Shadower (39 page)

"What about the worn-out equipment that's replaced?" Jarek asked. "Could it be overhauled and rebuilt?"

Celie shook her head. "I checked on that. The equipment is immediately melted down and recycled. Waste not, want not."

"Yeah, right," Jarek muttered. He suspected the recycled materials went into weapons. Murdering Shielders and any dissenters was high on the Controller priority list.

"I wish I had better news. I'll keep looking and contact you if I find anything." Celie placed a slender hand on Jarek's arm. "What will you do now?"

He hissed out a breath, frustration a raw ache in his chest. "I don't know. I'm not giving up, that's for sure. But I'll probably head for Liron and get everything settled there. Where are you going next?"

"Heading to Risa, first thing tomorrow. As a matter of fact, I need to get some supplies loaded on my ship. I'd better call it a night." Celie pushed away from the table and stood. Both men rose with her.

She hugged Jarek, and he kissed her on the cheek. He'd known her since she was a young girl of sixteen seasons, had watched her grow into a fine young woman. He thought of her as a sister.

"Thanks, sweetheart," he said. "Tell Moriah and that no-good mate of hers that I said hello."

Celie grinned, the expression making her look hardly old enough to be piloting her own supply ship. "I will. And I won't tell you what Sabin says about you." She turned to Blake and offered her hand. "Commander. It was nice meeting you."

"My friends call me Blake," he replied, taking her hand in both of his. He gave her his most engaging grin, the one that felled most females.

"I'm sure they do." Celie gently disengaged her hand and flashed Jarek another smile. "See you around. Have a good trip to Liron." She strode from the bar, seemingly oblivious to the multiple male gazes fixed on her trim figure.

Blake let out a low whistle. "Damn, she's a looker."

"She's also very intelligent—too smart to get entangled with the likes of you. She's too young for you, anyway."

"I'm not
that
old," Blake muttered. "So, do we have the evening free before we get started?"

"Yeah, you're free until 0800 hours standard time tomorrow."

"Great." Blake turned, slung his arm across Jarek's shoulders. "Since you won't let me flirt with the lady smuggler, I have another idea. We've been working pretty hard these past cycles. What do you say we go to the Dome for some R&R?"

Jarek was taken aback by the suggestion. He had never availed himself of the services of the Pleasure Domes. He didn't have the time or the precious miterons required for such decadent pleasures. Nor did he have any desire to purchase an act that should be given freely between a man and a woman.

He shook his head. "No thanks. I need to send some communications and plot our return course to Liron. You go on."

"Hey, you need some down time, too, man. It will do you good."

Good?
Jarek no longer believed there was much that was good in this Spiritforsaken quadrant. He started to refuse again, but Blake headed him off.

"Come on. Don't be such an old Shen." He jingled the coins in his flightsuit pocket. "I won a big pot playing Fool's Quest here at Solaris yesterday. I have more than enough for the two of us to enjoy an evening at the Dome, and still give some to the cause. Those communications and navigation duties can only take so long. What will you do for the rest of the time?"

What, indeed?
Jarek thought. Endure another lonely night shift, filled with grief over his father and dark fears about Shielder survival?

Because of his obligations and the continual dangers he faced, Jarek never allowed himself to become involved in a relationship, much less consider taking a mate. He had nothing to offer except the strong possibility he wouldn't return from any given mission. He'd had only a few sexual liaisons, and those had occurred before responsibility had become such a heavy cloak.

He was sick to death of being alone, of battling heinous memories of destruction and despair. What would it be like, for once, to lose himself in mindless physical release? To find warmth and comfort in the arms of a woman without duty or commitment? Just once.

Weary and emotionally battered, he felt his resolve wavering.
Just once.
For tonight—no burdens, no accountability, no nightmares. He nodded. "All right, let's go."

Blake whooped loudly and strode rapidly toward the bar's exit.

Jarek followed more slowly, already doubting the wisdom of his capitulation. It couldn't hurt anything, he told himself. It was just one night.

*  *  *  *

Catherine Spangler is a bestselling and award winning author of the Sentinel series (urban fantasy romance) and the Shielder series (science fiction romance). She is a two-time Golden Heart finalist and a RITA finalist and has received numerous other awards and honorable mentions.

She is an active member of Romance Writers of America and her local chapter, Dallas Area Romance Authors. A frequent speaker at writers’ groups and conferences, she has taught workshops on the creative process, writing techniques, writing paranormal romance, and goal setting.

Catherine lives in north Texas with her husband and a menagerie of critters. She loves reading, taking naps on the sofa with a good football game for background noise, eating chocolate, and playing poker.

Her fun fact: I celebrated the sale of my first book by drinking champagne from a plastic cowboy boot mug. My critique partners brought four of them to my house, along with the champagne. Drinking champagne from those cowboy boot mugs every time one of us sold a book became a tradition, which we still honor.