The crisp, male voice made her raise her head.
He leaned against the far wall, beside a floor-to-ceiling window that showed a view of the many ships at the Souk spaceport. He was average height, lean, wearing a tailored suit made of some expensive fabric with a sheen. His face was long and narrow with a tiny goatee and eyes of a liquid black. He was older—and it wasn’t just the silver threading his space-black hair at the temples that gave it away—he had an air of a man who knew what he wanted and got it.
But his aura dominated. Lots of ugly shades of jealous green mixed with soulless black.
“Who—” her voice cracked, her throat dry. She swallowed and tried again. “Who are you?”
“Timothy Li.” He sketched a small bow.
She recognized the name. She made a habit of keeping a discreet ear to the ground on anyone who was overly interested in Vega-Lyrans. Timothy Li wasn’t just interested, he was obsessed.
He came closer, studying her with an acute interest that made her skin crawl. When he reached up, she flinched. She tried to use her abilities, but her system was still sluggish, her abilities nothing but a flicker.
“The chemical we used to subdue you also nullifies your…skills.” He reached up, his fingers brushing her breast as he gripped the Trojan Moon. He held it for a second, eyes glittering. Then he reached up, his breath on her face as he undid the chain.
He held it up, the light catching the swirls in the blue-gray jewel.
“Incredible. I couldn’t believe when an associate described it to me. That he’d seen it hanging around the neck of a beautiful fortune teller in the middle of nowhere.”
Just a random, chance encounter. The unfairness of it burned her. “How did you know it was the Moon?”
“He joked about the fact that he thought it had glowed red, just for a second, while you told him his fortune. And I justknewit had to be the Trojan Moon. I knew the red glow was unique to the Moon.” He grinned like an excited child. “I have some Vega-Lyran blood, you know.”
Yeah, right.Relda rolled her eyes, made sure he saw her do it.
His teeth ground together and his nearly black eyes settled on her. She felt her skin crawl.
“I never in a million years thought I’d find a real, live, full-blood Vega-Lyran.” Timothy Li leaned closer, his aura sparking with bright orange and colorless black. He traced a finger down the side of her neck, and she shuddered. His eyes flashed with a sickening mix of awe, fear, and arousal. “They say fucking one of your kind can make a man immortal.”
Bile was an acid taste in her mouth. Where did they come up with these stupid ideas?
“And if eaten, your heart can transfer your powers.”
“If you believe that drivel, then you’re dumber than I thought,” she snapped.
He drew back. “Well, we’ll find out soon enough. And even without you, I have the Moon to amplify my powers.” He strodeto a comm panel on the wall. “Darrah, begin preparations for takeoff. I’d like to get off this backwater world and back to civilized space.”
Relda’s pulse jumped, then raced. “The marshal will come for me.”Please find me, Hunt. “He’s a single-minded man who never gives up.”
Li lifted a shoulder. “He isn’t coming, Ms. Dela-Cruz.” A sharp smile. “Who do you think sold you out to me?”
Her vision blurred and everything inside her just…stopped.
The pain was so great she felt like she was choking.
“Everyone has their price.” Li’s smile deepened. “I’m very good at finding people’s weaknesses and exploiting them. The Marshal’s Office was very easy to infiltrate. Now, settle in, we have a long flight ahead.” His gaze slid over her body. “And we’ll enjoy it…together.”
Her chest was so tight she could barely breathe. She couldn’t summon any reaction to her captor’s grand plans.
She was shattered inside.
Hunt… Her mind shied away. She couldn’t even think about him. It hurt too much.
“I’ll have one of my men come in and give you another dose of my special concoction. Can’t have you able to use those fabulous powers of yours.” Timothy Li strode out, barking orders.
Relda sagged in her chains. She needed to find a way to escape and then she had to decide what to do next.
She had to leave Souk.
