extolled the wonders they’d seen
and expressed concerns about all the friends still trapped within
the energy barrier.
“We better go.” Naloni finally halted the
lively conversation. “The longer we maintain the link the greater
chance there is that someone will take notice.”
“I thought the link was secure,” Max said
after she terminated the connection.
“No one can tap in and hear what you’re
saying, but no signal is truly untraceable. I’m sure Captain Thrax
has made it extremely difficult to uncover the origin of the
signal, but there is always someone out there persistent enough and
skilled enough to unravel the misdirection.” He stood and gave her
back her seat. “One more call then I’m yours for the rest of the
evening.”
“And if I want you for longer than one
evening?” His gaze warmed and brightened, smoldering with blue
intensity. “Can I make a counteroffer?”
She kept the chair between them, not trusting
herself to complete her last task if they touched. “I’m always open
for negotiations.”
He sighed and his gaze focused on her mouth.
“I have so little to offer you. There is no way I can give you the
things you’re used to having.”
The hopelessness in his tone angered her. She
leaned closer, drawing his gaze back to her eyes. “Do you think so
little of me? The things I long for are not possessions and
luxuries. I’ve had everything money can buy my entire life, and the
only time I was truly happy was when I was pretending to be a
slave.”
“I want to believe that. I’m trying to
believe, but when returning to your ‘real’ life is no longer an
option, I know you’ll resent me.”
Chapter Seven
Emperor Sineth Olla strode along the line of
people kneeling in front of him. His boot heels snapped out his
agitation against the marble floor of Tarhee’s elaborate villa.
Sunlight streamed in through open archways and still Sineth could
barely focus through fury’s red haze. “Where is my daughter!”
“We believe she slipped beyond the barrier,
Sire.” Mikko Xyell’s voice was barely more than a whisper and his
head bowed respectfully. He was far more composed than Tarhee,
which made Sineth hate the ambassador even more. His son was a
disappointment on every level, and this man had enabled Tarhee’s
abominable behavior every step of the way.
“If she passed beyond the barrier, her GPS
chip would have become visible to my scanners again.” He felt as if
he were speaking with simple-minded children, explaining concepts
that should have been self-evident. “The city is surrounded by my
troops, and we have not stopped scanning the perimeter since I
learned she was in danger. Her abductors must have her hidden
somewhere inside this abomination.”
“We thought so as well,” Xyell went on.
“That’s why we minimized the intensity of the barrier until only a
visible facsimile remained. Then we scanned the entire city,
section by section.”
“Then where is she?” He rolled his eyes and
started back down the row. Imbeciles! He was surrounded by useless,
spineless shadows of Fedorans! The magistrate—handpicked by Tarhee.
Captain of the city guards. And… His gaze connected with the only
woman in the room. Laetif Xyell, the ambassador’s wife. Her eyes
shone with cunning and fear. Not the hopeless sort of a person
trapped by circumstance, but the fatalistic gleam of someone with
something to hide. “You!”
She immediately lowered her head, but he
strode to her and grasped her chin, raising her face until she
looked at him again. “Where is Naloni?”
“I don’t know, Sire.” Her tone was steady
enough to convince him, to a point. She might not know Naloni’s
location, but she knew a whole hell of a lot more than she had said
thus far. “I’m not even sure why you summoned me. I have little to
do with my husband’s affairs.”
Sineth snorted. “So my investigators tell me.
You’re too busy fucking your bodyguard to keep tabs on
and expressed concerns about all the friends still trapped within
the energy barrier.
“We better go.” Naloni finally halted the
lively conversation. “The longer we maintain the link the greater
chance there is that someone will take notice.”
“I thought the link was secure,” Max said
after she terminated the connection.
“No one can tap in and hear what you’re
saying, but no signal is truly untraceable. I’m sure Captain Thrax
has made it extremely difficult to uncover the origin of the
signal, but there is always someone out there persistent enough and
skilled enough to unravel the misdirection.” He stood and gave her
back her seat. “One more call then I’m yours for the rest of the
evening.”
“And if I want you for longer than one
evening?” His gaze warmed and brightened, smoldering with blue
intensity. “Can I make a counteroffer?”
She kept the chair between them, not trusting
herself to complete her last task if they touched. “I’m always open
for negotiations.”
He sighed and his gaze focused on her mouth.
“I have so little to offer you. There is no way I can give you the
things you’re used to having.”
The hopelessness in his tone angered her. She
leaned closer, drawing his gaze back to her eyes. “Do you think so
little of me? The things I long for are not possessions and
luxuries. I’ve had everything money can buy my entire life, and the
only time I was truly happy was when I was pretending to be a
slave.”
“I want to believe that. I’m trying to
believe, but when returning to your ‘real’ life is no longer an
option, I know you’ll resent me.”
Chapter Seven
Emperor Sineth Olla strode along the line of
people kneeling in front of him. His boot heels snapped out his
agitation against the marble floor of Tarhee’s elaborate villa.
Sunlight streamed in through open archways and still Sineth could
barely focus through fury’s red haze. “Where is my daughter!”
“We believe she slipped beyond the barrier,
Sire.” Mikko Xyell’s voice was barely more than a whisper and his
head bowed respectfully. He was far more composed than Tarhee,
which made Sineth hate the ambassador even more. His son was a
disappointment on every level, and this man had enabled Tarhee’s
abominable behavior every step of the way.
“If she passed beyond the barrier, her GPS
chip would have become visible to my scanners again.” He felt as if
he were speaking with simple-minded children, explaining concepts
that should have been self-evident. “The city is surrounded by my
troops, and we have not stopped scanning the perimeter since I
learned she was in danger. Her abductors must have her hidden
somewhere inside this abomination.”
“We thought so as well,” Xyell went on.
“That’s why we minimized the intensity of the barrier until only a
visible facsimile remained. Then we scanned the entire city,
section by section.”
“Then where is she?” He rolled his eyes and
started back down the row. Imbeciles! He was surrounded by useless,
spineless shadows of Fedorans! The magistrate—handpicked by Tarhee.
Captain of the city guards. And… His gaze connected with the only
woman in the room. Laetif Xyell, the ambassador’s wife. Her eyes
shone with cunning and fear. Not the hopeless sort of a person
trapped by circumstance, but the fatalistic gleam of someone with
something to hide. “You!”
She immediately lowered her head, but he
strode to her and grasped her chin, raising her face until she
looked at him again. “Where is Naloni?”
“I don’t know, Sire.” Her tone was steady
enough to convince him, to a point. She might not know Naloni’s
location, but she knew a whole hell of a lot more than she had said
thus far. “I’m not even sure why you summoned me. I have little to
do with my husband’s affairs.”
Sineth snorted. “So my investigators tell me.
You’re too busy fucking your bodyguard to keep tabs on
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