by Lea Kirk
“You…you….” The words wheezed out of him. “Why would you do that?”
“I…my intent was not to get her to run away, merely discourage her.”
Meryl raised her fists as though ready to pummel them against Rol’s chest. “But that’s exactly what happened. And now no one knows where she is, not even me.”
Rol grasped her wrists. “I take full responsibility for this, Ms. Faulkner.” He met Kyzel’s gaze. “I have made a grave error in judgement, kee mohap.”
Kyzel curled his upper lip. “Yes, you have.”
“Y’wanna help, buzzard breath?” Meryl growled at Rol. “Then find her.”
Rol shook his head. “I do not know where to begin.”
A muffled shriek and the telltale fwump of wings beating the air pulled Kyzel’s attention to the hedge. Three heartbeats passed before a large shadow rose over the hedge and glided their way.
“What the hell…?” Meryl stepped back, bumping into Rol, who grasped her by her shoulders to steady her.
A moment later, Fyad touched down feet first in front of him, a young Earth female wiggling in his embrace. Her green eyes flashed with anger above the large hand clamped over her mouth. “Greetings, my mon…sir.”
“Fyad.” Kyzel lowered his gaze to the detained female. “Who is this?”
“This is my Earth friend, Raven Crawford. She likes spending time in shrubbery, taking photographs of you with her camera.”
“Mmm mmm-mmm.” Raven’s words might be incomprehensible from under Fyad’s hand, but the anger in her tone was not.
Kyzel gave his hand a wave. “Please release Ms. Crawford, Fyad, but do not allow her to escape.”
Fyad obliged, moving his hands to the woman’s shoulders. She immediately turned on him. “I am sick and tired of you bullying me, you dumbass. I’ve got a job to do, and you just made me drop my camera.”
Meryl jerked like she had suddenly come awake, and yanked herself away from Rol. “What kind of job requires you to skulk around in bushes taking pictures?”
“I work for Blast off!, the who’s-who in the off-worlder community,” Ms. Crawford snapped back.
If knowledge was a sun, then Meryl’s expression was a sudden sunrise. She locked gazes with him. “Who are you?”
He glanced at Rol, who shrugged, then back to Meryl. “There are four clans on Bezchi. I am the Raptorclaw clan’s monarch.”
“Well, shii-iit.” Meryl frowned. “And you didn’t tell Robyn?”
“No.”
“Men are idiots.”
He was beginning to think so as well. He turned his attention back to Raven.
Meryl waved one manicured hand. “We can deal with that part later. Right now, we need to figure out what happened to Robyn. I’ll call her.”
Kyzel gave his head a shake. “I have tried that all afternoon. She did not answer.” He bent to peer at Raven. “I know you. We saw you on the street the first night we were here.”
Raven grinned. “I know. I recognized you from pictures I’d seen.”
“And,” Fyad rumbled, “you have been following him ever since.”
Raven curled her lip, but did not reply.
Kyzel folded his arms across his chest. “Kevin Donahue claims you are his girlfriend. Is that true?”
“He what?” She seemed genuinely appalled by this information. “No. Gross. Have you seen how old he is?”
“Then why would he make such a statement?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only met him once, and that was in the rose garden outside Snodgrass’s. I was taking pictures of you at dinner, and he told me your date was his ex-wife. Then he asked about you, and I told him.”
Fyad nodded. “I can confirm that, my monarch. She has only had one contact with Kevin Donahue.”
“Oh. My. God.” Raven twisted partway around in the guard’s grip. “You’re some sort of sicko stalker, aren’t you?”
Meryl turned toward her car. “I’m calling her anyway. She’ll answer for me.”
Hope soared in his heart. It was possible.
“No, she won’t,” Ms. Crawford said. “She left town in her ex’s car last night.”
No. It could not be. The chirp of the crickets seemed louder in the stunned silence. “Why would Robyn go anywhere with Kevin Donahue?”
“She wouldn’t.” Meryl glared at Ms. Crawford. “You didn’t happen to see which direction they went, did you?”
“East, mostly.” Raven shifted from foot to foot. “I’m not sure if she went willingly, though. When Donahue drove past me in the grocery store parking lot, it looked like she was asleep.”
“Are you kidding me?” Meryl looked like she would happily strangle the young female. “Did you report it to the police?”
“No.”
“Why not.”
“When the girlfriend of an off-worlder monarch gets into her ex’s car at the grocery store, that could be a hot story. So, I followed them for about three hours until they turned off near the town of Miner’s Ax.”
“Well, that’s just great,” Meryl huffed.
“Hey, if it’s that late at night and they’re still going, it qualifies as a scandal. And that’s all I need to do my job.”
Kyzel gave her a narrow-eyed glare. “Your job is one of dishonor.”
She flinched, but he did not have any more time to waste with her. He turned his attention to Meryl. “What do you know about Miner’s Ax?”
“It’s a little town about ten miles away from a cabin Robyn and the dickhead owned. They sold it, but he could’ve rented a cabin nearby.”
“Do you have a map?”
“I can print one out at home for you.”
“Then we will go to your house and prepare. Fyad, Rol—” He shifted his gaze between the two, “—be ready to fly at first light.”
Chapter 17
Robyn curled her legs partially under her, huddling into the corner of the old green leather mission-style couch. She’d been here long enough for the hard, wooden armrest to make her elbow ache as she propped her head in her hand.
What a day. She’d slept away most of it, thanks to the chloroform-soaked rag Kevin had used. Then it’d been a battle against dizziness and puking her guts out.
“Please don’t be mad, Robbi.” Kevin’s voice stabbed through her brain. “I couldn’t stand by and let you make such a big mistake.”
Oh, there were so many ways to respond to that statement, and all of them clawed for release. “By kidnapping me?”
“It’s a rescue.”
She gave her hand a little brush-off wave.
“Did I tie you up or thrown you in the trunk? No.”
“You brought me here against my will.” Back to the cabin they’d sold as part of the divorce settlement. Never in a million years would she have suspected him of buying it back from the new owners, but he claimed he had. “And you took my phone.”
“For your own good.”
You just keep telling yourself that. “Where is it, anyway?”
“In a gas station garbage can.”
“You’re crazy.” That phone had been her ticket to texting Kyzel for a lift once she escaped.
“I’m not crazy.”
And an addict can quit anytime.
“Don’t worry, Robbi. I texted that woman at the alien hook-up place before I dumped your phone. That winged freak won’t bother you again.”
A scream stuck in her irritated throat and she buried her face in her hands. There went every hope of an airlift out of the wilderness. She’d have to depend on her own wits to survive until she found a phone to call Kyzel with. When was the last time she’d see a public pay phone anyway?
“Sorry about the chloroform. Do you want to try some toast now?”
No, she wanted to go home, right now, and the only way that would happen was if she lulled him into a sense of complacency. “Fine.”
The rustle of Kevin getting out of the
chair across the coffee table from her was as annoying as a kid crinkling an empty plastic water bottle.
His footfalls stopped next to her. “Believe it or not, I only want you to be happy.”
But I was happy. With Kyzel.
She swallowed hard to keep the words from spilling out. It didn’t matter, because she had no idea how to be a queen. Besides, she had obligations here on Earth. Her kids, the women who depended on her at Safe Harbor….
Would Kyzel think she’d ditched him and take the next spaceship home? Or would he have the agency hook him up with someone else? Just the thought of that twisted her heart.
Somehow, he just had to figure out she’d been Shanghai-ed. Or Meryl. Jayla would have for sure noticed that she hadn’t shown up for work today.
The sounds from the kitchen meant Kevin wasn’t in the room with her anymore. If only she felt better, she’d attempt a run for the door.
Be patient.
She peered out between her fingers. The old cabin hadn’t changed a bit. All the furniture they had bought years ago still filled the living room with homey comfort.
The small oak dining room table and chairs were a throwback to the early years of their marriage—their first dining set, a gift from Kevin’s parents, moved to the cabin when Kevin decided to replace it with a hideous, ultra-modern black lacquer set. It was so ugly; she’d been more than happy to let him keep it after the divorce.
Guess the new owners hadn’t been inclined to replace anything. Just as well, because the eclectic casualness was perfect for a mountain setting.
“I lit the fire.” Kevin placed a plate of toast on the coffee table.
Did he seriously expect her to be grateful? She raised her head. The dizziness had subsided to a manageable level. She inhaled the buttery scent of the toast and her stomach rumbled. Three pieces seemed a little excessive, but maybe she could eat them all.
Kevin took his seat in the chair again. “Just like old times, eh?”
“Yeah.” Just like old times, with him watching and directing her every move. Him controlling her actions, and her waiting for the chance to slip away.
She picked up the first slice of toast between her thumb and forefinger. “How long are we staying?”
“Until you come to your senses.”
Oh, I’ve already done that.
But the more Kevin believed she was malleable, the more likely she could affect her escape plan. Her gaze caught on the glass goblet of ruby red liquid sitting next to her plate. He had brought her a glass of wine?
“You’ve had a trying day,” he crooned. “You’ve earned it.”
“I can’t even. Not feeling like I do.” She bit into the toast, savoring the satisfying crunch as she chewed.
He blinked up at her. “You’re wasting this perfectly good wine. It’s your favorite.”
“No, Kevin, it’s not my favorite. It’s your favorite. I prefer whites to reds, which I’ve told you more times than I can count.” He still never listened to her. “So, please, feel free to drink my wine.”
Besides, there was no telling if he’d put anything in it to keep her drugged.
Kevin flopped back in his chair and glowered at the dancing flames. As nice as it was that he’d stopped talking, it meant he was trying to cook up some other way to keep her under control.
She chewed and swallowed the last piece of toast, then brushed her fingers over her plate. “Thank you.”
“Do you want some more?”
“No.” Three slices had filled her.
“Yes, you do. Relax, babe, I got you.” He reached for her plate.
“Seriously, Kevin?” She planted her fists against the smooth warm leather cushion and pushed herself to stand. “I’m going to bed now.”
She turned and marched toward the hallway beyond the cozy kitchen where the bedrooms were. The faint creak of leather and the rustle of clothing came from behind her. Darn man was following her. Still so predictable.
At the bathroom door, she spun to face him. “No, you are not following me into the bathroom.”
“How do I know you won’t climb out the window and run back to that loser?”
“Why would I do that?” Other than to get away from her now certifiably insane ex. “He lied to me, remember?”
Kevin pursed his lips together, uncertainty in his mud brown eyes. Eyes that were so different from Kyzel’s clear blue ones.
A little more convincing couldn’t hurt. She lay her hand on his forearm. “Seriously, could you see me as the queen of anything?”
A little of the uncertainty faded.
“Besides, you know how I feel about the nighttime forest critters.”
Kevin visibly relaxed. “Fine. I’ll trust you for now, but I won’t be far.”
Of course he wouldn’t be, and that’s why she wouldn’t be escaping right now. She stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, shutting out Kevin and all the negative he represented.
“There are toothbrushes in the top drawer,” Kevin said through the crack of the door.
Right where she’d always kept them. Guess he wasn’t lying about having bought the cabin back. “Thank you.”
She was being nicer to him than he deserved. If she could beat him over the head with her fists for being such an idiot, she would.
She took her time with her bedtime ablutions, then braced herself to face him again. She pulled the door open and stepped out of the bathroom.
Kevin was back in the living room, his chair now angled so he could see straight down the hall to the door of the master bedroom. No surprise there. Sadly, her purse was still MIA. Not much could be done about that.
“Good night, Kevin.”
“Good night, Robyn.”
The old brown shag carpet muffled her footfalls. At the bedroom door she turned and met his gaze. “I guess Raven isn’t real.”
“Oh yes, she is a real person.” One corner of his mouth quirked up in a smirk. “I met her, she does work for Blast off!, and she’s the one who told me the winged creep is royalty.”
Well, knock her over with a feather. That wasn’t what she’d expected to hear. Now it was more important than ever that she didn’t react. He might mistake that for interest and try to keep the conversation going.
She gave him a nod, stepped into the room, and closed the door. The click of the latch into the strike plate seemed too loud. Like a prison door locking.
Kyzel circled, floating on the gentle morning air currents. At this altitude, the sun was visible over the mountain range, yet below him, the sleepy gray-greens of the valleys and west-facing peaks still awaited the warm touch of the yellow star.
But the darkness of the crevasses was no impediment to his hunting vision. Nature had blessed him with an adaptive lens within his eyes, a genetic enhancement from a time when his people had hunted to survive. Never in all his sun migrations had he expected to use it to locate an alien mode of transport on another planet. Yet here he was, flying in a search pattern of ever widening circles. To the south and the north, Rol and Fyad did the same.
He passed over the black highway again. The cabin-nest Meryl had spoken of must be close; it was just a matter of time until he found it. Time and focus.
A thin cloud of dust wafted up, drawing his attention to a stand of trees. It was from a gravel driveway in front of a tent-shaped roofline, but the vehicle that had created the dust was gone—probably on the paved road somewhere.
His gaze followed a thin veil of residual dust along the road leading back to the highway. There, a flash of red…it was the same car Kevin Donahue had driven to the restaurant in. The roof was up this time, making it difficult to tell if there were one or two passengers inside—which did not matter. If Robyn was there, he would get her out and take her home. If she was not, then her ex-mate would tell him where she was.
With the road being a winding one, it was no trouble getting ahead of Donahue. Kyzel angled his wings an
d hurtled downward toward the car. Five…four…three…he pushed out his wings, slowing his descent.
Boom!
The hood cracked with the force of the impact, and a scream from cornered prey shattered the morning’s air. Kyzel curled his fingers around the edge of the hood in front of the windshield and extended his talons to keep his grip. He blinked back to normal vision, and met Donahue’s wide-eye stare. Donahue…alone…no passenger. The man clung to the steering wheel; his knuckles white. The scent of fear dominated the Earthling. Fear would lead him to desperation, and eventually a fatal mistake.
Donahue yanked the steering wheel left and right in an attempt to dislodge him. Kyzel curled his lip at the desperate male. Then Donahue yanked hard to his left and the car spun one hundred eighty degrees —boom!—into a tree. The passenger door caved in so far it seemed like the car was giving the tree a hug.
Rage filled him. If Robyn had been in the car, the fool would’ve killed her. He released his grip, slid off the hood, and gave Donahue a death stare through the cracked glass.
“Where is she, Donahue?”
“Look what you did to my car, you fucking prick.” Spittle flew from the fool’s mouth.
There was no sense in wasting any time here. Kyzel slammed his talons into the roof fabric and sliced it open to expose the rot within the vehicle.
“What the fuck?” Donahue screamed the words, but there was no one on the lonely mountain road to hear. Except Kyzel. “What are you doing, you crazy alien bastard?”
Kyzel leaped onto the ravaged remains of the car and grabbed the man’s flailing arms. Then he gave his wings a flap to expedite dragging Donahue back over the trunk and onto the gritty road shoulder. An odd name for the strip of dirt bracketing roads on this planet.
“Again. Where. Is. She. Donahue?”
“Fuck you.” Donahue’s boot-heel connected with Kyzel’s shin and he inhaled sharply at the pain and released his adversary.
The time for mercy was over. Kyzel turned away, counting off his steps. At twenty, he faced Donahue again and raised his hands, talons fully extended. “You will tell me everything.”
It had not seemed that the Earthling’s eyes could open any wider, but Donahue disproved that theory. Kyzel gave him a grim smirk, took a step, then another, moving toward the man faster and faster.