Stolen Desire (Outlawed Realm) (18 page)

She studied him as he quarreled with Qatar in their language. Neither man frowned nor did they raise their voices. However, she figured they had to be arguing, given how quickly they spoke.

Paige had little doubt Zekin would win the debate. Although he’d been an engineer and a city planner on E2, he was also a born leader who thought of everyone before himself. He was a good, kind man Paige had to protect.

She went to him and touched the back of his hand. His words stalled. Cautiously, he regarded her as though she’d have a new demand that would make him go postal.

“What are you arguing about?” she asked.

Qatar spoke first. “He doesn’t want to take anything to eat or drink to the surface.”

Zekin shot the man a look. “It’s not needed.”

“Why not?” Paige frowned. “If we have to wait as long as you did the last time, we’re going to get hungry and thirsty.”

“We’ll return here to eat,” he explained. “We’ll go up for a few hours, no more than that, and if nothing happens—”

Paige spoke to Bruda. “Show me where the food is so I can pack it to take with us.”

“That’s not necessary,” Zekin insisted.

“Sure it is,” she shot right back. “If not for you, then for me. I’m not coming back here unless it’s with a guard.”

“It’s still not necessary,” Bruda said. He cleared his throat at the frown Zekin gave him, obviously disconcerted at such an emotional display. “Nourishment is provided within the suit you’ll wear, the same as the one you had on when you arrived here.”

How was that possible? “The garment feeds whoever wears it?”

“If it’s been prepared for that,” Zekin said. “Which isn’t necessary, as we won’t be on the surface that long.”

Paige made a face. “How can your people be smart enough to create a suit that allows you to breathe underwater without oxygen tanks, protects you from the cold even though the fabric’s thinner than plastic wrap, and also feeds you to boot, yet be so damn dumb when it comes to what people really need? Some measure of warmth, a parents’ unconditional love, real honor, the kind that protects a populace rather than exploiting it?”

None of the men responded. Bruda and Qatar seemed perplexed by her question, while Zekin simply shook his head.

Paige’s shoulders sagged. “Are we ready to go?”

Qatar nodded. “You are.”

Zekin looked as though he wanted to slug the man for his answer. Paige squeezed his fist to keep him from it. From a shelf to the left, Bruda pulled a silvery-blue square from a tall stack of the same fabric. He placed it on the floor in front of Paige.

“This suit has a week’s worth of nourishment,” he said.

Un-freaking-believable. It was no thicker than a sheet of paper. “Thanks.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Zekin blurted, lifting her hand to his mouth. He kissed her knuckles. “I don’t want you to.”

Paige leaned into him and whispered, “I can’t let you do this alone.”

“Yes, you can.”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t live with myself if I did. You’re not the only one who has honor.”

“You don’t have to prove it now.”

“I’m not proving anything. It’s just something I have to do.” Not giving him a chance to respond or argue, Paige eased away. “We better get going.”

Uncertainty flickered across his face. He seemed to want to say something else but remained silent, his manner going from concerned to resigned.

Paige wanted to believe he finally understood that he couldn’t sway her, but didn’t quite buy it.

“Wait,” she said.

His hand stalled just above the seam of his shirt. She spoke quickly before he made the thing morph into the silvery-blue suit. “Do you have food with you?”

“He doesn’t,” Bruda offered.

“Get him a suit that has it,” Paige said. “The best you have.”

“They’re all the same,” Zekin mumbled.

Given his expression, Paige knew he was lying. She waited for Bruda to do as she asked, needing Zekin to have as much protection as possible against hunger, thirst or harm.

“Wait,” she said again.

“What now?” Qatar asked, actually arching one brow.

She arched one of hers in return. “This suit can do just about anything, right?”

“Define anything,” Bruda said.

“Does it protect the wearer from harm?” Paige pushed the square with her big toe, flinching as it trembled like a living thing. She moved back several steps. “If the guards shoot their darts, will the fabric keep them from penetrating and hitting skin?”

“No,” all three men answered.

She rubbed her temple, her migraine returning. “It can feed us and breathe for us, but it can’t do that?”

“Nothing’s perfect,” Qatar said as though that settled it.

Bruda tossed the fabric near Zekin’s boots.

“Please put it on,” Paige said.

He didn’t.

“Even if you leave in what you’re wearing now, I’m still going to be with you,” she insisted.

Zekin shook his head. “I can’t let you do that. I won’t.”

“I can go with him,” Eeete offered.

Paige went to her. Cupping Eeete’s face in her hands, she murmured, “You’re going to stay here and be safe. Don’t let anyone do anything to you that you don’t want, understand?”

Eeete seemed uncertain how to respond.

“Tell her, please,” Paige said to Zekin.

He yanked off his shirt and threw it on the metal floor. “Remain here. Take orders from no one unless it involves your safety.”

The young woman hesitated as though she wanted to argue.

Zekin looked at her. Eeete nodded quickly, the obedient slave once more.

He stripped to skin. Paige returned to his side and pulled off her shirt, dropping it on top of his. A short while ago, Paige would have freaked out at having two men and a woman regarding her nudity. She wasn’t flawless like Eeete. Always a realist, she knew her body was too chunky, her face too plain. Zekin’s passion had eased her disappointment over that. She saw nothing except approval and desire in his eyes…when he wasn’t fighting with her about going to the surface.

To Paige’s surprise, he took her hand to help her onto the fabric.

“Whoa—hold it.” She held back.

Hope shone in his eyes. “You’ve changed your mind?”

“No.” She couldn’t cave, not if it meant his life. “What’s our plan? You didn’t tell me what we’re going to do.”

Zekin released her hand. “You’ll follow all of my orders without argument or pause.”

“Other than that.”

“Bruda, the weapons.” Zekin gestured for them.

The man held what appeared to be two small pistols in each hand. Zekin pointed to them as he spoke. “The blue weapon has the sedative. The red has poison. Use it if you feel threatened. There are twenty darts in each. That’s all we have until our men can make more.”

Paige nodded and spoke to Bruda. “Take five out of each of my weapons. Keep them here for everyone else’s protection.”

“That’s not necessary,” Zekin said. “The darts are created easily. It takes no more than a day.”

“Plenty of time for everyone here to become sitting targets,” she countered. “Take them out now,” she ordered Bruda.

He looked at Zekin for direction.

“We have a security system,” Zekin said. “It shows who or what might be approaching the pods. We monitor it constantly. The door won’t open if it can’t read an intruder’s fingerprints. The colony is impregnable.”

“Nothing’s perfect,” Paige said, just as Qatar had earlier.

Zekin pressed his fingers to his forehead.

“Should I remove some of the darts?” Bruda asked.

“Two from each weapon,” Zekin growled. “Hers and mine. No more than that.”

The man did as commanded. “Count them as you fire,” he advised her, “especially the red darts.”

Paige didn’t understand. “Why those?”

Qatar answered when Zekin didn’t. “You may have to use the last of the poison on yourself.”

“Or risk capture, torture and worse,” Bruda said.

A wave of dizziness hit so quickly, Paige had to lock her knees to keep from swaying.

“You shouldn’t be doing this,” Zekin insisted.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t any other choice that Paige could live with. She hauled in a breath that was surprisingly deep and not at all calming. “I’m ready.”

Before Zekin could argue further, Paige stepped on the fabric and suppressed a shiver at it crawling up her legs, over her thighs, torso, head. Fully covered except for her face, she extended her hand, wanting the weapons.

Bruda gave them to her.

They resembled toys. She had no idea how something so small could contain so many darts.

“You can carry them here,” Zekin said, running his fingertips along her hip.

To her surprise, the fabric parted, creating a kind of pocket. Paige dropped the weapons inside. The fabric closed again, molding itself to her body, not leaving a bulge. “How does it do that?”

“We don’t know,” Bruda said. “We’re not scientists.”

Paige had to smile. As she hugged him and Qatar good-bye, both of them stiffened, astonishment flashing across their faces. “Take care of yourself.” Allowing them no time to answer, she next hugged Eeete. “You too.”

The young woman looked to Zekin on how to respond.

“Do your best,” Paige told Eeete, then returned to Zekin. He activated his facemask. Paige did the same with hers.

Zekin led Paige to the next pod. The door closed on Bruda, Qatar and Eeete with a muffled whoosh. Water poured in, covering Paige and Zekin within seconds. Despite the suit’s capabilities, Paige still panicked as the water reached her nose. She was afraid to breathe.

Zekin held on to her hand, waiting until she had no other choice than to gulp air. Once she had, he directed them from the colony toward the surface.

They broke through within minutes, the moisture on Zekin’s facemask icing over, then breaking away with the frigid gales scouring the landscape. Hooking his arm beneath hers, he used all of his strength to haul Paige from the water onto the frozen ground.

“Hurry,” he ordered. “We can’t stay here.”

Following his gaze, she gasped and huddled against him. What appeared to be thick white clouds rolled across the landscape, driven by the shrieking winds. On closer examination, eyes, teeth and claws were visible within the milky mass. The ground trembled with the creature’s roar. Another one, in the distance, answered with a fierce bellow.

Zekin pulled Paige toward the outpost, his attention on the monsters. The second one arrived swiftly, its massive form razing the snow banks, its howl murderous. Claws and teeth flashed, tearing chunks of fur and flesh from both creatures, staining the ground a deep blue from their blood.

Paige shouted above the din, “Are they fighting over a female?” She kept twisting her torso as she searched for it.

“The smaller one is a female.” Zekin paused to pull in a full breath. “The male wants to mate with her. First, he has to kill her young.”

Paige made a noise that sounded beyond terrified. “Where are they?”

“Behind her.”

The battle continued, the noise from it booming across the land. Paige moved so quickly—trying to distance herself from it—she kept bumping into Zekin. “Sorry.”

He slipped his arm around her waist to keep her steady and next to him.

“I’m not afraid,” she said.

If she panted any harder, she’d pass out. Tenderness, worry and amusement rolled through Zekin. He couldn’t help but smile. “I know.”

Her face colored with embarrassment. She broke down and laughed, a bit hysterically. However, she appeared to forget her fear for the moment.

They travelled the same distance they had when they’d been here before, finally reaching the frozen body of water that the sea creature had broken through to feed on the birdlike animals. Nothing was in the sky now, not even the insects that rained down periodically. Although it appeared safe, Zekin put considerable distance between them and the ice as they skirted the area.

Paige moved as swiftly as he did, her increased pace saying she recalled what had happened here the last time. They both huffed from the hike. In the distance and the gloom, Zekin finally spotted the guards’ outpost.

He pulled Paige behind a snowdrift, using it to shield their approach.

She swallowed, then panted, “Did you see someone?”

“Not yet.”

For the first time since they’d surfaced, she moved ahead of him. Zekin grabbed her arm, yanking her back. “What are you doing?”

“Checking out the post to see if anyone’s around. No one is. Why do we have to wait to make our move until one of the guards comes out?”

“We haven’t the means to get inside. The panel won’t read my fingerprints or yours.”

“It’ll read the guard’s. You remember, the one whose hand you used to get inside the first time.”