Nojan (The Vartik King Chronicles Book 2) Read online

  Nojan

  The Vartik King Chronicles Book 2

  Liza Probz

  BrixBaxter Publishing

  Contents

  Find Liza Probz

  Description

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Want More?

  Check out Book 1!

  Insider Group

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Find Liza Probz

  https://www.lizaprobzauthor.com/

  Description

  I’ve known three things about myself forever.

  I’m a slave, slated to serve the feline king as oracle, and I’m hideous.

  The last one hurts the most, but the people in the palace never fail to make sure I know it and know it well.

  But things always change, and finally, it’s my turn.

  Unfortunately, a snap decision brands me a murderer.

  I’m forced to flee, but fate shines her face on me.

  In the process of running, I bump into the most handsome human male I’ve ever laid eyes on.

  Even in my embarrassment as a murderer, I am more concerned with hiding my ugliness than getting help, but he will have none of it.

  Is he the savior my mentor spoke of? The one that would free me from myself completely?

  I sure hope so.

  Introduction

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  Chapter 1

  “Do you think Daddy will kill her if he catches her?” Demaylia spoke softly as Mayra combed the long silky patch of hair between the girl’s pointed ears. Her cat-like eyes moved around the mirror before her as if trying to pull some secret from the glass.

  “I would imagine so.” Mayra glanced up and offered a soft smile before returning her eyes to the creature before her. As servant to the Vanfian king’s youngest daughter, she was to keep quiet, eyes averted, and only respond when prompted. It was a lesson she’d learned quickly to keep herself from gaining the attention of anyone in the palace.

  “What could be so important that the human girl would risk her life?” Demaylia huffed and got up, walking languidly toward her window. She tugged back the curtains as Mayra set the brush down and turned her back to the mirror. There was little to no desire to see the ugly creature that stared back at her. The Vanfians abhorred humans and had made it quite clear that Mayra would be no different. After hearing for more than ten years that she was disgusting to have to look upon, she had begun to believe it.

  “She was a thief.” Mayra crossed her arms over her chest as the princess turned and pulled her long green robe closed.

  “Still, what would be worth stealing when death was the punishment? Nothing.” The girl shrugged and walked toward the door, not turning back to offer Mayra a thank you for the hour-long grooming she’d given the teenager.

  The Vanfian creatures were like none other in the galaxy. They resembled a humanoid cat that could walk on two feet and speak much like the humans on Territh.

  “Are you wanting me to attend you?” Mayra asked and dropped her hands to her side as the child’s question raced through her mind. She knew exactly what would have forced Jazmine Vallum to steal from the Vanfian king. Desperation. The look in the woman’s eyes the day she arrived at the Vanfian castle under the guise of wanting to visit and spend a night with the powerful ruler was full of desperation.

  She stole because she had to. That, or she was unbelievably stupid. Rantel, Vanfia’s king, would never stop searching for her in an effort to mend his pride.

  Mayra moved down the long hall of the castle behind her, making sure to keep her eyes averted. Various guards and dignitaries spoke words of praise to the girl as they moved toward the lounging room where Rantel sat on his throne in silence.

  “Father, I have a question.” Demaylia moved toward the throne, bowing only for a moment before taking a few more steps toward the ruler of their people.

  His eyes were heavy with what appeared to be exhaustion. “Yes, child? Make it quick. I’m awaiting a report from the interstellar cops, and I’d rather you not be here when it arrives.”

  Mayra averted her eyes and tried to breathe through her mouth to keep herself from gagging. The king was nearly twice her size, and his bulbous frame was covered in spiky black hair. His dark green robe always seemed to be gaping open at the front as if he didn’t mind letting the whole planet see his undergarments, which consisted of nothing more than a pair of small red underwear. The stench was due to him being in mating season.

  Vanfian mating fluids were said to have special powers and would fetch a fair price on the black market. Due to the king’s situation, the number of guards around the palace were tripled for the next month. Once he mated and settled back down, things would get back to normal.

  “Have you found the human who took my jewels?”

  Mayra glanced up in time to watch Demaylia put her hands on her hips and take a stance with the king that anyone else would have had their head ripped off for.

  “No, but we’re looking, my sweet. She’s been taken to another planet, I’m sure. I lack clarity on which one we should begin looking, but she’s had help for sure.” He brushed his paw over his lips and smoothed his whiskers back before moving his gaze toward Mayra. “Have you learned how to unlock your gift yet? You’ve been given more time than necessary.”

  Mayra kept her head down and walked to stand beside Demaylia as she bowed low. Having been sold into slavery as a child, she knew no other life.

  “No, Your Highness. I will work with Terap to see if she can help me.” She kept her eyes low as the king scoffed.

  “Do it quickly. You’re of the age to shift you into a harem. If you’re not who the oracle Terap believes you to be, then let’s move on with things. Your virginity is yours until the power inside of you is unlocked or disproved, not that anyone within my castle would be happy with receiving you, but you’re a warm body, as it were.”

  “Father!” Demaylia barked. “How crass.”

  “It’s true, child. The sooner you learn your place is high and lifted up above the commoner, the better for you.” He slumped down in his chair as Mayra lifted her eyes only for a moment. The thick mucus dripping down his chest from his nipples caused her stomach to turn.

  �
��Meet with Terap now, Mayra. She’s in the Highland Gardens teaching a class today. Go find her.” Demaylia touched the side of Mayra’s face and smiled. “It will work out. I promise.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Demaylia. I’ve told you this a million times.” The Vanfian king laughed loudly as Mayra turned and scurried out of the room.

  A sadness that seemed to reside on her shoulders worked its way deep inside of her again and dragged her into the murky pit of depression that awaited her. She would never have a life other than the one she’d been given by the gods. And why? What had she done to deserve such a future? There hadn’t ever been a terse word or unkind murmur spoken from her, nor would there be.

  Life was too short to tear someone down. She knew all too well what it felt like to be stripped, beaten, and left to die—physically and mentally.

  The snickers that resounded behind her as she moved through the long hallway out into the smoldering heat of the mid-morning sun left tears gathering in her eyes. Why it mattered what anyone thought was beyond her. Sixteen years of bending her knees to the Vanfian royal family, and Demaylia was the only one who really acknowledged her presence, her humanity, at all.

  “Where are you going, slave?” A high-pitched voice stopped her in her steps. Nothing was worse than having to encounter one of the female guards on Vanfia. The women were dominant and ruled the house, as was the custom on this planet, leaving the king as the only dominant male in all the land.

  “I’ve been advised to seek counsel from Terap. I’m told she is in the Highland Gardens.” Mayra made the mistake of glancing up from her feet.

  The sharp slap of the guard’s paw against her face caused her to step back and gasp.

  “Keep your eyes on the ground where they belong. Don’t think for a moment that you’re granted the right to interact with our people as a commoner might be. You are not! You’re the shit on our feet and nothing more. Understood?”

  Mayra nodded and moved around the guard, hurrying her steps until she reached the edge of the garden. Only then did she lift her head and reach up to wipe the blood from her cheek. The Vanfians had sharp, albeit small, claws that weren’t used in battle for anything much, but they could do damage in a domestic fight.

  Terap’s voice flooded the space before Mayra, offering comfort like nothing else might.

  “One more deep breath. Hold it. Hold it. And release. Good. That’s all for today. Find yourself something sweet to eat and rest for an hour. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Terap moved back and turned lightly as Mayra stopped beside the large group. The older woman motioned her to come closer, and Mayra hesitated.

  “Come, child. No one will hurt you here.” Terap extended her paw and tilted her head a little. “Did someone strike you again?”

  “Yes. It is no matter, though.” Mayra forced back the hard emotions beating inside her chest. There was no time to feel sorry for herself. She was soon to become a breeding ground for young Vanfian males to work out their aggression and practice their mating rituals on. Being a part of the planet’s harem was a fate worse than death. Getting put in her place by a castle guard was nothing compared to the horror of where she was soon headed.

  “Of course, it is.” Terap sighed and put her short arm around Mayra’s waist as they walked toward a stone bench that sat a few feet from the crowd. “Come. I have a small health kit with me. You tell me why you’re in search of me, and I’ll fix you right up.”

  A smile lifted Mayra’s lips. “As if you don’t know why I’m here. I’ve run out of time, and I would rather die than—”

  “Hush.” Terap released Mayra and moved to sit down as she let out a long sigh. Her light grey fur had begun to darken over the last year, and her usual upbeat attitude was dimming as well. She was fading from her duties as Oracle of Vanfia. How much longer did she have? And who would take her place when she was done?

  The entire kingdom was concerned about a future where Terap wasn’t their seer. The vision the older woman had entertained the day Mayra arrived on Vanfia was that she would be the next oracle, but no one had ever heard of a human from Territh being part of the royal court. It was unheard of and made life far more difficult for Mayra than it should have.

  “I’ve been warned again this morning that if I don’t unleash my powers that I’ll be thrown to the harem as the whore they expect me to be.” Mayra jerked back as the older woman wiped softly at the cut on her face. “I’m not sure why they would want me in the harem. No one can stand to look at me.”

  “Because you’re beautiful.” Terap smiled and patted her shoulder. “They tear you down because they fear you. To attack your beauty is the best weapon they have. You do not know where you truly came from or where you are going, but this?” Terap patted Mayra’s cheek. “This beautiful face is all you have in the world. To destroy your image of who you see when you look in the mirror is their greatest weapon.”

  “Right.” Mayra glanced down and brushed her fingers over her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles in the rough fabric. “Well, it’s worked. I hate the way I look. It sickens me to see a mirror.”

  “Then they have won, child.” Terap pushed her small paw under Mayra’s chin and forced her to look up. “You are the next Great Oracle, but you’ll not be here to serve.”

  “Pardon?” Fear raced through Mayra’s chest. Were they going to kill her? When?

  “I believe a savior is coming for you, child. Be ready.”

  “What?” Mayra moved back and stood. “I’m not leaving. They’ll kill me if I leave and am captured.”

  The older woman laughed and crossed her hands in her lap. “They will, you’re right, but I’ve had a vision, a bright one.” Mayra knew that was Terap’s name for particularly powerful visions. “The savior should be the one to open your gift. Be ready to receive him.”

  “Is he a god?” Mayra crossed her arms over her chest and tried to stop herself from shaking before it began. No luck.

  “No. He’s a king. Take heart and give him the key to unleashing your power. The journey ahead of you is worthy of your attention. It will replace all the horror of your past and give you hope for a future that even I would sell my soul for.”

  Mayra nodded and turned as several guards headed their way. “When will he come?”

  “Soon.” Terap moved around her and patted her arm softly. “Soon, child. Be prepared to run.”

  Chapter 2

  Jazmine is pregnant.

  Nojan couldn’t help but hope once more that his future might look very different from the one that seemed laid before him.

  As a prince of Vartik, he was destined to rule the land and marry a woman of its blood. Neither opportunity turned him on in any sense of the word. The heat between Marek and his human mate, though? That scorched him. Seeing Marek having been brought back to life emotionally and given a future that broke the chains of the past was thrilling.

  After changing into something more formal, he rushed through his father’s mansion to head down to the celebration that would end their Week of Kanz. The harvest was in and the planet had gathered not only to enjoy the first fruits of their seasons of work but to hear from his father, the king. He would surely tell the people whether the omens had spoken and moved the crown from his head, only to be placed on his eldest brother Marek’s head.

  The excitement in the air was palpable as he walked out of the mansion and jogged down toward the center of the kingdom. Everyone had already left the mansion, which meant he was highly likely to be in trouble for tardiness. It wouldn’t take much more than a sweet look and a few apologies and his mother would melt. His father was a different story.

  A smile touched his lips as he spotted his brother and Jazmine. Her dirty-blond hair danced in the wind, brushing over her shoulders and lifting the smell of baked goods in the air.

  Nojan breathed in deeply and moved around to face his eldest brother, soon to be King of Vartik. Another six months was all he had, and it would seem that Marek wo
uld ascend the throne with a bride and twins in his arms. It was a first for their people, but seeing that Jazmine was thought to be one of the light twins gifted to the King of Territh by his mistress, the light goddess, she would be welcomed. Vartiks were worshipers of the great Goddess of Light, so to reject her daughter Jazmine as their next queen would have been not only ignorant but potentially deadly.

  Sadly enough, Nojan had yet to fully prove who Jazmine was, but all the signs pointed in the right direction.

  Marek’s dark gaze shifted and moved across Nojan’s face as his eyebrow lifted. “What are you up to, brother?”

  “Greetings to the upcoming King and Queen of Vartik. What say you?” Nojan stifled a smirk as he bowed low to the ground.

  “You’re drunk as a skunk.” Marek shook his head and released the hold he had on Jazmine. “I’m going to go wish my parents well on their speech. Come to the center stage and bring Nojan with you? You’ll see it.”

  “Of course.” Jazmine’s eyes followed him before turning her attention back to Nojan as he stood to his full height. “What did you drink to put you in such a good mood?”