think straight now . . .
She chewed the skin of her thumb.
He’s Az-kye. Why should he keep his promise to free them? He’s already gotten what he wanted.
Kinara rubbed her eyes. I need to get out of here. If I could get away from here then I know I could think clearly. I could make some sense out of this. If I could just get to the crew I could—
Her head came up.
Why the hell would he tell me to stay here if I didn’t have a choice?
Her heart hammering, she put the teacup down and threw off the blanket.
The door slid open when she touched the control.
“Gods, I’m so starblasted stupid,” she breathed. She could reach the crew’s cell in minutes.
She hesitated in the doorway and glanced back at Aidar’s quarters. The blanket he’d tucked around her lay discarded on the floor, the cup he’d pressed into her hand against the chill sat on the table. She could still feel his kiss, tender and warm, against her forehead as he promised to hurry back to her.
I don’t have time for this. Damn it, this might be my only chance to free them, I have to go now !
Squaring her jaw, she plunged into the corridor, the floor icy under her bare feet.
Okay, okay, the way to the crew’s cell is to the right.
The floor was sloping downward. She’d been this way twice already and it looked familiar. It wasn’t that much farther before she needed to turn . . .
At the sound of heavy footfalls she ducked back, squeezing herself into a doorway, her heart in her throat. The warrior passed by without glancing her way but she held herself still until she no longer heard his footsteps.
She glanced around the wall. Clear.
Rescuing them wearing nothing but an Az-kye’s bathrobe? Tedah’s going to have a ball with this one.
She ran lightly, sure she had come in the right direction.
There had to be a cache of blasters somewhere on this ship. Kyndan made sure she was as good a shot as he. With a blaster in hand she could take out the guards quickly; with her crew armed they had a damn good chance of getting to one of the warship’s shuttles and off this ship.
Of course the Ty’pran might just blow that shuttle to dust.
One problem at a time. Find a weapon, get the crew out. We’ll work from there.
There were only two guards outside the room the last time she’d been—
A warrior turned the corner just as she reached it. His dark eyes widened in surprise.
For an instant her mind went blank with panic. She had to take him out fast . Desperate, she threw herself at him. She managed to knock him off his feet and back into the wall, banging his head against the stone.
She grabbed his head for another whack, hoping to knock him out. His meaty hands clamped around her upper arms and he flung her back. Kinara cried out as she hit the stone floor hard and rolled up, getting her feet beneath her.
The warrior slammed her back against the wall. The cold stone jarred her spine, costing her one precious second. In that second he had her pinned against the wall, his heavy, sour breath in her face.
She kicked at him but he jerked aside, pinning her arm behind her. Her shoulder muscles screamed in protest. In another moment he would break her arm.
Bulkier and taller than Aidar, this warrior was huge. His face was scarred, the marks only making his pug-nosed round face uglier. Sickened, she saw he was missing the top half of his left ear. His hair was the usual Az-kye dark and his eyes glittered as they ran over her.
The robe was gaping open and he was getting a good deal to look at.
“Let me go!”
He grunted and pressed hard against her. Her shoulder gave another protest and Kinara’s eyes teared with pain.
“Why are you not with the other slaves, Tellaran?”
“Fucking hell! Let go!”
He pulled her arms above her, holding both with one hand. This made the robe gape open completely and anything he didn’t see before, he was seeing now.
Oh, man, this is not good.
“You are well made, Tellaran,” he
She chewed the skin of her thumb.
He’s Az-kye. Why should he keep his promise to free them? He’s already gotten what he wanted.
Kinara rubbed her eyes. I need to get out of here. If I could get away from here then I know I could think clearly. I could make some sense out of this. If I could just get to the crew I could—
Her head came up.
Why the hell would he tell me to stay here if I didn’t have a choice?
Her heart hammering, she put the teacup down and threw off the blanket.
The door slid open when she touched the control.
“Gods, I’m so starblasted stupid,” she breathed. She could reach the crew’s cell in minutes.
She hesitated in the doorway and glanced back at Aidar’s quarters. The blanket he’d tucked around her lay discarded on the floor, the cup he’d pressed into her hand against the chill sat on the table. She could still feel his kiss, tender and warm, against her forehead as he promised to hurry back to her.
I don’t have time for this. Damn it, this might be my only chance to free them, I have to go now !
Squaring her jaw, she plunged into the corridor, the floor icy under her bare feet.
Okay, okay, the way to the crew’s cell is to the right.
The floor was sloping downward. She’d been this way twice already and it looked familiar. It wasn’t that much farther before she needed to turn . . .
At the sound of heavy footfalls she ducked back, squeezing herself into a doorway, her heart in her throat. The warrior passed by without glancing her way but she held herself still until she no longer heard his footsteps.
She glanced around the wall. Clear.
Rescuing them wearing nothing but an Az-kye’s bathrobe? Tedah’s going to have a ball with this one.
She ran lightly, sure she had come in the right direction.
There had to be a cache of blasters somewhere on this ship. Kyndan made sure she was as good a shot as he. With a blaster in hand she could take out the guards quickly; with her crew armed they had a damn good chance of getting to one of the warship’s shuttles and off this ship.
Of course the Ty’pran might just blow that shuttle to dust.
One problem at a time. Find a weapon, get the crew out. We’ll work from there.
There were only two guards outside the room the last time she’d been—
A warrior turned the corner just as she reached it. His dark eyes widened in surprise.
For an instant her mind went blank with panic. She had to take him out fast . Desperate, she threw herself at him. She managed to knock him off his feet and back into the wall, banging his head against the stone.
She grabbed his head for another whack, hoping to knock him out. His meaty hands clamped around her upper arms and he flung her back. Kinara cried out as she hit the stone floor hard and rolled up, getting her feet beneath her.
The warrior slammed her back against the wall. The cold stone jarred her spine, costing her one precious second. In that second he had her pinned against the wall, his heavy, sour breath in her face.
She kicked at him but he jerked aside, pinning her arm behind her. Her shoulder muscles screamed in protest. In another moment he would break her arm.
Bulkier and taller than Aidar, this warrior was huge. His face was scarred, the marks only making his pug-nosed round face uglier. Sickened, she saw he was missing the top half of his left ear. His hair was the usual Az-kye dark and his eyes glittered as they ran over her.
The robe was gaping open and he was getting a good deal to look at.
“Let me go!”
He grunted and pressed hard against her. Her shoulder gave another protest and Kinara’s eyes teared with pain.
“Why are you not with the other slaves, Tellaran?”
“Fucking hell! Let go!”
He pulled her arms above her, holding both with one hand. This made the robe gape open completely and anything he didn’t see before, he was seeing now.
Oh, man, this is not good.
“You are well made, Tellaran,” he
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