frowned as he looked at the holo-screen showing the most recent number of missing Toufik. This was the largest group so far. Added to the others, and the figure was staggering.

  It wasn’t hard to fathom the dissidents could do something like this. There were still many Cadi citizens that didn’t like that their slaves were freed, or that Kagan had rescued the remaining Toufik from their dying planet.

  But how do you cover up the abduction of over a hundred Toufik?

  That many people didn’t just disappear without a trace. It was like they vanished from the face of the planet entirely. Tytus’ mouth dropped open.

  That’s it. Somehow the Toufik are being taken off-world.

  “This has to stop,” Kagan growled.

  “Agreed. I have stationed extra Armigerants at the camp,” Feroze replied.

  “Daimio,” Tytus spoke up. “I believe whoever is behind this, is smuggling the Toufik off Cadi. It is the only logical explanation for the sudden disappearance of so many people.”

  “The Jurou Biljana,” Dagaa said the name like a curse.

  “Possibly,” Tytus agreed. “But the satellite grid around the planet would identify their ships if they entered our orbit. They must have help planet side,” he reasoned.

  “We need someone that can get close to the abductors. If Tytus and Dagaa are correct, which I don’t doubt, then this has become a very serious problem,” Kagan spoke. “I don’t need to remind any of you what the Jurou Biljana are capable of.”

  Tytus looked around the room at the grim expressions, as the warriors recalled the decimation the reptilian’s chemical weapon caused; a city of thousands, dead in one fell swoop. Those who had seen the aftermath would never be able to forgive the Jurou Biljana.

  “I will go,” Cyprian volunteered with a growl.

  “You will have to pretend to be one of the smugglers, to locate and infiltrate their group,” Kagan stated. “It might involve doing distasteful things.”

  Several regents laughed. Cyprian’s exploits during the war were well known. The male was good at being surly and callous, when warranted. He didn’t become a general of the Anzac Guard, by being soft. With little effort, no one would have any trouble believing the warrior was disgruntled by the integration of a foreign species.

  Cyprian, unlike some warriors, did not seek to please and agree with whatever their Daimio decreed. Although he was not prejudice against the Toufik, and agreed they deserved their freedom. He had argued that Cadi needed to tread carefully where integration was concerned. He warned that although many of the dissidents’ concerns were fear based, some of their points were valid, such as over population. And as Cyprian pointed out, it was never wise to ignore a disgruntled faction. The currently missing Toufik were evidence of that.

  “I will comb through the satellite feed to see if any new vessels are entering or leaving orbit,” Tytus stated. With the increase in trade the list would be longer than it was even a few months ago.

  It was well past mid-meal, when the meeting finally broke up. Tytus approached Dagaa, before he had a chance to leave.

  “Is Providence at home? I would like her assistance with the Toufik translator.”

  “That will have to wait. She stayed up last night helping Giselle with Graca.”

  “Of course. I’m sure the little one is a lot of work.”

  Tytus was disappointed as he headed back to his lab. He was hoping Providence would help prove or disprove his theory, and further his work on the project. He growled in frustration. He couldn’t seem to work fast enough, and more of the hairy people kept going missing.

  June

  June was certain when the demon awoke that the repercussions of her little cleaning spree would come to call. But as she nervously hid inside the wall, while he moved through the lab, there was no audible change in his demeanor.

  “He didn’t notice. How? This place was a veritable pig sty. He had more than enough time to get a good look around before he left. He can’t be that oblivious.”

  It was probably immature, no, it was immature, but June now felt challenged.

  “Just short of a fire, what would he notice?”

  June walked over to the cabinet, where she had put away some chemicals during the night. She recognized one of the powders by its distinctive smell. The substance, when mixed with hot water, created a thick gelatin. A rotten smile spread across her face, as she debated what mischief she could get into with the flavorless jello.

  “You’re an idiot,” she informed herself as she gathered several containers to hold the gelatin. “This is such a bad idea.”

  June hummed as she worked. Once she finished her mad scientist experiment, she decided to scavenge food from the kitchenette in his bedroom. While there, she washed his dishes and put them away, then did a few other tasks.

  “In for a penny, in for a pound.”

  The man will know something is going on now. June wasn’t sure exactly what compelled her to do all this. No, that’s a lie. She had an absurd theory that if the demon didn’t lose his shit when he discovered what she’d done, that maybe she could approach him.

  Cleaning done, June checked on her project. The jiggly cubes had solidified nicely, so she dumped them out of their containers and put everything back in its place on the red giant’s desk. June returned to her hiding spot and anxiously awaited his return.

  We’ll soon see if he has a sense of humor, won’t we?

  Tytus quo Munitor

  Tytus returned to the warehouse and headed straight to the chiller to grab a drink, before getting to work. He froze when he noticed the w
ashbasin was clear of the dirty dishes that had been there this morning. Tytus turned around in confusion. The blankets on his bed had been straightened, and his vestments folded. Tytus shook his head as he walked back into the lab. Someone had cleaned and organized there too. This time it wasn’t his imagination.

  “Surely Giselle didn’t hire a cleaning assistant like she threatened,” he mused with a frown. “I’ll have to ask Kagan after I run through the satellite data.”

  Tytus sat as his desk, turned on the holo-screen, and brought up the program for the planetary satellites.

  “I need to talk to the Agurtzane about setting up a security grid like they have. Then we’d be able to keep the Jurou Biljana out, instead of passively taking attendance of who’s coming and going,” Tytus grumbled.

  Tytus reached for a quill and scratch pad, to make a note for himself, when his hand met something cold and sticky that wiggled.

  “What in Kali’s name?” he declared as he stared at the stationery suspended in gelatinous agar.

  Tytus surveyed his desk, and noticed an entire cup, a knife, and several other small items were also frozen in the substance.

  “Someone thinks they’re funny,” Tytus chuckled.

  He hadn’t seen Madhava at the meeting earlier. The male was somber, but Dagaa’s sense of humor was rubbing off on him. And Madhava was known for his stealth.

  This is exactly the kind of thing Madhava and Dagaa would do.

  Tytus pulled out his handheld, and hailed the warrior.

  “Very amusing, Madhava,” Tytus spoke when the warrior answered.

  “What are you talking about?” Madhava acted ignorant.

  “I know what you did in my lab, while I was in the regents’ meeting.”

  “I wasn’t in your lab. Tytus, did someone break into your place?” the male sounded concerned, since Tytus kept sensitive information.

  Madhava was playing his part very well. Few people had access to the lab. If someone truly broke in, they wouldn’t have left evidence behind, much less played a prank on him and straightened up.

  “No, everything is fine,” Tytus replied.