Stardust (4 page)

Against her will, Aurora returned his infectious smile and tried to smother a yawn.

Darton rose to his feet and offered her his hand.
“
Come. I
’
ll show you the sleeping quarters. The medicine will be worn off by the time we reach our destination.
”

“
So you do know where we are headed?
”
Even as she felt the need for sleep overtake her, she still argued with the warrior.

“
No, I do not know. Is there some place in particular you wish to go?
”

She shrugged her shoulders.
“
No, not really.
”
She took one last look at the screen before turning away. It all seemed so vast. So empty. She felt tears threaten, hating the sign of weakness. Her uncle had raised her to be Bawna warrior. Not a sniveling coward. She would go wherev
er the fates – and this warrior –
decreed. For now.
“
Where do we sleep?
”

“
This way.
”
His voice and his touch were gruff and she wondered what she had done now.

The Galentina was luxurious compared to the others in the fleet. It had been designed to house the Ruler of Argon and its construction reflected the great honor. Traveling down the long metal walkway, they entered the sleeping chamber. Richly colored silk material hung from the ceiling and walls, making the room a soft, inviting cocoon of pleasure. A platform stood in the middle of the space and mounds and mounds of fluffy down pillows overflowed the huge resting pallet. The large area could have easily housed a dozen Palermonian citizens.

“
Isn
’
t there somewhere else I can stay?
”
Her lips thinned in a hard line as she
thought of the cost of decorating such quarters. Bartok had wasted an untold number of quecs on the likes of this while the people of Palermos had sacrificed and starved to ward off his attacks.

“
This is it, princess. We
’
re not exactly on a pleasure cruise. This ship was made for speed, not comfort. At least everywhere but this room. You
’
d best count your
lucky stars
Bartok demanded a few of life
’
s little pleasures or you
’
d be sleeping at the control console with me.
”

Aurora bristled at his self-sacrificing tone.
“
That would be fine with me. You can have this den of iniquity.
”
She turned quickly, the abrupt movement making her head spin. Instinctively her hands reached out, seeking something to steady her swaying body. They made contact with warm male flesh.

“
I told you the medication would make you sleepy.
”

Before she could protest his strong brown arms swung her against the chest she had so admired earlier. His scent was clean and masculine and she had to forcibly resist the urge to bury her face in the side of his neck.

“
Stay here and rest. If anything happens, I
’
ll wake you.
”

The silken cover was cool against her back and suddenly her eyelids felt very heavy. With a tired sigh, she turned on her side and was instantly asleep.

Darton smiled to himself as he watched Aurora give in to her body
’
s demands. Apparently the lady warrior wasn
’
t as tough as she first appeared. Of course, he had given her twice the normal dose of medication. He stretched his own tired body, yawning widely. How he longed to join her on the bed of silk. But he had other things to do. Turning abruptly before he gave in to his baser instincts and joined her for more than just rest, he made his way back to the console.
All around him was the silence.
A silence one only found in the vacuum of space. Even the hum of the ship
’
s machinery was different.

The jaguar slept peacefully while the turin paced restlessly in her cage. The animals would be fine until they reached a planet suitable for providing their needs. If Siara  hungered, she could work the replicator. He spared a quick glance at the turin. A creature smart enough to speak would surely have the intelligence to feed itself. If not, the mangy thing could starve. He did not like turins.

Looking once again at the blinking control panel, Darton sighed, settling himself against the cushioned seat. It was going to be a long night. The stars of the galaxy were merely bright flashes of light in the darkness as they passed. Only the very closest of the planets were even discernible. In the far left of the screen was a white, steady twinkle of light. A light he was all too familiar with. Earth. His home for the past twenty years. A place where love and joy awaited him should he ever choose to return.

Immediately his eyes were drawn to the much closer circle of light. Palermos. His birth planet. He reached out his hand as if to touch the bright orb. How he longed to be there,
fighting with the rebel cause, restoring the hope to his long lost
people. His fists clenched at his sides. He could not rejoin the battle. Not yet.

The beautiful female resting just yards away was the source of his frust
ration. Her beauty stunned him –
as did the depth of the attraction he was trying so hard to resist. Why did he have to meet such an extraordinary female under such terrible conditions? At the time when he needed all of his skills and clear mind, he could not afford to be distracted, but distract him she did.

His heart had stopped beating when she announced her name. Aurora. It brought to mind the wonderful magical feelings of the aurora borealis of Earth
’
s northern pole. The beauty and power of the mysterious lights had fascinated him from his earliest memories. But his heart had not clenched solely on the basis of her beauty. It was who she was and what she stood for. She was the reason he was in this craft, flying through space, wasting precious time and resources. Aurora, daughter of the fearless warrior Dante, niece of Darvek, Darton
’
s mentor and friend. He grimaced in disgust. He had been reduced to being
nothin
g more than a gloried caretaker
for a female.

But Darton had promised. He had promised his dyi
ng friend
he would see his niece safely from the clutches of Bartok. He allowed
himself a small smile remembering how she had fought beside him
. Perhaps Bartok was the one in need of a protector.

Several hours later a red alarm flashing on the board woke him from his light sleep. He sighed roughly. Things were never easy. Making his way back to the rest chamber, he hesitated before waking the sleeping beauty. He couldn
’
t
stop the quiver of longing which
shot through hi
m, leaving him with a need
he had never before experienced. Wha
t was it about this female which
made him want her above all others? Her loosened hair, dark as midnight, lay in abundant curls to the top of her hips. Her skin was perfection, its translucent softness beckoning his touch.

While he watched, Aurora turned in her sleep. He could see the shadowy outline of her body revealed by the Grade 1 seka she wore. The black silk clung to every curve and valley of her body. When she moved, he cursed himself for a fool and forced his mind back to the business at hand. He should be more concerned with how a Palermonian female had learned to fight than how
she stirred his masculine sense. Leaning over,
he shook her gently, avoiding the large expanse of skin that had been exposed during the restless slumber.
“
Aurora, wake up. There is something I must tell you.
”

She woke slowly. Her large violet eyes, still drowsy with sleep, caused Darton
’
s heart to beat a furious tattoo. What would they look like during the act of togetherness, he wondered?

“
What is it? Is something wrong with ship?
”

“
No, no. The ship is fine.
”
Darton sat on the bed, delighting in her scent. It reminded him of a fragrance he had once smelled on earth. He believed his mother had called it lavender. His body hardened in response. He would just tell her the news, make sure she was comfortable and then he would leave.

“
What is it then?
”
Her voice held a slight edge as if she was angry at being disturbed and he smiled to himself. Turins he
’
d heard were testy if woken suddenly.

“
In about ten minutes we
’
ll be heading into a dark vortex.
”
At her look of distress, he placed a strong hand on her bare shoulder. Unable to stop himself, he caressed the delicate skin in an attempt to sooth her fears.
“
Do not worry. The ship is on automatic pilot. I have charted the course and we will be fine.
”
He smiled ruefully, causing twin dimples to appear in each rugged cheek.
“
The only catch is it
’
s about a twelve hour trip through. During that time it will be totally dark. Our only choice is to sleep.
”

Just then the lights blinked in warning. Section by section the computer shut down the electrical functions of the starship. She shivered and Darton, his hand still resting on her shoulder, sensed her fear. He greatly admired her courage, but this small vulnerability caused his breath to catch and his body to quicken with sudden, intense desire.
“
Do not be afraid. The ship automatically shuts down almost everything but the engines to save power when passing through the vortex field. But the ship will maintain power in the rest chamber so we can survive the journey.
”
He smiled.
“
So you see, there really is nothing to fear.
”

“
You are right. There is nothing to fear.
”

Sensing there was more than just the coming darkness causing her fear, Darton lowered himself beside her.
“
Tell me,
”
he commanded.

He felt the shudder ripple through her body and pulled her into his arms. She felt so right there, as if made for the very fit of his arms. Moving his head he rubbed his jaw along the top of her head, savoring the smell and texture of her hair.

“
I was in The House of the Unloved before my uncle claimed me,
”
she confessed.
“
The Compassioners
’
most favorite method of controlling unruly children was a small cage in a darkened cellar.
”

“
I bet you were very unruly.
”
He nuzzled the side of her face. He knew about her days spent at the orphanage before her uncle had heard of
the terrible space accident which
had
killed his brother and wife. He could
not imagine the terror she had faced as a lonely child. He needed to distract her. In a wave of sudden heat, he
captured her lips with his own.
He wanted to devour her, yet he wanted to slowly peel away her clothing and patiently learn every secret of her exquisite body. His hands cupped the rounded curve of her shoulders, drawing her close to his burning body. Following the slender line of her spine, he found the flare of her hips. With a muttered curse for his weakness, he pressed her to the bed, rubbing his rigid shaft against her softness. His lips moved to caress the long line of her milky white throat. Fierce waves of desire washed over him at her moan of pleasure.

Tugging sharply at the seka, he pulled it open. Her nipples were diamond hard points of passion, the secrets of her being hidden beneath a swirl of midnight curls.
“
You are beautiful,
”
he whispered as he slid his fingers along her silken passage.

Aurora gasped at the sensation of his touch. Her first thought was to protest this most intimate invasion. She had read many different passages of the Craton explaining the ways between man and woman throughout the galaxy. The peoples of Palermos engaged in the mutual satisfaction of each other once they reached their eighteenth moon. But Aurora had found no desire to mate with anyone of her acquaintance. Only since meeting this handsome stranger had s
he felt the pull of desire
all her friends whispered about.

She moved her hands as if to protest his handling, but found herself unable to stop the exquisite torture
. She remembered the dreams which
had disturbed her sleep. Of hot, eager flash pressed together.
“
Please,
”
she begged.

Darton
’
s movements stilled.
“
I will please you,
”
he stated with confidence. He rose from the bed and removed his karta.