Voices by M J Marlow (uplifting novels txt) 📕

created this situation,” Natan
reminded his friend. “I have made so many mistakes with her; but I
never thought they would mean her loss of freedom.”
“Don’t give in to defeat yet, Governor Dav,” Aitli said
softly. “Your granddaughter is far more resilient than we realize.
She will deal with what faces her.” He smiled briefly. “I have a
feeling prince Tal is unaware of what faces him when that young
couple decides to work in concert with each other...”
Aden took me down to Aitli’s quarters and into the chapel.
A crystal sat on a pedestal and there was a cushioned kneeler in
front of it. Maya was there and she showed me where to place my
hands and forehead and then left me alone to pray. I was trapped in
a marriage of state that I had no wish for and I could see no way
out of it now. Tears flowed down my cheeks and I let them go.
“Aden? Maya?”
I was starting to feel hot and finding it hard to breathe. I got
on my feet and started out of the Chapel, only to find Aden and
Maya lying on the floor of the main room. The air was thicker here
and I could see the mist rising up from the vents. I headed for the
intercom to call for help, but I never made it. Someone grabbed me
and I found myself being forced into the elevator.
Maya woke up in the Infirmary next to Aden who was
going into respiratory arrest as she woke. She got to her feet and
saw the readings. She pushed an intern aside and found the correct
compound. She didn’t know how she knew what to do; the
information just flowed into her mind and she moved in response
to it. Aden opened his eyes as she slipped back into the darkness.
“Maya!”
“She’s all right,” the Doctor assured him. “Just exhausted.”
She looked at him. “What did she give you? It wasn’t a compound
I am familiar with.”
“You shouldn’t be,” Aden told her bluntly. “I am not a
Betazoid, Doctor. You were working on that assumption and
nearly killed me.” He got up on his feet and came to take Maya’s
hand in his, kissing her palm. “I do not know how she knew what
to do, but I am alive because of it.”
“So if you are not a Betazoid,” the Doctor started to ask…
“You are speaking to His Imperial Highness, Prince Aden
Zed of the Hazri Empire, Doctor,” Tal said as he came into the
Infirmary. “Husband to the princess Melaura.” He smiled at Aden
and clasped arms with the man. “It has been too long, my friend.”
“You dare call me friend after what you did?” Aden shot
back even as he returned the grip. “Why did you force this, Tal?”
“I was faced with the arrangements already made when I
arrived,” Tal told him. “It would have looked wrong to your
captors if I had refused.” He looked regretful. “I wish I could have
spared you.” He saw Aden flinch. “They had listening devices
installed in your rooms, Aden.”
“Melaura!” Maya suddenly sat upright, staring off into the
distance. “They have her!”
“Who has her, Maya?” Martha asked as she beckoned to
one of the men who had brought us in. “Call Security now.” She
turned back to Maya. “Who has the princess, Maya?”
“It’s hard to see,” Maya frowned. “They hurt her when they
took her and her vision is blurred and unfocused. We have to find
her.”
I woke up and there was only darkness in front of my eyes.
I remembered that someone shoved me into an elevator and I had
hit the wall hard. I had dropped to my knees, dazed by the blow.
Before I could turn, I had been hooded and my wrists had been
bound behind me. I tried to pull free and someone crouched down
and leaned their cheek against mine. I froze as his harsh laughter
told me who my captor was.
“Stay quiet now, Princess,” Kur’s voice sounded next to
me; “and you won’t get hurt further.”
My mind screamed in alarm and I felt Maya’s answering. I
could feel her following along with me as the Ferengi were taking
me down to a lower level in the station. I could smell oil as they
dragged me out of the elevator and it was cold. I did not fight
them; I was having enough trouble staying conscious. Maya
assured me that security was on the way as I heard a hatch hiss
open and knew we were leaving the station. They would lock down
the station Maya assured me. The relief filling my mind was nearly
my undoing as I forgot to focus on staying awake.
“They’ve locked down the station, Kur,” Zun’s voice
sounded in front of me a moment later. “We’re not getting out of
here.” He slapped the side of my head. “It has to be her! She’s
telling them where she is!”
“Then stop her,” Kur told his cousin.
A fist slammed into my jaw and my head struck the wall
behind me. I fell into the darkness accompanied by intense pain
and blazing stars behind my eyes. I woke up as someone groaned.
At first I thought it was me, but then I felt something touch my arm
and my eyes shot open. I could not see; and I thought it was the
hood that was still keeping me blinded. I realized with mounting
dread that the hood was no longer over my head. It was either so
dark in here that it was impossible to see; or they had hurt me so
badly that I was now blind.
“Who’s there?” I called out as my mind refused to see past
the pain and the fear.
“A fellow prisoner,” a man’s voice said softly. “No, girl,”
he said as I tried to sit up; “you must lie still. They damaged you
before they locked you in here with me.”
“Are you going to hurt me?” I asked as I did as he
suggested. My head hurt so badly now that it hurt to think.
“Of course not, girl,” the man laughed. He patted my knee
and, for some reason, I felt much better. “As long as we are going
to share a cell, we should know each other. I am Durn…”
“The Ferengi who runs the dressmaker’s shop?” I shifted to
take some weight off of my bound wrists and whimpered in pain. I
felt him lifting something to my lips and I let the liquid flow down
my throat. “Thank you, Durn. I’m Melaura Zed.”
“Prince Aden’s wife?” Durn was surprised. “Kur is
outreaching himself again.”
“We have to get out of here,” I said softly; “These Ferengi
are planning to sell me to someone named Nagus Wesh.” I felt him
stiffen. “You know the man?”
“That one is a monster, Princess,’ Durn told me bluntly. I
could feel him trying to pull free; heard the rattle of chain. “We
have to get you out of here!” He patted my knee again and then
looked around the room we were in. He saw something my
squirming had dislodged and picked up the wrench. “We may just
get out of this yet, Princess,” he smiled. He began to strike the
wrench against some piping. “I apologize for causing you pain…”
“Do whatever you have to, Durn,” I said as I bit my lip to
keep from crying.
The banging rebounded through my head and I could not
keep from whimpering as the pain mounted. I made Durn continue,
however. This might be the only way we were getting out of this
situation. I found my way to a corner as far from the banging as
possible and leaned back to calm myself. I had nearly dozed off
when someone came to check on us. I heard Durn’s cry of pain as
he was struck. Then I was shoved down on the oily deck and light
blazed into my eyes. I cried out in pain as the light stick was
moved in front of my face. When the haze had faded, the room was
filled with light and I was relieved to find that I was not blind. Zun
was smiling at me as he crouched in front of me. I saw Durn lying
over in the other corner, bleeding.
“Don’t be concerned with that scum,” Zun said coldly as he
saw my concern. “He is a traitor to his own kind and of no value to
anyone.” He ran his hand over my breasts. “You are such a
beautiful female,” he sighed. “You should know some pleasure
before you become Wesh’s tool.”
“Take your filthy hands off of me!” I spat back at him. He
slapped me and my head struck the wall. He shoved me back down
on the deck and started ripping away my clothing. “Stop it!” I
screamed and tried to fight. He merely laughed and kissed me. I
choked in revulsion and could feel myself losing consciousness.
Then, just as the darkness came to claim me, I heard him cry out in
pain. He fell on top of me, pinning me to the deck. I looked up to
see Durn standing over him with the wrench. He shoved the man
off and freed my wrists. Then he took off his overcoat to cover me.
“Are you all right?” I asked him as I saw the blood streaming
down his face.
“You were being assaulted,” Durn looked at me strangely,
“and you ask me how I am?” He took the keys and weapon from
Zun and helped me out of the room. “You must stay awake,
Princess,” he said as he saw me starting to faint. “We have no idea
where we are or if there are others between us and freedom.”
I nodded and pain exploded in my head. I collapsed to my
knees and Durn helped me up. Without his support, I knew I would
be helpless. We stumbled along a corridor in what was obviously
one of the lower service levels of the station. Knowing I was still
on the station made me feel better. I collapsed again and Durn had
to leave me hidden. I passed out as he ran for the elevators. He
found the access ladder instead. He climbed up it and came out on
the docking level. He heard someone behind him and turned to see
Kur standing there with one of his men. Durn backed away as he
saw the weapon in the man’s hand.
“You really thought you were going somewhere, Durn?”
Kur laughed as Durn was bound again and forced down to the cell
once more. “Where’s the female?”
“Where you will never get your foul hands on her again,”
Durn hissed. He was shoved back in the room and chained. Zun
stood over him with the wrench. “You can’t kill me,” he sneered.
“I have valuable information that must be delivered to your
employer.”
“I won’t kill you, Durn,” Zun sneered back. “I’ll just make
you wish I had.”
I heard the sounds of blows being struck and felt pain –
intense and blinding, but not mine. I opened my eyes and looked
around the room I was in. For a moment, I did not know where I
was. Then it all came flooding back to me: the abduction, the time
in the room with the other prisoner, Durn. Had they caught him
while he ran to get help for me? I struggled to my feet and bit my
lip to keep from crying. I hurt everywhere now, and I was so
hungry that my stomach was cramping.
“Find that girl!” I heard Kur’s voice hissing down the
corridor. “Nagus Wesh will kill us if we lose this female.”
“She can’t be far,” one of his men said. “Zun damaged her
in