by Tana Stone
Twenty
“Where do you think they’ve taken him?” Holly asked, wringing her hands as she sat across from Tori in one of the ship’s crew quarters.
“I’m sure he’s safe, Hols.” Danica wrapped one arm around the redhead’s shoulders. Tori noticed that the captain hadn’t given her a real answer, not that she blamed her.
After Tori had managed to set them down somewhat gently on the flat stretch of land outside the Crestek city, they’d been escorted off the bridge and locked in one of the crew quarters. Luckily, all the women had been put in one room, but they’d been separated from the Dothvek men. Vrax had been less than pleased when he’d been stopped from following Tori into the room, but a jab in the side with a blaster had quieted him.
Tori only hoped the Dothveks weren’t all shoved into one of the small rooms like they were. The aliens were significantly bigger, and she imagined they’d be going out of their minds if they were crammed into one room. Knowing the barbarians, they were probably going out of their minds, regardless.
Tori half sat, half leaned against the ebony desk built into the wall, while Danica and Holly sat on the bed, and Max stood, pacing a small circle in front of the bathroom door.
“Why do you think they haven’t taken us off the ship?” Max asked, pausing her pacing long enough to look up. “I was sure they would have dragged us into the city by now.”
Tori shrugged. “Maybe they don’t have enough places to put all of us in their city. You did say they didn’t put you in a jail, right?”
Max gnawed on her bottom lip and dragged a hand through her short, dark hair. “Right. It was more like a sex suite.”
Tori choked back a laugh. “I doubt they’re going to put a bunch of Dothveks in a sex suite.”
“I don’t get it, either,” Danica said. “If they wanted the ship, wouldn’t they have dumped all of us back at the camp? Or at least released us now?”
“Let a bunch of their enemy go right outside their city walls?” Tori shook her head. “They aren’t stupid.”
“You don’t think this whole thing was to get T’Kar back, do you?” Holly asked.
Tori thought that was a distinct possibility, especially since the head Crestek was his father, and seemed to think his son had been taken by the Dothveks. One thing was for sure, none of this was helping the shaky peace treaty between the two clans. It was hard to believe that not long ago, the Cresteks and Dothveks had bound together to fight off the bounty hunter, Mourad.
“If it was, they know now that the Dothveks didn’t take him,” Max said.
Holly nibbled on her thumbnail. “I don’t know if that matters to T’Kar’s father.”
Tori crossed her legs at the ankles and folded her arms over her chest. “Yeah, your father-in-law is a real charmer, by the way.”
Holly shuddered. “Thanks. I guess I never thought of him as my father-in-law. He was just the creepy old guy who always looked like he wanted to undress me. T’Kar is so different from him.”
“You can say that again.” Danica shook her head. “It didn’t look like they even liked each other.”
“What if they make him go back?” Holly’s voice shook. “What if they make him stay in the city?”
None of the women spoke for a few moments until Tori cleared her throat. “We got Max and Kush out once; I guess we’d have to get T’Kar out, too.”
“We don’t have Bex,” Danica said. “Most of our rescue plans involve her.”
“She and Caro are okay, right?” Max looked from person to person.
“Of course, they are,” Tori answered without thinking. “They’re probably looking for a way to rescue us.”
“Once they find us,” Holly muttered.
Tori stood and clapped her hands. “Okay, enough of this pity party. We’ve been in worse scrapes than this.”
Danica nodded. “Tori’s right. If Bex and Caro are out there, then they’re going to be working on a way to save us. We need to be working from the inside, as well.”
“What do you mean?” Max asked. “I haven’t been an official bounty hunter babe for very long, remember? The worst scrape I’ve gotten into was being kidnapped by you all, when you took me as a bounty.”
“Meaning we should be thinking of ways to prepare for their attack or rescue attempt,” Tori said. “Sourcing weapons, creating distractions, that kind of thing.”
Holly swept a hand through her curls. “Usually Bex is our go-to, since she can shift, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t have talents.”
Danica eyed their curvy engineer. “I’m assuming you’re putting yourself in the distraction category?”
“If it means getting T’Kar out of here, then I’ll shake my ass at whomever I need to.”
Tori cringed, knowing Holly was being quite literal. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. We still have other advantages.”
Max put her hands on her hips. “Like…?”
“Like me.” The whisper came from overhead, and all three women tipped their heads up to look at the air vent.
Tori jumped onto the bed, squinting through the grate. “Rynn? Is that you? I was wondering if you’d gotten off the ship, or just hidden really well.”
The grate slid to one side and a small head poked out, followed by a puff of green fur.
Tori bit back a groan. Rynn was holding Pog, Bexli’s shape-shifting pet, who loved to leave pellets of poop on her bed. She wouldn’t have been heartbroken if Pog had been lost in the chaos, but she knew Bexli would be thrilled he was okay.
The boy’s sandy-brown hair tumbled over his face, but it couldn’t cover his wide grin. “I hid once I heard those other aliens coming on board. Then I remembered you and Vrax telling me about how you hid in the air vents when you stowed away on a ship before coming to Kurril.”
Tori’s cheeks warmed at the memories of being with Vrax in the vents on Mourad’s ship. Even though she’d been determined not to fall for the cocky Dothvek, she hadn’t been able to resist him. Even thinking about how annoyed she’d been by him at the time made her smile and made her heart ache for him.
“I was crawling through them when I heard Pog yipping,” Rynn continued, “so I grabbed him on my way to find you.”
She helped the boy down from the vent, brushing off his dusty clothes once he was standing next to her on the bed. He put Pog down, and the tiny glurkin scampered around in circles on the bed, sniffing everyone and purring loudly.
“Who needs a shapeshifter when we have a pair who can travel through the vents?” Holly ruffled Pog’s fur. “I know technically Pog can shift, but I’ve never seen him do it without Bex.”
Tori wasn’t sure if she wanted the animal shifting without Bexli there to control him. As far as she’d seen, Pog wasn’t a great listener, unless it was Bex giving the orders. “I don’t think that’s a great idea. What if he shifts into something crazy and we can’t get him back?”
“Agreed.” Danica watched as Pog spun around in fast circles before settling on the dove-gray blanket and starting to snore.
Max looked up at the gaping hole in the ceiling. “Holly is right. Rynn can move anywhere in the ship without being detected. He can tell us what the Crestek are up to, and where the Dothveks are being held.”
“I can tell you that already.” Rynn puffed out his chest slightly. “Vrax and a few others are right next door to you. Another bunch, including the two that look identical, are in a room a few doors down.”
“What about T’Kar?” Holly asked. “The guy with the shorter hair and the tattoos that look like a breastplate over his chest?”
“You mean your boyfriend?” Rynn asked with a sly grin.
Holly’s cheeks flushed. “Technically, he’s my husband, but yeah.”
Rynn’s eyes widened slightly at that. “He’s in Tori and Vrax’s cabin with the old guy.”
Tori flinched. So much for her and Vrax keeping their relationship under wraps, she thought, although none of the other women blinked
twice at this.
“Really?” Holly nibbled on her thumbnail.
Rynn bobbed his head up and down. “He’s getting yelled at a lot. I’d rather have no dad, than have that guy as a dad.”
“At least he’s safe, Hols,” Danica said. “I’m sure he can withstand a little yelling.”
“What about the bad guys?” Tori asked. “How many are there, and where are they?”
Rynn held up his hands and began counting off on his small fingers. “They have one outside this door, and two outside each of the rooms with the Dothveks.”
“Only one at our door?” Tori grinned. “That was their first mistake.”
“The old guy is in the big cabin with his son and two guards outside,” Rynn continued. “There’s one guy on the bridge, and another guarding the ramp. Some soldiers have been coming and going, but most left once we landed.”
“So, a skeleton crew.” Danica locked eyes with Tori. “That’s good.”
“Okay, we know where everyone is.” Max rubbed her hands together. “Now what do we do?”
“First of all, we don’t let them know we have a spy in the vents,” Tori said.
The boy peered up at the dark hole in the ceiling. “You want me to go back up there?”
Tori rested a hand on his shoulder. “Yes, but not for long. I need you to tell Vrax and the other Dothveks our plan and then I need you to take Pog and sneak off the ship.”
“But there’s a guard at the exit ramp.”
“There’s another way off the ship,” Tori told him. “The ship’s exhaust vent. And you’re small enough to use it.”
“Is that safe?” Holly dropped her voice as if Rynn wasn’t right next to her.
Tori nodded. “Perfectly safe, as long as the ship isn’t flying.”
Rynn smoothed a hand across the hair that flopped over his forehead. “Okay, so what do I do once I’ve made it out the exhaust vent of the ship?”
“You need to find Caro and Bexli. I’m sure Caro will be with her new boyfriend, Rukken, and probably some other Dothveks. They’ll need to know our plan, and everything you’ve told us about the Cresteks inside the ship.”
Rynn gave her a solemn nod, then looked down at Pog. “And you want me to take him?”
“If you find Bexli, Pog will come in handy,” Danica said. “Even if somehow you don’t, I have a feeling Pog would protect you, if you need him to.”
Tori narrowed her eyes at the glurkin. “He seems to like you more than he does me, so I think Danica’s right. He’ll be added insurance for you. Plus, I suspect he can track Bexli once he catches her scent.”
Rynn scooped up Pog and tucked him under one arm. The ball of fur barely stirred from his sleep, as Tori hoisted the boy and the pet back up into the ventilation shaft. Part of her hated to send him away again so soon, but she knew it was crucial that he not be seen by the Cresteks, and that he get away and find their crew mates. Her throat felt thick as she watched his feet disappear into the ceiling. He pushed the grate so that it slid across the square opening, the scraping noise louder than she’d hoped.
Before the grate slid completely back into place, Rynn popped his head through the narrow gap. “I forgot something.”
Tori glanced around the room, wondering what the boy might have left behind.
He let out a small chuckle as he shook his head, his thatch of hair hanging down. “You know the plan I’m supposed to tell everyone?”
Tori glanced back at the door, hoping the guard didn’t decide to check out the noise. “Yeah?”
“What is it?”
Twenty-One
Tommel walked beside Rukken, but he continued to glance back at Bexli. She and Caro were walking together a few paces behind, their heads together in hushed conversation.
Bexli had not spoken to him since she’d snatched the fruit from his hand and stomped out of the cave. That had been when the suns were climbing into the sky, and now the two bright orbs were sliding down toward the horizon. Not that Tommel could see the horizon as they trekked through the mountains, weaving around the narrow pass that hugged the sheer rocks.
The high peaks shielded them from the direct rays of the sun, but the air still held the heat of the day. As they walked farther into the mountains, the scent of arid sand had faded, and he knew the world would smell very different on the other side. More birds swooped overhead, their cawing reminding him that they were closer to the Crestek city. He missed the soft sand shifting beneath his bare feet and even the creatures that dwelled under it. The rock beneath him was cold and unyielding and held no mysteries. His stomach tightened as the distance between them and the sands increased, and home grew farther away.
He twisted his head around again as he sensed a burst of emotion from Bexli, but before he could determine what she was feeling, his foot slipped, and a torrent of pebbles skittered off the path.
Rukken grabbed him by the arm and jerked him back. “If you do not stop looking behind us, you are either going to fall off the edge, or walk into the rock face.”
Tommel heard the small rocks hitting the ground far below them and his heart stuttered. “Thank you. I will be more careful.”
Rukken released his arm but cut his eyes to him. “You are supposed to be the wise one, is that not so?”
Tommel let out a strangled laugh. “It seems I am not so wise, after all.”
Rukken’s mouth twitched up. “Because you lost your heart to a female? I do not think that has anything to do with wisdom.”
“Perhaps not, but I should know better.”
Rukken shrugged. “We have all done things we should have known not to do.”
Tommel looked at the formerly exiled Dothvek. He knew the warrior spoke from recent experience, and he glanced back quickly at the male’s new mate, Caro. “Your mistake turned out well.”
“Yes, but it was impulsive and foolish, and driven by my passion. I knew I should not do it, but I could not stop myself because I was so drawn to her.”
Tommel knew exactly what Rukken meant. It was how he felt around Bexli. Out of control and driven by his emotions. It was a feeling he never thought he would experience again, and one he did not welcome.
“I fear that my mistake will not end well.” Tommel lowered his voice.
“It has already brought you the blessing of a child. That cannot be a mistake.”
Tommel flinched, resisting the urge to steal another look at Bexli. “The child is not born yet. There is much that can yet happen.”
Rukken was silent for a while as they walked, their wide feet soundless on the rock, even as the females’ footsteps padded behind them. “I have not been gone so long, you know. I do remember what happened, even though I was very young.”
Tommel knew that Rukken meant the illness that had swept through the females and taken his mate and the unborn child she carried. He did not answer, his throat tight.
“That will not happen again,” Rukken added.
Tommel gave a curt nod, but he did not say what he really thought. Rukken did not know that it could not happen again. Even if there was no illness, many things could happen to a female and her child. His planet was a dangerous place.
“You can protect them,” Rukken said, clearly sensing Tommel’s doubt and fear.
“Not if she leaves.”
They rounded a curve in the path, and it widened so that Tommel did not need to walk at the edge. He moved closer to Rukken, and the Dothvek glanced at him.
“You would not go with her?”
Tommel nearly tripped, catching himself and feeling grateful he wasn’t close to the drop-off. “Leave the planet and live in space?”
He had never considered such a thing, but Rukken bobbed one shoulder up and down as if it was of no consequence. “Why not? There is much to see beyond our world, and I would rather be anywhere with my mate, than here without her.”
Tommel peeked at Bexli, her lavender hair swinging as she walked, and her face animated as she talked with Caro. His
heart squeezed at the thought of never seeing her again or never seeing his child. “You would not make your mate stay with you?”
Rukken laughed. “I have had very bad luck making her do anything. I have found that I like it better when she wants to do something, and I greatly prefer it when she is happy. I would do anything to make her happy, including living in a metal ship flying among the stars.”
Tommel shivered at the thought, but he looked at the Dothvek with newfound admiration. The warrior was not the violent brute he had once thought him to be. Falling for one of the offworld females had revealed his good heart and honorable intentions.
Shaking his head at the thought of never seeing the sands or suns again, Tommel bent low to go under a rock overhang. “Dothveks have ruled the sands since our planet was created by the goddesses. We are not meant to leave.”
“How do we know the goddesses did not send these females to us?” Rukken asked. “How do we know this is not the goddesses’ way of telling us it is time to spread our wings and venture out into the universe?”
Tommel had heard the whispers that the offworld females had been sent by the goddesses. He had even heard some say that they were some sort of tiny goddesses themselves, although he did not believe that. He did know that the priestesses in the village had accepted the females, and believed that they were fulfilling an ancient prophecy. Could that prophecy possibly include them leaving and taking Dothvek warriors with them? The idea made fear stir within him. Fear he did not want to admit he had.
“I do not know,” he said, at last. “All I know for certain is that I must keep the female and my child safe, no matter the cost.”
He felt Rukken’s eyes on him, but he kept his eyes trained on the path ahead as it snaked through the shimmering rock and sloped down toward the nearing valley he could smell but not yet see.
“Even if that is not what she wants?” the other Dothvek asked. “Even if she wants more than that?”
Tommel pressed his lips together. He could not give more than that. He could protect her and the child with his life, but he could not abandon his world, nor could he open his heart to more than their obvious physical connection. That part of him had died long ago. He stole another glance at Bexli, and his heart squeezed. It would have to be enough.
