Page 69 of Taken to Lemora
“TICKLE HIM!” Raingar, in front of me, roars so loud the ohring ship shakes. “You suggest we tickle the Sky assassin to extort information from him?”
All of the Eshmiri start talking at once. I glance at the female clutched against the pirate’s chest beside me. She’s still out like the dead. I worry for her, but the male with his arms around her doesn’t seem to be willing to release her for anything.
“Raingar,” I say. I tap him on the shoulder. He’s still shouting though, waving both arms now, so he doesn’t hear me. “Raingar…RAINGAR!”
All of the pirates in the room buckle slightly, but gratefully shut up. I clear my throat. “Thank you. I was going to say that Ashmara’s um…inventive methods of interrogation won’t be necessary. I know where they’re going — where they’re supposed to meet. Tyto and Jerrock communicated and I heard Tyto tell him to meet him at Wasteland. Does that mean anything to you all?”
“Wasteland?” Ashmara grins, leaning one elbow on top of a nearby Eshmiri’s head. He doesn’t seem to mind and trills with what Ithinkis true laughter. “Isn’t that your female’s territory, pirate?”
Rhorkanterannu laughs, deep and from the belly. “Wasteland. It’s one of her favorites.”
“What is it?” I ask.
His silver orb eyes flick to me, pinning me in place. It’s a stare difficult not to whither beneath. I touch Raingar’s back, planting my palm beneath his right shoulder. He tenses, stiffening even straighter, like he’s gathering more strength to give to me. It’s working.
“It’s on Kor. It’s a casino.”
A short while later and Rhorkanterannu and his pirates have managed to connect their mothership to the entire mangled mess that is this white chamber of terror and Ashmara’s charcoal and rust chambersof terrors.
Inside Ashmara’s ship, I sit on top of a rust-covered crate full of discarded glass bottles, trying not to touch anything. Raingar kneels in front of me, stroking my legs, holding a damp and hopefully clean cloth to the side of my face while Tana and Reyna wrap a bandage around my waist.
“This should hold until we’re back on Lemora.”
I thank them, but it doesn’t ease the discomfort in my stomach, a discomfort that has nothing to do with pain. “What is it? What’s wrong, miriga?”
I smile at him and then wince as the Eshmiri throw some more rusty tools around, or really just try to make as much noise as possible on this terrible ship that could not be more opposite the white, glossy, sterile cruiser I’d been contained on before. Based on looks alone, I wouldn’t be able to say which ship is worse.
But luckily it isn’t based solely on looks. Because that ship was tinged in the thickest veneer of sadness. This ship? This ship is painted in rusty neglect and savage love. There is love in this place.
I look at Raingar and lean in close. I press my mouth to his and he kisses me back tentatively, in a way I never want to be kissed by him. “I’m not a delicate flower,” I whisper against his cheek, our breath mingling, the scent reminding me strongly of home.
“Nob, you’re a rock, tougher than I am, but you’re a bruised rock. I don’t need to hurt you unnecessarily. Now tell me, what’s wrong?”
Satisfied with his answer, I kiss him more fiercely before pulling back. Quietly, only to him, I whisper, “This doesn’t feel right. The Sky hunter gave up far too quickly. This all feels too easy. Like a trap.”
Raingar frowns, his nostrils puffing out. “We’ll retrieve the kintarr owed to the ohring pirates and kill Tyto, thus killing your contract with the Sky. They won’t come looking for you and we’ll go home, let these bloody reavers deal with the rest.”
I nod, wanting to share in his optimism. “You’re sure that Jerrock can’t escape his chains?”
“These are ion iron ionyx’ix-reinforced Droherion. The strongest known elements in the galaxy combined. There is no way he can escape those chains.”
“You’re sure?” I say, voice wobbly.
He nods, firm, “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
17
Raingar
“HOW IN THE OHR DID HE ESCAPE!” I cover Essmira with my entire body, flattening her against the floor behind an overturned mok biz table. The stone is enough to deter the hail of blaster fire raining down on us from one. ohring. male.
“I told you those cuffs were a bad idea!” Ashmara is planted with a few of her Eshmiri friends behind the next table to ours. Dust and chunks of stone blast between us, making this entire scene feel like it’s a battle being waged by thousands. “The tickling would have worked!”
The reaver squatting beside her trills animatedly before lobbing a spiky circular object over the table and out onto the casino floor. Beneath me, Essmira grabs my neck violently. “Is that an explosive…”
BOOM.
A burst of air is followed by a momentary lull in the warfare. “Where is Tyto?” Essmira shouts again, choking as dust thickens the air.
