Jannike stood, letting her harness go with a quick yank. “Good flying, Ry.”
He grinned. His piloting during the storm had been nothing short of brilliant.
Kaya rose. “Looks pretty out there. Do you think they’ll have a tavern?”
Jannike snorted. “Is your hair bright blue?”
“Exactly what I thought,” Kaya said, shaking said blue hair.
Ry stretched the tension from his shoulders. A faint whinny from the cargo bay brought a frown along with a rise of tension. Camryn. He took off at a sprint, his boots thudding on the tender floor.
“Captain?” Kaya shouted after him.
Camryn. He cast out his mind, attempting to snatch thoughts from the cargo bay. Nothing. Not unusual when it came to Mogens but he often caught Camryn’s unguarded thoughts from this range. He burst into the cargo bay to find Mogens hunched over her limp body.
The mare bristled, her ears going back as they always did when he went too close. Apart from the first day when she’d let him carry Luke, the mare preferred him to keep a distance. Too bad. He shoved past and crouched beside Mogens. “What happened?”
“The turbulence threw us around. Gabby crushed Camryn against the wall.”
“Fukk it.” The bloody race was going to be the death of him. His hands tightened to fists and eyes narrowed dangerously. Or his brother…
“Gabby didn’t mean to do it. It was an accident.”
Ry ignored Mogens concern about blame to concentrate on Camryn. Her face looked ashen and she didn’t move. Fear stripped away everything but the need to fix Camryn. So small and defenseless. So still.
“Where’s she hurt?” Ry squatted beside her to brush the hair from her face. He couldn’t see any blood but sometimes injuries lurked inside a body, unseen. He shuddered, mentally giving thanks for the lack of blood. He’d seen the way the scent whipped the hell-horses into a frenzy. After the tick episode, they’d taken special care to treat small nicks or cuts the sec they occurred. Mogens had also taken the extra precaution of giving the female crew herbal treatments to suppress their normal cycles.
“As far as I can see, it’s her shoulder. It’s dislocated. Hold her while I put it back.”
“Why isn’t she conscious?” Ry held her, giving Mogens room to work. She smelled of the herb paste the seer liked to slap on injuries.
“I think the pain was too much,” Mogen said, forcing the shoulder back into place with a sharp jolt. “Her body couldn’t cope.”
Mogens glanced at him as he dipped his head to nuzzle at her neck. Her eyes flickered and she relaxed. Ry nodded at Mogens and the seer went to work, smoothing more paste on her shoulder. Ry licked her again in the exact place where he’d bitten her neck and nibbled lightly. The contact surged through him, the connection taking him by surprise. He moaned and attempted to rein back his raging desire.
Mogens checked her swollen wrist and smeared herbal paste on that too. “All done.”
The clomp of boots announced the arrival of the rest of the crew.
“What’s happened? Is she dead?” Jannike asked.
“Unconscious.” Ry stood, trusting Mogens to take care of Camryn. He walked away despite the protest of the feline who teased him to linger. A shiver racked his body and he caught strange looks from both Jannike and Kaya.
“Captain?” Kaya asked, cocking her head like an inquisitive bird.
Ry took a deep breath, determined to act like captain instead of the confused feline shifter who couldn’t bear parting from a weak Earthling.
“Where’s Nanu?” He wrapped authority around his shoulders like a mantle.
“He’s sitting beside Yep’s shroud,” Kaya said.
Ry nodded, acknowledging they needed to jerk Nanu back into the land of the living. They needed him because they couldn’t afford to let the repairs slide. Both the Indy and the tender needed to operate at full capacity. Mechanical difficulties weren’t an option. “I need you both to start working on a yard to confine Gabby and Luke. I’ll talk to Nanu and come out to help when I’m done with him.”
“Aye, Captain,” Jannike said.
“Mogens, I need you to make Camryn comfortable and watch Gabby and Luke.”
“Gabby will need feeding. We’re out of steaks,” Mogen warned, reminding him of the hell-horse’s need for meat.
Ry nodded. “Once we have the yard constructed, I’ll get Kaya and Jannike to go into the village to buy supplies.”
“Maybe they’ll have more of those large birds we captured at the last campsite. They’re easy enough to catch and Gabby seems to like them,” Mogens said.
Ry walked away to find Nanu. While he understood the man’s grief, he needed to jolt out of his misery. Kaya and Jannike hadn’t complained at the extra work, but they couldn’t keep it up indefinitely.
“Nanu, I need you to come and help construct the yard for the hell-horses.”
Nanu raised his head, eyes bloodshot with huge circles beneath, depicting the man’s lack of sleep. “I can’t leave Yep.”
Ry placed his hand on Nanu’s shoulder and squeezed lightly in support. “We need to have the funeral rite here.”
Nanu’s head jerked upward, the beads adorning his hair clacking with agitation. “No, I must take my brother home. He must burn where my ancestors burned or his soul will not pass.”
Ry forced a harsh tone. “You are outlaws in your home country. The corporation will shoot you on sight.”
“No, I must take Yep home.” Nanu rocked on the chair without taking his gaze off the shroud covering his brother. “Yep must go home to family.”
And sometimes you couldn’t go home, no matter how much you wanted it. Ry squeezed his eyes closed for an instant before shoving his sympathy aside.
“I won’t let you commit suicide. We will conduct the funeral rite here by the lake. We are your family.” Ry grasped his engineer’s shoulder again and urged him to stand. He’d use force if he had to because if Nanu didn’t snap out of his lethargy someone else would die. With the approach of the race, they needed to focus. Talor had shown he didn’t care who got in the way. His brother didn’t care who died in their personal war. “Move. Yep is not going anywhere.”
Nanu glowered and stood. With a pained look at Yep’s shroud, he stalked from the bridge, his back stiff with fury.
The yard construction didn’t take long since Camryn had suggested they bring wood from the previous site. Although not big, it allowed the hell-horse and her foal space to move while keeping them confined.
Ry had landed the ship on the far side of the lake in an area away from dwellings and crops. Hopefully their presence wouldn’t upset the locals and they’d be welcome to stay until the start of the race.
“All done, Captain.” Kaya approached him with a beaming smile. He was grateful for her cheerful presence.
“Why don’t you and Jannike head into the village? We need fresh supplies.”
“Aye, Captain!” Kaya bound off in Jannike’s direction.
“Keep an eye out for my brother or other strangers around the area. We need to watch security.” Ry didn’t trust Talor. He’d backed off and hadn’t followed them into the storm, but that didn’t mean they’d given up the chase. For some reason Talor had upped the ante and started to take risks, attacking them whenever opportunity presented itself. Ry didn’t understand why Talor’s attacks had become so ferocious. He cursed under his breath, wishing he’d had time to do more research when they’d made their last stealthy stop on Ibrox.
Pressure pushed in on Ry. He’d known revenge wouldn’t be easy, but he owed it to his friend Maxmus, the friend he had allegedly murdered, according to the law on Ibrox. He owed it to every person crushed beneath Talor’s feet. He owed it to himself if he wanted to walk the streets he’d walked as a youth with head held high. He had to prove Talor had murdered Maxmus.
Ry went looking for Camryn and Mogens. He found them where he’d left them, the scent of herbs strong on the air. Luke ambled over and l
icked his arm. Gabby let out a harsh yap. Ry had come to think of as her ‘return to me’ yap. Her foal ignored her and licked Ry again. Luke nuzzled his chest until Ry gave in and scratched him behind the ears. The foal snorted and sneezed, sending spray over Ry’s shirt.
“Enough,” he said, pushing the animal aside to squat beside Camryn and Mogens. “How is she?”
“I’m awake,” Camryn snapped. “I’m not dead.”
But she could have been—sucked into the war with his brother like his crew. His gut bucked at the idea, guilt growing. Yep shouldn’t have died. His fault.
“She will be sore for a time but should recover well.” Relief shone in Mogens’ eyes, but his skin color swirled with an uneasy mix of black and white.
Ry scanned Camryn’s wan face. She was in pain. “Maybe we should call this off. Take Camryn home to Earth and start up in another universe.”
“No! Not after all the trouble we’ve gone to. We have to see this through for Yep,” Camryn said.
“I agree,” Mogens said. “We finish for Yep.”
Ry wasn’t so sure but didn’t argue. “Can you stand?”
“It’s my shoulder, not my legs.” She pushed away from Ry and stood with a grimace. “Are the yards ready?”
Gabby yapped and shook her head so hard her mane flapped.
“She needs to stretch her legs and feed,” Camryn said.
“I’ll do it,” Ry said. “You need to rest.”
Camryn slanted him a quick glance before she looked away, a wave of color slashing across her cheeks. “Gabby doesn’t like you. I’ll have to do it.”
Ry acknowledged the truth of her words, although he didn’t like it. He stepped back to lean against the wall, well clear of the hell-horses. Camryn shuffled down the ramp and gave a soft whistle. Gabby’s head jerked up and she trotted after Camryn. Luke scuttled after his mother, and they clomped down the ramp without the trouble Ry had envisaged. Mogens followed. Luke sidled up to the seer, nudging him for another scratch behind the ears. Ry grinned at the foal’s obvious antics—he adored attention from all of them.
“I’m going hunting to feed the hell-horses,” Ry said.
“Might I suggest you take Nanu with you? Order him to accompany you,” Mogens said. “He needs to keep busy.”
Ry agreed. He strode back into the tender to find Nanu beside Yep’s shroud. Again.
“Attention!” Ry barked.
Nanu jumped to his feet, startled by Ry’s harsh tone.
“Bring your weapon. We hunt now.” Ry waited, tapping his foot impatiently. “We will scout a resting spot for your brother.”
“No, I take him home.”
“You would put us all at risk?”
They stared at each other for a long moment until Nanu shook his head.
Relieved, Ry indicated the engineer should exit first. After a brief hesitation, Nanu exited the tender. He blinked at the fierce brightness of the light and stared about him like a blind man who’d regained his sight.
“Yep would have liked it here.”
Across the broad expanse of the lake, snow-topped mountains were visible through the light violet cloud cover. The steep slopes glowed, the bright light casting purple and slate gray shadows. Trees circled most of the lake. The distant sound of voices in song traveled from the village.
“He would,” Ry said.
They returned to camp two hours later bearing a brace of birds each. And better, they’d decided on a resting spot for Yep. The funeral pyre would burn on the morrow.
“Feed four birds to Gabby. Mind your hands when you give them to her,” Ry said. “I need to check on Camryn.”
He strode up the ramp into the tender and found Mogens had fashioned a pallet for her. “How is she?”
“Sleeping. ’Tis the best thing for her. She has been under much stress during recent times.”
Ry nodded in silent acknowledgment. “Jannike and Kaya have gone into the village. Why don’t you take some free time? I’ll watch Camryn. Hopefully she’ll recover in time to attend the race meeting the day after tomorrow.”
“The clouds have proclaimed it so. You promised to return her to Earth when the racing is done.” Mogens’ color edged toward black, telling Ry far more than his words.
“I did.”
“Do you intend to keep your word, Captain?”
Ry wondered when he’d become so transparent. Holding back his impatience, he lied through his teeth. “I intend to keep my promise.”
Mogens scrutinized his face and finally nodded before leaving. Ry felt worse than ever, culpability punching him in the chest. He’d let his feline rule his heart and now it was too late. He couldn’t live without Camryn, couldn’t imagine life without her. Ry suspected she’d never forgive him.
Chapter Nine
Racetrack, Ornum Township, Two days later.
The races weren’t like any Camryn had witnessed before. Men. They were everywhere. Men who looked like humans and others who were…different. Extra arms. Weird skin colors. Strange protuberances from their heads. Extra heads. And everyone seemed to wear bright clothes. With color everywhere, their group stood out because of their black-on-black color scheme. Of course Mogens flashed between white to gray to black, but since he edged toward pure black at the moment, it was obvious he belonged with them.
Camryn sidled closer to Ry, trying not to let her unease show. The noise levels made her head ache. Bookies—or at least that’s what Camryn presumed they were—stood on platforms, screeching out names and odds. Punters thrust quid notes at them and received tickets in exchange.
“Hell Fire! Odds nine to one he won’t finish the race. Bat out of Hell! Odds two to one he won’t finish!” a bookie cried.
Camryn’s mouth dropped open. She tugged on Ry’s arm to gain his attention. “They’re laying odds on the horses not finishing the race?”
“Yeah. I’d heard they did that.”
A blare of trumpets sounded and a wave of punters hurried into the stadium. Camryn swept along with the tide.
Jannike checked the tickets they’d purchased. “Our seats are this way.”
Camryn followed in bemusement. The stadium reminded her of the old Roman amphitheaters. Seating surrounded the dirt racetrack. No grass, greenery or any of the beautiful gardens they had at home. And the smell. After the first whiff of rotten meat and blood, she breathed through her mouth.
The crowd behind jostled her, impatient to find their seats. Ry wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her against his side to protect her with his greater bulk. She noticed the flair of his nostrils and realized he didn’t think much of the stench either.
Eventually they found their seats. Camryn sat between Ry and Mogens, and for once, she didn’t protest Ry’s possessiveness. He soothed her edginess with his presence and subtle touches. His leg jostled hers, distracting her for an instant. Her eyes closed to focus on the sensations streaking through her—the elevated breathing, the prickle of her breasts and the moistening between her legs. Sighing, she opened her eyes again, no longer surprised but still perturbed by her reaction to this alien man.
Mogens touched her arm, his brows drawn together in a frown. “Is your shoulder giving you pain?”
“It’s fine,” Camryn whispered, her gaze drawn to the hell-horses parading through an opening in the arena. Her shoulder felt stiff, although the pain had receded. She’d have to take some of Mogens’ wondrous salve home with her.
An announcer, hidden somewhere high in the arena, rattled off the horses’ names. “That’s number six, Little Lucifer, the current champion from Grenfinch stables coming through now. He’s won his last ten starts and is a hot favorite for today’s premium race.”
The horses pranced at the end of leads. Many of them bore obvious scars, white and silver marks peppering their dark coats. Painted entry numbers on the animal’s sides aided identification. Camryn noticed the handlers wore protective vests. They sparkled in the sun and reminded her of old-fashioned chain mail
. They kept a wide gap between each horse. Not difficult to see why. One hell-horse yanked hard on its lead and lunged at another, dragging its handler across the ground. When the man lost his footing, the crowd cheered. No one rushed to his aid until the distracted hell-horse attacked another with teeth bared.
“Lucky Henry is loose. It looks like Henry is intent on knocking out the opposition before the race starts. If they don’t catch him soon he’ll be disqualified.”
The hell-horse ran a tight circle and bugled at the audience taunting him. He leapt at them, brought up short by a barrier. Camryn had wondered about the metal fence between the track and the public. Obviously for safety reasons.
“Are all the races like this?” she asked in a faint voice.
“This is the first I’ve seen.” Ry watched the proceedings without expression.
“Time has run out. Lucky Henry isn’t so lucky today. He’s disqualified because he wasn’t captured within the allowable time.”
An armored cart drove into the arena and sped after the loose hell-horse. When the driver caught up with Lucky Henry, a mechanic arm bearing a noose shot from the side of the vehicle. Lucky Henry slid to an abrupt stop and the vehicle departed the arena, the hell-horse scampering alongside. The crowd jeered.
“We wanna see blood,” a man hollered from behind them.
Blood? Camryn didn’t like the sound of this race meeting.
The handlers led the horses into starting barriers, one by one. The barriers were similar to the ones used on Earth although solid to avoid the horses seeing each other.
“I can’t believe they just let them run on their own,” she muttered. “Barbaric.”
“Pies. Get your pies here!”
“I’ll take four pies,” Ry said, signaling the vendor. He handed over two quid notes and selected four pies. He passed them to Camryn to distribute to the others while listening to her mutters. The high fences separating the crowd and hell-horses pointed to one thing—a fight to the death, much like the gladiator arenas on the planet Mykolnos.
Captured & Seduced Page 14