"Nothing, apparently,” Senna replied, and turned to look at the speaker. Her eyes traveled slowly over him, but nothing altered her bland expression.
Denyon's gaze narrowed on Illam and Tera.
"Nothing!” Tera barely restrained herself from yelling. “Nothing is happening!"
"Tonsil tickling,” Hanna managed to get out, right before Simon clapped his hand over her mouth.
"Trouble-maker,” Simon muttered to Eulie, who laughed.
"Illam?” Denyon looked up at him.
"As Tera says.” Illam's voice was expressionless. He turned to Tera. “Shall we leave and finish the dance?"
Hanna gurgled something behind Simon's hand.
More than eager to leave the porch and the interested audience, Tera grabbed his hand.
In an expert move, Illam closed his fingers around her smaller ones, placed his other hand behind her back, and whirled her through the curtains and back into the room. They slid in-between the other dancers and straight into the rhythm as though they'd been there the whole time.
Not once did they look at each other. Illam kept a polite distance between them and gazed over her head. Tera kept her eyes on his buttons.
The music finished, and Tera made her escape.
Bugger being polite.
* * * *
The Cave
The wind whistled through the treetops, crating an eerie atmosphere. The eight people bent to their tasks, each intent on what they were doing.
"I'm not sure—"
"This is not the time to back out now."
"It could prove disastrous!"
"What is more disastrous than slavery and insanity? You have seen what has happened to us. No, this in the only way."
Silence descended again. The only sounds were quickened breathing, and the sense of urgency.
* * * *
Standing at the window of his room, Illam stared out into the dark gardens beyond. He couldn't believe that he'd played with Tera like a lycat with a rodent. A very tasty rodent, to be sure, but she was off-limits to him. Playing with Tera was like playing with something hot and sweet...
Hot and sweet. He licked his lips. Oh, yeah, she promised to be very hot and sweet. And I like hot, sweet things.
Mentally, he gave himself a head slap. By Delcat, the female was maddening, belligerent, rude and uncouth. Illam swiped the side of his hand down his hair then under his nose. She smelled fine, too. Spicy. Sweet. Tasty.
Giving himself a shake, he decided he really needed to go for a walk.
Leaving his room, he strode down the corridor, alert to anyone who might be nearby. In the mood he was, he didn't want to talk to anyone. Not Denyon, who'd eyed him closely all the rest of the evening, not the traders with the warning in their eyes, and not the Argon bodyguards who had smirked at him. And definitely not Tera's little sister, who was a stirrer of the first degree.
She was also loveable. Not like Tera, who was juicy—No! Like poison, by Delcat!
Shaking his head, Illam moved deeper into the palace, and suddenly found himself walking into a huge kitchen. His gaze fell on Katina, who was sitting at the table, her feet swinging well above ground level. Across from her sat Lysie, her own feet idly swinging. They were both munching on cake.
"Should you both be eating that in your conditions?” he queried.
"Mmmf,” Lysie answered through a full mouth.
"We know what you did,” Katina stated.
"Pardon?"
"Eulie couldn't wait to fill us in on everything.” Her grin was wide, the dimples in her cheeks deepening enchantingly.
Lysie gulped down her mouthful and gave an even wider grin, looking like a cheeky lykitten. “You had Tera up against the railing, getting hot and heavy. Who would have guessed?"
It was clearly time to leave the kitchen.
Leaving the smirking pair to continue to eat cake, Illam merely rolled his eyes and strode through the door leading out into the gardens. The gardens, at least, were peaceful. Or were, until voices came to him.
"Come on, Jonette. You hardly even know us."
"Wylie, I know enough."
"The name is Wylin, and let me show you more."
"Here's the answer—Wylie."
There came the sound of a muffled scuffle, a gasp, and Illam drew back into the shadows of a tree as Wylin was thrust backwards through some bushes into the light.
Arms windmilling wildly, Wylin stumbled to a halt. But he obviously wasn't done. His smile broadened. “I like tough wenches."
"You can't take my toughness, Argon, so don't push it.” Jonette appeared briefly in the light.
The Reeka warrior. Illam had heard of them, but he'd never seen one in the flesh. She was a sight for a hungry man. Any man, actually.
Tall, slender yet strongly-built, her arms flexing to show the pull of feminine muscle without bulging. Rounded breasts were covered in a sleeveless vest, a wide belt encircled her trim waist, and a short leather skirt stopped at mid-thigh. Knee-high boots were strapped around with rawhide ties. A silver armband encircled her left upper arm. Small, silver hoops pierced her earlobes—two in the left and four in the right. She was beautiful, with a heart-shaped face and a wealth of black hair flowing around her shoulders.
She was also on eye level with Wylin, who stood six foot four himself.
"You don't know what I could take unless you try.” Wylin held out his arms. “Dare you?"
Her answer was to look him up and down scathingly, spin on her heel and disappear back into the gardens.
Wylin rubbed his chin thoughtfully before turning and going back into the palace via the kitchen door.
Not sure what to make of the whole scene, Illam shook his head. Leaning his shoulder against the tree trunk, he looked out into the darkness. It reminded him of another female with brunette hair. Just as beautiful as the Reeka warrior. Hotter. More passionate. He could taste the heat still, smell the sweet spice...
Shaking his head once more, Illam turned his errant thoughts away from the troublesome healer. It was time to put everything in its proper order. Forget the Argon female and concentrate on getting the mission completed.
A mission that included the Argon female.
God help me.
* * * *
Space
The ship was under attack. The sounds of heavy boots pounded down corridors, and orders were shouted. Men hurried, their normally cheerful faces grim.
"Talek has been killed up in the gun pit!"
"Quick, send Zafron to take his place! The pirates will take advantage of the momentary cease fire while they can!"
"He's already on his way! He—"
Another blast rocked the ship.
He saw the captain's daughter being picked up by one of the men and taken away.
The ship shuddered beneath the onslaught of heavy laser fire. The space pirates were intent on boarding.
God help them all.
He made for the stairwell.
* * * *
Heavy eyed, Tera watched the two small boxes of medical research equipment, a couple of special storage containers, and her personal luggage being loaded onto the Felys scout ship. There seemed to be more personal luggage being packed than she remembered packing. Maybe extra things were being sent along, for some reason.
"You look tired.” Hanna appeared at her elbow, a frown of concern on her face. “Are you all right?"
"Fine."
Hanna placed her palm on her forehead, and Tera batted her away irritably.
"You don't seem to be running a temperature,” Hanna said.
"I didn't sleep well.” Hanna's smile widened, and Tera groaned. “One word from you, and I'll kick your—"
"Ready, Tera?” Sarcan strode over and smiled at his daughters.
"Very.” She smiled up at him.
"You have everything?” He peered up at the scout ship.
"Absolutely."
"I wish I could go with you.” Hanna winked at her.
"I'm sure you do, but I can take care of this myself.” And the last thing she needed was her sister teasing her about a certain Felys male.
"Wylin is going with you,” Kiile announced as he approached with his personal bodyguard beside him.
"Wylin?” Tera frowned. “But—"
"He needs something to keep his mind occupied.” Kiile gave Tera an affectionate hug. “He'll be able to help you."
Wylin grinned at her. Well, that explained the extra luggage.
"He's your personal guard, Kiile,” Tera objected. “What about—"
"I'm in no danger."
"He fixed that by wedding his would-be assassin,” Wylin interjected.
"And so, you see, I am safe as anything. Besides, I still have Marten and Eulie as well as the palace guards.” Kiile ruffled her hair with the ease of an old friend. “And there's no way I'm sending you out to a strange planet alone."
Tera glanced around before asking quietly, “You don't trust the Felys?"
"I trust the Felys, but I know my own men."
"Kiile—"
"No arguing, Tera. That's an order.” Kiile looked at Wylin. “You have the contact comm if you need us."
Wylin patted the small badge on his chest. “No problems."
Tera smiled at Wylin. Having another Argon would be good, she had to admit. She looked forward to going to Scytha, but after her close encounter last night with a certain Felys male, she would feel more comfortable having one of her own planet men with her.
Not long after, Lysie and Katina joined them.
When the scout ship was ready, Denyon approached the group. Nodding to Katina, he hugged Lysie and dropped a kiss on top of her tortoiseshell head, then shook hands with Sarcan and Kiile. “We'll see you when we return."
"Look after my people,” Kiile said softly, his gaze steady.
Denyon met his gaze soberly. “With our lives, Kiile.” He transferred his gaze to Sarcan. “Your daughter will be in good hands."
"I'm entrusting her care to you.” Sarcan gathered Tera to him and whispered, “Be good. If something scares you, you go to Wylin and come home straight away. Understand?"
"Of course. Don't fret.” Swallowing the lump in her throat, Tera hugged him back, then turned to Hanna.
Hanna embraced her closely. “I wish I could go with you."
"Father needs one of us here."
"I know.” Hanna gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Take care."
There was a round of embraces, and then Tera found herself walking up the ramp beside Wylin, his hand supportively at the small of her back. She smiled up at him, and he winked back. It gave her more comfort than she thought it ever could.
Passing through a small loading hold, they found themselves in a corridor that was wide and tall, and curved away around corners. The inside of the ship was circular, Tera realized. The walls were white, the floor a pale grey, and the tiles gleamed dully.
Most of the Felys soldiers nodded to them, and some of them Tera remembered as seeing at the palace.
Denyon led them past several doors before finally stopping and opening one with a flourish. “This is your cabin, Tera. Wylin, yours is right next to Tera's. Make yourselves comfortable, and then I'll give you a tour of the ship once we've taken off and are safely in space."
The cabin was luxurious, and bigger than a normal cabin. The carpets that lined the floor were thick and soft, the curtains flanking the small space shield in the wall made of heavy velvet. The bed was wide, the cover a soft material with a light sprinkling of fake fur. The furniture consisted of a desk and comfortable chair, and was of heavy wood fastened discreetly to the floor. An ornate mirror was on the wall opposite the bed. A soft, two-seater sofa covered in cushions and with a warm rug draped over one armrest sat beneath it.
Peeking into the small bathroom, Tera saw that it was as luxurious, with a heavy frosted glass panel across the shower, and fluffy towels on a rack. The tiles were a royal blue color, giving the illusion at first glimpse of being carpet. Nice.
It seemed that the Felys, like the Argons, liked their comfort. She grinned as she thought of the look on the Daamens’ faces if they were expected to fly on a ship like this. Their trade ships had all the furniture you could need, sturdy and big to support their heavy weights, comfortable, but nothing fancy.
She smiled even more at the thought of the Felys’ faces if they had to fly in the Daamens’ ships. The Daamens had working ships, the Felys had ... well, cozy, luxurious cabins.
Going back into the main cabin, she saw that her luggage was sitting near the built in robe, and crossed over to it to unpack the few things she'd need for the two week flight to Scytha. As she hung her gowns in the cupboard, she spotted a wooden rail fastened against the wall. It was above her head level, and on the floor directly beneath was a wooden step.
How odd.
Crossing to it, she stood on the step and reached up. Wrapping her hands around the rail, she felt the smoothness of it, and saw that it bore several scratches. Wide scratches. About the size of her fingernails. Placing her fingers level with some of the scratches, she lightly raked her nails down. Yep, the scratches were from someone's fingernails.
Getting off the step, she knelt down and examined it. She saw that it could remain attached to the wall, or be removed. Odder and odder.
Scratching her head, she straightened up and stared at the objects. Rail and step. She'd have to ask Denyon what they were for when she saw him.
Placing a stack of her books on the small table by the side of the bed, she saw that Hanna had added several of her own to the pile. Obviously her sister thought she'd get bored on the long trip. Tera grinned. And her sister knew how much she loved reading.
However, while she intended to indulge her love of books, she was also able to start her research during the journey. She could take blood and skin samples from the Felys men on board.
A knock sounded on her door, and she crossed the floor and opened it. Wylin and Denyon were standing outside.
"Like your cabin?” Wylin grinned.
"It'll ease the long journey.” She grinned back.
Denyon gave small smile. “I'm glad you approve. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you."
"Now it's time to eat. If you'd care to come with us, we're heading for the dining cabin."
She was hungry, and more than a little curious to know of what the Felys diet consisted.
Wylin tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, and they walked beside Denyon down the corridor.
The smell hit her deliciously, the scent of roasting meat making her mouth water. Yummy. Denyon led them into a large dining cabin, and her eyes widened at the sight.
Rather than plain tables loaded with food, the tables again were of heavy wood, the chairs comfortable with plush, red, velvet cushions on them. There was one long table that ran down the centre of the cabin. The floor was of blue tiles, gleaming dully. The space shield in the far wall was draped with heavy blue velvet curtains, partially shut. The walls were relined with wood grain.
It was the epitome of comfort. Just like lycats loved their comfort and good food, so, it seemed, did the Felys. They truly were feline in some of their habits. The Argons liked their comforts, but their dining cabins on board ship didn't look like it belonged in a miniature palace! All it lacked was the chandelier and more space.
Against the back wall stood huge warmers, holding big containers of several different roast meats and vegetables. There was a lot of meat, she saw, all steaming hot, dripping juices, and giving off a delicious aroma. Her lips quirked when she saw the huge urn of milk beside the urn with the hot una. Aw, how cute!
The conversation died down a little, and she took her gaze from the warmers to look at the table. Twelve Felys men looked right back at her, their bright eyes, of green or gold, unblinking. The thin black threads writhed through the irises. Some of the men's pupils were slitted, others enlarged, according to their mood
or thought. Several of them twitched their ears.
They eyed her assessingly, their gazes going to Wylin before settling back on her.
Illam was one of the twelve, his expression giving nothing away as he glanced up at them.
"This is Tera, the healer,” Denyon said quietly. “She's here to try and help us find out why we have so many runts being born. I expect you to treat her with respect and courtesy at all times. She is in our care. Wylin is Kiile's personal bodyguard, and he will be with her. He is also in our care."
"Lucky you, Wylin” Tera murmured.
Wylin grunted.
The Felys nodded to Tera and Wylin, then turned back to their food.
"You'll sit near me,” Denyon stated. “But let's get our food first."
Tera followed his example, picking up a plate and choosing food, then grabbing cutlery and following him back to the table, Wylin right behind her.
Denyon sat at the head of the table, with Illam on his left and Tera on his right. Wylin had the chair beside Tera, for which she was grateful. While she didn't fear the Felys men, she was still wary of being the only female amongst so many males. Though she doubted they'd want to touch a wench not of their own species. Still, one never knew. They did a lot of traveling, and obviously there were no females aboard.
Looking up, she met Illam's gaze. His eyes slid over her face, and she had to control the urge to blush at the sudden memory of what had transpired between them the night before. Wait up. Nothing had nearly happened. Nothing at all. She raised her brows at him. Play it cool, Tera. He's the one who bit you, remember? Boy, did she remember ... No! No, nothing happened.
He simply nodded coolly at her and spoke to Wylin instead. “I see Kiile preferred to send one of his own men as well."
"I think any leader worth his weight would do the same,” Wylin replied, his tone friendly.
Kiile's bodyguards were no dunces when it came to politics. They had the brains to go with the brawn.
"True,” Illam agreed.
The meal passed pleasantly enough. Almost finished, Tera suddenly remembered what she wanted to ask Denyon about.
Turning to him, she said, “There's something in my room that I was wondering if you could enlighten me about?"
"Certainly.” He chewed a mouthful of meat with relish, waiting.
Love's Beguiling Healer Page 6
