Marked 2: Marked for Desire Read online

  Marked 2: Marked for Desire

  Copyright © June 2010 by Jennifer Leeland

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  eISBN 978-1-60737-812-9

  Editor: Jana J. Hanson

  Cover Artist: Christine M. Griffin

  Printed in the United States of America

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  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  Chapter One

  Another damn appearance. Princess Sera had to perform, no matter what. It didn’t matter that she was still on some maniac’s assassination list. She had to show up as the last of the Placido line. What difference did it make if someone killed her?

  She dabbed more makeup on with short, angry strokes. And self-pity helps so much. Sera sighed.

  The image in the mirror wasn’t reassuring. Oh, her red hair was in place with its perfect curls. Her blue eyes were dull, though, and no amount of makeup was going to hide the dark circles underneath them. Her pale skin seemed whiter than usual, and her hands shook.

  Well, being the target of the Brotherhood’s assassins did that to a person.

  Her hand froze for a moment. The Blueshift Brotherhood. No terrorist group caused so much fear or had their assassins spread so far. Their cells were on every inhabited planet of the galaxy, and their exploits were well-known. The assassination of a Teran One minister. The disgrace and murder of a Sethos Five council leader. The destruction of a Teran Five politician’s career. The poisoning of an entire colony on Corilus. All were the results of a campaign of terror that seemed to have no end point but murder and violence. And for some reason, they wanted her dead.

  That, and humiliated by the space media streaming pictures of her exploits at the sex club Star of Pleasure.

  Two months later, it was still a hot topic of conversation. The council was furious. The odd thing was it only made her more popular.

  She threw her brush down onto the vanity. Part of her had hoped the council and her people would disown her, turn their backs on her. It would be a relief to abdicate and walk away. But she couldn’t do it. All she could do were these petty defiances, this rebellion.

  Her newest adviser poked his head in. “Princess, they’re waiting.” What was his name? Ralph? Richard? No, Riordan. What a great name wasted on a complete weakling. It must have been some cosmic joke to give this unimaginative bureaucrat a name from Old Earth that meant “royal poet.”

  “They won’t start without me. Stop hovering.” She put all that imperious crap into her voice. God, she wanted to say fuck it and walk away.

  A Teran Three religious dignitary who wanted to honor the spiritual legacy of the planet Placido had somehow convinced Riordan to book her here. As the last heir to the illustrious name, Sera was sought after to perform a tame version of a Placido ritual.

  For a moment her mother’s face floated in her memory. How had she handled all this attention?

  When Sera rose from her vanity, the door automatically opened. The Teran Three priests who had to be watching were right on time, making sure she didn’t miss one moment of her appearance. Cameras followed her every move. She wondered what would happen if she suddenly started screaming. Nothing. The vid news would just say she was on Smack or something. Hell, she didn’t do drugs and certainly not Smack. She didn’t need to. Her life had enough drama.

  The white dress floated around her ankles and hugged her waist. Thank God it was comfortable. When she stepped outside, her two guards marched forward and flanked her. Just because the Brotherhood had made an attempt on her life on Sethos Five, the council demanded tighter protection. She hated being crowded. All her life, she’d been under guard. With this new threat, however, she had no real time alone, no privacy. She supposed it was better than being dead. Wasn’t it?

  Her jaw ached from clenching it.

  She relaxed her face into a smile and strode through the double plaz doors. And came to a dead stop. For a moment, she forgot to breathe. The sight stunned her. The room glittered with glowing white ankai stones. It was an exact replica of the huge cathedral on Placido. The artwork, the circular shape of the room, and the pyramid altar didn’t just mimic the various artifacts of her home planet; they were exact copies. Beneath her feet was a smooth black surface she didn’t recognize, but it resembled the obsidian flooring in the Satis cathedral.

  Across the room the Teran Three priest raised his hand in greeting. What was it about the man that made her suspicious? When he’d approached her a month ago to do the Placido ritual, she’d questioned his motives. His reassurance that he only wanted to see it performed didn’t ring true.

  After all, Teran Three was a theocracy, their planetary government based in the neo-Christian movement. Their aggressive conversion tactics were known throughout the universe. In the end it was Riordan who had accepted the invitation from Teran Three. She probably would have passed on it. Why would they want to see a ritual they considered pagan? And why would this priest create an exact replica of the Placido temple, which was created to worship the miracle of the universe’s physical wonders?

  She studied the priest while she made her way across the room. Young, innocent looking, with bright brown eyes and a conservative black robe typical of the Teran Three religious order. Religion ran everything on this planet. Why would this priest want the infamous Princess Sera Placido to officiate this ritual? It seemed odd since Teran Three banned all information about her and her exploits. Rightly so. Her doings would shock them.

  She’d spent her whole life running from her destiny. Why wouldn’t her people, the council, all of them, just let her go? She’d given them plenty of reasons. But they were a stubborn bunch and believed she held the key to bring them home to Placido.

  Her mother’s death had passed the responsibility on to Sera, and now she held the power. Bitterness made a coppery taste in her mouth. Yes, she held the power, given to her line, but at what price?

  “Princess,” the priest said and held out his hand with a wide smile. She took it and returned his smile. Charming. She had to be charming. This was no time for her questionable sense of humor. She wondered what he’d say if she told him that this blessing worshipped human potential? And that sex intensified the experience?

  “Brother Tauler. You have done a wonderfu
l job,” she said. “This is exactly like Satis Cathedral on Placido. I’m impressed.”

  The young man bowed his head. “The ritual demanded it, Princess. I could do no less.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “God ordained it so. I was only the instrument.”

  Sera bit her lip. She had no love for fanatics. Best to keep her mouth shut.

  The priest was happy to dominate the conversation. “We hope, of course, to convert many more souls to our cause.”

  Apparently he didn’t realize the Placido religion had nothing to do with the same God the Teran Three population revered. The pyramid should have been his first clue. The power of Placido had everything to do with their psychic connection to the universe. They believed in a power that ruled all, but their rituals had nothing to do with the God of the universe. The Satis cathedral was created to worship a rip in the fabric of space, an anomaly that granted all Placido its power.

  The man went on and on about the connection between the Placido rituals and the Teran Three narrow view of God. She quit listening. She stared at the pyramid-shaped altar. It glowed, and the closer she got to it, the brighter it grew.

  That was no copy. She couldn’t believe this asshole’s gall. How had he gotten the actual Satis Pyramid? It was supposed to be at a Teran Five museum for a temporary exhibit. Her nostrils flared, and she met the priest’s gaze. She took a deep breath and summoned calm.

  Charming. She had to be charming.

  “Tell me, Brother Tauler. How did you manage to get ahold of the pyramid?” Yes, you fucking asshole. How did you grab an ancient artifact from a planet that’s protected from raiders?

  “Oh, that’s one of God’s miracles,” he said.

  Did all fanatics have that insane expression when they talked about things like this? Her hand curled into a fist as her palm itched to slap him.

  “Really? I’d love to hear.” She was going to murder him. A miracle. Right.

  “It was being transported to be displayed on Teran Five, but a mercenary ship intercepted it.” The priest’s hands clasped together in a happy twist. “We managed to shoot down the evildoers and confiscate their booty.” He smiled at her. Smiled! “Isn’t that just the way God works?”

  No, you fuckhead, it isn’t. She kept her face a pleasant mask. “But you plan to return the artifacts to Placido, of course.”

  The priest had a puzzled expression: his eyes wide and a small frown on his forehead. “Oh no! God has entrusted us with these priceless gifts. We will not allow them to be misused by worldly planets. Your presence here will solidify our claim. God’s will be done.”

  “I see. Let’s begin, shall we?” She strode to the altar and controlled the trembling of her hands. She bit the inside of her mouth, a cold rage settling in her stomach. Entrusted with priceless gifts, were they? The priest had counted on the infamous Princess Sera to lose her temper and flounce out of the temple. Well, he was sadly mistaken.

  The alternative made her mouth dry. Her stomach churned, and her pulse ticked loudly. She’d have to access the power left to her by her mother. A coppery taste on her tongue swept her back to the previous year when her mother had attempted to harness the very power Sera now planned to unleash.

  And had died.

  With an effort, Sera shoved the risks out of her mind. Determined, she placed her hands on either side of the altar’s smooth sides. She’d planned on performing a beautiful, quiet ritual, devoid of the power behind it. Now she was going to show this asshole just how much power the Placido line still had.

  Whatever it might cost her.

  * * *

  “Leo Eyler, Teran Interstellar Force.” Leo flashed the guard his credentials. Security at this event was pathetic. Anyone could stroll in and take a potshot at Princess Sera Placido. Shit, they had taken shots at her.

  He’d avoided her. He had to. Princess Sera Ellysa Placido, last in the illustrious line of a royal family that was thousands of years old; he had to stay away.

  Immediately he sensed a danger from her. He was drawn to her, and not just because she was beautiful. The vulnerability he spotted in her was like a magnet to him. But she was infamous. Her face was on every vid screen, every data streamer. Her exploits were plastered in every news bite in every corner of the galaxy. The last thing he wanted to do was to become enthralled with her the way the rest of the universe seemed to be.

  A Brotherhood attack had left him scarred and bleeding two months earlier. It had been Princess Sera Placido who had helped to save him. And now he was here, on Teran Three, trying to find out why Brotherhood assassins wanted her dead.

  Every one of his leads had dried up. The two generals they’d captured turned out to be only front men, faces to put with the horrors of the Blueshift Brotherhood’s killings. Two months later, the Brotherhood was still operating, still intact. Leo had thought he’d cut off the head of a snake, but it turned out, he’d missed.

  Princess Sera Placido was the only link that didn’t fit the profile. The other targets were political powerhouses, high-ranking officials with access to sensitive planetary material.

  The princess was a ruler without a planet, the head of a people with no home. Why her?

  He glanced around the venue. The circular room was a nightmare. There were too many artifacts, too many places for an assassin to stash a bomb or hide a laser gun. Leo didn’t like it. The crowd was mixed; Terans, Ardasians, and several other alien races milled around and stared at the artwork. He shook his head at the security measures. They were woefully inadequate.

  She was a force to be reckoned with. After all, she’d helped rescue him from Brotherhood assassins even when she’d been their target. Bloody, filled with knife holes, and about to die, Leo had thought Princess Sera was an angel. Perhaps it was the white evening gown. Angelic wasn’t a word that came to mind when he thought of her now.

  He shifted his weight. Yes, she’d saved his life. Conner Mitchum and his mate, Rhea, had teamed up with the princess to take out a Brotherhood cell on Sethos Five. Leo had delayed the cell long enough for Conner and Rhea to save the princess, intending to sacrifice himself for his friends.

  Without Princess Sera, he might have died from his wounds. Perhaps he should have thanked her in person. But she had moved on after saving his life, vid streamers in her wake. The last thing he’d wanted at the time was publicity.

  He gazed at her in her signature white dress, her blue eyes hard and searching around the room. The woman was stunning. Lines around her full mouth denoted anger. What had pissed off Little Miss Shameless? The smile she bestowed on the priest shuffling behind her didn’t reach her eyes. Leo was amazed the man didn’t recoil from the waves of hostility.

  With a flourish, Princess Sera began the ritual.

  Leo knew very little about the event he was attending. Sponsored by Teran Three, religious in nature—but nothing prepared him for the vision that appeared.

  “The old ways bind us, restore us, renew us. We are Starchildren wandering among the heavens seeking the Source.” The princess’s voice cut through the low murmurs in the room until they fell silent. Leo stared at the woman’s face. The hollows in her cheeks were emphasized, and muscles in her jaw tightened to a hard line. The delicate bones in her face seemed to shift until they were sharper, stronger. Power. She exuded power.

  Her hands, long and slender, grasped the sides of the pyramid-shaped altar. Light spewed from the markings, and sparks flew from the tip. The princess’s face lit up with an eerie glow, bluish and frightening.

  Interesting.

  Apparently Princess Sera was full of surprises. Her blue eyes glittered like fire.

  Her voice murmured words in a language he didn’t know, and the stones all over the walls pulsed with light. Her hands rose, her white dress now a bluish hue in the flashing light. He had to shield his eyes from the strobe effect. The crowd around him seemed stunned, frozen in place.

  The princess hummed, her sweet lips pressed together, and
her eyes drifted closed. He strained to watch, dropping his hand, and the illumination stung his eyes. His gaze was riveted by her face and the shift of light across her features. Her fragile beauty was replaced by something stronger, something even more seductive and attractive to Leo.

  Her hands connected together over her head, the clap resonating off the walls. A blinding light flashed, and Leo fell to his knees. He shaded his eyes and glanced around. The woman had knocked them all down with just the clap of her hands.

  Could this be why the assassins wanted her dead?

  Her hands now reached out toward the crowd. “Blessed be the stars that guide us. Blessed be the Starchildren in their wandering. Blessed be.” She brought her hands together again, and the light receded from the room.

  “No. What did you do?” The priest staggered toward the princess and gripped her arm.

  Leo didn’t think. He didn’t consider. Before her guards stepped in, Leo was beside her, twisting the priest’s arm behind his back, dropping him to his knees. The man cried out.

  The princess shot him a glance; her eyebrows rose to her hairline. She turned and gave the priest her full attention. Leo almost shivered at the rage on her face. The lines around her mouth deepened, and her blue eyes glittered. “I performed the ritual as it was done by generations before me.”

  The priest glared up at her. “Where is the altar? Where are the candles? The sacred chests?”

  Leo glanced around. Well, shit. The room had definitely been stripped. He hadn’t noticed the altar and the other items were gone. He was willing to swear no one had come in or out. The blinding light hadn’t lasted long enough to remove the items.

  Power had removed them.

  He held the princess’s gaze. She met his steadily. Still staring at him, she answered the priest’s question. “I sent them back to Placido where they belong. The ritual you demanded was the Star Blessing. I performed it. The items used are drawn to their home. Surely God would not allow such a thing to happen unless he blessed it.” Her glance swept over the priest. “I’m sure you’ll be thankful that God has restored his tools back to their rightful home.”