gaian consortium 05 - the titan trap (35 page)
Read gaian consortium 05 - the titan trap Online
Authors: christine pope
Derek wondered exactly what had happened to her during her brief captivity, but he would have to ask her about that later. “So…what now?” he asked.
Miala tilted her head, seeming to consider him. “Normally, I’d say that was up to you, but since you’ve now managed to piss off the entire Consortium government…”
“…we don’t have a lot of options,” Derek finished for her. That was putting it mildly. They’d be hunted in every sector controlled by the Consortium, which meant a large portion of the galaxy was now off-limits to them.
It was something he and Cassidy had discussed briefly, but only in passing, a contingency they hoped they’d never have to implement. Could he ask this of her, to come into exile with him, to the one place he thought they might be safe?
She must have seen the question in his eyes, because she nodded and then slipped her hand into his. “It’s all right,” she said softly. “I always did want to see Eridani.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Mair Lennis, president of the planetary council, was an older Eridani male, his hair now pale lavender with age, his skin an even paler lavender than his hair. But he held himself straight and tall as he greeted Cassidy and Derek, telling them they would be granted sanctuary on his world and in the sectors controlled by the Eridani Hegemony.
“We here on Eridani…and on many other worlds…understand the sacrifices you have made to ensure that the truth will not be buried,” he said in his calm, soft voice. “Arrangements have been made for you to make your home here in Teliir, but if you should find anything not to your liking….”
He let the words trail off, and Cassidy said, “I’m sure it will all be wonderful, Mr. President. We can’t thank you enough for allowing us to claim asylum here.”
A smile. “I would say it is nothing, but I know for you it is far more than that.” He took her hand and bowed over it, and although she’d somehow thought his skin would be cool, it was actually warm, warmer than her own. “A vehicle is waiting to take you to your new home. If there is anything you require, send word directly to my secretary, and he will see that the matter is addressed.”
She stammered her thanks, and Derek added his own, saying he was sure they wouldn’t need anything else, that the president — and, by extension, the rest of the government — had already done so much for them.
Then that same secretary, a younger Eridani man, his hair vivid purple, guided them out of the gleaming high-rise that housed the president and his staff, and on into an aircar, this one driven by a mech so shiny it looked as if it had just come off the factory floor that week. The unfamiliar streets of Teliir began to slip by, all gleaming glass and steel and other metals Cassidy couldn’t even put a name to. Everything was clean and bright, and so very unlike the few glimpses she’d had of Gaia. Here, the sky was pale purple, the sunlight faintly tinged with blue.
Very beautiful…but very alien.
They hadn’t said much on the trip to Eridani. Once Lira Jannholm had piloted her Sirocco-class ship safely away from Gaia, they’d headed to Triton, where they rendezvoused with another, older ship, this one piloted by Miala and Eryk Thorn’s son, who didn’t appear to be a day over fourteen. Cassidy had wondered at his parents allowing him to take on such a dangerous task as bombarding the GDF wing of the processing plant, and then flying on to Triton alone. A few minutes in Jerem’s company, however, was enough to convince her that Miala and Eryk knew exactly what they were doing…and so did their son.
On Triton they’d said their goodbyes and given their thanks, and Lira and Rast took Cassidy and Derek the rest of the way to Eridani, a journey of some fifteen hours through the shifting, shimmering non-colors of subspace, something she’d never seen before. It had been some hours before she’d allow herself to doze on the divan in the passenger compartment of Lira’s ship, head pillowed on Derek’s shoulder. And then they’d come to Eridani.
It was clear that Miala had sent word ahead, for Cassidy and Derek were welcomed without question. At the time Cassidy wasn’t sure what to make of that, except it was clear that the Eridanis, for all their talk of mutual cooperation and understanding, enjoyed seeing the Consortium’s shortcomings revealed in all their glory.
Now she and Derek were alone in the house that had been given to them, a modest villa-style structure on the outskirts of Teliir. She had no experience of acreage or any terrestrial units of measurement, but the place seemed to have hugely extensive lands, with no sign of neighbors on any side. Alien trees in shades of purple and blue and dark, dark red shaded the grounds, through which an actual stream meandered, bordered on either side by silvery-gray sand. Everything seemed to have been attended to, from personal hygiene products in the bathrooms to wardrobes stocked with clothing to the full refrigeration unit in the kitchen.
Hand in hand, they’d walked over the property, still silent, still trying to take it all in. Or at least, that was what Cassidy was doing. She didn’t know if she wanted to guess what might be going through Derek’s mind, what he thought of this completely new life they’d been given.
Finally they returned to the large central room that functioned as a sort of combination living area/dining room, all tastefully furnished in shades of purple-tinged blues and grays, the dining section separated from the living area by what appeared to be a free-falling cascade of water, one that disappeared into a bed of gray rocks and then, by some hidden miracle, was pumped back into the ceiling to start the process all over again. So much water, such an extravagant use of it. It was something she could never have imagined, but she had a feeling she’d be facing much more of that in the days to come.
“So….” she said at length.
He turned to her, took her hands in his. The faintest beginnings of a smile touched his lips, brought some warmth to his dark eyes. “So…I’m thinking this definitely beats a cell in MaxSec.”
“Or the
Avalon,
” she agreed.
“Or pretty much any place I’ve ever lived.”
Something inside her seemed to ease slightly then. “So…you’re okay with all this?”
“I think I am.” Still holding her hands, he brought one to his lips and kissed her fingers gently. “On the trip here, I thought about what I was leaving behind — my family, my home world, my career. But in a sense, I’d left them behind when I was sent to Titan. I felt pretty sure I wouldn’t see any of them ever again. I’d already said my farewells.” His dark eyes caught hers, held, and she made herself remain that way, her gaze fixed on his. “When I was captured back there, when I thought I was either going to be sent back to MaxSec or killed outright, I wasn’t thinking about any of that. I was only thinking about you, whether you were safe, whether you’d managed to get away. That tells me I know what’s important.” He paused, and she held her breath, thinking there was no way he was going to say what she desperately hoped he would. “What’s important is you, Cassidy. Us. We make quite a team, don’t you think?”
“I think so,” she managed and then he was kissing her, mouth finding hers with an urgency and need that told her he had no regrets, only wanted what she wanted, which was the two of them together, no matter what happened.
He scooped her up then, and she laughed out loud, clinging to him as he took her to the master suite, which was decorated in soft blues accented by the same deep crimson of the trees she’d spotted outside. There he laid her down on the bed, and she reached up and pulled him to her, mouths coming together once again even as they wrestled with the unfamiliar fasteners and construction of the Eridani clothing they wore. At last, though, they were naked, flesh pressed to flesh as they erased the worry and doubt and fear of the last few days in a joining that told them this was right, that this was where they were meant to be…and who they were meant to be with.
Afterward, Cassidy dozed a little, and awoke to see Derek coming toward her with a tray of exotic-looking food, beautifully shaped fruit in shades of purple and crimson, pale loaves of bread, a bottle of purple-hued wine.
“I thought you might be a little hungry,” he said, setting the tray down on the bed next to her.
She was, but hungrier still for his presence, as if the lovemaking of earlier had only served to whet her appetite. Well, to be fair, they hadn’t been able to be together nearly as much as she would have liked, considering all the running around they’d had to do to avoid being killed. And now, watching him as he settled himself next to her, chest still bare, although he’d put on a pair of loose-fitting dark pants — well, she could feel the heat rise in her once again, and knew this simple meal was only a refueling stop before they went on to more important things.
He’d opened the wine in the kitchen, it seemed, since he tilted it immediately into one of the glasses on the tray, a beautiful goblet with the faintest hint of iridescent lavender moving over its surface, and handed the glass to her. As she waited, he poured some for himself, then paused, looking at her. She’d pulled the sheet up to hide some of her nakedness, but the upper curve of her breasts was still visible, and she saw a fire to match her own rekindle in his gaze.
But then he raised his glass. “I’m not even sure what we should toast, but with everything we’ve been through, it seems as if we should make some sort of gesture.”
She had to agree. Tilting her head to one side, she took him in, from the beautiful almond-shaped dark eyes to the broad shoulders and the fine, sensitive hands. No, she’d never been with anyone like him…and now that they were together, she couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. They’d have to make their way in this world, because she knew he wasn’t the sort of person to sit idle, but they could worry about that later. For now, they had each other, and that was enough.
Holding his gaze, she said, “To the universe, for bringing you to me.”
“To the universe,” he repeated softly. “And the most amazing woman in it.”
They drank then, sipping the cool, delicate Eridani wine, and after that fed each other the unfamiliar fruit, tasting and teasing and deciding which they liked best. Afterward they made love, while new and strange constellations crossed over the skylight above the bed. Those stars were the last thing she saw before she fell asleep, and she smiled.
It was all new and foreign, but Derek was here, and that meant she was home.
The End
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ALSO BY CHRISTINE POPE
TALES OF THE LATTER KINGDOMS
(Fantasy Romance)
THE WITCHES OF CLEOPATRA HILL
(Paranormal Romance)
THE GAIAN CONSORTIUM SERIES
(Science Fiction Romance)
THE SEDONA FILES
(Paranormal Romance)
The first three books of this series are also available in an
omnibus edition
at a special low price!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Her work includes paranormal romance, fantasy romance, and science fiction/space opera romance. She fell in love with Sedona, Arizona, while researching the Sedona Files and now makes her home there, surrounded by the red rocks. No alien sightings, though...not yet, anyway!
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