by S. E. Smith
Maybe this is good, Ember said. It surprised Teegan into looking down at her again. I’ve told you many times, holding on to the dead hurts you.
Teegan looked away, saying nothing. She didn’t know how to let them go.
Cole could help you.
I don’t want Cole’s help.
Ember huffed out a sigh, but dropped the subject.
“Well?” Cole looked over his shoulder at her, and Teegan remembered what she was supposed to be doing.
“Right. Give me a second.” She closed her eyes, thinking of the imprint of Deacon’s mind. The unique shape to him that was all his own. It glowed with a warm, red and gold light. Faint before, it tugged strongly at her now, pulling her in the direction of the station. Her heart pounded. “He’s here.”
Cole swore. Teegan understood his frustration immediately. It was good they’d found him so quickly, but bad it was in so populated a place, one which could not be easily maneuvered through or quietly evacuated. What she’d told Cole earlier was true. Deacon had a mission, and he wouldn’t jeopardize it easily. But when he was cornered, he would do anything to preserve it. Teegan knew that first hand. And there were a lot of potential hostages on Haven.
“I’ll coordinate with station security.” Cole sounded grim. “We need to keep this as quiet as possible. We don’t want to start a panic.” A few moments passed. “Jack’s arranged a private docking port for us. He’ll meet us at the airlock.”
“Jack?”
“He leads Haven. We grew up together.”
Cole was born on Ardon, the largest colony world in pirate space, and the first one they’d settled three hundred years ago. Teegan knew he still missed it, still thought of it as home. Or he had, seven years ago. She supposed she didn’t know that anymore. Seven years was a long time. A lot could have changed. But not how he feels about you. She frowned at the whispered thought. Her own. She pushed it aside. It didn’t matter anymore.
Docking was always a tricky business, but Cole was a competent pilot. They connected with the airlock seal with hardly a bump. She and Ember could have remained unsecured and been fine, but it was always best to be cautious. Teegan had been through her share of rough landings.
The man who waited for them on the other side of the airlock had a serious look to him. He was not quite as tall or broad as Cole, but then Cole was a large man. Jack’s dark hair and beard were both cut short and neatly trimmed. His blue eyes missed nothing, taking in her, Ember and Cole in a quick, thorough glance. He nodded to each of them in turn, even Ember.
Clearly, he’d spent time with Hunters before.
I like him, Ember said, and Teegan glanced at her in surprise. The kith rarely formed such quick judgments of people, but evidently Jack made a good impression.
Beside her, Cole and Jack exchanged a hand clasp in greeting. Teegan got the feeling it would have been a lot more jovial under different circumstances.
“Tell me about this fugitive.” Jack wasted no time.
“Deacon Harlow. Former surgeon. Powerful telekinetic, and extremely skilled at applying that Talent to the human body. He used to perform lifesaving surgeries without ever picking up a laser scalpel, because using Talent allowed him to be more precise, to feel with his mind instead of just looking with his eyes.”
Jack rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Yeah, I’ve read about his technique. My chief doctor here actually studied with one of Deacon Harlow’s students. She doesn’t rely completely on her Talent, but she’s done some amazing things with it.” He frowned. “Rumor has it Deacon went a little mad after his wife and daughter died.”
“Rumor would be correct, in this case. He blames the Commonwealth, the nulls.” Cole was referring to humans with no Talent, the head blind that populated the Commonwealth.
“Well, we all did right after it happened. But the Commonwealth is a big place. Lots of systems, lots of planets, and a hell of a lot of people.”
“Yes. Deacon’s not so particular on which of them he takes his revenge on. He’s dangerous, Jack. The last time we went after him, he killed an entire pack of Hunters.”
Jack’s eyes flicked to Teegan. “So, this time you only brought one?”
Teegan didn’t flinch from the skepticism in his eyes. “I’m the only one who can track him. The only Hunter with an imprint. And I work alone.”
“Unusual.”
She didn’t bother replying to his unspoken question. “He’s here on your station, and we need to hunt him quietly. If he feels cornered, there’s no predicting what he might do.”
“We have a lot of families here. And…” Jack hesitated. “We also have a lot of nulls. More than you might expect. Sitting on the fringes of Commonwealth territory, dealing in the goods we do, we get a lot of black market dealers coming through. Smugglers, thieves, mercenaries. That sort of thing. Some of them travel with their families, too.” He looked worried. “Just how concerned do we have to be that he’ll attack someone here?”
Teegan and Cole exchanged a look.
“The quieter we can keep things,” said Cole firmly, “the better off we’ll be. Haven isn’t his endgame. I’ve spent a lot of time in Deacon’s mind. He’s headed into Commonwealth space, and this is the perfect place to do it. Probably just stopped here to refuel or change ships, get supplies. The corvette he stole had limited stock. He’ll sell what he can to buy what he needs, and then he’ll be gone.”
“What do you need from me?”
“Keep your people back and out of the way, but be ready to move. Once we locate Deacon, things could get ugly real fast. Using other people as shields is something he specializes in, and his telekinesis is powerful. He honed it for small, precise work, but I’ve seen him move an entire capital ship out of orbit.”
“So, he could rip apart this station.” Jack sounded angry now. “Why the fuck is this guy still alive? You caught him once, why not kill him?”
Teegan answered before Cole could. She couldn’t hide the bitterness in her voice. “Because certain members of the Core wanted to see what could be learned from him. He trained a handful of people in his methods, but none of them were as good as he is. Biokinesis is so rare, they wanted to see if they could duplicate what he did.” She didn’t look at Cole, but she could feel him watching her.
Jack swore. The Core was a ruling body made up of the most powerful pirates. Since he commanded such an important hub in Haven, Teegan would be surprised if he himself wasn’t a member. But not all decisions were voted on by the entire group, and if the pirate king had been among those who decided, or a majority already ruled in favor of keeping Deacon alive, Jack might never have been consulted.
“That’s just great.” Jack’s tone made it clear it was anything but. “I am really tempted to kick you both off my station and just let this guy leave. You can chase him into the Commonwealth, away from me and mine.”
“But you won’t.” Cole sounded very certain.
“No, damn it. I won’t. As I said, we have a lot of nulls here. I can’t take the chance that he targets them. So we’ll do this your way.” He lifted a finger, jabbing it in Cole’s direction. “But I’m telling you right now, if killing this guy is the best way to take him, to keep everyone safe, that is what you do. I don’t give a fuck what the rest of the Core or even the Mother-damned Queen says.”
“Understood.”
Teegan was surprised Cole didn’t argue. She’d wanted to kill Deacon seven years ago, and he hadn’t let her. It was just one of the reasons she’d walked away. He must have felt the weight of her surprised stare, because he glanced at her.
I’m not making the same mistake twice, Tey. I’ve had seven years to work with him, to try and heal what’s broken in his mind and understand what he did and how. I’m done trying.
She held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded. Something within her relaxed. She’d been dreading having to fight Cole on this again, she realized. It meant a lot that he was stepping aside no matter what the Core said, and finally
supporting her.
He did not argue before because of the Core, Ember said unexpectedly.
What? Of course he did.
No. He argued to protect you.
That makes no sense. Deacon killed my first consort. My brother. My team. If Cole wanted to protect me, he should have let me kill him!
The kith gave a small, violent shake of her head. Not a denial, but more a physical response to confusion. Teegan had seen her do it before whenever humans did something especially baffling.
Cole sees inside the minds of broken people. He did not want you to become one of them. Killing sometimes does this. I do not understand. Killing an enemy is natural. But it is why Cole fought you.
Teegan processed this. Why did you never tell me before?
You did not ask. The simple answer was at once infuriating and typical of the kith. He was not yet one of your mates. Ember’s ears twitched as she looked up at Teegan, and she knew that for the kith, that explained everything.
They rarely interfered in their bond-mates personal lives, unless it was something that deeply affected their family unit. The first time she and Cole clashed over Deacon, it had been in the wake of Joras’ death. Ember would have felt Teegan’s grief over losing her mate above all else, and ignored the extra hurt of Cole’s betrayal as less important. It didn’t matter that Teegan had been on the verge of choosing Cole as her second consort and making him part of that family unit. She hadn’t actually done so yet, so Cole was just a friend. Someone Ember liked, but nowhere near as important to her bond-mate’s future as Joras had been.
It’s okay. It wouldn’t have changed anything. In fact, Teegan was pretty sure it would have made her more furious. She was still in the throes of loss and grief when Cole refused to let her kill Deacon. She’d raged at him, even when she thought he was defying her on orders from the Core. How much worse would she have reacted if she’d realized he was choosing it for himself, to protect her?
The past was the past. Maybe it was time she started letting some of it go. She was here now, today, hunting Deacon again. And this time, he would not escape justice for the things he had done.
Four
Being on Haven was an odd sensation for Cole. He’d spent so much of the past decade isolated with his team at Black Rock, being around so many minds again gave him a headache. He tightened his shields, trying to stay focused. His telepathy was easy to keep leashed, but his gift for mind healing was always on, always connected. He had to ignore the faint traces of mental and emotional pain in the people around him, and that was much harder.
Worst of all was Teegan’s mind. So close, he couldn’t help but feel the dark threads splicing through her thoughts, trying to dig into her consciousness and tear her down. It would be so easy to reach in and grapple each one until it released and vanished. It would also be an unforgiveable violation of trust. She’d made it very clear she wanted nothing from him, however bitter a pill that was to swallow.
Ember bumped his leg as she moved between them, and he glanced down. The kith flicked her tail at him, a gesture he knew wasn’t accidental.
I know, he sent, irritated. It wasn’t like he was going to follow through on his thoughts. It just hurt to be this close to her and held at such a distance.
Give her time. He almost jolted when Ember spoke to him, though it was happening enough now, he should be getting used to it.
Should I take that as encouragement?
She turned her head and nipped lightly at his heel as he stepped forward, so fast no one else caught it. But he sure as hell felt the warning in the snap of her teeth. My loyalty is to Teegan. Don’t forget.
As if he could.
But… Worry clouded the kith’s voice. She has spent too long alone. She needs more than only me.
He found that encouragement enough, for now. But Ember wasn’t done.
She still loves you.
He almost tripped over his own feet.
Ember gave him a reproachful look. But she needs time to remember. You will give her this time.
“Sure. Yeah.” He didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until Teegan looked at him oddly. He forced a smile. “Talking to myself.”
He wasn’t sure she believed him, but after a moment, she shrugged and let it go.
They were moving into the largest area of the station, the central hub. The pirates had turned it into a market with shops, restaurants, and vendors set up all around it. It was also the most populated section, with not only station residents eating or shopping, meeting friends or making deals, but also many of the stations’ transient population doing the same things. Those visiting to pick up cargo or refuel.
Teegan stopped, and Cole bit back a curse. This is where he is?
She nodded.
Well, wasn’t that just the worst case scenario. He watched as a couple of kids ran by, one chasing the other as they played some kind of game. Lot of possible targets here.
Too many, she agreed. We need to get him away from here.
He raised an eyebrow. Any suggestions?
She hesitated. “Yes. One.”
She knelt down next to Ember, lightly touching the back of the kith’s head with one hand. They were obviously having some kind of mental conversation. But this time it excluded him. He tried not to feel left out.
A moment late Ember gave a soft yip and vanished. Cole blinked. He never got used to that, though it was a common Talent among all of the kith races. He wasn’t sure if it was some kind of camouflage or just a way of mentally redirecting everyone’s thoughts away from them, but effectively they could disappear. Become invisible.
“Care to fill me in?” he asked.
“Deacon knows what kith are. More, he’ll remember one as distinctive as Ember. He doesn’t want to be found or stopped. I think if he catches a glimpse of her, he’ll run.”
“You’re using Ember to drive him back toward his ship.”
“Yes.”
“Hell of a risk.”
“Maybe.”
He could tell by the tightness around her eyes that she was worried, so he didn’t press it. She knew better than anyone just what Deacon was capable of. She was trusting Ember to lead him away without exposing herself to his Talent. And it had to be damn hard.
“She’s smart,” he said. “Fast. She’ll be fine.”
Teegan nodded. “I know.” But she flashed him a small, grateful smile, and he drank it in, savoring the moment.
Maybe Ember was right, and he just needed to be patient.
Teegan took a breath. “I think I need to disappear, too. If he sees me, who knows what he might do.” Before he could respond, she shimmered out of view. Hunters could often access their bond-mates Talents, and vice versa.
Which left him the odd man out. It was not a good feeling.
Move around the left side. Slowly. I’ll keep you updated. You should be outside his line of sight.
That didn’t make him feel particularly better.
He wove through the crowd, trying hard to look like he belonged while scanning constantly for a glimpse of Deacon. He didn’t expect to see him, since apparently Teegan had sent him in the opposite damn direction, but he hated knowing she was probably right in harm’s way. Invisibility was one thing, but Deacon had decent telepathy. If he sensed her mind, all bets were off.
He did spot Jack’s security. Rough looking men stationed at various points of the hub, keeping watch over the crowd. Jack assured him this was no more than normal station security. There was always one idiot who thought stealing from pirates was a good idea. It would look odd to pull them, so Jack was leaving them in place, ready and waiting, to protect the crowd if everything went to hell.
He felt the change before Teegan spoke in his mind again. An electric charge to the air that sent cold sweat skating down his spine and set his teeth on edge. He probably wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been so familiar with Deacon’s mind, but he’d spent years connected, keeping the dangerous man’s Talent locked
down while his team treated him. He zeroed in on Deacon’s thoughts the instant the man saw Ember.
…silver and red, a flash of fur…it can’t be. Here? After all these years? Who else would Cole get to track me down, if not her…
He’s seen Ember. Teegan’s update flashed through his thoughts.
I know, damn it. He knows you’re here.
That was the whole point.
I thought you said seeing you was a bad idea?
Until he actually sees me, all he has is a suspicion. Ember was careful. She only showed him the briefest glimpse of her flank. He won’t be sure what he saw.
Cole set his jaw grimly. He’s sure enough, he told her, already cutting through the crowd in the direction he knew Deacon would be.
How do you know?
Just trust me. I know.
Cole, don’t screw this up.
He didn’t dignify that with an answer.
He’s moving toward one of the exits.
Good. Teegan, do not follow him until I get there.
She didn’t answer him and he instantly knew she wasn’t listening. Damn it. For the first time, he regretted not letting her kill Deacon years ago. Or not killing him personally. He was not going to lose her now that she was finally speaking to him again.
Reluctant, but with no other choice, he connected lightly with Deacon’s thoughts again. Hoping long familiarity would allow his presence to go undetected.
…don’t see her. Damn it! No choice but to leave. Can’t risk getting caught now.
Relief flooded him as he realized Deacon didn’t have a fix on either Ember or Teegan. Not yet. Then he saw a blur of movement by one of the exits and knew it was Teegan going after him.
Don’t you do anything to screw this up!
I’m not letting him get away again.
Cole put on a burst of speed, determined to catch up with her. One of Jack’s security tried to get in his way, seeing a man of his size barreling through people to get to the exit. Jack, call off your dog.
The man hesitated, then backed off with a nod as Cole moved past him and shot down the corridor.
