Prince of Dragons (14 page)

Sirena swallowed hard against the stench of death and the acrid miasma of a large serpent. Sick fury balled in her gut. This could have been prevented, if only she and Slyde had searched harder, longer. They should have trusted their instincts. And she should not have allowed herself to be distracted by her anger at him.

“He tried to fight it off,” Tentaclar said, lifting one of the boy’s hands. It was torn and bloody. “It would have been waiting. Curious, though…”

He stared at the body, and Sirena watched him carefully. “What is it?”

“Look at this,” he said, turning the lanky form over so they could see the back. It too bore numerous fang marks. “I find it very odd that the serpent attacked so many times, and from all directions. It is almost as if…” Four of his eyestalks twisted to regard her and Craig. Ice slithered down the back of her neck.

“You believe there are more than one of the creatures,” she said, her voice calm despite the surge of adrenaline. As a warrior, she knew how to use her body’s responses instead of being controlled by them.

He blinked solemnly. “I am afraid so.”

“Oh, great God,” Craig said. “That means they could be moving in more than one direction.”

“Yes,” said Sirena. “Although they killed in tandem here. They may stay together.”

“Can you tell from the marks what kind of serpent it is?” he asked.

“I’ve seen fang strikes like this once before, at a desert oasis in the wilds. They were caused by Serpentia’s most deadly serpent—the golden wraith.”

Craig sucked in a sharp breath. “I’ve heard of those. This just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?”

Sirena spoke into her com-link. “Commander Stone, guards. We have a new development. We think there are at least two of the serpents. And that they are wraiths. You all know how dangerous those are. You are fast. They’re far faster. Do not let your guard down for an instant.”

“Any sign?” Slyde’s deep voice demanded.

There was a chorus of negative replies. “The scent dies off the farther we get away from the attack site,” said Izard. “We followed it toward the passenger quarters, but there’s nothing.”

“Yvene, Quarle, Raile, move your teams back toward the ballroom,” said Slyde. “They may be still holed up near there. The rest of us will continue searching out here.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Craig said to Sirena. “I can see this stench is wearing on you.”

She nodded. Between lack of sleep and the smell of death, she was a little shaky.

“It doesn’t bother you?” she asked, following him out through the passageway.

“The smell of death isn’t pleasant for anyone,” he said. “Even a veteran like me. But my human senses can’t pick up the serpents’ spoor, as you can.”

“Be grateful for small favors,” she said wryly.

She took a deep, relieved breath as they entered the ballroom.

Then she grimaced. The scent of the vipers should be much weaker here. Instead it was still strong. Moving her shoulders uneasily, she looked around the big room, then up at the ceiling. What lay above the smooth expanse of swirling miraculite and hanging lamps? She would have Layla bring up the holo-prints of the ballroom ventilation system.

At that moment, there was a commotion in the passageway leading from the prince’s quarters. Sirena and Craig straightened, hands on their weapons.

“I will enter,” said a familiar, imperious male voice. “Stand aside.”

Sirena and Craig dropped their hands from their weapons and exchanged a swift glance. It was Azuran.

“I’ll handle him,” Craig murmured. He walked back toward the door. “Your Highness.”

“Captain,” snapped the prince, striding into the room. His silver hair tied back, he wore a flight suit and a weapon. He was followed closely by three of his men, similarly dressed. Their appearance was a sharp reminder that the Aquarians were a tribe of ancient warriors. “I wish to know what is going on. These guards of yours tell me I must remain in my quarters with the women. Unacceptable. One of my people has died—I will deal with the beast that did this.”

Craig nodded. “You do your people great honor with your concern. But this is a matter for our guards to deal with.”

Azuran stared at him down his aquiline nose. His men did the same.

“I have seen the wounds. It is some kind of serpent, the physician tells me.” He turned to Sirena, no trace of the sensual playboy now in his demeanor. “What do you know of this?”

“A serpent,” she agreed. “A deadly one native to my planet. I believe it was smuggled on board among your menagerie. Why, we cannot say.”

“To kill,” he snapped. “That much is obvious. But why? And why this boy?”

“Because he was here,” she said. “He was the pet handler, so he was the first one the snakes found when they emerged from wherever they were hiding.”

“Where is the other handler?” Azuran demanded, looking around. “The Pangaean?”

Sirena shook her head. “We are searching for him.”

“What’s his name?” Craig asked.

“I don’t know the fellow,” Azuran said with royal disdain. “He came on with the reptiles I purchased on Serpentia. We stopped there for a visit before the voyage. Ask my majordomo—he’ll know more about him.”

“We’ve already accessed the ship’s records. His name is Lloy,” said Sirena. She turned to Layla. “Bring up the prince’s servants. We want a visual of the pet handlers.”

“Yes, Commander.” The slender dark-haired woman worked swiftly and, in a few seconds, two holo-images rotated before them, both wearing the prince’s livery. The boy and a pale green Pangaean with a weak chin and green corn-silk hair.

“That’s the fellow,” the prince said.

“From Jardin City, Pangaea,” Layla reported crisply. “Former employment, the reptile gardens owned by one Llo—his uncle.”

“So a new servant came on board and now we have two deadly serpents loose on the
Orion
,” said Sirena. The three of them looked at each other. “It’s possible this Pangaean is responsible for the serpents being on board. He certainly would’ve had the best opportunity to smuggle them on.”

“Navos did say someone did this on purpose. But how would he have gotten them through the micro-scanners?” Craig scowled. “He sure as hell didn’t have them in a body cavity—that we would’ve detected.”

The Aquarians looked revolted. Sirena merely nodded. A terrorist had used this method to smuggle a bio-bomb aboard the
Orion
on their first voyage.

She gestured toward the pet quarters. “One of the reptiles purchased on Serpentia was the kronos, am I right, Your Highness?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“She was sitting on a clutch of huge eggs,” Sirena said. “I saw them the evening of the party. They’re gone now—we looked. What if the handler slipped some wraith eggs under her, along with her own? I don’t believe a kronos is clever enough to notice.”

“So you think these killers are hatchlings?” Craig frowned. “I don’t know much about snakes, but that seems farfetched.”

“Yes, I know,” she admitted, clenching her fists in frustration. “But so does having killer serpents loose on the
Orion
.”

“Good point,” he said dryly. “All right, as this Pangaean seems the most likely perpetrator, better put out another bulletin to the guard to be on the lookout for him.”

“And meanwhile we do nothing?” Azuran demanded.

“Meanwhile, we let our elite guard do their job,” said Craig, looking every inch the commander of his ship. “Your Highness, the Serpentians are uniquely qualified to find and bring down these creatures. As much as it pains me, you’ll note I am not among the hunters, either. Were we on your planet, with its many waters, you and your men would be the experts.”

Azuran acknowledged this with a regal nod. “I will remain here. We are ready if needed.”

Craig bowed politely. “Very well, Your Highness.”

The prince and his men stalked a short distance away to converse.

“Nicely done, sir,” Sirena murmured. “Now, I think we’d best look at the ventilation system around here.”

“Should we ask the Aquarians to return to their quarters?”

She shook her head as they reached the holo-display. “At least here they’re surrounded by guards.”

Chapter Twenty-three

As Tawnee jogged out of the ballroom with the other guards, impatience warred with hurt and envy inside her. The news that Sirena and Slyde had commandeered the male guards’ locker room for a night of sex had already flown through the ranks, a delicious bit of gossip in sharp counterpoint to the macabre task ahead. The other female guards had made sure she heard about it.

She tossed her head angrily. They were just jealous because she’d had a taste of the commander and they hadn’t.

Yvene stopped when they reached a fork in the corridor behind the ballroom.

“Sir, I think we should search all of the storage units here.”

Commander Stone turned to her. “Good thinking. Arde, you go with them. I’ll take this passageway.”

Yvene frowned. “I thought we weren’t to go alone.”

“I’m the exception,” he answered calmly. “You’re in charge of these two young ones.”

Tawnee watched as his huge frame disappeared to the left into one of the narrow hallways that ran around the back of the ballroom.

“Tawnee,” said Yvene in a sharp voice. “Come along. We’ve a job to do, and I need you focused.”

“I’m coming.” Pouting, she followed the others into a large storage room with several compartments. Sleek containers were stacked in neat rows.

“You two take this end,” Yvene said. “I’ll go around this way.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Arde started along the row toward the end of the storage room, but Tawnee hung back. As soon as the other two were out of sight, she ducked back out into the passageway. Her heart pounded with exhilaration as she hurried after Commander Stone. This was her chance to get him alone. Somehow she would make him see that she was the right female for him. She would search alongside him, showing him how brave and clever she was.

He was not in the other passageway. She frowned, wrinkling her nose. She could certainly smell the acrid scent left by the serpents. Ugh! She turned a corner and hesitated. Which way had the commander gone? And how was she going to be able to find him with that horrible smell clogging her nostrils?

She felt rather than heard the movement above her. She froze, every nerve taut with sudden premonition. Very slowly, she tipped her head back and looked up.

The two sleek twisting shapes, the size of her arms, seemed to pour endlessly from the opening of the air vent above her. Their triangular heads swayed slowly back and forth as they watched her with their cold, flat eyes. The nearest one opened its mouth and hissed loudly, a long, blood red tongue tasting the air.

She opened her mouth to scream and it struck, catching her on the throat. Her cry died in a horrible gurgle of sound. As she fell back to the floor of the passageway, the other snake dropped to join the kill. The poison began to work instantly, sending agonizing shards of fire and ice shooting through her body. All she could do was twitch convulsively as they struck again and again.

“Tawnee. Where are you? Tawnee!” Yvene’s voice crackled from the com-link, sharp with fury and concern. “Commander Stone, come in. The cadet is gone.”

The snakes, their task finished, slithered from the body and disappeared into a shadowy corner of the passageway.

Nearby, in one of the lavatories along the passageway, the Pangaean huddled on the toilet, the remote control device shaking in his hands. He was sweating, fear and yet triumph in his eyes as he watched on the tiny screen. The serpents had done it—he had succeeded yet again. Now to go after the real quarry, the one that would rock this ship and the entire galaxy.

He switched displays and watched the spy device to see where his quarry was going.

Slyde stopped in the middle of the small storage room as Yvene’s furious command to Tawnee rang out in his com-link. Foreboding seized him.

“I’m on my way back,” he answered, his deep voice echoing in the quiet. “Meet me in the passageway.”

He found her just as Yvene and Arde arrived from the other direction. Arde took one look and turned away, gagging and retching. Yvene stepped forward beside Slyde, staring down at the body.

Tawnee lay with one arm out-flung, her laser weapon on the floor beside it, as if she had drawn it but not had time to fire. Her eyes stared sightlessly at some horror only she could see. Across one cheek, two ugly gashes oozed blood. Puncture wounds dotted the bright golden yellow of her flight suit, bright red slowly dripping to the floor.

“Little fool,” Yvene hissed, her voice shaking. “I told her to stay with us. All right, these quarking snakes are near here. We’ll find them!”

She began to turn in a slow circle, watching the molecular scanner in her hands.

“Commander Blaze, guards,” Slyde rapped out. “All on high alert. The snakes have struck again. Tawnee is dead. We’re in the passageway behind the ballroom. I want all guards back to this vicinity.”

There was a chorus of terse, excited answers. He knew the guard would be racing as one back toward him and the area, lasers at the ready.

He stared down at what was left of the pretty cadet, guilt and rage colliding inside him. Impulsive, silly girl. He knew damned well she had been following him when attacked. He should have made it clearer that she had no chance with him. He should never have allowed her to harbor any illusions, should never have allowed her to touch him at all. Her death was as much his fault as the serpents that had killed her.

“Got them,” Yvene hissed.

He looked up sharply, the predator in him roaring to life, regret swept aside by the fiery instincts of his other self. He took a deep breath, drawing in the scent of the serpents with the smell of death. Sureness settled over him. It was nearly time to loose the real hunter.

“They’re back in the ventilation shafts,” Yvene told him. “Headed for the ballroom.”

He was already in motion at a dead run. “Sirena!” he roared. “They’re coming your way. Get all the civilians out of there into containment.”

As Slyde’s voice roared through their com-links, Sirena and Craig stared at each other across the holo-vid showing the ventilation shafts above the ballroom.