her lips. “But if you see a chance—a good chance—grab it and get them the hell home. Don’t try to find me, that’s an order, Tedah.”
“What do you mean?” He shook his head. “You aren’t going anywhere!”
“I have to. Don’t cause any trouble, okay?”
He ignored her, blocking Aidar’s way, and spoke to him directly. “She stays here!”
“Tedah, don’t—!”
But he threw off her arm, standing protectively in front of Kinara as Aidar reached for her. “I said, she stays here !”
“Listen to me,” she said quickly, raising her voice and speaking in Tellaran. “We are prisoners here and they make prisoners into servants.” She pointed at Aidar. “This man has picked me as a servant and right now, like it or not, he wants to leave. I have to go with him.” She looked directly at Tedah. “I’ll be all right. Please, just let me go peacefully, okay?”
“No! If he wants a servant, I’ll go with him.”
“Tellaran!” Aidar thundered.
She recognized the dangerous glint in his dark eyes.
“I am most displeased by this slave. You will tell him so.”
Kinara hesitated. She switched to the Az-kye language. “He volunteers to be your servant, my lord.”
Aidar looked at Tedah, his jaw tight. “He is my servant. And he displeases me greatly.”
“He doesn’t mean to,” Kinara said quickly. “He wants to take my place.”
Aidar blinked and Kinara saw the surprised glances of the other warriors.
Aidar’s eyes narrowed. “Thinks he I prefer men?”
Suddenly Kinara realized these warriors thought she was already attending to Aidar’s very personal needs. Under different circumstances this would really be funny and she almost drew blood biting the inside of her cheek to keep back a hysterical giggle.
It took her a moment before she could trust her voice.
“No, Ad—uh, my lord. He does not think that. He thinks I will be safer here.”
Aidar’s brows shot up just as Tedah said, “Tell this festering barbarian he’s not taking you anywhere.”
Kinara could only deal with one touchy male ego at a time and she glanced at Aidar to find his expression furious. “He is concerned about my treatment.”
“He questions my rights?”
“Starblasted savage,” Tedah spat.
“N-no,” Kinara hedged. “He is upset. He wants me to remain here.”
“I do not care for what he wants,” Aidar growled. “We will leave now. Does he block my way again, I will kill him.”
Tedah must have seen the blood drain from her face. “Kinna?”
She spoke through stiff lips. “Tedah, if you care about this crew . . . If you care about me at all, step aside and don’t interfere again.”
He looked at her, hesitating, and Kinara felt her control start to slip.
“Tedah,” she whispered. “ Please .”
Aidar reached out to her and Tedah didn’t step forward again. She sought his green eyes just once more and she read in them helpless fury.
She followed Aidar through the icy corridors. He didn’t speak to her at all on the way back to his quarters and she knew he was enraged.
“Fetch me wine!”
She jumped at the sound of his voice and quickly poured it for him. She held the goblet out and he took it, glowering up at her from his seat on the couch.
“I am hungry.”
“Okay, what—?”
“Fetch you an Az-kye slave to serve me.”
Kinara was a little surprised that he would let her out of his sight. Of course with her crew so closely guarded he must know she wouldn’t try anything now. She plunged into the corridor and spying an elderly woman tersely demanded to know if the woman could bring him food. The woman stared up at her dumbly. Kinara rushed past her and found another woman, this one only a little older than herself and dressed in white, who replied that she could.
Kinara sent the woman to fetch his supper and returned to Aidar. He’d drunk almost half the wine she’d poured and she hurriedly refilled his cup.
He pointed at the floor and she
“What do you mean?” He shook his head. “You aren’t going anywhere!”
“I have to. Don’t cause any trouble, okay?”
He ignored her, blocking Aidar’s way, and spoke to him directly. “She stays here!”
“Tedah, don’t—!”
But he threw off her arm, standing protectively in front of Kinara as Aidar reached for her. “I said, she stays here !”
“Listen to me,” she said quickly, raising her voice and speaking in Tellaran. “We are prisoners here and they make prisoners into servants.” She pointed at Aidar. “This man has picked me as a servant and right now, like it or not, he wants to leave. I have to go with him.” She looked directly at Tedah. “I’ll be all right. Please, just let me go peacefully, okay?”
“No! If he wants a servant, I’ll go with him.”
“Tellaran!” Aidar thundered.
She recognized the dangerous glint in his dark eyes.
“I am most displeased by this slave. You will tell him so.”
Kinara hesitated. She switched to the Az-kye language. “He volunteers to be your servant, my lord.”
Aidar looked at Tedah, his jaw tight. “He is my servant. And he displeases me greatly.”
“He doesn’t mean to,” Kinara said quickly. “He wants to take my place.”
Aidar blinked and Kinara saw the surprised glances of the other warriors.
Aidar’s eyes narrowed. “Thinks he I prefer men?”
Suddenly Kinara realized these warriors thought she was already attending to Aidar’s very personal needs. Under different circumstances this would really be funny and she almost drew blood biting the inside of her cheek to keep back a hysterical giggle.
It took her a moment before she could trust her voice.
“No, Ad—uh, my lord. He does not think that. He thinks I will be safer here.”
Aidar’s brows shot up just as Tedah said, “Tell this festering barbarian he’s not taking you anywhere.”
Kinara could only deal with one touchy male ego at a time and she glanced at Aidar to find his expression furious. “He is concerned about my treatment.”
“He questions my rights?”
“Starblasted savage,” Tedah spat.
“N-no,” Kinara hedged. “He is upset. He wants me to remain here.”
“I do not care for what he wants,” Aidar growled. “We will leave now. Does he block my way again, I will kill him.”
Tedah must have seen the blood drain from her face. “Kinna?”
She spoke through stiff lips. “Tedah, if you care about this crew . . . If you care about me at all, step aside and don’t interfere again.”
He looked at her, hesitating, and Kinara felt her control start to slip.
“Tedah,” she whispered. “ Please .”
Aidar reached out to her and Tedah didn’t step forward again. She sought his green eyes just once more and she read in them helpless fury.
She followed Aidar through the icy corridors. He didn’t speak to her at all on the way back to his quarters and she knew he was enraged.
“Fetch me wine!”
She jumped at the sound of his voice and quickly poured it for him. She held the goblet out and he took it, glowering up at her from his seat on the couch.
“I am hungry.”
“Okay, what—?”
“Fetch you an Az-kye slave to serve me.”
Kinara was a little surprised that he would let her out of his sight. Of course with her crew so closely guarded he must know she wouldn’t try anything now. She plunged into the corridor and spying an elderly woman tersely demanded to know if the woman could bring him food. The woman stared up at her dumbly. Kinara rushed past her and found another woman, this one only a little older than herself and dressed in white, who replied that she could.
Kinara sent the woman to fetch his supper and returned to Aidar. He’d drunk almost half the wine she’d poured and she hurriedly refilled his cup.
He pointed at the floor and she
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