by Bevan Greer
Jace nodded, thinking of Mikhel. “I have to agree.”
“We might want to keep an eye on Castor for a while.I’d swear he was one foot away from passing into the beyond when Nesham’s mysterious ‘friend’ helped him.” Koneru finished his meal. “I’m off as well. I’ll break Nesham when I’m finished.”
“Right.” Talk of Dark World gave Jace the urge to be clean as well, and he sought his private lavatory. He emerged feeling clean and relaxed enough for sleep. Except thoughts of his sexy neighbor refused to give him any peace.
With a groan, he knocked, heard nothing, then entered her room. She lay on the uncomfortable bed looking like an angel. Frustrated she seemed to have no problem sleeping when he’d spent the better portion of the day doing his best not to think of her, he debated waking her to talk about her past. The need to know of her bordered on obsession.
She sighed and tucked into herself on her side, like a sleeping kitten. Except she didn’t purr, she moaned. “Please. No. No more.” She whimpered, cringing at bad dreams, and pulled at his heartstrings.
“Hel and damn.” He knew it was a bad idea even as he lifted her into his arms.
She immediately eased and cuddled into his arms, and his heart softened even more. He took her into his room and put her gently into his bed, under the covers, and watched her lips curl into a smile.
He leaned closer and looked with his inner senses, but the beautiful woman was asleep. Once in his bed, she settled and didn’t stir.
Great. Now she looked comfortable while he was anything but. He would never take advantage of a female. He didn’t quite trust her, so it was probably best he stay as close to her as possible. Besides, he had plenty of room to accommodate two people.
He continued to rationalize his insanity as he stripped down to a pair of short leggings. Then he pulled back the covers and eased into his bed next to Naria.
She did nothing more than sigh and move closer to his warmth.
He stroked her hair and kissed her cheek, then closed his eyes. But he kept his shields in place around the enticing beauty. Even in sleep he’d be cautious, or so he told himself. Then with a yawn, he joined her in rest.
***
Naria sighed and snuggled deeper into the warmth holding her close. She didn’t recall ever feeling this safe or comfortable before and frowned at the unfamiliar touch.
Then she inhaled the clean, tantalizing scent of pure power and man.
She couldn’t shake herself from the dream, and she didn’t want to. She didn’t fear the warm presence by her, though it didn’t make sense to trust. Her body seemed to ache in odd places, and she felt a strange surge of need.
She shifted in place and grazed naked skin—not her own. A wonderful dream.
A large hand passed over her bare stomach and rubbed soft circles over her skin. She turned over, seeking the source of contact, and found her lips caught by another.
Fire licked her insides, her blood heating as his tongue entered her mouth, staking a claim of fierce possession. His hands joined in the taking, touching her everywhere. She kissed her dream lover back, aware of herself as she’d never before been. Her breasts tingled where they met his hard chest, her sex aching for something more that only he could give her.
His mouth slanted over hers, drawing her in deeper as he groaned and touched her everywhere.
Naria ran her hands over his bare back and found him corded with strength, his skin firm and hot under her touch. A sense of togetherness, and psychic well of love and need and devotion enticed her to drop her shields, that she might truly join her lover.
She sent a psychic probe, desiring the love of her other half. And then…nothing.
Feeling as if she moved in a fog, she reached out blindly, unable to see, and felt nothing but the cool sheets underneath her. Though her body cried out for him, her mind demanded rest, and she sank back into oblivion.
There, her dreamman took on a familiar face, and she sighed his name.
“Jace,” Naria said on a soft moan.
Jace shuddered with need as he stared down at a sleeping woman who’d made him burn. If she could get to him like that while asleep, imagine had they both been awake and aware.
He had a hard time getting his breathing back under control. And other parts of his body took longer to relax. Running a hand over his face, he hit the lav.
Good night, but one minute he’d been sound asleep, the next he must have subconsciously recognized the sultry female next to him and kissed her. Or dreamed he kissed her.
He could still taste the strange mix of her innocence and carnality, as if the experience between them had been real. He frowned. It hadn’t been, had it? Waking up with an erection and all but glued to her body had made it hard to tell.
Jace forced himself to relax. Naria might have turned to him in sleep or she might not have. Either way, she was vulnerable and needing his protection, not his lust.
He reentered his room and dressed, keeping a wary eye on her. Fortunately, she didn’t stir. Before she woke and looked up at him with those deep, violet eyes, he left the room and joined Koneru and Nesham in the galley—their favorite place to be. “Feeling better?” he asked them.
Koneru nodded and continued to consume everything on his plate. The large Rovi had been starved for days and apparently resolved to make up for lost time. Nesham picked at his food.
“Nesham?”
“What?” He glanced up and frowned.
Jace sent a light mental probe over the man but sensed no injury. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just…” Nesham paused. “I feel like I’ve missed something.”
“How so?” Jace asked.
“I’m not sure. It’s like there’s something at the very corner of my eye, but when I turn to look at it, it’s gone.” He jerked his head to the left and swore. “There it goes again.”
“Run a deep-seven scan. It’ll take more resources, but enough is enough. And this time do it on all of us as well. Organic and nonorganics aboard ship. Scan the food, the walls. Every damn thing until we find what we’re clearly missing.”
Nesham nodded and sprung to his feet. “I’ll find it. I swear.” He darted out of the galley with a new sense of urgency.
“Mikhel’s looking much better today,” Koneru said to fill the sudden silence.
“Good. I was planning to see him after I grabbed something to eat.”
“I checked on him after Castor. Nesham put him in the med-unit while we slept. Most of Mikhel’s scars have faded, but the more serious ones need more time. He’s looking much better than I’d thought. Has to be his Fenturi blood speeding his recovery.”
“I hope so.” Jace sighed. “I can only hope his mind heals as fast. I’m curious to know what they did to him.”
“Me too. But I’m happy to wait until he’s ready to speak.”
Jace nodded. They talked for a while more, discussing Koneru’s family on Rovi and the new political system in FenBy. By all accounts his friend Dare and her new husband were very involved in resolving any civil disputes, and their king worked tirelessly to bring their people together. Mikhel, when—not if—he survived, would have a true home to return to after sailing the sea of stars with the SpaceStalker. Koneru, Nesham, and too could find peace on the planet now united under a beneficent leader. But Jace had no homeworld.
His frustration mounted, needing Mystique more every day. He—
The com in the galley buzzed and Nesham spoke, excitement lacing his voice. “Jace? We picked up something extra in Dark World all right. It took a while but the lifescan in the control room is reading seven lifeforms—six alive. One…not.”
-8-
“Naria, wake up.” Carinna tugged her sister’s arm, but Naria wouldn’t move. Carinna stared in concern at her sister. Though Naria had used a great deal of energy to save the crew of the SpaceStalker, she should have regained her wits by now.
Carinna, excited, nervous and scared, needed badly to talk to her
sister. By now their father and all of Lysst would know they’d escaped the planet. She hadn’t thought it would feel so exhilarating to be free, but now that she’d left the dark planet and seen such captivating creatures like Nesham, she couldn’t imagine going back.
Following Nesham around the ship had afforded her a glimpse into the lives of his crewmates and allowed her to study her new surroundings. She retained her wraith form, though it was starting to wear on her. She’d change back just as soon as she talked to Naria. She needed a safe place to hide, but more than that, she wanted to feel not so alone.
Her adventure was proving a fun, yet frightening as well. What if the crew found out about her? Would the men torture her—a Dark World creature? Would they scuttle her from the ship and from her sister’s side? She wished she understood them better. Despite her strange fascination for Nesham, she didn’t know him that well. He was a strong warrior who wore sadness like a second skin. Other than that, she knew little.
Naria would help her, tell her what to do. Her sister always made her feel better. If only she’d wake.
“Naria, please. Wake up!” She slapped her sister’s cheek.
Naria moaned and blinked her eyes, and Carinna could have danced with glee. “Finally,” she breathed in relief and morphed back into human flesh.
She helped her sister to slowly sit up. Naria’s eyes had started to lose that cloudy black color that she wore when tired and returned to the shiny purple of health.
“Carinna?” Naria asked and rolling her head on her neck. “Carinna,” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here? I thought I’d never see you again.” She hugged Carinna tightly, and the contact made Carinna’s eyes blur.
“Yeah, well.” Carinna hugged her sister in return. “At the last minute I just couldn’t let you go. I think we’re a lot more alike than I wanted to admit. I just couldn’t stay in Dark World without you. I mean, who else could I share Xeche stories with if not you?”
Naria grinned. “How wonderful! Does the crew know you’re here?”
“I don’t think so, though I think Nesham might sense my presence. I’ve seen him looking toward me at odd moments when he shouldn’t be able to see me.”
“Don’t you think you should announce your presence?”
“I don’t know. They might be happy that I helped save them. But then again, they might blame me for everything that happened on Dark World.”
“Why do you think I planned my rescue this way? I am considered part of the surviving instead of a murderous Dark Worlder.” Naria sighed. “I just wish I knew where to go from here. For all my studies, I know very little about the real world beyond Dark World. Only what’s been in books.”
Carinna patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ve got me. Between us we should be able to get everything we need.”
Including discovery by the crew, it turned out.
Jace and the others teleported into the room, blasters aimed at Naria and Carinna—their uninvited guest. Naria groaned. Just what she wasn’t ready to deal with, and she had little time to come up with a viable excuse for Carinna’s presence.
“Would one of you care to explain this?” Jace kept his weapon trained on them, his dark gaze now lined with a glint of suspicion…along with something else.
She had the disconcerting thought that her recent dream might not have been entirely in her head. He studied her with possession, and she flushed, moving closer to Carinna.
Say something to them, Carinna insisted. They look like they’re going to shoot me!
Nesham took a step closer and his weapon buzzed louder. Grim satisfaction lined his face.
“This is Carinna,” Naria blurted, and Nesham’s blue eyes glowed brighter. What did that mean? “Er, she, um, saved us on Dark World.”
Jace and the others studied Carinna, and Naria knew what they saw. A stunning Dark World female in a short wraith robe and sandals. She looked vulnerable, but the men knew she was anything but.
“Carinna, that’s Jace, the captain. Nesham, Koneru, and Castor,” Naria continued, praying Jace would relax. He appeared calm, but behind the façade was enough rage to fill a demon horde.
After a moment, he stepped closer and ordered, “Lower your weapons. Carinna, is it?”
Her sister nodded.
“How did you get here?”
“When you jumped from the cell to your ship on Lysst,” Carinna answered. At their confused looks, she explained, “Lysst is the moon you were imprisoned on after you landed on Dark World. I managed to latch on to you as you transectored back to your ship.”
“Transectored?” Nesham asked.
“You remember the dark blue circles on the ground?” Carinna asked him.
“Oh. Those.”
“Still waiting to understand,” Jace said. To Naria, he sounded at the end of his patience.
“The blue circles on my world are used to transport across distances,” Carinna said quickly. “I’m sorry for coming uninvited, but I couldn’t leave my sis—I mean, I, well, it was… Lord Demise, he…” She trailed off, unable to speak the truth without telling them about Naria.
Naria tried to help. “You probably couldn’t stay there after helping us, could you?”
“No.” Carinna gave her a thankful smile.
“Such help we appreciate,” Jace said slowly, studying her and Naria far too intently for Naria’s peace of mind. “Well, for whatever reason you helped us, we’re thankful. I doubt we’d still be alive had you not aided us on that hellhole.” After a pause, he added, “You’re free to stay as our guest until we can take you somewhere you’d like to go. That goes for you too, Naria. Where was it you were supposed to be going before your ship crashed in Dark World?”
Though he sounded reasonable, pleasant even, Naria felt his distrust. If only he hadn’t found Carinna with her.
Naria’s mind froze as everyone stared at her. Pick a planet, pick a planet…
She rubbed her temple. “I—I don’t remember.” She tried to look helpless. “The stress of my imprisonment must have jarred something. I’m just so glad to be off Dark World, I hadn’t considered anything else.”
“No worries.” Jace smiled, though the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “We’ve plenty of time for you to remember.”
Everyone stared at her, and she had no idea what to relieve the tension.
Carinna broke the sudden silence. “Where is your other crewmember?”
“Mikhel’s in a med-unit.” Jace frowned. “Your people did a lot of damage to our friend.”
Naria glanced away, full of guilt. She felt as if she’d committed the heinous acts her halfsisters had perpetrated. She should have done more to help them when she’d first realized the situation.
“Carinna, do you have any reason to suspect that Lord Demise will send anyone after you?” Jace asked the question Naria didn’t want answered.
Carinna shook her head, but Naria wasn’t so sure. Her father’s daughters—the progeny of Zena—had vanished along with his prisoners. For them he might make an exception and set forth his Searchers. And that would not be a good thing. At. All.
“Fine then.” Jace nodded. “For the rest of your stay, please stay visible while you’re with us. That’s all I ask.”
Carinna blushed. “Oh. Of course.”
“I’ll show you to your quarters,” Nesham offered.
Jace narrowed his eyes at him but nodded. “Yes, do that.”
Carinna, in silence, followed Nesham out of the room. Naria watched her go, feeling very alone when the others continued to stare at her. They really were three very large men. Koneru seemed curious, Castor wary, and Jace too calm.
“You two can go back to the control room. I’ll handle Naria.”
The men gave her a last look, then left.
“Tell you what, Naria,” Jace said pleasantly. Too pleasantly. “Why don’t you make use of the lav, clean up, and I’ll be back to take you to find something to eat. Will that work?”
She nodded and turned to go.
Jace’s hand closed around hers, stopping her. He brought her closer to him. Naria swallowed loudly and waited for the worst.
“Do you remember anything about this morning?”
Shoot. Her cheeks felt hot, and she couldn’t believe she’d allowed him such liberties again. Maybe she was a closet succubus. “I thought I was dreaming,” she mumbled.
“So did I.” He lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was brief, but the lingering warmth of his mouth refused to fade. “Clean up, sweet. I’ll be back soon.”
Jace paced in the control room while Castor and Koneru watched him.
Castor sighed. “Spit it out, Captain.”
“Something about these two doesn’t feel right.” His senses were on high alert. “I don’t buy Carinna’s story. I trust Nesham volunteered to watch her?” At Koneru’s nod, he huffed. “I figured as much. What really botheres me is Naria. I was sure she was as much a victim as the rest of us. But now I’m not convinced. She seemed awfully chummy with Carinna, didn’t she?”
His crewmen nodded.
“But she doesn’t look like any demon I’ve ever seen,” Castor said with a wry grin. “In fact, she looks more like a Vembi pleasure goddess with the sensual appeal of a Fenturi.”Not pleased Castor had noted that much, Jace nevertheless agreed with his assessment. Naria’s exotic features and pleasing build had captured more than just his eye.
“I’ll say,” Koneru added.
“Right, well.” Jace cleared his throat. “I want you two to steer clear of her until we find out just who she is and what she really wants.” He saw Castor try to hide a grin and snapped, “What?”
“Not at thing, Captain.”
When Castor called him “Captain” in that tone of voice, something sarcastic normally followed.
“It’s just that this is the first time I’ve seen you hot for a woman, is all. You normally don’t seem like you care one way or the other.”
Jace strove for patience. “It’s not that I’m interested in Naria.” He ignored Koneru’s muttered disbelief. “Not in that way. There’s something about her that’s not quite right.”