Prince of Luster (15 page)

Oddly, watching the fire burn and stoking it wasn’t frightening as some might think, given his recent encounter with that element. But while one fire was used for cooking and warmth, the other had been quite different. He had no trouble watching and sitting next to that which mankind had used for centuries to survive. The very mention of anything remotely having to do with plasma, however, made his gut ache horrifically.

As time went on, he paced. Surely something was wrong, or she’d be back by now. With the small amount of coins he’d given her, she couldn’t have made purchases to account for the time she’d been absent.

“Where the blazes is she?” he asked the little ball of fur at his feet.

Una turned toward the entrance to the cave, bounced up and down excitedly, and produced what passed for a bark.

“What is it, girl?”

“It’s just me,” came a soft voice from the entrance. “Oh, you’ve put a blanket up. Very good thinking. I think it will probably snow tonight, and the temperature is going to get much lower.”

Marcos breathed a sigh of relief when the small, heavily clothed figure appeared from the other side of the blanket. She was carrying several cloth bags full of goods, which he quickly took from her and set to one side.

“Where have you been?” he angrily blurted.

She blinked and stared at him. “What’s wrong with you?”

“You’ve been gone for hours. I was … Una and I were worried. Anything could have happened. It’s almost dark and you could have been caught out after curfew. It shouldn’t have taken you so long.”

“Were you worried about me?”

“Of course I was.”

She smiled and shrugged. “I couldn’t just buy from one person. Someone might think the coins I had were in excess of what’s usually spent. I had to go from one street to the next, spending just a tiny bit in different places. But I got very good deals by doing so, and more than enough to keep us fed and warm for another two weeks. That should give you time to recover enough to go with me. If you’re able.”

“I’ll be able; there’s no worry on that account,” he assertively promised. “But I still don’t understand. You only had one small bag of coins. There aren’t that many places you could shop.”

“I’ll talk when I get the rest of our supplies in the cave.”

“There’s more?” Marcos stared at the bags she’d already brought in and shook his head in wonder. When he opened them and saw all the goods within, he got angry all over again.

Nova pushed the blanket aside and dragged in two more bags to place beside those already delivered. “There, that’s the lot.”

Marcos stared at her.

Nova briefly paused in her efforts to unpack and arrange everything she’d purchased. “All right …
now
what are you angry about? You look as though someone just spit on you.”

“I told you not to steal anything.”

“I didn’t.”

He waved a hand to encompass all the goods. “Then where did all this come from?”

She tilted her head and returned his stare. “You gave me twenty-two credits.”

He shifted his stance and waited for an explanation.

“I don’t know what the prices are like on Avalon, but things can be bargained for here.”

“Such a small amount bought all this?”

“Yes. You just have to know how—” She stopped in mid-sentence and stared at the cave. “Why did you do all this?” She motioned toward all the laundry and all the supplies he’d already organized.

“I got bored and just started rearranging things.

She laughed outright. “What a good maid you’re going to make someone.”

“Very amusing,” he dryly replied. “But you shouldn’t have been gone so long.”

She stopped unpacking, walked forward, and stood before him. “It took me a long time to carry all this here and make sure no one was following. I had to backtrack several times and be certain I wasn’t leaving a trail.”

“Carrying all that?” he asked as he pointed to the mountainous supply of goods.

“I’m stronger than I look.”

Marcos expelled a long breath and began to help her unpack. “Luckily, you won’t be going alone next time.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

“I won’t argue, Nova. We made a deal, and you’re going to stick to it.”

“Tell you what. Since you’ve cleaned and done all the laundry, and are arranging things so nicely, I’ll start our meal. And it’ll be a good one, too. Wait and see.”

Marcos stopped in his efforts long enough to watch her scoop up Una and cuddle her. He was unpacking the last bag when a wonderful aroma floated from the small fire. “Something smells good.”

“Hot leek soup. It’ll do wonders for you. And I’ll add in some herbs that will help you heal even faster. We even have some lemongrass tea.”

“And no one noticed you with all these goods? The guards and Limaxians weren’t alerted by all you carried?”

She shook her head and sighed heavily in frustration. “I know what I’m doing, Marcos! I’ve done it for several years now, and I’m good at it. That should be obvious since I’m still here. Besides, I don’t go into town in the daylight if I can help it. This was the first time in quite a while. I kept my hood up, my movements subtle, and bought very little from each vendor. Just as I’ve explained. If anyone noticed me, there was no sign. But then, most of Forrell’s guards are usually drunk or too distracted by whores, just as they were today.”

He raised one brow, nodded at her explanation, then held up the men’s clothing she’d bought and checked the items for size. “Looks like everything will fit. But I’ll put it on tomorrow. Right now, I want to sit by the fire and watch the highly stealthy woman of the household cook.”

She snorted. “Someone used to cooking had better. Something tells me you don’t do it often.”

“I’ll have you know I’m a very good chef. When I’m in the mood to use my imagination.”

Nova stirred her ingredients in a sparkling clean pot and watched as he sat near her. “Do they have leeks on Avalon?”

“Every conceivable vegetable you can every think of. And all fresh, too.”

She pulled out a dry loaf of bread, broke it apart, and handed him a chunk. Then she sat closer to him and waited for the soup to cook. “Tell me more.”

She had that immeasurably curious look on her face again. Marcos couldn’t bring himself to tell her that she’d spent the exact amount on two weeks of food and supplies that he’d have spent on one drink in any Lusterian tavern. Yet she believed the small amount he’d brought into their relationship was a windfall. He slowly chewed on the bread and thought a moment before speaking.

“We have a marketplace that stretches as far as the eye can see. It’s in the middle of the city proper, and all kinds of goods are sold there.”

“Go on,” she encouraged. “What kinds of things?”

“Cloth of all different kinds, from every port in the nearby sectors. Some of it is handwoven, but some is produced by mixing certain chemicals with natural fibers.”

“And can the people sell their goods anytime? Is there a curfew?”

He reached out and touched her cheek. “No, little thief. There’s no curfew. You can walk around the city streets on any night and find a plethora of shops open. Then, you can take a flying disc to the countryside, sit on a hill, and watch the stars all night if you want.”

“
Really
?”

The expression on her face was both appealing and poignant. She should know such freedom, and he was determined she should. “You know, when my brother comes and I take you to my home world, I’ll help you find an occupation and a place to live.”

She looped one hand around his bicep and cuddled close to him.

Now the look on her face was absolutely endearing. He was overcome with the urge to help this woman see something better than what life presently offered.

“You’d do that for me?” she quietly whispered.

“Of course I would. You’ve not only saved my life, but you’re my friend. I’d do anything for you.”

She blinked back tears, fed him a small portion of her own bread, and smiled up at him. “Don’t stop talking. Tell me more.”

“How would you like a small plot of land all your own? You could grow your own herbs and sell them in the marketplace.”

“H-how would I come by this miracle?”

“I have some land, little thief. And you could live there without anyone bothering you. Do as you please, and go where you will.”

“Oh, Marcos … if you’d do that, I’d find a way to pay you any amount of rent. All I’d need is a small plot.”

“And what if I gave the land to you?”

She pulled away from him slightly and stared into the fire. “I-I want nothing I can’t work for. I only steal because I’ve had to. I’ll owe nothing to anyone. Besides, you couldn’t afford such a thing, I’m sure of it.”

He put his arm around her. “Nova, never mind about whether I can afford it. It would be a gift from one grateful friend to another.”

“I don’t care,” she insisted. “I’d only take it if I could give you something in return. And I have nothing of value to trade.”

He thought for a moment and gently nudged her. “What if I could have some fresh herbs for my family’s table? Or you could occasionally treat one of my rapidly growing brood of nieces and nephews when they fall down and scrape themselves? Most of them hate going to the physicians and getting into an incubation chamber. They’re frightened of the confined space in the units.”

She turned to him in relief. “I can do that. And I could help others, too.” She chewed some more bread and leaned her head against his broad shoulder. “I can’t wait.” Then she frowned and turned to face him. “Marcos, you should know how dangerous it is for a merchant ship to approach this planet. Prometheus has a fleet of war vessels hidden behind Delta Seven’s moons. Whores in the town have sometimes spoken about tactics gleaned from guards and Limaxian brawlers when they’ve been drinking too much. So I’m fairly certain the information is correct. Your brother and his crew could come under attack if they don’t approach carefully. I wish there were a way to warn him.”

Marcos put one finger under her chin and smiled down at her. “Don’t you worry one whit about that. My brother will come armed with a full complement of artillery. He never goes anywhere without defenses.”

“He must carry very precious cargo,” she softly uttered.

“The most important thing to him is his crew. And he’ll protect them at all costs. And he
will
find me. When he does, Prometheus and Forrell are going to wish they’d never been born.”

That remark sent Nova back to tending the soup.

“Is it ready? I’m starving.” He scooted forward and held up a bowl in readiness.

Nova nodded. “It’s ready. We’ll have a wonderful feast. And there’s even some tinned meat for Una.”

The little fluff ball waddled toward them and bounced up and down, anxious for its meal.

Marcos stared at the creature for a moment. “Are you
sure
she’s a dog?”

“What else could she be?”

“I don’t know, but something tells me that’s the wrong species.”

Nova handed Marcos a bowl of the soup, then opened a small tin of meat and gave it to Una before posing another question. “Marcos?”

“Hmmm?” he asked as he ladled the hot soup into his mouth.

“Can … can Una come with us, too? Please?”

The pleading look in her pretty eyes almost did him in. She wanted nothing more than a small plot of earth and her pet. How many women of his acquaintance would be happy with so little? “I promise; we won’t leave her behind. No matter what.”

She shot him a brilliant smile. “Thank you.”

For a moment, he gazed into her amethyst eyes and wondered what she’d look like without all the scars.

Then the truth hit him.

For the first time in his life, he really didn’t care. But that was because the woman was his little thief. She was worth a million self-centered debutantes his parents’ friends pushed his way. A man could have a wonderful life with such a companion.

• • •

Prometheus threw open the chamber doors, stalked toward Adaman, and slammed his fists down on the table where the governor was eating. “So you thought you could outwit me, human?”

Adaman quickly scooted his chair back, intending to remove himself from the ugly slug’s immediate proximity as well as keep his ale from spilling on his robes. “Wh-what the blazes is this about, Prometheus? Can’t a man enjoy an evening meal in peace?”

“Did you think you could hide information from me? That you could find any clue about the Lusterian’s whereabouts that I wouldn’t know?”

Adaman swallowed hard and stood so he wouldn’t be at such a disadvantaged posture. “You’ll have to explain, my friend. I’m at a loss as to what this is about,” he lied. He knew full well his men’s covert activities in looking for the burned merchant had now come to full light, and the slug leader was outraged with the underhandedness.

Prometheus growled and leaned over the table. “You’ve been accessing the old computer database. Did you think my crew wasn’t monitoring retrieval of information? They told me you’ve recently been into the old census records, and your search seems to have stopped with the family of Bellos Drayton. He had a daughter. But you’d remember that, wouldn’t you?”

“I-I can explain.”

“There’s no need. I know what you were trying to do, fool. You meant to get to the prince first.”

“Really, Prometheus … y-you’re acting paranoid. The only thing I was doing was saving you work. You’ve taken on a great share of responsibility and I thought that I’d—”

“Enough!” Prometheus yelled as he waved one gloved appendage in the air. “You were trying to get to the prince first so you could either hold him for ransom and bargain your way out of the situation, or make a deal with him directly.”

“You accuse
me
?” Adaman placed on hand over his heart. “I swear to you, on my word as a gentleman, that I was going to come to you with whatever information I gleaned. But if nothing can be found … if this girl doesn’t exist … then why would I have bothered you with information that would have sent your people in the wrong direction? Besides, my men are better trusted by the population. This, you must admit.”