Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
Skye
Ijerked awake at the sound of scraping, blinking up at a wood-paneled ceiling. When had I fallen asleep?
It took me only a moment to remember that I was hiding in a secret room inside a theater, and another moment to recall that the sound was the hidden door sliding open.
I bolted upright, patting myself to find the blaster I’d tucked into my belt earlier, but the red cloak I was wearing got in the way.
“Son of a thawsoft—”
“I do not think it is the Zagrath.” Kolt already had his blaster trained at the door, and his words were a low murmur.
He was right. I’d never known Imperial soldiers to be quiet about anything, and whoever was opening the door was trying to do it quietly. That didn’t stop me from finding the blaster under the layers of red fabric and holding it at the ready.
When Athena’s face appeared in the opening, I sagged and released an audible sigh. “You scared us half to death.” I glanced at Kolt, who had lowered his blaster, his face placid. “Well, you scared me.”
“Sorry,” she said as she ducked into the room and straightened. “I wanted to wait until almost everyone had gone.”
The actress had changed from her ornate gown to a simple, sleeveless blue dress that belted at the waist, although it made her look no less striking. Some women always looked stunning no matter what they wore, and she was clearly one of them.
By contrast, I was sure that I looked like a hot mess. Not only were my clothes ripped and blood smeared on my skin, but I wore days’ worth of dust and grime. I didn’t even want to think about what my curly hair was up to. It was unruly on the best of days.
“No sign of Imperial guards?” Kolt asked, not indicating that he’d noticed her change of outfit.
She shook her head. “Their search was cursory. They don’t believe you came in here.” She held out one hand that held a mass of leather. “I hid this for you.”
Kolt actually grinned. “My battle kilt and belt.” He took it from her. “I was afraid I would have to wear this uncomfortable garment forever.”
“It hasn’t even been a day,” I said, shaking my head.
The Vandar really didn’t like to wear a lot of clothing.
I thought back to them walking around the ice planet of Lexxona.
Their only nod to the freezing temperatures had been fur capes that had blown open in the bitter wind.
The Vandar battle chief might not have all his memories, but he knew that much about himself.
The ebony-haired woman held out another hand, and this one contained a large paper sack. “I brought food and water. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
Since Kolt was busy holding his kilt and belt as if they were long-lost treasures, I took the bag. “Thank you. We haven’t eaten since last night.”
“I thought as much.” She tipped her head toward the bag as I opened it. “It’s not fancy, but Kashara is known for its street food, and this is some of the best.”
I drew a greedy breath, the savory, spicy scents provoking a painful rumble in my gut. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
She dipped her head as if bowing. “I’m the last one here, and I’ll lock up when I leave. After that, you don’t have to worry about making noise. Since we have rehearsals and performances at all hours, the neighbors are accustomed to sounds.”
“We don’t have any reason to make noise,” I said. “I’m sure we’re going to eat and pass out. It’s been a long day.”
Athena slid her gaze between us, her lips quirking as she nodded. “Whatever you say.”
I blinked a few times, awareness hitting me. “Oh, we’re not…” I glanced at Kolt so he could back me up. “We’re just…we happened to be taken at the same time, but we’re not together together.”
The woman didn’t respond, but one brow did arch.
“Tell her,” I said to Kolt, my voice higher than usual.
He shrugged. “She claims we are not lovers.”
I groaned. Well, that wasn’t the denial I’d wanted. “We weren’t, I mean, we aren’t.”
Athena smiled fully, clearly amused. “I work in the theatre, darlings. I do not judge, nor do I shock easily.”
Before I could explain that Kolt had been pretty unhappy to be trapped with me before he’d lost his memory, Athena turned to leave.
“I should go. We have rehearsal in the morning.” She paused at the door.
“You are welcome to leave the room at night. The bathroom is the door next to my dressing room. Just be back inside when the stage manager opens up tomorrow.”
“The guy with the orange hair?” I asked.
“Hal. He’s a decent sort, but he’s a bit excitable.” The woman stopped at the opening and glanced over her shoulder. “No one at this theater would turn you in. You aren’t the first people we’ve hidden from the Imperial soldiers, but the fewer people who know, the better.”
I agreed and was glad for her discretion. “Thank you again. You didn’t have to do this.”
She smiled, her eyes getting glassy. “Yes, I did.”
Then she was gone, leaving me to wonder what she’d meant by that and why she’d looked on the verge of tears. But my hunger overrode my curiosity, and I hurried over to the bed and unpacked the contents of the bag.
True to her word, there were two steel canisters that were cold to the touch and, I assumed, filled with water. I handed one to Kolt as he sat on the bed.
We both unscrewed the caps of the bottles and drank without a word exchanged, and the only sound breaking the quiet of the room was our eager swallowing. After a few gulps, I stopped, but Kolt drained his entire bottle, leaning his head back to get the last drop.
“Thirsty, were you?” I muttered as I reached back into the bag and pulled out a pair of soft tubes wrapped in heavy brown paper.
They were warm to the touch, and even without unwrapping them, the savory aroma wafted up. I handed one to Kolt and reached into the bag again, retrieving the last items—two paper cups with lids on them and wooden spoons fastened to the sides.
I opened my paper cup first while Kolt unwrapped the roll.
The spicy scent that hit my nose made my mouth water as I eyed the mixture of what appeared to be puffed rice with various brightly colored diced vegetables and a tangy sauce.
I didn’t even bother to use the spoon, tipping the entire contents of the cup into my mouth.
“This is mmfucking mmamazing,” I mumbled through my mouthful of food as I closed my eyes to savor the cacophony of flavors that exploded on my tongue.
When I opened my eyes, Kolt was staring at me.
“What?” I swiped the back of my hand across my sticky mouth.
“I have never seen a female eat with such…abandon.”
“Maybe you’ve never seen one this hungry.”
I looked for the food he’d been unwrapping, spying only a remnant of what looked like flatbread filled with some kind of grilled meat and rolled. “How’s that?”
“Delicious. I could eat ten of them.”
I laughed, the food I’d devoured already easing the ache in my belly and improving my mood. “I don’t think she knew how much Vandar eat.”
I unwrapped my roll as he took the last bites of his and started on the crispy, spicy mixture in the paper container. “This is so much better than Zagrath soup.”
“I am uncertain, but I think this is better than Vandar food.”
“It’s definitely better than most food on Lexxona, although some of Jasmine’s freshly baked bread would make this meal a feast.”
We finished eating in relative silence, polishing off the food and then shoving the trash back into the bag. The small room now smelled of grilled meat and tangy spices, but it was better than the dankness of the prison or even the stale air that had first greeted us.
Kolt stood, staying partially bent as he retrieved his kilt from the floor. “Now that we’ve eaten…”
He started to peel off the costume that made him look like a nondescript soldier, and I realized he was going to, once again, disrobe fully in front of me.
I turned my head as he pulled the top part of the jumpsuit past his waist, although it wasn’t like I hadn’t seen what he’d tucked down his pant leg. Even the memory made my mouth dry.
I studied the blank wall as I waited for him to finish, but when I didn’t hear the leather strips of his kilt rustling, I cleared my throat. “Everything okay?”
He grunted in response, but something in the tone of it made me turn—just in time to catch him as he collapsed to the floor.