off the radar and out of sight from the
authorities.” He rubbed his face. “And I make sure that any newcomers know,
too.”
Sky
frowned. “Did someone give you trouble?”
“Nothing
I can’t handle.”
“Because
I’d be happy to come here and make an example out of someone,” Sky continued,
irritated and not sure why.
“I
know that, and that’s why I handled it myself.” John smiled, then. “Besides, I
don’t want you upsetting the little one.” He poked her in the stomach.
Sky
scowled at him. “You’re lucky I like you, John.”
“Or
you’d break my finger?” He danced away from her, eyes twinkling.
“Yup,”
Sky said.
John
rolled his eyes, and then his expression sobered. “By the way, the fallout on Xyran is ongoing. Spoke with a smuggler yesterday who said
he’d heard it from an escaped slave he’d rescued during his last run to Alpha.”
“Still?” Sky asked, disgusted. “You’d think the tribes would just let it go already.
It’s been months.”
“Two Xyrans defecting to
Earth? One a
tribal leader’s son and the other a former slave who killed the leader? Ha, not likely. They’re slowly assassinating the males in Jaxt’s tribe and dividing up the slaves and women.”
Sky
pursed her lips. “Did you tell Jaxt and Zoen about it?”
“Yeah. They were not happy. I could see it
even through that Xyran stoicism they’re so good at
projecting.”
“Hmm,”
Sky said, thinking. “We might have to see if we can do something to help the
women and children, at least.”
“Don’t
go getting yourself involved in that mess, Sky. Xyran politicking involves a lot of bloodshed. And you have a little one to think of,
now,” John said grimly.
Sky
patted his arm. “I know, John. Don’t worry. I would never endanger my child.
Even so, there may be something we can do. I’ll talk it over with Jaxt and Zoen .” She hated the
thought of innocent people suffering because of what she and Jaxt and Zoen had done. And her bondmates had taught her that not all Xyrans were barbarians.
“Sky! You’re here!” Cori burst out of the cabin and hurtled down the steps,
interrupting their conversation. “ Zoen was showing me
how to throw knives in the back and I didn’t see you come.”
Sky
hugged the girl tightly. “Throwing knives, huh? I bet you’re good at it.”
The
girl sighed. “No, I suck, actually. But Zoen says I
have to practice.”
“Practice
makes perfect,” Sky agreed. She eased away and handed Cori the turkey. “Here,
your dinner.”
“Oh, yum! Thanks,” Cori said excitedly.
“You
took more than two hours to arrive, woman,” Jaxt said
from the doorway of the cabin.
Sky
wrinkled her forehead at him. “So?”
“You
said you would only be an hour.”
“I
needed some alone time,” she said, walking up to him and hugging his stiff
torso.
He
grumbled, then relented and hugged her back. “ Zoen missed you.”
Sky
grinned against the soft leather of his shirt. “Oh, he did, huh?”
“He
wishes to go back home now.” Jaxt kissed the top of
her head and stepped back.
“Let
me say hello to Alice and Louisa, then we can go.”
****
A
few hours later the three of them were hiking the familiar trail back to the
cave system. Since they’d bonded, their energy levels had spiked. What once
used to be a half-day’s travel had shortened to a couple of hours.
“Almost
home,” Sky said, smiling. The landscape was just as dusty and desolate as she remembered, the rainfall just as non-existent as it had been
before her space adventure, but every rock and stone around her was familiar
and comforting. And her secret spring, tucked deep in the cave system where
they lived still had plenty of water. Enough for us to
survive on, comfortably. She thought about the seedlings she’d
planted in a protected clearing. Jaxt had managed to
construct an elaborate irrigation system, and they already had fresh cucumbers
and tomatoes to eat. No more cactus !
“I
am glad, because
authorities.” He rubbed his face. “And I make sure that any newcomers know,
too.”
Sky
frowned. “Did someone give you trouble?”
“Nothing
I can’t handle.”
“Because
I’d be happy to come here and make an example out of someone,” Sky continued,
irritated and not sure why.
“I
know that, and that’s why I handled it myself.” John smiled, then. “Besides, I
don’t want you upsetting the little one.” He poked her in the stomach.
Sky
scowled at him. “You’re lucky I like you, John.”
“Or
you’d break my finger?” He danced away from her, eyes twinkling.
“Yup,”
Sky said.
John
rolled his eyes, and then his expression sobered. “By the way, the fallout on Xyran is ongoing. Spoke with a smuggler yesterday who said
he’d heard it from an escaped slave he’d rescued during his last run to Alpha.”
“Still?” Sky asked, disgusted. “You’d think the tribes would just let it go already.
It’s been months.”
“Two Xyrans defecting to
Earth? One a
tribal leader’s son and the other a former slave who killed the leader? Ha, not likely. They’re slowly assassinating the males in Jaxt’s tribe and dividing up the slaves and women.”
Sky
pursed her lips. “Did you tell Jaxt and Zoen about it?”
“Yeah. They were not happy. I could see it
even through that Xyran stoicism they’re so good at
projecting.”
“Hmm,”
Sky said, thinking. “We might have to see if we can do something to help the
women and children, at least.”
“Don’t
go getting yourself involved in that mess, Sky. Xyran politicking involves a lot of bloodshed. And you have a little one to think of,
now,” John said grimly.
Sky
patted his arm. “I know, John. Don’t worry. I would never endanger my child.
Even so, there may be something we can do. I’ll talk it over with Jaxt and Zoen .” She hated the
thought of innocent people suffering because of what she and Jaxt and Zoen had done. And her bondmates had taught her that not all Xyrans were barbarians.
“Sky! You’re here!” Cori burst out of the cabin and hurtled down the steps,
interrupting their conversation. “ Zoen was showing me
how to throw knives in the back and I didn’t see you come.”
Sky
hugged the girl tightly. “Throwing knives, huh? I bet you’re good at it.”
The
girl sighed. “No, I suck, actually. But Zoen says I
have to practice.”
“Practice
makes perfect,” Sky agreed. She eased away and handed Cori the turkey. “Here,
your dinner.”
“Oh, yum! Thanks,” Cori said excitedly.
“You
took more than two hours to arrive, woman,” Jaxt said
from the doorway of the cabin.
Sky
wrinkled her forehead at him. “So?”
“You
said you would only be an hour.”
“I
needed some alone time,” she said, walking up to him and hugging his stiff
torso.
He
grumbled, then relented and hugged her back. “ Zoen missed you.”
Sky
grinned against the soft leather of his shirt. “Oh, he did, huh?”
“He
wishes to go back home now.” Jaxt kissed the top of
her head and stepped back.
“Let
me say hello to Alice and Louisa, then we can go.”
****
A
few hours later the three of them were hiking the familiar trail back to the
cave system. Since they’d bonded, their energy levels had spiked. What once
used to be a half-day’s travel had shortened to a couple of hours.
“Almost
home,” Sky said, smiling. The landscape was just as dusty and desolate as she remembered, the rainfall just as non-existent as it had been
before her space adventure, but every rock and stone around her was familiar
and comforting. And her secret spring, tucked deep in the cave system where
they lived still had plenty of water. Enough for us to
survive on, comfortably. She thought about the seedlings she’d
planted in a protected clearing. Jaxt had managed to
construct an elaborate irrigation system, and they already had fresh cucumbers
and tomatoes to eat. No more cactus !
“I
am glad, because
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