Page 6 of Forbidden Desires
“Are you suggesting that I may be lying to you, or are you willing to break the agreement between the government and theAstor shipping line?” She gave them her best innocent smile as she waited silently. This was a game she’d learned to play at her father’s knees.
“She’s one of them.” A voice murmured in the background. Amelia paid no attention to the speaker. She knew the game even though her parents raised her out of the spotlight.
“You’re free to go.”
“Thank you, Captain. Please tell Mrs. Frederick I look forward to seeing her at the next Daughter’s of Charity meeting.” She cut the transmission, and they released the ship.
Zylar got them out of there.
“What if it happens again?”
“I engaged the advanced warning system. It was foolish of me not to have it on. I’ve been here long enough that I’ve taken your paltry earth defenses for granted. That was the wake-up call I needed.”
“I thought you don’t normally pilot for yourself.” She gave him her I’m a shark, but I’d never bite you grin as opposed to her helpless guppy grin, which guaranteed she was a piranha looking for a meal. She might need to stop with the water analogies.
“I don’t normally. I’m going behind battle lines to help the local populace to heal.” Which wasn’t why he was on Earth, but he left that unsaid. The rest of the flight happened in silence.
Amelia tried to stand; it was time to face judgment. When she couldn’t get up, she started struggling. “What are you doing? Let me up. I should get to face the people who are sending me to death,” she yelled.
“You look tired and stressed.” Zylar plunged an alien needle into her shoulder, knocking her out.
“Zylar left Amelia slumped over the console and walked to the back of the vehicle.
“My cousin Rakha and his mate Bella are excited to meet you. They’re extending the protection of Diza to you as they are the ambassadors.”
“Where’s Amelia?” Sarah asked as she took the harness off.
“She’s running late, tired. You’ll see her soon.”
Anna and Sarah nodded, picking up their belongings and unloading.
***
Amelia felt groggy as she tried to wake. It felt like one of those long sleeps that made you more tired than before you fell asleep. Her hand went to her eyes, trying to wipe the sleep away. She opened her eyes and realized she must be dreaming. Slamming them shut, she worked on waking fully. When her eyes opened again, she realized she was about to die. This wasn’t a dream.
She was being flung through space on a collision course with the largest object she’d ever seen, and she’d been in some of the largest buildings on the American continent. Hell, she’d seen mountains that took her breath away. She’d never seen anything this enormous. Maybe it was her imagination. That’s what it had to be. The closer she got, the harder it was to contain the scream fighting to leave her throat. She had a right to scream when death was breathing down her neck, right? Forget dying with dignity, she screamed. An enormous mouth appeared on the thing floating in space and swallowed her whole.
Tears ran down her cheeks. She deserved this, but she was sorry about her actions. If she could do it again, she’d die, so her cousin didn’t have to suffer the way she did. She felt a warm presence behind her before a large hand went to her shoulder.
“I never want to hear you speak of dying again. You don’t deserve that. Every being has a right to save their lives. You allowed fear to dictate your movements. You’re not the first or the last person who has done that.”
Amelia was listening to his words, but at least half of them went into one ear and out the other.
“Why am I alive?” Why hadn’t he killed her? Was she to be punished first?
“You’re on my ship.”
“Your ship?” She blinked, looking like a wise owl with enormous eyes that weren’t all that wise.
“I’m the cousin of the king. I get things I don’t need.” He shrugged, which was scary now that he had spikes coming from his shoulders. “Follow me.”
She stood and followed him off the cruiser to find out she was on a large, busy ship. They were in the hangar where there were lots of Diza moving quickly from place to place. They must have all been speaking the native language, the one she couldn’t understand because she refused to get implanted with a chip. She took a minute to tell past Amelia what an idiot she was. Now she was on a ship with a hostile race and her life was hanging in the balance. They could be talking about cooking her for dinner and she’d never know.
Zylar was stopped several times by different members of the crew asking questions.
When he answered them, he started walking, expecting her to follow. What choice did she have? The hallway outside the Hangar felt more industrial with wide beams that looked like they were made from gold, which she knew was impossible. Carefully, she allowed one hand to brush against the material. It was sturdy, reminding her of steel, but it felt flexible too. Could the material escape unscathed in an attack? The floors looked more like grates, a system that would allow liquid to flow through without filling the corridor. The walls were solid and unbroken. She’d never been on a starship, but the design seemed functional.
He took her to a lift (was that what they called it on a ship)? There were several buttons that she assumed told you what floor you were going to. Since they were in a different language, she was clueless. The woman with dead dreams of becoming a shipping mogul started wondering if she could build sea-worthy ships with it and if it would be cost-effective. A sturdy material that could flex when attacked by waves would be invaluable. That wasn’t her life anymore. She was a fugitive on the run. One who had a father who taught about ships even when his father forbade him to teach his daughter and only child the family trade.
