Chapter One
Devlin watched the young male slave rummaging through the clothing in the
slave owners’
quarters. He knew the man wouldn’t find anything because they were all just props in an elaborate deception.
The young male Pendarian had been a gift from Keytark, a notorious slave trader in this sector, and Ben and Trey believed the slave had been sent as a spy. Considering that Ben and Trey weren’t actually slave traders, it was important to figure out if the young man was a danger to the crew of this ship or not. Sadly, the deception was the only way to be certain either way.
Their plan had seemed like a good idea at the time, and they all knew it was necessary, but right now, Devlin wished they could’ve handled it very differently. Even without the benefit of the empathic skills of some of his shipmates, he could tell that the young man was very frightened. He literally ran the length of the room, searching everything, seeking something only he knew.
“I’ve felt his terror very strongly since Tee-ani, Ben and Trey’s little performance,” G’ntriel said as she walked into the room they’d set up as a temporary surveillance area. “He is very close to full-on panic.”
Devlin nodded in agreement, and they both turned to
Jordan
, the ship’s captain.
“We need to be certain,” he said, shaking his head. Only someone who knew him as well as Devlin did would have noticed the muscle ticking in his jaw.
Jordan
wasn’t any happier about this than Devlin and G’ntriel.
They watched the screen carefully as Trey came back into the room with G’baena in tow. Sarah had done an amazing job making G’baena look like she’d been beaten, but Devlin couldn’t help but be reminded of the condition of the human women they’d rescued from a slave ship so many months ago. He closed his eyes for a moment in an effort to erase the sickening images.
The young slave jumped when the door slid open, but Devlin half smiled at the way the youth managed to cover his search by grabbing the nearest piece of clothing and folding it as if it had been his intention all along.
When Trey turned his back on the young man,
Devlin
,
Jordan
, and G’ntriel could clearly see the fury written all over the slave’s face. For a moment, Devlin had the ridiculous idea to warn Trey to watch his back. Trey outweighed the young man more than twice and had been a pirate on this ship for several years, so he was more than capable of defending himself from an underfed slave. And besides, Trey was empathic and most likely feeling all of the man’s emotions more clearly than those watching on the surveillance.
Trey cuffed G’baena to the side of the bed and very loudly ordered her to stay on the floor beside it. She cringed in realistic fear as he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back sharply.
“The only reason you aren’t tied to the bed and being fucked right now is that the doctor said I shouldn’t. Give me one fucking reason and I swear I will forget his recommendations.”
G’baena closed her eyes as tears leaked under the lids and ran down her face. Trey released her with a sound of disgust and stepped back. He glared at her a moment longer and then turned his attention to the male slave.
“Make yourself useful, or we will sell you at the next docking port.”
The young man nodded once and then backed away towards the food area as Trey walked to the doorway, punched in a code, and left.
Devlin knew that in Keytark’s palace, slaves weren’t allowed to talk to other slaves, but he wondered if the young man would ignore this rule. He seemed very distressed by G’baena’s supposed injuries. He glanced back at the door, his fear and anger palpable even through the video feed.
“Are you all right?” he asked G’baena quietly.
She cringed lower, neither answering him nor turning around. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat, and Devlin could clearly see her trying to hold in the sobs that wracked her body. He glanced at G’ntriel, and she gave him a small but reassuring smile.
“She feels both the slave’s emotions…and Trey’s.”
* * * *
G’baena barely held back the sobs. She’d felt Trey’s distress and disgust at having to act like a heartless slave trader, and it had shaken her to the core. For so many years, she’d believed him and his brother to be spoiled, selfish royalty when they’d actually been so much more. Their relationship with Tee-ani had been a really pleasant surprise, and she felt truly glad for all three that it seemed to be working.
“Are you all right?” The words came from behind her, the voice hesitant and unsure.
She knew from her time as a slave that to speak to one another attracted a terrible punishment, so this slave was either taking a big risk to check on her well-being or setting her up so that he could determine whether Ben and Trey were on the level.
She curled into herself, feigning fear and embarrassment as she tried to sense the man’s emotions and determine his intent.
The man stood there a moment, breathing heavily before shuffling away. Tears filled G’baena’s eyes when her empathic senses confirmed his anguish was both raw and genuine. Whatever the reason Keytark had for sending this young man with them, one thing was very clear—this slave was as much a victim of Keytark’s cruelty as the rest of them.
G’baena knew she should stay undercover, knew that she needed to be one hundred percent sure before she gave any hint of the true nature of her mission, but her heart wouldn’t let her leave this man in such agony.
“Please, don’t go,” she whispered.
The man turned back to her, his movements hesitant.
“Do you have a name?” he asked quietly.
“G’baena.”
“You’re injured. Can I do anything to help you?” As the man spoke, he moved closer to her, and G’baena felt certain he was trying to determine what her injuries were and how best to help her.
She shook her head, uncertain exactly what to do now. She didn’t want to continue with the charade, but a small doubt of her own empathic abilities remained. She’d spent almost her entire life trying to shut down the ability so that she wouldn’t feel the fear and misery around her, but now, when she actually wanted to use the skill, she wasn’t entirely sure of its accuracy.
“Are you a spy for Keytark?” It was the first question to come to mind, and the moment she asked it, she wished she could bite it back. She hung her head lower, her confidence fleeing as she worried what Jordan and Devlin might be thinking as they watched her on the surveillance equipment. Goddess, she was really messing this up.
“Yes,” he answered slowly, “but I have no intention of reporting back to him. We need to find a way out of here. I think from what the man said that we are on a transport ship of some kind. Maybe we can escape when we dock at the next station.”
G’baena lifted her head to look at the young man willing to risk everything to save her. “Do you have a name?”
He nodded and tried a small smile. “
Del.
”
“Thank you,
Del
,” she said as she sat up straighter. “I’m sorry that we needed to put you through this, but I have some news that I think you will welcome.”
“G’ntriel,” she called loudly. “Can you send someone in so that we can explain to
Del
what is going on?”
* * * *
Devlin saw the moment panic swept through
Del
’s body. He could guess what the poor man was thinking. What was going on? Had Keytark been testing him? Had this all been an elaborate setup to determine his loyalty? What had he done? His lips moved silently, and Devlin wondered if he prayed to the Pendarian god of mercy, Lukilo.
Del
almost leapt out of his pale blue skin when the door slid open. He watched apprehensively as G’ntriel entered the room.
“I apologize, Del. The ruse was necessary, but not something we particularly enjoyed. Please understand that you are among friends now and we will not hurt you.”
Del
backed away until he pressed against the wall behind, but neither woman moved toward him, seemingly content to give him space.
“W…why?” he managed to stutter.
“Because we needed to know if you were loyal to Keytark. We couldn’t risk the safety and freedom of the other occupants of the ship.”
“
Del
,” G’baena said as she undid the bindings that had supposedly held her trapped to the side of the bed. “These people can help us. They came all the way to Keytark’s palace to save me and hopefully disrupt his slave operations.”
“So what does this mean?” he mumbled, his face paling even further.
“It means that we are free, Del. We are no longer slaves.”
Devlin watched, trying to control his own strong emotions, as
Del
swiped at the tears that fell freely.
G’baena lifted to her feet, no sign of any injuries, despite her appearance to the contrary, and wrapped her arms around his skinny waist.
“Thank you,
Del.
”
Chapter Two
“Where is
Del
now?”
Jordan
asked as G’ntriel re-entered the room several minutes later.
“G’baena took him to the medical bay to introduce him to Peni and Janku.”
Jordan
nodded in agreement.
“Are they well enough for visitors?” Devlin asked, still trying to shake the image of what G’baena looked like earlier.
“They are still recovering from some of the injuries Keytark inflicted, but G’baena felt it would be a good idea for
Del
to meet someone familiar. Peni and Janku weren’t slaves as long as
Del
, so maybe they can help him learn something of his culture and his home planet.”
“Is G’baena all right?” Hell, Devlin chastised himself, it seemed that G’baena wasn’t the only one blurting out telling questions today. G’ntriel smiled at him knowingly.
“She is well, but perhaps you would like to visit the medical bay and see for yourself.”
He was halfway out of his chair before he thought to check with his captain. He turned to face the man and felt himself burn with embarrassment.
Jordan
laughed quietly and waved him away, so Devlin left the room quickly.
He almost barreled through the medical bay door and grabbed the small G’trobian woman in a fierce hug—almost. At the last moment, he realized that, despite his growing feelings, G’baena knew very little of him. And really, when it came right down to it, he was one human pirate among many that she’d met in the past few days, with nothing to set him apart from the others.
He took a deep breath and stepped casually through the door, hoping that his acting ability also somehow disguised his emotions to the empaths in the room.
Ironically, the one to look up was Sarah, and the smile on her face said she read him easily. Maybe it was easier for a human to notice the signs of attraction in another member of her species. Or maybe it was simply because Sarah had a very interesting past and her ability to read people had been directly linked to her chances of survival.
He pretended that he didn’t notice Sarah’s reaction and moved towards G’baena where she stood with
Del
beside Peni’s bed.
“The captain wanted me to check that you’re okay.” It wasn’t exactly a lie—stretch of the truth maybe, but not an actual lie.
“I feel fine,” she said, with a smile on her face.
“You don’t look fine. Where is Tee-ani?”
“Devlin,” she said, as she took a small step closer. “They are fake injuries. They may look real, but I feel no pain. Sarah will fix it shortly.”
He noticed that
Del
stayed close to her, and it took a moment to realize that the young man had taken a defensive stance, angling his body so that he could intercept any threat Devlin may represent. The young Pendarian was about half Devlin’s size and unlikely to have been trained in either attack or self-defense techniques, but still he stood by G’baena, willing to protect her at all costs.
Devlin very carefully adjusted his stance so that
Del
would hopefully realize he meant no ill intentions. G’baena glanced at the young man beside her and smiled as she placed her hand on his arm. “
Del
, it's okay. We are safe here.”