Demon Retribution (33 page)

Zoey turned uncertain. “There’s also this
weird part…I wasn’t sure if I should mention it, but…”

Ethan tensed. “If there is anything you
find, do not keep it from us.”

“Alright, but, well…it says there is a
message for the dragon king of Legura on the very last page of the
book, but when I looked, the page is blank.” She turned to the
section in question.

Indeed it was empty.

“Strange,” Kyra muttered. Louder, she asked,
“When are we to meet with them?”

Sebastian replied, “We approach the Uli
Rings as we speak. We need but dock and then notify the dragons of
our arrival.”

“Very well.” Kyra felt herself switch into
the role of royalty, as if it were a second skin. The transition
surprised her, but she masked it. “I’ll be in my room preparing.
Please inform me when we are to leave. Zoey?”

Zoey snapped the book shut and followed her
out the door.

“Kyra,” Ethan called from behind, catching
them in the hall. “I wanted to speak with you about what Sonya
said. I’m sorry you had to find out like that.”

“Yes, that was a bit shocking. Exactly what
did she mean?”

“Only that your father promised me my choice
of bride if I succeeded in bringing you all home. Sonya assumes
that with your sisters mated that I will want you as my wife.”

“And do you?” Arranged marriages had never
been part of their society. She doubted either Ethan or her father
would hold her to such a promise if she opposed it.

Ethan looked torn. “The thought…the status
it would bring me among our people…it was the driving force behind
all my endeavors.”

He ran his hand through his hair. It
reminded her of a frustrated Cale, just before he’d kissed her with
a passion she had never experienced before. Feeling a burning in
her throat, she pushed the memory out of her mind.

Ethan continued, unaware of her internal
struggle. “Now? I no longer know what I want.”

She let out a weary sigh. “That makes two of
us.”

Cale glanced up as the sound of grinding
gears echoed through the pub. A repetitive bout of clashing metal
resonated as the ship jerked.

They were docking, which
meant they must have arrived at Uli Rings. This was where many of
the crew would be parting ways with
Marada
. Cale didn’t fault them their
cowardice. They signed on to work on a merchant ship, not a war
ship.

He was halfway through his fifth drink, with
a decent buzz going, by the time Sebastian found him.

“We meet with the dragons soon. Anya wishes
to be there, as well as Ethan and obviously Kyra.”

Cale set down his glass. “I’m going as
well.”

“I figured,” Sebastian replied. Then he
looked at Sonya expectantly.

“Of course I’m going. Don’t be stupid.”

The pub was already empty. Not surprising.
Whenever they docked, the crew disregarded the pub in exchange for
the more lavish entertainment of space cities.

Sebastian nodded. “I’ve given the crew leave
for ten hours. I expect less than half to return.”

“We’ve run the ship with less.”

“That we have.”

Together, they made their way to the docking
bay.

Cale stepped off the ship and was greeted by
a barrage of fawning workers, dressed to entice both men and women
alike. A band played to their left as they made their way to the
registration office where the crew lined up to declare either their
permanent or temporary status.

Aside from the bright lights and white
floors, most of the complex was composed of a thick clear barrier
that allowed a view of space, as well as the other two circulating
rings. They were truly massive, and looked even more so from this
angle.

He spotted Kyra far ahead in the queue,
along with Ethan and Zoey, who held the book in her arms. Why would
they allow the earthling to tag along? Zoey was naive to all the
cultures of space. If she were separated from their group, she
could end up as some vagabond’s pet. So could Kyra, for that
matter. Rex was with them as well, but that didn’t ease his mind.
Marik might vouch for the demon, but he had yet to prove his worth
to Cale.

Kyra turned her head, scouting the crowd.
Her gaze skimmed over him with a brief detached nod before turning
away. In that look, she’d offered neither affection nor disdain,
though he was expecting the latter. In fact, she’d been completely
unreadable. He considered it a temporary truce between them.

He noticed Sonya watched Ethan just as
closely as he watched Kyra. However, when Ethan scanned for Sonya,
he gave her a hooded once over and a crooked smile. Sonya playfully
swiveled around, looking over her shoulder at him, while wiggling
her hips and fluffing the back of her too short skirt. Then she
flipped back around, giving Ethan a lewd gesture. Ethan’s smile
only grew.

Cale ground his teeth in what he hated to
admit was pure jealously.

Kyra should wiggle her ass at him like that.
Thinking it made his eyes go to the area in question. The material
of her outfit hugged her curves in a manner that should be illegal.
Her backside was practically on display, and all the males around
her were taking notice. Locking his teeth didn’t prevent the growl
from rumbling out of him.

Sonya bumped him. “Cale, stop acting like an
ass.”

“Me! What about you, shaking your tail like
some—”

“Finish that sentence, and I will shove my
fist through your spine.”

Sebastian pushed between them, snarling
under his breath, “Enough.”

Next to him, Anya’s head darted wildly
around, taking everything in. The largest of the rings was
dedicated in part to arrivals and departures, so there was no lack
of furor. Species of all kinds surrounded them. Liygards, with
their dark armored skin, huddled together in a group. A couple of
stubby Udeki rummaged through a heap of luggage, arguing in their
crude, spitty language. Cale would say they were a couple, but
there was no way of distinguishing a male from a female without
getting slapped, or worse.

Merchants vied for the attention of
newcomers, hoping to procure that first sale. Anya showed interest
when a jeweler strolled by with a pallet of necklaces. Sebastian
immediately offered to buy her as many as she wanted.

Cale rolled his eyes, never understanding
the need to provide useless baubles to one’s mate. He looked to
where Kyra now stood. She had finished registering and was waiting
for them to get through the line, admiring a display of
trinkets.

Remembering her gift to him, he reached for
the small knife in his pocket. He would need to check it—weapons
were prohibited. Although it was much more than a mere weapon. It
was a multipurpose tool. Each time he examined it, pride swelled
inside him. It was something no one else would have seen, making it
rare and therefore valuable.

Kyra had bought it for him as if it were
nothing. The clothing too had been given freely. His lips thinned,
recalling how thoroughly she had provided for him and Zoey. Now she
hadn’t the means to buy herself a simple necklace. Any wealth she’d
accumulated had been left on Earth. To be fair, he should repay her
with a trinket or two, if she desired.

Kyra had only visited a space city twice in
her life, to and from the dragon clans. The small city of Gri had
been a dungeon compared to Uli Rings, and she was only in the
terminal. The metal gleamed as though new. High on the walls,
colorful plants hung down from sconces, contrasting beautifully
against the dark, star speckled view.

She couldn’t wait to see more.

Zoey looked positively stunned by everything
around her, but she huddled close when a strange or dangerous
looking individual passed by. When Rex reassured her that demons
were among the most formidable of species, she relaxed.

A few shops lined one wall, and Kyra browsed
the selection as they waited for everyone to join them. Many of the
items were gaudy and uninteresting. However, one necklace did catch
her eye. Thin strands that looked like metallic silk wove around
extraordinary stones, known to alter color at random.

A familiar voice spoke from behind. “I can
get it for you if you like.”

“No, thank you,” she replied in an even
tone, continuing to browse without actually seeing and trying to
dull the sudden pang in her chest.

“You don’t want it?”

“I don’t want you to get it for me.”

“Why not? I can afford it.”

“Save your money, Cale.” She sighed, heading
back to where the rest of her group stood. On the way she caught
his expression. Completely blank. He hadn’t offered her the
necklace because he cared for her. It was to be her consolation
prize. A parting gift to commemorate the end of their relationship,
if that was even the correct term for it.

She wasn’t sure why the
idea hurt so much, or why she hadn’t just let him buy the thing out
of spite. Many women would have. Only, if he
were
to buy it, she knew she would
never wear it. It would be as if it were tainted. A beautiful
reminder of what she could never have and would forever
miss.

After a few moments, their group was
complete and they moved on, heading for the center of the
complex.

Traveling between the rings turned out to be
an endeavor. A number of transport units carried passengers back
and forth. Because the sections were constantly moving
independently of each other, the units detached and became like
miniature ships, large enough to fit their entire group without
feeling crammed together.

When they reached the middle ring, the unit
reattached with only minor jostling, and the doors swooshed open,
inundating Kyra with a combination of scents and sounds. Stepping
out, she noticed three restaurants within the first twenty feet,
along with a small market place. It seemed every race imaginable
mingled together, walking casually or shopping in groups.

“This way.” Sebastian took the lead, Anya by
his side. They all followed.

Kyra found herself walking behind Zoey and
Rex. Somehow Cale ended up next to her, with Aidan on her other
side. By the way they towered over her, it almost looked as if she
had her own set of guards.

Too bad one of those guards was an
emotionally stunted jackass, with all the sensitivity of a kidney
bean.

She peeked at him using her peripheral
vision. A muscle creased between his eyes. She wondered if he
wasn’t comfortable around so many clamoring people. Or maybe he
didn’t like being off the ship. But how could he not? This place
was stunning. Plants grew from everywhere, creating a wonderful
earthy atmosphere in the midst of a closed artificial world.

Shops displayed exotic flowers in pots.
Vines crawled up the walls. The fresh scent of a forest titillated
her nostrils. And though it was as packed as any New York street,
it didn’t feel overcrowded.

Zoey turned around to say, “I feel like I’m
in a gimongous mall of the future.”

Sonya commented, “This is the business
district, although there is a small section dedicated to living
quarters. The third ring is almost completely apartments.”

Their meeting place, Between the Rings, was
like a nightclub and a strip joint combined, only it catered to all
tastes—and being a multiracial facility, that was something to see.
Both she and Zoey canted their heads at a tiger furred humanoid
with ears like a chinchilla, wearing a beaded wisp of an
outfit.

Zoey whispered, “Thunder, thunder,
Thundercats…hooo.”

Kyra covered her mouth to hold back a guffaw
of laughter. Then she caught sight of a familiar group of faces,
seated at a large table. King Mar of the Legura Clan had always
seemed massive in size, but now his three sons matched his strong
physique. Yet, in small ways, they still resembled the young
mischievous lads she remembered.

Gavin spotted her first and rose from his
seat in a gentlemanly manner. The rest followed his gaze, and then
did the same. Aside from the royal family, a few guards stood
nearby, and no doubt more remained unseen.

With a catching smile, Tristan—the second
eldest—sidestepped the table and approached her with his arms out
in greeting. “Kyralyn. Look at you. You’ve no’ changed a whit.
Beautiful as ever.”

She was about to say he’d changed a great
deal, but a strong hand clasped her elbow, pulling her away from
Tristan. Cale placed himself at her front, causing the other male
to scowl. One of the royal guards stepped forward, but Gavin waved
him back, stepping forward in his place.

“What’s this?” Their father grunted. “Are we
no’ allies, lady Kyra? Are we suspected of some kind of
treachery?”

“Of course not, my lord,” she replied.
“Cale, here, is just uninformed of our intimate acquaintance. Step
aside, Cale,” she ordered, barely able to cover her chagrin.

“Like hell I will. What do you mean by
intimate? We’re here to talk, not to pass you around to a bunch of
dragons.”

Tristan hissed, “You allow this guard to
disrespect you in such a way, Kyra? I could break his neck if you
wish.”

She’d forgotten how important honor was to
the dragons. They would war in the name of honor and defend it to
the death. And from what she’d gathered so far, the demons were
quick to insult.

Not a great combination.

“I wish only for peace,” she assured,
maneuvering around Cale. “And he’s not my guard. He’s not anything,
actually. Please, we mean no disrespect.”

Cale frowned as if he she’d wounded him.
Sebastian chastised him with a look, but she couldn’t tell if Cale
had noticed.

Finally, Tristan’s grin reappeared, and he
gave a hearty laugh as he scooped her up in a bone-crushing hug.
Aidan and Sonya both took hold of Cale, keeping him in place. Why
was he acting so possessive?