* * *
Keirth couldn’t go back to sleep. He went to the bridge and looked up the coordinates of where they would come out of hyperspace. He was surprised. Randomly, out of every place in the universe the coordinates could have chosen, the ship was taking them to the Pyrneth System. Keirth had never been there, but he knew someone who called it home these days.
Keirth considered. Pyrneth was pretty far out on the edges of deep space, far from the iron hold of the sector. Most of the planets in the system were inhospitable to human life and the ones that were only had small stretches that actually got warm enough for people to eke out an existence—generally around the equators. Pyrneth had a reputation for being populated mostly by conspiracy theorist gun nuts. People who really wanted to be left alone.
But that was good, Keirth thought. If he was headed anywhere, somewhere remote like the Pyrneth System was a good place to be. However, if he was thinking of looking in on his old friend Gordic, he would be putting Gordic in danger from the authorities, who were very probably hunting Keirth. And Gordic had never been a particularly law-abiding citizen. Bringing the authorities to Gordic could ruin him.
Still, if he was going to be in Pyrneth, it wouldn’t hurt to at least say hello.
If Gordic didn’t want him around, though, Keirth figured he’d made a quick jump in hyperspace to the Yeth System. That would only take fifteen minutes or so. And the ship still didn’t have any food. Keirth hadn’t eaten since Lilla had fed them on Scranth. His stomach had begun rumbling at him after Ariana had woken him up.
Ariana.
Why had she done that?
Keirth felt half-sick to his stomach thinking about it, but maybe that was only because he was hungry. He wasn’t sure what was the worst about it, that she was behaving in a completely irrational way after being terrorized by a madman, or that when she’d been close to him in the bed, some part of him had wanted her. And the wanting her had been all tangled up in the disgust he felt for Risciter, and the horror at the way it had felt to kill him, and the fact that he’d nearly watched her be killed the same way his mother had.
The fact remained, nothing about the situation should have made her want to lie with him, and he should have been stronger. He should have never have allowed his baser instincts to take hold, even in the slightest way. He never wanted to hurt Ariana. And the thought of her being killed, of his not being able to stop it...it ripped him apart. How was there room for feelings like that along with feelings of lust?
Because Keirth was certain there was nothing more inappropriate, and nothing more obscene, than wanting Ariana just then when she’d been touching him. But he had. And that was the kind of disgusting man he’d never wanted to be.
* * *
When Ariana woke up later, she found Keirth on the bridge. He had the visual up on screen, and a man was talking to Keirth.
“You’re in system?” said the man.
“Just popped out of hyperspace right in your back yard, Gordic,” said Keirth. “Thought I’d say hello.”
The man shook his head. “I don’t believe it. I was just thinking of you this morning.”
“Oh?”
“Actually, it was because your face is plastered all over the nets with a big ‘Wanted’ sign hanging over it.”
Keirth nodded. “I figured that.”
“You finally got your man, did you? The reports all say the Duke of Risciter is dead.” Gordic stroked his chin.
“I did.”
“The rest of it’s bullshit, though, isn’t it? The Keirth Transman I know doesn’t slit the throats of women—especially not prostitutes.”
“So they are trying to pin that on me,” said Keirth. He leaned back in his chair. “No, Risciter’s the one who killed the women. I wasn’t in time to stop him.” His face fell.
“Sounds like you’ve had a rough time of it, mate. I’m guessing you’re angling for an invite to my little hideaway here, then?” Gordic was grinning.
“Not angling,” said Keirth. “I don’t want to put you in any danger if the authorities come searching for me out here by some chance. I wouldn’t want to endanger your illegal arms operation.”
Gordic chuckled. “Oh, my gun business? No, I don’t do that anymore. The little misses put a right stop to that. She makes quilts, in fact. I ship them all over the galaxy. We’re as legit as it comes these days.”
Keirth looked stunned. “You got married?”
“Oh, yeah,” said Gordic. “Would have invited you to the wedding, but I never could keep track of your sorry ass. Anyway, mate, it’s fine. We’d be happy to put you up for a bit. Pull your ship on up to the station.”