“Where isss it?” he hissed, all pretense of human speech tones completely abandoned. “Where have you put the T’lix-Kruthe, Earthling?”
“I…I…” Vicky found she was too frightened to speak. Her voice seemed to be frozen in her throat and all she could do was sink lower in the water, heedless of the sharp shards of glass, and stare at the menacing alien perched at the end of her tub.
“Where isss it?” he demanded again. “If you do an anssswer, you will die!”
As though to bring the dire threat home, it raised one three-fingered hand and pointed what looked like a silver pen at her.
Vicky felt her heart freeze in her chest. It was the same weapon she’d seen the alien use to kill the bartender with. The same thing that had cut down a huge lamppost, made a hole in a mailbox, and decapitated a fire hydrant. Clearly, it could cut right through her like butter—and it was about to if she didn’t reveal the location of the alien artifact.
She wanted desperately to speak, but her tongue seemed stuck to the roof of her mouth. Her heart was pounding so hard and her blood rushing so fast she couldn’t breathe. She felt sick—faint. She was going to die because she couldn’t make herself speak, she was sure of it!
“Very well, human—perhapsss you need a warning?” the Varian hissed.
It pressed the button on the back of the sleek silver pen and a golden beam of light shot out of the other end and hit Vicky squarely in the chest.
At once, her entire body from the neck down seemed to go numb. Her tensed muscles relaxed and, to her horror, Vicky found herself sliding deeper into the steaming water. Already it was up to her chin and soon it would be up to her mouth. She tried to move her arms and legs—tried to thrash or push herself up in the water—but it was no use. She was completely paralyzed—her body was dead weight and there was no way to get out of the water.
Oh my God, am I going to drown in my own bathtub? Vicky thought wildly.
It seemed horribly likely as she slid even deeper, her eyes locked on the menacing lizard-like alien crouching at the end of her tub.
“Where?” it demanded in its hissing voice. “Where isss it? Where isss the T’lix-Kruthe?”
“Some questions don’t need an answer,” a deep voice growled in Vicky’s ear.
And then a beam of red light shot past her face and caught the Varian squarely in the chest.
The top part of the scaly alien simply disintegrated, leaving behind only the bottom half with a charred stump at the waist. Vicky watched in horror as the alien hindquarters slowly collapsed, slumping into the water with her.
She screamed in disgust, wanting desperately to thrash and splash and get the hell out of there, away from the dead alien occupying the tub with her. But of course, she couldn’t do a thing—her body was still paralyzed from the neck down.
“Hush,” the deep voice muttered in her ear. “The other one’s around here somewhere—I have to find him and eliminate the threat.”
Vicky turned her head but saw nothing—there was no one beside her, so who was talking to her? Was she going crazy?
“Where…who…?” she managed to get out in a dazed tone.
Suddenly the big Kindred’s face—only his face—appeared in front of her, wearing the red hooded cape he’d had on at the bar.
“It’s just me, sweetheart,” he growled softly. “You stay here and be quiet so I can neutralize the other Varian before he tries anything.”
“Wait,” Vicky begged as she slid deeper into the water. “Please—get me out of the tub first. He shot me…shot me with something that paralyzed me. I can’t move—I’m going to drown if I slide down any further. And that thing’s in here with me.” She looked down at the bottom half of the alien body which was currently occupying the tub with her. A greenish liquid was seeping out of the charred stump at its waist, making cloudy tendrils in the water.
The sight made Vicky feel nauseous but she swallowed hard, determined not to puke. She was pretty sure she would die if she did, considering she couldn’t move enough to clear her own airway if she vomited.
“All right—let’s get you out of there. But quickly!” the big Kindred murmured.
More of him appeared—his arms and hands and he put away the weapon he’d been using that had cut the alien in half. Leaning over the tub, he scooped Vicky out of the water as easily as though he was picking up a small child.
“Hey—don’t hurt your back!” she couldn’t help cautioning him.
But the Kindred only frowned at her.
“How would I hurt my back?” he asked, cradling her close to his broad chest, despite the fact that she was dripping wet.
“Well…by lifting me. I’m, uh, not exactly a lightweight,” Vicky remarked, looking down at her own naked body, which she wished was a whole lot thinner.
“I know…” The Kindred’s gaze followed her own and Vicky was surprised to see the glimmer of desire in those midnight-blue depths. “You’re an Elite,” he told her. “A female blessed by the Goddess with extra-bountiful curves.”
“Okay, um, I guess so.” She could feel herself blushing at the way he was looking at her. When was the last time a man had stared at her with such desire in his eyes? Vicky couldn’t remember. “Nobody said you could stare,” she snapped, unable to help feeling embarrassed.
“Forgive me,” he murmured. “It’s just that you’re so lovely, it’s hard not to look.”
Vicky couldn’t help feeling flattered, which mixed with the irritated embarrassment she also felt to form a very strange emotion indeed. She thought about protesting some more and then just decided to stay silent.
The big Kindred carried her from the bathroom into the bedroom and laid her carefully on the bed. She couldn’t help being impressed by the big warrior’s strength. Kevin hadn’t even been able to pick her up and carry her over the threshold when they were first married and she’d been a good fifty pounds lighter back then.
“Here, you are, safe and sound—but you’re bleeding.” He frowned down at the side of her thigh and her breast where the sharp shards of window glass had cut her when they fell into the bathtub. “Have to deal with that later,” he said, as though making a mental note to himself.
“I can deal with it myself—if I can ever move again.” Vicky couldn’t quite keep the worry out of her voice. The alien ray had paralyzed her completely and it was really scary not to be able to feel her arms and legs.
“Don’t worry about that,” the Kindred said easily. “He probably shot you with the light setting just to scare you. It should wear off soon.”
“Well, until it does, I’m completely helpless!” Vicky exclaimed. “Maybe you’d better put me under the bed instead of on it.” She didn’t like to suggest such an option, since she was mildly claustrophobic, but it seemed safer than lying there naked and unable to move out in the open.
“Oh, I think we can do better than that—though it’s a shame to cover such bountiful curves,” the Kindred remarked.
“Hey!” If Vicky could have squirmed, she would have, at the way those midnight-blue eyes were roaming over her naked body. “I told you—don’t look at me!”
He sighed regretfully.
“Forgive me—it’s difficult not to admire you in this state of…shall we say, undress?” He grinned at her unrepentantly when she made another angry noise. “Here—let’s make sure you’re safe while I take care of this other Varian bastard.”
Taking off the long red cloak which had somehow made him invisible, he draped it over Vicky so that it completely covered her body. As a final touch, he pulled the hood over her head. It worried her at first but she found that she could see right through the fabric and could breathe quite easily, though she couldn’t see herself—any of herself—at all.
It was a strange feeling to look down at the bed and not see her body, but she barely had time to think about it because the big Kindred was talking to her again.
“Stay here,” he murmured. “I’ll be back soon.”
“My what?” He frowned and she realized he probably hadn’t read the popular books.
“You know—your magic invisibility cloak,” she said, nodding down at herself though he obviously couldn’t see the motion now that she was completely invisible.
The big Kindred laughed softly.
“Oh, you mean my scatterlight cloak? Don’t worry about me, sweetheart—I can manage even without the stealth tech.” He started to leave again but Vicky called him back once more.
“Wait—I don’t even know your name!” she exclaimed in a low voice. “What if something happens—who do I call?”
“Oh, of course—I forgot we hadn’t exactly been properly introduced.” He pulled the cloak off her face again and gave her an easy, engaging grin that exposed white teeth in his dark face. “I’m Chainor—Chain for short. And I’m an M-Switch Kindred. And you are?”
“Victoria Erickson—Vicky for short,” Vicky said. “I’m a high school language and drama teacher.”
“Drama, hmm?” He raised an eyebrow. “No wonder you got into the part so fast when I picked you to be my female. You really had me going there—especially when you kissed me.”
“I only kissed your cheek,” Vicky protested, embarrassed all over again. She couldn’t believe the way she’d acted at the bar. But then, she’d had three strawberry daiquiris—so it wasn’t really her fault, was it? “You’re the one who kissed me on the mouth,” she pointed out.
“But I didn’t see you objecting, beautiful Victoria,” he murmured. “In fact, if I recall correctly, you kissed me right back.”
“Well…” Vicky could feel herself blushing all over—which made her glad her naked body was covered by his cloak. “You just kind of…caught me at a vulnerable moment—that’s all,” she said.
“That’s right—you told me the male who was supposed to be meeting you hadn’t shown up, didn’t you?” he mused, frowning.
Vicky was surprised he remembered what she’d said, after all the craziness that had followed.
“Something like that,” she admitted. She didn’t want to tell him how Ted had given her the once over and then left, as though she wasn’t pretty enough to tempt him. That was humiliating.
“Well, he’s a fool,” Chain said firmly. “If he doesn’t know enough to come meet a beautiful woman when she—”
Just then there was a muffled but distinct thump from the other room.
“Crap!” Vicky hissed. “Is that—?”
“Probably.” His charming features took on a grim expression and he cursed under his breath. “Shouldn’t have allowed myself to be distracted by your beauty,” he told Vicky. “I’ll cover you again and be right back after I take care of this.”
Vicky wanted to protest, but before she could, he had already thrown the hood of the cloak over her face again, rendering her completely invisible. Quietly, he crept out of the bedroom, closing the door soundlessly behind him.
Vicky was still paralyzed from the neck down—though she was beginning to feel tingling in her fingers and toes which told her the effects of the alien ray were starting to wear off. But at the moment all she could do was wait and watch and pray the big Kindred would be all right.
Please, she prayed, though she wasn’t exactly sure who she was talking to. Please let Chain be okay! Don’t let him get hurt or killed—let us both be safe!
But she got nothing but silence for an answer.
Seven
Chain crept stealthily down the long hallway, on high alert for any sign of the second Varian scout who’d come after the T’lix-Kruthe. Speaking of that, he really needed to ask Victoria where she’d put it.
Victoria… He smiled a little. He liked her name. Hell, he liked all of her, and he’d certainly gotten to see enough since her curves had been on full display. Gods, an Elite like that shouldn’t be alone in this big domicile—she was much too tempting a prize. Just about any male might take a liking to what he saw and follow her home.
The thought of that made Chain bristle with protective anger. The Varians weren’t the only ones he had to worry about here. But for now, they were the threat he needed to concentrate on, he reminded himself.
He heard another thump which seemed to come from a room up ahead. Sliding forward with his blaster ready, Chain edged around the doorway, looking for his adversary.
He saw a room in disarray. The cushions had been pulled off all the furniture and some had been slashed open so that fluffy piles of white filling were coming out. The small table in the center of the room had been upended and the drapes at the tall windows had been torn down. How had the Varian made such a mess so quickly?
Speaking of the alien scout, Chain saw it at the far end of the room, pulling books out of the bookcase and looking behind them before tossing them aside to the carpeted floor. The thumps he and Victoria had heard must have been the books falling—though how the Varian had made the rest of this mess so quietly was anyone’s guess. Maybe they hadn’t heard him because they were talking.
At that moment, the alien scout turned and saw him standing there. A snarl creased its face and it raised its weapon to point at him.
Chain was too quick for the Varian. He blasted the bastard right in the head, disintegrating the top half completely. Then, for good measure, he blasted the bottom half too, leaving nothing but a greasy black stain on the nice tan carpeting—which wasn’t quite so nice now, unfortunately.
Job done, Chain decided it was time to go. He would collect the T’lix-Kruthe then put a remote towing device on the Varian ship and drag it out into deep space so the bastards couldn’t track it and come looking for Victoria again.
Next stop, Priima Belle, where he was fairly certain he could buy the other half of the T’lix-Kruthe, rather than having to steal it—which made things marginally easier. Then he could bring it back to his buyer and collect a healthy payday which ought to set him up in style for quite a long time.
But what about Victoria? whispered a little voice in his head. Is it safe to leave her all alone here? What if the Varians should find her after all?
He didn’t think it was even remotely likely, but he didn’t like to leave anything to chance. Still, it wasn’t like he could take her with him—could he?
Chain frowned his he considered the possibilities…
“Chain?” he heard a faint call coming from her bedroom. “Chain, are you all right?”
Poor little female—she was helpless and unable to move until the Varian’s paralytic ray wore off. And yet she was worried about him. That was nice, Chain decided. It was also nice that she hadn’t flinched when he’d told her he was an M-Switch Kindred.
“Just a minute, sweetheart,” he called back. “I’ll be right there.”
He did a once over of the rest of the domicile and found it empty. As he’d suspected, the two Varians that had followed him from the bar were the only ones here. Satisfied, he came back to the bedroom to see that she was sitting up with his scatterlight cloak clutched to her breasts. Since the scatterlight was still activated, this made it look as though half of a sexy, naked Elite was hovering in mid-air above the bed.
Chain pushed a button on his belt to deactivate the cloak and suddenly it was the same deep scarlet it always was when visible. This had the added benefit of letting him see the little Elite’s curves, clearly outlined by the red fabric.
“Oh!” Victoria jumped and looked down at herself, clearly surprised by the sudden reappearance of the cloak and her body under it. “Are you okay?” she asked Chain, looking up and clutching the cloak even tighter to her body. “I was getting so worried about you!”
“I’m fine,” he assured her. “Though I’m afraid the carpeting in your living area isn’t. I had to neutralize the other Varian by the bookcase and it left a stain.”
“Neutralize?” She looked up at him with wide eyes which were
quite a bewitching shade of green, Chain noticed.
“Disintegrate,” he clarified. “I’m afraid it left a big black mark where he was standing.”
Oh, right…” She looked faintly ill but then lifted her chin and took a deep breath, as though trying to compose herself. “That’s all right. I’m sure it’s nothing a good stream cleaning can’t get out. Well…” She shrugged. “I guess you’ll be wanting the golden Twix thing you asked me to hold for you and then you’ll be on your way.”
“The T’lix-Kruthe,” Chain corrected her. “Yes, where did you put it?”
“Initially, down my bra,” she remarked, smiling dryly. “But right now it ought to be under the fuzzy pink towel beside the tub which still has the other half of an alien corpse in it.” She shivered and made a face.
“I’ll take care of it,” Chain promised.
Striding into the bathing area, he first took care of the dead alien in the tub with another silent but deadly blaster shot. This turned the water a dirty gray color but since it also disintegrated the plug which had been holding the water in the tub in the first place, it began to drain out almost at once.
As it did, Chain caught sight of the shards of glass in the tub and reminded himself to see to the little Earth female’s cuts as well. She’d been harmed because of him—there was no way he could leave while she was still wounded.
You just want an excuse to heal her, whispered a little voice in the back of his head. Which, he had to admit was true. Since he’d taken the healing serum which allowed any Kindred to heal his female like a Blood Kindred would, healing Victoria ought to be especially interesting.
Reaching under the pink towel, he found the T’lix-Kruthe which was still strobing its vivid display of rainbow colors. He frowned as he examined it. How had she turned it on, anyway? And why had it lit up for her when the other half of it was still missing? Chain shrugged. Well, who could tell? The artifact had several legends attached to it, which was why his buyer was so interested in it.
Stealing Her Heart Page 4