Chapter 8
Seven days since Torvyn's tour of the ship. Seven days since he'd explained the Knight bond—though "explained" was generous. I still didn't fully understand it, but the Knights didn't seem to care. In fact, all of them were being very, very nice. Too nice. They were treating me with kid gloves.
Even Vaelix, whom I was still mad at.
He'd left a few notifications for me, inviting me back to the astrolabe, but it would take more than an apology and some nice words to get back in my good graces. I wasn't a "flowers" type of girl, but the effort would be appreciated and wasn't really too much to ask for, right?
I couldn't spend another day pacing my quarters or wandering the Starbreaker's corridors like a ghost. The medical bay at least gave me purpose.
My doctorate might have been in xenobiology rather than medicine, but I'd completed clinical rotations on Luna Prime. How hard could basic patient care be?
"How is our patient doing today?" Lyrin asked, leaning over the small child I was tending to.
I was checking the regeneration progress on Alicia's burn when Lyrin appeared at my shoulder, his expression carefully neutral as he adjusted my bandage work.
"Close," he said diplomatically.
The seven-year-old giggled.
"I study alien cellular structures, not pediatric wound care," I muttered.
"You are running a little warm," Lyrin said, looking at the digital readout next to her bed. His hand brushed mine as he reached for the scanner, and I pretended not to notice the way my pulse jumped. "Don't worry, I'll get one of the nurses to take care of that."
I stepped back to give him space, trying to focus on anything other than the way his tunic stretched across his shoulders as he worked. Seven days of him being attentive and careful with me, and I still couldn't decide if the flutter in my stomach was irritation or something far more dangerous.
Lyrin stood bolt upright, his pupils going wide. A soft tremor vibrated through the deck. Almost imperceptible. One of the monitors attached to Alicia's bed flickered once, twice, then broke into static.
Lyrin grabbed my hand. "We need to leave, now."
"Why, what's happening?" I asked.
He pulled my hand, but I didn't budge. I'm not a big fan of being told what to do and where to go without knowing why. I glared at him, dropped his hand, and crossed my arms.
"I'm helping people here. What could be more important than that?"
Suddenly, the deck lurched. I fell to the ground, tumbling away from Lyrin.
The overhead lights shut off, plunging the bay into darkness.
Screams and moans filled my ears as the sick and injured fell out of their beds—the acrid smell of burned wiring cut through the antiseptic air.
The bay's emergency lighting came on, casting everything in an eerie red glow.
"Kira!" Lyrin screamed.
"I'm here," I said. "To your left."
He ran over and helped me up off the deck, his hands firm on my waist, steadying me against him for a moment longer than necessary.
"We need to get everybody back in their beds," I said.
"No time, please, come with me."
The bay's far door opened, and a four-armed silhouette stood there, backlit by the red emergency lighting.
Kaedren had been standing outside the medical bay while I was helping out, or at least trying to.
He hadn't left my side since dinner a week ago.
Lyrin waved at him, and Kaedren sprinted to us, crossing the distance in seconds with that predatory grace that shouldn't be possible for someone his size.
He scooped me up with his two lower arms, and the three of us ran out of the medical bay.
"Put me down!" I said, pushing against Kaedren's muscular chest. God, it was like pushing against a bulkhead. A very warm, very solid bulkhead that smelled like leather and something darker, more primal.
"I will, once we get to safety," he replied, tightening his grip. His upper arms were free, holding a blaster rifle at the ready, but his lower arms held me against him like I weighed nothing.
I mean, it wasn't a terrible feeling, but I am pretty damn autonomous, and I really wasn't having any of this.
"Put me down now, or I swear to you, I will give you another Kira special, right to your groin."
He glanced down at me, those four eyes studying my face, and something heated flickered in them before he dropped me. I fell to the deck as he stood over me.
"I didn't mean like that."
"Kira, please, we do not have time for this," Lyrin said, exasperation and fear warring in his voice.
"Time for what? Time for you to tell me what is happening?"
"Pirates are boarding us," Kaedren said, his voice a low growl that I felt in my chest.
"Real pirates, or people like you?" I said, waving at them.
"Real pirates. They are looking for things they can sell on the black market. Things that will command very high prices," Lyrin said, staring right at me.
"Oh, you mean me."
"That is correct," Kaedren said.
"Knights to your battle stations," Torvyn said, his voice booming from the ship's communications system. Even through the speakers, his commanding presence was undeniable. "The Starbreaker's hull has been breached. Prepare to repel boarders and—"
I threw my hands over my ears as static blasted from the ship's speakers. Then, a different voice started speaking.
"We are here for the human woman this ship rescued a week and a half ago from Corporation space. Hand her over, and nobody will be hurt."
"They only want me?" I asked.
Vaelix appeared in front of us, materialized from a corridor intersection like smoke. "Finally, I've been looking for you since the ship was first attacked. We need to get her to the lockdown location."
His silver eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that stole my breath.
Seven days of careful distance, of me avoiding the astrolabe, of unspoken apologies hanging between us, and now here he was, looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the universe.
My traitorous body responded with a rush of heat that had nothing to do with the sparking electrical systems around us.
"She is being stubborn," Kaedren said.
"I was not. I just wanted to know what was happening," I protested.
"Kira," Lyrin said as he moved close and took both of my hands.
His touch was gentle, so different from Kaedren's raw strength or Vaelix's electric intensity.
The healer's hands, long-fingered and careful, and the way he looked at me made me forget how to breathe properly. "May we get you to safety?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
Kaedren and Vaelix stepped in front of me as Lyrin moved behind me. We took off at a brisk jog, moving through the corridors silently. Sporadic blaster fire echoed off the walls, and with it came the sharp scent of ozone and something burning. Every time we heard it, we would stop and take cover.
We reached a four-way intersection and pushed up against the wall.
I was sandwiched between Kaedren's broad back and Lyrin's chest, acutely aware of both of them breathing, the heat radiating from their bodies.
Kaedren opened a hidden panel and pulled out three blast rifles, giving one to Vaelix and Lyrin while keeping one for himself.
"No gun for me?" I asked.
"Do you know how to use a gun?" Kaedren asked, looking back at me over his shoulder.
"I get the general idea. Pointy end toward the bad guy."
Lyrin's chest vibrated against my back as he chuckled softly, his breath warm against my ear. "With all respect, if your shooting is as good as your bandage wrapping, it might be better if we handle this."
That was very hurtful. But also true.
"Fine, guess I'll just sit here and try not to get kidnapped."
Kaedren held up three fingers and slowly counted down.
His muscles tensed, coiled, and ready. I could feel the anticipation rolling off all three of them—warriors preparing for violence with the casual ease of long practice.
As he hit one, a large man flew around the corner and smashed into Kaedren.
The man stumbled and looked up. It was Torvyn.
"We really need better internal tracking devices," he said.
Even in crisis, even with his dark hair disheveled and a cut above one eye bleeding blue, Torvyn looked every inch the captain. Commanding. Dangerous. The kind of man who made you want to either fight him or—
I shut that thought down immediately.
"Where are the pirates?" Kaedren asked.
Blaster fire smashed into the wall in front of us as we all dove back. Lyrin wrapped himself around me, shielding my body with his as debris rained down. His heart hammered against my shoulder blade, and his arms caged me against him.
"Behind me," Torvyn said.
He got to his feet and jumped back into the hallway, screaming, and firing his blaster at the same time.
Kaedren and Vaelix followed him and returned fire.
They disappeared behind the wall as they moved forward, and I watched them fight with a sick fascination.
Kaedren was all brutal efficiency, using his four arms to fire and reload in a devastating rhythm.
Vaelix moved like water, fluid and precise, every shot calculated.
Torvyn was the storm, pressing forward with relentless aggression.
I started to follow, but Lyrin put a hand on my arm.
"Let's give them a moment to take care of the threat."
That was a reasonable request, even if watching Lyrin's fingers wrap around my wrist made reasonable thought difficult.
A few moments later, Lyrin stepped out from behind the wall, then gestured for me to follow.
Only Vaelix was there now, and dead pirates surrounded him—three bodies in dark armor, species I didn't recognize.
He was leaning over one, going through its jacket.
He pulled out a data tablet and read it, his expression darkening.
"Somebody has put a bounty on you, Kira," he said, looking up at me. "A substantial one."