Page 19 of Fire Forged

Movement caught her eye.She stilled, the bottle of water halfway to her mouth.A mop of black hair on a small girl snagged her focus.“Um, hello?”she called, feeling like an idiot when her quaking voice echoed.

“Hello,” the girl said, skipping across the blue mat to reach Britt.

She gaped.Thehumanchild, about five or six years old, had fawn-colored skin, shocking black hair, and blue eyes.She wore pink pajamas and bunny slippers.Something was smeared across her cheek and stained her fingers.

“I’m Britt,” she managed.

“My name’s Lily.”The girl twirled on the spot, her focus on the floppy ears of her slippers.

“Are you lost?And what’s on your fingers?”She captured Lily’s hand to trace a finger over what looked like paint.

“I’m drawing a picture.”

“Where are your parents?”Britt raised her head to scan the common and med-bay as she tried to recall seeing any humans when they ported.

“Daddy’s far away.”Lily swung their clasped hands, then twirled.

Okay.Cryptic much.“And where is that?”Britt twisted to follow when Lily danced around her, not releasing her hand.

“Earth.”

Possible.Maybe her mom’s on board?“And your mommy?”

“Dead, I think.I can’t remember.”Lily stilled, her gaze on the mat.

A touchy subject, so it seems.Then why is Lily on an Etterian ship away from her family?This makes no sense.“Are you going back to your daddy?”

At Britt’s question, Lily curled her arms across her body and shook her head.“Nerxie says never.”

Nerxie?Had the horrible man kidnapped this little girl?

Anger barreled through Britt until she was ready to kill.“How dare he do this?What gives him the right to help himself to a child?”

She paced the common, aware Lily sat at the table watching her.Escape options were few.Commandeering the ship when she didn’t know how to fly it?Porting?She’d also have to convince Mom to come with her.Staying with child kidnappers was a hell-no.What did humans know about Etterians anyway, other than what the news said?All knew how the media sensationalized trivial info and changed it align with their agenda.What if Britt’s rushed decision had placed her mom in danger?And now she had Lily to save, as well.How when they were trapped?

Were they even going to Etteria?Maybe their destination was some slave facility on an abandoned moon?Her only choice was to confront Nerx, to get him to do the right thing.That man deserved a piece of her mind, and he’d better turn this ship around.No way was she standing by while he separated a daughter from her father.

“Hello,” she yelled at the ceiling, making Lily squeak.“Can anyone tell me how to find Nerx?”

“I can.”Lily bounded off the bench to grab Britt’s hand.“This way.”

Britt was dragged along the passage past her quarters to another door at the far end.It swished open when they reached it, probably triggered by movement.Though she couldn’t be sure without investigating and looking like a peasant.Nerx and Matir swiveled to look at her, while another man stared at a massive screen filled with stars.Buttons flickered across a console without lettering to tell her what each color meant or did.So, no, piloting this thing was out of the question.

“You,” she pointed at Nerx, “need to take this girl back to her home.”She stomped across to stab him in the chest with her forefinger, barely noting how good his pec felt when she poked him through his bulletproof vest.

“And why would I do that?”he demanded, dipping to widen his arms for Lily to leap into.“She is my daughter.”

“What?”Britt roared.“You kidnap a girl and think you have the right to?That it’s just fine and dandy because you’re some powerful race?”She jabbed his chest, then again, while avoiding Lily’s arm.

“Kidnap?”Matir laughed.“Supreme Commander Nerx adopted Lily.Heisher father.”

“Adopted?”Britt whispered, curled in her extended finger, and stepped back.“Her daddy’s not on Earth?”She raised wide eyes to Nerx, hoping he’d save her from perhaps another blunder.

“He is,” Nerx growled, his gaze on Lily.“The bad daddy.”His eyes narrowed, and determination solidified his handsome features.Britt had no doubt, if he wanted to, Bad Daddy would die a horrifying death.

“Oh,” she said, heat blasting her cheeks.She cupped them while offering the room a weak smile.“Sorry.I thought—” What could she say?That the girl led her to believe she’d been stolen?No, she couldn’t place the blame on little Lily.“I jumped to the wrong conclusions.”

“Something you need to work on,” Nerx said, his voice hoarse.

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