Dark Prince Ch. 03

The princess turned on her heel, forgetting her dress and ran toward the stone wall.

Angel blinked, surprised, scooped up both dresses and ran after her, "Wait! Victory, I haven't told you everything."

Angel skidded to a halt. The stone wall wasn't a wall at all. She craned her neck back, her eyes taking in the height of the stone pyramid before her. She couldn't quite make out the top. The stone used to build the monstrous pyramid was dark amber, and the sun's glare upon it made it look as if made of gold.

"Angel!"

Closing her gaping mouth, she followed Victory's voice to an opening in the very center of the pyramid. The narrow tunnel sloped down, lit by strange glowing stones. Victory waited for her a few paces in, grabbed her hand, and pulled her as she ran the rest of the way deeper into the stone building.

By the time they reached the end of the tunnel, Angel was out of breath.

"What are you doing here?"

Victory's stern voice made Angel look up. They were in a large chamber...the same one from her visions. The floors were made of mosaic tiles surrounding a pool of shimmering water. Columns encompassed the entire area around the pool where four black spheres rested upon silver pedestals. There was a bridge right across the center of the pool and in the middle of the bridge, there was an altar.

Angel's eyes barely registered her surroundings, her attention centered on the three...were they women? Angel couldn't really decide. They were even taller than Victory, muscles bulging everywhere. They wore a one-piece flight-suit with heavy boots the same shade of red as the pearlescent material of their uniform. One of them had skin as black as pitch, with silver eyes and hair. The second one had eyes the same eerie shade, but her hair was cobalt blue and her skin fair. The third one had golden brown skin, hair and eyes.

She was the one who spoke first. "The sacred pyramid of the southern hemisphere has been defiled, princess Victory."

Victory hesitated a moment, then turned to Angel. "These are our Master Guardians, Onyx, Sapphire, and Topaz." She turned back to the women. "This is Angel. She has the archangel of Edenia."

The Master Guardians' eyes went round.

"Then it was him! Devon found them," Onyx exclaimed turning to her companions.

"But then why didn't he come to set the rest of them free?" Topaz questioned biting her lip.

Sapphire covered her face and moaned. "This is not good."

"What is going on," Victory ground through clenched teeth.

The three master Guardians looked at her, then at each other with a grimace.

Onyx turned back to the princess and Angel as the others bowed their heads in apparent shame. "Three hundred years ago, some of our hunters struck a bargain with one of the Edenian Master Guardians. One of our sisters became pregnant by one of them and produced a boy."

Victory's gasp echoed around the chamber. "B-but our race hasn't had a living male child in over three eons!"

"Apparently," Sapphire assured, "the Edenian Master Guardian was able to impregnate Diamond with a boy."

"Where is she? Why did we never hear of this?"

"Diamond, as well as us, do not agree with our culture." Topaz spoke now. "She left so that her son would not become an Utuduodian slave. We've never heard from her again."

"What about this bargain with the Edenian Master Guardian?" Angel interjected.

"He said that if the hunters captured them, they could all mate with them... and have boys also," Sapphire answered her.

"We didn't know what was going on until the convoy returned." Onyx scowled, her voice angry. "We're not supposed to interfere with the policies of our planet, but had we known what they were going to do, we would have stopped them."

"Afterwards it was too late." Topaz shrugged, lifting her arms in a helpless gesture. "The war had started and we barely had technology to defend ourselves. If the L-O-S ever learns that it was Utuduodian hunters that spurred the war by leaving the incoming galactic dignitaries unprotected, they might give our planet the death penalty."

"Which one of them impregnated Diamond?" Victory demanded.

Onyx snorted. "Your guess is as good as mine. We have all had sex with each and every one of them, many times."

"Except the youngest one." Sapphire added. "The females never allowed him to romp with the others."

Angel gaped at all of them. They'd had sex with Devon?

Many times—a deep feminine voice whispered into her mind. Angel felt something pushing into her mind, a vision... Devon's pale body entwined with Onyx's dark one; the ebony of his hair mixed with the silver of hers; a study in black on white, thrusting, arching, crying out.

Angel could not bear to see more, but the image would not leave her mind. "Stop-it," she snarled, her hands going up to her head. Automatically reaching for her dagger, Angel leapt toward Onyx.

Victory's arms wrapped around her, pulling her back, "Are you out of your mind, woman? They're Master Guardians!"

"Her aura is tainted with his essence." Topaz observed. "They've been intimate already."

"I'm still a virgin," Angel spat.

To her mortification they laughed.

"Stop-it!" Victory admonished. "I want you to set the rest of the Guardians free."

***

The Utuduodian Master Guardians transferred the spheres to a space station orbiting the planet. The station looked as though many siglons had passed since it was last used. Victory explained that they no longer kidnapped males, but purchased them from slave markets.

"And that's supposed to be better?" Angel snapped.

The princess gave her a sympathetic look. "Angel, I promise you, when I become queen, I plan on doing away with the whole male slavery. Things are changing on my planet. Women are all much kinder to their pets, but we still have a long way to go. The males on the planet only know one life and that is to please a woman."

"It's unfair, Victory. Not having a choice to control your own destiny."

Victory bit her lip apologetically. "I've already suggested schools for boys. Later on we can implement other things, like teaching them skills so they might become full functioning citizens in our society."

Angel thought of Venushti. They didn't even allow their males on the planet. What would it be like if both planets combined? Males and females together.

***

Purple light engulfed the spheres, making the black, glassy substance evaporate. Four black vipers appeared. Angel held her breath as the Master Guardians used their combined powers to open the Vipers. There was more of the icy substance inside.

Onyx explained they needed to remove the Edenian Master Guardians from their transports to continue to revive them safely. They also decided to re-animate each of them individually in case something went wrong and they did not make it.

"We wouldn't want to kill them all."

Angel's eyes widened. She had no idea the process was so delicate. Goddess, how had Devon survived? All the Edenians had done was burn the orb down with lasers.

This time red rays engulfed the frozen matter. Slowly it became translucent and a figure emerged.

The girl was still in a reclining position. Onyx said she would project into the Master Guardian's mind what had happened. Hopefully, the woman wouldn't go into shock. Angel watched as the dark matter faded. The girl's expression was angry, her jet-black curls gleaming as brightly as her eyes. She was beautiful, with almost the same coloring as Devon.

Her eyes blinked and the expression of anger turned to shock. She began to move with the help of the Utuduodian Master Guardians. A little smaller than Angel, her body was delicate. Her softly rounded breasts pressed against the stretchy black material of her uniform. Her hair, swept back into a high tail, reached the middle of her back, exposing a pixie-like face.

She stood straight for a few seconds as Onyx fed her the information she needed to know. The woman's face grew paler by the second, until her pretty eyes rolled back and she fainted.

She didn't fall far. The Guardians kept her from hitting the floor with their power. They transferred her to an examining table and the next sphere was put in place to re-animate.

Angel swallowed. Devon's precious angels. Had he found the other two? How did he manage to do that? Maybe one of the slaves had told him. Lotekin perhaps.

The next Edenian Master Guardian made Angel's eyes bulge. Though he was not as tall as Devon, his body was amazing. Thick arms and thighs, his chest massive; he was built like a beast of a man and yet his face... he had the face of an angel. His hair was deep gold, and fell in gleaming waves well below his waist. His vivid blue eyes widened when Onyx pumped his mind with the same information given to the black-haired beauty still unconscious on the examining table behind them.

As soon as he was able, he ran to the woman and held her. Angel watched as he kissed her face repeatedly and called her gently. She moaned and blinked open her eyes.

"Zak?"

"It's okay, baby. I'm here."

Her eyes widened as she looked around. "Is this a joke? Please say it's a joke! Three hundred years?"

Both Zak and the girl called Rowie stared at them. Angel saw their bewilderment and vulnerability, and felt pity.

"We need to awaken the last two." Sapphire said already placing the next one on the re-animating pedestal.

This time Angel gasped when the third angel came into view. Onyx, Sapphire and Topaz snickered.

"Ah, yes. Remien Fyre."

His hair was the color of blood, deep-deep red. Cut shaggy around his head, it fell like ribbons of crimson over the sinews of his lean body. Unlike the other two Master Guardians, this one had no shirt, his arms tattooed with intricate black tribal markings, both coppery nipples pierced with tiny silver hoops and his eyes shimmered green-gold. The devilish grin he wore gave Angel the chills, even as it faded into a shocked O, showing a silver metal stud on his pink tongue. His lower lip also had two small hoops to either side.

She couldn't stop staring at the man's shocking features, blushing furiously when she realized his hand was curled around his cock, visible in the open V of his black pants.

Then, without warning...he ignited into a ball of red-gold fire.

Angel stumbled back, her spine pressed to the wall in the re-animating chamber, her hands clasped tightly against her ears. He roared like a terrifying beast. The other Master Guardians in the room shot beams of power toward him, trying to keep him in control. His growls and snarls grew deeper, the ball of fire swelled, and for a moment, Angel thought he was going to transform into something else. His eyes glowed a bright green, his nails elongated into claws and the beginnings of pointed teeth showed in his open mouth.

"Remi, calm down!" the one called Zak pleaded. The others also echoed his words, but it was the first girl they'd awakened that he fixed his glowing green gaze on.

She used her power like a leash around his neck, slowly pulling him toward her. The fiery glow around him disappeared and his features became normal again.

"Rowie," he whispered stumbling toward her.

For a moment all they did was stare into each other's eyes.

Angel felt it; a crackling in the air around them. They were attracted to each other. It was plain for all to see.

Remien reached for Rowie. The sound of the stinging slap she gave him reverberated throughout the room.

"You bastard!" She screamed at him, making Angel wince. "This is all your fault!"

Zak rushed over and hugged her, giving the stunned Remien an apologetic look. The red-haired man only hung his head and walked away to the far end of the room.

Through the streaks of red that spilled down his back, Angel could see another tattoo. This one was a red dragon.

She couldn't take her eyes away. His pants barely covered the curve of his ass, showing two beguiling dimples on the upper half of the meaty globes.

His head turned and she was suddenly engulfed in his green gaze. Rowie's red handprint was still vivid on his cheek. He turned away and began to fix his pants, obviously tucking himself back in.

He remained observing the others, leaning against the wall, hands stuffed deep in his pockets, sulking.

Angel shook her head, admonishing herself for staring at him, only to have her eyes entranced once more.

"Lucien," she breathed.

Devon described him often enough, but the reality was far beyond anything she could imagine. Lucien's hair was spun gold, a million shades and variations, tumbling over wide shoulders. The ice blue of his eyes settled on her and narrowed slightly. His nostrils flared a bit over full sensuous lips that were designed for the pleasure of kissing.

Angel turned her face away, surprised at her thoughts. He was a man. Little by little, her promiscuity grew more prominent with each passing sun cycle. She needed to control her whorish nature.

Angel turned and exited the room. Her boots clicked on the polished floors of the corridor. When she reached a portion of the corridor that looked as if made of glass on one side, she stopped and took a deep breath.

Now what? The Edenian Master Guardians were back. One of them betrayed the others, but who, and why? Her mind replayed the awakening of each of them. Rowie seemed very distraught about what happened. Zak hadn't really reacted except to comfort Rowie. Then there was Remien's reaction. Angel frowned. He'd been quite violent. If it hadn't been for Rowie...

Her skin tingled all over and she caught the reflection of someone standing behind her in the glass wall of the corridor.

With a startled gasp she turned. Lucien towered over her, his face expressionless. He was as tall as Devon. Her eyes traveled lower. They also had the same exact physique; broad shouldered, muscled arms and chest, slim hips flaring out to strong thighs. When she looked back up, she felt her face heat. The corners of those lush lips turned up the tiniest fraction and his eyes glittered with interest.

Angel took a step back.

His lips moved. "We're leaving."

She had to reach back and hold on to the glass wall. His voice was deep, sinfully male. Angel swallowed. "What about Devon?"

The smile faded a bit. "He's in Alpha 7 with the others."

"What? But he was here this morning. How did he find the others and..." Lucien's golden brow lifted in amusement and she realized how stupid she must sound.

"He told me to tell you that he's ready to go with you to Venushti."

Angel turned away from him. They were communicating telepathically again. Why didn't Devon speak directly to her? She wasn't sure she wanted to go back to Venushti now.

"I was sent to retrieve what remained of the sacred stone." Her words sounded ridiculous to her. He remained silent, but in the reflection of the glass she saw him looking her over from head to toe. He wasn't leering. On the contrary, he bore a frown quickly replaced by a bland look when she turned to face him again.

She opened her mouth to say more, but he took a step back. "You'll ride with me. Let's go."

He took about three steps before she followed. His blond hair fell halfway down his back with a gentle wave on the ends. Angel Felt as if she were gazing at Devon if not for the blond hair, their build and height identical.

Just before they reached the door, he raised one hand and flicked his fingers, without slowing his long-legged stride. The door opened as he stood aside and waved for her to go in first. Another difference between Devon and him; Lucien used his powers more.

Inside the room, Zak was still holding Rowie, murmuring something into her ear. She sniffled and nodded, her hand curled up against the massive wall of his chest, her other arm around his waist. Angel mused they looked like lovers.

Lucien stopped just behind them. "Are we ready?"

Angel shivered again at the sound of his voice. Goddess help her, what was wrong with her? She crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath.

Rowie let go of Zak, turning tearful eyes to Lucien, and nodding.

He smiled at her, his hand coming out to cup her cheek. "It'll be alright, baby. We've only had each other all these years after all."

"Oh, Luke...but Annie...her baby..."

Luke's hand fell away. His muscles tensed and his back grew straighter. "We've got to go now."

Zak and Rowie nodded. Luke's hand touched Angel's back softly, guiding her toward one of the Vipers. Angel turned her head to look back at Remien. He still leaned against the wall, but had put a black shirt on. His red bangs were almost in his glittering green eyes as he peered back with an angry scowl on his face. Lucien's gaze followed Angel's.

"Don't make me have to go after you. We meet with Dev, sort this shit out, then, if you want to, you can go to hell for all we care."

"Luke," Rowie whispered.

Angel looked at the girl and her chastising glance at the blond Master Guardian.

Lucien snorted. "I can't believe she's sticking up for him. I never will understand love-hate relationships," he muttered under his breath.

To this, Rowie scowled. "There is no love-hate relationship between me and that conceited prick."

"She's going to end up fucking him," Lucien mumbled.

"I heard that," Rowie tossed over her shoulder.

Behind them Remien snickered.

When they reached the Vipers, Luke called out to Remien. "Wait just a minute." The red-haired Master Guardian cursed under his breath.

Lucien turned to Angel. "Please don't hate me, but I swear, if I have to go after that ..." his eyes looked back with annoyance at a scowling Remien, "...bastard, I will throttle him." He turned back to Angel. "Don't think Devon will like that very much. He tends to over-protect that red-haired devil. You don't mind riding with him? If he veers off course, just slit his throat." Luke looked back at a Remien. "He likes pain."

Angel's eyes widened, her gaze going back to Remien who was adjusting his crotch with a bored look on his face. "Seriously, what if he takes off with me?"

"Then Devon will be all over his ass."

Angel grimaced. She wished they would speak plain stantongue. The image his native jargon elicited of Devon on Remien's ass was too arousing for Angel.

"Rem, she's riding with you."

Remien's eyes went round. "Me?"

Angel approached tentatively, expecting him to burst into another ball of fire. He only stared at her, with those mesmerizing green-gold eyes rimmed in black.

The top of his Viper rolled open. Angel took a deep breath and scowled. He scowled right back. Angel hoisted herself into his Viper.

Once inside, Angel cursed inwardly at the pod's small interior. Her eyes went over the small bowl-shaped cushion, then looked back at Remien.

His tawny brows drew even closer over his eyes.

"Perhaps if you pull up your legs I won't have to sit on your lap, lady."

Angel gaped. She'd almost expected him to take advantage of the situation. Remien Fyre obviously did not want to touch her anymore than necessary.

With an insulted grunt, she drew her knees to her chest. The were-dragon turned to look at the other Vipers as they sealed themselves, his eyes lingering on Rowie's frowning face.

Angel saw his longing and smirked. His head snapped back around, eyes narrowed.

He jumped into the Viper, startling Angel with his speed. His long legs curled underneath him as the top of the Viper rolled over, sealing them in. Those dragon-green eyes never left her face. "She's attracted to me. She just won't admit it." He sniffed, nose up.

Angel's answer was a derisive snicker.

Remien's eyes narrowed to mere slits as he leaned back against the glass. For a long moment, he just looked Angel over, lips pursed.

Everything was dark, yet the were-dragon emitted a soft glow. Devon was right. He was amazing... breath taking.