“Where have you been? I have guards combing the marshes for your dead bodies!”
Tori froze. She turned around. Quinn marched up to her wearing one of their lab coats. His bare feet and calves peaked out the bottom. Remembering what she looked like when she left him, she unconsciously lifted her hand to touch her face. She was relieved to find her skin smooth.
“Combing the marshes?” she repeated, frowning. “Why ... what’s going on here? What’s happened? Are you fighting again with the Draig? Why are you dismantling my tent? And what’s that guy doing with my samples! It took us two weeks to get them collected and organized. He can’t carry them together like that. Oh, he’s contaminating them with....”
Tori made a move to go after a guard who roughly carried her samples of marsh mud. The little containers jingled and fell over, mixing together. Quinn’s hand shot out and gripped her elbow, jerking her back.
Her mouth opened, but before she could speak, Vitto yelled down from the cave. “What’s going on down there, Tor? Are we going to move this stuff down today or what?”
Quinn frowned up at the man, not letting go of her arm. Looking at Falke, he said, “Help them out.”
Falke nodded and motioned to some guards to climb the ladder.
Tori gasped, as Quinn dragged her along to the forest. When they were alone, he turned to study her.
“Are you wearing my lab coat?” she asked, her brow arching in slight amusement. “And are you naked underneath it? What’s going on here, Quinn? I don’t understand.”
“Are you harmed?” Quinn demanded ignoring her questions. His eyes roamed over her, not with pleasure, but fearfully searching her for injury.
“Harmed?” she repeated, confused.
“Damn it woman! Would you actually answer a question instead of just repeating it back to me?”
“W-wait,” Tori stuttered, fighting her anger. Her finger lifted and she pointed it at him. “You storm in here and start tearing apart my camp and you think to ask me questions? What in the hell is going on, Quinn?”
“We thought you were injured. After we found Simon--”
“Simon?” Tori repeated. The blood rushed from her face. “What’s wrong with Simon?”
“You weren’t in hiding?”
“Hiding? I was working!” Tori panted, feeling sick. “What’s wrong with Simon?”
“Tori, I’m sorry.... He’s dead.” Quinn frowned. Her dark eyes widened and she slowly shook her head.
“That’s not possible,” she whispered, beginning to shake. “He-he was just making lunch.... He’s my responsibility. He can’t be dead. We were only in the cave for just a couple hours at most. How...?”
“He was ... mauled,” Quinn answered. He shifted his weight uncomfortably on his feet. His heart was still lodged in his throat and he wanted to pull her to his chest to make sure she was all right. He didn’t know what he’d do if something happened to her.
Quinn had been so angry when he left the palace for the campsite. He’d stayed shifted in his cougar form as he sprinted to confront her. Then, he’d smelled the unmistakable hint of blood in the forest. In a panic, he’d found Simon’s body, but he couldn’t find the others. He’d checked the marshes, the forest, the opening of the cave and couldn’t detect their scent. He had no choice but to run back to the palace and get help. Now, looking at her red-splotched face, he worried anew.
“Mauled?” she repeated, blinking in confusion. “As if by a cat?”
Quinn held up his hands. “I know what you’re thinking Tori, but we had nothing to do with this. Let’s just get you back to the palace where it’s safe and then we’ll talk about it. I promise you we’ll find out what happened.”
“Where’s his body?” she demanded. “I want proof! I want to see his body!”
“Tori, please.” Quinn reached for her.
She swatted him away and took a step back. “What are you even doing here Quinn?”
“I’m helping you. Tori, I promise, we’ll discover who did this.”
“No,” she shot, her tone hard. Her eyes dried and she stiffened her lips. “We will figure this out. That’s why we’re here. To figure out exactly what is happening on this planet of yours. Simon was one of ours. If anyone will figure it out, we will. Since your soldiers have obviously carted off the better part of my camp, we will follow you back to the palace. But I want Simon’s body untouched until we get there. I, along with my team, will examine him to determine the cause of death.”
“Tori, wait,” Quinn began when she would walk away. She turned to look at him, her face hard. “What about us?”
“Us,” she snorted, shaking her head as if it was the stupidest thing she’d ever heard. “There is no ‘us’, Quinn. I never should have mixed business with pleasure. But, you can rest assured that it won’t be happening again. All it did was make this situation more complicated than it needs to be. Now you must excuse me, my prince. I have to go inform my men about our loss.”
Quinn said no more, watching her go. He felt as if she’d stabbed him in the chest. He was nothing but a complication to her. The realization was almost too hard to bear. He waited for his heart to stop beating, so that he may fall dead upon the ground. When the ache only grew worse, he forced his legs to move after her. Like it our not, she’d have his help. It was his duty as ambassador to give it.
* * * *
Tori took a long, slow drink of whiskey, glad the food simulator was able to materialize the hard liquor for her. It’d been a rough day. When Quinn said Simon’s body had been mauled, he’d been kind in his assessment to her. In truth, there was little of it left for her and the guys to study.
She took another drink, choking down the burning liquid. They’d examined Simon, ran tests on him to try and discover who or what would do such a horrible thing. She’d made the necessary reports to ESC and HIA. They had DNA sequencing started on samples taken from the corpse, but it would be a few days before anything was conclusive. They would be able to narrow down the species, but not the exact person unless they compiled a list of suspects and took samples from each one. Problem was, the killer wouldn’t just hand them the evidence willingly. They’d have to take it. Until they figured out who was Simon’s murderer, the black moss project was put on hold.
Tori signed. Unbidden, Quinn entered her slightly drunken thoughts. She wished he was there to comfort her. They hadn’t spoken since the forest, and she’d almost instantly regretted her harsh words. Grief had overwhelmed her with the need to strike out and he’d been the closest thing. She honestly didn’t want to believe that there was nothing between them, for she felt something when she was with him--something raw and powerful and so very real. What she didn’t know was if he felt it too.
It was a stinging connection inside her that called to him, recognized him from that first moment their eyes met in the hall. Just the memory of that first meeting made her sick with jealousy. His lips had been pressed to Linzi’s. She’d been shocked to see them thus, but even more than that, she’d been envious. It had taken her awhile to recognize the emotion, but there it was--made suddenly clear now by the haze of hard earth liquor.
Hearing a knock on her suite door, Tori threw back the rest of her drink and wobbled to her feet. Unsteady, she stumbled across the palace suite to the door and threw it open. Quinn stood before her and she blinked to make sure he was really there.
“Tori, listen. I came to say I was sorry about Simon.” He held a flower out for her. “I know it’s not much, but I remembered earth women liked flowers.”
Tori looked at the pale solarflower and then back at Quinn. Oh, but he was handsome. She could stare at him all day. Her hand didn’t move to take the gift. Words welled up inside her, bursting to be free. There was so much she wanted to tell him at that moment, so much she wanted to confess. Her lips parted, held open for an instant before she said, “My face is deformed because of mud and I can’t feel my teeth.”
Quinn frowned in confusion. Tori shrug
ged. Then, her eyes rolling in her head, she fell forward, completely passed out.
* * * *
“What’s wrong with her?” Quinn demanded, looking at Vitto in concern. He was careful to keep his eyes on the man as he stepped into Tori’s suite. Tori was lying on the bed where he’d left her. Her actions scared him and her words had made no sense. Without a clue what to do with her, he had ordered the palace computer to fetch one of the human scientists, hoping he would be able to help her. Vitto was the one who came to the call. “She was talking incoherently and making odd noises right before she fell limp.”
To his surprise, Vitto didn’t go straight to Tori, but instead to an empty glass sitting on the table. The man had been sleeping when the prince summoned him and his short, tousled hair stood on end. His tired eyes narrowed, as he lifted the glass up to his nose and sniffed. Flinching slightly, he pulled it back.
“Whiskey.” Vitto stated with a heavy sigh. He moved over toward Tori. “It’s nothing to worry about. She’s just drunk--very, very drunk. Today was hard on all of us, but most of all her. Simon was her responsibility and he died on her watch.”
“The man’s death is not her fault,” Quinn defended quickly, frowning as he came forward. He kept a sharp eye on Vitto, watching as the man leaned over to feel Tori’s forehead.
“You don’t understand Tori then,” the man chuckled sadly. “She’d never agree with that. She was put in charge and, in her eyes, she failed.”
“And you think to understand her so well?” Quinn demanded, before he could stop himself. He saw Vitto’s eyes soften with kindness, as he pushed back Tori’s dark hair.
Vitto looked up at him, his gaze narrowing as he studied the Var prince. Slowly, he nodded, “Yes, yes I do.”
Quinn’s jaw stiffened. He wanted to punch something--anything. His fists clenched lightly at his sides. Vitto turned back to Tori and arranged her limbs on the bed. She mumbled, but didn’t awaken.
“I’ll stay with her tonight,” Vitto said, not turning around to look at Quinn. “You can go ahead and go. There’s nothing more we can do for her.”
“No,” the prince answered without thought. “I’ll stay. You can go.”
Vitto blinked, looking directly at him. “I’m afraid I can’t allow that. She’s unconscious.”
“And why would she be safer with you?” Quinn charged. “I’m her lover. I should take care of her.”
Vitto coughed, nearly choking on his own spit at the bold statement. His face paled and he looked at Tori and then to the Var prince. His mouth opened and then closed. Slowly, he nodded his head. “Fine. We both stay.”
“Fine,” Quinn growled. He made a move toward the bed. Vitto held up his hand to stop him.
“I think we both should stay over there.” Vitto pointed at the long couch.
Quinn glared at him, but finally nodded in agreement. Going to Tori, he brushed her hair back down the way it was before Vitto moved it and leaned over to kiss her forehead. Her skin was warm beneath his lips, but she didn’t move. He lightly touched a pale red patch on her cheek and frowned. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Vitto watched with shaded eyes.
“She said mud did this?” Quinn prompted.
“She had an accident in the lab yesterday before we came back. Some of the swamp mud she was testing splashed up into her face. The rash didn’t show up until this morning, but it’s looking much better than it did.” Vitto’s expression eased, though it was still guarded. “It’s why we went back to camp so fast.”
Quinn nodded, letting his expression stay blank. Inside, his heart started to beat wildly. Maybe she’d only left him because she had to, not because she wanted to.
“You can sit there all night staring at her, but she’s not going anywhere,” Vitto said softly. “And she won’t hear anything you have to say.”
Quinn nodded, tucked the blanket around her shoulders, and moved to the floor before the fire. He began stripping out of his clothes. Vitto gave him a funny look and cleared his throat.
“Ah, what are you doing?” Vitto asked, slightly distressed.
“You may have the couch. I’ll take the floor,” Quinn stated, wondering what was wrong with the human, as he pulled off his pants, baring his body. Vitto made a strange noise and when Quinn glanced at him, he was looking at the ceiling in discomfort.
The prince shook his head. Letting the tingling of the cougar shift come over his body, he heard Vitto gasp as the transformation took place. Tan fur rippled his skin and he soon stood on all fours. It would be a lot more comfortable sleeping on the floor as a cat than as a man. When he turned, Vitto stared at him with his jaw dropped.
Quinn frowned, guessing it must be a human thing and that’s why he didn’t understand what made Vitto so out of it. Yawning, his wide jaw stretched wide to bare his sharp teeth. The prince arched his back up into the air, stretching his tired muscles before settling for the night.
As he lay down, he sensed Vitto relaxing. His voice weak, the man said, “Ah, good night then, Prince Quinn.”
Quinn lifted his head and nodded once, letting a small roar come from his throat. He couldn’t speak the human words with his cat voice. Vitto gulped and waved lightly before lying down on the couch.
Chapter Seven
Tori felt terrible, but a pounding headache didn’t keep her from rolling out of bed early the next morning. Stumbling barefoot across the floor, she went to the food simulator and materialized a glass of water. Then, going to her bag, she pulled out a handheld medic unit, fumbled with the knob, and then gave herself a shot in the neck. Almost instantly the tension eased and she could function, though her body still felt a little weak.
She was a little surprised to discover Vitto on the couch sleeping, but even more so to see the large cougar on the floor. At her gasp, the big cat opened its pale green eyes and looked at her. Coming to her on all fours, the cat nudged her hand playfully, cupping his nose into her palm. The fur was soft and she couldn’t help but stroke it as she absently rubbed along his jaw and throat. There was something familiar about the cat and she was unafraid.
Sighing, she said, “I don’t even want to know what you’re doing sleeping naked on the floor, Quinn, but maybe you should get dressed before Vitto wakes up.”
The face next to her began to shift and change. Fur was replaced by flesh, and Quinn’s eyes turned to a bright blue to gaze up at her. A look of amazement crossed his features. Tori shivered. He really was too handsome for words.
“You knew me,” he said, awed.
“Of course I knew you, Prince. You’re a race of cat shifters.” Tori grimaced. Then, placing her hand to her temple, she took a small drink of water and turned to the bath. Over her shoulder, she added, “Besides, I’m a scientist. I used logic. Your clothes are crumpled on the floor by the couch.”
Tori ordered the bath to fill, as she drew the curtains completely around the tub for privacy. When she finished, she found Quinn wearing his pants but nothing else. A grin curled the side of his firm mouth, as he glanced suggestively toward the tub. Tori shook her head in denial.
“No, I think you need to go. I have a lot of work to do. Besides, Vitto’s here.” Tori placed her hands on her hips and waited for him to leave.
Quinn’s features fell, as he glanced at Vitto then back to her. He crossed his arms over his chest and stated, “If he stays, I stay. I’m not leaving you alone with him.”
“Excuse me?” Tori demanded, not in the mood to fight. What was his problem anyway? “I’m perfectly safe with Vitto. Besides, he’s asleep.”
“He can wake up,” Quinn countered. An unreasonable stubbornness crossed over his face. “And you will be in the bath.”
“So?”
Quinn’s face hardened and turned red with anger. He shook and she stumbled backward.
“I think I have more to fear from you than him,” Tori stated. Quinn’s nostrils flared. “Besides, I’ve been camping in the wood with him and two other men almost every night since I�
�ve been here. If anything was going to happen with any one of them, it would have happened.”
Remembering Simon, she paled. Quinn didn’t speak.
“Just get out, Quinn. I can’t do this now. I’m tired and I don’t want to fight with you.” Tori disappeared behind the curtains. She felt a tear slip down her cheek. She hadn’t allowed herself to cry over Simon and waves of grief surged over her, drowning her in sorrow.
“Tori?” Quinn’s voice asked. The anger was gone from his words, replaced by concern. “Tori, can I...?”
“I’ll talk to you later, Prince,” she answered, refusing to let the tears into her voice. She had to stay strong. She was in charge and she refused to let him see her cry. It was important that she keep a professional front until she figured out what was happening. Already, her life had gotten too complicated.
The sound of the door opening and shutting invaded her thoughts. She felt even more alone knowing Quinn was gone. Tori forced her limbs to move, quickly undressing as she crawled into the bath. When she was clean, she wrapped a towel around her body and moved to cross the suite to her bag. Vitto was awake, sitting on the couch when she came out of the curtained area.
“Drink the demons down?” he asked lightly.
Tori chuckled darkly, changing her course for the couch. She adjusted the large towel around her body, completely covering herself from view.
“Prince Quinn was here,” Vitto said when she didn’t answer.
Tori slid on the couch next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. “I know. I saw him.”
“Care to tell me how long you’ve been lovers? Grant and I were only teasing about it. We didn’t actually think you slept with him.” Vitto nudged her lightly. “I don’t have to tell you that it’s a mistake to get involved with royalty, do I?”
“No,” Tori mumbled.
“And that it’s stupid to mix business and pleasure?”
The Playful Prince Page 9
