Sinful Surrender

by Houston Havens

  “So, all I had to do to get in last night was to paw at you?”

  Arlo’s mouth dropped wide at Drakker’s innuendo. His glance crisscrossed from her to Drakker then back to her. Arlo regained his composure faster than she did and politely changed the subject.

  The day followed just as fast. After sixteen hours in the saddle, Drakker guided them and their new friend Moochy into a thirty-foot-high cavern mouth. The waning soft orange and purple rays of the sunset behind them revealed a stunning view as they rode side by side into the cave.

  There was an odd tremor in her hands as she peered into the semidarkness. Until now she’d never realized just how uncomfortable she’d felt about being underground. Odd since she’d never known anything else until yesterday. So why did she feel like she’d lived aboveground before…perhaps in another life?

  What she could see was heart-stopping. It was so vast she felt very small. A quick glance up and down rattled her nerves. “My God, this place is huge!”

  Drakker glanced at her as he spurred his horse forward. “It’s about 255 feet high and over 625 feet wide.”

  “How deep does it go?”

  “About 4,000 feet, but we’re only going about 1,600 feet down,” Drakker answered over his shoulder.

  In a gallant gesture, Arlo removed his leather coat and wrapped it around her. “You’ll need this for warmth as we descend farther into the bowels of the cave. It gets pretty cool and damp down there.”

  “Here.” Drakker stopped his horse, waiting until they were side by side with him. Leaning over, he placed his hat on her head. “It’ll keep the bat poop out of your hair.” He prodded his horse forward.

  Not sure how bats were going to do that, she took him at his word and adjusted his hat to protect her hair from any sneak attacks. The horses’ hooves clacked as they worked their way deeper and deeper into the darkness.

  “There can’t be any animals or bats in here, can there?” Fay glanced back and up at Arlo. “I mean, obviously there was a woman here not long ago, but—”

  Drakker twisted in his saddle looking back at her. “What makes you assume that?”

  “Don’t you smell it?” She shrugged. “There’s a lingering scent of perfume?”

  It was too dark to tell, but from the hissy-jiggle in his words, Drakker was holding back laughter when he said, “That unusual aroma you called perfume is bat poo.”

  Arlo gave a hoot.

  “Oh.” Fay pulled on the rim of Drakker’s hat, yanking it down harder on her skull.

  As they went deeper into the cave, the smell of ore dominated the scent of perfume. It also got pitch-black. She wasn’t real keen about the dark, bad things always happened in the dark. She was grateful when Drakker lit their path with a device she couldn’t see. They traveled for quite some time. It was hard to gauge, but it seemed like hours before they rounded a bend to be welcomed by soft blue lights guiding them, to where, she didn’t know. They descended even deeper into the cavern’s depth until they reached a stone wall.

  Drakker leaned over his horse’s neck and placed his hand on the massive granite barrier. As soon as he did, the middle portion of the rock started to shimmer and glow until it appeared almost translucent. It looked like a sheet of glass now separated the two halves of the stone. Fay’s experience in the fourth and fifth dimensions told her it had to be some form of an energy field. What kind she didn’t know, unless she mind traveled her energy into it. She just hoped it wasn’t a torsion field.

  Her heart raced the moment she saw through to the other side of the rock window. Fay stretched her eyes wide open. It appeared to be dawn. Had they traveled for that long? The site before her was unbelievable. It was as though her favorite childhood fairytale, The Pillars of Hercules, had come true. Beyond the glassy energy field were two huge trees that stood like the mythological pillars. A thick undergrowth of bushes and ferns covered the ground and seemed impassable. How was all this possible in the depths of a cave? Drakker made a clicking sound with his tongue and rode toward the trees.

  “Be carefu—” She broke off as his horse jumped through the translucent shield. Moochy bounded ahead of their horse, heedless of the unfamiliar territory.

  Arlo circled his arms around her waist. “Hang on,” he warned as his horse made the leap.

  Fay gasped. The thick tropical forest she had seen from within the cave wasn’t what she saw now. It was just a three-dimensional image, an illusion. An unwelcome visitor would see the thick overgrowth and be discouraged from continuing through such dense vegetation.

  The reality was a beautiful little town with thatched roofs nestled in a basin created by surrounding mountains. Candlewick streetlamps lined the dirt roads and cast a romantic light. Sparkling little paths twinkled over the entire landscape. The soft glow from the candles and the gentle light of dawn highlighted multiple shades of green covering the ground. It was like a wonderland. A place only her dreams could create.

  The black silhouette of the trees in the far distance had to be over six hundred feet tall. Scattered lights here and there shone through the valleys that littered the base of the dark hillsides as far as her eyes could see. Golden fields of grain swayed in the gentle breeze. Her senses filled with euphoria. This was beauty. This was God’s world. She felt the truth of it in her gut. This was a place she could only dream of living in. It was a spectacular world. A place she could only wish to be a part of. It was no surprise the Underworld government wanted it so much they’d murder to get it.

  They rode through the hamlet for another twenty minutes until they came to a large two-story home on the far edge of the sleeping village.

  A sleepy-eyed man came out of the house and greeted Drakker and Arlo in a soft voice. “Howdy, boys.”

  Fay felt heat sweep up her neck. She recognized him. He was the older cowboy she’d see in her mind travel mission before coming here, the man who’d been having his thing sucked by a woman in the Airborne leader’s office. She looked around to see if there was a neighboring home. Maybe Logan lived nearby. Damn, no such luck.

  The older man tipped his head to her. “Evenin’—ah, mornin’, ma’am.”

  Fay flashed a smile then looked away. Seeing him in the flesh made her feel a little guilty for invading his privacy. That was the only bad thing about being a mind traveler. She felt guilt when meeting the person she’d been spying on, knowing she’d been watching them when they did things she knew they wouldn’t want others to know or see.

  Once they dismounted, he took their horses to a large building he referred to as the barn. He patted the coyote and gave it words of praise as if their new pet was just another beloved dog on the property. Nose sniffling the ground in explore mode, Moochy followed the stout man to the barn.

  With handsome men on each side, Fay felt like a fairytale princess as they led her into the candlelit log manor. She peeked out from beneath Drakker’s hat as a blond-haired man about the same towering height as Drakker appeared at the end of a hall. Her lungs tightened as she drank in the sight of him. Can it be? He wore a pair of tight, white pants and an unbuttoned red silk shirt that flowed out to the sides of him as he came rushing toward them in bare feet. Fay’s heart sped up. Tendrils of his shoulder-length locks wafted back, revealing a white feather attached with a beaded leather string. The adornment dangled by his ear giving him a savage but sexy appearance. Excitement raced through her as she realized it was the drop-dead gorgeous Logan Abán. Could her luck get any better than this?

  “Where in the hell have you two been?” Logan came to an abrupt halt when his gaze fell on her.

  She stopped breathing the moment his penetrating gaze raked over her from head to toe. It was hard to tell if his keen glint was infatuation or loathing.

  He cleared his throat and much to her disappointment buttoned his shirt covering his beautiful, muscled chest. “Excuse me, ma’am.”

  His voice matched his looks. It was sensual and charming. What she had expected of the Airborne barbarians was
so far off from the reality. The men were polite and showed more manners than the average Dirt Dweller. It was making it harder and harder to accept the image her world had given her of these people. It was becoming even more difficult to see them as her enemy.

  Leaning into Drakker, Logan hissed, “My office, now.” Logan turned, the feather in his hair swung free to tangle into the rest of his hair as he stalked to another room off the main hall.

  Drakker ambled after him, waving his hand for her and Arlo to follow. Fay noticed the floors and walls were polished wood if she understood Rex correctly during her last mission. The decor appeared very rustic and masculine, but there was elegance in the crystal candleholders and lacy drapes.

  “Damn it, Drakker—” Logan spun around after entering the room. His chest puffed out when he saw she and Arlo had accompanied them into the den. The room she recognized from her mind-travel mission caused her cheeks to heat. Fay’s heart thumped with adrenaline as she stood in the very room where she’d witnessed her first ménage.

  A thrill rushed through her when she twisted around and spotted the safe she’d found the papers in that made her question her own government and take a leap of faith to come here in search of the truth.

  “Drakker!” Logan flung his arms out to his sides in a silent question as to why they were here.

  “Logan, she’s where we’ve been all this time. We found her—”

  He stepped chest to chest close with Drakker. “She got a name?”

  Both Arlo and Drakker looked at her with blank stares. Neither one had asked her name, nor did she offer it. Trained as a spy, she never gave information she didn’t have to give. Fay sauntered across the room, seeking refuge near the far edge of the desk, so she could see all three men.

  Drakker released a breath. “She’s a Star Rider. She crashed her airship. When we found her she wasn’t able to talk.”

  Logan’s chuckle sent a rush of warmth through her.

  “Really?” His pleasant demeanor switched to an angry glare, making Fay’s blood run cold. He addressed Drakker in a grating tone. “Did you ever think she might be faking it?”

  Drakker narrowed his eyes. “It crossed my mind, yes. But there was no way for me to confirm it until we got back here and let Andonis look at her.” He turned to Arlo. “She traveled with you, bro. With all that chitchat I saw you doing with her, did you think to ask her name?”

  Logan looked stunned but recovered fast and said, “Wait, you just said she couldn’t talk.”

  “In the last sixteen hours, she’s been able to utter a few words.”

  Drakker turned back to Arlo, waiting for his response. “So? How ’bout it? Did she tell you her name? Did you think to ask?”

  “Why would I ask her name?” He shrugged before sitting down on a love seat against the wall next to the safe. “I’m horrible with names, you know that. Star Riders’ have names fifty syllables long. Like I’d even be able to pronounce it, let alone remember it. Nah, I just called her my little filly.”

  Drakker dropped his chin to his chest and gave his head a shake. Without lifting his head, he peered up at Logan. “So, no, I guess we don’t have her name yet.”

  Logan turned and took her left hand into his. Electric tingles shot through her as he gazed down at her hand. His piercing eyes shot up with such intensity it forced her to look away. Logan’s grip tightened around her fingers drawing her attention back to him.

  “Tell me your name.” His voice was low and commanding.

  Fay swallowed hard and snatched her hand away. Something about his actions intimidated her. She sensed a determined and powerful man lived behind his sexy looks. After all, he was the leader of the Airbornes. “M-my name’s Fay Avalon. I’m—”

  “God damn it, Drakker!” Logan ground out. He stomped behind the desk then slammed into his chair. “She’s not a Star Rider.”

  “How do you know that?” Standing in the center of the room, Drakker crossed his arms and widened his stance with an arrogant arch to his dark brow.

  Fay’s heart rapped hard against her chest. How did he know that?

  “Come on, man. Do the simple math! First clue, the names. Fay and Avalon are both Old World Mole names. It’s to convince you she has an Old World Mole bloodline. Jesus Christmas, I can’t believe this. You should know this already. It’s not like this is your first rodeo.”

  “It’s the first I’ve heard her name!” Drakker shook his head, looking down at the floor. “Maybe she’s an Old World Mole taken to a space station by a Star Rider.” He shrugged. “Either way, what’s the harm?”

  Logan shot out of his chair as if someone had torched it. “Really?” He cussed under his breath, and Fay started to tremble.

  “Second clue, Drakker. A Star Rider would not, nor would an Old World Mole, volunteer her last name. Last names are sacred knowledge, given to only a few. Third, if she is a Star Rider’s woman, where is her finger clan tattoo? No woman there is without a tattoo of claim.”

  Drakker covered his eyes and rubbed at them. “You’re right.”

  “I’m always right! Damn it, Drakker,” Logan continued, appearing not to be affected by Drakker’s defeated posture. “This is all shit you should know by now! What in the hell’s the matter with you?” His feathered braid swung out as he shot his head around to deliver a murderous stare and point an accusing finger at Arlo. “And I ain’t even begun with you!” His glance slid to Fay. “She’s a Dirt Dweller.”

  Shit. Fay’s breasts bounced with each nervous breath she drew. Her heart pounded against her ribs. Sweat beaded across her top lip. How am I going to get out of this? She felt the urge to bolt from the room, but her body had turned to stone, cementing her right where she stood.

  “Holy saints of hell, Logan! You can’t blame me. Drakker should have told me!” Arlo cussed again.

  Drakker yelled back, “You’re the one who said she was a Star Rider in the first place.” He turned to Logan. “How the hell was I supposed to know she’s a Dirt Dweller? She crashed an airship. The Underworld government doesn’t have stealth photon airships.”

  Logan shook his head and returned to his seat. “It’s pretty easy to figure the craft isn’t hers. It was probably stolen from a Star Rider.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Logan glared at him. “She doesn’t know how to fly the cursed thing. That’s why she crashed.”

  “Excuse me.” Fay cut in having heard enough of Logan’s insults. “First of all, I know how to fly a stealth photon ship. I’ve been flying them since I was twenty-two.” She wasn’t about to admit to this arrogant man all her flights had been virtual flights. If she did, she was sure he’d find something in those details to use against her, or he’d think she was a fool.

  “And you’re how old?”

  “Twenty-five!”

  Logan held out his hands, palms up, to show she’d just made his point for him. She sucked in a hard breath feeling like an idiot for giving him that bit of information. Her cheeks heated. Mortified, she dropped her eyes before returning them to see him acknowledge Drakker’s questioning gaze.

  “It’s got to be the airship that crashed four and a half years ago. If you remember, the Star Riders never recovered that ship. Without a doubt, the Dirt Dwellers refurbished it.”

  After hearing Logan’s remarks, admitting to being a Dirt Dweller wasn’t going to work to her advantage. She was going to have to outthink him or outsmart him. I wonder if semantics will work? “You’re assuming I’m a Dirt Dweller, but you don’t know that for sure.”

  “Really?” Logan turned his intense gaze back to her.

  Fay felt her knees shake. In the satellite image she’d seen of Logan, his incredible bedroom eyes had seduced her, but right now, those very same eyes were making her shake in her boots.

  “My name’s not that of a Dirt Dweller. It leaves room for doubt.”

  Logan grunted. “You’re assuming I believe that’s your real name. If I were you, darlin’, I wouldn’t p
resume that.”

  Darlin’? What arrogance! “Why would I lie about my name?”

  “Why wouldn’t you? If you told me your name was Makayla Greyti, it would be an obvious confession of being a Dirt Dweller, now wouldn’t it?”

  Makayla Greyti! How in the hell does he know about her? His knowing about Landen Reto or even the ruler’s children, Tessla and Branden, was understandable. Makayla was a prominent citizen of the Underworld, but her powerful political influence shouldn’t be one of general knowledge.

  Logan’s conceited expression tempted her to slap the smirk off his face.

  “Your hesitation in answering tells me you’re a Dirt Dweller.”

  “I’m trying to figure out who Makilay Gravle is.” She flubbed up the name in the hope it would explain her hesitation.

  “Okay, you want to play this game?” Logan stroked his chin before speaking again. “If you’re a Star Rider, how did you learn to fly a ship?”

  Fay widened her eyes. “Really?” She scoffed at his silly question. “Ah, I was trained.”

  Logan narrowed his eyes into angry slits as he got up and leaned over his desk. “No, you weren’t.”

  Fay tilted forward and squinted right back at him. “Yes, I was.”

  “It’s evident you know nothing about Star Riders. There are two types. The first type, the original Star Riders, is easygoing humans. They cherish their women and allow them some freedoms. The second type is the Star Riders of mixed blood—human with alien. They’re called the giants because all of them are seven feet to seven and a half feet tall. These beings are alpha males. As a Star Rider’s woman of either class, you never would have been trained.” He finished in a harsh and angry tone.

  “No? Why not?”

  “Their women are chattel! Most are not allowed out without their masters.”

  Allowed? Masters? Really? Who the hell are these Star Rider’s anyway? Why doesn’t the Underworld government know about them? And if they do, why haven’t they told me?

  She spun around to confront him as he rounded his desk in four long steps to stand in front of her. Intimidation accented his towering stance as he hovered. He was so close she could smell the soft cologne he wore. His alluring scent made her yearn to kiss him. Instead, she retreated, frightened by her desire.