Beneath a Trojan Moon (3 page)

Calder…got to her. In ways she wouldn’t let a man get to her ever again. No, the less she saw of Marshal Hunt Calder, the better.

She really hoped the idiots who’d attacked her and Alia were no longer on Souk. But Relda had given up on foolish dreams a long time ago.

They’d come for the priceless artifact again.

She massaged her temples and willed the headache to dull enough to get her through her last appointment.

Female voices at the entrance of her tent told her that her clients had arrived.

“This is silly, Eos.”

“Come on, Ria, it’ll be fun.”

Relda summoned a smile. “Ladies, welcome.” She nodded at Deputy Westin standing like a protective statue outside the tent. He’d been there all day. He gave a tiny nod before once again staring straight ahead.

She focused on the women. She recognized the beautiful brunette and tall, athletic blonde instantly. Most people in the market knew of the Phoenix Brothers. The treasure hunters often purchased their supplies in the market.

Many a Soukan lady had been disappointed when the most infamous of the brothers, Dathan, had married the lovely Vedic archeologist, Eos Rai. She stood smiling at Relda, her dark hair braided over her shoulder and her floral mehndi designs visible on her crossed hands. Her aura was many shades of pink—happiness, warmth and love.

The other woman would be the former assassin, Ria Dante—now Phoenix—who’d married the youngest Phoenix brother, Zayn. Her face had been splashed across the news after a scandal in the Assassin’s Guild. Her aura was a deep indigo with edges of pink—relaxed and in love.

Relda got them settled with tea. “So, you’d like to know your futures?”

“Not me.” Ria took a sip of her drink. “I think knowing what’s coming, if that were even possible—” she shot Relda a skeptical look “—is not helpful in any way. No offense.”

Relda detected no ill will in the woman’s vibrant, healthy energies. “No offense taken.” Relda tilted her head. “Why do you think it isn’t helpful?”

“A few years ago, if you’d told me my future, you’d have told me I was going to die.” Ria held her hands out. “Yet, here I am.”

Relda had read about the terrible things that had happened to the woman in the Devil’s Nebula. “Point taken.” Relda looked at Eos. “But you’d like to know your future?”

Eos shrugged. “Sure, why not? I mean, I love my life and I have no doubt my future is going to be filled with wonderful things.” Her gaze turned slightly dreamy, a smile on her lips.

Relda didn’t need her abilities to know the woman was thinking of her husband. A sharp pang hit Relda’s belly. She’d never feel that way about anyone. Couldn’t let anyone close enough to let it happen.

The astro-archeologist smiled. “I find the history of fortune-telling and divination so interesting.” She lifted her teacup. “Did you know there are ancient Terran records that talk about telling one’s futures from reading tea leaves? It was called tasseomancy.”

Ria rolled her eyes. “Ignore her. She gets like this all the time. Can spout more old Earth facts than a biocomputer.”

Color swept Eos’s cheeks. “Sorry.”

Relda smiled and studied the minute color changes in the woman’s aura. She was intelligent, and loved her work almost as much as she loved her husband. Relda let her gift crack open and a trickle of power flowed through her. It was a hot and cold sensation and she felt her mind expand.

“You’ll have many more adventures in your life. You’ll fight with your man, make up, butt heads and laugh together.” Everything a proper partnership should be. “You trust and love the man who is yours and he will never betray that.”

Eos’s dark eyes watched Relda intently. “I know that.”

She couldn’t comprehend what a gift that was. “He’s already given you a family, but in the near future, you will also create your own.”

The brunette’s mouth dropped open, her hand dropping to her stomach.

Relda smiled. “Not now. You have a few more adventures to survive yet. But one day soon, you’ll make new life.”

Ria let loose a laugh. “God, I
cannot
wait to see Dathan Phoenix as a father.”

“He’ll be a good one,” Eos said defensively. “He’s had some practice with Lala.”

He would be a good one, but Relda didn’t say it aloud.

“That girl keeps us all on our toes,” Ria muttered.

Relda raised a brow.

Eos was fighting a smile. “An opinionated, teenage explosives expert we kind of adopted.”

Ria snorted. “Adopted? She just moved in and never left.”

Eos’s gaze moved back to Relda, fierce intelligence and speculation burning in her golden eyes. “My husband has a set of Terran Tarot cards. They aren’t complete and some are damaged, but the imagery is beautiful. You don’t use cards or scry using one of these orbs?” She nodded to the globe on the table nearby.

“No.”

“What’s your background?”

“I was raised on the Brielle Space Station.” The well-practiced lie slipped out easily. “My mother was human and I never knew my father.” A long way from the truth.

“You see auras.”

Relda nearly swallowed her tongue. “Excuse me?”

“On Vedia, we had ashans—spiritual adepts—who could tap into the universe’s energies. I saw the way they looked at people. Not
at
them, around them. You do the same.”

Relda scooped up the teacups and took them behind the fabric divider. “I’m a businesswoman, Eos, not a…spiritual adept.”

“You want me to believe you’re a charlatan.”

Relda ducked back out, smile in place. “You can believe whatever you like.”

“Do you have other psionic powers?”

Relda pressed her hands together. “I’m sorry, time’s up. I have some work to do before I leave for the day.”

Ria stood, a smile on her lips. “That was the nicest blow off I’ve heard in a while.” She winked at Relda. “It’s been interesting.”

“Likewise.” Relda was surprised to find she meant it. She liked them both.

“I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable.” Eos’s smile was sheepish. “I’m insatiably curious.”

“It’s fine.”

“Well, thank you.”

After they’d left, Relda tidied the tent. She wanted to get home and check on Alia. She also wanted to check in with the deputies the marshal had arranged to keep eyes on her other stores.

There was no sound, but Relda suddenly knew she wasn’t alone. She felt the brush of the men’s auras against hers like a prickle of something sharp and biting.

The aquatic and his bad-smelling friend were back.

Relda turned. They’d come in through the back and were watching her intently. She glanced at the front of the tent.

The aquatic gave her a sharp smile and held up a tiny device. “It’s a sonic suppressor. The man out front won’t hear a thing. But if you do manage to involve him, don’t think we won’t take great pleasure in killing him.” The aquatic shook his head. “We just wanted the Trojan Moon, but now my friend, Maz here, would like a little time with you as well.”

Maz sneered. “I want revenge, bitch.”

Chapter Three

He intended to hurt her, then kill her. Relda saw the flash of his intent in his energies. It was a spreading dark cloud that sucked all hint of color away.

Maz sprang forward, fast and brutal.

Relda threw herself to the side, landing on her hands and knees. But today surprise wasn’t on her side and this time he was fueled by anger.

He grabbed at her legs, trying to pull her backward.

Wildly, she scanned ahead of her. The table nearby had one of her smaller orbs balanced on top on a tiny, black stand. She reached up, her hand scrabbling at the edge of the table.

“No you don’t.” A hard hand chopped into the small of her back.

Relda winced. Pain radiated up her spine. He finally got a good grip around her knees and yanked her backward.

As he dragged her, she grabbed the edge of the table. It tipped slightly and the orb rolled off onto the rug. Relda grabbed it, twisted, and threw it like a champion VelocityBall player.

Her awkward position meant her throw lacked power. But there was nothing wrong with her aim.

The heavy crystal smacked into Maz’s head, knocking him sideways.

Relda jumped up. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, but something else was also stirring. She pressed a hand to her belly, willing herself to stay calm. “Leave now and I won’t hurt you.”

Maz’s eyes were narrowed to tiny slits and blood oozed sullenly down the side of his face.

The aquatic straightened, his gaze wary. “We just want the Moon.”

“It’s not here. And even if it was, I still wouldn’t give it to you. Now leave.”

“We aren’t going anywhere without the artifact. It’s worth millions of e-creds and our employer...dislikes it when he doesn’t get what he wants.”

“Last chance.” She kept her tone breezy, but her heart was hammering. She couldn’t risk using too much of her power. It had been a long time since unleashed the full force of it, and her lack of training left her…unstable. Trying to scare these two might lead to her wiping out the entire market. Or worse.

The aquatic lunged forward. Relda raised a hand and the aquatic stopped like he’d hit an electro-fence. He shook his head, blinking rapidly. As he realized he couldn’t move, panic bloomed in his large eyes.

Power sang through Relda’s blood, a long forgotten pleasure.

Slowly, he raised his fist. And slammed it into his own face.

She released her hold on him and he crumpled to the floor.

Maz swore. “You won’t use you mind tricks on me.” He swung, his open palm slamming into her cheek.

The blow made her eyes water and her head ring.

She saw the man raise his hand again, a rotten grin on his face. He held something in his hand—a glowing blue ion blade.

Relda hit him with a mental blast. With a high, thin scream, he dropped the blade. He clamped his hands over his eyes and scuttled backward.

She ran out the front of the tent. Deputy Westin spun to face her, looking shocked.

Relda dragged in air. “They—”

The aquatic charged out of the tent, clutching an energy weapon, and shot the blond deputy in the chest. Westin fell backward, blue electricity covering his body.

Swallowing a cry, Relda ran.

She flew through the alleys of the market. Vendors called out hellos but Relda didn’t stop to laugh, chat or flirt, as she usually did. She couldn’t risk stopping. Any of them could become targets for the men chasing her.

She had to get to a less populated area of the market. Her mind raced. She needed to come up with a plan to eliminate the men. She couldn’t let them get the Moon and she wouldn’t let them hurt anyone else. She thought of poor Deputy Westin.

A right turn took her down another alleyway lined with wooden stalls. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the aquatic charging along behind her. She didn’t see Maz, but he wouldn’t be far away. She quickly ducked down another, quieter alley and then through an empty stall and into the adjacent alley. It was less crowded here and she forced herself to slow down.

With a quick jerk, she whipped off her coin belt and dropped it. Next, she grabbed the red scarf around her waist and tied it over her hair. Just act like a tourist checking out the wares. She paused by a store filled with colorful jewelry, fingering a bright citrine necklace.

The neighboring stalls were stocked with food—the cloned packaged variety as well as freshly grown—clothing, art, weapons. You name it, you could find it somewhere on Souk. And if it wasn’t in the market, the narrow, shadowed alleys behind the open-air market hid the stores of the gray market. There, less legal things could be found…for the right price.

She loved it here on Souk. Had made a little place for herself, even if she hadn’t let anyone get too close. It would hurt to uproot and leave. But she had to go. She couldn’t let the Trojan Moon fall into anyone’s hands.

Relda saw a fast movement at the end of the alley. The two men where striding through the crowd, knocking people out of there way. As she watched, two more joined them.

Bile rose in the throat. There were more than the two who’d attacked her. Anyone around her could be one of them.
Time to go.
She pushed away from the stall.

She saw the roofs of the warehouses at the back of the market. They’d be empty of people. A good place to take on these men and avoid casualties.

With her head down, she hurried. She would have to risk using her powers. Swallowing, she forced herself to stay relaxed. She could do this.

Seconds later, she heard a shout. The aquatic had seen her. Relda ducked through the crowd and started sprinting.

She spun around a corner, almost losing her balance.

The men were gaining on her.

She ducked around an anti-grav cart hovering above the ground, loaded with fresh produce. One of the warehouses loomed ahead. It would have to do.

Thankfully, the door wasn’t locked. She ran inside, pausing to let her eyes adjust to the gloom. It was a big, open space with grimy walls and dust motes floating in the air.

Suddenly, hands clamped around her biceps and she was yanked sideways into the shadows. With a curse, Relda fought her attacker. She opened her mouth to scream but a hand clamped over her face.

She kept struggling.

Then she was spun around and she looked up into the rugged face of Hunt Calder.

***

Hunt loosened his grip over Relda’s mouth. Her hair spilled around her shoulders in tangled disarray. The swelling redness on her cheek made his jaw clench.

“Are you okay?” His voice was harsher than he intended.

She nodded. “They’re hunting me. They shot Deputy Westin. We need to get out of here.”

Hunt pulled in a deep breath and concentrated on filtering the rush of sounds and scents through his senses. Outside the warehouse, he could hear the crowd in the market place—chatter, laughter, footsteps. Smelled the inundation of scents—frying meat, sweat, spices. It was hard to separate out anything with so many people nearby, but he heard the increased heartbeats of a group approaching. He also smelled something that reminded him of the ocean. “I can smell an aquatic.”