Immersed: Interplanetary League, Book 2

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  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520

  Macon GA 31201

  Immersed

  Copyright © 2009 by Liz Craven

  ISBN: 978-1-60504-267-1

  Edited by Heidi Moore

  Cover by Anne Cain

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2009

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  Immersed

  Liz Craven

  Dedication

  For my island family. Pam for taking me in, Kendall and Nita for unflagging friendship, and David for braving us en masse on a weekly basis. Thank you for everything. I love you all.

  Chapter One

  Ilexa struggled to breathe. The hot, thick air resisted her body’s attempts to pull it in and respire. Dizzy, she braced a hand against the nearest column and fought the instinctual panic that rose up. The foreign humidity and stagnant air rested against her skin, reminding her that she’d left all things familiar behind.

  Fighting to relax and let her body adjust, she focused on the feel of the column beneath her hand. Despite the day’s heat, it felt cool, but not smooth. The rough texture scratched against her palm. The distraction technique began working as she concentrated on the feel of the pillar. The heat of the day scorched the back of her hand in stark contrast to the cool column beneath her palm.

  “The pillars have held this building up for several thousand years. I doubt they need your assistance to continue to do so.”

  The dry tone and familiar voice drew Ilexa’s attention from her struggle. What in all the hells was this man doing here? She’d known he lived on Dunia, the governing planet of the Central Alliance, but that didn’t explain his presence. The only reason for his being there caused her blood pressure and temper to rise, effectively distracting her enough to allow her body to breathe easier.

  “I suppose Talon called you,” she grated out.

  “Of course.”

  She had left her home and traveled across the galaxy for this very reason, to escape her important and overprotective family. She swung around to face Thane with righteous indignation—and pulled up short at the sight of him.

  Her brother’s close friend looked nothing like the League soldier she’d always known. He’d resigned his commission shortly after she’d last seen him, over two years ago. His hair had grown from the usual military crew cut to flow past his shoulders. In place of the molded body armor she was accustomed to, the man only wore a pair of low-slung leather pants. His bared chest revealed a tribal tattoo riding high on his right shoulder—a ferocious creature she’d never seen before using powerful wings to lift itself from blue-green, ocean waves.

  It wasn’t the sight of the tattoo that made her mouth go dry, but the hard-muscled body revealed to her. The longer hair should have softened his features, made him look less dangerous than the soldier he had been. It didn’t. The raven-black hair hung straight past his shoulders and emphasized the harsh planes of his face. His ice-blue eyes glittered at her without a trace of warmth. He looked untamed, wild. The word barbarian floated across her brain.

  She couldn’t believe the arrogant bastard had actually found a way to be more handsome. Damn him. The word delectable chased after barbarian, but she ruthlessly squashed it along with her attraction to the beautiful man. Thane had never seen her as anything other than Talon’s annoying little sister and he’d made it clear he’d only tolerated her existence because of her brother.

  Straightening her spine, she ignored the trickles of sweat creeping down her back. “I’ll be sure to tell Talon that you dutifully greeted his sister upon arrival.”

  His dark eyebrows winged upwards at her cold words. “No insults? No laughter at my expense?”

  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed. She extended her hand politely to Thane. “It was a pleasure seeing you again, Thane. If you’ll excuse me, I have to meet my cultural immersion counselor.”

  He didn’t take her hand and those brows lowered, a furrow forming between them. He cocked his head to the side and studied her. It made her feel like a misbehaving pet. Uncomfortable, she withdrew her hand and hoisted her bag more securely onto her shoulder. She needed to find her counselor and luggage. The trip had exhausted her, and she didn’t enjoy Thane’s scrutiny.

  “I was surprised when your brother told me you had joined the Interplanetary Medical Exchange Program.”

  No shit. Everyone had been surprised, which only emphasized that no one paid any attention to her life. With conscious effort, she swallowed the bitterness. Self-destructive emotions affected her healing gift. Neutrally, she replied, “The IMEP is an excellent opportunity to expand my knowledge and skill.”

  He frowned at her, and she wondered what he had expected. And why he was holding her up.

  “You’ve changed.” He didn’t sound pleased. No doubt the arrogant louse objected to any alteration not personally approved by him.

  “So have you,” she replied. It was true. If not for his devastating good looks and ability to make her pulse race, she never would have recognized the wild warrior before her as the straight-laced soldier she had known.

  He hesitated, and she sensed he wanted to say something, but changed his mind.

  “I really need to find my counselor,” she told him firmly. “It was nice seeing you again.”

  “Your counselor will be joining us for dinner. Come and I’ll help you find your luggage.”

  “My counselor was supposed to meet my shuttle,” she replied, feeling a touch of alarm. Then she registered what he’d said. “What do you mean by ‘joining us’? I don’t have time for an obligatory meal with an old acquaintance. There’s a lot to be done today.”

  His mouth quirked in a slight smile. “It’s not an obligatory meal with an old acquaintance. For the duration of your stay on Dunia, you have been adopted into my tribe. Your counselor will join you and your tribe for dinner as is appropriate.”

  She stared at him for a minute in stunned surprise. Oh hells no. She wasn’t getting roped into having a babysitter on this world. “As part of the IMEP, I am not subject to tribe affiliation.”

  “The IMEP houses its medics with different tribes. You will be housed with my tribe.”

  She was going to kill Talon. Damn Big Brother and his overprotective meddling. Years of practice allowed Ilexa to keep a serene expression on her face, despite the fury welling within her. “I’ve read the IMEP rules for the Central Alliance. I am allowed to have some input on choosing the tribe with which I will live. The decision will be made once I meet with my counselor.”

  “That is generally true,” he conceded. “However, given you are the sister-in-law to a planetary sovereign, the Intertribal Council voted to assign you a tribe in advance. The decision is out of your hands.”

  Her anger spiked so strongly it almost blinded her. “Why would they do that?”

  “To ensure you had strong warriors to protect you even before you landed. Risking a family member of the Damaia of N’yota could have signif
icant diplomatic repercussions,” he explained smoothly.

  She wasn’t buying it. “Talon asked you to take me into your tribe and watch over me.”

  Thane didn’t look remotely repentant. “He did. The Council agreed.”

  She wanted to scream. She knew the Council would never reconsider its decision, not at risk of upsetting N’yota. Her planet held the most sought-after power source in the known worlds. Pacifying her brother and sister-in-law certainly took precedent over her wishes.

  She managed a controlled, polite nod of her head. Realizing she was close to losing control of the volatile emotions roiling within her, she shoved the issue of tribe affiliation aside. She’d deal with that when she felt less exhausted. “In that case, I’d like to find my luggage and get out of this heat.”

  He nodded back and held out his hand, palm up. Surprised because he had rejected her handshake, she laid her hand in his. He squeezed gently and released it with a twitch of his lips. “Give me your bag.”

  Embarrassed at misunderstanding his request for her bag, she tugged the strap off her shoulder and passed it to him. He turned and she reluctantly followed him to find her luggage.

  It was going to be a very long year.

  ***

  Ilexa pointed out her bags to him, and he dutifully fetched them without comment. His reunion with his friend’s sister had not been what he expected. He’d been amused when Talon called to ask him to keep an eye on Ilexa. Thane would have watched over her even without Talon’s request. He’d known her for years, and Talon had completed the right of amini, making him Thane’s blood brother. Honor demanded he guard his blood brother’s sister. Of course, the situation would be less complicated if his body didn’t react like a randy stag every time he drew near her. He reminded himself that a physical reaction to an attractive female was natural and tried to focus on the mundane task of retrieving the bags.

  Despite being as hard as a rock, he found himself worrying about the woman behind him, trying to analyze her behavior. Who knew both of his heads could function at once? He’d scoffed at Talon’s concern over the changes in Ilexa’s behavior. When it came to his only sister, Talon worried like a mother hen. Now, he understood his old friend’s concern and shared it.

  Grabbing the second bag, he turned back to face Ilexa. She looked like every man’s wet dream in the solid blue unitard with the IMEP logo emblazoned across her chest. Her moonbeam hair was twisted up into a tight bun, but he remembered it flowing loosely around that slender, yet curved-in-the-right-places body. Her luminous silver eyes were still almond shaped and tilted slightly up at the ends, still fringed with incredibly long white-blonde lashes, but the laughter that used to dance in their depths was silent and still. As if someone had snuffed out the joy in them like blowing out a candle.

  His heart hurt at the loss of her joy and laughter, but he assured himself it was because he didn’t want to see Talon’s sister suffering. It had nothing to do with Ilexa herself.

  Hauling her two bags, both of which likely weighed more than she did, Thane headed towards the exit, addressing her over his shoulder. “My transport is this way.”

  To his disappointment, she nodded politely and followed him, her eyes flickering around the disembarkation station. He had a sudden memory of her standing on DeKalb station with wide, innocent eyes that drank in the sights and sounds that must have seemed strange to someone who had never before left her homeworld—a homeworld struggling to rebuild after millennia of war. The calm, almost disinterested expression he now saw in those same eyes caused pangs near his heart.

  He unlocked the transport with the remote and opened the door for Ilexa. “I’ll store these in the back bin.”

  She ignored him as she settled into her seat. Irritated with both her detached behavior and his concern, he shoved her bags into the transport and slammed the bin closed. Settling into the driver’s seat, he turned his attention back to her. Determined to find out what made her join the IMEP, he bluntly stated, “I would have expected you to stay on N’yota until after Lia gave birth.”

  Ilexa bristled in the seat beside him, and her voice held shards of ice when she replied, “There are other competent healers, not to mention countless doctors, on N’yota. I assure you, Lia will be in good hands.”

  “I would have thought she’d prefer the services of her sister-in-law. The two of you grew close on the trip from Tmesis to N’yota.” He watched her face for any telltale sign she might show.

  “Lia and I are close,” she almost hissed, telling him he’d struck a nerve. “Should she find she desires my healing services, I have no doubt I’ll be on the first ship back to N’yota.”

  “If you are so close, what made you abandon her to brave the uncivilized worlds of the Central Alliance?” he taunted.

  Her already neutral face closed off, giving her a shuttered look. “My reasons are my own.”

  He scowled at the tight-lipped reply. “Even if it causes your family pain?”

  She sucked in a loud breath and turned those beautiful eyes on him. For the first time, they reflected something other than indifference, and the anger in them made his heart sing.

  “How dare you? I would never cause my family a moment of suffering.”

  “Then why are you here, if not to punish them?” he asked.

  “Is that what you think? Is that what they think? That I signed my life over to the IMEP to punish them for some reason?”

  He kept his expression schooled to indifference. It wouldn’t help for her to see his amusement or relief at the return of her notorious temper. “Then why did you do it? You’ve attained the highest echelon of your planet’s healers. Why sign a year of your life over to the IMEP like a fresh, med-school grad or healer’s apprentice?”

  For a moment, he thought he might get an answer—an honest admission from her—but then, that cold shield between her and the rest of the world settled back into place.

  “My reasons are my own,” she repeated and turned to look out the window at the passing scenery.

  The rest of the trip passed in silence.

  ***

  The transport halted atop a large, imposing mountain. A heavy metal gate over an obvious entrance began to creak as it slowly rose.

  Turning to Thane, she asked in the most supercilious tone she could manage, “You live in a cave?”

  To her disappointment, Thane ignored her snide tone. “You will find Dunia and the other Central Alliance worlds an odd mixture of primitive and high-tech. Our tribe’s leading families live within this mountain fortress.”

  “The IMEP failed to mention I would be denied basic necessities,” she sniped, just to be contrary.

  “If you would like to cancel your contract, I assure you the Tribal Council will support you. You can return to N’yota on the next ship.”

  His continued belief that a little hardship would send her running had her digging in her heels. “I’m certain I will adapt with ease.”

  The surprise in his blue eyes offended her, even though he recovered quickly. “I look forward to seeing you settle into our tribe.”

  Gritting her teeth, she replied as impersonally as possible. “I’m certain our tribe will embrace me wholeheartedly.”

  The skeptical look he gave her scraped along her skin, but she managed to ignore it. Without waiting for Thane to circle the transport and assist her, she opened the door and leapt to the ground.

  There was a mournful desolation to the desert landscape. Great expanses of emptiness, despite the brush and few scattered trees, stretched around them. The mountains that crested in the distance framed the stark landscape, amplifying the bareness.

  A decorator would have called the Hakimu view a “neutral palette”. Washed-out browns covered the earth—from the hard-packed desert dirt, to the scrub brush, to the obvious signs of human living etched into the mountain. The rare splash of color, whether from a lone yellow tree, a cactus bloom or a passing speeder, drew her eye like a siren’s song and unde
rscored the harshness of the color void.

  Even the sky seemed leeched of color, leaving it a pale powder blue instead of the vibrant indigo of home. But unlike the N’yotan sky, the Dunian sky stretched endlessly above the unrelieved landscape, making her feel small and insignificant, dwarfed by the unending expanse of terrain and sky. Not even the Bahari Ocean conveyed such a feeling of insignificance and isolation.

  Often, the ocean was described as dangerous in powerful and poetic terms. Its mighty waves and tides, coupled with the unseen life teeming below the surface, were reminders of what an active threat nature could be. But the desert made her realize that the real threat of nature was not when it acted, but when it didn’t.

  They had covered a great distance from the transport station, but Ilexa hadn’t realized they had also gained such drastic altitude. The cold sliced through the thin skin of the unitard. The unexpectedness of the temperature difference made the chill all the more shocking, and Ilexa felt the same icy, needle-sharp pricks of cold as she had when Bastian had pushed her into a glacial river when she was nine.

  An elegant woman appeared at the mouth of the cave where Thane had parked. She stood silent and regal. Blue-black hair streaked with silver hung to the woman’s calves. Her green eyes glowed with otherworldly light, but the lack of welcome they held froze the blood in Ilexa’s veins.

  Thane went down on one knee and lowered his head. In a reverent tone he said, “Malkia.”

  Uncertain what to do, Ilexa chose to remain standing. She inclined her head and silently cursed Thane. If her damned cultural immersion counselor had bothered to show up, she’d have been briefed on how to handle such an important woman.

  The woman moved to where Ilexa stood, and much to her annoyance, circled her with an appraising eye. Ilexa felt like a beast of burden going up for auction. With effort, she bit her tongue and managed to not make snarky comment.

  “So this is the woman who believes herself worthy of joining the Hakimu tribe,” the elder woman’s voice dripped with something close to condescension.