Page 51 of Stolen Fire
“Varik left him on Kolben. Perhaps they were discussing the return of Cifer’s credits.” Dez spoke between bites of food, keeping one eye on Cyra, probably making sure she ate. Dez was a good male. Cyra was so lucky to have such an honorable male to care for her.
“We can’t take him to Hiargus,” Blaize blurted.
“You want to me cancel the contract?” Cyra looked at her sideways and wrinkled her brow. “That could ruin what little reputation we have. As it is, we haven’t secured any other contract besides his. And that contract is very profitable.”
“What does our reputation mean if we transport criminals? Are those the kinds of contracts we want? What if he’s a killer and we’re murdered in our sleep? What if he kills us just because he wants the ship? He could be anyone. And he’s using children. One came to his rooms in the middle of the night, and he just ran off with her without a word.”
Dez’s eyes were wide when she was finally able to bite her tongue, literally, to stop the word vomit. When she’d felt green in the hallway, she’d had no idea that she was going to spew words instead of stale cocktails. Words she would do anything to erase from the mind of her captain and Dez.
“How do you know he left in the middle of the night with a child?” Dez’s voice made Blaize’s already shaky control evaporate. He was what she thought a father would sound like.
“I might have been at his place.” Blaize pushed the fork around in her food.
“In the middle of the night?”
“Yes, sir.” This was not the conversation she pictured having.
“Tell me about this child.”
“Her name’s Elaya. She used to be in the engineering academy at the orphanage that houses the pubescent females. I volunteer there.” She looked up at Dez, hoping his expression had changed from stern parent. It hadn’t. “Anyway, she—Elaya—left the program recently. She wasn’t doing well, chafing under the rules according to the director, and really, they can’t keep them against their will after a certain age. They have to want to be there. But there is such limited space, and the program has so much potential. I can’t understand?—”
“Blaize.”
Babbling again. It was one of her worst habits.
“I recognized her voice before Cifer left. Without a word.”
“You were intimate?” Dez asked.
Did she have to answer that? The heat flooding her system meant that she was turning red. She wouldn’t even have to answer. He’d know.
“Yes.” More breath than sound came out of her mouth. She stared at the floor.
“He just walked out without a word?” Cyra put her arm around Blaize.
Blaize nodded.
“Did he apologize or try to explain when he came back?”
Blaize looked up at Cyra’s ocean eyes. “I got locked out. Varik came to his door, and when I opened it, he yanked me out. I got away from the asshole. I thought Cifer would come looking for me. Instead, I found him at the bar with Varik.”
Dez sipped his caffeine before speaking. “I will speak with him. You don’t have to be around him if you prefer. We can make modifications to the schedules.”
“Is there no way you can cancel the contract? He’s hanging out with Varik.”
Cyra and Dez shared a wordless conversation. Then Cyra delivered their decision. “As much as it pains me to see you upset, I can’t cancel a contract over a bad love affair. I wouldn’t put it past Varik to create the illusion of an association to disrupt us.”
“You weren’t there.” Blaize drew a breath to continue her argument, but Dez held out his hand and stopped her.
“Let me finish,” Cyra said. “I know you believe he is doing criminal things, but we have no proof. Everything we’ve observed personally, beyond him stowing away, has been beneficial to the ship and the crew. I know a difficult personal relationship can color your opinion, but I have to do what’s best for our business. He’s already paid for transport to and from Hiargus in full. We have no valid reason to terminate the contract.”
The conversation was over. Blaize could either quit or be trapped on the ship with Cifer for galactic months.
“Hiargus is a long journey. We’re making at least two stops before we get there,” Dez said.
Blaize looked at the captain.
Cyra scooped a forkful of her meal and made an obvious point of filling her mouth.
