Page 127 of Smuggler's Beauty

Not like what she was doing.

Trembling like a leaf, Evelyn stepped towards Emil again. She took his body into her arms, his frame light as a child’s. She closed her eyes and returned to her mental chamber. She needed to end this. Emil Bellica was a monstrous man. He had forfeited his right to live. But that didn’t mean she had to torture the man to death.

She could barely even see the Amplification tank now; the air was so heavy with his energy. Evelyn took a steadying breath and continued to pull the dusty streams forth, vaguely aware of Emil’s body slumping against her own in the receiving room.

She squinted through the dim haze and scanned the shelves of her chamber. She didn’t have enough jars for this. She had never dreamed she’d need a vessel large enough to hold a human’s worth of energy. Even when she’d stored emergency energy from the forest on Antopolet, she’d just contained it in big jugs. She visualized a wooden barrel. It clattered to the ground next to her. The dusty, gold-flecked power swirled around her, a tornado seeking direction, and she shoved it towards the barrel.

She heard Emil scream in the distance.

The energy unfurled, twists of dust-colored whirls throwing off blobs of golden light. The gold flecks hovered in the air, hopeful lanterns glowing down on the stormy gales of Emil’s energy. The glow finally registered with Evelyn. Emil had managed to do to himself a version of what she’d accidentally done to Aiden: imbue his body with Amplification. Not justboost his own fledgling psychic talent, but his life force. From the way the globs were freeing themselves, she judged that it clearly had not gone as seamlessly for Emil as it had for Aiden. Her stomach flipped.

Focus on this problem now. Horrific science experiments are tomorrow's issue.

She forced the dust-colored swirls of Emil’s energy into the barrel. She slammed the lid shut. She heard the last breath escape his lungs. The floating golden orbs had coalesced into a large globe of light above her. She guided it back into the vat of Amplification energy. The globe unfurled into a stream, seeking the well it knew it sprang from. The stream traveled up the tap, back into the supply of otherworldly potential it belonged to.

Evelyn opened her eyes. The room around her was a disaster. The walls were singed, the carpet beneath her feet soaked with blood. Nannette was sheathing a knife. Elenor was kneeling over Veselko. Aiden was in the doorway, barring Pearl from entering the room. And Evelyn was holding onto the husk of Emil’s corpse. His head reminded her of an apple left out for far too long, his limbs spindly and frail in her arms. She expected to feel disgusted with herself. She’d just done the thing she’d spent her whole adult life desperately trying to avoid. Instead, she was overcome by exhaustion; the knowledge that, however hard won this battle had been, the true fight was just beginning. She dropped the weightless mass, and the desiccated body fell at her feet. She kicked it away.

“This is so typical. She dumps me. She shoots me. It’s a little unfair, don’t you think?” Veselko griped.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” Pearl said. She poked her head into the room over Aiden’s outstretched arm. “It’s a flesh wound, and it’s better than having your head blown off by the asshat on the floor that was aiming for you. You’re welcome.”

Nannette sighed. Evelyn caught her eye and mouthed, “Cardigan girl” at her. Nannette nodded.Hot damn, Veselko. Excellent taste.She shouldn’t have been surprised. Only Veselko would be optimistic enough to try to knit a sweater for a legendary mercenary with a reputation that would castrate a lesser man at fifty paces.

“I think I’m going to pass out now,” Evelyn said. Her eyelids were heavy with exhaustion, her legs felt like overdone fettuccine. She heard Veselko make a joke about feeling drained. The corner of her mouth flipped up, but she couldn’t muster the energy to laugh. She took a step in the direction of the sofa just as her eyes closed. She didn’t feel a thing when she hit the ground.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

Evelyn woketo the sensation of someone gently wiggling her foot. She smelled coffee. She cracked an eye to see she was back aboard theRising Dawnin the quarters she shared with Aiden. He was standing next to the bed, latte in hand, smiling down at her.

“Please tell me I didn’t dream the last twenty-four hours, and I don’t have to go through them again,” she said. She pushed herself up on her elbows before reaching out for the mug Aiden held. Someone had removed the pins and braids from her hair, and it was cascading down her shoulders. He tucked a lock behind her ear.

“You didn’t dream the last twenty-four hours, Your Highness,” he said, winking at her.

Evelyn groaned. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. This is going to get real old, real quick.”

He laughed as he walked around to his side of the bed. He hopped in and extended an arm for her to cuddle under. She scooted over gingerly, careful not to spill her drink.

“Vinnie’s ship landed last night after you were out. She hit the ground running, coordinating all the inaugural activities.She’s posed some interesting questions as to when to thaw out the rest of your family.”

“I bet.”

“Elenor very politely told her to fuck off. She said you’re queen, you get to decide if you want her touching anything.”

Evelyn’s chest swelled. Her emotions were a twister. That Elenor was looking out for her best interests while she slept was overwhelmingly kind. She was thrilled they’d all made it out of the night relatively unscathed. She was dying to get more information about the whole Veselko/Pearl situation. She dreaded seeing her family. She could not wait to see her family. And horror at what she’d done to Emil was starting to sink in.

The tower of responsibilities looming over her was daunting, to say the least. Life was easier when you could bury your nose in a book. Now she was expected to make decisions that would affect a planet’s worth of people.

I am not qualified for this.

She sipped her coffee, organizing her thoughts. Swallowing, she rested her head against Aiden’s shoulder.

“Lots to do,” she said.

“Mmm. I believe Nannette has a list of suggestions,” Aiden said. “You’ve also received a few transmissions.”

“Last chance to back out,” she offered.

Aiden snorted. “Dollface, that ship has sailed.”