Prophesied: Interplanetary League series

by Liz Craven

  Talon had relented, allowing the excursion because she wanted to visit the station. That realization still had Lia reeling. No one had ever done something simply because it would please her. It also increased her determination to escape.

  Talon was proving himself to be even more charming than she’d imagined him in her childhood dreams. While he had not given an inch on his beliefs regarding the Prophecy, he’d listened to her. Disagreed, but listened.

  Despite his obvious need to understand what had sent her to Tmesis, he hadn’t pushed for details about the Cordoba. He’d seen her pain and given her time. She knew he intended to discover the truth, but wanted her to tell him when she was ready, not because he’d pushed her until she broke.

  He had held her heart when she was a girl, more a hero of her imagination than reality. As an adult, she was not surprised to find herself attracted to the man—he was very handsome—but she was surprised to find herself truly liking him. The combination of girlhood dreams, physical attraction and genuine caring would be disastrous. She might actually find herself wanting to return to N’yota, which would be tantamount to signing her own death warrant.

  Lia reached up and unconsciously slid a hand beneath her hair. The transmitter chip had been easy to find, once she knew where it lay. Cutting it out without damaging it proved difficult—especially since she couldn’t see what she was doing—forcing her to make a wider incision than necessary.

  In spite of her crude surgery technique, the transmitter now rested—functioning—in her pocket. Her hair and the high-necked tunic hid the results of her handiwork.

  The tunic proved to be a double blessing. Not only did it hide the damage around her neck, it flowed to her knees, allowing her to wear pants that hung low enough on her hips to not rub the wound in her side. Despite her ministrations, the infection worsened and Lia knew she ran a fever. She kept the symptoms hidden and when asked, attributed the flush of her skin to the excitement of visiting the station.

  The four days she had spent aboard ship had allowed her to acclimate to the lighter gravity. Trying to escape while constantly tripping over her feet would be impossible. Now, all she had to do was keep her eyes open and wait for the right moment to escape. The heavy security surrounding her made it impossible to create a detailed plan of action, but she knew the opportunity would arise if she kept herself alert.

  When the small group first left the ship, it appeared as sterile as any other docking bay, and her initial impressions of the station did not change until they reached the promenade. Once the doors parted, revealing the central hub of the station, Lia paused in amazement, causing the man behind them to run into her guards. Thane and Caden whirled on the klutz with blasters drawn, causing the man to panic and run. Oblivious to the man’s plight, Lia stood transfixed by the scene.

  Ilexa linked arms with her, demonstrating a casual affection Lia found alien.

  “Amazing isn’t it?” she asked. “Can you believe my idiot brother thought we might be willing to miss this?”

  Colorful stalls lined the corridors of the promenade with entrances to permanent stores peeking from between them. The crowd filled the marketplace to capacity as people moved in a dizzying dance between the merchants.

  “Amazing,” Lia agreed. Ditching Ilexa and her guards amid this chaos shouldn’t prove too difficult.

  Thane stepped forward as if reading her thoughts. “Lia, stay between Caden and myself. Ilexa, no darting off to examine things. We will stay together and proceed in an agreed upon fashion.”

  Ilexa flipped her hair over her shoulder. “They just love spontaneity. Can’t you tell?”

  “Where should we begin?” Lia asked. She needed clothing of her own and items to trade when she left League territory.

  “Let’s start with the basics,” Lex suggested, shooting Thane an evil smile and pointing towards a store. “Lingerie. You men won’t mind carrying the pink bags around for us, will you?”

  Caden turned bright red, but Thane’s expression remained implacable. “Any purchases the two of you do not carry will be sent to the ship via store courier. Caden and I cannot afford to be encumbered while…shopping.”

  Undaunted, Ilexa’s smile didn’t waiver. “Don’t worry, gentlemen. I’m certain the store has chairs you can rest in while we try on unmentionables.”

  The image of the easily embarrassed Caden and implacable Thane sitting outside a ladies’ dressing room, surrounded by racks of bras and shelves of panties, made Lia smile. The men beside her radiated a sense of despair, adding to her amusement.

  In the store, Ilexa missed no opportunity to annoy the men, seeking their opinion on every item she picked up from a plush, floor-length robe designed for cold nights to the skimpiest see-through panties. Lia believed the obscenely large number of items Ilexa insisted the two of them purchase had more to do with embarrassing the guards than any actual need or want.

  Ilexa dragged Lia through a variety of stores in a whirlwind of laughter and commercial greed. While many stores agreed to send their purchases directly to the ship, Lia managed to hold on to several bags.

  Lia observed the people around her. Talon’s security concerns appeared unfounded. The throng milling about showed more interest in haggling for the best deals than noticing others around them. The two guards appeared to have reached similar conclusions, allowing her freer rein as they progressed along the promenade.

  They passed by a restaurant with a large window displaying an unusual animal the size of a small suitcase. Clearly some form of cat, the animal was beautiful. Its fur shone a brilliant white with charcoal-colored stripes that wrapped around its large head and ran down its back. Tufted ears flickered back and forth signaling wariness. The animal’s four paws were large compared to the rest of its body giving it a comical appearance. A long, sleek tail curved around the back of the window.

  Lia stopped to admire the animal’s unique beauty, and to her surprise, the creature stared back at her with intelligent eyes.

  “What is that?” Lia asked.

  “A gimfrey,” Caden replied, his eyes not stopping from their scan of the crowd.

  “It’s beautiful,” she almost whispered.

  Ilexa’s silver eyes fixed on Lia with sympathy. “Many consider it a delicacy.”

  “It’s going to be eaten?” Lia shouted, shocked.

  “It’s a rare creature, making it outrageously expensive,” Caden added. “I’ve never tasted one.”

  Lia watched the beautiful animal dart to the far side of its glass enclosure when the restaurant door opened, its eyes opened wide in fear.

  “Look at it,” she gasped. “It knows what will happen.”

  “That’s sad,” Caden said, clearly apathetic to the conversation.

  “We have to rescue it,” Lia announced.

  That arrested Caden’s attention. “What?”

  “I can’t leave the poor thing to be eaten. Especially when meat can be synthesized to taste exactly like animal and be even healthier.”

  Caden looked slightly alarmed. “But that’s part of what makes eating a rare animal so…well, rare.”

  Something about the trapped expression in the gimfrey’s sentient eyes called to Lia’s soul. “I’m not leaving the poor thing to be killed.”

  With those words, Lia darted around a surprised Caden and into the restaurant. Thane changed tack fluidly, never leaving Lia’s side. She proceeded directly to the maitre d’ station.

  “How much for the gimfrey in the window,” she asked. “I want it alive.”

  “Madam, I assure you our chef is unparalleled,” the maitre d’ responded in a shocked tone of voice.

  “This has nothing to do with the capabilities of your chef,” Lia responded. “I want the gimfrey.”

  The maitre d’ appeared nonplused. “The cost for the gimfrey meal is 10,000 credits.”

  “Done,” Lia replied. “On the condition I take the animal alive.”

  The man before her blinked, clearly having ex
pected her to haggle over the price. “As you wish.”

  “I want the gimfrey now,” Lia snapped.

  “Of course,” the man assured her. He swallowed, clearly nervous in the face of Lia’s fury. “Though we have never provided a gimfrey to a patron alive before. I am not certain how to…deliver the purchase.”

  “You give me the gimfrey,” Lia informed him with all the haughtiness of a queen.

  “Of course, ma’am,” the man rushed to assure her. “However, when we serve a gimfrey, the animal is shot within the display case. We’ve never pulled one out alive before.”

  “How did you get him in?” Lia asked.

  “Her,” the maitre d’ corrected. “The current gimfrey is female.”

  Apparently aware of the rapid deterioration of the conversation, Thane stepped forward. “The lady wishes to know how the animal came to be in the display case.”

  Lia fixed a steely glare on the restaurant employee as Thane awaited his reply. The maitre d’ ran a nervous finger around his collar, tugging at it in a way that made it obvious it felt too tight.

  “The hunters dumped the creature in the case and slammed the door. We only open the door to slide in food and water and to…prepare the meal.”

  “Fine. Open the door and take her out,” Lia instructed reasonably.

  “Ma’am, this is a wild animal. Even though it is a baby, if we open the door, it will attack.”

  “A baby?” Lia asked, aghast. “You planned to feed an infant to your patrons?”

  “Ma’am, this is an animal that will grow to two and a half meters in length and weigh over 200 kilograms,” the man stressed. “Its meat is most tender—”

  “Do you have a box large enough to hold the animal in comfort?” Thane demanded.

  “Yes.”

  “Please get a box, a container of the animal’s food and box sealant,” Thane instructed. His words stayed polite, but his tone commanded and brooked no refusal. “I also want written instructions for proper care of the creature.”

  The pompous member of the restaurant staff motioned for a busboy and gave him hurried whispered instructions.

  While the small group waited for the box, Ilexa wandered over to the interior restaurant window of the display case. She tapped lightly on the window, before turning to Lia. “She’s actually quite cute. I can’t believe people would eat this darling thing.”

  Grateful for her sister-in-law’s support, Lia moved to stand next to her. “She’s more than cute. Look into her eyes. She’s quite intelligent.”

  Lia placed her palm against the glass, desperate to reassure the small, frightened creature on the other side. The gimfrey moved hesitantly towards Lia’s palm. Her small head butted against the glass separating herself from Lia’s hand.

  “I think she knows you are here to save her,” Ilexa said, sounding surprised. “Look at how she responds to you.”

  At Lia’s side, Caden drummed agitated fingers against his leg. “All that training and effort put into my career and here I am rescuing dinner,” he muttered.

  Lia bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from smiling. Caden’s babysitting assignment clearly pricked his fledgling warrior pride. She felt a moment’s guilt at the damage her escape would do to his career, but quashed it. Given her assassination versus Caden’s pride, sacrificing his pride was a no-brainer.

  Two men in restaurant uniforms edged near the display case. One held a box with crude, hastily punched air holes. The other wore very thick, heat-resistant gloves. Both displayed expressions as terrified as the gimfrey.

  “By the Powers,” Lia swore. “Just unlock the bloody case. I’ll get her out.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Out of the question—”

  “Absolutely not—”

  Lia glared at her companions. “She’s not going to hurt me. She knows I’m here to help.”

  Thane crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a wild animal that’s trapped and afraid. Survival instincts make any creature unpredictable, even the most docile house pet would be dangerous in this situation.”

  “And you want them to grab her and shove her into the box? That will just frighten her more,” Lia argued.

  Caden snorted, turning his attention to a buxom brunette that strutted past their party.

  Ilexa’s gentle eyes had not left the small creature. “I think Lia is right. The gimfrey trusts her.”

  Thane shook his head. At least Lia assumed the bare twitch was a head shake. The man had the communication and people skills of a boulder.

  Lia stroked her fingertips over the glass, hoping to reassure the little being. “At least let me try.”

  “Why not crack the door and let Lia slide a hand in? That way we can gage her reaction and at worst, Lia will get a scratch,” Ilexa proposed.

  Thane did not acknowledge Ilexa’s suggestion with as much as a flicker of an eyelid. Caden sauntered over to the door to keep the large-breasted beauty in his sights.

  Deciding to ignore Thane, Lia turned to the employees. “Unlock the door and let me stick my fingers in.”

  Eyeing Thane, the man carrying the box sidled to the case. He set the box on the floor and keyed the lock. When the mechanism unlocked with an audible click, the employee darted around Lia, returning to stand with the maitre d’.

  Lia moved back towards the case, only to come up hard against Thane’s arm.

  “I will do it,” he stated.

  “Be careful not to hurt her,” Lia warned.

  Thane’s stony expression slipped enough to give Lia an ironic look, before he cracked the small door open and slid his fingers into the case. The animal whimpered and backed into the farthest corner of the case. He slid his arm further in. The gimfrey’s eyes remained fixed on the hand approaching her. When Thane’s hand came within a few centimeters of her, the gimfrey bared her teeth and hissed. Thane pulled his arm free.

  “Give me the gloves,” he instructed, turning to the restaurant staff.

  Lia took advantage of his inattention to slip her arm into the case. Thane grabbed her shoulders, but before he drew her back, the gimfrey stretched her body out, rubbing her face against Lia’s extended hand.

  Thane released her, and Lia stretched her hand out to scratch the animal behind its ears. A low thrumming sound of satisfaction emanated from the gimfrey’s throat. Lia pushed the door open with her free hand and reached to lift the gimfrey out.

  Ignoring the stunner in Thane’s hand and the incredulous looks of the staff, Lia pulled the small animal to her chest, tucking its head beneath her chin. “Hello, little one,” she crooned. “No one’s going to hurt you. I’ve got you.”

  Ilexa extended a cautious hand to stroke the creature’s back. “She needs a name.”

  “Asha,” Lia decided, rubbing her chin against the gimfrey’s head. “Her name is Asha.”

  “I like it.” Ilexa grinned at her.

  “Here are care and feeding instructions for the gimfrey.”

  The maitre d’ extended written instructions towards Thane, but Ilexa snatched them from his hand. “We have everything Asha needs on the ship, and I’m certain we can find her some toys on the station.”

  “Yes, yes. The station has many wonderful offerings,” the maitre d’ assured them. “In fact, there is a pet store several doors down from here.”

  His obvious desperation to get these strange people out of his fine establishment tempted Lia to remain out of a sense of perversity. Unfortunately, she couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

  “If you put the gimfrey in the box, I’ll see it’s delivered safely to the ship. It will be waiting for you in your quarters,” Thane ordered.

  Lia snuggled Asha close. “I’ll carry her with me to the pet shop.”

  Thane gave another twitch of his head, which Lia interpreted as a nod, and she allowed him to lead her out of the restaurant.

  Back on the promenade, Thane spoke. “I cannot guarantee the safety of the animal should defense be
come necessary. It would be better to send it to the ship.”

  Lia gave a noncommittal nod. “Let’s go straight to the pet shop.”

  The pet shop proved a wonderful resource. Lia obtained a satchel designed to carry small animals. She slung the strap crosswise across her chest and settled Asha in the bag. She also took the opportunity to consolidate several of the bags she carried to make room for the provisions she purchased for Asha. No one questioned her purchase of items easily obtainable aboard ship. Lia assumed this was due to the strange behavior she displayed at the restaurant. If they suspected she planned to escape, they’d hustle her back to the Aegir faster than she could blink.

  She also used the consolidation to take stock of the items she obtained. Satisfied with the bartering value of the jewelry and gadgets she carried, Lia turned her attention to making her escape.

  Chapter Seven

  She planned to create a diversion and slip away in the melee. Fortunately, a diversion found her. After leaving the pet shop, Lia and Ilexa browsed the stalls set up along the corridor.

  “Be careful,” Ilexa warned her in an anxious whisper. “These merchants thrive on haggling and are always looking to take advantage of the unwary.”

  Lia followed her sister-in-law to a merchant whose stand was draped in vibrant cloth and watched amused as Ilexa demonstrated her bargaining skills. The woman had a heart of gold, but couldn’t haggle to save her life. Thank the Powers Ilexa did not have to survive in the mining world.

  Ilexa shot Lia a triumphant smile, after paying three times the value for a bolt of material.