by Anna Hackett
She hoped. Doubts tried to creep in. What if the radiation and meteor storm messed up her ship’s signature? What if the e-beacon was damaged in the crash? What if they read her data wrong and didn’t find this planet…what if, what if, what if.
She pinched the bridge of her nose and forced herself to relax. Focus on the now, Aurina. She crept to the edge of the enormous bed. Holy stars, she’d never seen a bed so big. It was the size of a small moon—big enough for an entire VelocityBall team and their competitors—and was covered in more of that furry blanket. Her gaze narrowed. If she wasn’t mistaken it was made from the hide of some sort of animal. Her nose wrinkled. Ugh, she didn’t care that it felt soft under her fingers…it had come from an animal.
Her feet touched the stone floor. She expected it to be cool under her feet, but it wasn’t, it felt warm.
And then she realized she was naked.
Who had taken her flight suit off? She scanned her body and everything appeared as it should. A few bruises from the crash. A bandage of some sort stuck to the skin on her side. She probed it. Sore, but nothing drastic.
But someone had removed her clothes, seen her naked.
Oh, God, and she was clean. Someone had bathed her.
Feeling exposed, she pulled the huge sheet off the bed. It took a lot of tugging, but finally she freed it and wrapped it around her. A lot of it still trailed behind her as she circled the large room.
On a chair, she spotted her flight suit tossed carelessly over the back. She hurried over and searched the pockets. She pulled out her Perman star crystal and ran the rock between her fingers. Instantly, her racing pulse slowed. She checked the other pocket and when she pulled out her laser stunner, she sighed with relief. The small, pebble-shaped device fit perfectly in her palm. It was a scout model, made to look small and innocuous, nothing like a weapon. Made of a dark, polished metal, it looked more like the polished stones she loved than a device capable of taking down a grown man, alien, or beast.
She scanned the room and then tucked the crystal and the stunner under the plump cushion of the chair. Then she walked toward the window. She pushed the curtains aside, and realized it wasn’t a window, but the doorway to a small balcony. She blinked against the bright sun.
She was on the second story of what looked to be a huge, sprawling stone building. It wasn’t quite a castle, but it was damned close. Still, it had a prettier, cozier feel than she’d guessed a stone house would have. Just beyond the walls of the house, she could make out people working in lush farm fields. In the distance, she saw the sharp, pointed peaks of a forbidding mountain range. That way, the land didn’t look green and giving. It looked rocky and barren, but still striking.
Okay, well, she’d crash-landed on a planet that had people, at least. Maybe they weren’t some high-tech, advanced race, but they had decent shelter and food.
Her gaze fell to the boxes of flowers lining the balcony railings. The bright reds, blues and yellows made her smile. Stars, she wished her plants on the Nomad looked half as healthy as these.
Ignoring the lure of the flowers, she focused her thoughts. All she had to do was find her e-beacon. She needed to get back to her ship. That was the surefire way to ensure her brothers could find her. Maybe something else on her ship could be salvaged, too. She’d be her charming best and convince her rescuers to help her.
She heard the door open, and spun.
As she watched, a man entered the room. Her heart did a hard kick against her ribs, and her eyes widened.
Okay, not just a man, an enormous mountain of a barbarian. He had hard muscle on top of hard muscle. He was over six-and-a-half feet tall, maybe six-foot-eight. He wore dark, slick trousers that molded to strong legs. His chest was bare, except for a leather harness and bands of what looked like beaten gold at his wrists—and those were decorated with some sort of fur—and more swirling gold around his massive, rock-hard biceps.
That. Bare. Chest. She tried to drag her gaze off it. He was all sculpted muscle right down to the hard ridges of his flat stomach. She’d bet all her gems that he hadn’t paid an e-cred to have any of these muscles sculpted for him in a salon. His skin was fascinating, too. It was a dark bronze with a metallic undertone that shimmered when the light hit it. He literally looked like he was made of bronze metal.
“You are awake.”
The deep voice had her looking up into amber-brown eyes. He had a rugged face that was a little too hard to be called handsome. His black hair fell in a rain down to his broad shoulders.
She didn’t need her scout experience to see he was a warrior to the bone.
Her heart started to pound. She hitched the sheet higher.
“Calm yourself.” He closed the distance between them.
Aurina forced herself not to take any steps backward. “Who are you?”
“You are safe now.”
He was speaking English. The pronunciation was a little unique, but it was definitely English. How the hell did the people of some distant barbarian world in uncharted space speak English?
“Where are we?”
“My home.”
Okay. “And you are…?”
“I am Kavon Mal Dor.”
A bit of a mouthful, but it suited the size of him. “I’m Aurina Phoenix.”
“Aurina.” He drawled her name, like he was tasting each syllable. Then he fell silent for a second. “You are a skyflyer.”
He didn’t sound happy about it. “Yes, I guess I am.”
“Your…vehicle crashed.”
“I noticed.” She didn’t mean her tone to be so tart. She shifted and pain shot through her side. Air hissed through her teeth. It hurt a lot.
He reached out and gripped her arm. “Your injuries are still causing you pain.”
“Yes, Mr. Perceptive.” Aurina bit her tongue, trying to breathe through the stabbing pain. Shit, she was supposed to be charming.
“I will call my chief healer to check you again.”
Healer? Great. When she needed a doctor, she got some barbarian healer. Unable to do anything else, Aurina sagged against the warrior and prayed she wasn’t going to be chanted over, or covered in slimy animals that sucked her blood. Clearly, his world wasn’t as advanced as she’d hoped.
She really was on her own.
“I need to get back to my ship.”
He frowned and urged her back toward the bed. “Your…ship…is in pieces.”
Aurina’s stomach clenched. In pieces? She let him help her back onto the bed. God, if the emergency beacon was damaged, her brothers might never find her.
She’d be stuck here forever.
Chapter Four
Aurina thrust down her rising panic. E-beacons were made from the toughest materials, designed to withstand the worst of crashes. “I need to contact my family. They’ll be searching for me.”
Kavon urged her back against the mountain of cushions, and then crouched beside the bed. Aurina shifted on the sheets. All that bare chest was a little too close.
“There is nothing left,” he said.
Her stomach did a slow turn. “Nothing?”
“And I forbid you to go out there. You are injured, and the Wilds are a dangerous place.”
Aurina stiffened. “Forbid?” She shot to her feet, heedless of the pain. “No one forbids me, barbarian. I’m in charge of me.”
He cocked his head, his intense amber gaze tracing her face. “I claimed you. You are mine now, subject to my protection and my orders.”
No. No, no, no. She’d seen her mother forced to follow the orders of others—her boss, the landlord, the thugs on their street who demanded “security” payments. Aurina hadn’t forged a life for herself just to land in the lap of a chest-beating barbarian. She drew in a deep breath, then opened her mouth to educate him.
There was a rap at the door.
“Enter,” Kavon called out.
Aurina watched two young women enter, followed by the oldest woman she’d ever seen before. The yo
unger two were tall and lean, with dark hair and the same metallic sheen to their skin. They wore leather, corset-style tops with flowing skirts that fell to mid-calf. Apart from some openly curious looks at Aurina, the women didn’t speak, just set plates of food on low tables near the bed, and then backed away.
The old woman had white hair that flowed past her shoulders, and wore a robe-like dress. She stopped by the bed.
“I see you’re up and about.” The woman smiled, teeth flashing in the dark wrinkles of her face.
“She still has pain, Chaldora,” Kavon said. “Ease it.”
The woman made a rude noise. “I delivered you from your mother’s womb, boy, so I’m not bound to obey you.”
Aurina watched resignation flash on Kavon’s face, before he hid it behind a hard look. “No one appears to be listening to me this morning,” he said sourly.
The old woman’s lips lifted. “A woman who doesn’t bow and scrape and beg to be in your bed? Say it isn’t so.” Chaldora waved to the bed. “Please sit, young lady.”
Aurina waited a beat, then sat. “Finally, someone with manners who doesn’t toss orders around.”
Chaldora laughed. “If you are expecting polite requests from this one—” she jerked a thumb at Kavon “—you will be waiting an eternity. He is a battle-hardened warrior and warlord to boot. He only knows orders.”
Kavon made a harrumphing sound and crossed his massive arms over his chest.
The healer sat beside her. “You have an injury on your side. I tended it last night…may I check it?”
Aurina touched under the sheet, and felt the bandage adhered to her skin. With a nod, she nudged the sheet aside.
The woman set a battered leather satchel on the bed, opened it and rummaged around inside.
Aurina shot a quick glance at Kavon, and saw him staring at the skin she’d bared. She decided to ignore him. Or try to. The man was so big and imposing, his life force just seemed to pulse through the room.
The healer leaned over, her warm, dry hand gently pulling Aurina’s bandage away. “They call me Chaldora.”
“Hi. I’m Aurina.”
Chaldora studied her wound and made a clucking noise. “My healers didn’t use enough salve. They are too used to letting the nanami do most of the work.” She pulled a jar from her bag and started to spread the paste over Aurina’s cut.
“Nanami?” Aurina was pleased to see that despite the unappealing smell of the salve, the pain eased instantly.
“Nanami are organisms that live in the bodies of all Markarians. They heal us, give us increased strength, speed and senses. They help us survive.”
Cool. “You live in symbiosis with these organisms.”
Chaldora smiled. “Exactly.”
“What do they look like? Are you born with them? Can you control—?”
Nearby, Kavon started pacing. “You have many questions, skyflyer. Nanami are too small to see.”
“You’re a skyflyer,” Chaldora said.
“I am.”
“Not a good one.”
A laugh broke out of Aurina. “I’m a really good one. I just ran into some…problems. Including the meteors currently bombarding your planet.”
“Meteors?” Chaldora’s brow creased.
Kavon stirred from where he was pacing. “The warrior’s omen.”
“Ah, the rain of stars.” The old healer nodded and pressed a clean bandage to Aurina’s side. “There, Aurina Skyflyer, your wound shouldn’t give you any more pain today. I’ll leave some salve so you can reapply it this evening.” She glanced at Kavon.
The warrior nodded. “I’ll see that she does it.”
Aurina’s jaw tightened. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” She bit her lip. Be nice. You want to see your ship. She managed a smile.
Kavon raised a dark brow, so she figured her attempt at sincerity failed.
Chaldora packed her things back into her bag. “You know, Kavon, legend says the First Warriors arrived in our land under a rain of stars.”
Aurina blinked. What were they talking about? She saw Kavon’s gaze turn even more turbulent.
“I know you search for the legendary warrior’s sword, Durendal. It just seems a great coincidence that Aurina arrives with the same omens as our ancestors.” The old woman smiled at Aurina. “Keep that wound dry and tended, little sunset.”
She blinked at the nickname but nodded. “Thank you, Chaldora.”
The door closed after the healer, and a charged silence filled the large room.
“Eat.” He motioned to the food.
Aurina realized she was starving. She picked at the food on the platters, pleased to see most of it was fresh fruits and some sort of nuts. She popped some orange fruit in her mouth. Tart citrus flavor exploded across her tongue. Yum. She kept nibbling, the silence throbbing in the room like a sore tooth.
“What’s Durendal?” Aurina asked to break the silence.
Kavon paced to the window, pushing the curtain aside. “A sword. A great sword of our ancestors. The First Warriors came here from the north, many, many years ago. They birthed the Markarians, gave us our warrior code, and taught us the Way of the Great Warrior. It is also said they brought a legendary sword, forged by a master smith in their homeland.”
“Their homeland?”
Kavon let the curtain drop. “The land of the Great Warrior.”
Her curiosity was buzzing, but as interesting as the history of these barbarians was, she had other things to worry about. She cleared her throat. “Look, I really need to see my ship. It’s important.”
She felt him go tense, a dark mood throbbing off him.
She hurried on. “How about a trade? You take me to the crash site—”
“A trade.” Something lit in his eyes. His gaze slid over her.
The sheet had slipped off one of her shoulders and she hitched it up again. “Yes, a trade, barbarian, but I don’t trade my body. Ever.”
He raised a brow. “And I don’t need to pay for a woman…ever.”
That she believed. She stood and walked toward him, refusing to let him think she was afraid. “I have something better to trade.”
His lips quirked, and she got the impression that was as close as this man got to a smile.
“Really?” he said. “And what is that, skyflyer?”
“My brain.”
This time he frowned.
“I work with my brothers, they help…travelers to reach distant destinations.”
Kavon nodded. “Like a caravan. We have them here for travelers heading off to far-off lands.”
“Exactly. We help keep the travelers secure—”
“Your brothers provide protection.”
“Yes. And my job is to go ahead, to identify any problems or dangers, search for suitable planets where we can stop.”
“You’re a scout.”
She smiled. “I am.”
“Our caravans have scouts.” Something moved in his eyes. “Not many women are scouts.”
She wrinkled her nose. “This is my surprised face.”
When he stared at her, clearly not getting her joke, she waved a hand. “Anyway, I’m good at finding things. I can help you find this sword.”
His amber gaze sharpened now. “I have my best warriors and scholars searching for Durendal. What makes you think you could be successful?”
“Like I said, I’m good at these sort of things. And besides, maybe you need a fresh set of eyes. And if any of my things survived the crash—”
“Some things did. I have them here.”
Her heart leaped into her throat. “Could I see—?”
“No. It is my job to protect my people. I cannot let you have your technology.”
Her shoulders slumped.
His hard face turned thoughtful. “You would help me find the sword, and in return, I take you to your ship?”
“That’s the deal.”
“Then I also want you to share any knowledge you have that wo
uld help my people…with healing, farming or mining.”
Her pulse spiked. “You have mines?”
“Many.”
“Okay, then, barbarian, I’ll help any way I can.”
He crossed his arms, studying her. “No woman has ever tried to bribe me with her brain before.”
She rolled her eyes. “This is my surprised face again.”
“I know you are making a joke.”
She held back a smile. “So? Do we have a deal?”
He stood, towering over her. All that smooth, bronze skin inches from her nose.
“I am in a good mood this morning, skyflyer. We have a deal.”
“Yes!” Aurina punched a fist into the air.
Large, firm hands gripped her arms. “We have a tradition here…to formally conclude a deal.”
As he reeled her closer, Aurina felt the warmth pouring off him. No wonder he didn’t need a shirt. The guy ran hotter than the Ariel’s engines. “Oh?”
“There are a few ways to signal that we both agree. A warrior’s shake, an elder’s clasp, or…a kiss.”
Her chest bumped into his, their bare skin separated by the thinnest sheet. He pulled her off her feet so she dangled a few inches off the ground and their faces were close. Her heart began to pound. “So, how about a warrior’s shake?”
“You are not a warrior.”
She wrinkled her nose. “A clasp, then?”
“Traditionally, that is only for our elders. You are not my elder.”
Hmm… “I don’t kiss strange men, barbarian. Especially not strange, alien, barbarian men.”
“Then we have no deal.”
Aurina’s mouth dropped open. “That’s unreasonable!”
“A kiss. It only has to be quick—” his voice lowered “—if that is what you prefer.”
With her heart racing and her skin flushed hot by his presence, she wasn’t sure what she wanted. But she’d just crash-landed on a strange planet, and she suspected that however delicious this man, if she gave him an inch, he’d take a stellar mile. He had “used to giving orders” stamped all over his broad physique.
“Fine.” She leaned up and pressed a quick, close-mouthed kiss to his firm lips.
