“Please,” she said faintly. “Don’t let them—”
The world turned black and soundless.
* * *
A cool hand brushed her forehead. Lips touched hers. The gentlest of kisses.
“She’s waking up, at last.” Kriss’s voice.
“Praise be.” Jago added a deep sigh.
Shayla blinked—the lights were too bright. She was lying in a soft nest, a familiar cocoon. She managed to focus on her surroundings. She was home. Pushing Kriss’s hand aside, she sat, expecting to find her body ravished by hordes of hungry men.
Her bottom throbbed. A definite residue of soreness from the spanking, but otherwise, she was comfortable, if a little lightheaded. Flashes of the arena swept through her mind: the chains, the men, the judge with his staff. The shameful way she’d reacted to the punishment.
“What happened?” she asked.
Jago and Kriss were kneeling on either side of her, their faces etched with concern. She’d never seen them so infused with emotion.
“They wanted us to take you back to that Gotti, but Jago didn’t like the idea. She would only poke and prod you more. We know what’s best for you.” Kriss handed her a glass of water.
“I meant the judge... those horrible beasts who chased after us. I was sure they would... you know...” She gulped several mouthfuls of water; the icy liquid was welcome. The thirst had given her a headache. She’d not eaten in a day, either.
“The judge intervened and ordered them to disperse,” Jago said.
“The judge? I thought he... didn’t like me... or was after me...” She swallowed the last drop and handed the glass back to Kriss.
Kriss shook his head. “Regardless of his desires—the Hunger dwells even in an old man—he has to protect the law. He followed us to make sure you were safely removed. When the men refused to yield, the droids intervened. Reports have been made. Some will lose their privileges.” Jago grimaced. “Thankfully, most came to their senses and apologized. But by then, you were in a state of exhaustion. We could not revive you.”
“The judge isn’t a bastard then?”
Kriss clucked his tongue. “Unwise to speak of him so, Shayla. He is a warrior of the highest rank. He probably conquered a planet. Only the queen is above him.”
“Oh.” She’d not realized the extent of the judge’s power. “A good guy, really?”
“As long as you obey the law,” said Jago. “Now, you’re still too pale. You will eat, then you will explain what you were doing with the oracle.”
She lowered her eyes. “Yes, sir.”
“No more lies. We’ve proved you can trust us, that we’ll protect you.”
“And discipline you,” Kriss said.
And love me? she wanted to add. Now wasn’t the time to explore those passions. Jago brought her food on a dish—the usual plain cubes that filled the stomach, but did nothing for the palate.
When she’d finished,
she shifted onto her knees. The faintness had gone, and her stomach had ceased rumbling. She was ready to explain everything.
Jago sat in the strange armchair, which folded around him, while Kriss stood behind. Two somber men. She cleared her throat and began to speak.
She told them of her training, not the one they already knew about—sex and so on—but the secret one she had with the Resistance, the Rogues who wanted to rebel against Hezara. She also told them about the conversations with her father about integration, and breeding together. Jago and Kriss listened in silence.
“So, I thought if I used the oracle, it would answer my questions.”
Jago frowned. “This is spying.”
The word wasn’t the one in her head, but she understood why they used it. “I suppose. I want to help you with your Hunger, it is my duty as your Gift. I also want to serve Earth, my home. One day I’ll go back there, and... well... they might let me stay here, I suppose if I wanted to, but if I go back, and I’ve helped, then I’ll be able to settle somewhere nice.”