“The colonists?” Somehow she’d assumed the colony had perished. Most of the colonies in the Abandoned Zone had died without the technology of the First Federation to support them.
“New Hope was struggling but still viable when we left. Blane and I were lucky. A disabled freighter landed on Kyffin and needed two replacement hands. But I’m not sure how happy the rest of the colony was that we were the only ones to get a trip off-world.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“You think they might hold a grudge?”
“My sister might. Her husband had died, and we left her with two children to support.” Ryol smiled. “But I’ve come armed with bribes. Your cargo hold is full of food and supplies for New Hope.”
Ange relaxed a hairsbreadth. She’d wondered what was in all those boxes. Ryol seemed lost in his moneymaking plans again, his momentary interest in her forgotten. Good. The merchant was less susceptible than most men to her uncanny charm but she’d just found out he was not immune. She’d have to be more careful.
“Tomorrow will be a long day,” she said, seizing on any excuse. “Jake and I need to be alone to prepare for the final approach.”
“Whatever you say.” Ryol paused for a long, greedy look at the screen that showed the third planet from the sun dead ahead. “Home at last—to a world of magic.”
Magic? Ange frowned at the merchant’s retreating back. If Kyffin was so magical, why had he ever left it? And what ingredient did it possess to make such an unbelievable perfume?
Chapter Four
Ange paused in the doorway to the landing bay and studied the two brothers. Ryol stood with his hands clenched at his sides as if ready for battle as he stared out the portal of the airlock. His rigid posture set off warning bells in her mind. Blane looked more relaxed. In contrast to Ryol’s rich merchant robe, he wore a soft brown tunic and pants tucked into knee-high boots of supple leather.
She stepped into the bay, her footsteps clanging on the metal deck. Hearing her, Ryol turned from the viewport with a worried frown.
“Nothing’s changed.”
She stopped a safe distance from both brothers. “You sound surprised. Did you expect to find it different?”
He hunched his shoulders and brushed a hand through his thinning black hair. “I suppose not. Guess I thought the colonists might be dead. Looks like most of them are kicking, though.”
Ange coughed to hide her surprise at the unfeeling way he discussed the possible deaths of people he must have known very well. Hadn’t he mentioned a sister? She glanced at Blane to catch his reaction. He leaned against the outer wall of the bay and crossed his arms, his face impassive.
Angry and not quite sure why, she made a small gesture of impatience. “You almost sound disappointed. I thought you said you left family behind on this world.”
“I did.” Ryol had the grace to look embarrassed. “The colony was dying when we left Kyffin,” he added. “This is a pleasant surprise.” He didn’t sound especially pleased.
Blane stared at his brother, scorn in his eyes. “Admit it. You expected them to be dead. Now you’ll have to give up those supplies. Still, it’s a cheap price to pay for what you’re getting.”
“You’re mistaken, brother. I’m pleased,” Ryol said in a smooth voice. He turned to Ange. “There’s not much to survive on where the colony is located. Can’t farm. The forest that surrounds the buildings is almost impenetrable. We got by with a few garden plots near the main buildings and by hunting game.”
Ange was about to ask why a colony had ever been located on such a site, but a sharp glance from Blane froze the question on her lips. The less she knew about the brothers’ business the better. She planned to walk away from the whole thing the moment they landed back on Tau Delta. Instead, she strode over to the port and cast a wary eye over the four concrete buildings set a short distance from the landing pad. The uncomfortable knot in her stomach tightened. She didn’t like setting down on an abandoned colony world with no knowledge about the situation. She’d love to send Ryol scurrying out of her ship—and good riddance. As far as she could tell, the man had ice water instead of blood in his veins.
They’d landed a half hour ago, and so far they’d seen no sign of the colonists, although the ship’s sensors picked up life signs in the concrete buildings. Ange was certain they watched her ship from somewhere behind those windows, waiting for the hatch to open. If she were commanding the settlement and a strange ship had landed, she’d order it surrounded. The back of her neck pricked as she stared at the tall trees that encircled the small colony. The wide trunks formed a massive barrier and their shiny silver-green foliage hid anything that might lurk within that forest.
Reaching for a switch, she flipped on the external sensors and cocked her head. The quiet outside was eerie. She didn’t blame the colonists for staying concealed in their buildings, waiting to see who or what would emerge from the Hawk’s Flight. She’d tried to radio the colony when she’d started her approach, but no one had answered her calls. Now the Hawk rested dead center on the landing pad, a mere half a kilometer from the buildings. To the colonists, her ship must loom as an unknown threat.
Not that she had expected a warm welcome. A colony like this one, abandoned by the Federation, stranded on the edge of explored space, was on its own and visitors often had their own agendas.
As Ryol and Blane Llewelyn did.
She pursed her lips in disapproval as she took in the poor condition of the landing pad. “Looks like they don’t bother to maintain the landing facilities anymore, either. I’d bet we’re the first space ship to set down since you left.”
Ryol’s lean face darkened. “They’re fools, then. Their only hope is for someone to land and offer them a way off this godforsaken planet.”
Blane moved to a viewport and scanned the buildings. “We’ll want you to accompany us when we go outside.”
It sounded like a command, not a request. Ange bridled. Ryol nodded in agreement and he’d paid her. “If you wish.” Lowering her head, she touched the communicator clipped to the neckline of her jacket and spoke to Jake. “I’ll be leaving the ship in a minute. Cover me.”
“No worries, gorgeous. The gun is charged and ready to go.”
Ange frowned. If she ever caught the programmer who’d added flippancy to Jake’s subroutines, she’d break his bones with her bare hands. She saw no humor in the situation—the colonists might well be hostile. It was comforting to know the ship’s laser gun guarded her back, but it was her front she was worried about.
She made a rude sound into the communicator and tugged on her jacket. Like all her clothes, it was several sizes too large, its baggy shape hiding her body from prying eyes. She opened the front seam and pulled her stun gun free of its shoulder holster to check the charge. She tucked the holster back under her jacket where it couldn’t be seen, took a steadying breath and reminded herself that she was rough and tough, the product of a hardscrabble childhood. Whatever was out there, she would deal with it.
Ryol had noticed her action. “I doubt there’s anything to fear, captain. We’ll be welcomed with open arms once they learn about the supplies in the hold.”
Ange suppressed a grimace of disgust. “Yeah, but whoever’s watching us from those buildings doesn’t know about your bribes yet.”
“I assure you, the colonists are a peaceful lot.”
“Whatever you say. You’re the expert here.”
Ange tugged her jacket into place and straightened her shoulders. If Ryol was so happy to be home, why did he keep running his hands through his hair? With a shrug, she tapped her fingers over the control panel to open the hatch to the airlock. “I’ll go out first,” she told the brothers over her shoulder. “Don’t follow until I give the all clear.”
Holding her hands high in the air, Ange descended the ramp and walked out on the landing pad. Her nostrils twitched at the unfamiliar scents that assailed them. Kyffin stank. All worlds stank. Raised in space, she much preferred the filtere
d air she’d breathed most of her life.
“We’ve come with supplies and food,” she shouted at the silent windows. “I’ve brought back two people you know—Ryol and Blane Llewelyn.”
Ange paused at the bottom of the ramp, waiting, poised to make a life-or-death dash back into the ship if they opened fire. She’d done this more times than she liked to count on many of the lost worlds, taking risks for those who sought some rare product.
A shout from the dull concrete building about forty meters from the ramp broke into her thoughts.
“Ahoy, the ship!”
She dug her nails into her palms and scanned the building for the source.
To her relief, a door opened and a woman strode into view.
“I knew both of them once,” the woman shouted as she walked toward Ange. Her pants were a size too big and patched at the knees, and the rough brown tunic she wore looked homespun. Gray streaked her long, braided hair. She crossed the empty space between the landing pad and the building with a determined stride and halted two paces away from Ange. Giving her a curt nod, she stared at the open cargo bay door. “Ryol and Blane are my brothers. Where are they?”
A loud clang sounded at the top of the ramp as a boot struck metal. Ange tore her gaze away from the woman to glance over her shoulder. Ryol stood in the hatchway, his impatience obvious in his stance.
“I told you to stay put until I gave the all clear!” she shouted. Curse the man. A passenger who couldn’t obey orders in a dangerous situation was trouble.
Ryol started down the ramp, his lean face hard with some purpose of his own. “Sharlene knows me.”
The woman standing in front of Ange let out a bark of bitter laughter. “Yes, I know him—too well.”
Ryol walked past Ange and held out his hand to his sister. She ignored it. Disgust was written across her features. “I’m surprised you dare to show your face here again.”
“Sharlene!” Blane’s shout came from the cargo bay door. His sister looked up and smiled.
He pounded down the ramp and threw his arms around the woman, gathering her into a fierce hug. “You’re alive! Thank the gods!”
“Blane.” Tears sprang into Sharlene’s eyes. “I knew you’d come back someday.” She turned to face Ryol. “But did you have to bring him?”
Blane laughed and shrugged. “He paid for the trip.”
His sister’s eyes widened. “How? Don’t tell me he—”
Blane threw a warning glance at his sister.
Ryol coughed. “Sharlene, I want you to meet Angela Bennett, the captain of the Hawk’s Flight.”
Sharlene nodded, her gaze sweeping over Ange with no sign of friendliness. Dismissing her with a single look, she faced Ryol. Passion blazed in her gaze. “I can only think of one reason why you’ve returned to Kyffin. And if I’m right, you’re not welcome here. What you found in that meadow is not meant for humankind.”
Ryol took a threatening step toward Sharlene. “I didn’t travel forty light-years to ask your advice.”
Ange grabbed her passenger’s arm, pulling him up short, as two other men came running out of the building. Her fingers formed an iron vise, holding him still. “Watch it, you’re about to start a fight.”
Sharlene held up her hand to the two men running to her rescue. “It’s okay.”
At her signal both men stopped a few meters away, but their eyes watched Ange and her passengers with frank suspicion.
“It’s Ryol and Blane. Go back to the others and let them know we’re not in any danger.”
Both men looked startled and their suspicion changed to curiosity. Surprise and relief warred on their faces, but obedient to Sharlene’s command, they turned and headed back toward one of the buildings at a trot.
Ryol yanked his arm free of Ange’s grip. His lips pressed into a thin line. He shot a quelling look at Blane. “So you blabbed about the meadow before we left Kyffin.”
Blane glared at his brother. Ryol had grown accustomed to calling the shots as a rich merchant on Tau Delta. Well, now they were on Kyffin again. Things were about to change.
He took Sharlene’s hand in his. “I told my sister. Why shouldn’t I? We both agreed that the meadow should be left alone.”
He lifted his chin. “You may have forgotten that you took me from Kyffin against my will, but I haven’t.” Bitter memories flooded through him. The innocent way he’d boarded the trader ship, not guessing what Ryol had planned. The hard work deep in the hold, the sudden rumble of the engines. The flash of terrifying realization as he’d run to a viewport to see Kyffin fall away. His home, his friends, his family, gone, and Ryol laughing behind him.
He caught Ange’s startled expression as she looked from one brother to the other. It was plain she’d just realized she was in the middle of a family fight.
Ryol didn’t notice. He stared at Blane, hostility contorting his face. “The less said about the meadow outside our family the better. I’ve brought these people food and supplies. They’d be wise to welcome me. And if I kidnapped you, it was for your own good. You must realize what would have happened if you’d stayed here. I can’t believe you hold it against me.”
Blane squared his shoulders. The wind blew a lock of long brown hair in his eyes and he brushed it away with an impatient hand. His own good, indeed. Ryol had always been talented at justifying his selfish actions. He’d sold Blane like so much excess baggage. Five long years spent as an indentured servant to pay for his passage off Kyffin. At the end, the traders had dumped him on Tau Delta with little more than the clothes on his back. Ryol had been long gone by then, off to make his fortune with Scent of Magic.
A muscle in his jaw jumped. The memories were still raw. “Don’t expect gratitude from these colonists, Ryol. The only reason you’ve returned to Kyffin is because you want something—something better left alone.”
Anger glittered in Ryol’s gaze. “Don’t you forget that we have a deal. I’ve brought the food and supplies for your precious colonists and I’ll do the rest, but only if you go through with your part of the bargain.”
With an effort, Blane reined in his temper. He’d like to take Ryol and shake him like the overgrown wharf rat he was. But his brother was right. They had a deal. More was at stake here than his need for revenge. Ryol had betrayed him, and never regretted it, but he needed Ryol, his money and his influence, to accomplish his own purpose on Kyffin.
He sighed. There was no way around it. “Relax, Ryol. I’m sticking to our bargain.”
The deep growl of Blane’s voice sent little tremors of fiery sensation through Ange’s body. She shifted and his penetrating gaze fixed on her. She drew in a breath at the intensity of his look. She’d become so engrossed in this family squabble that she hadn’t noticed how close she stood to the three of them—especially Blane. A wave of powerful desire surged through her, making her toes curl inside her practical spacer boots. She frowned and swallowed with a dry throat. Curse Ryol and his Scent of Magic. Blane must be wearing the perfume. She hated the effect he had on her.
Ryol turned to Sharlene. “We have a cargo hold full of medicine, food and other supplies for the colony. In return, I expect to conduct my business here without any interference.”
Sharlene threw her hands into the air. “Have it your way. Blane will tell me what’s going on.”
“Blane has a big mouth.” Ryol looked disgusted.
Ange backed off and watched the family quarrel with a wary eye, her ears wide open for any clue to what their dispute was about. Anxiety tugged at her as she surveyed the bleak landscape around the small settlement. A dismal huddle of concrete buildings stood beyond the landing pad. They loomed against the sky, surrounded by forest. Behind them, a range of mountains dominated the horizon. She shivered, fighting a sense of claustrophobia.
“Well, the supplies are welcome at any rate.” Sharlene said at last.
Ryol nodded at Ange. “Will you see to the unloading? I’ll be in my cabin if anyone wants to see me.”
<
br /> Blane set his fists on his hips. “You mean to tell me you’ve come forty light-years and aren’t going to bother to walk the last few meters to see your sister and your friends?”
Ryol drew himself up with offended dignity. “It seems you’re welcome, but I’m not. If anyone wants to see me, they can come to the ship. Or you can all go to hell!”
“Why, you slimy—!”
“Insults won’t help the situation,” Ange interrupted, stepping between them as Blane moved toward Ryol, his fists raised.
Blane rounded on her. “What do you know about it? You can’t imagine what’s happening here.”
“Watch it, Blane.” Ryol looked from one to the other with a sneer. “You’ll get the good captain angry.”
“The captain is ignorant about the real reason why we’re here.”
Ange saw emotion flash deep in Blane’s eyes. Frustrated, she rubbed her chin. What was going on between the brothers? It was hard to concentrate when her mind kept being diverted by Blane’s powerful masculine presence. She tried to get her conflicting feelings under control. She should feel insulted by his harsh manner. It was clear he despised her for her involvement with Ryol. Yet she continued to feel drawn to him.
Get a grip. It’s only the perfume.
Ryol plucked a white linen cloth from one of his pockets and dabbed at his forehead. “It’s hot in this blasted sun. I prefer the atmosphere of the ship.”
“If that’s the way you want it.” Sharlene’s voice turned cold. “For the sake of the others in the colony, I’m not going to refuse your gifts, but you’re lower than a Sirean wart slug.”
Blane laughed. “Not true, Sharlene. You’re insulting Sirean wart slugs.” As he spoke, he poked a finger at Ryol’s chest.
Ange frowned, unsettled by the aggressive gesture even as another wave of attraction warmed her blood. There was no denying he was good-looking. But everything else was the perfume. Had to be. What she felt for Blane was no more real than the lust men had always felt for her.
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