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  “Wait a minute. You’re taking me home? To your home? Don’t I have any say in this?”

  Her anger set him back. He moved away, facing her as they sat on the couch. “Do you wish to part from me? Do you believe you can—what is that human word?—divorce me so easily?”

  “We’re not married,” she said, causing pain to lance through his heart.

  “In the eyes of my people, you are already mine, Lisbet. I would have you come willingly, but if necessary, I will give you little freedom and no opportunity to desert me.”

  “I’m your prisoner?” Her beautiful green eyes went wide with dismay.

  “Only if you want to be. I’d rather have you as my bride. My loving wife. The mother of my children, if we are so blessed.”

  She sat back, air puffing out of her as if in shock. “This is a lot to take in.”

  “Don’t you want to be with me?” He knew he sounded desperate, but he couldn’t help the way he was feeling. He had to do everything in his power to convince her.

  She looked at him and he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. “This has all happened so fast.”

  He tried a different tack. “Do you believe in a power higher than our own? I believe most humans call it God.”

  “I believe God is female.” Her brows knit, trying to follow his jump in conversation, no doubt.

  “You do?” He grinned again. This was a good sign. One might even say a sign from the divine. “Jit’suku believe in the Goddess. It was She who allowed us to find out destined mates by means of the nij’ta. It was She who guided me to you, I now believe. I have conferred with the High Priest of the Zenai Brotherhood, an order dedicated to Her service, and I’ve learned there is some precedent for human women being the true mates of jit’suku warriors. Now that our races have come into contact with each other, ours is not the first such pairing, though it is the highest ranking. Still, those who came before us will ease our way.”

  “Other human women have been taken to the jit’suku galaxy as brides?”

  “Yes, and I will invite those who have had trouble with their mate’s clans to join ours. Such things have been done in the past and since House Fedroval has suffered such great losses in the recent past, we are well able to support a few more families under our banner. It would also allow you to have friends from your home galaxy nearby.”

  “Is that why you’re doing this? Are you that hard up for a wife that you’ll take any foreigner who happens along? I remember what you told me about being the last of your line. You said no proper jit’suku woman would have you. Is that why you’ve come to me with this proposal?” She looked angry and he had to make her understand.

  “No, my love. If you were jit’suku you would know, one cannot fake the nij’ta. I never expected to find a mate. I’d given up. And then there you were. Now I’m being to understand why the Goddess led me on such a difficult path. She was leading me to you, Lisbet. Only to you. Always to you.”

  “I must be crazy,” she muttered as if to herself, but he heard her. She faced him squarely and spoke in a clear voice. “I can’t get you out of my mind, Val. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but I’m crazy about you and if you think we can make a go of this, I’ll agree to be your wife.”

  “Thank the Goddess,” he whispered as he dragged her into his arms for their first kiss as declared mates.

  A kiss that would have led to so much more if he hadn’t had an interplanetary call standing by. He drew back and stood, holding out one hand to help her up. She accepted him eagerly and he was amazed again by the blessing the Goddess had bestowed on him to allow him to find such a mate when he’d thought all was lost.

  “We have a few formalities to take care of before we can celebrate in true mate style.”

  He led her out of her quarters and to the bridge where they would stand together in front of the com station. Their images and words would be broadcast to all within the ship and a special few on Solaris Prime and many others on Solaris Delta. There would be many witnesses as the Liege of House Fedroval—King of Solaris Delta—officially introduced his queen.

  # # #

  About the Author

  Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.

  Bianca loves to hear from readers and can be reached through Facebook, her Yahoo group or through the various links on her website.

  Website

  WWW.BIANCADARC.COM

  Other Titles by Bianca D’Arc

  Now Available:

  Jit’Suku Chronicles: Arcana

  King of Swords

  King of Cups

  King of Clubs

  Jit’Suku Chronicles: Sons of Amber

  Ezekiel

  Michael

  Brotherhood of Blood

  One & Only

  Rare Vintage

  Phantom Desires

  Sweeter Than Wine

  Forever Valentine

  Wolf Hills

  Wolf Quest

  Tales of the Were

  Lords of the Were

  Inferno

  The Purrfect Stranger

  Rocky

  Dragon Knights

  Maiden Flight

  Border Lair

  The Ice Dragon

  Prince of Spies

  Wings of Change

  FireDrake

  Dragon Storm

  Resonance Mates

  Hara’s Legacy

  Davin’s Quest

  Jaci’s Experiment

  Grady’s Awakening

  Gifts of the Ancients

  Warrior’s Heart

  String of Fate

  Cat’s Cradle

  StarLords

  Hidden Talent

  Print Anthologies

  Ladies of the Lair

  I Dream of Dragons Vol. 1

  Brotherhood of Blood

  Caught by Cupid

  Sons of Amber: Ezekiel & Michael

  Guardians of the Dark

  Half Past Dead

  Once Bitten, Twice Dead

  A Darker Shade of Dead

  The Beast Within

  Dead Alert

  Coming Soon:

  Dragon Knights

  Keeper of the Flame

  Available in ebook – February 2013

  Jit’Suku Chronicles: Arcana

  King of Stars

  Available in ebook – Spring 2013

  Dragon Knights

  The Dragon Healer

  Available in ebook – Summer 2013

  Dragon Knights

  Master at Arms

  Available in ebook – Summer 2013

  Brotherhood of Blood:

  Wolf Quest

  Available in ebook – Fall 2013

  We hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt from the first story in the Arcana series, which is also set in the world of Bianca D’Arc’s Jit’Suku Chronicles…

  King of Swords

  by

  Bianca D’Arc

  © 2012 Bianca D’Arc. All Rights Reserved.

  Prologue

  The Rabbit Hole was well known on the civilian space station for its private booths and intimate atmosphere. The new owner of the small tavern was still, to some extent, an unknown quantity, but seemed a solid enough man according to local gossip. Ex-soldier, went the rumor. David knew Alex would be amused by what the grapevine had to say about him, though they didn’t know the half of it.

  Scoping the area out of habit, Dave noted the wide hall in front of the tavern was very near the mechanical parts of the station, which were off-limits to everyone but specialized workers. Alex must get a lot of traffic when the
shifts changed, being on the edges of the civ area and right near the mech section. Good placement for a business like his.

  Dave entered The Rabbit Hole and was immediately assailed by dim light and the not-unpleasant scent of premium alcohol. It was the perfect atmosphere for a relaxing drink with friends. The bar was cozy and welcoming.

  As his eyes quickly adjusted—a gift of his genetic Enhancement—Dave saw the man behind the bar. Alex had spotted him and waved him over using the hand signals all soldiers knew. Several heads turned and Dave recognized the look of the men sitting around the bar, if not their individual faces. Soldiers. Like him.

  For the first time in weeks, Dave felt at home.

  Chapter One

  Adele Senna re-read the address on the comm from her Aunt Della. The message had come from a small tavern near the mech section of the station, called The Rabbit Hole. Adele was new to Madhatter Station and had reserved living space on the other side of one of the giant rings. She hadn’t ventured too close to the core yet, but was learning her way around as she sought out her beloved aunt.

  The Rabbit Hole looked nice from the outside. Not upscale, but not a dive either, which was a relief. Aunt Della wasn’t known for her judgment. A brilliant woman, gifted with a strong ability to see the future, her aunt sometimes didn’t display much common sense. Or, at least, it seemed that way. Ultimately, her odd actions always had some purpose, but only in retrospect.

  Adele wondered what Aunt Della was up to, setting up shop as a dealer and reader of cards for patrons of this working class tavern. She must have some reason, but Adele was hard-pressed to understand it, even though she had—at times—seen glimpses of the future, just like her aunt.

  The psychic gift ran in the family. As far back as they could trace, the women of her family had been blessed—or perhaps cursed, depending on your outlook—with varying degrees of foresight. Aunt Della was truly gifted, but she insisted Adele hadn’t yet grown fully into her power. Adele wasn’t sure she wanted to. The few flashes of the future she’d received to date had scared the bejeezus out of her. She didn’t know how her aunt dealt with it day to day.

  Adele pushed through the portal and waited a moment for her eyes to get used to the gloom inside. What she could see of the place was clean and well kept. The atmosphere was dark, quiet, and relaxing rather than sinister, as she’d half expected. She saw a couple of big men at the bar as her eyes adjusted slowly, scanning the room for her aunt. The place was set up with small private booths and one long bar area where the men were clustered. Soldiers, they had to be, though they were all in civ clothing. On leave, or perhaps retirees, she guessed. The bartender was built on the same grand scale. Soldiers were bigger than regular human males. It had something to do with their diet and training, she knew, but other than that, she hadn’t paid much attention.

  Unlike many civilians, Adele had no real opinion about soldiers. Oh, she appreciated the sacrifices they made trying to keep the Milky Way Galaxy safe from the jit’suku threat, but she’d never really had any dealings with them on a personal basis. She knew many civ men discriminated against them—probably because they felt small by comparison.

  She’d seen soldiers here and there throughout her travels, and they were all huge and rather intimidating. She supposed a civilian male would feel a little threatened by their towering height and imposing brawn, but she felt somehow comforted by their large, protective presence. Surely, if men such as these were fighting the jit’suku out on the galactic rim, the rest of humanity would always be safe. They inspired that kind of confidence with their silent, somewhat menacing ways.

  Adele swept the room once again but didn’t see her aunt, so she decided to brave the quiet crowd at the bar to ask. She walked to an open space, feeling enclosed by the heat of the big men sitting on either side of her, but she refused to acknowledge the sort of tingly reaction that skittered through her body. It wasn’t fear exactly, but it was definitely something that surprised her.

  “Pardon me,” she said in a voice that carried to the bartender. All eyes turned to her and she found herself the unexpected center of attention. “Can you tell me if Della Senna is here? I understand she’s dealing here now.”

  The bartender slung a towel over his shoulder and walked toward her with a rolling gait that oozed sex appeal. She’d never been this close to a soldier, much less half a dozen of them, and each and every one was solidly built, and handsome as sin. This bartender was perhaps the prettiest of the bunch, with perfectly chiseled features and a confident, friendly expression.

  When he smiled, she felt the bottom fall out of her stomach. He was definitely what her old friend Mary would label DDG—Drop Dead Gorgeous.

  “Della’s on break, but she’ll be back in about ten minutes if you want to wait.”

  His deep voice sent little shivers down her spine. The man was sexy as hell and dangerous to boot. She could feel it crackling in the air around him as he stopped right in front of her on the other side of the bar. She was glad of the hard metal surface between them. His attention shifted to the man seated on her right. A slight nod and narrowing of his eyes was all that was needed to make the other man jump into action. A moment later, he’d drawn a barstool up behind her and politely assisted her to sit.

  “Thank you.” She nodded to the man on her right, surprised by his youth. This soldier was definitely younger than her and his clothes looked brand new. Perhaps he was on leave. She smiled at him, and his face seemed to heat with a flush of embarrassment. She liked the young man immediately. He was polite and a little shy, which surprised her even more. Built like a freighter, she wouldn’t have imagined anything as simple as a smile could fluster him, but apparently it did.

  “What’ll you have, ma’am?” The bartender polished a small glass and set it before her, probably assuming she’d have a typical girly drink suited to the petite glass. Feeling daring, she looked at him with an air of challenge.

  “Do you have any Pearson's Star Ale on tap?”

  The bartender straightened and smiled, taking the little glass away. “Indeed I do. Coming right up.”

  When he turned to fetch her ale, she was treated to a lovely view of his sculpted ass. The man was pure muscle, and his formfitting pants showed his assets off to best advantage. She’d bet he made great tips from the ladies based just on his butt alone. Sighing, she sat back on the surprisingly comfortable stool. She didn’t feel as out of place here as she’d feared. The atmosphere was quiet, but welcoming.

  A moment later the handsome bartender was back, placing a frothy, frosted pint before her. Adele licked her lips, staring at the perfectly poured portion. She had a taste for this particular brew and didn’t partake of it often due to its hefty price, but this occasion seemed to call for it. With relish, she took a sip of the thick, dark ale and the taste exploded on her tongue.

  “Mmm, delicious.”

  She moved to get her credit chit, but a big hand swooped in from the side, pressing a credit chit into the bartender’s hand.

  “Allow me, ma’am.”

  Startled, she looked over to acknowledge the huge man sitting to her left. Blond and blue eyed, this guy was a little older than her. Probably a retiree, and a recent one, if the newness of his clothing was anything to go by. Soldiers didn’t usually have a lot of money to spare when they left the service and this ale was a luxury. She couldn’t let him pay for it in good conscience, though it was a lovely gesture.

  “That’s very kind of you but—”

  “It would be my pleasure. My name is David.” His smile totally disarmed her. It was even more devastating than the bartender’s.

  “I’m Adele,” she found herself answering, though she hadn’t intended to give out any personal information to people she didn’t know on this little sojourn to the far side of the station. But really, what did it matter? She had an instinctive trust of soldiers and there was no doubt about the former occupation of these men.

  “A beautiful name for a beau
tiful lady.”

  The bartender groaned. “You need to brush up your lines, Dave. That one’s as old as the core.” The other men around them laughed and David smiled good-naturedly. He seemed used to the ribbing from his comrades and paid it no mind.

  “Doesn’t make it any less true.” His gaze held hers, and for a moment it felt like only the two of them existed in the whole universe.

  “Thank you.”

  “So how do you know my little Della?” the bartender asked, cocking his hip as he leaned against the bar. The unconsciously sexy pose shook her attention loose from the blond giant at her side and back to the darker-haired bartender. The way he spoke of her aunt was just a little too familiar, and Adele suddenly wondered if maybe Aunt Della had made a conquest.

  Only a few years older than herself, Della was a beautiful woman, if a bit on the spacey side sometimes. Still, this bartender would be just her type, though to Adele’s knowledge Della had never dated a soldier before.

  She shrugged. “She’s my aunt.”

  “Really?” The bartender looked truly interested. “I didn’t know she had family on-station.”

  “I only just got here. This is the first chance I’ve had to look her up. I’m glad to know she’s still employed here. I was afraid I’d come all this way for nothing.”

  “Honey,” the bartender straightened and placed both hands on the bar, his muscles flexing in mouthwatering ways, “as far as I’m concerned, your Aunt Della will always have a place in this bar as long as I own it.” The piercing look in his blue eyes intrigued her. This man knew something, and she had a sneaking suspicion it was her family’s secret gift. He nodded just slightly and her breath caught. The knowledge was in his eyes. It was almost as if…but no…it couldn’t be.