by Anna Hackett
Aurina wrapped her arms around herself. “My e-beacon…it sends an emergency message to my brothers.” She demonstrated, with her hands. “It’s a metal ball, about this big.”
Kavon’s muscles tensed. Hearing her talk of leaving, before she’d shared what she’d learned or helped him with the sword…he hardened himself. He had the beacon, but he wasn’t ready to share that with his skyflyer, yet.
She sighed. “It either didn’t survive, or Drog has it. I can’t contact my brothers. Even if they find this planet…there’s no crash site left to detect.”
Kavon did not like to see her like this. He touched her shoulder.
“I need to find that beacon.”
“You help me find the sword, and I’ll help you find it.”
“I’m alone,” she whispered. “I hate being alone.”
“You said you are a scout. You must have been alone frequently.”
“But I have a family to go back to. And before I knew my brothers, I had my mother, until she died.”
Before she knew her brothers? There was a story there, but for now, Kavon pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. She was so small and lush, and while he would never call a woman with such fiery spirit fragile, right now she seemed made of glass.
“You are mine now, Aurina. You have my protection.” He pressed his chin to her sunset hair. “You are not alone.”
She stood, straight and stiff in his arms, then she made a small sound and spun. She pressed her face against his chest and held on.
They stayed there for a while, until he felt her relax against him.
“Come.” He gently pulled her back, but kept ahold of her. He liked holding her, but right now, she needed a distraction. Something to take her mind off her situation. “I have jobs to attend to. You will come with me.”
Her face twisted. “Ask, barbarian. Don’t order.”
“You will come…please?”
She shook her head, but the tiniest smile peeked through her sadness. “Close enough.”
He started toward Tarm. There was no warning.
Something slammed into Kavon’s back, taking him to the ground.
He heard Aurina shout, and Kavon twisted to see the open jaws of a wild darken cat. It was almost as big as Kavon himself, with a powerful, sleek body covered in black fur.
They were wily predators who liked to chew on Markarian bones.
“Run, Aurina!” He didn’t waste time looking. As his nanami flooded him with strength, he gripped the cat before it tried to tear his throat out. It hissed and made a loud coughing noise. Kavon shoved it and they rolled.
Kavon ignored the rough rocks biting into his skin. He fought to get on top of the cat. He felt the brush of claws at his belly and he moved to avoid a slash.
“Get off him.” Suddenly a rock slammed down on the cat’s head.
It yowled and spun.
A dark haze crossed Kavon’s vision. Aurina stood above them, clutching a large rock. By the Warrior’s fist.
Kavon surged upward. The cat spun back to him, hissing wildly and snapping its powerful jaws. He tossed the cat and it landed on its feet, spinning back to face them.
“Go, Aurina.”
She wasn’t even looking at him. “No.”
Kavon growled, but as the darken cat leaped at them, all he focused on was keeping it off Aurina. He caught the cat, felt the sting of claws on his shoulders, and they spun in an unwieldy dance. Kavon gritted his teeth, fighting the strength of the beast.
He felt a hand at his thigh. What the hell?
Then Aurina shoved his dagger deep into the cat’s belly.
The cat yowled again and released Kavon. It fell on its side on the ground, bleeding, then it turned and raced away.
Kavon rounded on Aurina. He sucked in air, trying to find some semblance of control. “I told you to run.”
She held his dagger out. Her hands were coated in blood. “You’re welcome. Glad I could help.”
Kavon snatched the dagger and then strode toward Tarm. With each step, he tried to calm his raging nanami. He rummaged around in the bags and grabbed a water skin and a cloth to clean the dagger. After cleaning the blade, he shoved the dagger into its sheath and turned back to Aurina.
He splashed water on her hands and started wiping.
“I helped you,” she said quietly. “Why are you angry?”
He looked up, and in her green eyes saw that she truly didn’t understand. “It is my job to protect you. To ensure your smooth skin never gets close to a darken cat’s claws. I should never have brought you out here.”
She snatched the cloth from his hands. “I can wipe my own damn hands, barbarian.” She rubbed her hands vigorously. “And I can protect my own smooth skin.”
Now that his nanami and his temper were calming, the image of her attacking the cat replayed in his head. Calm. Courageous. Competent. The qualities of a good warrior.
She tossed the cloth at him, and it bounced off his chest.
He cleared his throat and wiped his own hands clean. “Thank you.” He winced internally. His words were gruff and didn’t sound very grateful, but it was all he could manage. “For your help.”
Aurina stared at him for a long moment and shook her head. “You are terrible at saying thank you.”
“Something else I need to practice?”
He saw her fight off a smile. “Absolutely.” Then she blinked. “Your wounds.”
He touched a hand to his shoulder. The scratches were already healing. “My nanami.”
“That’s pretty handy.”
“Let’s go before another darken beast decides to feast on us.”
“Great idea.”
As they walked back to Tarm, Kavon decided he enjoyed watching all the emotions cross his skyflyer’s face—amusement, anger, interest. But he hadn’t liked the sadness he’d seen in them before, the sadness he still sensed in her.
But then he noted the scar in the ground from her crashed ship and thought of Drog. Old resentment flared.
Aurina was under Kavon’s protection. That was all. He helped her mount the hargon beast. Drog may have technology from her ship now, technology he could use against Kavon.
Kavon needed to remember his plan for revenge. He needed all of the knowledge Aurina possessed, nothing else.
Chapter Five
Aurina had finally adjusted to the gait of the hargon beast, but she couldn’t adjust to the desolate feeling beating inside her. Fears and doubts crowded in her head. She was lost out here, in the middle of uncharted space.
Alone.
Except she wasn’t.
Kavon was a big, warm presence behind her. She stared at his strong arms as they held the reins in front of her. His thick wrists were banded by gold topped with a gray fur. He was a stranger—a big, dangerous one—but he seemed to soothe part of her, and kept her from dropping into full-blown panic.
Ahead, she saw the green, rolling farmland appear, along with neat, gray stone walls, cordoning off different fields. Some were lush with grown crops of green and brown. Others looked newly plowed. Everywhere, people worked—both men and women. No one looked browbeaten or downtrodden.
As they got closer, she could even hear some people singing. She breathed deep. The air was so fresh.
“This is all your land?”
“Yes,” Kavon answered.
“What do you grow?”
“A variety of things. Mostly foodstuffs, and some crops for making fabrics. I have a woman who is head of the farming.”
One thing Aurina couldn’t picture was Kavon standing in a field holding a hoe. A farmer, he was not. “A woman is in charge?”
“Yes. Men are warriors. Women are keepers of skills and knowledge.”
Surprise flickered through her. She’d made the assumption Markaria was male-dominated in all ways. “So, you don’t keep women barefoot and pregnant.”
His brow creased in confusion. “Why would I prevent a woman from wear
ing shoes?”
“Never mind—”
“Everyone, man or woman, is expected to contribute to the clan. Yes, women work. And in return, everyone receives what they need to survive.”
“So, these people…they are all claimed by you?” The thought of these people being slaves didn’t sit well with her.
“No. Many have been with Clan Mal Dor since my father’s time. The rest have petitioned me for protection. Everyone must belong to a clan, or you will be claimed or have to fight to prove your strength. You are the first person I have claimed…in a long time. I already have many people in my clan.” He fingered her hair. “I usually do not try to add more.”
“So, your father gave you the land?”
“No.”
The word was harsh, unyielding. “I didn’t mean to pry. I’m sorry—”
“He was murdered.”
Silence fell. She felt Kavon’s big body, stiff and tense behind her. Aurina swiveled her head and looked up. His face was blank and as rugged as always, but she sensed the deep pain beneath his warrior mask.
“I’m so sorry, Kavon.”
“Drog was the man responsible. One day, I will have my revenge.”
Aurina felt her chest go tight. Drog was sounding like an all-round bastard. “He killed your father.”
“Yes. And because of him, we lost our livelihood. No one wanted to deal with the family of a dishonored warrior. My mother secluded herself in shame. Then my sweet sister, Shawna…”
Aurina’s breath caught.
Kavon looked like his face was carved from stone. “Shawna sickened and I wasn’t able to secure medicine for her. It was not long after Shawna’s death that my mother died in her sleep.”
God. “How horrible.” She pressed a hand to his arm. “I lost my mother. She was all I had.”
A muscle ticked in Kavon’s jaw. “I am sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks. I was an adult, but it still hurt. She raised me, always put me first.”
“An admirable trait. It doesn’t matter how old a child is, the loss of a parent still...” His voice trailed off as his gaze shifted to the horizon. “Drog will pay. I have dreamt of killing him for many, many years…but I have a plan for a much more satisfying revenge.”
His dark tone made Aurina shiver. “What do you mean?”
“I have been working for years to complete my plan. Become the best warrior I can, gain favor with our king, build Clan Mal Dor to be bigger, more profitable, stronger than Clan Mal Sull. I will make Mal Dor the king’s favorite clan and bring all of Drog’s unsavory practices to light. He is a shame to the warrior code.”
She’d heard the old Earth saying that revenge was a dish best served cold. It sounded like Kavon’s was icy. She couldn’t begin to comprehend the control and discipline required.
“And finding this sword, Durendal, that’s a part of your plan?”
Kavon nodded, his gaze staring ahead. “It would be a great honor, and secure the king’s favor for eternity.”
Okay, then. No pressure.
Kavon brought the hargon beast to a stop on the rise of a hill. To one side, beyond the farmland, she saw the sprawling mass of gray rock that was his estate. To the other side, they had a perfect view of the Darken Wilds and its vicious peaks.
“You can get a good view of my mine entrances from here.” He pointed.
She sat forward eagerly. Damn, he must have good eyesight. She could barely make out the entrances high on the mountainside.
Scanning the hill, she saw the fascinating bands of rock that made up the mountain in shades of gray and deep red.
“The red rock must be the one holding your metal ore. What about the gems? What type of rock hosts them?”
Kavon raised a brow. “No woman has ever asked me about rock before.”
She felt heat in her cheeks. “I like geology…I told you, I collect gems. I often find interesting things when I’m scouting.”
He stared down at her. “I will introduce you to the head of my mines.”
“Thank you. I’d like to meet him.”
“Her.”
She smiled. “Her.”
“And you will share any knowledge that might be useful.”
It wasn’t a question. Aurina felt a sting under her ribs. Kavon was a driven man, and she got the impression he’d use whatever he had at his disposal to further his clan and beat Drog…including her.
He told her a bit more about his land and his clan. She heard the deep pride buried in his words. There was one thing Aurina didn’t doubt—Kavon was dedicated to protecting and providing for his people.
They continued on, and Kavon stopped to speak with some of his workers in the fields. Very quickly, he sorted out some sort of problem at the mills. Soon, he turned the beast back toward the estate. Aurina noted with some surprise that the sun was setting already.
Time had flown while they toured Kavon’s lands, and she suspected the day was a little shorter here. Kavon pulled Tarm to a stop outside his house. He slid off the beast in a practiced move and before she could dismount, he gripped her waist and lifted her down.
They stood there, close together.
“Thank you for showing me your land,” she said. “And distracting me.”
He just looked at her and didn’t say anything.
She shot him a wry smile. “I knew you were taking my mind off things.”
His golden eyes flashed. “I am a warlord. I don’t have time to coddle anyone. Come. The evening meal will be ready.”
He led her into the house, calling out hellos to people. Aurina endured the speculative and curious looks. She got it. She’d seen the people today. Everyone was tall and lean, with dark hair, and everyone had that gorgeous, dark-bronze tint to their skin. She looked completely different.
She heard the hubbub of conversation, punctuated by booming laughter. Kavon strode into a great hall, with a high, soaring roof and long tables lined up in rows. He led her to a smaller, carved table that sat, elevated above the rest, at the front of the hall.
Conversation quieted, many heads turning in their direction.
Kavon waved his free hand at his people. “Eat.”
The conversation ratcheted up a notch and most people went back to their meals.
“Sit.” He waved at the leather chair beside his.
Aurina crossed her arms. “Barbarian.”
He sank into his chair and eyed her. Then he sighed. “Sit, please.”
She smiled and sat. Instantly, two women and a man appeared, setting plates and cups down before them.
Aurina stared at her plate in horror. It was a meat of some description…and it looked awfully raw. “Ah, Kavon, what is this?”
“Fagar meat. A delicacy.” He forked some of his own into his mouth.
Aurina picked up her fork, made of a lustrous silver metal that reflected with a rainbow sheen. She made a mental note to ask Kavon about it later. It would be excellent to trade. Right now, she was preoccupied with the meat. She lifted it. It flopped a little, and wasn’t cooked at all. “Why isn’t it cooked?”
“It tastes better raw.”
Her stomach turned over. She liked meat perfectly fine…when it was cooked. She lived on a ship most of the time and either ate well-cooked food, food printer offerings, or cloned rations when she had to. She did not eat raw meat of unknown origins.
Kavon shoved another plate closer. This was filled with a pile of something that looked like rice and topped with delicious-smelling vegetables. She suddenly realized she was starving, and stabbed at the vegetables. After one tentative bite, amazing flavors exploded in her mouth, and she groaned. She scooped up some more.
Kavon, in the process of pulling her plate of uncooked meat closer to him stilled, watching her lips as she ate. “Woman, you make a noise like that again and I’ll have you finish the rest of your meal in my lap.”
Desire flared to life and made her breath catch. “I wouldn’t let you.”
He lea
ned closer. “No one allows a warlord anything. I do as I see fit. I am a fair and protective leader, Aurina, but I am also a warrior, and I have my limits.” His voice lowered. “I am being understanding with you, as a stranger who is unaware of our customs. But do not push me too far.”
“Or what?” she asked. Oh, Aurina, just keep your mouth shut, girl.
He moved closer still. He picked up something else, this time a piece of juicy fruit a color between orange and strawberry red. He rubbed it across her lips and she licked it, tasting the sweet flavor.
“Or, I will take you back to my rooms, strip you naked, and rub the mata fruit all over your sweet skin. Then I will take my time licking it off. But it will be for my pleasure, not yours. I would see you writhe with need as punishment for your disobedience.”
When Aurina could speak, she leaned closer, running her finger over her lips. “Barbarian, I obey no one. I am my own woman, and your customs do not change that. I will respect the fact that you are the leader here, and I will try not to do something in public that causes you grief. But behind closed doors, I do as I please. I will not writhe for you unless I damn well want to. And you will not touch me unless I want you to. You’ve already banished a man for that, so don’t tell me you’d do the same thing.”
“There is one large difference.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“You want me to touch you.”
She pulled back, hissing out a breath. “You are so arrogant.”
“I see the desire in your eyes when you look at me. I feel it pulse between us, I’ve felt it growing all day. I want to see your sunset hair spread on my sheets. And I will suck the mata juice from your skin soon…from the delicate skin between your legs.”
Aurina felt a shot of heat arrow down to the juncture of her thighs. She turned her attention back to her dinner and tried to soothe her jumping belly. “Just eat, barbarian.”
“No witty remarks now?”
She barely resisted stabbing him with her fork, or kicking him under the table. Instead, she resumed eating and turned her attention to the hall.
People were still watching them. Or rather, watching her. She figured she’d be old news after a day or two.
