Hollow Space Read Free Page A

“Normally, we attempt to not invade other kinds’ minds, but Lieutenant Fis Marran thinks quite hard. Forgive me for eavesdropping, so to speak.”
    “There’s nothing to forgive.” Intimately familiar with the younger officer’s wayward tongue, Michaelerus could only imagine the direction of his musings. “I’m sorry if he offended you. He’s…”
    He ’ s—what? What can I say? A hundred excuses dashed through his head, but none of them were worth a counterfeit interstellar credit. Leanderus was guilty of not only being a damn arse but insulting the Dareaux by thought and cross-examining their delegate.
    “Don’t worry. I’ve heard worse.” Her smile came rushing back as she tilted her face up. “Far worse.” Her eyes glowed. “If you know what I mean.”
    He chuckled around the clog of lust tightening his throat. “I can only imagine.” Motioning toward the door, he escorted her out of the formal dining room and down the corridor.
    “I’m used to hearing the thoughts of others.” She faltered for a split tic as they passed the Supreme Commander’s sanctuary. Her hand came up. The aura crackled with raw energy. “This place has special meaning to you.”
    He took her in again. The woman wasn’t just soft spoken with a voice that reached out to his beleaguered heart, but too lovely for words. A smattering of sand slid from the vents.
    Steering her toward his private sanctuary, he pressed the button to open the door. “This is the Supreme Commander’s haven. Most of those who are in charge of the War Galleys use this room for meditation.” In his case, he came to his private place to reminisce about days better left alone.
    “You loved her very much.”
    “Are you always so forthright?”
    “All my kind is. We don’t believe in falsities and half-truths.” She fingered the crystal suspended from a thin silver chain hanging around her neck. “In fact, outright lying is forbidden for it affects our kind’s abilities.”
    “Empathy and telepathy?” He held his hand out, beckoning her to enter the room first.
    A serene smile slipped across her lips as she took in the sanctuary. In fact, he’d always been amazed by the live plants and trees, the bubbling creek and the sounds of birds contained within the sanctuary. The purpose of the haven was simple. It was the Supreme Commander’s slice of Navora during his long trips away from the home planet. Now it was the only place he felt at peace.
    She sobered when she leveled her gaze on him. “It’s a bit more complicated than that and not something most species understand.” Her fingers released her crystal pendant. “The Dareauxsians are companions to the crystals we charge. They give us knowledge and peace, while we are their conveyance across the universe.”
    He stared at the crystal sitting placidly against her skin. The gem pulsed a few times before returning to its normal brilliance. He lifted his gaze to her face in time to see a flicker of light shift across her irises. “Please, continue.” He denied the inherent instinct to pull her against him and take her lips in a deep drugging kiss.
    “There’s not much to tell. The old scholars have said that we were once a part of the D-quarteline Crystals. I guess you could call us their soul. Many of the less educated believe that we rose from two parent strains and have learned to live in an almost symbiotic relationship. Truthfully, it makes no difference in the end. We are what we are.”
    Noting how she said “less educated,” he strode toward the pool at the center of the sanctuary. “What do you believe?”
    “I believe it is what it is. To try to come up with a story or an argument when there is no need to is a waste of time and energy.” She shrugged and joined him on his stroll.
    Sensing she was holding something back, he clasped his hands behind his back and stared at the water. “What aren’t you telling me?”
    She nibbled on her lower lip for a moment and slid her