Vanquished (The Hidden Planet Book 2)

by Sophie Stern

  She comes and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

  She comes and I feel like the whole world has stopped spinning.

  She comes and I can’t hold back a moment longer. I can’t wait. I can’t help myself. I come, too, whispering her name in the darkness of the night.

  “Dagger,” her name is a melody on my lips, and I fill her with my seed. I come inside of her, thrusting up until I’m completely spent, and then she collapses on top of me. She’s sweaty and tired and perfect, and I rub her back as she lays on me.

  “Wow,” Dagger whispers. “That was…wow. Has it ever been like that for you before?” Then she chuckles and nuzzles her head on my chest. “Stupid question. I’m sure it’s always that good for you. You’re incredible.”

  “It’s never been like that,” I manage to choke out, but it’s the truth. Perhaps I should lie to her, spin a tale of debauchery and indiscretions. Perhaps I should let her think I’m a playboy, a naughty man who’s only after one thing.

  Perhaps I should let her think I’m someone else, but I don’t want to.

  I want Dagger to know me – the real me – and I want her to accept me for who I am. I don’t sleep around very much. I don’t have sex with many women. I mostly keep to myself and my hunting and my house. I spend time with my sister and that’s it. That’s all I do.

  My life is ordinary, plain. It’s routine. It’s predictable.

  I like it that way.

  I don’t need a lot of adventures or suspense. I don’t need action. I don’t need mystery or intrigue. Those are things my brother Quinn likes. Not me. I’m not like that. Yeah, maybe change would be nice once in awhile, but my life is comfortable now.

  It’s acceptable.

  I like to know where my next meal is coming from and where I’m going to sleep. I like to know what’s going to happen when I make a certain choice. I like to have stability in my life.

  And in my experience, sleeping with lots of women is an adventure I don’t need. It creates drama and heartache and stress that’s no good for anyone involved. It’s not worth the trouble, so I avoid it.

  Until now.

  Sleeping with Dagger was incredible, but unexpected. It was wonderful and I want to do it again. She made me feel strong, fierce. She made me feel like I was the most incredible guy in the universe.

  She made me feel like I was worth something.

  Holding her now in the darkness, I wrap my arms tighter around her. I smell her hair and rub her back and just enjoy being with her.

  “I don’t sleep around,” I tell her finally. “That’s not really my scene.”

  “Really?” She sounds surprised, but not judgmental. “But you’re so good at it.”

  That gets a laugh out of me. “I could say the same about you, darling. Do you sleep with many men?”

  “No,” she shakes her head against my chest. “Not very many at all, and not in a very long time. My job keeps me busy, and to be honest, my experiences haven’t been very positive.”

  “The men on Mars are idiots,” I tell her. “Nobody should let a woman like you get away.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. I shouldn’t be saying things like this to her. I shouldn’t be telling her I want to keep her, want to stay with her. I shouldn’t be telling her the idea of us parting ways is horrible.

  I shouldn’t be telling her that I want a chance with her, but I don’t regret saying it.

  It’s the truth.

  Chapter 10

  Dagger

  Ezra and I talk for hours before I finally fall asleep curled up next to him in the nest. When he wakes me up the next morning, it’s still dark outside, but the sun is starting to rise.

  “We should get going,” he says. “We want to walk as much as possible before it gets too hot. It’s gonna be a scorcher,” he winks.

  “Are you using Earth slang to impress me?” I ask, pressing a hand to my chest and acting surprised. “Why, Ezra, how sweet of you.”

  He just laughs and starts getting dressed. I follow suit, somehow managing to get my clothes on despite the cramped quarters. Then he presses a button and lowers the nest.

  The ride down is gentle and smooth and when we land on the ground, Ezra opens the door and steps outside. I follow him. Then he grabs his pack and a couple of other random items and starts putting them into his clothes.

  “Shouldn’t you have a weapon or something?” I ask. “You know, for hunting?”

  “I have a bow and several knives.”

  “Where’s your bow?” I glance back in the nest. “Did you lose it somewhere?”

  He holds up a tiny tube-like thing with several buttons on the outside. It looks like a nightstick with dots on it.

  “That’s your bow?” I raise my eyebrow disbelievingly.

  “It gets bigger,” he says, dropping it in his pack.

  “That’s what they all say.”

  He winks at me and finishes putting the nest and nest rope back in his bag. Seriously, this guy has more supplies shoved in his little bag than most people have in their entire houses. How he manages to fit so much in one compact carrying device, I have no idea. It must be an alien thing. I don’t know.

  I should offer to help Ezra put everything away, but I don’t. Chances are I’ll just mess it up, anyway. He seems to have a specific spot where each item goes, so I sit quietly in the grass while he packs.

  Once he’s finished, he takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. Then he wraps his arms around me and kisses me sweetly, softly.

  “What do you think, darling?” He asks. “Are you ready for an adventure?”

  “I’m already on one,” I gulp, looking around.

  “Oh sweetie,” he laughs. “You have no idea how much fun we’re going to have.”

  He checks something on his watch and we start walking. My shoes aren’t great for what we’re doing: traipsing through the darkness of the jungle. Still, they offer a small amount of protection for my feet. I glance down every so often at the grass, rocks, and dirt beneath me. The terrain is different from Mars: softer. There are more little hills, but it’s also more delicate.

  My feet feel better walking here than they do on Mars. On Mars, my feet are always sore. Aside from the random thorns I keep noticing and the occasional rock, I bet someone could move through this jungle in their socks.

  It’s so different, but so wonderful.

  I’m beginning to question how anyone ever leaves this planet.

  “So what do you do here?” I ask Ezra as he moves silently. He seems to know his way perfectly well. It’s impressive. I seem to get lost going to the grocery store. I’m not sure how I’d be able to navigate through these jungles. Ezra finding me was complete luck. There’s no doubt in my mind that he saved my life. I heard the howls of wild animals throughout the night; I’m under no impression that I could have made it on my own.

  Without the nest, those animals would have eaten us alive.

  “I’m a hunter.”

  “That’s your job?”

  “It’s my job.”

  Interesting. On Mars, there are people who hunt, but most of the planet consists of small colonies and wide, open spaces. Anyone who wants to hunt goes to another planet to do it. Our diet primarily consists of vegetables and animals that have been raised specifically for eating. As far as I know, there aren’t any wild animals on Mars. Maybe there were once upon a time, but I’ve never heard of any.

  “Do you enjoy it?” I ask, curious.

  He glances down at me and keeps walking, but nods.

  “It’s not a glamorous job, but it pays well, and I don’t have to spend a lot of time working. If I get a good haul, I only have to be gone one or two weeks every two months. That’s not bad at all.”

  “What do you do the rest of the time?”

  “Curious little thing, aren’t you?”

  “I was just wondering.”

  “I don’t mind,” he softens his voice, and the way he looks at me makes my
heart soar. It shouldn’t. We’ve only just met and I shouldn’t feel as comfortable and safe with him as I do, but I do.

  “I was always busy when I was a nanny. I never really had time to do anything but take care of the children, so I don’t think I’m very good at much else. The idea of free time sounds nice to me. Being able to pursue your hobbies and other interests? That sounds nice.”

  “It’s nice,” Ezra confirms. “But it’s lonely without someone to share it with.”

  “What do you like to do?”

  “Read,” he tells me. “Paint. Draw.”

  “You can paint and draw?”

  “I’m not very good, but it’s interesting to me, and it relaxes me.”

  “Do you have brothers and sisters?”

  “One of each, plus a sister-in-law. She’s human. You’d like her.”

  “Is she a spunky little spitfire?” I laugh.

  Ezra smiles. “I’m not sure what that is, but if it means sarcastic, yet lovable, then yes. That’s Fiona.”

  “What about your parents?”

  “They’re not around anymore.”

  “I’m sorry,” I slip my hand in his. “Mine aren’t, either. It’s a hard thing,” I say, thinking about how much I miss them. “Growing up on your own. It’s hard having to find your own way, especially when the people you know and love and trust all have parents, all have these security blankets they can turn to when they need to.”

  “I miss them very much,” he says. “But I’m lucky to still have a wonderful family who loves me.”

  “You’re very lucky,” I agree. “Very lucky indeed.”

  We walk in silence for a long time and I wonder if I’m ever going to find what Ezra has with his siblings. Am I ever going to have a place where I feel secure? Where I’m safe? Am I ever going to have a place where I can let my guard down?

  Will Ezra be in that place?

  Or will I be running for the rest of my life?

  Chapter 11

  Ezra

  We stop for a brief lunch before continuing our journey. I don’t often hunt with other people and I never hunt with women, but Dagger is proving to be an enjoyable companion. She’s funny and interesting and she doesn’t seem to mind the fact that our journey is a dirty, sweaty one.

  We find a lake in the afternoon and stop for a brief swim in the water. It’s small enough that I know the center is shallow: there’s no room for any large sea creatures. We don’t need to worry about being bitten or attacked. We can just relax and enjoy the water.

  Dagger strips down, ditching her clothes on the small beach. Then she dips her toes in the water carefully.

  “Haven’t you ever been swimming before?” I ask, surprised at how timid she’s suddenly being.

  “No,” she shakes her head. “I’m not Mirroean,” she explains. “And I’ve never been there. My colony on Mars didn’t have any lakes or pools.”

  “The water won’t hurt you,” I explain. “You can go all the way in.” I strip down, too, so I can join her. Maybe I won’t teach her to swim today, but I’ll be damned if she doesn’t get all the way wet. There’s something spectacular about playing in the water and I want her to experience everything she can while she’s here.

  I’m not sure what Dagger’s plans for the future are.

  Is she going to try to go back to Mars?

  Is she going to move on to another planet and try to start a new life?

  Is she going to stay on Sapphira?

  Is she going to stay with me?

  I don’t know and it’s not really fair to ask. She’s been through something traumatizing, something terrifying. She’s been through something nobody should ever have to go through. She’s been to hell and back and right now, I think Dagger deserves a little rest.

  I think she deserves a little fun.

  I come over to Dagger and take her hand. Together, we walk carefully, slowly into the water.

  “It’s cold,” she says. “It’s a nice contrast from the heat of the sun.”

  “That’s why everyone loves to swim in the summer,” I explain. “It’s the perfect way to cool off. When I was a kid, there was a lake near our home. My mother used to take me swimming there almost every day.”

  “Wow, that’s incredible. She must have been a really nice lady.”

  “She was,” I tell her. “She was the best. We didn’t have a lot of money, but she always went out of her way to make sure we were happy and content. She went out of her way to make sure my siblings and I still had fun, especially during the summertime.”

  “I think this is far enough,” Dagger says after a minute. The water is barely to her knees, but she looks nervous, uncomfortable. “I don’t need to go any deeper.”

  “Oh, baby,” I laugh, picking her up. “You have no idea.”

  “Hey! Put me down!” She says, wiggling and trying to get down.

  “Okay,” I say, dropping her in the water. She sinks below the surface. The water here isn’t deep. It only comes to my waist. This lake’s water is perfectly clear and I can see the bottom. A few tiny fish swim by. Dagger goes down, hits the bottom, and sits there for a second. Then she looks up at me.

  Her hair is floating around her and she looks like a small mermaid. She looks beautiful. She also looks completely terrified, and I realize she doesn’t know she can just stand up and be out of the water. I reach down, take her hand, and yank her up to the surface.

  She comes up, coughing and sputtering and laughing.

  “That was incredible!” She says, and she promptly sits back down, once again sinking to the bottom of the lake and looking around.

  She’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen and I don’t want this moment to end. I want it to last forever. I want us to last forever.

  Unfortunately for me, all good things must come to an end.

  It’s only a matter of time.

  We splash around and play in the water for the better part of an hour. Then I lay Dagger on the beach and make love to her slowly, sweetly. We have more space than we had in the nest last night, and this time, I get to really pay attention to her body. I get to worship her. I get to love her.

  Once more, she comes apart beneath my touch. She offers me the most beautiful climax I’ve ever seen in my life. She offers me herself and I, in turn, offer her myself.

  Making love to Dagger is incredible, perfect.

  Sweet.

  We rinse off in the lake once more before dressing again. I gather my pack and check my navigation tools. Then it’s time to keep going. It’s time to keep walking. It’s time to keep moving forward toward my goal.

  As we walk, every so often, Dagger looks behind us.

  “Are you worried someone followed you to Sapphira?” I ask. She didn’t finish telling me about Stremon and Mrs. Finkle last night. “Does anyone know how you left the planet? How did you leave, by the way? You never actually said.”

  “I, um, I stole a ship,” she says, blushing. “A pod, really. I didn’t think anyone would mind.”

  I chuckle. She’s as bad as an alien. Stealing a ship? I should introduce her to my brother.

  “What happened when you stole it?”

  “Someone followed me,” she says. Stremon and Mrs. Finkle chased me for awhile. Then I made it to the harbor and took the ship. I have a friend who works there. They don’t know about my friend and I never told them. She’s the one who slipped me the keys for the pod.”

  “That’s a good friend,” I say, hoping against all hope that Stremon doesn’t find out who Dagger’s friend is. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s the type of man who would kill Dagger’s friend just to prove a point.

  “I had already lost them by the time I got to the ship. I know a lot of secret paths and shortcuts. It wasn’t hard to lose them. Once I was in the pod, though, I think they figured out what my next move was going to be because soon, there was someone following me. They didn’t follow me for long. I managed to escape their sights.”

  “You’re
quite the little escaping squirrel, aren’t you?”

  “Something like that,” she blushes. “But when I crash-landed here, I was worried there was some sort of tracking device on the pod. If Stremon could figure out how to track my ship, he’d be able to find me.”

  “Doesn’t look like he’s found you yet,” I shrug. “You should be safe enough here, sweetheart.”

  “That’s just the thing, though, Ezra. He’s a bounty hunter. He’s a hunter, like you, except he hunts people. And Ezra? He doesn’t fight fair. If Stremon manages to find me, he’s going to kill me, and he’s going to make it hurt.”

  She shivers, and I wish I could take away her fear.

  Maybe I can, even just a little.

  I stop moving and turn to her, cupping her face in my hands.

  “I will protect you, Dagger. No matter what happens, I will protect you.”

  Chapter 12

  Dagger

  We walk until we reach a place where the jungle ends and we’re surrounded by more water. There are large rocks jutting from the surface every few feet. On the other side of this water, I can see more trees, more jungle, but the water stretches from left to right as far as I can see.

  “How do we get across?” I ask Ezra.

  “Those,” he points to the rocks. “We’ll climb. Don’t worry,” he adds when he notices my terrified face. “It’s no problem, sweetheart. I’ve done this a million times.”

  “What are you hunting, anyway? Can’t you just get one of the wild animals we heard last night?”

  “I’m looking for fereers. While their nests can be in any environment, they’re notoriously hard to find. Across this water is the only known area for fereers to live and raise their young. We’re guaranteed to find some here.”

  “You sound like a salesman,” I groan, but I take his hand and allow myself to be led to the water’s edge. I peer down. Like the lake we swam in earlier, this water is clear. It’s like looking through a piece of glass.

  Unlike the lake, however, this water is very deep and houses all sorts of monsters and creatures. I can see them beneath the surface, swimming there, and it frightens me.