Chapter 8 #3
Kendra plopped on one of several plush couches that lined the perimeter and placed the rum on a circular glass table, along with the two tumblers she removed from his hands. She gestured to the dome with a sweep of her arms. “My other favorite place.”
She tipped the decanter to fill both glasses, handing one back to him. Reyne accepted the rum, their fingers brushing during the exchange and she felt that damned jolt again.
“How did you end up here?” he asked.
“Here? You mean Armathea?”
“Yes.”
Odd. No one ever asked her that before. “I’m a convict, just like everyone else who resides onboard.”
“I’ve heard the story of Armathea. Your crew is almost a legend with how you stole it. What I meant to ask, is what your crime was? How did you become a convict in the first place? I want your story. Kendra’s story.”
Kendra sucked in a breath, unsure if she should be honest, or lie. “Murder.”
“Murder?” His gaze appraised her with silent scrutiny. “Who did you murder?”
She sipped her rum. “Allegedly, I poisoned several Dracarians.”
"Allegedly? Let me guess, you claim to be innocent?" he questioned, his tone revealing doubt.
“Hardly. I’m guilty as charged,” she admitted.
“But it wasn’t deliberate, and it wasn’t poison.
I had a simple cold, you see. My virus spread to the crew.
Several Dracarians succumbed to it.” It was on the tip of her tongue to talk about her hair being a curse, but that could lead to questions that could give away her Valerian heritage.
“They thought themselves so superior, and refused to believe a mere cold could do them in.”
Reyne stared at her with a steady gaze. “So, they thought you poisoned them?” He emptied the rum in his tumbler in one long swig, then splashed more amber liquid into his glass. “I’m not sure I know what to say to that.”
Kendra had learned long ago to discard what anyone thought of her unfortunate circumstances.
She knew the truth. “Say nothing.” Her lips tugged into a grin as she sipped her rum again even though she was getting tipsy.
“It was the best thing that could have happened. You see, my awful parents arranged a trade with the Dracarians. The ones who took me from my home did so to gain favor with their loathsome emperor. They planned to present me as a slave for his harem.” She shivered just thinking about the degrading things the Dracarians told her would be expected of her once they reached Dracar Prime.
“A murder conviction spared me from that horrid fate.”
Reyne watched her for a long minute, then his gaze started to smolder with a mischievous gleam. His sensuous lips tugged at the corners. “So, you are a cold-blooded killer then?”
Cold-blooded killer? Kendra burst out laughing, his play on words not lost on her.
“I guess I am. Are you sure you want to remain in my company? Who knows…” She leaned towards him with mirth glittering in her eyes.
She poked his way-too-solid chest with a blunt nail and lowered her voice to sound manly.
“You could be my next unsuspecting victim?”
“I’ll take my chances,” he answered with a husky rasp.
Warm knuckles reached out to caress her cheek, his gaze capturing hers. Her breath caught in her throat and her pulse quickened. Whoa, he was bold. She should flee. Run without a backwards glance. Instead, she blurted, “What takes you so far from Talear?”
Those beautiful steel-grey eyes of his stayed locked on hers while his finger tucked a loose tendril behind her ear. “I collect things.”
Trying to ignore the tingle of pleasure his gentle touch caused, she lowered her lashes. “What types of things do you collect?”
Deft fingers traced a slow and deliberate path down her throat, over her collarbone, then trailed lower, leaving sensitive goosebumps in their wake.
“Things like this.” Reyne's finger thumped the bare skin above the rim of her off-the-shoulder shirt, just above the swell of her breast.
She held her breath while he looped his finger under her silver chain and tugged, freeing the amulet that had been safely nestled in the valley between her breasts. Holding the necklace in the space between them, his lean fingers caressed the moonstone.
“Exquisite,” he murmured in awe, his attention focused on the small orb.
Then something unexpected occurred—the moonstone emitted a faint glow as he stroked it.
Kendra stared at his fingers, transfixed. As far as she knew, only Valerian royalty could coax the small mysterious moonstone to life.
“Who are you?” she whisper-breathed.
There was a seductive tone in his voice when he replied, “Perhaps, a better question is, who are you?”
She gasped, her lips parting in shock. “What do you mean?”
Reyne’s stormy gaze narrowed on hers before he focused his attention on the orb again “Do you know what this is?” He continued to stroke it. The moonstone continued to glow.
She rolled her lower lip between her teeth and bit. “No, not really. It was a gift.”
Reyne allowed the heavy amulet to slip from his fingers. “It’s a very rare treasure,” he informed her. “One designed for a queen.”
Kendra’s emerald eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?”
He tsked with a wry smile. “I’m a collector. It’s my job to know many things.”
Although she didn’t think he was lying, there was something laced in his chiseled features, and his silky words, that left her wondering if there was more to this man than what he had revealed thus far.
Indeed, he was a complete enigma.
Reyne poured a large splash of rum into his tumbler, downed it in a quick swallow. He stood, pulling her to her feet with him. “Shall we retire for the night?”
Kendra felt the force of his intense steel gaze. Her pulse leaped as a surge of excitement rippled through her. Why was she so affected by this man? A stranger she just met?
It was those mesmerizing grey eyes of his, she decided—so intense, they seemed to pierce her very soul.
And the way he watched her, with a keen observation that left her with the oddest sense.
It felt as if he knew her. But of course, that was absurd.
“Yes, that would probably be wise. If I drink more rum, I'll likely get drunk.”
Still holding her wrist in a gentle grasp, he asked, “Are we still meeting tomorrow for ‘The Game’ lesson?”
She smirked at the way he said, ‘The Game’, with a slight trace of sarcastic amusement. “Oh, yes, of course. It will be fun. Maybe I'll actually win this time.”
A wicked smile lit his features as he released her wrist. “I’ll give you fair warning, Kendra. I always play to win.”
The way he said I always play to win, Kendra didn’t doubt he meant it.
Kendra returned Reyne to his quarters and then headed down the dim corridor to hers.
Once inside her private space, she plopped down on her velvet-covered bed with her aged journal and a writing utensil.
With legs bent at the knees, towards her backside, she opened her well-worn book, which flopped open to the first page.
Her first journal entry. From five years ago.
Today I was saved by Reb and his odd band of convicts. Only now he goes by Odin, his real name. They offered to let me join them, their band. Of course, I said yes. After all, I am a convict too. Well, sort of. And they stole a ship. Not just any ship, but the Armathea. How amazing is that?
She flipped a couple more pages.
Today Quinn and Garrett attempted to teach me the game.
I’m terrible. Worse than terrible. I know this is a waste of time, but I am determined.
After several crushing defeats, Tia introduced me to rum.
To help soothe my damaged pride, she said.
I do love Tia. And rum did make everything sooo much better.
Back to pride. What pride? I left mine at home …
I mean on Valeria… No time to think back… only forward.
She flipped a couple more pages.
Today we installed the first hydroponic system.
I planted my first herb. It felt so good to work with plants again.
Reminds me of the greenhouse at home back on Valeria, minus the soil, of course.
I do miss our grumpy gardener, Stanton. He taught me so much.
I definitely do not miss Valeria though.
Armathea is my home now. The crew are my new family.
She flipped to a blank page, then tapped the utensil against the book, deep in thought while her feet swayed side to side. This was difficult, she thought, pondering how best to describe the Taleari stranger.
Today I met Reyne. Am I even spelling that correctly?
He is Taleari. My enemy. He has the most unique grey eyes.
So light, they appear almost translucent.
I’m quite fascinated, truth be told. I realize I should detest him, but I can’t help this strange attraction.
I will need to keep my guard up tomorrow, so I don’t do something crazy… like try to kiss him.
Satisfied with her quick entry, she closed the journal and began the arduous chore of brushing out her long strands. Once finished, she re-braided her thick mane, entwining it with a long strip of tanned leather.
Her focus turned to her moonstone. She stroked it, annoyed when she couldn’t coax the fickle little thing to glow as easily as Reyne had earlier. When it did finally glow, it didn’t seem nearly as bright as before, or was that just her silly imagination playing tricks? Probably.
Who was he? This stranger, who seemed to see too much. What did he do on Talear? Why was he so far from home? And what did he collect?
Kendra eventually drifted to sleep still thinking of Reyne, and not just about his beautiful eyes.