"Drop your shields," a gruff voice demanded over the hailing channel.
Devyn scoffed, but didn't answer them.
"What are we going to do?" Alix asked, her mind completely blank. "Should I get Sway?"
"No," Devyn said, his gaze scanning readouts and gauges. "Sway won't be able to help." He stopped at one gauge and anger furrowed his brow. "They've got shieldings. Karistium marki!"
Confused, Alix clenched her hands into fists. "What are shieldings?" she asked. Never in her life had she heard of such a thing.
"It's a new weapon. It strips off prinibben shields and leaves a craft exposed to cosmic rays."
What little blood was left in her face drained down her body to her toes. No one could survive without prinibben shields.
"Drop your defense shields!"
A trickle of sweat ran down her cheek. "There wouldn't happen to be a wormhole around here?" Alix asked, grasping at the hope that there was a hyperspace opening through which they could escape.
Devyn shook his head.
"What are we going to do?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Devyn punched in data too fast for her to read. "I'm open to any and all ideas."
"Can we outrun them?"
"Where?" he asked incredulously. "Look out there. We've got an asteroid field in front and on starboard. They've got two ships: one on our stern, the other to port."
Her fear turned to anger. By God, she wasn't going to let some mysterious group of space rats gnaw on her bones, not when she flew in a ship as new as the Mariah. "Will the disrupters help?"
Devyn raked his hands through his hair, but his eyes lightened a degree. "It's risky. They might have a countering device that could turn it back on us."
Alix stared out into space.
There had to be some way to get out of this unscathed, and she was going to find it. After all, pirates were as infamous for their stupidity as they were for their cruelty, and she refused to be bested by idiots.
No sooner had her thought finished than the solution appeared like an heir at a funeral. "I have an idea."
Devyn lifted a brow. "What?"
"Have they scanned us?"
"No," he said slowly, his brows knitted. "I've got a blocking device."
Once more the hailing channel buzzed. "You have one minute to drop shields before we vaporize your ship!"
Alix smiled despite the threat, her heart rate finally beginning to slow. Her idea just might work. It had to work. Running to her chair, she began frantically typing in weapons specs.
"What are you doing?" Devyn asked.
"Reprogramming our specs," she said with a laugh. "This way, they'll think we carry full firepower."
She punched in the last code. "Okay, drop the first-level defense shields and your blocking."
His eyes firing with mischievous humor, he smiled. "Damn, woman, I think you're more of a gambler than I am."
"Do we have a choice?"
Devyn laughed. "No, but I think I know a way to up our ante."
Clearing his throat, he opened the hailing channel. "This is Captain Devyn Kell of the Bracken Class Five starship Mariah. We are on an imperial mission from Tryphonius Three to Drymon. Our cargo is Class A and we are directed to self-destruct before surrender."
Crackling static filled the channel.
Devyn dropped the first-level shields.
"Son of a—" The channel closed. Almost instantly, the warships turned around and fled the sector.
Devyn faced her with a frown, disbelief filling his eyes. "What exactly did you do?"
Thank God, it had worked!
Laughing in relief and triumph, Alix sent her faux specs to his console. "I just made the disrupters appear to be Class A nuclear reactors."
Devyn returned her laugh, scooped her up in his arms, and swung her around. "You are absolutely brilliant! We must be functioning on the same wavelength."
Sobering at the contact, Alix stared down at him, holding her breath, reveling in the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her hips.
The familiar throb began inside and she ached to taste the sweetness of his lips. She ran her hand through the soft strands of dark hair that had flopped into his eyes, brushing them back. His laughter died. His eyes turned to liquid night and burned with an intensity that stole her breath. Alix's heart pounded. Her resistance melted and left her vulnerable.
Why must she always feel this way around him? Why must he affect her so?
She watched his eyes darken and turn dreamy with his passion. She knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him and her entire body responded with a demanding need she couldn't deny.
He slid her down the length of his body, the rough material of his clothes rubbing against her thin robe, caressing her stomach, her breasts, until she nearly moaned from the unexpected pleasure.
Kiss me, Devyn, her mind begged, knowing she couldn't allow herself to utter the words aloud. Just as he dipped his head to hers, the control room door opened. The sound of the hydraulics sliced through her passion and nerves like sandpaper across fine china.
Devyn released her so quickly she nearly fell.
"What's going on up here?" Sway demanded, scanning them. "The safety shields had me locked in my room."
Zarina entered a step behind him. "Yeah, what hit us?" she asked, then yawned widely.
Devyn looked at Alix with a smile on his face that warmed her heart. "Thanks to Alix, we just missed a visit from the local pirating committee."
"What!" Sway roared. "There aren't supposed to be any pirates in this sector. The HAWC patrols this whole area. Who would be dumb enough to attack here?"
Devyn shook his head. "Beats me, but I saved the scan I did on their ships. We shouldn't have any trouble figuring out who they were."
Devyn and Sway moved to the control panel to run through the scan.
Her hands trembling, Alix pulled her robe tighter around her, still somewhat embarrassed at being almost caught in willful abandon with Devyn. But from the conniving look on Zarina's face, she knew her newfound friend wouldn't censure her behavior. No, Zarina would encourage it. Something that might prove even worse in the long run.
After a few seconds of silence, Devyn let out a curse.
He turned to face Alix with a stare that chilled her blood. "The smaller ship was called Prixie. I think you and I need to have a talk about your friend Irn."
Alix's sight dimmed. She grabbed onto the back of the chair beside her, fearful her quaking knees would send her to the floor. Dear God, had her dream been a premonition? Why was Irn after her now? Nothing about her should warrant his pursuit. And the money she owed him was negligible.
Surely he had better things to do than chase her across the universe. Granted she had ordered him about on her father's ship, but she'd never been rude or offensive. Why was he doing this to her?
Sway gave her a parting, sympathetic look that only added to her discomfort.
Zarina stepped forward and patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry about Irn. Devyn can handle him."
When the two of them were alone again, Devyn motioned for her to retake Sway's chair.
"All right," he said sternly, like a parent talking to a child. "Why is this guy after you?"
Frustration tore through her. She rubbed her hands down the armrests, her heart pounding. "I don't know. I wish I did. I've done nothing to him. Ever. I, uh, I—"
"Okay," Devyn said, interrupting her. He laid his hands over hers to keep her from clawing the upholstery. "Don't get so upset. There are a lot of weirdos out there. We'll just have to keep a closer guard in the future."
Alix nodded, her stomach burning. Once more, she felt as though the room were shrinking, as if she couldn't breathe. Why couldn't she just have her freedom? Was that so much to ask?
"Where are we stopping to meet your parents?"
Devyn frowned. "Phrixus. Why?"
She nodded, her heart tearing into small pieces at the mere thought of what she h
ad to do. "I'll get off there. This time of year there should be several ships looking for help."
"Alix—"
"Look," she said, placing her hand on his forearm to cut him off. She tried not to think about the muscles that corded underneath her fingertips and sent a chill up her arm. "I appreciate what you've done for me, but I can't put you and Sway in any more danger. What you do is risky enough without you keeping me on board knowing someone is out there trying to capture me and doesn't mind killing you in the process."
His stare bored into her. "What if I said I didn't want you to leave?"
Tears gathered in her eyes. Alix looked up at the ceiling overhead, forcing her emotions back into restraint. She had waited her entire life to hear someone say that and never in her most vivid dream had she ever hoped for it to come from a man like Devyn Kell. But it couldn't be. Her past would never allow her the fairy-tale ending she wanted.
Meeting his gaze, she sighed. "What's the point, Devyn? We both know I'm not the type of woman you want or need."
He cupped her face in the palm of his hands. Dark torment filled his eyes. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, his touch burning her, sending wave after wave of desire through her. "It's been so long since I've wanted anyone around me," he said, his voice a ragged whisper. "Then you appear one day out of nowhere, and now all I can think of is you."
His words tore through her, shattering every barrier she'd ever constructed. No! She couldn't let this happen. She lived in the world of reality, not the make-believe, perfect sunshine of childhood fantasies.
"You don't need me," she insisted.
A sad smile curved his lips, tugging even more forcibly at her heart.
"That's what I keep trying to tell myself," he said. "But as soon as I see you, I forget every reason my mind comes up with that tells me why I can't have you."
She covered his hands with hers and forced herself not to give in to the pleading in his eyes, the warmth of his touch. "There's so much about me that you don't know. That you don't want to know."
He shook his head. "No. I want to know everything about you."
Alix clenched her jaw, making herself not cry. She pulled away from him, hoping a little distance would rectify the damage already done to her defenses, knowing nothing would ever repair the damage done to her heart. "I can't stay," she whispered, and left the room.
Devyn watched her leave, his heart splintering. Like her, he knew all the reasons why the two of them should go their separate ways, yet inside he knew he couldn't stand letting her go. The door opened. He spun around, hoping it was Alix returning.
Instead, Sway came forward and took his chair. "Did you find out anything?"
Devyn shook his head and forced himself not to think about his feelings. He still had a little while left to try to convince Alix to stay. "Irn was her father's navigator, but she has no idea why he's after her."
"And you believe her?"
"I guess so," Devyn said. "Why would she lie?"
Sway shook his head and sighed. He glanced out the window. "Are they following us?"
Devyn lifted a surprised brow. He hadn't dared tell Alix about the tiny blips on their scanner that signified the pirates. "How'd you know?"
Sway smiled. "If they've gone to this much trouble, it would only seem natural they'd continue after her." He pulled up the blips and made a few calculations. "So what's she planning to do?"
Devyn sighed, his stomach churning. "Get off at the next stop."
"Are you going to let her do that?"
Devyn stared at him, wondering how Sway knew about his feelings for their engineer.
"C'mon, Dev. I'd have to be blind not to notice the way you look at her like you're a starving man and she's a nine-course meal." He looked back at the scanner. "About time, too, I might add."
"What do you mean?"
Sway looked back at him and took a deep breath. "I know we've always had an unspoken understanding not to meddle in each other's personal stuff, but I owe you one meddling. And right now, I'd like to know when you're going to let go of the past and start living again."
Devyn stiffened. "I am living."
"Vriska. You're still trying to prove to the universe that you've earned the right to live. Your whole life you have felt guilty for having so much. I know you too well, Dev, so don't try to deny it."
Anger clouded Devyn's sight. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, I do."
Devyn glared at him.
"All right," Sway said, throwing his arms wide. "If I'm wrong, then tell me why you're so maniacal about running these missions? Why have we been risking our asses for the last three years?"
Devyn clenched his jaw as a wave of pain and raw fury tore through him, almost driving him to attack his best friend. "You know why."
"Oh, yeah," he said, then sneered. "Onone."
Devyn's anger intensified and all the emotions he'd done his best to bury came to the surface. It seemed no time had passed since Onone had pulled her gun out and shot him straight in the chest. Too bad her aim had been off. A little higher and she would have ended his uselessness.
"Look," Sway said, his voice soothing. "I know she put you through hell, but you've got to get over it. You killed her. You had no choice, you know that. So why can't you forgive yourself and go on?"
The knot in Devyn's throat closed and all the fury died, leaving him numb, empty. "That's easy for you to say. You're not the one who blew a hole in her head."
"She shot you first and she'd have killed you if you hadn't pulled the trigger."
Maybe she should have killed him.
Sway snarled. "Dammit, Devyn, give me a break. Give yourself one."
Devyn sat there in silence, not willing to discuss this any further. He locked his jaw, and by the darkening scowl on Sway's face, he knew his friend realized he had retreated into himself.
"Fine," Sway said, pushing himself out of his chair. "Sit there and sulk. I just hope you realize all the supplies you run aren't going to bring back any of the lives you took when you were in the HAWC."
Sway towered over him, his entire body shaking from fury. "What do you intend to do, Kell? Run supplies until the day you drop from old age? You used to want more than that."
Devyn listened to Sway make his way out of the room, his stare focused out the window on the darkness that used to soothe him like a mother's touch. It had been so long since he felt at peace, so long since he could sleep at night and not be tortured by screams and pleas.
But as much as he hated to admit it, Sway was right. He did remember a time when he had wanted more out of life than temporary relief missions. A time when he had thought he could do anything.
Idealism of youth. Funny how life stripped it from everyone. He clenched his fists, his stomach twisting.
All he had ever really wanted was to be worthy of the life his parents had given him. His father and mother had grown up impoverished orphans. By their intelligence and diligence, they had pulled themselves out of the filthy streets and built a life together.
He, on the other hand, had been born with only the best life had to offer. The best schools, the best house, the best toys. He shouldn't feel guilty, but he couldn't help it.
Devyn tensed as a wave of pain tore through him. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to banish the old, torn picture of his father at age six. He'd been snooping in his mother's picture box looking for a picture of himself to send in with his HAWC application. And there it had been on the very bottom. A frail, malnourished child with haunted eyes that bore the pain of an aged man.
Even now he had a hard time assimilating that child's picture into his image of his father, an intimidating man who refused to bow down before anyone or anything.
From the moment he'd realized who the child was, he'd decided never to forget how fortunate he'd been. He must never forget.
And he was certain Alix had grown up the same way as his parents—alone, abused. No one had ever watched after her.
Her mother hadn't been there to cradle her against her breast and rock her to sleep when she had a cold or was scared by nighttime shadows.
Her father hadn't tossed her up in his arms, stroked her hair from her face, and told her that he'd kill anyone who ever threatened her. So many nights he'd lain awake trying to imagine what it must have been like for his parents, and now those thoughts centered on his engineer.
His gut tightened. Alix didn't deserve her past any more than his parents deserved theirs. If he could change it, he'd gladly do so. Tomorrow she would leave him and venture into God only knew what dangers. He clutched his fists together, his mind shouting a denial. Could he change her mind? Maybe if he swore to leave her alone, she'd stay.
The League 3: Paradise City Page 9
