Alex leaned over and scooped up both the bracelet and blaster, when she noticed Sackor’s crown. She took that too and stuck everything deep into her bag.
Sackor was dead, and she couldn’t be happier. His death meant that a lot of secrets had died with him—including this planet, the worms, and Ulric’s fate. There was no way that piece of crap would have shared something as powerful and profitable—as what he hoped to gain from here—with anyone else.
Now, I don’t have to hide from him or seek new clients.
“Levi’s right. They’ll come down for more.” Damon slapped the two men affectionately on their backs. “Be safe and take care of the people. You’re all they’ve got.”
“I’m sorry about our part in all the trouble,” Levi said.
Damon took a step back. “Farewell.”
Alex didn’t wait for him. Instead, she was already climbing the tree trunk when another round of frenzied screeching began. It wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be to get to the top. It was either the skill she’d picked up during her stay on her mother’s planet or the urgency of trying to get away from the birds. Either way, she was inside Promise within minutes, Damon following close behind. She shut and sealed the door behind him.
She ran to the back of the ship, to make sure Levi and Milo had removed every one of those damned barrels like they said they would. She hadn’t noticed them in the jungle, but they weren’t in her cargo area, and that’s all that mattered.
“Alex!” Damon called from the front of the ship.
The ship shook as the screeching creatures battered it from all sides.
She lost her balance and smacked her shoulder against the wall a few times, but eventually she made it into the pilot seat and rubbed the armrests lovingly.
“Sit down and strap yourself in,” she called over her shoulder.
She heard the snap of the seatbelt and the creak of the seat behind her. No one had sat in the other seat since she’d stopped being a passenger and became the pilot.
“Come on, baby,” Alex whispered when she pressed the button to roll the engine into action. It took a few attempts, but eventually it sputtered into action, without the need to use her lucky key.
I’ve missed you, Promise.
She lifted the lever to open the thrusters in the back, and screaming followed. The flames shooting out the back had scorched whatever creatures were back there. Yes!
A satisfied smile curved her lips. “Damon, are you ready?”
“As ready as I’m ever going to be.”
Alex took hold of her steering stick and moved it forward. The ship took several attempts to dislodge and rise off the tree, but she persevered.
Promise finally shot up into the blackened sky, rocking every step of the way. The creatures filled most of the sky. She could see their hungry, red eyes through her visor, ready to tear at the ship burning them as it ascended.
With her heart beating inside her throat, Alex maneuvered Promise higher into the sky and away from a planet she never wanted to see, ever again.
Epilogue
“You’re sure it’s completely gone?”
“Positive.”
“Okay…I’ll take your word for it.” Yet, Alex didn’t sound convinced and inspected the gaping hole several times before offering her hand so he could seal it. She met his eyes. “Go ahead.”
Damon chuckled, leaned over, and blew a warm breath across the skin between her index finger and thumb. The air tickled his cheeks and made his lips buzz as it poured from him and onto her skin, sealing it instantly. He was putting a lot more in there than just his breath.
She trembled beneath his grip, and he couldn’t help but smile. He doubted he’d ever get tired of having such a sensual effect on Alex. That a touch of his hand or a little of his breath made her squirm this way, excited him.
Damon hadn’t known what to expect once they were in space, but the arcane felt just as strong out here as it did back on Eden. If anything, he felt a pull deep down inside, as if there were an actual location calling out to him.
Aleena lied to me about so much...
No, I don’t want to think about her right now. He wasn’t ready to face all the revelations, lies, and secrets his life had been based on since he was a child. Aleena had taken advantage of his naivety and used his magic for her own purpose—always having a bigger goal in mind. No, I can’t focus on that lying woman. Maybe he never would.
Alex had suspected Aleena from the beginning, which made him realize she was in tune with her inner magic more than she knew. While they were alone in space, he would volunteer to help her learn more about the suppressed side of her she didn’t like to believe existed.
In such proximity, he could feel her power caressing his.
Alex inspected her hand with a smile. “Thanks. It’s not itchy, anymore.”
Damon stared out the small circular window on the wall across from him. He didn’t feel comfortable looking out the windshield just yet. There was so much blackness outside. He still felt a little sick in the stomach, though he was hardly going to admit it.
“So, will it bother you if I wear the key, now?”
He wanted to tell her to never to wear it, because he enjoyed the connection flowing between them, but if her father had poured some sort of protective magic into it and insisted she wear it, there had to be a reason. What had her father wanted to protect her from?
“It’ll mean we can’t feel each other in a sensual, deep way…but if you agree to keep it off when we’re touching, I don’t see a problem.” He knew it meant a lot to her. That she hadn’t mentioned it until now meant a lot to him.
He looked at her for a silent moment, enjoying the view of her long, shapely body, her beautiful face, and her shiny, curly hair…
Damon was going to like spending time alone with her. He could certainly understand why other men would want her company, but he’d decided to wipe the other man—the werewolf—from his mind. If he didn’t, there would be too many questions he’d want answered. The only thing he knew for certain was that Ulric had been Alex’s lover and wanted her so much, he stowed away on her ship.
Everything else is her business, not mine.
“Oooh, that sounds good to me,” Alex said with a wink. When she didn’t make a move to put it on, he had to wonder about her motivation. “So, how do you like it out here?”
Damon glanced quickly at the endless darkness outside the ship but turned back to Alex. To help ease him into space travel, she’d offered to cruise the stars for a while before landing on any other planet terrain, space station, or spaceport. She sure seemed to know her way around.
He’d accepted. “It’s very quiet and peaceful.”
“Where would you like to go first?”
“Wherever you need to,” he said with a shrug. The last thing he wanted to do was get in her way. He was happy to go wherever she was headed.
“I don’t have anything lined up, but I will have to score a job or two soon. We need credits to keep us in space.”
Damon toyed with the question before saying, “What about your father?”
“What about him?”
“Will we go looking for him?” How could he tell her that by finding him, he might indirectly get some answers about his own origins?
“Maybe…one day,” she said with a faraway look in her eye. “I think I would love to search for him, to find out if he’s alive or dead, once and for all. I’m not ready, yet. I know I’ll be one day, though. I’d love to find out more about the sorcerers and gypsies. I’d also like to help you get some answers of your own.”
Damon smiled. It was amazing how easily she denied his magic claims, yet seemed to feel the same vibes he did. “Thank you for letting me tag along with you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Damon took a step closer and pressed his lips against hers for a hard kiss. “I just couldn’t stay there.” He touched his fingers to the back of her head, and smoothed out the lump on her scalp.
“I know, and you’re welcome to stay with me for as long as you want.” Alex pushed her hand through his hair and met his eyes. “I can’t promise you anything, but I can offer you a place to stay. I can also tell you that although I want you in my life, I’m just not sure I’m ready for any intense commitment, yet.”
He touched her cheek, sealing the cut the black creature had given her during their confrontation in the jungle. “Shhh, let’s not talk about it. I know exactly what you mean. Now, I have a question for you.” He didn’t expect anything from her. After what had happened with the man on Eden, he understood she’d had a life of her own before they met.
Maybe one day, they would become more, maybe they wouldn’t, but he certainly wanted to have a good time discovering the stars with her.
“What’s that?”
He held up a golden statue he’d been wondering about since he found it on the floor of the ship. “Can you tell me what this is?”
Alex smiled. “That’s a statue of the Goddess Aphrodite.”
“You worship her?”
“No.”
“Why do you have it, then?”
“It was a gift…” She stepped away from him, pulled off the gold bracelet she’d been wearing—and often toyed with, but wouldn’t talk about—and tucked it into the same drawer he’d seen her stash the bronze key in. “I think it’s best if I just show you.”
“Oh, okay.” He wondered what all the mystery was about.
“Come on.” She grabbed his hand and led him out of the cockpit. “Thanks for fixing me up, by the way.”
So much for healing her on the sly! “You’re welcome.”
Intrigued, Damon let her guide him across the cockpit.
Just as he passed the window, he noticed what looked like a tiny ship approaching in the distance, but he didn’t bother mentioning it. He figured ships traveled past each other all the time.
Besides, Alex was heading toward the sleeping quarters.
Now, I really want to know what this is.
About the Author:
Yolanda Sfetsos lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband, daughter, and cat. She loves to spend most of her days writing stories. Her muse doesn’t like genre restrictions, and loves to toe the dark, otherworldly edge of storytelling.
When she’s not writing, she spends as much time as possible with her small family. She also enjoys watching movies, TV shows, anime, going for walks, and reading.
You can visit her website at www.yolandasfetsos.com
More books by Yolanda Sfetsos from Eternal Press:
Shade of Grey
Touching Moonlight
Numb6r of th6 B6ast
More books by Yolanda Sfetsos from our sister company,
Damnation Books:
The Alyce Kerr, Faith Healer series:
Faithless
Careless
Boundless
Damaged
Better Off Alone
Christmas Day of the Dead
http://www.damnationbooks.com
Also from Yolanda Sfetsos:
Touching Moonlight
by Yolanda Sfetsos
eBook ISBN: 9781615722150
Print ISBN: 9781615722167
Science Fiction Romance
Short Novel of 45,774 words
The morning Silver crosses paths with the beautiful blonde from an opposing species, everything he’s been raised to believe fades in comparison. Intrigued by the lunar people, Sunny dared to question her own species, and in the process stumbles on an evil plan of betrayal from both sides. Now Sunny and Silver need to depend on each other in order to help both species survive. Giving into their burning attraction only draws them closer together, and makes their differences strengthen their connection.
Also from Eternal Press:
Another Way
by Nancy J. Gaffney
eBook ISBN: 9781615723737
Print ISBN: 9781615723744
Science Fiction Adventure
Plus-Novel of 126,065 words
A Planetary Guards Chronicle A thousand years ago, in the name of ‘the greater good’, a great betrayal occurred. In the name of righteous retribution and justifiable genocide, a peaceful planet is attacked. A civilization a thousand years in the re-building is razed. An idyllic society, steeped in music, literature, and civic duty, is forced to flee the only home they’ve ever known. In middle of the struggle for survival, Shannen ‘Keeper’ Everett, Jason ‘Preacher’ Carrack and Colonel Robert Preyar must find a way to stay alive and thwart enemies no one ever knew existed. The battle for life as they knew it is on.
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