guessed
served as some sort of infirmary. Medical tools and bottles of medicine were carefully
placed in a glass cabinet not far from a large bed. The odor of antiseptic stung her nose.
Everything was pristine white and orderly, a welcome contrast to her kidnappers' filth.
Kiara glanced up at Nemesis, afraid he might kill her as well. But he seemed to be
ignoring her, at least as much as he could, given the fact she was in his arms.
He placed her gently on the bed, then moved to retrieve a blanket from a drawer at the bottom of the cabinet. With a kindness she would never have attributed to a ruthless
killer, he wrapped it around her.
Kiara was minutely attuned to him. The light gleaned off his helmet with an eerie sheen.
He seemed larger than a human, taller, stronger. She had no idea what species he
belonged to, yet he had to be at least humanoid.
She watched the play of well-defined muscles under his battlesuit as he pressed a panel
next to the door and opened the closet.
Who was this assassin? She wasn't the first to ask that question and like the others, she
knew she would never know the answer.
He turned around, holding a black battlesuit like the ones he and Rachol wore.
Kiara could feel his eyes on her, they were almost as tangible as a touch. She thought he
was about to speak, but the door opened to reveal Rachol.
Unaware of what he had interrupted, Rachol took the battlesuit from Nemesis' hands. "I
locked them in their munitions room. If they're quick, they might escape unscathed."
Kiara still sensed Nemesis watching her.
A sharp lunge told her their ship was launching away from her kidnappers' craft.
"Are you taking me home?" she asked.
A dreadful pause greeted her. Finally, Nemesis spoke, "Soon."
Before she could blink her eyes, he was gone.
* * *
Nykyrian locked the door behind him. He knew Rachol's doctoring abilities well enough
to guess the dancer would be sedated. An image of Kiara's body outlined by her sheer,
torn nightgown scorched him. He could still feel her pressed against his chest.
Forcing his mind to other thoughts, he removed his hot, sticky helmet. He freed his damp,
blond hair from the tie holding it at the nape of his neck. With a tired sigh, he pulled his
dark glasses from his pocket and moved to join the rest of his crew in the control room at
the front of the shuttle.
Dancer Hauk and Darling Crewell were joking with each other when he entered.
"Rachol said we had a guest," Hauk commented to him dryly. "I hope she doesn't come out of that room and catch a sight of you without your helmet!"
Ignoring him, Nykyrian dropped his helmet on the floor and took the pilot's chair. He ran
over their settings, knowing there'd be no corrections. Hauk and Darling were the best.
"Did Chenz and Petiri get away?" Nykyrian asked.
Darling shook his head. "They're asteroid bait."
Nykyrian nodded. Justice was served. Tomorrow Rachol would inform their employer
about Chenz's death. Granted it wouldn't bring back the councilor's son, but it would
ensure Chenz never decapitated another child.
Putting the matter out of his thoughts, Nykyrian stared out the window at the blackness
swirling around them. In the lightless void, an image of Kiara dancing in her last ballet
floated before his eyes. He damned the feelings surging through him as he thought about
her.
She had always been able to stir his senses. Every time he had seen her dance, she had
touched a part of his soul— a part of him he preferred to think was long dead and
damned.
If only things were different. If only he were different ...
Nykyrian sighed. He knew better. The way she recoiled from his touch and squirmed in
his arms told him what he'd get if he even tried to speak with her.
"Who's the woman?" Hauk finally asked, breaking Nykyrian out of his thoughts.
"Kiara Biardi, the dancer."
Hauk gave a low, appreciative whistle. "What was she doing with those space
served as some sort of infirmary. Medical tools and bottles of medicine were carefully
placed in a glass cabinet not far from a large bed. The odor of antiseptic stung her nose.
Everything was pristine white and orderly, a welcome contrast to her kidnappers' filth.
Kiara glanced up at Nemesis, afraid he might kill her as well. But he seemed to be
ignoring her, at least as much as he could, given the fact she was in his arms.
He placed her gently on the bed, then moved to retrieve a blanket from a drawer at the bottom of the cabinet. With a kindness she would never have attributed to a ruthless
killer, he wrapped it around her.
Kiara was minutely attuned to him. The light gleaned off his helmet with an eerie sheen.
He seemed larger than a human, taller, stronger. She had no idea what species he
belonged to, yet he had to be at least humanoid.
She watched the play of well-defined muscles under his battlesuit as he pressed a panel
next to the door and opened the closet.
Who was this assassin? She wasn't the first to ask that question and like the others, she
knew she would never know the answer.
He turned around, holding a black battlesuit like the ones he and Rachol wore.
Kiara could feel his eyes on her, they were almost as tangible as a touch. She thought he
was about to speak, but the door opened to reveal Rachol.
Unaware of what he had interrupted, Rachol took the battlesuit from Nemesis' hands. "I
locked them in their munitions room. If they're quick, they might escape unscathed."
Kiara still sensed Nemesis watching her.
A sharp lunge told her their ship was launching away from her kidnappers' craft.
"Are you taking me home?" she asked.
A dreadful pause greeted her. Finally, Nemesis spoke, "Soon."
Before she could blink her eyes, he was gone.
* * *
Nykyrian locked the door behind him. He knew Rachol's doctoring abilities well enough
to guess the dancer would be sedated. An image of Kiara's body outlined by her sheer,
torn nightgown scorched him. He could still feel her pressed against his chest.
Forcing his mind to other thoughts, he removed his hot, sticky helmet. He freed his damp,
blond hair from the tie holding it at the nape of his neck. With a tired sigh, he pulled his
dark glasses from his pocket and moved to join the rest of his crew in the control room at
the front of the shuttle.
Dancer Hauk and Darling Crewell were joking with each other when he entered.
"Rachol said we had a guest," Hauk commented to him dryly. "I hope she doesn't come out of that room and catch a sight of you without your helmet!"
Ignoring him, Nykyrian dropped his helmet on the floor and took the pilot's chair. He ran
over their settings, knowing there'd be no corrections. Hauk and Darling were the best.
"Did Chenz and Petiri get away?" Nykyrian asked.
Darling shook his head. "They're asteroid bait."
Nykyrian nodded. Justice was served. Tomorrow Rachol would inform their employer
about Chenz's death. Granted it wouldn't bring back the councilor's son, but it would
ensure Chenz never decapitated another child.
Putting the matter out of his thoughts, Nykyrian stared out the window at the blackness
swirling around them. In the lightless void, an image of Kiara dancing in her last ballet
floated before his eyes. He damned the feelings surging through him as he thought about
her.
She had always been able to stir his senses. Every time he had seen her dance, she had
touched a part of his soul— a part of him he preferred to think was long dead and
damned.
If only things were different. If only he were different ...
Nykyrian sighed. He knew better. The way she recoiled from his touch and squirmed in
his arms told him what he'd get if he even tried to speak with her.
"Who's the woman?" Hauk finally asked, breaking Nykyrian out of his thoughts.
"Kiara Biardi, the dancer."
Hauk gave a low, appreciative whistle. "What was she doing with those space
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