by Cheree Alsop
Chapter Six
NOVA
The smile that brightened Kovak’s face at Nova’s words made her feel light and giddy inside. Why did he look so handsome? Oh, right, he was wearing nothing but pants and a pair of handcuffs. The red burn marks across his chest looked painful and it was obvious by his pallor that the torture had taken a lot out of him, but he still managed to find a way to make her smile.
They were coming upon another set of soldiers.
“Quiet,” Redden warned. “Look professional.”
“It might look weird having one guard escorting four prisoners,” McKy pointed out.
“Not if I play it up,” Redden said under his breath. He barked out, “Keep moving, you scurvy kixon scats! One look and I’ll aerate your skulls!”
Nova wished the situation wasn’t so dangerous that she could laugh. Under normal circumstances, hearing a Lord of the Accord Systems use such language should have been appalling, but she wished she could say similar things herself. It must feel so freeing to curse someone out whenever one wanted to. She made a vow to try it someday.
One of the soldiers held up a hand.
“Where are you going?”
“To get these traitors to a hopper,” Redden replied. “Our benevolent Godking has requested them by name.”
The two soldiers exchanged glances. “I don’t envy their destination,” the first said, “but I appreciate their sacrifice.”
The second soldier looked the group over. Nova lowered her eyes when his gaze swept over her.
“The Smiren looks strong. Are you sure you don’t want a hand?” he asked.
Nova glared at the ground; she wondered if McKy and Lord Regalus felt slighted at the soldier’s dismissal of them.
“I think I’ve got it, but you’re welcome to lend a hand. They’re fresh out of torture, so I don’t expect much of a fight,” Redden replied.
The soldier motioned with his head. “Carry on. If they give you trouble, shoot one as an example. That’ll get them back in line.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Redden said. “My trigger finger’s getting a bit itchy as it is.”
“Glad to hear it,” the soldier said. “Keep up the good work, Lackey.”
Nova had to fight back the urge to use her handcuffs to throttle one of them on their way past.
“Just breathe,” Kovak said.
“How did you know what I was thinking?” she whispered as she shot him a searching glance.
His blank gaze affirmed that he was still unable to see. She could only hope the ship’s scanner could tell them what was wrong and hopefully give them a fix for it. Though the Smiren’s outward expression was one of calm and control, she could see the tension in his shoulders and in the careful way he walked. Despite his handcuffs and blindness, she was sure he would wreak havoc on anyone who messed with them.
“You were breathing in little huffs like a fanged snork waiting to sink its teeth into an enemy.” He grinned. “I can only imagine what one of those soldiers would look like once you were finished with them.”
His faith in her made her smile until McKy gave a derisive snort. “Nova couldn’t hurt a skitter fly if her life depended on it. She’s all spit and no bite.”
“I’ve seen her hold off an entire troop of Amarians to protect Jashu Blu and Kaj when Kaj was shot,” Kovak said.
Warmth swelled in Nova’s chest when her brother threw her a wide-eyed look. She merely shrugged. “I had to do what I had to do.”
Kovak chuckled. The sound made her feel warm inside.
“I wouldn’t mess with her,” he said.
A few tense moments passed as their footsteps echoed down the hall, then McKy said, “Seriously, Nova. Did you really hold off the Amarians? They’re pretty intense!”
Nova bit back an answering wry smile. “Kove’s exaggerating a bit.”
“Not at all,” he replied. “When I dropped down on them, they were debating whether to run away and cut their losses.”
Nova shook her head at the ridiculousness of it, but chose not to comment. She heard Kovak’s outlet of breath at her side and knew he had expected her to argue. The thought caught her off-guard. She knew his sounds, his expressions, the look that came into his eyes when he didn’t want anyone to know what he was thinking, and the way he held himself when he pretended he wasn’t in pain, like now. What had his sister done to him?
It seemed a cruel twist of fate to her that they had found Anaya only for her to turn around and torture him. But she knew focusing on that was her attempt to ignore the real issue that was whispering across her skin, how it felt to have him leaning against her for guidance, and the familiar way he kept his head tipped toward her as if awaiting to hear anything she might say. What was it about the tattooed Smiren that made her heart quiver in her chest whenever he was near?
She couldn’t deny that the trust he placed in her right now during his blindness meant the ‘Verse to her. She knew how hard it was for him to put his faith in anyone after all he had gone through; yet he walked beside her as casually as if they strolled down one of the streets of Evia taking in the sunset against the red rocks. His shoulder barely brushed hers, but it was enough to keep him walking straight down the hall as if he had no problem with his sight. How he remained so confident and upbeat despite what he had gone through the last several nights was beyond her.
The bruise that colored the side of his face from the blow that had no doubt impacted his vision looked dark and painful. She had a distinct impression that Anaya was the one who had done that to him. It made her want to strangle the girl with her own two hands. From what she had gleaned from Redden while they waited for the guards to find Kovak sprawled in the hallway, the torture by electricity was one of the most painful things he had ever encountered. And Anaya had tortured Kovak far longer than Redden, yet here Kovak was with a plan to help them escape. After all Kovak had been through, why did he have such faith in humanity to help her save the Accords yet again? Or was it simply faith in her?
She glanced at him and found his head tipped down toward her. When his bare shoulder brushed hers, she wished she was also without sleeves so she could feel the warmth of his skin. The thought made her cheeks heat and she was glad he couldn’t see the betrayal of her blush.
“We’re almost there,” Redden whispered, pulling her attention back to where it should be. “Keep alert.”
He rounded the corner and stopped so abruptly that the others ran into him.
“What is it?” Kovak whispered.
Nova peered around the Quarian. Her heart sank.
“There’s a patrol on the landing bay. They look like they’re searching for something,” she whispered back.
“Are they by the hoppers?” he questioned.
“There’s no way to get to a ship without going through the patrol,” Nova replied worriedly.
“How many are there?”
“Ten,” McKy said.
“I can take down ten,” Kovak replied.
Everyone stared at him. As if he felt their incredulous expressions, he said, “Really? You don’t believe me by now?”
“You’re blind, if you haven’t noticed,” Lord Regalus said.
“Just push me into the middle of them and run,” Kovak replied.
Nova smothered a laugh.
He looked at her. “Not you, too.”
“I’m just picturing us shoving the blind man into a troop of soldiers and leaving you there to deal with them,” she replied.
“Not very sporting,” Redden said. “They deserve a fighting chance.”
That brought a smile to Kovak’s face.
“Let’s do this without bloodshed if possible,” Lord Regalus suggested. “You already have your story. Use it. You can do this.”
His son took a steeling breath. “Right,” he said quietly. He motioned with his gun for them to walk forward. “To the ship, you dolts. Pick up your feet!”
Nova’s heart slowed when every member of the troop
turned to watch them.
The leader, a woman with three stripes on the shoulders of her dark uniform, approached. “What are your orders?” she demanded.
Redden snapped a smart salute. “To escort these prisoners to our most gracious Godking, Corporal.”
She glanced from the Quarian to Nova. Nova lowered her gaze as if cowed. Inwardly, the submissive action made her seethe. She should have been fighting, not groveling like some submissive whelp. Maybe Kovak was right; she was more bite than spit.
“You’re being sent alone?” the Corporal asked suspiciously.
Redden gave his most winning smile. “It’s my chance to gain another stripe, Corporal. I told the Sergeant I could handle it.” He shrugged. “She figured I could use a challenge, things being so well managed here.”
The Corporal looked from Redden to the rest of them. Nobody made eye contact with the soldier. Nova saw the woman finally nod out of the corner of her eye.
“They look subdued enough. Must have enjoyed their time with the electric harness.” The woman’s tone was one of satisfaction. “Good luck on those stripes, Lackey.”
“Thank you, Corporal,” he replied with another salute.
The Corporal returned the gestured before ordering her patrol to move on.
“That was close,” McKy whispered.
“Too close,” Lord Regalus said. “I don’t want to end up back in that cell. I know every inch by heart.”
“You’re not going back,” Redden replied firmly. “Let’s go.”
They hurried onto the closest hopper. Redden slid into the pilot’s seat while Nova unlocked their handcuffs.
“Do you know how to fly this thing?” Nova asked.
Redden nodded. “I can figure out the basics, but I was hoping Farlon would be here. I didn’t think we’d be leaving him.”
“He said he’d be here,” McKy replied. “Maybe we should wait a minute.”
“We don’t have a minute,” the Quarian shot back.
Kovak set a hand on his friend’s shoulder. Redden stilled. “Breathe,” the Smiren told him. “He’ll be here. Give him five more minutes to find out what he needs to. I have a feeling we’re going to need that information.”
Redden nodded. Kovak must have felt it because he dropped his hand and leaned against the wall.
“You look like you’re about to fall over,” Nova told him quietly.
He straightened and shot a smile somewhat in her direction. “Not even close.”
She opened her mouth to argue when McKy cut her off.
“There he is. Prime the engines.”
The hopper rumbled to life. Something popped and it shuddered.
“What was that?” McKy asked.
Redden shook his head. “Something in the manifold, it looks like. We’ll be lucky if this old bucket of rust can get us to the SevenWolf.”
“She’ll make it,” Farlon said from the hatch. “Move over, Brother. I’ve got this.”
Redden looked more than happy to get out of the pilot’s seat. McKy and Lord Regalus took the next chairs. Nova guided Kovak by the elbow toward the last set. She knew it wasn’t her imagination that he fell more than sat in it.
“Are you alright?” she asked as she helped him buckle in.
His smile was wry this time when he said, “You’ve got to stop asking me that.”
“Why?” she asked while she slid her own buckles together.
“Because you know he’s going to say he’s fine every time you ask,” McKy replied from the seat in front of them. “It’s getting a bit old if you ask me.” He turned to face the gladiator. “You look like death warmed over and you’re blind. How can you be fine?”
“Nobody asked you, and I’m fine,” Kovak said.
McKy huffed out an angry breath and turned back around.
“Wait!”
Everyone looked at the landing pad. Nova’s heart slowed in recognition of the Lord who ran through the doors waving his hands.
“Is that a friend of yours?” Farlon asked.
She shook her head and said, “Definitely not.”
He yelled something. Farlon pressed a button and the man’s voice echoed over the speakers.
“Don’t leave me, Nova!”
“Can he hear me?” she asked the Quarian.
He pressed another button. “Now he can.”
“You’re a slimeball and a coward, Briofe,” she replied. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t leave.”
“I want to marry you,” he shouted desperately. “We’d be unstoppable!”
“Isn’t he your cousin?” Kovak asked, his voice level.
McKy gave a visible shudder. “The scuzziest of our cousins for sure. If you marry him, Nova, I’ll never speak to you again.”
“I heard that,” Lord Briofe said from the ground.
Nova shook her head and told her brother quietly, “You don’t have to worry about anything. I was using him to find out about Malivok’s plans, nothing more.” She raised her voice to say, “It would never work between us, Rishton. You know that.”
“Why not?” he pleaded.
Nova smiled. “Because I would slit your throat if you ever tried to lay a hand on me.”
Laughter flooded through the small ship. Farlon shut off the communications. Nova fell wearily into her seat as the hopper lifted into the air. Movement caught her attention and her gaze focused on Kovak’s hand. It had slowly turned so that it rested palm up on his knee. Her heart skipped a tiny beat at the realization that he had done it for her.
She slid her hand into his. His fingers closed and tingles ran up her arm. The Smiren’s head tipped back and he shut his eyes. Warmth flooded through her at the small smile that lifted his lips. She felt his fingers go slack a few moments later and realized he had fallen asleep. Her heart went out to him. He stayed so strong when everyone needed him despite the weariness that must be plaguing him from the torture. He would keep running until he collapsed; she knew that for a certainty. She vowed to make him sleep once they reached the SevenWolf.
Nova tipped her head back and tuned in to the conversation that was going on in the seats in front of her.
“So they’re looking for strong people, survivors, and sacrificing them on the Andenite pyramid,” Farlon was saying. “Blood activates the stones. He needs strong blood. Apparently, that’s why he’s taking prisoners.”
“Strong blood, what does that mean?” Redden asked.
“I have no idea,” Farlon said.
“That’s terrible,” Regalus said. He gave a dry, humorless chuckle. “I guess we know why we weren’t sacrificed.”
“Apparently they think that’s where we’re going, so your argument is moot,” Farlon replied. “Besides, we fought.”
“Yeah, until they mentioned decapitation.” The older Quarian leaned forward in his seat. “I hope you don’t think less of me that I didn’t want to be decapitated.”
Redden glanced at his father with wide eyes from the copilot’s seat. “Are you kidding? I thought you were dead or, truth be told, running the Daytian Star System like a good little Godking’s minion should.” He sat back and shook his head. “I never thought I’d see you again,” he admitted in a tight voice.
Regalus reached forward and squeezed his son’s shoulder. “I felt the same way. I was so happy you weren’t in the palace when they came for us. I told Farlon I hoped you stayed away for good because then at least one of us was safe.”
Redden bowed his head. “I should have been with you.”
Farlon snorted, surprising everyone. “Are you kidding? You had women begging to party with you. I wouldn’t expect my little brother to turn that down for a stuffy feast with the upper nobility.”
Redden gave an abashed grin. “I was a hellion, wasn’t I?”
“Living the life I wish I could have,” his brother replied. “One of us had to do it.”
“Glad I could take one for the team,” Redden said with a chuckle.
“Are yo
u guys out there?”
Nova breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Junquit’s voice.
“We’re here,” Redden said. “The rest of my family is with us.”
“Did you bring the spy?” she asked.
Everyone looked back at Kovak. While the gladiator didn’t open his eyes, Nova could feel by the tension in his fingers that he was awake and listening.
“We’ll talk about that when we land,” Nova replied. “Detach from the asteroid and open the hatch.”
“Will do,” the pilot replied in her usual chipper tone.
Nova couldn’t deny how good it felt to walk back through her ship. She led Kovak to the bridge with the sensation of coming home. The thought was a strange one. Evia was her home, yet she didn’t miss it the way that she did even a week ago. She knew she had duties to fulfil there and a legacy to live that her father had left for both her and McKy. Their people depended on them returning and ruling as Count and Countess Loreander. So why did the thought make her feel so reluctant?
“Wow, you look like—” Jashu Blu swallowed at Nova’s pointed look and said, “You look great, Kove. I’m glad you’re back.”
Kovak smiled as though he knew exactly what the young Quarian had been meaning to say. “Thanks. We had a great time, but it’s one of those places you would rather visit instead of live. More like a vacation.”
Nova smothered a laugh and led him to the chair next to the Captain’s seat.
“What’s wrong? Can’t you see?” Junquit blurted out before Nova could stop her.
“Not at the moment,” Kovak replied lightly. “Just a side effect of blunt force trauma to the head.”
Kaj shot Nova a concerned look. “He should be in the medical bay.”
“We need to report first,” Kovak said before Nova could come up with anything. “We found out some vital information about Evia. The sooner we talk to Parliament, the better. Junquit?”
“I’m on it,” she said.
“Shouldn’t we get away from this moon?” McKy asked. “The place gives me the creeps.”