Sought(124)

“That’s all right.” She tried to smile. “You can come home with me—if you want.”

“Eventually.” His voice was remote. “But I’m afraid it will be some time before you see Earth again.”

“What do you mean?” She tried to keep the fear out of her voice but he was acting so strangely it scared her. “Why—?”

“You will understand in time.” He looked down at her hand, still resting on his knee. “I thought I asked you before not to touch me.”

“I’m sorry.” Lauren removed her hand hastily. “I just thought…I wanted to comfort you.”

“I need no comfort. And I do not want your hands on me. It isn’t safe.”

“Isn’t safe? What do you mean?”

He turned his head to look at her and she thought again that his eyes looked like they were on fire. The savage look on his face was like nothing she had ever seen before. There was nothing but hunger in his gaze. No compassion, no pity…just the naked desire to devour. “Please, Xairn,” she said, her voice trembling. “Please, you’re scaring me.”

He took a deep breath and the fire in his eyes died down a little. Some of the tension eased from his broad shoulders and the hunger left his face. “Forgive me, Lauren.” He shook his head. “But I wish very much that you were not with me right now. It would have been better if you had gone with the Kindred and their female. Better and far safer.”

“I’m safe with you.” Lauren touched his arm for emphasis and then remembered he didn’t want her to and drew back. “It’s all right,” she said, holding his eyes with hers. “Everything is going to be all right because I trust you. And I know you’ll keep your promise to see me safely home.”

“I did promise that, didn’t I?” Xairn pressed a hand to his eyes briefly and took another deep breath. “Yes, I did. And I will keep my word. Even if it kills me to do so.”

Lauren didn’t understand what he meant by that, but as the small silver ship turned away from his home world, she did understand that it would be a while before she saw Earth again.

She didn’t know where Xairn was taking her, but it wasn’t home—not yet.





Chapter Thirty-six





“Am I going to die now?” Kat tried to keep her voice even and nonchalant but she couldn’t help the little tremble that crept in as she stared at the poisoned knife in Lock’s hand. “Because I don’t feel any different.”

“The effects of the kusax are not immediate,” Lock said in a low voice. He threw the dagger away with a quick, jerky motion, like a man getting rid of a deadly snake. “But we should not speak of that now. We need to get back to the ship.”

“Lock’s right.” Deep spoke slowly, a stricken expression on his face. “We…we need medical attention. We must go.”

“All right, let’s go then.” Kat got unsteadily to her feet, shaking off the helping hands of both brothers. She wanted to know that she could still get up and move around on her own—wanted to feel that she was still all right, no matter what they said about the stupid Scourge knife that had scratched her. She headed in the direction of the beach and then stopped. “Wait a minute, what about Lauren?”

There was a suddenly muted roaring sound and a rush of wind. From further down the abandoned battlefield a small silver Kindred ship rose into the air. It hovered for a moment and then shot straight up, disappearing into the smoggy sky.

“There’s your answer,” Deep said, pointing. “Xairn has gone and he’s taken Lauren with him.”

“How can you be sure he took her with him?” Kat demanded. “What if she’s still here, wandering around in this horrible place?”

“He would not have left her,” Lock said quietly. “He loves her, my lady—could you not tell?”

“I know that Lauren seemed to be very fond of him…” Kat frowned. “But Xairn’s still a Scourge. And I don’t know if I could tell that he loved her.”

“His heart was given,” Deep said. “It was clear—at least to another male who has given his heart.”

“And how would you know? When did you ever give anything to anyone but pain?” Lock asked but his voice was more weary than angry.

Kat held out her hands. “Don’t start guys, okay? Let’s just do a quick search to make sure Lauren’s not here and then we can assume she went with Xairn. All right?”

“A very quick search.” Lock frowned. “We need to get you home, my lady. To see if there is anything…anything Sylvan can do for you.”