by Tana Stone
The doors swished open, and Dorn led the way down another corridor. Vox was too weary to ask where they were going, but he hoped it was someplace that had food or drinks.
When another set of wide double doors slid open, Vox’s shoulders eased. Instead of white surfaces and colored illuminations, this large space was lit only by glowing candles on the small, dark tables and down the long ebony bar. Black carpet covered the floor, and extended to the floor-to-ceiling window that took up the entire far wall and looked out into space.
“Where are we?” he asked.
“The officers’ club,” Dakar told him. “Looks blessedly different from the rest of the station, no?”
The Drexian didn’t wait for an answer as he steered Vox over to the long bar, nodding to the heavy-set, purple-skinned bartender, and ordering three Noovian whiskeys.
A Drexian already at the bar turned and greeted them. “That took long enough.”
“Sorry we made you wait, Zayn,” Dorn said. “The High Command had a lot of questions.”
The new Drexian—Zayn, from what Dorn had said—gave Dorn a quick fist-to-chest salute, and Vox noticed scars across his forearms. He turned to Vox and smiled. “I’m Zayn. The commander thought I might be a good friend for you to have on the station, since I’ve been through some of what you have, as well.”
Vox studied the man, but saw no evidence of an implant.
Zayn must have noticed his gaze and shook his head. “The Kronock didn’t give me an implant like yours, but I was their captive and endured their torture. The implant they put in my head wasn’t visible, but it caused a lot of damage to the station.”
“But it’s gone now?” Vox asked.
Zayn grimaced. “Yes, but the process wasn’t pleasant.”
“And your memories?”
“Unfortunately, I still remember everything.” A dark look passed across his face. “I think you might be lucky not to remember.”
Vox nodded, but he wasn’t sure if he agreed. Knowing that so much time had been wiped from his brain made him feel like he was missing a limb. Even if it had been painful, he thought he’d rather know than feel like a part of his life was a black hole.
Dakar raised his glass to toast. “To lost comrades who have returned.”
They all clinked their glasses before slamming back the contents. Vox winced as the bitter liquid seared his throat, but he welcomed the heat in his belly. At least it took away the numbness that had engulfed him since he’d awoken.
Vox tapped the rim of his glass for another, and the thick-jowled bartender poured him another shot of the green whiskey.
“You don’t remember a thing about your time with the Kronock?” Zayn asked him, leaning closer and lowering his voice. Vox suspected he didn’t want to advertise that they’d both spent time with their enemy. Dorn and Dakar had turned toward each other and were discussing the latest Inferno Force news, giving the two Drexians time to talk privately.
Vox searched his mind, coming up with only a few garbled sounds and swirling images. “Nothing concrete. A voice, but no words that would be helpful. Flashes of pain.”
Zayn nodded. “The pain doesn’t go away so easily.”
Vox dropped his eyes to the Drexian’s arms. “From the Kronock?”
Another nod. “I kept these as a reminder.”
Vox touched his fingers to the metal curving around his temple. “I suppose I have a reminder, as well. Even though I have almost no memories, I have this.”
“You seem upset that your memories are gone,” Zayn said. “Why?”
Vox rotated the cool glass in his hand, swishing the green liquid. “What if I’m responsible for the death of others, or for the destruction of entire planets? With the Kronock, I have no idea how they could have used me, and it makes me ill to think I may have done things to hurt others. I need to know what I’ve done so I can make amends.”
“I get that,” Zayn said.
“Apparently I abducted a human female, but when I met her, she didn’t seem to be angry with me. She was more upset I didn’t remember her name.”
Zayn leaned his arms against the bar. “Your memory loss must have been a shock to her.”
“I need to apologize to her.” Vox took a gulp of whiskey. “Although I am not sure how much I need to apologize for. Did I hurt her? Did I threaten her?” He dropped his head into his hands. “As a Drexian, I would have never done any of those things, but as a Kronock. . .”
Zayn put a hand on Vox’s back. “Human females are more resilient and forgiving than you’d think.”
“Do you know much about humans?”
“A little.” Zayn grinned. “I have an Earth mate who continues to impress me with her intelligence and cunning.”
Vox raised an eyebrow. “They gave you a tribute bride after you returned from being a Kronock captive?”
The corner of Zayn’s mouth twitched up. “She was my reward for escaping from the enemy. Perhaps they will reward you, as well.”
Something niggled in the back of Vox’s brain. Something about tribute brides. He reached for the memory, but it slipped away like smoke.
“Maybe,” he said, although something in him resisted the thought.
Vox didn’t know much about himself at the moment, but he knew without a doubt that he did not want a tribute bride. Now he needed to figure out why.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“This is a bad idea,” Shreya said, as she watched Cerise run around the holodeck. Standing at the door, she marveled at just how much the space looked like the suite in the pleasure house on Lymora III—gilded mirrors, red fabric draping from the gold, four-poster bed, and all.
“The bed was a bit bigger,” Cerise said, then raised her voice. “Computer, increase bed size by ten percent.”
The bed grew in size, and Shreya had to tell herself that it was not the bed where she’d been tied up, no matter how much it might look like it.
Ella stood next to her with her hands on her hips. “So this is where you were taken when Vox abducted you?”
“Pretty much.” Shreya made sure not to let her eyes wander over to the hanging apparatus and the giant X on the far wall. “Not that he used… I mean, we didn’t do…”
“Oh, I know,” Ella said, waving a hand. “I’m sure all the rooms in an alien brothel look like this.”
“They do?” The startled expression had not left True’s face since Cerise had started recreating the suite, and she twirled a strand of her blonde hair nervously as she eyed the straps on the bed.
“Not all of them,” Cerise said as she flounced over, her hair bobbing. “Some of the rooms in the house were really kinky.”
The twist of hair fell from True’s finger. “This isn’t considered really kinky?”
Cerise giggled. “Not at all. There isn’t a single whip on the wall.”
Shreya turned to face Ella. “Thanks again for pulling some strings to get us access. I know independents aren’t supposed to use the holodecks on the tribute side of the station.”
Ella gave her arm a quick squeeze. “You can thank Dakar for arranging it, but I don’t think anyone would have refused you after everything you did to save Vox and after you were kidnapped in the process.”
“Do you think this will work?” Shreya asked.
“I honestly don’t know. If seeing familiar settings can trigger memories then I don’t see why being in a recreated suite where you two spent time wouldn’t shake something loose, but…”
“But he might have more than a simple case of amnesia,” Shreya said. “If removing the implant actually damaged the part of his brain that stored the memories, then nothing will bring them back.”
“And there’s no way to know which it is,” Ella added with a reassuring smile, “so trying this is probably your best bet for getting him to remember.”
“I hope so.” Shreya took a few steps into the room, eying the low table in the middle. “Computer, decrease table size by twenty percent.”
The table
shrunk, and she nodded. That was better. She glanced at the table of liquor bottles in one corner. “There was a bottle of green booze.”
“Noovian whiskey,” Cerise said quickly.
“Computer, add a bottle of Noovian whiskey to the liquor selection.” Shreya said, remembering how much of the whiskey Vox had drunk.
Cerise fluffed a velvet pillow and tossed it onto one of the chairs. “I think it’s ready. Are you?”
Shreya hesitated as she looked at the carefully crafted setting. What was she doing? Did she really think Vox would walk into the holodeck, see the suite, and his memories of her would come flooding back? Maybe. The bigger possibility was that he’d walk in, not have any idea what was going on, and think she was delusional.
“Shreya?” Ella shook her shoulder. “Are you sure you want us to leave?”
“I can stay outside the holodeck in case she needs me,” Cerise said. “I was part of the original experience, so it wouldn’t jolt him out of the memory.”
“You don’t think this whole setup will make him flash back to being one of the Kronock?” True asked. “There’s no chance he could remember the wrong things, is there?”
Shreya hadn’t thought of that, and her stomach tightened at the thought of Vox reverting back to the hybrid version, who was so hell-bent on his mission.
“Impossible,” Ella said, sounding way more confident than Shreya felt. “The Kronock DNA has been removed, as well as the implant that connected him to them. Most of it, at least. The Drexians wouldn’t let him walk around the Boat if they thought there was even a remote chance of him switching back.”
“And if he does, I’ll take care of it,” Cerise said, pulling a blaster out of her pocket.
“Where did you get that?” True asked, starting to swirl a strand of hair on the other side of her head.
Cerise shrugged. “I slip in and out of places easily. No one notices me if I don’t want them to.”
Shreya’s gaze went to the bubble-gum-pink wig, and wondered how that went unnoticed anywhere, but she didn’t say anything. “I don’t think it will come to that, but I appreciate knowing you have my back.”
Cerise winked at her. “I’ve set it to stun, honey. Don’t want to damage that hunk too much, now do we?”
Ella raised her eyebrows at Shreya and gave her arm a final squeeze, as she looped an arm through True’s and headed for the holodeck door. “Well, we’d better get out of here before Vox arrives.”
Cerise gave her a wave with the blaster as she followed them out. “I’ll be right out here if you need anything.”
The double doors swished shut, and Shreya was left in the recreated pleasure house suite by herself. She knew Dakar had agreed to bring Vox to the holodeck, and she hoped they weren’t delayed. Her nerves wouldn’t survive much of a wait.
She crossed to the drink cart and poured two glasses of Noovian whiskey, her eyes trained on the door. Any minute now, she thought, as she walked the drinks to the low table and set them down.
She rubbed her clammy palms on her thighs. Should she be sitting on the bed when he walked in? She swallowed hard. Should she be laying on it? Should she be tied up?
No. She shook her head vigorously. That was too much. Looking down at the green whiskey, she picked up one of the glasses and took a sip. The sharp taste made her shudder as it scorched her throat, but she felt her nerves begin to calm. Before she could decide whether or not to take another sip—or perhaps knock back the entire drink—the doors opened, and Vox walked in.
He stopped when he saw her and tilted his head. “You.”
She concentrated on lowering the glass to the table without dropping it. “Shreya,” she reminded him.
“Of course. Shreya. I remember from the medical bay.”
She bit back her disappointment that the medical bay was still his only memory of her. She swept an arm wide. “Do you remember any of this?”
Vox wrinkled his forehead as he pivoted to take in the suite, his face registering surprise when he reached the apparatuses in the corner. “Should I?”
Shreya felt tears threaten the backs of her eyes, but she forced herself to breathe deeply. Don’t rush it, she told herself. He’s only been in here for a minute.
“This was the room we stayed in on Lymora III,” she told him.
His eyes returned to the giant X, and his gaze went to the floor. “I hope one of those drinks is for me.”
“Yes,” she stammered, picking them both up and handing one to him. “I know you like Noovian whiskey.”
He took a long gulp, wincing as he swallowed. “You seem to know more about me than I know about you.”
“You used to know things about me,” she said, trying hard not to sound accusatory, but feeling childish, nonetheless.
He stared into his glass. “I’m sorry I don’t remember. The doctors say the removal of the implant could have removed all my memories from the time it was put in.”
“So you remember before then?”
He nodded. “The torture and brainwashing is hazy, but it’s coming back to me in pieces. Unfortunately.”
She studied the face she thought she’d known—the square jaw and soft lips—and saw the pain behind his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Remembering had to be as painful for him as his not remembering was for her. Did she really want to push him to remember things that would cause him even more pain and regret? Even though she was glad of the way things had turned out, she doubted he’d be proud of how he’d behaved when he’d been focused on his mission.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “That must not be fun.”
He shrugged and downed the last of his whiskey. “It’s nothing I don’t deserve.”
She took a step closer to him. “You can’t blame yourself for things you did when you were being controlled by the Kronock.”
He gave a brusque shake of his head. “That’s the problem. I don’t know everything I did.” He waved a hand at the room. “I have no idea what happened here, although I don’t know if I want to know.”
She looked at the shaking hand clutching the glass and let out a breath. “Nothing happened here.”
He jerked his head up. “Really?”
She forced herself to smile. “Nothing you need to be ashamed about, at least.”
His gaze scoured her face. “Are you sure? If I hurt you, I need to make amends.”
Shreya shook her head. “I promise you didn’t hurt me. I mean, you did when you knocked me out and dragged me off my ship, but I don’t remember that, so we’ll say it doesn’t count.”
He let out a breath that was almost a choked sob as he pulled her into a hug. “You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that. I don’t know if I would have been able to live with myself if I’d violated my Drexian honor.” He pulled her away and held her at arm’s length. “Or yours.”
Her heart hammered so loudly she was sure he could hear it. His touch had felt so good, even if it had only been a hug. She wanted more. Much more. She gazed into his eyes, searching for that flicker of recognition. That spark of desire that had been there before. But it was gone. He didn’t remember.
Shreya backed away from him, her throat constricting as she did.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his relief fading as he looked at her.
“Fine,” she lied. “The whiskey might have gone to my head.”
He motioned to the chair. “You should sit.” He glanced back at the bed. “Or lie down.”
She couldn’t even look at the bed now without feeling sick. “No, I should be getting back to my side of the station.”
He walked toward her. “Before you go, I want to thank you. I hear I owe you a debt of gratitude for keeping me alive until I reached the station.”
“You’re welcome.” Shreya swiped a hand to open the doors. She needed to get out of there before she broke down and made a fool of herself.
“And I owe you an apology—for knocking you out and abducting you, for taking you to a planet like Ly
mora III, for putting you in danger.” His gaze darted around the room. “For frightening you.”
She steadied herself as she turned back and took a final look at him. “Thank you for the apology, but all those things were worth it.”
“Worth it?” He looked confused.
“You were worth it, Vox,” she said, her voice soft and trembling.
She spun on her heel and ran, not stopping when he called out to her, or slowing down when she heard Cerise’s voice through the haze of tears blinding her way. Instead, she stumbled down the corridor more quickly, away from the warrior she loved.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Vox trudged back to his officers’ quarters, not noticing the stream of aliens passing him in the wide corridors, or the cacophony of chatter that filled the air. His mind was stuck on the look Shreya had given him before she’d left the holodeck.
He was no expert on females, but it did not seem like the look you gave someone who’d been your captor. There was something more there, something pleading in her eyes, but he didn’t know what she wanted.
Dragging a hand across his forehead, he rounded a corner and slammed into another warrior, stumbling back as he tried to right himself. “My apologies,” he said, relieved when he saw it was someone he knew.
“No worries,” Dakar said, picking the tablet he’d been carrying up off the floor. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“No,” Vox said. “I’m to blame. I was distracted.”
Dakar studied him for a beat. “You sure you’re okay?” He lowered his voice and glanced around them. “The Boat can be a tricky place to adjust to. Everyone says it’s the greatest place ever, but it’s not, if you’re used to war-worn battleships and grimy outposts.”
Vox released a breath. “It doesn’t feel like anything I’ve known.”
Dakar put an arm around his shoulders. “I felt the exact same way after coming here from Inferno Force. The last thing I wanted was a place that was too clean, had too many rules, and not enough available females.”
Vox cocked an eyebrow at him as a group of giggling tribute brides passed them. “Not enough females?”