Ivar's Escape (Assassins of Gravas Book 2)

by N. J. Walters

  “What’s wrong?” Like some avenging angel, Delphi crouched between him and the door, a blade in both hands.

  It was only a dream. No, not a dream, a memory. He’d been a boy in the vision. He’d been sleeping in the bed in the large palatial home.

  “Who is Spear?”

  She silently slipped the blades away and put her hands on her hips, looking more alert and beautiful than she had a right to. “Why do you think I’d know?”

  She knows. The defensive tone, the way her shoulders hunched the slightest bit gave her away.

  “You asked if the name meant anything to me when I was in the cell.” He’d forgotten that until now. “You know who I am, so you must know those who are close to me.”

  “And you think this Spear is close to you?”

  He rubbed his hands over his face. He should be exhausted but was wired. “I dreamed of him. He was a boy. We both were. And there was another one, a younger one, I think.”

  “Your memories are coming back.” She went back to her pallet and sat. “That’s good.”

  She wasn’t going to tell him. In that second, he almost hated her. It burned in his chest as a bitter laugh escaped. “Is it? What does it matter? I’ll be in another prison in a matter of days.” He dropped back onto the ground, hands fisted by his sides. Maybe he was better off making a run for it when she was asleep once again. If he died, at least he’d die a free man and not a prisoner.

  The silence was charged, both of them lost in their thoughts.

  “Spear is why I’m here.”

  It was a lifeline. He grabbed it with both hands, even as jealousy bit hard and deep.

  “You know him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you involved with him?” It almost killed him to ask.

  “Of course not.”

  Relief spread through him like a cool healing balm. “Tell me about yourself.” Delphi was a first-rate assassin and one hell of a lover. Other than that, he knew little about her. When the silence deepened, he fought his disappointment. “Never mind.”

  “I have a twin,” she blurted.

  He couldn’t imagine two such beauties roaming the universe. “What’s her name?”

  “His. We’re fraternal twins. His name is Zaxe.” There was so much love and affection when she spoke his name.

  Ivar frowned. “That’s unusual and not a normal Zaxian name.” Again, he didn’t question the knowledge. It was simply there.

  “Our names are not the ones we were born with. They were given to us by the woman who took us in and trained us.” Her tone was clipped. Whatever the story was, it wasn’t a pleasant one.

  There was so much he wanted to ask, but that would only make her clam up. Listening was the most important part of any conversation. Knowing when to speak and when to remain quiet was a skill few possessed.

  But he did. And he was exceptionally gifted at reading people—the slight changes in their bodies and the nuances in their voices.

  Another clue to his mysterious past.

  “I have a sister, too. Not a biological one, but one by choice. She was taken in by the same woman. We banded together to survive.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Through the gloom, he saw her shrug. “It is what it is. We’re all alive. Sass is settled, but Zaxe and I are still trying to find our way.”

  “Sass, that’s your sister’s name.” He thought for a second. “Sass. Sass. Assassin, right?” Who in their right mind stuck a kid with a name like that?

  “Yes.”

  “And Zaxe is a war axe from the planet Zaxus.”

  “Yes.”

  They were named for their profession. “I’m not sure I understand Delphi.”

  Her sigh was filled with sadness and tinged with bitterness. “It’s short for Delphinium. It’s a flower from Terra before the collapse of their ecological system. The young plants and seeds were poisonous.”

  “I see.” He didn’t, not really, but talking about this was hurting her.

  “It doesn’t matter. Not anymore. We’re free now.”

  Unlike him. He turned his back and stared at the wall. Maybe it was better he didn’t remember his past. There was no real anguish, wondering if anyone was looking for him or missing him. Or worse, the knowledge that they might have betrayed him.

  The image of the young boys from his dream came back full force. The taller one was scowling. No, these two would not betray him.

  That brought with it some comfort. Closing his eyes, he slept. And this time it was free of dreams.

  ****

  Delphi glanced at Ivar for the hundredth time since the rising sun had awakened her earlier. Streams of light flowed down from the slits in the ceiling, heating the entire room, but she still felt the chill.

  He was quiet, sitting with his back to the wall, seemingly uninterested in anything. Not like last night when he’d been full of questions.

  Why did I tell him anything?

  The need for secrecy had been beaten into her from the time she was a child. Artemis, the woman who’d taken them in and trained them, had done everything in her power to create assassins who obeyed without question.

  Delphi didn’t like to think about her life before—the death of her parents while they’d been visiting another planet, being frightened and alone with Zaxe, two orphaned children with no way home and no one to help them. They’d survived by their wits, barely. They’d been hungry and desperate when Artemis had appeared, offering them a better life.

  All too soon, they learned they’d traded one hell for another.

  Don’t think about it.

  “You’re free now,” she muttered. She was on edge, having walked to the entrance of the cave several times this morning. There was still no sign of Spear or Sass or any Gravasians. And there should have been by now.

  Her gaze was drawn back to Ivar. His head was tilted back, his eyes closed, but he wasn’t sleeping. The muscles in his arms and shoulders were tense.

  He turned his head slowly, opened his eyes, and stared. “What is it?”

  The closeness from yesterday was gone, replaced by a stiltedness that bothered her more than it should. She’d opened herself up to him and he’d closed himself off.

  Because you’re keeping things from him and he knows it.

  “Something is wrong.” She’d figure out how to deal with Ivar later. They had bigger problems right now.

  He shrugged and closed his eyes again.

  Stalking over to him, she crossed her arms over her chest and peered down. “Aren’t you the least bit concerned?”

  “No.” His eyes blazed with anger as he surged to his feet. “What are they going to do if they catch me? Toss me in prison? Beat me? That’s nothing new. Maybe they’ll kill me. At this point, it might be a relief.”

  She grabbed his arm when he started to walk away and yanked him back around. “Don’t say that.”

  He pointedly stared at where her hand touched him. She slowly released him.

  “My contacts should have arrived by now.”

  Ivar picked up one of the water bottles and took a drink. “Forgive me if I’m not upset my new jailers haven’t arrived yet.”

  “You’re not going to be harmed, I promise.”

  “You can’t know that.” He tossed the bottle down. Even though he was still far too pale, his body nowhere near his full weight, he was an impressive and intimidating sight to behold. Her blood thickened and her skin tingled in the most intimate places.

  Not now.

  “I do know.”

  “Why should I believe you?”

  She hadn’t expected that. What had she thought? That he’d trust her because they slept together?

  Spinning around, she walked back to the opening of the cave, being careful to stay just out of sight of anyone who might happen by, and peered out over the thick, lush vegetation covering the side of the mountain. Colorful birds with plumage of bright green, red, yellow, and blue swooped by. Insects buzzed in the
heat. The sun beat down on them.

  This was the daily lull, where most people stayed inside with the windows open to catch any breeze. Some slept. Others did minor chores. No one exerted themselves much until the sun sank lower and the worst of the heat subsided.

  She’d grown up on a planet hotter than this one, her skin offering protection from the sun’s rays. It had been so long she barely remembered what home had been like.

  Her shoulders tensed and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled as Ivar came up behind her.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Not what she’d expected. She tilted her head back, peering up at him. “For what?”

  A quick grin flashed across his face. “Gonna make me say it, are you? For being an ass.”

  She turned and placed her hand on his chest, every inch of her relaxing as she made the connection. “You have every right to be upset. But I promise you. I promise,” she repeated. “No one is going to hurt you.”

  He stared into her eyes for what seemed an eternity. The gold in his eyes seemed even brighter. It had to be a trick of the sunlight, but it gave her a glimpse of what he might be like once he was back to full health. His skin would naturally tan, giving him a healthy glow.

  “You’re really worried about your contacts?” he murmured.

  “I am. I’m afraid the beacon didn’t work or something is blocking it.”

  “What do we do?”

  “I think it’s time to move to Plan B.”

  The corners of his mouth tilted up. “There’s a Plan B?”

  “And a C, D, and E. You can never have—”

  “Too many plans,” he finished.

  “Exactly.” He might not be a trained assassin, but he was a warrior and thought like one. “We’re going to run out of supplies. I didn’t plan for a prolonged stay. We need to try to make it to the docking station. If we can access my ship, we can outrun anything else here. And help won’t be far away.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.” He tucked a curl behind her ear, his fingers grazing her throat. “But first, I need to do this.” His lips pressed against hers.

  The strain of the morning, the stress all slipped away as his mouth moved over hers. He tasted warm and spicy with a hint of the nourishment bar he’d consumed earlier. She hadn’t eaten much, her stomach too unsettled. Now it was jittery for an entirely different reason.

  She slipped her hands around his neck, loving the way he locked his forearm around her back and pulled her closer. That she needed his kiss more than food was disturbing, but she was past caring. It was a foregone conclusion she’d be hurt at the end of this mission.

  But that was life.

  If she hoped to avoid the pain, she’d have to forego this moment. And that wasn’t something she was prepared to do.

  Heat flooded her, her muscles relaxing, her body languid. She melted against Ivar as he teased the seam of her mouth with his tongue. She returned the gesture, but snaked inside, playing and teasing.

  And those hands of his, those big, strong hands coasted up and down her spine, caressing her shoulders before moving downward to finally settle on her ass. He was taller than her so he was slightly hunched over. There was no mistaking the bulge pressing against her stomach. He was as aroused as she was.

  She played with the short ends of his hair before stroking his chest. There was so much of him to explore and not enough time to do it. The day was waning. If they were going to make a run for it today, it had to be now.

  “We have a window for our escape. This is the quietest part of the day.” She licked her lips, savoring the taste of him.

  He groaned and nodded. “Is it better now or when it’s more crowded?”

  “Normally, I’d say when it’s crowded, but there’s more chance of being recognized. And the guards get sleepy in the midday heat. Even at the docking station, they’ve been known to nap.”

  “Then now it is.” He kissed her again before going back to the inner cave. Taking one last look over the terrain, she followed. Ivar had already rolled the blankets and was gathering the rest of the gear.

  “We’ll leave all that here. Walking with packs like that will get us noticed. It took me some time to gather everything and sneak it up here.”

  “Still smart to remove any sign of our being here.” He continued to pack efficiently.

  “You’re right. We can store them behind the boulder in case we have to retreat.” That wasn’t likely. If they didn’t get away, it would be because they’d been captured. But it was better to be prepared.

  She grabbed one of the bags and carried it beyond the hot springs room. After storing it, she stared down at the ground. She’d lost her virginity here, had her first lover. Maybe not the stuff of dreams, given the location, but she wouldn’t change it for anything.

  Ivar placed his pack beside hers. “Ready?”

  “Almost.” She dug a straw hat out of the pack for him. “Here, put this on.” It hid his hair and gave him a totally different look from the unkempt man she’d broken out of the cell. She pulled out a pair of thin sandals. “Sorry I couldn’t get anything better.” They were cheaply made from local materials and worn by about half the population.

  “I’ll make do. Anything is better than being barefoot.”

  Then it was time. Taking a deep breath, she allowed the change to come over her. She was no longer Delphi, the woman who’d taken a lover. She was a ruthless assassin with a mission. One she couldn’t afford to fail.

  Without a backward glance, she headed back through the cave with Ivar close behind.

  Chapter Eleven

  It was fascinating to watch the transformation come over Delphi. This was the woman he’d met the first night. But the Delphi he knew, the one he was coming to love, was still there beneath the façade.

  He hadn’t been himself since he woke. The dream from last night had followed him into the morning. Even knowing it would do no good, he strained to recover more memories. But to no avail. They remained locked away.

  Spear is real. That knowledge beat in his heart. His memory had been right. He did have a brother, more than one. Delphi also had siblings. That she’d shared anything of herself had surprised him. Maybe it had been the intimacy of the night and their earlier closeness that had allowed them both to share.

  Silent as a shadow, she slipped through the lush, thick vegetation. Beneath the limbs of towering trees and around full bushes with leaves almost as large as her. This planet was an oasis. It was small with one habitable landmass. The rest was water and rock and desert regions. It had no minerals and not enough good soil for large-scale farming. Plus no one wanted to face the might of the pirate king Balthazar, who ran the planet with an iron fist.

  The people who sought sanctuary here would turn on one another in a heartbeat, but they’d join together to battle an outside source. The rest of the universe left Tortuga alone, preferring the assassins, bandits, pirates, and more nasty elements congregate here instead of on other worlds.

  Even the Alliance ignored them.

  Ivar kept Delphi in sight while paying attention to his surroundings. The bruises on his body were still healing, but the hot springs had helped his ribs. They ached but were more tolerable. The medication, the food he’d eaten, the rest, and fresh air had done wonders for him.

  He would not go back to prison. Come what may, he’d rather go down fighting.

  Stay alive.

  The voice echoed in his head, but he ignored it. If it came down to a choice between dying and prison, he’d take out as many of his attackers as he could, but he would not surrender.

  Delphi stopped and raised her right fist. He halted, going completely still. Two minutes passed before she slowly lowered her arm and continued.

  Frustration gnawed at his gut. Only she knew where they were going. He’d been dragged unconscious into the prison. Other than a glimpse on the night and early morning of his escape, he hadn’t had a chance to get the layout of the settlement.

&
nbsp; She moved without hesitation, her knowledge of the area unquestionable. Without him, she’d already be on her ship and blasting off.

  He was a hindrance.

  It pricked his male pride, no doubt about it. He used his silver tongue and his intellect to get out of tricky situations, relying on his brawn only if there was no other choice. Oh, he knew how to fight, but anyone could be overpowered if drugged.

  The scene unfolded before him—a drink in a tavern, laughter, a steamy bowl of soup.

  “What is it?” Delphi was beside him, her dark eyes filled with worry. He’d stopped walking and hadn’t even realized it.

  “I was drugged.” They’d managed to slip that by him. He was always cautious, only sipping out of unopened bottles when possible. When it wasn’t, he pretended to drink. “Someone I thought I could trust betrayed me.”

  And when he found out who it was, he’d destroy them.

  “Worry about that later. We have to keep moving.” She glanced up at the position of the sun and frowned.

  “Right.” He motioned for her to continue. If they didn’t get out of here, none of it would matter.

  The settlement was getting closer. She skirted it, leaving it behind. The vegetation ended abruptly. Before them was a massive metal hanger that had been constructed on the vast desert flatland. Mounted on top of the structure were laser cannons that could bring down most small ships. He didn’t doubt that there were even more of them positioned around the settlement, maybe even buried in the surrounding desert.

  While the rest of the planet was kept in its primitive form, the docking station appeared to be first-class. Security had to be tight.

  “This is good. It’s not the same guard as the last time I was here.”

  Ivar crouched beside her. “How do we get in?”

  “We don’t.”

  There was no discussion, no hesitation. Delphi simply stood and strolled onto the path leading to the gated doors.

  “Son of Dragarian sloth,” he repeated the curse she’d used. If they made it through this alive, he was going to— He had no idea what he’d do since he wouldn’t harm her. But something. He should be protecting her, not the other way around.