Waking Dream [Tales of the Citadel 23] Read Free Page B

calmly cleaning the knife that he had used to dispatch them. Tracker Burin was at the internal sensors looking for more of the intruders. She walked up to him and slid her hand into his head.
    “Hello, Burin. Where are the others?”
    He jumped and blinked rapidly. “Your men have taken care of all but one. Your grandfather mentioned that there is an Uhn onboard, and I am pretty sure that it is the survivor.”
    “I will be with you in a moment, then. I am best able to deal with an Uhn.” She removed her hand and returned to her body.
     
    * * * *
     
    Burin turned to Vecho. “What did she mean by that?”
    The older man laughed as he sheathed his knife. “I don’t know. Was Wiyra here?”
    “She was. She said she was best able to deal with an Uhn. Why would she say that? Their bites are addictive.”
    Vecho smiled. “My beloved wife, Naltha, was an Uhn. None of our children inherited her fangs, but they are all immune to Uhn venom. If she doesn’t take care of the intruder, her cousins will.”
    Burin blinked. “I see. It was not mentioned when I was first here.”
    Vecho looked at the monitors where only one invader was left. “Why should it be? If you are not an Uhn, there is no reason for concern.”
    Burin shrugged. “Fair enough.”
    A slight noise above him gained his attention, and he watched as two slender legs emerged from an access hatch and the woman of his dreams dropped into his outstretched arms.
    She smiled up at him, her hair frayed and fuzzed in a halo around her smudged face. “Hello, Master Tracker Burin. You can put me down now.”
    He sighed, her scent assaulting his senses and distracting the hell out of him. “Of course I can.”
    She grinned at him, “Are you going to?”
    “I am thinking about it.”
    The last intruder burst into the command deck with his fangs flashing and venom dripping.
    Burin wanted nothing more than to put himself between his woman and danger, but she turned, grabbed the knife that her grandfather threw to her and lunged at the Uhn with a snarl.
    His little sleeping beauty turned into a rabid attacker in a moment, and the Uhn was bleeding to death before Burin could do more than step forward. Damn, she was fast. He was going to have to put a lot of focus into watching her move.
     
     

 
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
     
    Wiyra cleaned the knife on the intruder’s bodysuit. “I apologise for the suddenness of my movements, but he did attack my home. Grandpa, what was he looking for?”
    “He was looking for you, dumpling. There is some kind of Raider recruitment drive, and they wanted you.” Vecho came toward her, and she returned his knife to him.
    She smiled as he sheathed the knife then squeaked as he hugged her. “I am fine, Grandpa.”
    The moment she was free, Master Tracker Burin replaced her grandfather. His hug was more full contact and less unrestrained joy. “I am very happy that you are back in your body and safe, partner.”
    She winced and awkwardly returned the hug. “I am glad to be up and around, Burin. Thank you for helping me.”
    He didn’t seem inclined to let her go, but when Vecho cleared his throat, Burin released her.
    The feel of his body against hers had warmed her cool skin, and she missed him when he left.
    “So, Grandpa, where were they taking you?” She helped haul the bodies to one side. Being pirated was not an unheard of situation for a mining platform, and they dealt with it on their own.
    Burin helped her drag, and the collection of dead was soon arranged near the door to the ejection bay.
    “I believe that they were hauling us to the Raider stronghold under the theory that you would eventually show up and be in their territory.” Vecho nodded to her cousins as they brought their own dead into the command unit.
    Stennar had brought a grav sled, and he picked up the dead after giving Wiyra a quick hug. “Good to see you, cuz. I was worried.”
    “So was I, Stennar. I had a thought that you were trying to get me to