Creed of Pleasure; the Space Miner's Concubine (The LodeStar Series) (19 page)

“Take you for a ride,” he offered. “Tomorrow—no, the next day. Got a big shipment going out tomorrow, have to be there. Probably be late getting back here.”

She lifted her head, and propped her chin on her hand, stroking further up his side, to where hair curled crisply under his arm. Oh, drat, she simply couldn’t resist touching him when he was this close.
 

“You could show me how to fly your cruiser,” she offered, batting her lashes at him. “Then I could go myself.”

He didn’t move, although his skin twitched again. Ticklish. His mouth curled up in that little half-smile she liked so much. “Don’t think so. Cruiser’s too big and powerful for a novice to control. Teach you how to fly a hovie, though.”

“Really?” She stared at him, excitement cutting through the mix of sadness and euphoria that filled her. She’d expected him to tell her no and that would be that. “I’ve never flown anything. That would be so fab. I might have to think of some way to repay you.”

His chest quivered under her hand. “You Earth II girls are easy. Don’t worry, I’ll think of how you can repay me.”

She put out her tongue and touched the corner of her mouth. “I’ll look forward to it.”

His gaze snapped to her mouth. “So will I.”

Taara grinned. This kind of teasing with a sexual edge was fun with him. “You could show me how to fly it now,” she coaxed, sliding her hand up over his chest in a caress. “Then we’d get to the repayment faster.”

His azure gaze narrowed. “Yes, we could. All right, get dressed, meet me in the passageway to the landing pad.”

“Okay.” She scrambled off the bed and ran to her lav to clean up.

Chapter Twelve

The next afternoon, Taara sat in the hovie Creed had chosen for her personal use.
 

It was not an attractive craft. Instead of being a glossy silver or even gold toned, the paint job was dull gray like the bluffs behind the house.
 

He’d noted her disappointment and told her the purpose of this was camouflage, to make the small craft hard to spot when it was still. The paint also included special ingredients that shielded heat, meaning the driver and the core that powered the craft. Of course high tech surveillance would pick it up as soon as it moved, but the camo allowed a LodeStone driver to hide, if necessary, until help came.
 

The tech, he told her, was left over from the Solar Wars and highly useful for the settlers of this planet. Not that she was going to need it, as he’d told her exactly where she was allowed to go and also that the craft was armed to send off an alarm if she ventured too far. This would bring him or one of his men immediately to escort her back to safety.

The LodeStone security system encompassed the area from the mountaintops to the other side of the valley and both ways along the river bottom for several kilometers. As long as she stayed within the borders indicated by the holomap on the dash, and away from any herds of skrog, she would be safe. She had no intention of flying anywhere near the huge beasts, so this last should not be a problem.

She ran through the mental checklist of the things he’d taught her, then linked Creed. His image sprang into view over the control console of the hovie, and Taara stared. He was shirtless, his face and chest gleaming with perspiration. Dirt streaked one side of his face, and his arms. He held some kind of tool in one hand, blinking with lights and emitting low hums.
 

He was not alone, either. Another man stood with him in a large passageway cut from the rock, with rows of lights disappearing around a bend. The inside of the mine. The other man was smaller than Creed, clad in dusty work clothes but with a bloody bandage on his head. He was scowling at Creed. “It wasn’t my fault,” he was saying. “I told you—”

“It was your fault,” Creed interrupted in a voice so cold it sent a chill through Taara. Ugh, she’d hate to have that look directed at her. “You didn’t make sure the cars were loaded evenly, so they tipped. Others could’ve been injured because of your mistake. Wasn’t Rowdy, wasn’t Ceia, it was you. You’re done here. Clean out your pod and go. You can catch a ride into Frontiera City with one of the boys.”

The other man glared at Creed. “You
quarker
. Ice man, that’s what they call you. No heart, don’t know what it’s like to feel anything. Never make mistakes, so you don’t get that the rest of us are real. Well, you’ll find out one day and when you do, I hope it’s bad. Hope it takes you and your quarkin’ mine
down
.”

Creed regarded him stonily. “Right. You’ve said your piece, now get out.”

Flinging around, the little man stormed away, into the daylight to one end of the tunnel.

Taara stared at the edge of the holovid where he’d disappeared. That had been harsh. Of course, Creed had fired him just for making a mistake. She peered back at Creed to find him watching her now, his face still, but his eyes blazing. Whoa, that man had been wrong. Creed was not ice inside, he was an inferno.

“Taara. What’s up?”

She blinked, breaking out of her semi-trance. “Um, I’m so sorry to interrupt. I’ll just go—”

He shook his head once, impatient but focused. “You needed to talk, I’m here. What’s up?”

“Oh. I’m, um, taking the hovie out. You said to let you know. I won’t go beyond the boundaries you showed me.” No, sirree. No mistakes for her, nothing that would engender him speaking to her in that tone.

He jerked his chin in approval although his gaze sharpened, taking in her and the hovie cockpit. “Be careful. Link me if you need anything.”

“Yes, s—um, okay.” She broke the link, her face burning as his brows flew up, his mouth quirking. Great, she’d nearly called him ‘sir’, like he was her boss. Ack, she was such a silly lizard.

Ready to do anything but reflect on the amusement in his blue eyes, she powered up the hovie and put her hand on the accelerator. Then, her tongue between her teeth in concentration, she lifted the lever. The small craft rose off the landing pad and her heartbeat rose with the sensation of floating. Exhilarating and frightening.
 

“Here goes,” she muttered, and pushed the lever forward. The hovie slid out of the open hangar, and across the paved area outside. The big gates ahead slid open, and she flew out, a few feet above the ground. She was doing it—she was flying all by herself. She gave a tiny squeal of excitement, then bit her lip, hoping no one was listening on Creed’s surveillance system of which he was so proud. She settled for grinning to herself.

Outside the compound she veered right, carefully, because now that she was off the landing pad she half expected the hovie to crash into the large rocks and shrubs that clustered on the hillside. But the small craft lifted over each obstacle without urging, skimming on the cushion of air created underneath by the powerful but quiet jets of air.
 

Soon she was flying with more confidence, and she headed down the long slope to the river-bottom below. She left the clear domed top of the hovie closed for safety, as Creed had cautioned her that the local hawks sometimes challenged hovies. As soon as he’d described one of the huge hawks diving at his craft with talons outstretched, Taara promised fervently to fly only with the hatch securely fastened.
 

The river wound with deceptive laziness between its banks, the water translucent green-gold. This was thanks to minerals in the water, according to Creed, and lent a tangy taste to the water. The water they drank was filtered, as the first settlers had discovered the greenish water stained teeth, cloth and eventually skin.

Taara followed the river bank, noting the brush hanging over the water, then veered daringly out over the water. She could see rocks of all colors through the clear water, and even, to her delight, fish swimming against the current and lurking in pools.
 

A feeling of peace filled her. It was so beautiful out here, so tranquil in the quiet landscape. Not a single other sentient being in sight. She’d lived for so long surrounded by crowds, by the press of beings in a city, she hadn’t realized how stressful that was.
 

As a child, her family had lived in a small suburb on Serpentia, with the desert stretching out where she and Daanel and their friends could explore and play. They’d even camped once in a while with her parents. Before they died, and her and Daanel’s world was torn away. Well, she couldn’t change the past, but she wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

Then something large and sinuous leapt out of the water in front of the hovie. Taara gasped, her heart stopping and then thumping rapidly. She had one glimpse of a gaping mouth with two fangs, and a length of brown twisting in the sunlight. The creature fell back into the water, and she let out a long breath, hand to her breast. A serpent of some kind, clearly adapted to hunting from the water. Looked to be about as long as she was tall, and as big around as her arm. Dangerous to unwary swimmers, but she’d grown up around vipers of all kinds. Most left humans alone, preferring smaller, easier prey.
 

This one was much more aggressive.

“Foolish snake,” she scolded, leaning over to watch as the brown form undulated along in the river below. “Thinking you can take on something this large.”
 

She was also annoyed with herself for being so lost in her thoughts that she’d been frightened by a reptile. She was Serpentian, for goddess’ sake.
 

The mawwr, now that was different. There were no cats or dogs native to Serpentia and certainly none roaming free on Earth II, only those in private ownership or the few zoos. If the pesky creature came into the house again, she was going to throw something at it and shoo it away in no uncertain terms. Even if it did scare the snake eggs out of her.

The river changed, the sound growing through the hovie’s audioread. Ahead, spray leapt into the air and her heart lifted to meet it. The falls. She smiled in remembered exhilaration. Last evening, Creed had flown her over them and grinned at her as she’d laughed with delight at the sheer rush of flying out over open space, the river dropping away beneath in a shining fall of gold and then a tumble of white spray at the bottom of the cliff.
 

Then she’d shrieked as the hovie dove, plummeting down to veer upright just over the thundering froth at the foot of the falls. She’d smacked him on the arm for that, and he’d chuckled, a deep sound that shook his magnificent chest. She’d laughed too.

Not as daring without Creed at the controls, Taara veered to the side and followed the more gradual slope down the mountainside, peering out at the falls and the river below.
 

She frowned as she saw a figure moving along the water under a stand of trees. Long dark hair, brown skin, pink tights. It was Noni. Taara scanned the riverbank in both directions, scowling as she saw no hovie or other form of transport. What was the brat doing so far from LodeStone by herself?

She linked Creed again. He answered immediately, still sweaty and even dirtier than the first time they’d spoken. “Sorry to bother you again,” she said. “But I’m past the falls, and Noni’s down by the river below—alone. Is that safe for her? I’m only asking because she seems to be on foot.”

Creed’s face tightened. “You did right to let me know,” he said, clearly not pleased. “I’ll send someone out to get her. Don’t know who, on shipping day.”

“No,” Taara decided. “You keep your men there. I’ll bring her back.”

“You sure?”
 

“I am not without skills. She’ll come back with me.”

His expression changed, his gaze warming. “I believe you, Serpentian girl. I’ll link her, tell her to get her ass in the hovie. She argues, don’t rough her up too much, eh?”

She shrugged demurely. “That all depends on her, now doesn’t it?”

“Link me when you get back to the compound,” he ordered.

“I will.” She broke the link, and accelerated, veering down into the canyon below the falls, skimming over the spray and rushing water
 

She landed on the riverbank under the trees, on damp, shady earth and gravel. She expected Noni to be glaring and pouting, but instead the girl sauntered over to the hovie and climbed in, a smug little smile on her face. Her long hair was wet, and she carried the scent of the river.

Taara thought at first that the girl was merely happy to have spoken with Creed, gotten special attention from him. But the fine hairs on the back of her neck were standing up and she did not ignore her instincts.
 

“You came clear down here just to swim?” she asked casually as she lifted the hovie off the river bank.

“I’m at home in the water,” the girl said, flipping her wet hair so that droplets flicked over Taara’s arm. “I swim anywhere.”

Taara did not like the sneer in Noni’s voice, especially after she’d gone out of her way to give her a lift. Thus, instead of avoiding the falls, she sent the hovie forward, low over the water. Just as the spray hit the clear shield, she pulled up far enough to engage the boosters, and lifted the craft straight up in the air in front of the falls. She gave a sigh of relief when the maneuver worked flawlessly.

Then she steered forward over the river until she found what she was looking for. “So, you don’t mind sharing the river with the likes of that?” she asked. She pointed down at the long sinuous form of the river serpent, swimming through one of the pools, a fish now clutched in its jaws.