Page 8 of Warrior
Daicon blew a harsh breath, dragging a claw-tipped hand through his hair as he paced back and forth, his imposing figure sucking up all available space and oxygen. My room was small, and his bulk only made it smaller. Ewok didn't want to bring him here. He suggested taking him to the grave tunnel. I couldn't do that. Even though I knocked him out to keep him from attacking Ewok, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this man wasn’t bad. Aggravating, maybe… frustrating to be sure, but not bad.
“It is impossible to take them.” Daicon’s golden eyes centered on my face, and I felt my cheeks flush with frustration.
"It is impossible to take them,” he repeated voice echoing off the damp stone walls. “I only have one other enviro suit. Plus, my skiff is small. It will only hold the two of us, and maybe one more.”
I bit my lip, trying to think of anything to help. “Can't you call Emmy or someone and tell them we need a bigger spaceship?” It was a constructive suggestion, I thought. The way Daicon frowned told me otherwise.
“My comm unit does not work this far underground, and the moon’s acidic atmosphere inhibits long-range communications. Once we are out of Gilese orbit, I can comm the Bardaga and have them send others for the children.”
“I’m not leaving without them.” I reiterated, crossing my arms over my chest, and glaring for effect.
Daicon gave a growly huff and strode closer, leaving only a few inches between us. Heat rolled off him, welcome in the damp chill. His scent permeated my senses, reminding me of pine and snow.
“Damn female! Do not be nonsensical. The mission… your safety is paramount.”
If he wasn’t being such a jerk right now, I might find him appealing. Despite his soft pelt and otherworldly eyes and size, he wasn’t much different from how I’d pictured Jamie Fraserto look and act. Tall, muscular, the epitome of strength and maleness. If the rest of his kind looked like him, I bet Emmy was having the time of her life on that spaceship.
But I couldn't get distracted. There were children who needed rescuing, and I had no intention of leaving this moon without them.
"I'm not leaving this planet—moon without the children," I declared firmly, my voice carrying obvious notes of determination. I raised a finger in adeicticpoint that would make my fourth-grade teacher proud. "Either we all go, or none go."
He leaned closer, his warm breath fanning my cheeks with a sweet scent of vanilla and ginger. “Do not be besotted because they are younglings. Ewok is a Kerzak. I imagine the others in this mine are mercenary species as well. Beings who would walk across your bloody and broken body to get off this moon.”
I raised my chin. “This isn’t about what they would do. This is about what I’m doing. And I am not leaving a single child behind.”
Daicon’s pale gold eyes burned angrily, jaw clenching. His broad shoulders shook like a fire raged in his chest, and he was fighting to keep it contained. He spun away from me, muttering in a low growl that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Some small logical part of my brain, unhindered by emotion, suggested wariness. I pushed the idea away. My heart, my spirit—the two things I counted on recognized without a doubt that Daicon wouldn’t hurt me. I was safe with him. An emotion I took for granted back on earth and never thought to feel again. I’d been in some rough scrapes during my mission trips, but I’d never felt more afraid than the moment the pale, scarred, horned alien led me from the spaceship and into the mine.
Wait a minute.
“When they brought me in, I remember seeing other ships, larger ships.” There were two I recalled, one that was smaller than the ship I arrived on and another twice its size. I opened my mouth to continue, but the words hung. It’s a sin, to be sure, one of the big ten commandments, but these were special circumstances. I believed God would understand. “Couldn’t we steal a ship big enough to carry everybody?”
Daicon turned to face me, aggravation replaced by amusement that pulled the corners of his mouth upward. “You want me to steal a ship from an underground dock surrounded by guards while hampered by a silly human female and children?” he asked incredulously, though it didn't sound like a reprimand as much as a playful challenge.
“Well, if you’re not up to the task.” I shot back.
Daicon heaved a heavy sigh and rolled his golden eyes in exasperation. “You vex me, female,” he said, not angry but resigned.
“If that means you realize I’m sticking to my guns… good.”
His expression shifted from resignation to surprise at my words. “You have a gun?”
A giggle escaped me at his misunderstanding. “It’s just a figure of speech.”
Daicon gave a deep guttural sound, a mix of relief, growl, and amusement, shaking his head. His lips, which had given only the faintest hint of a smile up to now, curved fully upward in a stunning gesture that was almost too beautiful. I sensed something in his expression that I couldn’t quite put into words, but it made me feel like he respected my determination—maybe even liked it.
I heard the hope in my voice as I asked hesitantly, “Do you think there’s any chance we can pull this off? Could we stealone of their ships?” I realized the absurdity of the situation as I, a minister's wife, planned thievery with a handsome, exotic alien warrior.
Daicon let out a derisive snort as his chest swelled with pride. “I can pilot anything with thrusters, but getting to the ship without being killed is the real problem.”
“You're a war chief, right?” I asked. “Isn't strategy your thing?”
An eyebrow cocked darkly as he regarded me. “You don't even know how to get to the docks from here, do you?”
“No,” I replied sheepishly as my lips twisted into a wry smile.
“It would be easier if I just knocked you out and carried you to my skiff,” Daicon huffed, although there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
A faint angry growl echoed from the hallway, causing Daicon to tense. I just rolled my eyes.
