His Fire Maiden

by Michelle M. Pillow

  Violette had a feeling she already knew who was on the holo-box. She reached forward and activated it. The miniature image of her father appeared in his shiny white uniform. He looked younger than when he’d recorded the first holo-box she’d found of him. The holograph caused an unexpected flood of emotion. Tears burned her nose and threatened her eyes. She held them back.

  “Top secret. Prisoner two, two, five release order number six, nine, twelve. This is General Stephans of the New Earth Settlement on Florencia’s Fifth Moon.” The holographic image paused before stating, “This is General Stephans of what was formerly the Earth Settlement on Florencia’s Fifth Moon and this is an official order of release authorized by my superiors and hereby given to the commanding warden in Ice Complex Five, Authorization code H forty-seven, fifty-one. When the ice storms came nearly forty years ago, many of my men were killed. It was too cold to stay and finish our work releasing certain political prisoners and we abandoned post on supreme orders. However, there are a few who remain that should not, as they have been pardoned for their crimes. Attached is a list of prisoners set for immediate release. They will be hostile and should be escorted and left on the Rifflen base in the V Quadrant. No provisions beyond those orders are necessary.”

  Violette waited as the holographic image faded. She missed that voice. She missed knowing he was out there in the universe.

  “The general commanded that Josselyn be freed. She should not have been imprisoned to begin with, but you can, at least, see that she was pardoned.” Dev hesitated before reaching across the table to take her hand. “She’s not a criminal.”

  “All this proves is that my father ordered her released.” Violette studied the red fingers against hers.

  “It proves he had her locked on Ice Complex Five,” Rick stated, oddly serious. “Though if you saw the complex, you’d know what that place really is. Just a fancy name for—”

  “Florencia’s Fifth Moon,” Violette supplied, not wanting to hear whatever nickname Rick came up with for the Ice Complex. “I know. My mother was from there. They were part of a human culture preservation project of Old Earth living history—a place for humanoid schoolchildren and bored tourist to go on vacation. Medieval period or something they called the Fifth Moon. The project went defunct. The settlement was abandoned, and the Federation used the location for an ice prison.”

  “Defunct?” Rick snorted. “That’s one way of putting it.”

  “It stopped earning money, and they abandoned it. I read the historical report on the moons. It’s sad, but those things happen. How else would I put it?” Violette glared at the man. She knew she was spoiling for an argument, and he looked as good as a place to start as any.

  “Oh, I don’t know, maybe that the weather satellites were purposefully destroyed, throwing the moon into an inhabitable state, mainly to hide the crime of a mass genocide from the rest of the universes because—”

  “Rick, don’t you have a ship to fly?” Dev interrupted the brewing dispute.

  “Autopilot,” Rick answered.

  “Then you’re saying we don’t need to keep you on board?” Dev arched a brow in warning.

  “You’re grumpy when you’re getting laid,” Rick muttered. He stood and moved for the door. “I’m going for food, but don’t think I’m bringing you back anything after you threatened to eject me from the ship.”

  Violette waited until Rick left them alone. “Why show me this recording, Dev?”

  “To explain why I’m taking you to Ice Complex Five. Why you need to go there to see it. I want you to consider that revenge may not be the answer you’re looking for.” He nodded toward the box. “The real answers may lie there, in the past.”

  “Why did you release Josselyn?” Violette pulled her hand away from his instantly missing the contact of his skin to hers. Even now, with the pain mixing inside her chest, she desired to move closer to him. She wanted to sit on his lap and have him hold her. She longed to kiss him until there was nothing remaining but a rush of pleasure. “It wasn’t for your people to do. If you had left her there, we wouldn’t be here right now having this conversation.”

  A different wave of pain washed over her. If they had left Josselyn to rot, then her father would be alive, but then she would have never crossed paths with Dev. That thought stung. Her life had been so empty before Dev came into it. Strange, but very true.

  “Because the idea of someone trapped inside stone for a century due to a lost communication was an unbearable option,” he said. “We had no choice. I would like to think you would have done the same thing.”

  The truth was, she probably would have. Or she would have at least told her father about the prisoner and let him deal with it.

  Dev stood. “Would you like food? Or would you like me to show you to where you can sleep?”

  “Sleep.” Violette doubted she could keep any food down. The knot her in stomach and thoughts churning in her head would make it impossible. Her eyes strayed to the holo-box and to the memory of the man it showed. “I’d like to sleep.”

  Chapter 18

  Dev escorted Violette to the captain’s quarters where she would be staying. Intermediate bands of light shone over her face, brightening and darkening her features with a steady pattern. She held her emotions close, like a trained soldier. Only, she wasn’t Federation. He wondered what manner of life she must have had, being raised motherless by a general. That fact explained much about her personality. She had discipline, a strong sense of loyalty, and the kind of single-minded purpose one often found in Federation types. And yet there was a rebellion in her too, a wild need for adventure.

  “After Gil kidnapped me, Captain Jarek and his wife decided it would be best if they took their infant son back to his home planet where he would be safe. You may stay in there room, if you like.” He regretted not being able to say goodbye to Captain Jarek, Mei, and baby Parker, but he understood why they’d left the ship. None knew how permanent of a move the trip would be. “Lochlann is acting captain, but he already has a room.”

  The captain’s quarters was the largest room on the ship, and much bigger than her quarters on the Racing Banana. Mei had decorated the walls with strips of yellow and red silk embroidered with her home planet’s flowers. They stirred at the gentlest of air current, like the opening of a door.

  “I hope you’ll be comfortable here.” Dev wished he knew what to say to erase the sadness from her features.

  “Don’t want me bunking with you?” Violette glanced around and appeared uncomfortable. “Afraid I’ll escape and take you as my prisoner? It does seem to be my turn.”

  This woman had no idea how much he was her prisoner, even now, while on his ship surrounded by his people.

  “My quarters will not fit both of us. I thought you might be more relaxed in here.” Dev waited for her to invite him to stay, or to yell at him from forcing her to be on the ship, or to say anything at all to reveal how she felt about him. When she didn’t, he stepped backward out of the door. “The computer call button will find me if you need assistance. I will be nearby. Don’t bother contemplating an escape. Our pod is damaged, and if you don’t know Lucien’s system, you’ll never figure out how he rigged the communications to work.”

  “Can’t promise that I won’t try.” She stared at the bed, not moving.

  “We’re not locking you in a cage, so please don’t hurt anyone on this ship.” Dev lifted his hand to the sensor on the wall.

  “I don’t want to hurt anyone but the one who deserves to be brought to justice,” Violette answered as the door closed her inside.

  Dev shut her in the room and pressed his hand lightly to the metal barrier. He wanted her so badly it hurt, and yet he had to suppress his feelings. Turning, he strode until he was at Evan’s quarters. He knocked. It only took seconds for the door to slide out of the way.

  “Did you show her?” Josselyn eagerly asked as if she’d been waiting by the door.

  “Yes. I showed her,” Dev answe
red.

  “Then she saw my pardon and the holo-box the general left me on Quazer. That has to sway her some, doesn’t it? It’s part of the truth from her father’s own lips.” Josselyn looked past Dev as if she’d find her sister in the hallway. “Will she talk to me? Is she in the commons?”

  “Lochlann told her you were not on the ship. I believe that is best for now.” Dev sighed. “I’m sorry, Josselyn. I don’t know that she will ever listen to what we have to say, so we must show her. Then, you can try to speak to her.”

  Josselyn nodded. “I understand. Let her roam the ship. I’ll stay hidden. I want her to trust us, not feel like a prisoner. My mother would have wanted us to be sisters. My father would have wanted whatever made my mother happy. I intend to do everything I can to honor what would have been their wishes.”

  Dev gave a soft smile. “You’re more like Violette than you can imagine. It must be a Craven thing. You both are so certain of things, and so stubborn in your views.”

  Evan tilted his head, edging closer. Dev knew that look. Evan picked up on the emotions Dev tried to hide. Dev attempted to harden himself to his friend’s psychic probing.

  “Please be careful.” Josselyn gave him a smile, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. “When I hired her to give me a ride to Rifflen, before I knew who she was to me, she was very convincing in her part. She knew who I was from the beginning, and I never suspected a thing.”

  “I will be careful, my lady,” Dev said dutifully. His words seemed to ease her worry some, and she nodded.

  “Dev?” Evan asked, holding his chest. “Are you well?”

  “No,” Dev answered. There was no reason to lie. As an empath, Evan knew the truth already. “But I am on the only course I can be on.”

  “Dev, I have never felt this strong of an emotion in you before. Is this true?” Evan stepped cautiously closer. He reached out his hand as if to touch Dev’s chest but stopped short and placed his palm over his own heart. “You have fallen in love with Violette?”

  Love? Dev looked at the floor. He would never have named his feelings out loud. He was a beast, a demon, and now a kidnapper. When he forced Violette to see what her father was, she would forever associate him with that truth. He wasn’t made to be loved. Violette accepted him as a lover, but as someone she could love? No. His was a one-sided heartache.

  “Dev?” Josselyn questioned when he didn’t speak.

  “Yes,” Dev answered simply. “But she doesn’t love me back, so there is no reason to discuss it.”

  Evan nodded. He looked as if he’d say more, but Dev left before he could. Nothing Evan had to say would ease the sorrow he felt.

  Yes. He loved Violette, but he had not wanted to give his pain a name. Put fifty yorkins in front of him and he’d slaughter every last one of them. But set a beautiful woman with soft brown hair and a fierce demeanor before him and he would lose to her every time.

  Demons didn’t get to be loved like that. That was not how the universe worked.

  Chapter 19

  Violette wasn’t sure how she slept, but she did. For some reason when Dev told her she was safe, she felt safe. She half hoped she’d wake up to find him next to her, or even in the room silently watching over her. He wasn’t. She woke up alone.

  When she had lay on the bed, the lights had dimmed. The way that the sensors were set made it impossible for her to tell how long she’d dozed. By the growling protests of her stomach, it had been a long time.

  As she stretched, she glanced at the call button that would bring Dev to her. She wanted to see him, but purely for selfish reasons that had nothing to do with the practicality of her current situation. Instead, she opened the door and peeked out into the metal corridor. Since this ship model used to be Federation, she could determine the basic layout fairly easily. She needed to find communications. Even though she was hungry, she could put off eating. Work first, everything else later.

  The communications room was easy to find. However, the control panel was far from Federation issue. Determining the frequency controls proved simple, but the rest of the unmarked switches were a challenge. She ran her finger over the scratched surface where the control’s labels should have been etched.

  “Thing of beauty, isn’t it?” A man leaned against the doorframe, watching her.

  It took Violette a moment to remember the name from the ship manifest she’d seen on Rifflen. “Viktor?”

  “Lucien. I’m the more handsome brother,” Lucien corrected. He gave her a friendly smile. His eyes sparkled with flirtatious mischief. They were a curious mix of red and brown. “Trying to make a call?”

  Violette didn’t bother to deny what she’d been caught doing. “That’s a pretty effectual way to keep people from using your equipment. Don’t suppose you’d want to dial for me?”

  Lucien laughed. “Rick said you were witty.”

  “I don’t know if I’d take Rick’s opinion on anything,” Violette replied.

  “He also says you’re the one who is going to break Dev’s curse.” Lucien sat in his chair and smiled up at her. “So, are you fire? That’s the obvious choice because of Dev. Wood and frost doesn’t make sense. And metal is well, everyone is flying around in metal these days. Or are you earth because we first saw you on Rifflen under the sand?”

  “Am I earth?” Violette arched a brow.

  “The curse. Are you earth because of the sand?”

  “Are you having some kind of episode? What exactly are you on?” She studied his eyes a little more carefully. Maybe they weren’t normal for his type of humanoid. “Have you been drinking Torganian rum? You do know that isn’t really liquor and causes hallucinations in most humanoids, don’t you? If you partook, we need to get you into a medical booth.”

  “Oh, trust me, I know all about Torganian roome-ah. We found out that lesson the hard way when we accidentally kidnapped a cat prince and tried to, anyway, that’s a long story. Prince Falke is fine now and back with his people. Point being, I don’t touch the stuff.”

  “Then, you actually want to know if I’m made of earth?” Violette arched a brow.

  Lucien tilted his head. “Dev did tell you he’s cursed, didn’t he?”

  “Cursed,” she repeated.

  “Yeah, cursed. Like honest to whiteholes, predicted by a dead seer, cursed.”

  “I don’t believe in superstitions. Dev isn’t cursed because he has Bevlon blood. It’s just blood, a collection of genetic anomalies prevalent in his people more than other alien races and…” Violette’s voice tapered off, and she realized she sounded like one of her father’s speeches.

  “That’s all probably true, starlight, but I’m talking about an actual Lintianese spirit curse. Five of our crewmen have fallen victim to it. Five men will find or not find love according to the five Lintianese elements. Well, not Evan, his curse was broken by…” Lucien glanced away and pretended to adjust a couple of dials.

  “By Josselyn,” Violette filled in, frowning. If Josselyn somehow fit into their superstitious belief system that could explain why they were so protective of the newest member of their crew, and would fight so hard to defend her.

  Lucien nodded. “Anyway, rumor has it you’re breaking Dev’s curse.”

  “And you believe I represent one of the five elements?” Violette chuckled. “I appreciate you think I’m some special spell breaker, but I’m not the end to anyone’s curse.”

  “Oh, well, that’s too bad. I hear Dev likes you.” Lucien shrugged and began flipping through his dials in earnest, scanning signal channels.

  Dev often looked so stoic and serious. She assumed he liked her, at least well enough to take her as a lover, but to hear it from one of his friends filled her with pleasure.

  “Where do I find food?” she asked.

  Lucien pointed in the direction of the dining area.

  Violette bowed her head by way of a valediction and left communications to seek out the dining hall. Once alone in the passageway, she smiled to hers
elf. It was a romantic notion, thinking she was Dev’s true love come to end a curse. She envied those who could find such happiness in life.

  She moved down the corridor listening for voices, but the ship was quiet. Her fingers traced the wall as she walked, absently gliding over the seams in the metal. In love with Dev? What an extraordinary idea. She never allowed herself to consider falling in love.

  The mechanical hum of a door sliding open interrupted her thoughts and caused her to stop walking.

  “I’ll only be a moment. Everyone is asleep. I won’t be—”

  “Josselyn.” Violette gasped, the sound causing the woman to stop speaking. Dev had lied. Her sister was on board the ship.

  Josselyn turned. Her mouth slightly agape, she whispered, “Violette.”

  For a long time, she could only stare. Her hands shook, and her mind became paralyzed. She’d waited for this moment when she would have the woman before her, only now she wasn’t prepared. None of the words she’d wanted to say came to mind. Every speech, every sentence was lost.

  Violette screamed incoherently, charging forward. Josselyn shrieked in surprise and made a move to jump out of the way. Violette grabbed the woman’s hair. She jerked her arm back, and someone caught her wrist before she could strike.

  Violette recognized Dev’s heated touch before she saw his face. He dragged her away from Josselyn. When they stopped moving, she watched Evan stand before his wife like a shield.

  “You…killed,” Violette managed. All the building anger and grief flowed through her until she shook. She wanted to scream, to hit. Tears ran down her cheeks. “You…killed…”

  “Violette.” Josselyn’s tone was pitying. The sound only made the pain worse. Violette didn’t want Josselyn’s pity. “Please, don’t do this. We’re sisters.”

  “You’re not my sister,” Violette denied.

  Dev kept a hold on her arms, and she tried to pull free of his grasp.