exclaimed.
Vane growled at Axi, and then his strange voice uttered, “Give me something to live for, Anna. Tell me you will—”Anna had really expected a sweet request, such as a kiss. “—screw me with that tight little body of yours, if I return alive.”
The sharp bark of Axi’s laughter rang out. Anna forgot her latent hesitations, and she jerked her hand from Vane’s grip. She respected all the rebel fighters for what they did by saving citizens from becoming slaves, so she didn’t spit out the first words that flew to her lips, instead she tempered her response.
“I’m flattered, Lieutenant Vane,” she said, as she pushed back her chair to stand. “But no. And I pray you and everyone on your team make it back without injury.”
Anna hadn’t waited for a response, but hurried away, while she heard Axi chuckling behind her. Then Anna stopped for a brief second, looking at Zyn. His profile was to her and he hadn’t looked over at her. He was going into danger ... again. She frowned. This time had sounded so ominous. But she couldn’t let him see her worry, and allow him to crush her feelings again, so she spun away and left.
***
W ith a clamped jaw, Zyn watched Anna’s slender back as she’d left the social room. It took every ounce of his carefully trained willpower not to approach her. He locked his gaze on his gloved hand, which was flat on the bar in front of him, and he realized that it might be the last time he ever saw her.
He would likely not return from the mission that was set for liftoff in a few hours, yet it had to be done—there was no other choice to be made.
“You are a fool, my love,” Axi said, as she stopped by Zyn’s side. He didn’t respond. Axi sighed. “I know you want her, tell Axi why you can’t have her.”
“If we don’t prove the Boneeater connection, the Osoft will threaten our base.”
“And all the innocents, I know!” Axi exclaimed. “But your soft little Tellurian could prove it to the Osoft without this risk to our lives,” Axi uttered, and then she stalked away.
Zyn had known he had no choice but to tell Axi about Anna, the shoes, Soto, and Boneeater, if he wanted Axi’s help to return to the Izards to try to find any shred that was left of the shoes and proof that Soto was allied with Boneeater.
However, he knew the chance that Axi would do the right thing was negotiable. If it had been just him the Osoft were after, he’d not have risked telling her; however he knew Soto wasn’t going to let this go, so Zyn had to have tangible proof in his hands to make a deal with.
He’d bluffed Soto the first time with Anna’s help, and they’d escaped. Axi possibly thought what drove him now was the safety of the rebel cause and rebel base, but it was Anna’s safety that drove him. She was the reasonable solution. Give Anna up to Soto and many lives would be safe. Soto had conditioned her, he’d know whether she spoke the truth or not, and she could vow the rebels didn’t have the shoes.
Zyn’s lips flattened, she could also vow he or the rebels knew nothing about what was in the shoes, because he’d mesmerized her and therefore she didn’t know what she’d told him. She would likely live through returning to Soto—but she would be indentured again.
Now that he’d understood all the ramifications, he knew if she were to return to Soto this time she would be enslaved for life.
“Never,” Zyn uttered. He couldn’t allow himself to have her, but he would see that she was free.
Zyn left the social room and headed to his quarters. The risk of the mission was a non-issue for him. He knew it was grim, he’d dealt with grim before, but he had decided he wouldn’t let his team deal with it this time.
Once again, he would have to try on his own. These were his personal feelings, not theirs, and he had admitted that he did have personal feelings ... very strong ones. If only he could trust to let his feelings free, but he was afraid his
Vane growled at Axi, and then his strange voice uttered, “Give me something to live for, Anna. Tell me you will—”Anna had really expected a sweet request, such as a kiss. “—screw me with that tight little body of yours, if I return alive.”
The sharp bark of Axi’s laughter rang out. Anna forgot her latent hesitations, and she jerked her hand from Vane’s grip. She respected all the rebel fighters for what they did by saving citizens from becoming slaves, so she didn’t spit out the first words that flew to her lips, instead she tempered her response.
“I’m flattered, Lieutenant Vane,” she said, as she pushed back her chair to stand. “But no. And I pray you and everyone on your team make it back without injury.”
Anna hadn’t waited for a response, but hurried away, while she heard Axi chuckling behind her. Then Anna stopped for a brief second, looking at Zyn. His profile was to her and he hadn’t looked over at her. He was going into danger ... again. She frowned. This time had sounded so ominous. But she couldn’t let him see her worry, and allow him to crush her feelings again, so she spun away and left.
***
W ith a clamped jaw, Zyn watched Anna’s slender back as she’d left the social room. It took every ounce of his carefully trained willpower not to approach her. He locked his gaze on his gloved hand, which was flat on the bar in front of him, and he realized that it might be the last time he ever saw her.
He would likely not return from the mission that was set for liftoff in a few hours, yet it had to be done—there was no other choice to be made.
“You are a fool, my love,” Axi said, as she stopped by Zyn’s side. He didn’t respond. Axi sighed. “I know you want her, tell Axi why you can’t have her.”
“If we don’t prove the Boneeater connection, the Osoft will threaten our base.”
“And all the innocents, I know!” Axi exclaimed. “But your soft little Tellurian could prove it to the Osoft without this risk to our lives,” Axi uttered, and then she stalked away.
Zyn had known he had no choice but to tell Axi about Anna, the shoes, Soto, and Boneeater, if he wanted Axi’s help to return to the Izards to try to find any shred that was left of the shoes and proof that Soto was allied with Boneeater.
However, he knew the chance that Axi would do the right thing was negotiable. If it had been just him the Osoft were after, he’d not have risked telling her; however he knew Soto wasn’t going to let this go, so Zyn had to have tangible proof in his hands to make a deal with.
He’d bluffed Soto the first time with Anna’s help, and they’d escaped. Axi possibly thought what drove him now was the safety of the rebel cause and rebel base, but it was Anna’s safety that drove him. She was the reasonable solution. Give Anna up to Soto and many lives would be safe. Soto had conditioned her, he’d know whether she spoke the truth or not, and she could vow the rebels didn’t have the shoes.
Zyn’s lips flattened, she could also vow he or the rebels knew nothing about what was in the shoes, because he’d mesmerized her and therefore she didn’t know what she’d told him. She would likely live through returning to Soto—but she would be indentured again.
Now that he’d understood all the ramifications, he knew if she were to return to Soto this time she would be enslaved for life.
“Never,” Zyn uttered. He couldn’t allow himself to have her, but he would see that she was free.
Zyn left the social room and headed to his quarters. The risk of the mission was a non-issue for him. He knew it was grim, he’d dealt with grim before, but he had decided he wouldn’t let his team deal with it this time.
Once again, he would have to try on his own. These were his personal feelings, not theirs, and he had admitted that he did have personal feelings ... very strong ones. If only he could trust to let his feelings free, but he was afraid his
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