Captives of New Pompeii (9 page)

When she finally relaxed, she sprawled
across the bed, limp and sleepy. He eased away and watched the rise
and fall of her breasts as he licked her cream from his fingers.
Hating to disturb her, he went to the bathroom and found a tube of
ointment for the welts on her ass. If he didn’t treat them now,
they’d bruise and take longer to heal.

He returned to the bedroom and found her
lying on her stomach, chin resting on her folded arms. She watched
him silently, gaze calm and assessing. “Who are you? You are so
different from the strutting pirate you show the world.”

“Strutting pirate?” He laughed. “Was that
really your first impression of me?”

“I know it’s not fair. We’d hardly exchanged
two words before tonight. But you’re damn good-looking and you know
it.”

The criticism didn’t bother him. He’d heard
it before. “In my line of work you use any advantage you can find.
If my face opens an occasional door, I’m not going to complain
about it. But my appearance does not define who I am.” He warmed
the ointment between his palms before spreading it across her
sensitive skin. “I don’t want this to bruise. Your skin is so
delicate.”

“My skin might be, but I’m not.” She smiled.
“And somehow you sensed it. How is it that half an hour in your
cabin accomplished more than five years of therapy?”

“Feel better?”

She laughed. “Understatement of the year. I
feel so light I could float. How the hell did you know that’s what
I needed?”

He shrugged and pushed to his feet, fiddling
with the tube of ointment. “Part of it was experience, part of it
instinct. Our mother is empathic, so Aiden and I both have better
than average instincts when it comes to people.” That caught her
attention. She shifted onto her side and propped her head on her
hand. His cock twitched—an unneeded reminder that he had postponed
his own release while he focused on her.

“Tell me about your homeworld. I know very
little about the colonies.”

“They aren’t that different than Fedoros.
Smaller, less refined, but our outposts were populated by
Fedorans.”

“Were your mother’s abilities spontaneous or
was she genetically engineered?”

“Enhanced,” he corrected. “Psychic abilities
are either naturally occurring or scientifically enhanced. Genetic
engineering sounds so nefarious. My mother was enhanced.”

“Was? Is she no longer alive?”

“We lost her nine years ago.”

“And your father?”

“Alive and kicking. He still lives in the
same house where I grew up. Likely will until he dies.” He sighed
and ran his hand through his hair. He needed her to understand that
there were clear boundaries in his life. He had to keep things
compartmentalized. This was the first time he’d allowed a woman in
his cabin and it felt odd. Not necessarily bad, just different.

“Do you want me to go?”

Apparently she’d noticed his agitation. “For
now. You need some time alone to reflect on what we accomplished,
and I need to finish what we started.”

Her gaze dropped to his crotch and she
blushed a vivid red. “I’m sorry. I’m lying here like a floozy and I
didn’t even think about… I can help you if you’d like.”

“Not tonight,” he said firmly. “Get dressed
and I’ll escort you to your cabin. I want to make sure your
unwanted guest has returned to his master.”

Felicia awoke the next morning confused and
disappointed. Sometime during the night Aiden had returned to his
cabin and covered her with a blanket. At least she hoped it had
been Aiden. She’d been sleeping like a baby.

He had also placed a stack of uniforms
beside the bathroom door. They were black and green, like his and
Caleb’s. Which meant the people in red and gold must belong to
Xyell.

Last night Aiden had left her with a stack
of books and he had activated the “vid-library”, which he told her
would respond to verbal commands. But she’d been too restless to
read and the moving images were a glaring reminder of how far she
was from home. She’d stared out his viewport, wishing she could see
stars and contemplating all the changes. When her eyes began to
droop and her legs felt wobbly, she lay down on his bunk, intending
to rest until he returned.

Well, this was probably for the best. If he
had returned last night, intending to share the cabin, it would
have been awkward. She picked up the stack of clothes and took them
into the bathroom. Longing for a long, hot bath, she undressed and
stepped into the shower.

Hopefully Laetif would agree to speak with
her and explain more about her husband’s plan for the refugees.
Except Xyell didn’t see them as refugees, he saw them as an
investment. She shivered. It was not right. Even if he had saved
them from certain death, he did not own the entire population of a
city.

Her heart sank as she realized her own
naiveté. The Fedoros might possess awe-inspiring machines but their
intentions were nothing new or different. Cities were conquered and
the inhabitants became slaves to the conquering forces. She should
be glad that there had been no actual war.

She turned off the shower and reached for
one of the drying cloths, which were stacked in an inset
compartment. Her gaze drifted to the mirror as she dried her hair
and awareness crept across her skin. She had never really looked at
her body before, had never thought of herself as a sexual
being.

Would Aiden find her pleasing? The question
shocked her. Why should she assume that Aiden would be her lover or
that she would allow any man to touch her in that way?

Turning slightly to the side, she assessed
her shape with objective eyes. Her breasts were not large, but they
were high and round. The flare of her hips accentuated the
narrowness of her waist and… She shook her head and reached for one
of the uniform tops. How should she know what men found attractive?
The men who rutted with the temple harlots didn’t seem to care what
they looked like. They only cared that they were willing and
available.

The uniform fit much better than the “gym”
clothes he’d given her the day before. She ran a comb through her
damp hair and brushed her teeth, still not sure if she liked the
prickly instrument Aiden had provided for that purpose.

She walked back into the main part of the
cabin and glared at the vidstation. Should she attempt to access
the library? Aiden had assured her there were moving images on any
subject she could imagine. All she had to do was tell the machine
what she wanted to see. How could a machine understand and respond
to her words? It made her stomach tight and her heart beat faster.
Surely some spirit had to be at work inside the machine for it to
comprehend a command.

A buzzer sounded, saving her from the
vidstation. She whirled toward the door and called out, “Who is
there?”

“It’s Laetif. Come closer to the door and
say, ‘come in’. The door will open for me.”

She hurried toward the door and said, “Come
in.” Nothing happened.

“Did you say, come in?”

“I did. The door did not respond.”

“Aiden must not have added your voice print
to his security profile. Do you see a small area sticking out from
the wall right next to the door?”

“Yes. Aiden calls it a control panel.”

“Yes, the control panel. Is there a green
light near the bottom right corner of the panel?”

“I see it.”

“Push that area of the panel and the door
should release.”

Felicia pressed her finger over the blinking
light and the door hissed, sliding open to reveal Laetif. “Praise
be to Venus!” She hugged her new friend and Laetif laughed.

“Congratulations. You just performed your
first manual override.” She stepped back and looked at Felicia.
“And you’re ready. Almost. Slip on some shoes and let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“To my cabin. I arranged for an extravagant
breakfast, and Doctor Thrax is not invited. I’m in serious need of
some girl time!”

“Well, I am more than ready to break my
fast. Does Aiden know our plans?”

“Does he need to?”

“He will worry if he returns to his cabin
and I am gone.”

“Good point.” Laetif walked across the room
and paused beside the vidstation. “Is this on for a reason?”

“He invited me to use it last night, but I
was uncomfortable.”

“Men are morons most of the time, but we
love them anyway. You have been thrust into a world so bizarre, I’m
surprised you’re still rational. I’d be curled up in a corner
somewhere.” She turned to the vidstation and said, “Hibernate.” And
the glowing light blinked out. “Now, let me send a text to your
handsome doctor. He can’t argue with our plans that way.”

Felicia watched Laetif effortlessly operate
the various machines, wondering how long it would take her to
adjust to this strange world. She found the slip-on shoes she had
worn the day before and pushed her feet into them.

“All set. The message was received. Let’s
bolt before he has time to send a reply.”

They hurried into the corridor, ignoring the
musical beep from the companel. “Can he send his response to your
cabin?”

“Of course, but I’ll put an emergency-only
interrupt on all communications.” She glanced at Felicia and
smiled. “That means leave us the hell alone.”

Laetif’s vivaciousness was contagious.
Felicia felt her mood lighten and the conflict inside her ease.
They arrived at Laetif’s cabin and Felicia took a moment to look
around. “Why is your cabin so much larger than Aiden’s?”

“Because I’m a paying customer, silly.” She
motioned to the table laden with food and drink. “Have a seat. You
hardly ate last night and you’re skinny as a rail. I’m determined
to feed you.”

Felicia smiled and sank into the chair
Laetif had indicated. “There is enough food here for half of
Pompeii.”

“Eat as much as you like. The galley will
recycle the rest. Nothing is wasted on a starship.”

She had no idea what
recycle
meant,
but
nothing is wasted
allayed her concern. Laetif pulled out
the chair across from Felicia and slowly lowered herself onto the
seat. “Are you all right?”

A guilty flush colored her cheeks and fought
back a smile. “I pulled a muscle in the back of my leg. It’s not as
bad as I thought it would be, but sitting down is tricky.”

“Perhaps Doctor Thrax could prescribe a
remedy.”

Laetif turned her head and covered her mouth
with her hand, ineffectively hiding her laughter. “Oh my God, you
have no idea why that’s so funny.”

“Then explain it to me.” Felicia clutched
her hands in her lap, no longer amused by her friend’s levity.

“If you fill your plate and start eating,
I’ll tell you the whole sordid tale. But the second you stop
eating, I stop talking.”

“That is bribery,” Felicia grumbled.

“Whatever works.” She picked up a metallic
pitcher and poured brown liquid into an odd-shaped cup. “You’ve
never had coffee, have you? It’s an acquired taste, so you might
not like it immediately.” She passed Felicia the cup and waited
expectantly.

Felicia lifted the cup and inhaled the
aroma. Rich, earthy, very pleasant. She blew on the steaming liquid
then took a sip and wrinkled her nose. “It doesn’t taste anything
like it smells.” But it did. As the liquid rolled across her
tongue, the subtler flavors emerged.

“Take a few more sips. If you don’t like it,
I’ll pour you something else. We can add sugar and cream too. Many
people like it like that. I prefer to taste my coffee, but I’m a
purist.” She snickered. “At least when it comes to coffee.”

After adding a lot of cream and a little bit
of sugar, they found a balance Felicia enjoyed. She set down the
cup and picked up the odd utensil Aiden had called a fork. She
speared some sort of meat with it and held it near her mouth. “I am
eating. Tell me how you injured your leg.”

“As I’m sure you gathered from my reaction
to your vision, I’m not the type to sleep around. I was so in love
with Mikko when we married, I couldn’t even imagine myself in bed
with someone else. Then his affairs started and I realized he had
no intention of curtailing his philandering ways.”

“Why did you not divorce him?”

“Divorce was allowed in Pompeii? I hadn’t
realized the civilization was that advanced.”

“Marriages that end in divorce are tragic.
The practice is not something to be celebrated, but I understand
your point. We seem quite barbaric to you. Pompeii is a part of the
Roman Empire. Women are allowed to own land and hold positions of
power. Many marriages are still arranged among the rich and
powerful, but either party can end the marriage for
infidelity.”

“I thought about it. But I’m a weak,
materialistic person. I understand my own faults. I enjoy the
lifestyle I have with Mikko. By marrying him, I finally loosened my
father’s purse strings, something I hadn’t been able to accomplish
on my own. As Madame Xyell, I’m accepted by people who wouldn’t
have given me the time of day before.” She shrugged, but her smile
was sad. “I’ve come to terms with who he is and I’ve learned not to
depend on anyone else for my happiness.”

“Are you happy?”

“At times, in fact most of the time. I won’t
pretend it doesn’t bother me, but it’s a fair exchange.” Laetif
paused for several sips of coffee, her gaze far more troubled than
her calm expression. “Anyway, I got tired of being ignored and
decided to surprise Mikko by coming with him on this trip.”

“Was he surprised?”

“He was furious. He had me moved to a cabin
as far away from his as the deck allowed, and he’s hardly spoken to
me since we left Fedoros. Well, last night things came to a head.”
She went on to explain about the ruggedly handsome guard and her
unusual interaction with Caleb.