Timeless (Pandora Book 1) (15 page)

The commander eyed him speculatively. “Son, I’d say it just did.”

“They will come for her, and they will take her.” Rocking back in his chair, Asa crossed one leg over the other and templed his fingers together below his chin, his golden ring twinkling in the overhead lights. “Wouldn’t you rather be able to…manage the situation?”

“Let them try to take her,” Vane challenged. He’d destroy anyone who came near his
prya
. “We’ll find another way.”

Still leaning his elbows on the tabletop, Lex turned just his head to look over at Vane. “C’mon, Schiva, be reasonable. This could work, and it could save a lot of lives in the process.”

“Do you really want to start a war with Atrea
and
Promena over a girl?” Captain Roth asked, his disapproval obvious.

Vane slammed his fist down on the table hard enough to form tiny fissures in the glass. “I’d fight the entire galaxy for her, so if the Atreans want a war, I’ll give them a fucking war.”

Lex snorted derisively. “You barely know her.”

Even Xavian looked incredulous. “You know I’m on your side, and I like Charli, but war? Vane, you’re not thinking straight.”

“So that’s it?” Ice dripped from his words, and a red haze descended over his vision as he slowly met each male’s gaze. “You’re prepared to send an innocent female with no knowledge of our world, let alone of Atrea, into a volatile situation without backup? With only a half-assed plan that has a small probability of actually succeeding?”

Tension thick enough to cut with a blunt dagger fell over the room.

“Enough.” Rising to his feet, the commander linked his hands behind his back and began pacing the strip of carpet beside the table. “War is inevitable. Either we don’t hand over the girl, and the Atreans come for her, or we give her to them and then double-cross them.” His shoulders rose and fell with each deep inhalation. “The best we can hope for is to turn the odds in our favor.”

A shrewd, calculating gleam flashed in Asa’s eyes as he lowered his hands to the table and sat forward. “What are you suggesting, Commander?”

A lead weight formed in Vane’s stomach when his father stopped pacing and leveled a steely glare in his direction. “We use the girl.”

“Such a beauty shouldn’t be sitting all alone.” The charming accent—almost British, but with a hint of something alien and exotic—rolled off the stranger’s tongue like silken honey as he slid into the chair across from Charli. “Come dance with me.”

“Thank you,” Charli said with as much politeness as she could manage. “I’m with someone, though.”

Vane had returned from his patrol in a high state of irritation. After stomping around his quarters for the better part of an hour, while he cursed and barked at no one in particular, he’d declared they were going out for dinner.

When they’d arrived at the Blue Fog, Charli had been surprised by his choice in venues. By the time Vane had finished his third beer, however, she’d sensed the location had been chosen for its selection of alcohol, and not for the ambience.

The food had been good, though, and Charli enjoyed the upbeat music and jovial atmosphere created by the rowdy patrons. It reminded her of home, and she’d found herself tapping her foot to the beat and smiling at the raucous laughter from the men gathered around the pool tables.

Vane hadn’t said more than a handful of words to her since they’d left his apartment. Furthermore, he’d barely touched his burger or the odd shaped fries that tasted more like broccoli than potatoes. Charli figured he’d tell her what had happened when he was ready, but the longer he fumed in silence, the more concerned she became.

When he’d popped up from his seat like a jack-in-the-box to announce he needed to “hit the head,” she’d simply nodded. The anger that had flowed off him made her uneasy, but the underlying desperation terrified her.

Using Charli’s distraction to his advantage, the stranger lifted her right hand from the stained wooden tabletop and brought it to his lips. “You are far too beautiful to look so sad.” Lowering his head, he kissed the top of her hand and smiled. “Come dance with me, and I’ll make all of your troubles disappear.”

“Right.” Unimpressed by his boldness, Charli pulled her hand back and tucked it into her lap. “I’m not much of a dancer, and as I said, I’m with someone.” She took in his caramel complexion and shining silver eyes. “You’re not Nekros. Or a Morphling,” she added as an afterthought, remembering the black void of the demon’s eyes.

“Beautiful and smart,” he complimented her.

He didn’t offer more, and Charli didn’t bother to investigate further. She was worried about Vane, and she wanted to know what had caused her handsome soldier so much distress. “You should go.”

“Now, don’t be that way, sweetling.” The guy laughed, a deep, rich sound that vibrated through his muscular body. Rising from the chair, he smoothed back his short, fiery red hair. Then, in a move too quick to counter, he took Charli’s elbow and hauled her out of her seat. “One dance. You’ll see.”

“Hey, let go.” Charli twisted away and tried to jerk free of the steel grip, but she only succeeded in losing her balance and falling against the guy’s chest. “Take your hands off me, asshole.”

“One dance,” her admirer insisted, dragging her toward the open area between the pool tables and bar. “Come with me, sweetling. I’ll take good care of you.”

Charli stumbled several steps before she found her balance. She should have been a babbling mess, tripping over her own words as she tried to talk her way out the situation. That was what she would have done only a few days ago. With most of her thoughts preoccupied by Vane and his surely attitude, she didn’t have it in her to be nervous or anxious. No, she was pissed.

Her would-be suitor had several inches and at least a hundred pounds on her, but that didn’t stop Charli from kicking him in the shin. “I don’t want to dance. I don’t want to talk.” His grip tightened on her elbow, and Charli gasped in pain before getting angry all over again. “Goddamn it, let me go!”

A large hand landed on the stranger’s wrist. “I suggest you listen to the lady before something unfortunate happens.”

Vane towered over them both, his face a mask of calm, but Charli could see the rage simmering just below the surface. Good gods, he was going to murder this guy, and she didn’t think she could do anything to stop it.

“Vane, it’s okay. I’m okay,” she said, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Quiet,
prya
. I’m discussing important business with our Crimnian friend here.” His gaze turned to the stranger, his eyes clouding dangerously. “It would be in your best interest if I didn’t have to repeat myself.”

The guy smiled, but he did release his grip on Charli’s elbow. “You should take better care of your playthings,” the Crimnian taunted.

Charli ducked her head and groaned as she slipped behind Vane.
What an idiot.

The stranger opened his mouth again, but before he could say something else damning, Vane fisted his hand in the Crimnian’s short, red hair and jerked him backward. Twisting the guy’s arm up between his shoulder blades, Vane shoved him toward the nearest pool table with a loud grunt.

Slamming the man’s face into the blue felt, Vane leaned over him, blanketing his back to whisper into his ear. Charli couldn’t hear the mumbled words, but it didn’t take much imagination to guess at the threats spilling from Vane’s lips.

No one in the crowded bar had stepped forward to interfere, but they were starting to draw quite a bit of attention. Hurrying forward, Charli hesitated for only a moment before reaching out to place her hand on Vane’s arm.

“Let him go. It’s not worth it.”

Vane straightened, but he didn’t release his grip on the man’s neck, and he continued to grind the Crimnian’s face into the table. “Are you hurt,
prya
?”

Her elbow hurt like the ten shades of hell from being dragged around and shaken like a ragdoll. She wasn’t stupid enough to tell Vane that, though. “I’m fine.”

Vane didn’t comment, but one side of his mouth turned up in a crooked smirk. “Do you have your things?”

“I just need to get my jacket.”

“Good.” Vane nodded, even as he wrenched the Crimnian’s arm higher, causing the man to groan in pain. “Get your jacket, Charlotte. I’ll meet you at the bar.”

“Vane—”

“Go.”

Sighing in defeat, Charli removed her hand from his arm and winced. “Just…just don’t kill him.”

With a last look at the alien struggling against Vane’s grip, Charli hustled back to their table to retrieve her jacket. While it was a quiet storm that raged inside her lover, she’d never seen Vane so angry.

Slipping into her fur-lined coat, she zipped it up to her chin, pulled her thick, purple gloves on, and rounded the table. She found Vane waiting for her at the end of the long bar, just as he’d promised. Charli hadn’t heard anyone scream, and guards hadn’t converged on the place to cart Vane back to the Hall, so she had to assume he’d restrained from actually killing the Crimnian.

“Are you ready,
pyra
?” Without waiting for an answer, he placed his hand against the small of her back and ushered her toward the exit. “Where are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” Soreness spread through her elbow and up her arm, but it would likely be gone by morning. She’d probably have bruises, though. Charli mentally reminded herself not to wear short sleeves for the next few days. “You didn’t have to hurt him.”

“Yes,” Vane answered flatly as they crossed the parking lot to the zipline platform near the street. “I did.”

Marching up the steps of the illuminated platform, Vane grunted impatiently while he waited for the side door to lift open. “Get in.”

Worried for him, but also growing annoyed at his barked commands, Charli grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn and face her. “What is going on with you? What was all that back there?” She waved her hand toward the bar. “What happened today, Vane?”

“Charlotte, it’s late, and I refuse to stand here and argue with you.” His honey blond hair fell around his face like a halo, even as the chiseled lines of his jaw hardened visibly. “Get. In.”

“Just tell me what happened,” she insisted, sidestepping to block his way when he tried to enter the train. “Did you have a crappy day at work? Did something else get stolen?” Another thought crossed her mind, and she almost groaned. “Did you get in a fight with Xavian? We already talked about this. You know there’s nothing to be jealous of, right? I like Xavian well enough, but not like that. He’s a good friend. I mean…”

Trailing off, Charli dropped her face into her gloved hands and groaned. She’d been doing so well back in the bar. Standing there now, facing off with the man she may or may not be destined to spend the rest of eternity with, her anger abandoned her. The past few minutes finally caught up, and all the anxiety she probably should have felt during the confrontation with the Crimnian rushed in to fill the void.

“Charlotte.” Vane pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head wearily. “Just…
shut
up.”

Charli was offended for all of a heartbeat. He sounded so exasperated with her, however, she couldn’t stop the giggle that burst from her lips. “You’re being very rude,” she chided.

“And you are testing my patience.” Lifting her off her feet, Vane ducked to carry her into the open compartment of the train. Then he settled her on the padded bench beside him, grumbled out their destination, and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back against the seat. “You are so stubborn.”

Neither of them spoke after that. Vane didn’t say anything when they arrived at the platform outside of Pandora. He didn’t even look in her direction during the short walk from the gates to his quarters, though he kept a protective arm around her waist. When they finally reached the warmth and safety of his living room, Charli couldn’t take anymore.

Removing her coat and gloves, she tossed them to the sofa and clasped her hands together at her waist. “Please talk to me. I know you’re hiding something. Whatever it is, please, just tell me.”

“There’s a Morphling rebellion starting on Promena,” he answered after a long pause. “The Atreans are trying to find a new method to control them.”

While that alone sounded awful, Charli knew there was more. “What kind of method?”

“Do you remember the jewel I told you about?” He slid his coat off as well and hung it over the chair at the kitchen table.

Charli bobbed her head, but didn’t move away from the sofa. “The red diamond. What about it?”

“And you know how you’re special?”

She didn’t like where this was going. “Yes.”

“The diamond is called the Jewel of Atrea. It’s considered a Legacy Relic, and only a Legacy—a member of a certain bloodline—can control it.”

As he continued talking, explaining to her the power of the jewel and how it could be used to control not just the Morphlings, but other races as well, Charli started to shake. “Are you trying to say I’m a Legacy?”

She couldn’t be. Absolutely not. Because that would mean…

“You are the last remaining Atrean Legacy of the jewel.” Vane stared back at her, his expression open so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. “No one but you can control the jewel.”

“I’m an Atrean? Me?”

Vane arched an eyebrow and snorted. “Is it really so hard to believe after everything you’ve seen?”

When he put it that way, she felt a little ridiculous. “I never knew.” She had no memories of her mother, and her father hadn’t shared many stories of her. Charli supposed she understood why now. “Okay, so I’m part Atrean. What does that mean?”

“The Atreans want to use you to control the Morphs, and the Nekros want to use you to get the jewel back.” His upper lip curled over his teeth and a low growl rumbled through his chest. “You don’t have to be afraid, though. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“Could I do it? Is it possible?” Yes, it scared her, but if the commander thought she could be useful, and if it kept a lot of people safe, she wanted to help. “Is there something I can do to get the jewel back?”

“No,” Vane answered flatly as he pushed away from the table and stalked towards her. “There are other ways. I’m not going to put you in danger.”

“But—”

Vane backed her against the closed door and slanted their mouths together, kissing her with a desperation that frightened her more than his anger ever could.

“No,” he whispered. “We’ll find another way. I…Charlotte, I can’t. I’d go insane if something happened to you.” He closed his mouth over hers again, sucking at her lips and tongue. “I shouldn’t have left you alone tonight. I shouldn’t have taken you to that place at all.”

“This conversation isn’t over,” she insisted, though her voice came out breathless from his kiss. She knew she shouldn’t let him distract her, but when he held her like this, looked at her as though she was the most important person in the galaxy, she couldn’t deny him anything. “You can’t keep me locked up in your bedroom for the rest of my life.”

“I could try.” His grin turned wicked as he gathered her wrists in one hand and stretched her arms over her head to pin them to the door. “You were so brave tonight,
prya.
”

“I just got mad and reacted. That’s not the same as being brave.” Twice now she’d been called that, but she just couldn’t see it. The Crimnian hadn’t posed any real threat, not in the crowded bar with plenty of witnesses. “Your mother said I was brave, too. That day at the Hall.”