had,
in effect, just claimed him. Kor didn’t know how he felt about that—though he’d
been raised a slave, a part of him had always remained free. What was it about
this little female with her blonde curls that made him think she could tame
that part and make it her own?
Don’t be stupid, he told himself firmly. She’s just a girl. True, you
dreamed about her and she rescued you but there has to be some explanation for
that. Maybe something to do with that damn Dream Gas they’re all using here all
the time.
“So what’s your name?” he asked, trying to
move on.
“Maggie.”
“Maggie…Maggie…” He rolled the name on his
tongue. “I like it. What does it mean?”
“Mean? Uh…” She shook her head. “I don’t
know. We don’t…names don’t always mean something where I come from.”
“Must mean courage,” Kor decided. “It took
a lot of guts for you to come save me.”
“You’re not quite saved yet,” she pointed
out. “It must be near morning. We need to get out of here and be far away by
the time Lady Pope'nose wakes up.”
“Exactly.” He held out a hand to her.
“Which is why you need to come with me. Now.”
She drew back. “I’m not going anywhere
with you! I have a fiancé back home and a ship waiting for me across the
chasm.”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at her
sardonically. “And do you have a way to get to this ship?”
“Uh, well…” She looked uncertain. “Lady
Pope'nose's servant—her slave, I mean—brought me here in the first place. I
guess he was supposed to take me back again too.”
“And do you want to risk using her
resources when at any minute she could discover me missing and call the slave
to bring you back?” Kor demanded. “I can promise you, she won’t go easy on you
just because you’re a guest.”
Maggie shivered. “Okay, I guess you’ve got
a point. But do you have a better idea of how to get out of here and cross the
chasm? I mean, that hole is freaking huge.”
“We’ll steal a hovercar,” he said calmly.
“I can’t steal a car!” she protested. “I’m
not a thief.”
“Yes, you are.” He grinned at her. “You
stole me . And knowing what I do about Yonnite currency, I’m worth a hell
of a lot more than even the most expensive luxury vehicle on this whole damn planet.”
“Oh my God…” She put a hand to her
forehead. “Why am I always getting myself into these kinds of messes? I just
wanted to keep her from hurting you—I never meant to commit Grand Theft
Slave…or whatever they call it here.”
“Too late for regrets, blondie.” Kor
stretched, working out the kinks in his muscles, and took a deep, cleansing
breath. “What’s done is done and I’m a free male, thanks to you. Don’t worry
about the hovercar,” he continued, seeing her worried look. “There are plenty
of rich mistresses around here who won’t even notice one of their cars has gone
missing for days. By that time we’ll be long gone.”
“In…separate directions?” she asked
uncertainly.
“Of course,” he lied smoothly, although he
had no intention of letting her go. He needed to make sure she was safe—and how
could he do that if he just let her walk off? No, she needed to stay with him,
at least for now.
“All right,” she said at last,
reluctantly. “I guess if you—”
Just then the door to his cell banged
open, revealing a livid Lady Pope’nose.
“I knew it!” she hissed, glaring at
Maggie. “I just knew you’d get up to something you little fraud! And now
you’re going to pay!”
Chapter Five
“Oh! Lady Pope’nose!” Maggie gasped,
putting a hand to her galloping heart. “What are you doing here?”
“Checking on you.” Lady Pope’nose glared at her. “I had a premonition that you
might try something like this. After your ridiculously soft-hearted display
yesterday evening, I knew you wouldn’t rest until you’d caused trouble.”
Maggie put up her hands. “Look, I know how
this looks and I
in effect, just claimed him. Kor didn’t know how he felt about that—though he’d
been raised a slave, a part of him had always remained free. What was it about
this little female with her blonde curls that made him think she could tame
that part and make it her own?
Don’t be stupid, he told himself firmly. She’s just a girl. True, you
dreamed about her and she rescued you but there has to be some explanation for
that. Maybe something to do with that damn Dream Gas they’re all using here all
the time.
“So what’s your name?” he asked, trying to
move on.
“Maggie.”
“Maggie…Maggie…” He rolled the name on his
tongue. “I like it. What does it mean?”
“Mean? Uh…” She shook her head. “I don’t
know. We don’t…names don’t always mean something where I come from.”
“Must mean courage,” Kor decided. “It took
a lot of guts for you to come save me.”
“You’re not quite saved yet,” she pointed
out. “It must be near morning. We need to get out of here and be far away by
the time Lady Pope'nose wakes up.”
“Exactly.” He held out a hand to her.
“Which is why you need to come with me. Now.”
She drew back. “I’m not going anywhere
with you! I have a fiancé back home and a ship waiting for me across the
chasm.”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at her
sardonically. “And do you have a way to get to this ship?”
“Uh, well…” She looked uncertain. “Lady
Pope'nose's servant—her slave, I mean—brought me here in the first place. I
guess he was supposed to take me back again too.”
“And do you want to risk using her
resources when at any minute she could discover me missing and call the slave
to bring you back?” Kor demanded. “I can promise you, she won’t go easy on you
just because you’re a guest.”
Maggie shivered. “Okay, I guess you’ve got
a point. But do you have a better idea of how to get out of here and cross the
chasm? I mean, that hole is freaking huge.”
“We’ll steal a hovercar,” he said calmly.
“I can’t steal a car!” she protested. “I’m
not a thief.”
“Yes, you are.” He grinned at her. “You
stole me . And knowing what I do about Yonnite currency, I’m worth a hell
of a lot more than even the most expensive luxury vehicle on this whole damn planet.”
“Oh my God…” She put a hand to her
forehead. “Why am I always getting myself into these kinds of messes? I just
wanted to keep her from hurting you—I never meant to commit Grand Theft
Slave…or whatever they call it here.”
“Too late for regrets, blondie.” Kor
stretched, working out the kinks in his muscles, and took a deep, cleansing
breath. “What’s done is done and I’m a free male, thanks to you. Don’t worry
about the hovercar,” he continued, seeing her worried look. “There are plenty
of rich mistresses around here who won’t even notice one of their cars has gone
missing for days. By that time we’ll be long gone.”
“In…separate directions?” she asked
uncertainly.
“Of course,” he lied smoothly, although he
had no intention of letting her go. He needed to make sure she was safe—and how
could he do that if he just let her walk off? No, she needed to stay with him,
at least for now.
“All right,” she said at last,
reluctantly. “I guess if you—”
Just then the door to his cell banged
open, revealing a livid Lady Pope’nose.
“I knew it!” she hissed, glaring at
Maggie. “I just knew you’d get up to something you little fraud! And now
you’re going to pay!”
Chapter Five
“Oh! Lady Pope’nose!” Maggie gasped,
putting a hand to her galloping heart. “What are you doing here?”
“Checking on you.” Lady Pope’nose glared at her. “I had a premonition that you
might try something like this. After your ridiculously soft-hearted display
yesterday evening, I knew you wouldn’t rest until you’d caused trouble.”
Maggie put up her hands. “Look, I know how
this looks and I
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