by Nina Croft
The strands of the prophecy were coming together.
Saffira shifted from foot to foot as she stood beside Devlin in front of a silver door, which she presumed must lead to his quarters.
Maybe she shouldn’t be here. She was still reeling from what she’d sensed inside his head: the rage and the grief. Overwhelming emotions. How could he feel that way yet still go on? Maybe the Others were right in wanting to eradicate emotions.
She’d hunted for something softer but found nothing. No love. Only lust.
Was her dream-lover in there?
Did he even exist?
Devlin gave her a sideways glance. “You sure you wouldn’t rather take that walk?”
No, she wasn’t sure, but she nodded and he turned back to the door.
“Open.”
At the word, the door slid open. The room was big and plain. She’d been hoping to get a glimpse of the real Devlin. That wasn’t going to happen here. Turning around, she took in the large bed standing against one of the white walls which, together with a small table, made up the only furniture.
“It’s very…clean,” she murmured. And absolutely devoid of personality. The only addition of a personal nature was a framed image of a young man with shaggy dark blond hair and Devlin’s blue-green eyes. She wandered across and picked it up, stroked the line of the young man’s face. “Who is he?” she asked.
Devlin came to stand beside her, his expression blank. “My brother.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s dead.” He took the picture, stared at it for a moment, then placed it facedown on the table. She had an urge to probe his mind, to find the hurt and attempt to heal him, but that was rude without someone’s permission, and she suspected Devlin didn’t want her in his mind again.
“Make yourself at home,” he said. “I’m going to shower.”
He pulled his T-shirt over his head, screwed it up, and threw it into an opening in the wall. Saffira’s mouth dropped open. He was stunning, so big, his skin a creamy gold with the sheen of satin, and rippling with muscle. His nipples dusky brown, his abdomen almost concave, ridged and bisected by a line of creamy gold hair that she knew would be silky soft. She closed her mouth. She was in danger of drooling. As his hand went to the weapons belt at his waist, she swallowed a gulp. He flicked the catch and tossed the belt onto the bed. His hand moved to the fastener of his pants and her gaze flew to his face.
He was watching her. Again, she had an almost overwhelming urge to peek into his mind, get some sense of what he was feeling. If anything.
Then a lazy smile curved the corners of his stern mouth and her breath hitched as she caught a glimpse of the man she knew so well.
“Never seen a naked man before, little girl?”
Her brows drew together at the “little girl,” but she managed a serene smile in return. “I’m twenty-one. And only you. And only in my dreams.”
“Shit, not that crap again.” The smile vanished to be replaced by a scowl. His hand dropped and then came up to run through his hair. “I need that shower.”
He turned, and she stared, fascinated, at his back. Faint but distinct black rings filled with gold covered the smooth expanse of skin. She itched with the need to trace those rosettes. He must be genetically modified. There were no GMs on the Espera. Probably because the colonists had been a breakaway group from the Church of Everlasting Life. But she knew from her history lessons that they existed. And how they had been persecuted by the Church. Was that the source of his bitterness? The key to understanding and ultimately healing this hard, damaged man?
It gave them something in common. All her people were GMs now. Modified in some way by the DNA of the Old Ones.
Before she could move toward him, he was gone, disappearing through another door opposite. “Feel free to go at any time.” His words just beat the closing door.
Saffira sank down onto the bed behind her. Why couldn’t life be like her dreams? With every fiber of her being, she knew that she and Devlin were meant to be together. But he wasn’t what she’d expected.
She rubbed her forehead where a vision poked little needles of pain into her skull. Most of the time they would haunt her in her sleep. But occasionally, one would come to her waking mind, prodding insistently until she allowed it to take over her conscious thoughts. Those were the strongest, the visions that held the most truth. Right now, one was hovering, wanting out. First, she needed to get to her sisters so they could help interpret what she saw. And tether her to the present if her mind wandered too deeply into another time.
After tugging her ponytail free, she ran her fingers through her thick hair, trying to ease the ache. Should she leave? Go find Thorne? Tell him they needed to get to the Keep? And they needed the Blood Hunter to take them there. She was unclear what role the ship and her crew had to play in the prophecy, but she sensed they were vitally important.
She glanced from the door where Devlin had disappeared to the other, which led out of the room. Forcing her feet toward the exit, she examined the door. There was no visible sign of how to open it. Devlin had spoken to it.
“Open,” she said. Nothing happened. “Open.” Nothing. She tried pushing, sliding, finally kicking when nothing else worked. “Goddamn stupid door.”
A chuckle came from behind her and she whirled around. Devlin stood just inside the room. He’d pulled on his pants but his feet and chest were bare. “You attacking my door?”
She tore her gaze from his chest. “Stupid thing won’t open.”
“No, it’s programmed to my voice.”
“So why did you tell me to go?”
That lazy smile curved his lips again. “I forgot.”
He strolled toward her. There was something different about him. She couldn’t think what. Then it came to her—the tension was gone. Only now could she see how uptight he’d been. She wasn’t sure she liked the change. Or at least she wasn’t sure she felt comfortable with it. Before, she’d sensed his anger and rage, but she had never felt threatened by the emotions. Now, she had to hold herself still so she didn’t back away.
“Could you open it for me?” she asked.
“Maybe not just yet.”
She swallowed. “I really should go find Thorne. He’ll worry.”
“In a little while.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want me to stay? You were pretty eager to get rid of me a while back.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and took a step closer. “I was in the shower, and I was giving myself a hand job—”
“A what?”
His smile turned wicked and he took one hand out of his pocket and slipped it down the front of his pants. “A wank, darling. Giving myself a little relief, when it occurred to me that I was being an idiot.”
“You were?”
“Yeah. I had a beautiful woman in my bedroom.” His gaze slid over her body, and the muscles tightened low down in her belly. She squirmed. “A beautiful woman who has made it perfectly clear that she wants to have sex with me. Who am I to deny us a little fun?”
He took the last step, which brought him close enough to touch, except her hands were gripped tightly behind her back.
“Now, I might not believe all that crap you’re spouting about the time travel stuff, but while your mind might be a little deranged, your body looks just about perfect.”
He thought her perfect? Warmth rolled over her. Then she processed the rest of his words. Deranged? Who was he calling deranged?
He leaned in closer, so close she could smell his scent, faintly feral with an underlying muskiness that clawed at her senses. His warm breath feathered across her throat as he reached out and toyed with the fastener of her jumpsuit.
She peeked down as his long fingers tugged on the tab and it unraveled, the material parting to reveal her breasts. His breath hitched and she glanced up to find his attention fixed on the swell of her flesh framed by the fabric.
“I especially l
ike these.” He dropped a slow kiss on the slope of her breasts and she almost went up in flames.
Raising his head, he caught her gaze. “So do you want to fuck, Saffira?”
He crowded her back against the wall, his expression intent and focused. Her adrenaline spiked, sending her heartbeat into overdrive. She didn’t know this man. He wasn’t the same lover as in her dreams. There, he’d never asked her to “fuck.”
She wanted that man with an ache in her middle and a painful twist to her heart. She didn’t want to settle for less. But maybe this was the way to get through to Devlin, to find her dream-lover. The only way for him to feel anything softer than the emotions that drove him.
She didn’t know.
“Lost your nerve?” he murmured. “You want me to convince you?” One hand slid inside her jumpsuit to cup her breast. At the touch, a bolt of sensation shot from her nipple to her groin. His lips came down on hers and he kissed her. His body pressed into hers, trapping her against the wall as the hard bulge of his maleness nudged against her belly.
Her breathing was too rapid, and her heart was beating so fast it might explode out of her ribcage. She spoke a calming mantra in her head and her panic receded. No, she couldn’t be so wrong. She relaxed and the pressure eased. Now his lips were coaxing rather than forcing and the hand at her breast rubbed circles over her tightening nipple, shooting more of those little darts to her sex.
What should she do? How should she respond? She tried to remember her visions, what she had done, but her mind remained stubbornly blank. Open her mouth, that’s what she needed to do. She was just about to when he went still and drew away, and she had to fist her hands at her sides to stop herself from dragging him back.
“Shit.” He took another step away, raised his wrist, and spoke into the machine strapped around it. “Yeah?”
She recognized Rico’s voice. “Hey, dream-lover—”
“Piss off,” Devlin snapped.
Rico chuckled. “Your presence is requested in the conference room.”
He sighed. “I’ll be there.”
“And if you know where the girl is, fetch her. Her guardian is getting twitchy.”
“She’s here.”
“Is she? Fast work—I’m impressed.”
“Piss off,” he said again, obviously ending the conversation. He glanced over to where Saffira leaned against the wall, his eyes lingering on the open jumpsuit. With a wry smile, he reached across and tugged up the fastener. “We are going to have to postpone this until later. Pity.”
“It is?”
“Yeah, my dick is so hard I could bash my way through a blaster shield.”
Her eyes dropped to the telltale bulge at his groin, and she blinked as a wave of heat washed over her skin. No doubt turning her a light shade of blue.
“Seems a shame to waste it,” he murmured. “I don’t suppose there’s a chance of a quick blow job—I reckon it would take all of thirty seconds.”
She didn’t say anything, but her expression must have said it all.
“I guess not.” He sighed, then winced as he fastened his pants. She watched in silence as he pulled a clean shirt from a cupboard on the wall, pulled it over his head, strapped on the weapons belt, and sat down and pulled on his boots.
“Let’s go.” He strode across to the door. “Open.” The traitorous thing slid open and he gestured for her to go first. As she inched past him, he reached for her and she almost flinched. But he just ran his thumb along her lower lip.
“By the way,” he said. “You really need to learn to open your mouth when you kiss.”
She turned and glared at him. “Piss off.”
Chapter Five
This time they didn’t take the transporter thing. Instead, Devlin led her through a wide corridor, down a sloping ramp, and along another.
Maybe, like her, he needed time to pull himself together.
Saffira followed him back, happy to stay behind so she could gather her wits and watch the ripple of muscle as he strode ahead. His ass in the khaki pants was something to behold, as were his broad shoulders and long legs.
He’d kissed her.
And he’d wanted her. But maybe he just wanted a woman and any woman would do.
A blow job?
She was pretty sure she could guess what he meant, and she was also sure he’d never asked for one of those in her visions. She imagined what it would be like and wasn’t quite convinced she found the idea appealing.
The conference room seemed almost crowded as she entered behind Devlin. She glanced around, taking everyone in. The same people as before with the addition of the blond woman who had been carried onboard by Rico and another girl who was…green.
Totally green. Hair the color of summer leaves, eyes like emeralds, and skin like…like nothing Saffira had ever seen. She came forward with a grin on her face—at least her teeth were white—and held out her hand.
“I’m Daisy,” she said. “I’m the copilot.”
Saffira took the woman’s hand and smiled back—it was the first genuine sign of friendliness she’d encountered on the ship. And she liked Daisy immediately. There was an openness about her, a lack of guile totally missing in the other members of the crew, who she reckoned all had secrets they’d rather not reveal.
Daisy was dressed in black—black pants, black boots, and a black shirt, her green hair pulled into a long ponytail.
“I’m Saffira.”
“And this is Skylar,” Tannis said, introducing the blond woman. “She’s our security officer.”
The blonde was tall and moved like a fighter, her hand resting on the pistol at her thigh. She held out her other hand and Saffira gazed up into the violet eyes of the Others.
Rico came up beside Skylar and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her against his side as he gave Saffira a lazy grin. “And so, did lover boy here live up to your dreams?” Rico nodded toward Devlin, who’d slumped into one of the chairs, long legs stretched out in front of him, a brooding expression on his face. “He doesn’t exactly look mellow,” Rico continued, “So I’m guessing not.”
There wasn’t really anything she could say to that. So she shrugged. “He gave me ice cream.”
Rico’s smile widened. “He knows how to impress a girl, our Devlin.”
“Piss off,” Devlin growled.
Were they the most frequently spoken words on the Blood Hunter? Saffira was guessing so. She dragged her gaze from Devlin and searched the room for Thorne, found him leaning against the far wall, arms folded across his chest watching everybody, his expression blank. He caught her gaze and nodded.
“Excuse me,” she murmured and headed on over.
“Are you all right?” he asked, scrutinizing her features.
“Of course I’m all right. Perfectly all right, and my virginity is still intact if that’s what you want to know.” She sounded grumpy, but then, she felt grumpy.
A smile flickered across his face, rare amusement flashing in his eyes. Thorne was way too serious. “Good,” he said. “The man’s dangerous.”
She frowned. “Why? And is he any more dangerous than the others?” She thought they all seemed pretty dangerous, except maybe Daisy.
“Because he’s driven by hate and rage. He wants revenge more than he wants anything else—including you.”
She knew that. She’d sensed his emotions. But people could change.
“Besides,” Thorne continued, “You don’t have a hankering to get into anyone else’s pants—”
“Thorne!”
“You know, it’s been a long time for me, but I do remember that it’s not good to be quite so obvious.”
“Obvious?” she snapped.
“You’re positively salivating every time you look at him. Maybe you should try to be a little more…hard to get.”
“I know you—you’d like me to play so hard to get that I never get got. Besides, I’m not sure I should be taking relationship advice from someone who hasn’t gotten l
aid in nearly ten thousand years.”
He grinned at her reply.
She loved this man. She’d been taken away from her own parents when she was born, and Thorne had taken care of her since. He loved her too, at least she had always presumed he did, though Thorne wasn’t one for flowery words. But he had her best interests at heart, even if his first call was to their cause.
“Maybe so,” he said. “But we need to stay focused. You can’t afford to be distracted right now.”
He was right. But she also knew that Devlin had a part to play in the past as well as the future. She just couldn’t see it clearly right now. A stab of pain in her forehead reminded her of the vision tugging at her mind. She rubbed the spot between her brows to ease the tension. Thorne’s eyes sharpened on her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yes, but we need to get to the Keep and soon.”
“A vision?”
“A whopper.” And it had to do with the Blood Hunter. “They can’t leave, Thorne. We need them.”
“Are you sure? You’re not letting your interest in the man influence you?”
“Maybe, but he has a part to play too. And I’m as sure as I’ve ever been.”
He nodded once. “Let’s hope they cooperate, then.”
“And if not?”
“We’ll find a way to persuade them.”
She bit her lip. “I’d prefer their voluntary cooperation if possible.”
“I’ll try my best to be nicely persuasive.” He gave her a wolfish grin. “I can be nice.”
“Hmmm.” Sometimes it was hard to remember that Thorne was the oldest and most powerful of the Others. That if he’d wanted to he could probably annihilate this whole ship with a thought. But it was probably best to keep quiet about that for now. Someone clapped their hands behind her and she turned. Tannis had risen to her feet and stood in the center of the room.
“Can we get on with this?” she said. “Because, personally, I would like to see the back of this shithole.” She rubbed her head. “I am so not happy with the fact that those assholes can zap my brain anytime they like.”
That didn’t sound too hopeful.
“So, Devlin,” Tannis continued, “How’s the ship? Is she ready to go?”
