Slave Empire III - The Shrike Read Online Free PDF Page B

of ten planets.”
    “What will you
do?” Vidan asked.
    “I’m going
after her, of course.”
    “Do you think
you should? I mean, perhaps she just needs a bit of company. It’s
not like you spend much time with her, so you’ve got to let her do
her own thing once in a while.”
    “Are you
implying that I’m being overprotective?”
    Vidan sighed.
“I won’t pretend to be able to imagine what goes on in that weird
head of yours, Tarke, but you can’t wrap the girl in cotton wool;
you’ll smother her. She’s safe with the cruisers. Those guys know
what’s at stake.” He held up a finger. “Not that I think you’re
telling the truth, mind you. I think you’re making a mistake, but
then, maybe you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. But
you can’t keep setting off false alarms on the base when you need
an excuse to get away from her, either. It’s not fair to the
workers, or her.”
    “I should have
glued your lips together a long time ago.”
    “Then you’ll
stay here?”
    “No, I’m going
to follow her,” Tarke said. “She won’t know I’m there.”
    “I’ll find an
escort.”
    “They won’t be
able to keep up.”
    “Tarke...”
    He waved a
hand. “I’ll be careful.”

 
     
    Chapter Two
     
    Rayne ran into
Rawn’s arms as soon as the energy shell dispersed. He lifted her
off her feet and swung her around, chuckling. They stood in the
lounge of his modest house on Darmon, whose somewhat drab décor of
brown and white seemed cheap and tasteless compared to the elegant
opulence of the Shrike’s base. Rawn’s petite, doe-eyed Mansurian
wife watched them with a smile. Like most Mansurians, she was an
Atlantean crossbreed, and claimed that her other half was human.
She certainly looked human. Her skin possessed only a slight
metallic sheen and her hair was almost monotone brown. As before,
she met Rayne with ill-concealed hostility, most of which came from
jealousy. Her false smile grated on Rayne’s nerves, but she ignored
her senses and returned it with as much enthusiasm as she could
muster.
    Rawn radiated
joy and worry, sending his wife hard glances to ensure she behaved.
Norva went to fetch refreshments, and Rayne sat on a comfortable
chair. Rawn settled opposite and beamed at her, and she found his
familiar, warm presence and soft tawny eyes a balm to her wounded
ego after her disastrous confrontation with Tarke. Unfortunately,
once the banalities were out of the way, he was the first subject
Rawn brought up.
    “So, not only
are you a celebrity now, but the wife of the most notorious slaver
in the galaxy.” Rawn’s cheerful smile belied his true feelings of
disappointment, and his remark was only half teasing.
    “He’s not a
slaver. He’s a kind, gentle man.”
    “And you love
him?”
    “Yes.”
    “Does he love
you?”
    “Of course,”
she lied. “Why else would he ask me to marry him?”
    “Maybe you’re
another prize to add to his collection.”
    “In what
way?”
    He spread his
hands. “Well, you’re the Golden Child.”
    “He doesn’t
collect things.”
    “Does he even
have a face?”
    “Of course.”
She flushed when he raised his brows.
    “So you’ve seen
it?”
    “I didn’t say
that. Everyone’s got a face.”
    “Some people
say he’s a monster, and that’s why he wears the mask. Is he?” When
she bit her lip, he grinned. “Come on Ray, you can tell me. I’m not
an Atlantean spy, you know. You must have seen his face. How could
he hide it from his wife?”
    His derision
spurred her, and she lifted her chin. “Yes, I’ve seen it, and he’s
not a monster.”
    “And he lets
you wander about with that memory in your head? Very dangerous, I’d
have thought.”
    “I have
protection.” She frowned. “Why are you so curious about him?”
    “Well, he’s my
brother-in-law now. And I haven’t even met him, nor am I likely to,
am I?”
    “Do you want
to?”
    He smiled.
“Maybe.”
    Norva entered
with a tray of finger food and drinks,