Betrayed

By Danika Jeffries

Pirate, scoundrel, traitor... Jax Amari is known throughout the galaxy as the man who betrayed his people and gave up his royal title for a life of crime. But Jax hasn't been as disconnected from Erumar as most people believe. Working as a spy for the crown, he's learned about a movement sweeping the galaxy - a push to topple the Erumari from their position of power.

Sasha Kylpeter is a member of the royal guard, working to protect the palace and Queen Jessalyn Amari, ruler of Erumar. The work isn't what she'd hoped though, and she knows that there's something missing in her life. Bitter and unhappy, Sasha is looking for more.

When a twist of fate brings them together, Jax sees an opportunity to help Sasha get the recognition she craves. But a life of piracy is difficult and dangerous, and scoundrels are not well known for being reliable or trustworthy. Can they be stronger together than apart? Can they work together to survive the treacherous path they're navigating?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Danika Jeffries
• Release date: Jul 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310319549

Danika Jeffries

Danika is new to the genre of romance, but has been writing fantasy for a few years now, under her real name.

Book preview

cover-image, Betrayed

Betrayed

An Elementalist Novel

Danika Jeffries

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2016  Danika Jeffries

Discover other titles by Danika Jeffries at Smashwords.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.  If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.  If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

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

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Dashing down the corridor of the ship, alarm klaxons blaring loudly enough to wake the dead, Jax nearly ran down his gunner, who was coming the other way.

Watch it! he snapped.

Sorry, Captain! the young man shouted back, not pausing in his own mad dash to his station, his red hair bouncing around his shoulders as he jogged by.

Reaching the ship’s cockpit, Jax slid into the captain’s chair, blue eyes narrowing as he quickly glanced at the various readouts in front of him.

Who the hell tripped the alarms? he demanded, not taking his eyes from the instruments as he took control of the ship from his second in command. Jerking the controls hard to the right, Jax then dipped the nose of his beloved freighter, throwing it into a dive toward the moon. Well?

Shooting a quick look sideways, Jax noticed that his second at least had the grace to look embarrassed. The man was obviously the one to blame, and the pirate captain pursed his lips in displeasure. 

Incoming! came the warning from farther back in the cockpit, Jax’s navigator picking up the first of Vullan’s ships on her screen. 

How many?

I’m tracking five, Sir, Gwen reported. There may be more.

Jax swore, running a hand through his wavy brown hair, a sign of frustration. Turning his gaze toward his second, he shook his head slowly.

I swear, Ridley, he told the man, if we lose our haul, I’m going to hang you out an airlock. Vullan wasn’t the most prosperous of planets, but they produced some of the most unique dyes in this area of the galaxy. The textiles and raw dyes they’d liberated from one of the merchant store houses down on the planet would pay the bills for a few months, and Jax really didn’t want to lose it. Being constantly on the run was expensive, to say the least.

Proximity alarms added their bleating to the general din in the cabin, saving Ridley from Jax’s cold, blue stare for the time being. As the captain pulled up on the controls, sending the freighter skimming across the cratered surface of the moon, Ridley sighed.

I’m sorry, Boss, he said quietly, closing his brown eyes and lowering his head. I don’t know what happened.

You fell asleep, Gwen was quick to supply, and Jax frowned. He knew that the navigator was gunning for Ridley’s job, and while he didn’t mind a bit of friendly competition to keep his crew on their toes, he wasn’t interested in backbiting and the like.

Why didn’t you wake him, then? Jax demanded, his voice hard. He couldn’t afford to turn away from what he was doing to see the look on the woman’s face, but he could guess that Gwendolyn likely wasn’t impressed. A competent navigator, he rarely had reason to chastise her.

Regardless of why they were currently running from Vullan’s planetary security, the point remained that the pirates needed to get out of the system as soon as they could. Their cargo was about as illegal as one could get in this particular part of the galaxy, and even though Jax was already a wanted man, he would prefer not to be caught carrying it.

Plot a course toward Erumar, Jax ordered just as he heard the freighter’s guns fire. We’ll push it as soon as we’ve got the space.

Erumar? Ridley gasped. Are you insane?

"Really? You think that now is a good time to question my decisions?"

His second immediately stopped talking, and Jax caught movement from the corner of his eye as Ridley turned toward his station and took control of the monitors from Gwen, leaving her to plot the course. The ship rocked as one of the patrol fighters exploded beside them.

Chase got one, Ridley reported. No sign of reinforcements from the planet yet.

Jax reached over and flicked open the ship’s communication channel. Parker, he called out to his security specialist  Get to the other gun and help Chase.

The freighter shuddered, nearly throwing Jax out of his chair and to the floor. There was a brief, loud whine, and then the ship’s speed dropped considerably.

Vikki! Jax yelled. Please tell me that wasn’t my engine!

I could tell you that, the voice of his engineer answered through the speakers, but I’d be lying.

Jax swore, loudly. How long to get it back up?

Not sure, Vikki told him. I’ll do the best I can.

Jax tested the controls, happy to notice that maneuverability hadn’t been lost, at least. 

Parker here, the last of his crew said, checking in. Powering up the gun now.

How do we get out of this? Jax asked aloud. We’re running slow, with four fighters on our tail. 

Three, Ridley corrected him, a holler of victory from Chase and an explosion behind them indicating another hit.

Jax pulled up a little, having reached one of the odd forests that dotted the moon. There wasn’t anywhere to hide, not with security so close on their tail, and without full engine power, they wouldn’t be able to outrun them, either.

I think we’ll need to shoot them down, Ridley said, echoing Jax’s thoughts. And quickly, before they call in friends.

Hear that, boys? Jax called out to Chase and Parker. It’s all up to you.

No pressure, Chase answered, and Jax could practically hear the smile on the young man’s face. The newest member of the crew, Chase hadn’t yet had time to realize that a pirate’s life was often a difficult one, not to mention dangerous.

Turning his full attention back to the topography around him, Jax looked for obstacles he could use to help shake their pursuit. Seeing a canyon ahead and to the left, he nudged the ship in that direction, dropping downward.

Let me know when the fighters drop in behind me, Jax commanded. Chase, Parker, get ready to fire when I pull back up.

The freighter’s weapons would be practically useless in the tight confines of the canyon, but Jax felt that the trade-off for some protection was worth it. Sparks erupted just ahead, as one of the fighters missed his shot and hit the rock wall.

Got a fighter on our tail, Ridley reported, and Jax immediately jerked upward on the controls. As the freighter lifted up, Chase and Parker both fired, the fighter exploding into flaming debris a moment later.

Two left, Ridley stated unnecessarily.

Engine will be up in a couple of minutes, Vikki reported, making Jax smile. They might just sneak out of this alive yet.

Gwen, you got that course plotted? Jax asked.

Yes, Sir. I’ll patch the coordinates through to your console now.

Fighter dropping in behind us, Ridley stated, eyes glued to his screen. And… now!

Jax started to pull upward again, but the last fighter dropped down into his line of sight, lasers aimed directly for the nose of the freighter. Reacting on instinct, Jax used his Elementalist gifts and pulled the power from the engines of the ship ahead, stalling them and causing the fighter to plummet to the bottom of the canyon. He had to get rid of the energy he’d just pulled out of the ship though, so he directed it as air to fan the flames below them, sending the fire spiralling upward to catch the last fighter.

Shit! Chase exclaimed. That was close! We could have been vaporized by those flames!

Not likely, Parker muttered over the comm. I’m sure the shields would have held.

Jax was glad somebody was sure, because he certainly wasn’t. Shaking his head at his own stupidity, he eased the ship up and out of the canyon. He could have fried them all, to say nothing of the fact that he could have given away the fact that he was an Elementalist, exposing a secret he’d been keeping for nearly two decades.

Any more fighters? he asked, and Ridley shook his head.

Not yet, at least, his second added.

A whirring sound and a shudder, and the freighter suddenly leapt forward. Jax pulled up on the controls, heading up and out of the moon’s thin atmosphere and into the openness of space.

Engines are back online, Vikki called out to state the obvious, and Jax smiled as he set the course Gwen had plotted.

Good work, everyone, he informed his crew. Just so you know, we’re heading toward Erumari space right now, subject to change. We’ll clear the Vullan sector within the hour, and then we can all relax for a little while.

He leaned over to flick off the onboard comm channel, and then glanced over his shoulder toward his navigator.

Why don’t you go take a break, Gwen, he said, though his tone of voice indicated that it wasn’t a suggestion. Mr. Harington and I need to have a little chat.

With a small smile, the woman did as she was told, flicking long light brown hair back over her shoulder as she started to walk away. 

What was that, Rid? Jax asked softly so that Gwen wouldn’t hear him if she was still lurking outside the cockpit. You’re not usually careless.

His second shook his head, black hair falling into his eyes. I don’t know, he said, his voice sounding strained. Maybe I fell asleep, like Gwen said, or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention… I honestly don’t know what happened.

Ridley had been with him since the beginning, and Jax had never known the man to make this sort of colossal mistake. Well, don’t make a habit of it.

Realizing that Jax wasn’t going to yell, scream or throw things, Ridley smiled. I won’t, he promised. So… Erumar? Why?

Jax sighed, running a hand through his hair again. 

We need to intercept a ship, he told his best friend. I have to get a message to Jessa.

Ridley grimaced. I think the work you do for your cousin is far more likely to get you killed than anything we steal or smuggle.

Jax could only agree. Ever since defecting from the Protectorate years ago, he’d made his way through the galaxy stealing and selling goods… mostly illegal goods. He’d built up contacts throughout various systems, and travelled far outside the sectors closest to his former home, but in all that time, Jax had also worked as a spy for the Erumari crown. A trained Elementalist, gifted with both Air and Life talents, Jax had a combination of powers that made him ideal for getting information that nobody else could access, and Ridley was the only one outside of the highest ranking members of the Erumari government who knew of Jax’s double life, though Jax’s powers were secret even from him.

Casper Holidran will be on a medical shuttle between Miralea and Erumar, Jax explained, naming one of the three heads of Erumar’s government. If I can intercept him, I can pass along my information and we’ll be on our way.

And what possible reason could you give for intercepting a medical transport? Ridley wanted to know. That’s bound to look suspicious.

We’re after the medical supplies, Jax replied with a smile. There’s a war brewing, after all. They’re sure to be in demand, to say nothing of the fact that we could use a bit of restocking ourselves.

Ridley let out an exasperated sigh, the puff of air blowing his hair back out of his brown eyes briefly. 

Any chance you’ll tell me what’s so important?

Jax shook his head. What you don’t know can’t hurt you, he told his friend. If you think you can handle keeping the freighter on course, I’m going to head back to my cabin and finish the work that you so rudely interrupted.

Ridley made an inappropriate gesture and Jax smiled as he pushed himself up out of his chair and made his way back toward his cabin. He’d been in the middle of getting the details of Casper’s trip when the alarms had sounded, and he wanted to go over what he’d found for Jessa once more before meeting up with the head of the Elementalist academy. With luck, this would be a quick transfer of information, and then Jax would be free to roam once more… mostly.

His cousin, Jessalyn Amari, was queen of Erumar and one of the people Jax was currently forced to answer to. When he’d first come across rumblings against the Erumari and their immense power a few months ago, he’d decided to insert himself into the Movement, sure that it was something his uncle, then king of Erumar, would want to know. The fact that Jax was disgraced and disowned by his family, and hunted by his people, made it reasonable that he’d want to be part of the Movement to drop Erumar out of planetary politics and power. So when Jessa had asked him to find out about a certain rogue Fire Elementalist a few weeks back, Jax already knew exactly who she was looking for… and why.

The problem was, Jax had come to realize that this wasn’t just a little insurgency of disgruntled merchants and the like. No, this Movement was far reaching, and Jax had no idea who was behind it or what their ultimate goal was, beyond bringing Erumar to heel somehow.  As he’d taken part in little tasks for the Movement, sharing information that everyone knew he’d have at his disposal and running supplies here and there, Jax had somehow come to the attention of someone higher up the food chain. Someone who realized that Jax may not be as alienated from Erumar as most thought he was. Someone who wanted Jax to prove himself.

So now the pirate was faced with a difficult choice. What should he tell Jessa about the coming attack and the rogue she was hunting, and what should he keep to himself? If he wanted to be useful to his cousin and his people in the long run, Jax knew that he needed to be higher up in the Movement than he was now, and there was only one way to do that. He was going to have to betray his people… again.

Chapter 2

Closing in on the transport now, Gwen announced, her voice cutting through the rather tense atmosphere of the cockpit.

Engaging stealth capabilities, Jax answered, leaning forward to key the appropriate sequence into his console. The technology to cloak something the size of a freighter from sensors took up a lot of energy, so he used it very rarely. Of course, it was technology he shouldn’t have at all, but that was nothing new.

Are you sure that you want to do this? Ridley asked quietly, his concern for his friend evident. That’s a Protectorate transport.

Jax took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. I have to, Rid, he replied just as softly. And yeah, I know it’s a risk. You know what to do if everything gets fucked up.

Part of the reason Jax was still alive, given his chosen path, was because he always had a contingency plan, and that included a plan for those times when he had to put himself out on a limb to get word home. There were numerous ways he used to get messages to Erumar — previously to his uncle, and now to his cousin — and there was a backup plan in place for each scenario. His crew thought he was nuts, but Jax knew that is was better safe than dead.

We’re in range, Gwen stated, and Jax opened a channel to Chase.

Engines first, then communications, he reminded his gunner. And just disable them please. I don’t need the Protectorate coming after us for destroying their transport.

Sure thing, Captain! came the gunner’s happy reply, and Jax couldn’t help the smile that touched his lips briefly. That boy sure did love his job.

The pirate knew that his crew was still nervous, going after a military target like they were, but they all knew that the money would be worth it. Once Jax had called up the list of the usual medical supplies carried on transports like this one, along with the black market price list for those same supplies, there had been no argument over his choice of their next target. In fact, assuming things went reasonably well, Jax was planning to let the crew take a bit of a break. They could all use a vacation from his crazy life, and they’d all have the money to enjoy the down time properly.

Space in front of him seemed to ripple as Chase fired their pulse weapon, a cannon designed to temporarily disable their targets. Cloaked as they were, there was absolutely no way the medical transport should see the shot coming, and sure enough, Chase scored a direct hit. Jax watched the lights of the transport’s energy drive cut out, and their radio immediately picked up the pilot’s distress call.

Mayday, mayday, the pirates heard. This is Erumari Medical Transport SC-841. We are under attack from an unknown ship.

Better hurry up, Chase, Ridley called out over the comm. We don’t want company.

What is your location and heading, Transport SC-841? a voice from Erumar’s military communications answered.

We are currently just outside Erumar’s gravity, at —

The pilot’s voice cut off as Chase’s lasers took out the medical transport’s long-range communication array.

Nice shot, Chase, Jax complimented the young man. Leaning forward, he adjusted the frequency of his freighter’s radio to match that of the transport, and opened a channel.

Erumari transport, he said. You have no weapons, cannot call for help, and cannot escape. Surrender now, and prepare to be boarded.

Jax immediately closed the broadcast channel, but kept the link itself open. He also disengaged the stealth tech, knowing that there wasn’t any need to hide when they were about to attach themselves to the other ship.

Gwen, monitor that channel for their surrender, he told his navigator, getting up from his chair and gesturing for Ridley to join him. And maneuver us into boarding range.

Yes, Sir, the pretty brunette said, slipping past him in the tight confines of the cockpit.

Parker, Chase, join me in the airlock, Jax ordered. We’re heading across.

Moving swiftly through the corridors of the freighter, the pirate checked his weapons. His energy level was good, so he’d have his abilities available to him if needed, and Jax knew that the med bay of the transport he was about to enter could support his energy needs, if required. As a master-ranked Elementalist, Jax could use energy from a wide variety of sources to power his energy manipulations, and he avoided using his personal energy at all costs. Unbalancing his energy and his aura was very hard to correct when nobody around you knew what you were.

You can extend the airlock anytime, Captain, Gwen told him. They’ve surrendered.

Ridley keyed the appropriate sequence to extend and attach their airlock to the medical transport, just as Parker and Chase arrived from different areas of the freighter. Jax could see a variety of weapons on all of his crew members, and he smiled grimly.

Everybody ready? he asked, glancing around to meet the gaze of his crew. Just in and out. We’re only after the medical supplies.

Their transport shuddered as it made contact with the medical ship, and Ridley opened their end of the airlock while Parker took out the tools he’d need to open the hatch at the other end.