Cade focused on Aurora. Admiral Schreiber might have his hide for what he was about to tell her, but the time for subterfuge was over. “Like your crew, mine is not an official part of the Galactic Fleet. We operate as independents on specific missions coordinated with the Galactic Council.”
She cocked her head, digesting that bit of information. “So you report to the Council?”
“Not exactly. We’re under the stewardship of one particular member.”
“Which one?”
“Admiral Schreiber.”
Frown lines appeared above the bridge of her nose. “He’s the one who sent your team here?” She didn’t sound as surprised as he’d expected.
“Yes.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Did you receive your orders before or after my ship was commissioned for this investigation?”
“Before.”
“So you would have been here regardless?”
He nodded. But she didn’t look convinced.
She rested her head against the pillows that lined the back of the sofa. “What exactly are your orders?”
“Originally, it was my understanding that my team was being sent to Gaia for the same reason as yours—to investigate the cause of the destruction. If it turned out to be biological in nature, we would continue in our guise as Rescue Corps personnel to assist you in correcting the issue. If, however, it turned out to be a planned attack, we would handle the type of reconnaissance your team attempted tonight.”
She frowned at his choice of words, but damn it, she had to understand how much better suited his team was for the job.
“Then why didn’t Admiral Schreiber alert us to your presence after we determined the attacks were planned?”
Good question. “He believed your team could handle it on your own. He also didn’t want us getting in your way.”
“Hmm.” Aurora’s focus was starting to drift. Her head lolled against the couch cushions and her eyelids slid to half-mast.
Emoto spoke up. “I still don’t understand why you’ve been keeping us under surveillance.”
He chose his words carefully. “While the Admiral trusted your abilities, he was concerned for your safety. You didn’t have the strength of a Fleet ship to back you up, and you’re a small crew.” He gazed at Aurora, who had finally lost the battle to keep her eyes open. “He wanted us close by so we could step in if needed to neutralize any threats.”
Aurora’s words came out on a sigh. “Which you did.”
He nodded, although she couldn’t see it. The stress of the evening had apparently caught up with her, her body claiming the rest it needed.
The silence stretched out. When she relaxed completely against the cushions and exhaled softly, Emoto sat forward, propping his elbows on his knees.
His tone was low but it cut deep. “That’s fascinating background, Ellis, but what I really want to know is how you managed to be in exactly the right place at the right time to rescue Aurora and Mya tonight.”
Cade was caught off guard. At the Academy, he’d only seen the fun-loving, easy-going side of Emoto. He’d never experienced Commander Kire Emoto, the Fleet officer. Even during their time together on the Starhawke, Emoto had chosen to ignore Cade rather than command him. But right now, despite his smaller stature and slim build, Emoto radiated authority, his every syllable indicating he expected his question to be answered to his satisfaction and without hesitation. Cade’s respect for Aurora’s choice in her first officer increased.
“We were monitoring your communications. When Aurora contacted you for help, per my orders from the Admiral, I provided assistance.”
“And how did you manage to tap into our communications?”
“The Admiral provided the frequency.”
Emoto swore. “So you didn’t know that they would encounter a problem?”
“No.”
“How did you pinpoint their location? They’re wearing sensor suits.”
“I used the comm signal.”
Emoto glanced at Aurora. “But the creatures didn’t have that information. How the hell did they know Aurora and Mya were even there?”
Cade was hesitant to give an opinion on that question. Something had occurred in the orchard that had driven Aurora to use her energy shield for protection. Whatever it was might also explain her reaction on the farm the previous day and Mya’s strange collapse. However, he wasn’t about to speculate. Emoto was her friend, someone she obviously trusted, but his line of questioning indicated Aurora hadn’t revealed her secret to him. And Cade certainly wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. “I can’t say.”
Emoto sighed, the fight going out of him. “Did your arrival scare them off at least?”
Cade snorted. “I don’t think anything scares those things. They kept coming until their wings activated and they were hauled off their feet. The guard pulled them back against their will.”
Justin appeared in the doorway. “The team has picked up Clarek and Cardiff. They’ll be here shortly.”
Wonderful. The temperature in the room was likely to go from cool to frigid once those two were in residence.
Justin’s gaze flicked to Aurora, and his eyes clouded with concern.
Cade stood. “She’s fine. Just resting.” He turned to Emoto. “I think we should continue this outside.”
Emoto followed him out to the front porch. The cool breeze felt good against Cade’s skin, though it did little to soothe the growing tension in his body as he anticipated the impending arrival of Jonarel Clarek. He leaned against one of the railing posts, which gave him a clear view of the front door and the driveway while he remained in shadow. “Now I have a question for you. Who’s Star?”
He’d surprised Emoto. To his credit, he recovered quickly. “Where did you hear that name?”
Cagey. He could respect that. “At one point Aurora asked you to provide her with a link to Star. I wasn’t aware of anyone connected with the team who had that name. It sounded like she was on the ship. She definitely was helping with the surveillance.”
Emoto gazed out into the darkness. “You’ll have to ask Captain Hawke.”
His use of Aurora’s title was no accident. Whoever Star was, her presence on the ship appeared to be a carefully guarded secret, one Emoto was not about to share.
Movement in the driveway drew his gaze. Four shadows ghosted up toward the house, resolving into the forms of Reynolds, Gonzalez and Williams on their stealth pods, and Clarek and Cardiff on the Kraed glider.
“Take me to her.”
Clarek’s command wasn’t directed at Cade, but it still grated up his spine, raising the hairs at the nape of his neck. It took every bit of willpower he possessed to keep his expression neutral as the oversized Kraed approached the house.
Cardiff was close behind, with Williams on her heels. The good doctor would want to assure himself no one from Aurora’s crew needed medical attention. Reynolds and Gonzalez remained behind to secure the stealth pods.
As Clarek reached the porch, he caught sight of Cade. He paused with one foot on the bottom step, the light from the open doorway bathing his dark form in its glow. The hostility in the Kraed’s eerie eyes would have intimidated most people, but this wasn’t the first time he’d faced off against him. Last time, only Aurora’s intervention had prevented a bloodbath. He held no illusions about how Clarek felt about him. The Kraed would gladly break him in half given the opportunity. Cade didn’t plan to ever give him that opportunity.
“Where is she?” An accusation, not a question. Clarek’s hands clenched at his sides as his lips pulled back from his teeth.
Cade gestured to the door. “Inside. She’s resting on the couch.”
Clarek exuded menace, but apparently his need to see Aurora overrode his desire to dismember Cade. With a low growl, he vaulted up the steps in a single stride and stalked into the house. Emoto and Cardiff followed.
The smart move was to stay put. However, contrarian that he was, Cade couldn’t stop himself from heading inside,
with Williams right behind him.
Clarek slipped silently into the family room. “Aurora?” He sat down beside her and cupped her face in his hands. “Can you hear me?”
Cade’s stomach rolled. He’d suspected Aurora and Clarek were lovers, but he hadn’t anticipated witnessing the depth of their emotional connection. He had the urge to punch something—hard. Clarek, if possible.
Aurora shifted, turning her cheek into Clarek’s hand and whimpering softly, like she was in pain. Clarek pinned Cade with a hostile glare. “What happened?”
“She’s fine.” Cade hated the defensiveness in his voice. “She’s just exhausted.”
Surprisingly, Emoto came to his defense. “It’s true. She was fine when I arrived. Tired, but fine.”
Cardiff spoke up. “Where’s Mya?”
Cade glanced at her. “She’s sleeping in the back bedroom. Tonight’s events took a lot out of both of them.”
Clarek shifted his attention to Cardiff. “Is this what happened before?”
She shook her head. “This is different. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she collapsed from extreme fatigue.”
Clarek’s thumb gently stroked Aurora’s cheek. “Very well.”
Cardiff glanced between Cade and Clarek, her gaze assessing. Trying to decide if a battle was about to ensue?
She turned to Emoto. “If everything’s under control here, I’d like to go check on Mya.” It sounded like she was asking for a second opinion.
Emoto’s gaze flicked between Cade and Clarek as well. Clearly Aurora’s entire crew knew there was no love lost between the two of them. Emoto nodded. “We’re good here. Go ahead.”
Williams moved to follow her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to join you.” Doctors had trouble ignoring the unconscious.
Unlike Clarek, Cardiff didn’t seem to be radiating hostility at Cade’s team. “Of course.” She led the way down the hall.
That left Cade, Clarek and Emoto with Aurora. Cade’s anger at Clarek’s proprietary behavior was a great antidote for his concerns about the creatures, his mission, and Aurora’s safety. Clarek ignored him completely, his entire focus on Aurora, which only added to Cade’s growing frustration. But what the Kraed did next nearly put him over the edge.
He began to sing.
The Kraed words were unintelligible to him, since he’d never studied the language, but the emotional content of the song was easy enough to follow. Judging by the expression on Clarek’s face and tone of his voice, it was a song of love and devotion. And even worse, it seemed to be having the desired effect. A soft smile appeared on Aurora’s lips and the color crept back into her pale cheeks.
Clarek shifted so that she was cradled against his chest with her head tucked under his chin, his arms around her in a loose hug.
Cade ground his teeth together. He must be a masochist, because despite his brain’s continual urgings to leave the room, he couldn’t get his feet to move. Not even when he realized Emoto was watching him, a speculative look on his face.
As the song ended, Aurora’s mouth pinched in a subtle pout. Clarek murmured something to her, and her expression cleared as she relaxed against him.
Emoto walked over to Clarek. “We need to talk.”
The Kraed finally looked up. His gaze flicked to Cade in warning, but he nodded. He tucked a pillow under Aurora’s head as he slipped off the couch. He stroked the errant lock of hair off her forehead before he straightened.
Emoto’s gaze fixed on Cade as they headed for the doorway. “You too, Ellis.”
His temper flared at the command. But his curiosity got the better of him. With one last glance at Aurora, he followed them into the foyer.
24
Her body had rebelled. Aurora wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or awake, but her limbs felt like iron weights attached to her torso. The slightest movement of her head created the uncomfortable sensation of being spun in a centrifuge, and her body ached as though she’d spent the day hiking uphill with a large sack of boulders strapped to her back.
She concentrated on breathing and reconnecting with her wayward muscles, testing one small group at a time. They responded, but with reluctance. Not a good sign.
Giving up on moving for a moment, she focused on her surroundings, trying to bring some order to her thoughts. How had she ended up in this condition?
Raised voices filtered in from somewhere nearby. The first one she recognized was Kire’s. He seemed to be trying to diffuse a confrontation. The next voice surprised her. Jonarel. There was a forceful coldness to his words that sent a shiver of uneasiness through her. Then she identified the third voice. Cade. That clarified things.
Summoning what little strength she could muster, she forced her eyelids to lift against the pressure of gravity that very much wanted to keep them down. The sudden light blinded her. She blinked several times, bringing the room into focus. But nothing made sense. She was lying on a couch, not a bed, in a house that didn’t look familiar.
The noise in the other room intensified. She turned her head, inhaling sharply as the room spun and dipped. Her gaze fell on the open doorway and the gates of her memory flew open. The creatures. Mya’s collapse. Cade’s rescue. The cabin.
Jonarel was here. And she had to get off the couch before the situation escalated.
Ignoring the protest from her aching body, she shoved to her feet, swaying on unsteady legs as she concentrated on keeping her balance. Her head pounded and her muscles shook, but she remained upright. Taking a cautious step forward, she tuned into the thread of the argument in the foyer.
When all the dots connected, her temper hit the red line in a heartbeat. Adrenaline poured into her veins, clearing the cobwebs and energizing her limbs as she stalked to the doorway.
Jonarel and Cade stood toe to toe. Cade’s face had flushed red and he quivered in heated fury like a volcano about to erupt. Jonarel’s golden eyes had darkened to black, his body poised like a cobra ready to strike. Kire’s back was to her, but his arms were raised in a conciliatory gesture as he tried to get in a word between the increasingly rapid exchanges of condemnations.
“Enough!”
Silence swept the room as they all turned. Only Kire looked chagrined. Jonarel and Cade’s postures continued to project the strong desire to commit bodily harm to each other. She understood the impulse. She felt the same way about both of them at the moment.
Some of that emotion must have telegraphed to her face, because they looked startled, though neither backed down from their aggressive stances. The anger in the room swirled around her, stalking her like a living beast, but she refused to give in. Taking a steadying breath, she held their gazes while she addressed her questions to Kire. “Where’s Celia?”
He gestured to the hallway. “In the back bedroom with Mya.”
Why hadn’t the uproar brought Celia running? “Has Mya’s condition changed?”
“Not that I know of.”
Obviously he’d been too busy trying to prevent a brawl in the entryway. “Has there been any movement from the targets?”
Kire shook his head. “Kelly would have alerted me.”
“How long since you checked in with her?”
“About half an hour ago, before you and I spoke with Ellis.”
That was something at least. She hadn’t been unconscious very long. She’d evaluate the why of her impromptu nap later.
“Check in with Kelly and let her know we’ll be returning to the ship as soon as Mya’s up to it.”
“Yes, Captain.” He stepped onto the porch, leaving her to face the two males responsible for the greatest challenges of her adult life.
Her anger simmered below the surface, but she held it in check. They’d both lost control. She would not.
Jonarel’s hands were curled into loose fists, hiding the claws that protruded from the pads of his fingers. His posture was reminiscent of his Mr. Hyde impersonation in the Starhawke’s greenhouse. Time to get Dr. Jekyll back.
“Is there a problem, Mr. Clarek?”
His focus slid back and forth between her and Cade, a myriad of conflicting emotions spiraling around him. She kept her gaze on his face, willing him to let go of his anger. Slowly, his eyes lost their hard gleam. His body remained in a subtle battle ready pose, but he turned away from Cade and folded his hands behind his back. The movement emphasized the taut muscles of his chest and shoulders. “No, Captain.”
“Glad to hear it.” She had a lot more to say on the matter, but now was not the time. She still had to deal with Cade. “Go check on Mya and remain with her. I’ll join you in a little while.”
He didn’t move. Instead, his attention shifted to Cade and his lip curled in a feral snarl. Clearly he did not want to leave her alone with his adversary.
In all the years they’d known each other, she’d never been in a position to discipline him for unprofessional behavior. This was the second time in as many days. She didn’t like being in that role again, but his actions were forcing her hand.
She moved into his personal space and lowered her voice. “Now.”
His gaze met hers, revealing the battle raging inside. She’d seen that look once before. Ten years ago. In that instance, she’d had to take drastic measures to settle the internal debate for him. She would do it again if necessary, though she sincerely hoped he’d learned from that experience.
Apparently he had. Shooting a look at Cade that promised a slow, painful death if he stepped out of line, he gave Aurora the briefest nod of acknowledgment, then strode from the room without a word.
Not exactly the behavior she would have liked, but at least no one was bleeding.
That left Cade. He was watching her with justifiable wariness. She wanted to throttle him for causing trouble with her crew. And hug him for saving her life. Why did his actions always end up tearing her apart?
She glanced into the adjoining room where his team was intent on their tasks. Curiosity and discomfort pervaded the space. Mostly curiosity. She didn’t want an audience for this discussion. She indicated for Cade to join her as she returned to the family room.
He followed, but chose to remain close to the doorway, his stance rigid.
The Dark of Light (Starhawke Rising Book 1) Page 14
