Treacherous

The Necropolis was prepared for their visitors. Guards stood in positions around the murky-lighted hall, flanking the huge columns on the lower level and in pairs on the balcony above. All were armed. It was an attempt to be intimidating and Bell had no doubt it was effective.

Seeing Riddick in the full armor of the Necromonger ruler was impressive. A ghastly caricature of some past ruler covered his face, making him seem strange and dangerous, and big. His size was more obvious in the hulking armor.

Riddick took his seat on the throne and Bell couldn’t stop her heart from beating erratically. He suddenly was transformed into an awesome figure of strength and power. Before he got all that armor off she’d have to take advantage, right where he sat.

He turned his head to catch her looking at him. Had he picked up on her thoughts? A cock of his head and a slow nod was followed by a brief touch from his apparition. She smiled. Oh, yeah, he’d gotten that message.

A stern look from Vaako got her moving to the Quasis chamber. It was behind Riddick and therefore it was planned that she’d be out sight, out of danger, yet still be able to see the proceedings. More guards took their position outside the doors as added precaution.

Vaako continued to stand at Riddick’s right hand, heavily armed. He was the only man in the room not wearing a helmet.

Bell might belong to Riddick, but she couldn’t help admiring Vaako’s grim beauty. His unwavering loyalty to Riddick, and grudgingly kind heart had been glimpsed several times through conversations. He was a man worth saving.

She’d met his wife, through bars, luckily. Dame Vaako exuded greed and hatred. Bell couldn’t imagine how a sober man like Vaako could have chosen to be with that spiteful wench.

Riddick’s thoughts brushed hers, a touch of surprise there as he picked up on her appraisal of Vaako. She watched his head turn to look at the man beside him and she grinned. Having discovered from Ramsey that Riddick was capable of anything she had to wonder if Vaako was in danger. It was amusing to think so.

Only minutes passed before a group came in the far entrance. She gave up her trivial musings to concentrate on them. The far walk was made to daunt, and it did. Looking around them in awe, the four men grouped tighter. One man took point, leading them forward, while eight or so Necromonger guards at their back kept the pace moving.

“You have impressive security,” the man at the front said as he stopped below Riddick, but still a considerable distance away.

Riddick just nodded.

“As the new Lord Marshal we have much to agree upon. Necromongers have depended on the Universal Defense Militia Corps for many years now.”

“The Lord Marshal knows of the pact between our organizations,” Vaako spoke, his voice sounding both authoritative and bored. “He wishes to know what benefits you get from the agreement.”

Traded glances within the group. “As always, we make no demands. Our agreement has always been verbal.”

“We’re verbal now. What do you want?” Riddick asked, his voice low.

One of the men at the back, the youngest, started and looked around more fearfully. Bell grinned to herself. She let her apparition loose, closing her eyes to feel them better. Fear from all of them in different degrees. The front man was earnest. Stupidly corrupted, but earnest. The two at the back were ignorant, only along for the ride, so to speak. It was that last man she didn’t like. He showed little fear, and much interest. He was the highest ranking man there, but was allowing someone else to speak. Self-preservation.

“Should the UDMC implore for a certain planet to be introduced to Necroism, you have done so. People are needed for your conversions. We just indicate those we think would best serve you.”

Bell nearly laughed out loud. What a load of crap. It was a politically correct way to say they sic the Reaper on anyone in their way.

“Where would Militia stand if there were no more conversions?” Riddick asked.

Vaako turned his head to look at his lord, obviously bothered by this. Bell didn’t know if Riddick noticed it.

“We would be concerned.” The man at the front smiled, trying to look friendly. “And curious.”

Riddick raised his hand and suddenly the guards all moved in, weapons drawn, effectively making a wall to surround their guests. Who were now prisoners.

At a silent signal from Riddick Bell moved out. Dressed in colors to match Riddick, hair pulled back, the bruising on her face not nearly gone.

Riddick stood and waited for Bell to come up to stand beside him before slowly lifting off his helmet.

The murmurs of worry and anger silenced. The four men stared up at them.

“Your silence says you recognize us.”

“What sort of trick is this?” the man at the front demanded. A hand on his arm from the man just behind him silenced any further speech.

Vaako stepped forward, “There is no trick. This man is our new Lord Marshal and you would do well to show your respect.”

“This cannot be!”
“What is she doing here?”

“You already know the answer to that. Did you think you could mess with mine and not draw my attention?”

Bell stood proud beside the raging giant. He was beautiful, and that he was acknowledging her children as his made her heart throb.

“What are you worth to the Militia?” Bell asked. “Worth the freedom of three children?”

Three of them looked at the fourth. He didn’t respond, his jaw hard with anger. Of course they weren’t. They were expendable, and they knew it.

“Vaako! Call in the troops. We’re going to pay Militia’s home world a visit. Get this armada off the ground.”

“And them?”

Riddick stared down at the nearly cowering men. “Lock them up for now.”

Vaako moved out of the Necropolis, obviously having plans to set into motion. Riddick followed, not sparing his new prisoners another glance. He stopped in the entryway when he saw, or felt, that Bell had stayed behind.

She stood before the lead Militiaman, the one that hadn’t spoken, “You pretend to protect the people with one hand, while you arm the enemy with the other. Play with lives like they’re insignificant toys. Train killers, then dump them in slams as criminals when they don’t do your bidding. So is this such a surprise?”

Circling them, she stood back a step, enjoying their indignation and fear. “You trained him because you saw his potential. Loved him when he became the best. Then regret dumping him so much that you steal innocent children.”

“Those children are beyond talented.” It was one of the men that hadn’t yet spoken, an older man, and after he spoke he almost looked surprised that he had.

Bell lashed out at him, not physically, but just stepped forward. Unplanned, the force of her enraged apparition was enough to knock him back into the other three. It unfortunately didn’t hurt him. “Those are my children you’re bragging about! I don’t need your tests to know what they are. They’re Furyan. You treat them like freaks when you should consider them gods to your pathetic existence!”

“Bell.”

She let her face show disappointment. “Your trained assassin is trying to talk me out of killing you. Now isn’t that ironic?”

Before she left she nodded to the guards. “Separate them and strip them.”

They didn’t hesitate to follow her command.

~~~~~~

In the halls of the Basilica Bell summoned Necro’s to her. With bent heads they spoke. The group walked just in front of Riddick, but he caught little of their conversation.

Sometime in the past day or more Necromongers had dressed Bell. The result had him adjusting the discomfort in his pants. She’d chosen not to go with the skin-tight, shoved-in look that he’d seen the Elite women wearing. Her dress was long, brushing the floor when she walked, but she was able to take full step due to a split in the side. The problem was that the scaled fabric might be loose fitting, but still hugged her every curve. It hugged her so well the pattern of her ribs could be discerned in his unnatural vision. She was still sickly thin from her encounter with Militia, but that curve of her ass was the same, and her breasts, now held perfectly displayed, were maybe more impressive than before.

Yeah, the dress was good, but she wasn’t wearing it now. He almost wished she was. She’d strolled into the Necropolis just before this meeting wearing black pants and tunic, a smaller version of his. It had stopped him in his tracks. Lust wasn’t something he allowed to control him. On the run it had been a distraction, something that would get him killed. But suddenly with all this free time he’d been paying attention to his more natural urges, and Bell was more than eager to help him with that.

One woman split off from the little group around Bell, heading down a hall in a rush at whatever purpose she’d been given. Then a young man split away. Finally the last two left and Bell turned to him.

“You take to command quickly,” he murmured.

She frowned. Her apparition touched his, feeling him, then pulled back. She smiled, having found reassurance in whatever she’d detected in him.

He felt a moment of unease that he was so open to her. Had he made a mistake? Taking Bell to the Quasis had made sense. He knew what the possible result could be. Or at least he’d thought he had. He had figured she would come away with anywhere up to the same power he had, and that had been unsettling. Knowing what he could learn and do with the presence he could control didn’t make him want one in his direct vicinity. But he respected Bell, even trusted her, and maybe he needed her too.

He hadn’t anticipated that she’d be even more powerful than him. The Quasis had been even more upset by her than they had been by him. Called her a Guardian. And she’d killed one of them. When they’d been at him he’d held them back, and even invaded their thoughts. The strength that it would take to actually kill one was foreign to him. If Bell could kill the Quasis with all their strength, what was she capable of doing to others?

“You don’t fear me, do you, Riddick?” She asked her question with a teasing grin, but he could feel the hint of seriousness.

Riddick circled her, appearing casual, but watching her expression as well as feeling her presence. “I don’t recall handing over the reigns to you.”

“Did you want them?”

That actually surprised him and he truly considered it. “No.”

Bell reached up and patted him on the cheek insolently. “Then do shut up, dear. I’ll consult you on any major decisions, My Lord Marshal.” She dragged out his title mockingly. “But otherwise I can take it from here.”

They were nearing their chamber and it took just a second for Riddick to grab her and haul her to behind closed doors. She yelped her surprise but didn’t fight him.

An ‘oomph’ of sound was pushed out of her when he dropped her on the thin mattress. He was removing clothes before she’d even fully landed.

A few buttons here, a yank there, and a couple tugs at their clothing was all it took to expose them enough. She was smiling as he came down on top of her, entering her easily.

“I’ll show you what you can take,” he growled, giving her words back to her.

Her arms and legs wrapped around him. The smile she’d worn was reduced to just a quirk of her lips as her gaze became distant, her face slackening more with his every movement.

Around them there wasn’t any clear definition to their individual apparitions. Thickly laden with all their emotions, they were mingled as if one. Joined bodily and more, their climax was shared and powerful.

Bell sighed beneath him, her smile becoming dreamy for a few seconds and he could have smiled too. Within her apparition she couldn’t hide from him, but then the same was true for him. They were open books to each other, easily read and understood, at least this close and relaxed.

His suspicions were put to rest instantly. Bell didn’t covet the power of his position, but only the tool to retrieve her children. She wasn’t stepping over him, and in fact didn’t want to be here without him, or attempt a rescue without him.

The strain of his suspicion eased away and he sighed his relief. Now he didn’t have to kill her.