Lady by Viola Grace Page B

dragged him to the door and asked the tech. “What is the temperature?”
    “Holding just above freezing.”
    “Good. I need to have a moment with my husband before I start giving hypothermia to the entire facility.”
    He nodded, and when she opened the door to the first of the three airlocks, he joined her.
    Lady dragged her prisoner to the second lock for more decontamination, even rolling him over.
    The third lock had Fire Fall waiting on the other side. After the third round of decontamination, she was able to leave the lock with her prisoner and strip out of her bio-suit.
    The tech did the same, but he paused in shock when she peeled down to her uniform.
    Fire Fall was on his knees next to the prisoner, warming him up.
    “He is the saboteur, Fire Fall. Call the peacekeepers and then help me get warm.”
    He made the call while working on the cold man.
    She waited and began to drain some of his heat to keep herself sociable.
    When her victim stirred, his companion took lengths of wire and bound his wrists and ankles.
    Fire Fall sighed and got to his feet. “He is taken care of, now I believe you requested my assistance?”
    She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I believe I did. Consider this part of your duty.”
    He kissed her and flame roared between them, disappearing into her lips and eliciting a gasp out of the tech she had worked with.
    She shifted her grip and cupped her husband’s head, drawing in the heat into her until her skin no longer felt chilled. He held her and continued to share the flame until he had satisfied his own needs as well.
    He lifted his head and smiled. “Well done, Lady.”
    “Thank you. One final check on the temperature, and when the peacekeepers collect the saboteur, we can be on our way.”
    “You will have to testify to why you think he is the one.”
    “I don’t have a problem with that. If I am not on an assignment, I have no problem at all.” She smiled. “Uphold the honour of Irudan.”
    He laughed and put his hand on her waist, “I get the feeling that you will have to keep that in mind frequently. We are a difficult people.”
    The evening administrator came up and had to be briefed on the tech’s situation, the fungus issue and the incoming peacekeepers. At the administrator’s request, they hauled their prisoner to the door and waited outside.
    The administrator promised to put a guard on the room to monitor the temperature until the harvesting equipment arrived. If it fluctuated more than five degrees, they would call her back.
    She took her trident back from Fire Fall, and when the peacekeepers had her statement and the silent tech, she was delighted to be back on her way to the Guardian base.
    She held onto Fire Fall during the flight, but she teetered violently before they landed, and when they were on the ground, everything tilted to one side.
    Fire Fall held her in his arms and carried her through the silent base. No one was awake to see her in his arms, her trident dragging along the ground.
    Inside her rooms, he moved swiftly, placing her on the bed, putting her trident on the rack and then removing her clothing.
    As he touched her, she stirred slightly. Her body woke sluggishly at his touch, but she was too tired.
    “You have had a long day, and how do you get into these boots?”
    “Yes, I have, and practice.”
    “I think there will be no additional exertion for tonight. Just sleep and recover. I need you strong, partner. Rest and I will bring something for you to drink when you wake up.”
    She nodded and lay in the shadows, letting her body pull the heat from the room around her. He left her, and she immediately ran to the solar shower as fast as she could while swaying under the weight of exhaustion.
    The heat was wonderful, and her hair crackled with cleanliness when she returned to bed.
    She had just turned onto her side with a sheet over her for modesty when Devnin returned. Next to her bed, he peeled off his clothing and