“Your acting needs work.”
Again Ria flinched at the sound of his voice, but she barely registered his words. She had other things to worry about, like where the kólasi was she? And more importantly, where had she left Star? She continued on, moving slowly as she tried to see enough of her surroundings to retrace her steps.
“I can’t decide if you’re being stubborn or stupid.”
“What’s it matter to you?” she asked, her injured chin burning when she talked. “Instead of harassing me, why don’t you go back to your ship and ask someone to transport me and Star back up.”
“Since the storm is interfering with the transport signals and the comms, I’m afraid I can’t do that, princess.”
The word princess was filled with so much derision and contempt that she stumbled again, too shocked to notice another blasted tree root. This time she managed to catch herself against a tree trunk with her good arm. The sudden movement jarred her other arm but that pain, bad as it was, was nothing compared to the pain in her chest caused by his words. After a few moments, when she was as composed as she could manage, she turned to face him.
“What did you do to your chin?” he growled.
“I recognize your voice,” she said. “From the cafeteria. You’re one of the Admirals.” He didn’t respond, but she didn’t need him to. “I know you and your brothers despise me, so it’s no surprise that you’re angry at being sent to help me, but….”
“I wasn’t sent to help you,” he interrupted harshly.
His words, and the total honesty behind them, hit Ria like a slap in the face. She stood motionless, head down, determined not to let him see how deeply he’d cut her. She hated that this man, whose name she didn't even know, had the power to hurt her so much with so little effort. Hated knowing that he considered her so worthless, and so insignificant, that she didn’t even merit saving. Like so much discarded trash.
“The B-Brun isn’t f-far from here. I’ll d-d-do what I c-can to help her g-g-get to your sh-sh-ship.” Her embarrassment at stuttering in front of him was insignificant compared to her other humiliations. She turned around and continued her search for Star, determined to see her saved, at least.
***
Thorn saw Ria’s head snap to the side, then her face went from pale to gray in an instant. He knew he’d hurt her. He was too close to her not to see it. He just wasn’t sure how.
His katrenca snarled furiously at the sudden emptiness in her eyes. Eyes that, minutes earlier, had boldly flashed at him with spirit and determination.
When she began stuttering he understood that he’d gone too far. He’d let his anger and resentment rule him, and in doing so he’d struck too hard, and cut too deep.
She turned around and continued making her way through the brush and trees, moving even more slowly now, as though she had to judge each step. She cradled the arm he’d gripped as though it pained her. He flushed with shame for having grabbed her so roughly. He hadn’t meant to. He’d just been so relieved to find her, and frightened to see her standing practically in the open.
She stumbled again, and he frowned. The first time she’d stumbled he’d been sure it was deliberate. It was a little dark with the cloud cover and the rain, but there was plenty of light to see by. There was no reason for her to stumble. She was trying to make the big ugly dummy feel bad for being rude. He’d experienced it before, more than once. In his opinion, her acting skills weren’t even close to being convincing.
When she’d taken so long to get up, then stood panting as though she were in pain, it was all he could do not to laugh in her face. How stupid did she think he was anyway?
But she kept stumbling, which didn’t make sense. He knew a thing or two about this woman, and one of those things was that she wasn't stupid. Once she realized he wasn't going to fall for her games, she should have given up.
If she was trying to gain his attention, then why hadn’t she said anything about her arm, or asked him for help, he wondered suddenly. It looked as though she’d scraped her chin on something as well, but the way she held her head tilted downward, he hadn’t gotten a very good look at it. She hadn’t answered him even when he’d asked about it, either, so it couldn’t possibly be more than a scratch, if that.
This woman is a consummate liar, he reminded himself. I’d be an absolute moron to fall for her tricks. If she were truly hurt, she’d be playing it for all she was worth. He shook his head, the thoughts ringing hollow in his mind. A woman like that wouldn’t have refused to leave the Brun she didn’t even know behind, he argued with himself. She wouldn’t have put up with my rude comments in silence. Wouldn’t, even now, be trudging through the pouring rain away from the ship and certain safety.
She stumbled yet again and he heard her sharp intake of breath. This time he reached out to help her, then remembered her telling him not to touch her. He was trying to work out what he should do when she stepped around a tree and fell heavily to her knees.
“Hey, Star,” Ria said, her voice soft and shaky. “Sorry that took so long. I lost track of where I was. How’re you doing?”
“Better now that you’ve returned.” Thorn felt the Brun’s pale blue eyes studying him.
“Star, this is Admiral…Katre,” Ria said. “Sorry, Admiral, but I don’t know your name. This is Star.”
She doesn’t know my name? That makes no sense. She’s taking suppressants to hide from us. She has to at least know our names. She’s lying, obviously.
“Thorn,” he rasped. “My name is Thorn.” Ria and the Brun stilled for a long moment, their eyes fixed on him warily, making him realize how harsh and abrupt he sounded.
“He will help us?” Star asked uncertainly.
“Yeah, sure,” Ria said without much conviction. “What do you think, Star? Can you walk?”
“I don’t know. I will certainly try. Ria, what’s the matter? I can sense your pain. What happened to your chin?”
“It’s nothing, Star, just a scratch.”
“No, it’s not a scratch,” the Brun insisted. “You’re bleeding onto your shirt.”
“No, it’s just rain,” Ria insisted tiredly as she began fumbling for the zipper on her jacket. Considering Thorn’s snarky comments so far, she had no doubt he’d have a great time ripping her to pieces if he knew she’d injured herself. Less than ten minutes alone with the man and she’d more than had her fill of him. She hadn't even had a physical reaction to him this time.
One thing is certain. Taking pheromone suppressants was the best decision I ever made. I wouldn’t last two days as berezi to a man like Thorn Katre before catching the next ship to Anywhere-But-Here. And that’s not even counting his brothers.
Using her good hand, she raised the collar of her sweat jacket so that it covered her entire neck, throat, and chin. Then she tugged the zipper all the way up to the top, wincing just a little when the zipper pressed against the wound.
She thought the jacket was black, but since she couldn’t discern color, she couldn’t be certain. If she was wrong, blood would probably soak through eventually. Then she’d just have to bear the humiliation when he noticed it because there was nothing further she could do to hide it.
“Come on, Star, let's get you up.”
Thorn tried to see the blood the Brun mentioned, but Ria was turned away from him. He did catch the scent of blood in the air, but he knew the Brun had been shot. The scent had to be coming from her even though he couldn’t see it with the blanket covering her.
He frowned, recognizing the emergency blanket and wondering why Ria wasn’t using it herself. Then he turned his attention to the Brun, who was struggling to stand. Ria was trying to help, though she was only using one arm.
He felt badly for grabbing her the way he had, but he knew he hadn’t hurt her. She just didn’t know when to quit. Apparently he’d given her more credit for intelligence than she deserved.
Still, even if she used both arms she wouldn’t be able to help the Brun to her feet,
and he wanted off this planet sooner than later. He knelt down behind the Brun and slid his hands under her hips, then lifted. She managed to get her front legs under her and, with a supreme effort and a soft whine, she was up on three legs.
“I’m sorry that hurt so much,” Ria said as she walked around the Brun, tugging the blanket here and there to make sure it covered Star as much as possible. Then she placed one hand lightly on Star’s neck as she hung her head, panting through the pain. “Do you think you can walk?”
“Yes, I think so,” Star said. “Getting up was the hard part.”
“Lean on me if you need to,” Ria said. “Wait, let me get on your other side first.”
“What’s wrong with your arm?” Star asked, watching as Ria passed in front of her.
“I fell on it. Not a big deal. Let’s go.”
“You injured your arm?” Thorn demanded sharply. Ria shrugged her good shoulder but did not look up at him. “I asked you a question,” he growled, insulted by her refusal to look at him, let alone answer. “My face doesn’t change the fact that my rank is higher than yours.”
“Your rank doesn’t give you power over me, Admiral,” she said, her voice soft enough that he had to strain to hear it over the rain. “I’m not quite the moron you take me for. And, for your information, I’m pretty much blind. I can’t see your face, I don’t have any idea what you look like, and believe it or not, I honestly don’t give a damn.”
Thorn froze, so stunned he couldn’t even breathe. How had he managed to forget that she could only see in infrared? He looked around with new eyes, realizing immediately that the cold rain had cooled everything around them, leaving too little difference in temperature for her to see much at all.
No wonder she’d stumbled so many times. And he hadn’t bothered to help. Not once. He’d insulted her, and hurt her, and mocked her, he’d almost laughed at her, but he hadn’t helped her or even offered to help her.
He ran a shaky hand over the rough scars on his face, his eyes widening. She didn’t know what he looked like? Then why was she taking pheromone suppressants? And why was she acting as though she didn’t want him anywhere near her? He thought of the way he’d been treating her and sighed.
“You still haven’t answered my question about your arm,” he said, making an effort to soften his tone.
“Nor do I intend to. You’re not here for me, remember? That makes me and my arm none of your business.”
Thorn frowned, wondering what she meant by that. He replayed everything he’d said to her once again before he understood. Did she truly believe that he’d leave her here? If so, she really didn't think very much of him.
Why should she? he asked himself. He’d deliberately hurt her. He’d been angry and hurt and had relished the chance to get back at her for things he now realized she’d never done. He couldn’t exactly blame her for having such a low opinion of him. He wasn’t thinking too highly of himself at the moment.
“Come on Star, let’s go,” Ria said. He watched as she leaned close to the Brun, her good arm over the giant wolf’s neck, urging Star to lean on her even though the Brun’s back was higher than Ria’s waist, her head higher than Ria’s shoulders if she held it up.
For the first time he reached for Ria’s feelings. She was in pain. A lot of pain. Not just physical, but emotional too. And he’d caused it.
He suddenly wanted nothing more than to pick her up and carry her to the ship. But she didn’t trust him enough to let him know she’d been injured. She’d never agree to let him carry her, and he couldn’t do it against her will.
He could at least make sure the way was clear for them, he decided. He stepped around Ria, careful not to touch her injured arm, then moved up in front of them. He led them along the length of the clearing just inside the tree line until they were close to the ship, keeping his pace slow for their sake. Now and then Star would whine softly, but otherwise they were silent.
He paused before breaking cover, wishing he’d landed the ship closer to the tree line. It was only about ten yards away, but neither Ria nor Star would be able to travel even that short distance in a hurry. He used his katrenca senses to taste the air, listening carefully.
“There’s no one around,” Ria said in a low voice. “I’d see their heat signature.”
“What about the Nomen that were hunting Star?” he asked, gentling his rough voice as much as possible.
“Star heard them talking about a hot meal out of the storm, and I watched them walk away until I couldn’t see their heat signature any more.”
The hair along the nape of his neck rose and his katrenca hissed angrily. “How close did they get to you?”
“Twenty yards, maybe less. What difference does it make? They didn’t see us.”
Thorn looked over his shoulder at Ria. Her voice was flat, devoid of all expression, and her head and shoulders were bowed. It was a sharp contrast to the surprised but spirited woman she’d been when he arrived. Spirited and unharmed.
He sighed, regretting his behavior enormously. He had no idea how to fix it and besides, their priority at the moment was to get off this planet.
He stepped into the clearing with Ria and the Brun behind him. Star gasped in surprise when they passed the edge of Blind Sight, making it seem as though the ship appeared out of nothing. He reached up to the headset he wore and tapped a control. A door in the side of the ship slid open and a ramp extended toward the ground. He climbed the ramp, then turned, waiting for them to follow.
“Just a little more, Star,” Ria encouraged the Brun. “Then you can lay down and rest.”
Star eyed the ramp, the ship, and the man who stood in the doorway. “You are sure this is safe, Ria?”
“Yes, I’m sure, and I wouldn’t lie to you about this, Star. Nothing bad will happen to you. He’ll take you back up to his ship where a doctor will treat your injury and help you with your babies.”
“Me?” Star asked, stilling. “What of you?”
“Don’t worry about me,” Ria said softly, hearing Thorn’s footsteps fade as he went deeper into the ship. “I’m just a waste of space anyway.”
“I do not understand what that means.”
“It’s nothing,” Ria said. “Come on, let’s get you in out of this rain.”
Star hesitated, but she knew that she could not stay on her feet much longer, and that to remain on this world was to choose death for herself and her cubs. Climbing the metal ramp was difficult, but with Ria at her side helping her maintain her balance and steadying her, she made it. Once she was inside the ship, she nearly collapsed before Thorn asked her to wait.
He opened a compartment in the wall, grabbed a jacket that he hastily shrugged into, then opened another compartment next to it. He came back with a blanket which Star thought he would give to Ria who was soaking wet and shivering with cold. Instead, he spread it out on the floor. Star eyed it uncertainly, then looked up at Ria who was staring down at it. She knelt down and reached out, patting the blanket.
“This is for you, Star. Go ahead and lie down. It’ll be more comfortable than the bare floor.”
Star watched Thorn enter another section of the ship. She hoped he’d bring another blanket for Ria, but she really didn’t think he would.
“You should cover yourself with that, Ria. I already have a blanket and I know you’re cold.”
“I don’t need it,” Ria said. “Come on, lie down before you fall down.”
Knowing Ria was right about her falling, Star stumbled forward just enough to be on the blanket. Fighting not to whimper and further worry her new friend, she lowered herself to the floor as carefully as her shaking limbs would allow.
“You all right?” Ria asked.
“Yes,” Star replied. “Thank you, Ria.”
“Don’t thank me, thank Admiral Thorn,” Ria said. “He’s the one came down here for you. You’re in good hands, Star.”
Ria stood and turned toward the door, then paused when she saw that the door appea
red to be closing. She reached out, wondering if she was seeing what she thought, but the soft thump told her what her eyes couldn’t quite see with everything around her so cold. She turned around and saw Thorn’s heat signature in the doorway to the cockpit. “What are you doing?”
“Did you really think I would leave you?”
“Yes,” she replied, bringing Thorn up short. She meant it, he realized. And she was calm about it. Accepting. He tried, but he couldn’t seem to make sense of that.
“Come up here and strap yourself in.”
“I think I should stay back here with Star.”
“That could be dangerous,” he rasped. “Getting out of the atmosphere is going to make this a rough ride.”
“I know, Admiral, that’s why I want to stay back here. I need to try to keep Star from getting knocked around too much. She doesn’t need any more injuries.”
Thorn stared at Ria for a long moment. Her head was tilted downward, the collar of her jacket covering her chin and jaw, but what he could see of her face was very pale and set in an expression that revealed nothing. He had to admit that her reason for wanting to remain near the Brun was a good one.
“What about you?”
“What about me?” she asked, confused.
“You don’t need any more injuries either.”
She lifted her right shoulder in a shrug while holding her left arm still. “I’m not injured enough to mention, and if I were, Star is more important anyway.”
He knew she was lying about her injuries. He didn’t know how he knew, he just did. He felt it. But she wasn’t lying when she said Star was more important than she was. It hurt something deep inside of him to realize she believed that.
“How bad is your arm?”
“It’s just sore, Admiral. Nothing serious.”
He didn’t believe that, either, but there was no time to argue with her further. They’d been on this planet too long as it was, and it wasn’t as though he could force her to strap herself into a seat, anyway. If he tried he’d only end up hurting her. Besides, she’d told him not to touch her and not even he would ignore a woman’s right to make that demand.
Ria's Visions (Hearts of ICARUS Book 6) Page 22
