Sacred Planet: Book One of the Dominion Series Read Free Page A

all, I’m not a princess. I’m the Carinian prima filia. We aren’t a royal family. Second, my ship has an automatic transponder that’s already alerted my government.”
    The scavenger opened his mouth to reply, but Sierra wasn’t finished.
    “ Third , you’re pirates, meaning the Carinian government won’t hesitate to execute you if you don’t return me safe and sound.” Spoken out of fear rather than strength; she felt her voice wavering. No matter how much she wanted to sound authoritative like her father, she couldn’t.
    The scavenger’s boyish face sported a lopsided grin as he loosened the cinchers around his suit. “Three points, eh? I’m sure your rhetoric teacher would be proud. But I’ll do you one better.” He yanked his skintight suit pants to his ankles and kicked them off, wearing only tight boxer briefs underneath. He held up one finger as Sierra averted her eyes. “First, your dad’s the prime minister. Your dad’s dad was the prime minister. And his dad was the prime minister, too. Sounds like a royal family to me, which makes you a princess.”
    Sierra felt her face flush and started to protest, but the scavenger cut her off, holding up two fingers.
    “ Second , my boy Jabron found the transponder. Turns out it has an on-off switch.”
    “Yep,” said the swarthy, deep-voiced man across the airlock, now wearing sweat shorts and a T-shirt bearing an image of a rabbit in a bow tie.
    “Third,” the scavenger went on. “We’re not pirates, we’re scavengers.”
    Once again, Sierra tried to protest, and again he cut her off.
    “ Fourth —” He peeled off his suit top and tossed it in his locker, leaving him naked except for his underwear. Rugged, brawny, and utterly obscene. Sierra kept her eyes far away. “You can call me Davin.”
    “Okay, Davin , how did you happen upon my ship so fast?” Sierra asked, focusing on the lockers.
    Davin shrugged. “Right place at the right time, I guess.” He glanced at Jabron. “Put some junk in the airlock. I’ll get the safe.” He turned and grabbed a vacuum-packed bag floating behind him. “Oh, and we found your wardrobe.” He tossed the bag at her, hitting her square in the stomach and sending her flying backward into the cargo hold. She clasped a worn cargo net with one hand and her clothing with the other. Some of the finest clothing in the galaxy—stuffed into a scavenger’s grubby loot bag. Still, they had salvaged something for her. She didn’t expect such thoughtfulness from scavengers, Orionites no less.
    She watched as Davin turned over in the air while sliding on pants and a shirt. His return to decency brought relief and afforded her a few seconds to examine him. He moved through these minimal spaces with practiced ease, as if it was his home. Perhaps it was. Nothing seemed to break his lax demeanor, something she hadn’t experienced from strangers since she was a girl.
    Sierra gaped as he soared into the cargo hold with the safe— her safe, full of her most precious possessions.
    After shoving the safe into a nook, Davin’s face sobered. “And Princess? I’m sorry about your crew.”
    The words pelted her like meteorites. Suddenly, she felt nothing but guilt. How could she have forgotten, even for a moment, about her crew, each of them the beloved of God, swept from existence in a matter of minutes? Guilt gave way to the hot sting of shame.
    Davin hung in the air not far from her, eyebrows drawn together, looking hesitant. “You okay?”
    A brusque question, even though she sensed him trying to be tender.
    For a long time, she said nothing, felt nothing, except her heart crumbling in her chest, struggling to beat. He reached out and touched her forearm with a gentle hand. Coarse and weathered but gentle.
    Sierra felt like breaking into tears, but she restrained herself. She had a more pressing concern. Deep down, she remained certain her attackers were the Abramists, her fellow Carinians.
    She pulled her arm out of