by Layla Nash
Faros swallowed down the rage that the Tyboli seized another Xaravian’s ship and took the crew hostage to sell as slaves, and pretended to be impressed that Kryken had taken over a Newton-class Fleet battleship. “Must have been a hell of a fight to take that ship.”
“Not as impressive as one would think,” Kryken said. “What have you brought me? That tasty little Earther?”
It grew more difficult to remain calm. A growl sneaked into his voice anyway. “No. I have cargo to trade and this merchant ship. Lukkan silk will pay my debt and then some.”
“Lukkan silk?” The Tyboli sounded impressed in spite of himself. “Interesting. I would enjoy a cargo of Lukkan silk. We have some recent acquisitions that would look very... appealing dressed in Lukkan silk. Very well. Prepare to transfer. Is this your sister ship now?”
“She carried the cargo,” Faros said. He glanced over at Wyzak, who gave the orders to extend the transfer arm to the Lovelace. The captain held his breath. This was the difficult part. “What did you do with the crew of that battleship?”
Kryken’s head tilted as he studied Faros through the viewing screen. “They’ll be sold. Why?”
“I need another crew,” Faros said. “Two ships means two crews, and I don’t have time to stop and recruit a new one from Xarav.”
The Tyboli didn’t look convinced. “I didn’t think Xaravians were in the business of purchasing other creatures, even lovely Earther ones.”
Violet made an angry noise but Faros refused to look at her. He knew Kryken said it just to get the female upset, and Faros couldn’t afford to lose focus. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“You may board to review the options,” Kryken said. “But you should really bring that pretty lawyer with you.”
“She stays here,” Faros said, growling. He wasn’t going to risk Violet, not for anything in the entire universe.
And Kryken knew that. “Call her insurance. I don’t trust you, pirate. Bring the female or don’t bother leaving your ship.”
“Let’s go,” Violet said, and it helped Faros breathe to hear her sounding angry instead of afraid. If she’d been afraid, there wasn’t anything that would have made him put her in harm’s way. As it was, he’d just have to trust that her Fleet officer training would help keep her wits about her if things went sideways.
“On our way,” Faros growled as he cut off the transmission, and made sure that Kryken could no longer hear before he turned to Violet. “You’re not getting on that ship.”
“You heard him; we don’t have any choice if you want to see the crew. It’s better this way,” she said. Violet took a deep breath. “I can distract the Tyboli from what you’re doing.”
Faros started walking, holding her hand to keep Violet close, but shook his head. “You’ll do no such thing. You stick close by me and as soon as I tell you, run back to the Sraibur and stay safe.”
She stopped in her tracks and fixed him with a dark look. “Try again.”
He wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her. “Violet, you will not endanger yourself. The Tyboli will snatch you in a heartbeat and then I will lose my mind and destroy everything in my path until I get you back. So stick close to me and run for the Sraibur as soon as you can.”
Her head tilted as she studied him, then she patted his cheek and started heading for the cargo bay once more. “I don’t think you’ll lose your mind.”
He would have argued but instead caught her around the waist and dragged her to him. Faros pressed the soft line of her body against the wall and kissed her hard enough she murmured in protest. He wanted to imprint himself on her, to stake a claim that the Tyboli would see, so that no one would mistake the situation and think they could harm the female without penalty. He wasn’t going to risk her, not for anything in the universe.
When he finally broke away, Violet sagged against the wall. A bright flush turned her cheeks pink, and she fussed with her hair for a long moment before sighing, “Okay then.”
“Right.” He wanted to grin fiercely, pleased that he’d pleased her, but there wasn’t time. He caught her hand and pulled her along. “Keep your wits about you, girl. We free the crew—as many as we can—and get back to the Sraibur.”
“And hope that the merchants fulfill their promise,” she said under her breath.
Faros didn’t look at her. He didn’t have much hope that the merchants would do as he’d asked and fend off the other Tyboli ships, but he didn’t want Violet to worry. There was already enough on the line.
Chapter 40
Violet
Violet tried to project an air of confidence as they moved into the transfer arm and took the long walk to the Lovelace. She’d practiced her “cool and aloof” look a lot in law school, since it came in handy in the courtroom, but hadn’t done much with it since. She hoped she looked only marginally worried, though she clenched Faros’s hand hard enough that her knuckles ached. As they approached the entryway to the Lovelace, she untangled their hands. No reason to give Kryken more ammunition about their connection than he already had.
She wasn’t convinced that things would go as smoothly as Faros insisted, though his confidence definitely made it easier to hope things would go smoothly. That hope diminished as they reached the Lovelace cargo hold and found both Kryken and the Tyboli lawyer from before waiting for them. On the one hand, it was a nice surprise to see that the lawyer was still alive, since all bets had been that he’d been killed the moment Kryken cut off the comms. On the other hand, though, the lawyer immediately distracted Violet with questions about Fleet law and how to get around a particular clause in an arms treaty that the Tyboli found troublesome.
Violet lost her train of thought completely when they finally reached a bay adjacent to the cargo hold and saw the Lovelace crew for the first time. She almost cried in sheer frustration—the crew had all been bound, sprawled across the floor of the cargo bay, and looked not just unconscious but dead. She held her breath and refused to acknowledge the lawyer as he murmured obsequious praise for her legal acumen.
Faros didn’t look impressed as he surveyed the unconscious crew. “This is it? What did you do to them?”
“A little sedation to keep everyone calm,” Kryken said. His oily gaze slid over to Violet, and his toothy smile spread until her skin crawled. “So we won’t run afoul of the law for cruel detention of captives, of course. Much easier this way.”
“Much easier for you to sell them into slavery,” Violet said, furious. She meant to bite her tongue but she couldn’t help it. “Which is a heinous violation of the most basic—”
“Peace,” Faros said, and caught her arm. He gave her a hard look—definitely the irritated pirate captain instead of the warrior she cared about. “Whatever your opinion on the matter, keep it to yourself.”
She fumed and debated arguing anyway, but tried to keep the bigger picture in mind. If everything worked out, they’d save the entire crew and destroy the Tyboli. She just had to play along. Just had to play along. She swallowed her fury and folded her arms over her chest as she glared at Faros. But she didn’t speak.
He traded a look with Kryken, then they went back to haggling over which of the crewmembers Faros would keep or purchase or do something else with. She retreated to stay close to the door back to the cargo hold, so she could escape if anything went sideways.
Of course, the moment she backed up, the Tyboli lawyer was at her side once more. He had more questions about regulations on the class of armor a merchant ship could purchase and install, and so drew her attention away from where Faros and Kryken haggled. Violet tried to remain polite, so as not to alert the Tyboli that something was up, but it grew more and more difficult as she felt herself fraying with panic. It was taking too long. What the hell was Faros arguing about with Kryken? He just needed to agree to a price and get the crew off the ship so they could hit the disable switch and get the merchant ships in to destroy the Tyboli.
She practica
lly vibrated with the need to do something, and held onto control with her fingertips as the Tyboli lawyer edged closer and she retreated in response. Violet caught Kryken watching her as Faros pretended to toe his way through the heaps of crewmembers, and schooled her expression back into indifference or at least sullen acceptance. It was taking too long and the Tyboli were stalling. There had to be something else going on.
They should have come up with a signal, some way for her to alert Faros to some danger, but they hadn’t thought that far ahead. Faros had been so confident in his plan... Violet didn’t think it occurred to him that the Tyboli meant to trap them instead. After all, the Lovelace had said it was an ambush and Kryken was going to go after the Sraibur next. Maybe this was part of that plan.
She swallowed around a knot in her throat and tried to get closer to Faros so she could maybe entice him into a fight or argument and a follow-up conversation away from the Tyboli, but the lawyer was there and somehow kept her from getting near Faros or the exit. Violet’s stomach clenched with nerves and she debated just screaming in frustration. The tension built and yet Faros kept leisurely wandering his way through the unconscious crew. She hugged herself and prepared for the worst.
Chapter 41
Faros
Faros wanted to ask for the whole crew, but knew that Kryken wouldn’t go for it—especially the Xaravian captain, Pyix. No way would a Xaravian, even a pirate, purchase another warrior and expect to survive it. But he tried to bargain for the females, to at least keep them out of harm’s way and a life of exploitation and servitude, although the Tyboli was reluctant to part with the more valuable Earthers.
He knew Violet fumed near the door, and hoped she stayed alert to any possible danger. He didn’t like risking her by taking her on the Lovelace, but no other options presented themselves. He hated that the Tyboli lawyer kept talking to her and getting closer and closer until Violet retreated in discomfort. Part of his attention remained on her the whole time he bargained with Kryken over the captives, which was not an ideal situation for negotiating with a Tyboli merchant.
It wasn’t like he worried about paying the price he negotiated, though. It was just a matter of time until he got Violet and some of the hostages back to the Sraibur, then they’d attack the Lovelace and get the rest of the crew free. He’d finally kill Kryken and then everything would work out fine.
He smiled and folded his arms over his chest. “Fine. The three Earthers and the Hwali. Three cases of Lukkan silk should be enough for all of them.”
“Should be,” murmured Kryken. His teeth showed pointy and cruel as he grimaced something that could have been a smile. “And yet... I’d much rather have that Earther lawyer you have with you. I’ll give you most of the crew—less the Xaravians, of course—for her. Easy trade, and you can keep the Lukkan silk for the rest of your debts.”
Faros bristled. “I have no other debts, including the one to you—as I’ve paid that with the silk. I have no need for the entire crew, and I have a great need for the lawyer. She is not someone I would trade. Ever.”
“Perhaps—”
“Ever,” Faros said, loudly enough that Kryken jerked back in surprise and Violet looked at him sharply. Faros struggled for control and clenched his jaw. “So. The Earthers and the Hwali. Three crates. Is it a deal?”
Kryken squinted at him, on the verge of agreeing or maybe starting the negotiation all over again, but stilled as one of his crew burst into the holding bay. Faros braced for trouble as the Tyboli crewmember babbled on about anomalies on radar, scans of the area revealing something out of the ordinary, and Kryken’s posture changed. His creepy flat gaze turned to Violet, then back to Faros. “Interesting.”
“Sounds like we ought to get out of here,” Faros said. He leaned down to catch one of the Earthers’ arms; he thought her name was Estelle, that Violet knew her and wanted to make sure she was saved. “I’ll have the crew—”
“Not so fast, Xaravian,” Kryken said, and when Faros turned, the Tyboli held a stunner on him.
Faros had half a second to be pissed that Violet hadn’t shouted a warning to him before he realized that the Tyboli lawyer also held a stunner on her. His vision misted red with sheer rage. How dare they threaten her?
Kryken gestured for Faros to retreat to the door. “You must think I am a fool, Xaravian, to attempt so sophomoric a ploy.”
“Do not threaten the Earther,” Faros said. “She’s got nothing to do with this.”
“On the contrary, she’s deeply involved in this,” Kryken said. “Her little stunt disrupted our... debt collection efforts. I do not know what you’ve planned or plotted to try and save your ship, but the Earther stays here as payment for your duplicity. Call off whatever attack you have planned if you want her to survive the next few hours.”
Faros’s scales rattled in fury as he faced down the Tyboli and his own responsibility for endangering Violet. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, as if he’d just go along with Kryken’s ultimatum, and began to move slowly toward the exit. As if he’d ever leave her behind...
He held his comms unit close to his mouth and said, “Do it now.”
Kryken fired the stunner and then chaos broke out as the ship’s life support systems went into emergency sustainment and everything went dark.
Chapter 42
Violet
She screamed when Kryken blasted Faros with the stunner and the pirate staggered back. Violet jumped forward to help him but the Tyboli lawyer grabbed her arm and started dragging her toward one of the interior doors. She wasn’t about to disappear into the Tyboli ship, and flailed with everything she remembered from her self-defense classes with Griggs and Jess.
It wasn’t much, but at least the lawyer wasn’t much of a fighter, either.
He tried to shoot her with his own stunner but Violet managed to knock his arm aside, trying to wrestle the weapon away. Faros shouted something at her, some order to run away, and she almost stopped fighting in order to tell him to mind his business and focus on staying alive.
Once everything was settled and fine, they’d have a conversation about saying stupid things in the middle of an actual firefight. Until then... Violet gritted her teeth and elbowed the lawyer in the face, pleased to see his head snap back. His grip on the stunner loosened, and just as Violet managed to pry it free, something cold and clammy dented the base of her neck. She blinked as another laser blast cut through the air, slamming into the lawyer and killing him instantly, and Faros dodged across the open bay as he tried to get to her.
The slithery, creepy sound of Kryken’s voice made her shudder even more than the feel of a stunner pressed against her skin after it disappeared for just a split second and more stunner-fire filled the bay. “Not so fast, little Earther. We are not finished with you yet, although I believe the Xaravian will not object.”
And he laughed with the skin-crawling sound of rusty hinges. Violet looked back in time to see Faros laying prone and still on the floor, and she screamed.
Kryken was far stronger than he looked, and had no trouble half-carrying her out of the cargo bay and into the ship, despite that Violet fought and flailed as hard as she could. She had to get to Faros. His chest still moved, which meant he still lived. With just a little time in the sickbay and the attention of the medic, he had to be fine. He had to be fine.
She screamed his name again and again, until the Tyboli grew tired of her and smacked her hard enough her ears rang. Violet clenched her jaw and hit him right back. “Release me immediately and you might survive this. When he wakes up and sees what you’ve done, there’s nowhere in the universe you can hide. He’ll kill you.”
“He’s already dead,” Kryken said. His foul breath washed over her and Violet almost gagged. “No one is coming for you. As soon as we get the propulsion system back online, we’ll be on our way.”
“The propulsion system is dead,” she said, and hoped to Einstein that her bluff wasn’t called. “It’s something the pirates
have that does it. You’ll have to abandon the ship. He does this with ships he doesn’t mean to keep but just wants to disable.”
“That’s a lie,” the Tyboli said, but he didn’t sound as certain as he intended. “Such a weapon does not exist.”
“Does so,” she said. “And if you want it, you’ll have to go on the Sraibur to take it. You might be able to trade them Faros, but there’s no way they’ll give it up just for me.”
His grip tightened on her arm as his pace slowed. “You’re being deceitful, Earther—an admirable quality in a legal advisor but not so in a hostage.”
She really didn’t care for his opinion of lawyers or what he probably expected of his legal team—and wasn’t impressed that he hadn’t batted an eye when Faros killed the Tyboli lawyer for threatening her. There was no telling what kind of retribution the pirates would enact when they found out Faros had been injured and she’d been taken hostage... If the crew even knew.
Her mouth went dry with panic and she started struggling against his hold even more. The Sraibur crew were waiting for a signal from Faros before they did anything; maybe there was another signal after they cut the power to the ship. Maybe they were waiting for Faros to give more orders, but if Faros couldn’t speak... She’d have to figure this shit out herself.
Violet ducked a wild swing from Kryken and lunged to get the stunner as the Tyboli tried to drag her deeper into the dark corridors of the Lovelace. She needed to get back to the cargo hold and the unconscious crewmembers, back to Faros. He dropped the stunner and scrambled to regain control of it, and Violet jumped on his back to knock him away. She hollered for help or just to vent some of her rage out into the world, and clawed at the Tyboli bastard with every ounce of strength she possessed.