His Fire Maiden

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “Come away,” he whispered. “We’ll talk.”

  “I don’t want to talk to you,” Violette countered. “You led me to believe she wasn’t on this ship.”

  “Actually, I told you that,” Lochlann stated. He joined them, looking as if the noise had just woken him from a deep sleep. “It was a decision made for the safety of all on board. However, now that you know, I don’t think we have any choice but to lock you up. Dev, will you bring her to a holding area? Or should I have Jackson?”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Dev stated.

  “No, please, don’t do that,” Josselyn inserted. “I’ll stay away from her. Don’t lock her up.”

  “Don’t try to help me,” Violette snapped. “You’re not my sister. You’re a murderer.”

  “Please, Lochlann, let Dev take her to the medical booth.” Josselyn lifted her hands to show she wasn’t going to show aggression. She tried to step around her husband. “I have an idea.”

  “What do you have in mind?” Evan asked, not making it easy for her to pass.

  “Genetic testing will prove we’re sisters. Maybe then she’ll—” Josselyn tried to answer.

  “That won’t change anything,” Violette interrupted. “The fact we shared a mother does not make you my sister. I listened to the holo-boxes. I know you were engaged to my father when he was younger. You perpetrated some crime and were put into stone, and he grew up. He married your mother, not you, and they had me out of their love. He saved her. He was a good man. Out of loyalty he had you pardoned and the second you were free you committed murder. He should have left you there to rot.”

  “Do you even know what you’re saying? Do you just rewrite history to suit your storyline?” Josselyn cried in frustration. She pushed her husband forcibly out of her way. “I have given you evidence, words out of Jack’s mouth in holographic form. It should be enough to open your mind to the possibility that more happened than what you’ve been told by your father. For one, I was never engaged to him. He asked. I said no. He didn’t like that. So he betrayed his people by helping the government on the planet of Florencia spy on us. They wanted to take over the individual moons. They wanted power over us, our land, and our money. The second the Federation showed up offering to help, Jack was right there with his hand out greedy for their shiny promises and pretty words.”

  “I don’t rewrite history,” Violette denied. She breathed hard. “I saw my father killed by your hand. That’s what I know.”

  “And I saw my whole world fall by the hand of your father,” Josselyn countered. “My brothers, they would have been your half-brothers, and my father were murdered. Let me give you a little history lesson, sis. When Florencia couldn’t deliver the moons to the Federation, they killed the head of the Florencian planet government and laid claim to the lands with some sham treaty clause before turning their forces to the moon. Again, there was colony spy Jack, all ready to kill whoever they told him to for his shiny white uniform and sparkly title. He proved he was a good little Federation lapdog by storming into my village and slaughtering nearly everyone. Those who weren’t killed were put into stone prisons. They destroyed everything I love. And when it looked as if we might win, they destroyed the weather satellites. They killed all life on those moons and then abandoned them to ice. When it was all said in done, they had killed colonies of people for a few forced recruits to fight in their armies and…” Josselyn’s voice caught. “And…”

  Violette saw the woman’s expression. Josselyn believed what she said. The pain in it mirrored her own.

  “Josselyn,” Evan urged softly, pulling her toward him. “It will be all right, baby.”

  Violette didn’t know what to believe anymore. She watched Dev out of the corner of her eye, wishing he’d pull her close and whisper soothingly to her. Instead, he kept a firm hold on her as if to keep her from attacking.

  “I understand your pain, but if you’re going to kill for something, don’t you want to know if it’s for the truth?” Josselyn reached a hand forward as if she’d touch her.

  Violette jerked. Dev’s grip restrained her. “Let me go.” She jerked again. “Dev, let me go!”

  Dev released her. Violette pushed past him, moving away from Josselyn and the others. She ran down the corridor. There was nowhere to go. The ship might have been bigger than hers, but it still felt small. She heard footsteps behind her and paused, glancing around. Dev caught up with her.

  “Dev, I,” she took several deep breaths, “Dev, I…”

  “Come.” He gently touched her elbow and led her into a room. Dev’s shirt lay across the narrow mattress. It was then she looked more fully at him. He wore only pants. His chest and feet were bare.

  “Dev, I…”

  “I thought it best for you to learn the truth before you saw your sister,” Dev said. “I never meant to deceive you. I regret letting you believe a lie, but—”

  “Dev, don’t take this away from me,” she whispered. Tears burned her eyes. “Revenge is all I have.”

  “No, you are more than revenge,” he said.

  “No. That’s all I have left.” Violette gestured helplessly, unsure what she should do next. She wasn’t used to feeling vulnerable. “I have no family. I have a crew who like me well enough, but if I stopped paying them, they’d leave me without a backward glance. I owe it to my father. I made a blood oath the day he died to get justice. It is who I am. I need it.”

  “Violette, you have me,” Dev whispered. “If you want me.”

  Violette wished that was true. She wanted the words she read into his comment were real. She wanted to hear him say he loved her, needed her, chose her.

  Though, what would happen if he had to choose? Her or Josselyn? His lover or a part of his crew? She didn’t doubt he liked her, but how far would he go for like? She didn’t want to hear the answer so didn’t ask.

  “Let me take you to Florencia’s Fifth Moon so you can see for yourself,” he said. “If your oath is for justice, then learn the truth and then decide what is just.”

  His words made sense. Instead of answering, she kissed him. Even if it wasn’t love, she needed to feel his affection. She didn’t want to be alone. It was only when he touched her could she pretend that the universe wasn’t there.

  Dev made love to her slowly, taking his time. First, he stripped her of her clothing. His hands moved over her legs, massaging their way up her thighs, her hips, her waist and back. She swayed on her feet, almost unable to stand. He caught her against his chest and lifted her gently from the floor to lay her on the bed.

  He pushed the pants from his hips. Heat cocooned her when he brought his naked body over hers. The texture of his skin felt fantastic against hers. Her legs restlessly moved along his. She leaned up for a kiss, moaning as her moist tongue met his.

  When he entered her, it was slow and steady. Her eyes connected with his. The full length of him filled her. She wanted the moment to last. Every nerve focused on him. He rocked against her, staying deep. The pleasure came almost too soon before she was ready to let the moment go. Their climax crashed against them in trembling perfection. Finally, her eyes closed, as she was unable to resist the lull of ecstasy.

  Afterward, Dev held her against him on the small bed. Even though there was a larger room waiting for her, she didn’t want to leave his side.

  “I don’t think I can kill her. I thought I could, but…” Violette turned in Dev’s arms to look at him. “What kind of daughter does that make me?”

  Dev didn’t answer. He stroked her hair away from her face.

  “You never mentioned that you’re cursed by a spirit.” She traced the red line on his skin. “Should I be worried?”

  “More like tormented by one. Zhang An gave a vague prophecy that is open to interpretation. The idea was meant to worm its way into our heads to plague us.” He skimmed his fingers down her arm and back up again.

  “What was the prophecy?”

  “It was for Rick, Lochlann, Jackson, Evan
and me. She said something along the line of, we’d find our love hidden within the mystery of the five elements of the Lintianese people—water, fire, wood, earth, and metal. One element for each of us. Our assigned element will hold the secret to our future happiness. But, since she didn’t tell us which element was ours, we have no idea what we’re looking for. Apparently, if we don’t recognize our fate, we’ll be cursed to living our lives alone. How did you hear about the curse?”

  “Lucien in communications.”

  Dev chuckled. “I should have known you would try to go to communications.”

  “So does the curse plague you?” Violette continued to trace the lines on his chest. “Are you looking?”

  “Sadly, yes. It is hard not to contemplate the idea that my future happiness hinges on signs that I must see. The danger is, when you’re looking, it’s possible to see signs in everything.”

  “I think you’re metal.” Violette pressed her hand flat against his chest. “Because you have a hard shell like the hull of a ship and you have a stubborn personality.”

  “Rick things I’m fire because I’m Bevlon, and they first met me when I was about to be set on fire by heretics.”

  “No, that’s too obvious.” Violette shook her head in denial. She ran her hand down between them to the unyielding length growing between his thighs. “I definitely think you’re metal. Molten, red hot steel.”

  “And are you trying to break my curse?” he asked, angling so that he lay completely on his back to give her access to his body.

  “Oh, fireballs, no.” She leaned over and kissed him as she crawled to straddle his waist. The heat of his stomach hit her sex, instantly moistening it. She winked teasingly at him and slid back until her ass was against his arousal. “I don’t believe in curses and predetermined fates. I believe we make our own happiness and destiny.”

  “And, right now, with me, are you happy?” he asked.

  “Yes.” The honestly of the answer surprised her. “Right now, with you, I’m very happy, Dev.”

  He growled and pulled her down for his kiss. No more words were needed, but then neither one of them had been incredibly forthcoming about expressing themselves with conversation. They spoke a much more primitive language, one that didn’t need words to be understood.

  Chapter 20

  Ice Complex Five, Florencia’s Fifth Moon, Four days later…

  Stepping out onto the surface of Florencia’s Fifth Moon was like climbing inside a biofreeze container in her underwear. The two-piece snowsuit offered protection, but even that wasn’t enough to stop the cold from creeping into her fingers and toes. Dev had given her the thick, black clothing to wear. It matched the others, except for Jackson who was in white. She doubted they’d come by the Federation snowsuits honestly. The fact they still had patches on them proved they were not decommissioned uniforms.

  Jackson’s white suit had the ESC emblem for the Exploratory Science Commission, as did the skintight jumpsuits they wore underneath. Thinking of it, she glanced at Dev. The elastic material had stretched to fit him, molding to his body to hide his flesh while showing every sexy detail of his frame. She could still picture the firm look of his ass in tight black without even closing her eyes.

  “How are you?” Dev asked.

  “Unconcerned.” She took a deep breath. The cold stung her cheeks and nose. “I’m not worried about what we’re going to find here. I have every confidence that what you think is going to be disproven by what we see here.”

  It was a lie. She wasn’t confident of that fact. Doubts had started to creep into her thoughts ever since Josselyn had her say about family history.

  Besides Dev and Jackson, Rick, Lucien, Viktor, Evan and Josselyn also joined them on the planet’s surface. Lochlann stayed on the ship where he could monitor them from the sky. The craft hovered in orbit after dropping them off.

  “I can see why they chose this place,” Violette said. The moon revolved around an uninhabited planet. At one time it looked as if it had been cultivated to support life, but that would have been a long time ago. Now ice had claimed the surface. “It makes for a perfect prison. Isolated. They would be able to see unauthorized ships coming before they even flew into orbit. If anyone escaped, they wouldn’t survive long on the surface.”

  Jackson gave a humorless laugh. “I don’t think escape is what they were concerned about.”

  “No, they only cared about hiding what they had done,” Rick muttered.

  “If we find proof of who is responsible, we’ll make sure it’s known,” Lucien said. “Secrets have a way of coming out eventually.”

  “Be careful, some people don’t want their secrets known.” Violette saw the way that the crew looked at her. She was the outsider to be watched, tied to the evil Federation boogeyman.

  Her gaze moved toward Josselyn. The sisters hadn’t spoken since the incident in the spaceship corridor. Even though Violette stopped saying she wanted to kill her sister that didn’t mean she’d given up on bringing her father’s killer to justice. She had to know the truth and then she would decide what justice meant.

  For the women’s safety, the men had decided to keep the sisters separated as much as they could. On the ship, it had proven to be easy. Violette preferred spending her time in Dev’s tiny room to mingling with the crew. Now, they kept them apart by putting two crewmen between the sisters at all times. For a moment, her gaze locked with Josselyn’s. Evan leaned to his wife and whispered. Josselyn nodded and looked away first.

  Violette shivered and found herself gravitating toward the heat of Dev’s body. The cloudless blue-gray sky seemed as dead as the frozen earth. When he glanced down in surprise at her sudden affection, she muttered, “I hate the cold.”

  He lifted his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer.

  Quietly, so the others couldn’t hear, she asked, “How are you doing with the temperatures? The cold is not hurting you is it?”

  “I’m fine as long as I stay in the suit.” Dev showed her the device on his wrist. “Viktor rigged it so I can monitor my temperature.”

  “You’ll say something if it becomes dangerous?” she insisted. “I remember what you told me about Bevlons and the cold.”

  He nodded.

  Violette needed to be here, to see the truth for herself—whatever truth there was left to see. But, that didn’t mean she wanted to be here. She wanted to be a child again, feeling trapped by the sands churning outside the windows for the military base, before her father gave her a scar and started this mystery she’d been tormented by.

  “Someone blasted a hole in the weather shuttle. We saw it the first time we landed,” Rick said. “Whoever it was wanted this moon to stop thriving. It probably froze over in less than a day.”

  Josselyn had said as much.

  “If you need proof, we can fly past it once we get back to the ship,” Rick added.

  “It was so beautiful here,” Josselyn said, more to Evan than to anyone else, but Violette heard her clearly. They each puffed white breaths of air. Maneuvering over icy terrain wasn’t easy, but she doubted that is what caused the pained look on Josselyn’s face. The woman continued, “On clear nights you could see the weather shuttles moving over the skies. There was a control room where we could modify the weather schedule, but it was best to let the seasons run their cycle. Though, I remember my father making it rain for my mother one warm night. I watched them dance from a window.”

  Violette said nothing. It was hard to think of her mother’s first marriage, of a life she was never allowed to have, of moments and memories. Her mother was an idea, a holographic picture, a story told—and possibly fabricated—by her father. Josselyn’s mother was a dance in the rain, a series of gestures and movements available to reminiscence upon at will.

  Violette tried to ball her hand into a fist, but the gloves made it difficult. Josselyn had the life a daughter should have. She had a husband who adored her, friends who would give their lives to protect her, and a pas
t of love to draw from.

  Violette was jealous, and she hated that about herself. The general had loved her, but he was a busy man, always off on some mission doing alientarian work. Violette looked at Dev. His arms tightened around her. Even her own lover was on Josselyn’s side. The whole reason she was here was because Dev wanted her to stop hunting her sister.

  “The first days of summer were so brilliant when the sun was closest to the shuttle, and we could feel the magnified heat.” Josselyn shivered, rubbing her hands along her arms to generate warmth. “And now, look at it.”

  Violette pulled out of Dev’s embrace with the excuse of navigating the arctic trail. She did look. Time had frozen on the icy surface creating sculptures of the past, preserving it like some dead curiosity. Crop rows were organized over the gentle slope of the outlying landscape. An orchard stretched into the distance, the many limbs contrasting the lighter sky like shiny black fingers. The crew followed a trail of footprints along the field’s edge. She had the feeling of walking through her sister’s memory, a place where time had stopped.

  “Take away the ice and everything is how I remember it.” Josselyn turned her attention to the prison complex. “Except for that.”

  The metal building was out of place on the small moon. The sharp corners of the structure were in typical military fashion, and it sat in a spot of convenience with no thought to the surrounding aesthetics. A prison was for function, not beauty.

  Violette felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew it was Dev without looking. He wanted to continue to comfort her, but she couldn’t allow it. Already she was nervous about what this place would reveal. It was taking all of her energy to remain strong.

  “It doesn’t look as if anyone has visited since we were last here,” Dev said. “The compound should be easy to unlock.”

  Though it was an older style discontinued a hundred years ago, Violette knew the basic layout of the prison before entering. The metal walls kept out the snow but not the cold. Sensors kicked on at their presence, and the biocell still provided enough power to light the hallways and switch on the facility computer monitors.