Page 43 of Taming Chaos

“But…”

“You worry more about upsetting him, or me?”

The Veronian took a long, hard look at Torin, his gaze running down the length of Torin’s obsidian blade. He swallowed. “I’ll take you there.”

Torin lowered his blade. “Lead the way, chichin,” he said, sounding rather imperious. There was a definite superior-subordinate dynamic going on here. Was this how most Kordolians had treated their slaves before the Edict? This side to Torin surprised her.

As if reading her thoughts, he glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Seph. As long as he does exactly as I say, I won’t harm him. I might even grant him his freedom.” He winked at her. “Kordolians shouldn’t be keeping slaves in this day and age.”

Vicious one minute, benevolent the next, and always gentle and considerate with her.

Torin was a walking contradiction of a man.

He slowed his pace, allowing her to catch up as they followed the Veronian down the corridor, passing more mysterious glyphs and closed doors.

All of a sudden, he froze, holding up his hand.

“Someone’s coming.” Torin drew his other sword. “Get behind me, Seph. You too, chichin.”

“Wha…?” The Veronian jumped. He actually jumped several feet into the air, landing on his furry three-toed feet.

Fearing something terrible might happen to the alien if he hesitated, Seph stepped forward, grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind Torin. “His instincts are pretty good when it comes to this kind of thing,” she whispered. “You’d better do as he says. Don’t worry, you can walk with me. Unlike him, I don’t bite. What’s your name, Veronian?”

“P-Parrus.”

“Well, Parrus, we just might get lucky and eventually find a way off this crazy ship, so stick with me.” She moved ahead of Parrus, because she had a gun, and he didn’t.

“What makes you think I bite?” Torin said softly, without turning around. He didn’t have to. The intensity in his tone told Seph everything.

In some deep, long-suppressed corner of her mind, she imagined him biting her in a sensual way, his fangs sinking into her soft skin.

“I would be a little disappointed if you didn’t,” she whispered, knowing he could hear her perfectly well.

The words slipped out of her mouth before she could swallow them.

Are you fucking crazy, girl? Since entering space, Seph had fought so hard to rein in her natural impulsive tendencies, but her self-control was beginning to slip.

Torin chuckled.

The deep, decadent, and unexpected sound of his laughter did amazing things to her. Seph suppressed a soft whimper as desire overrode her fear. How devious! How unfair! They were facing imminent danger, and the man was teasing her, and she was going half-mad thinking of all the things she wanted him to do to her.

The sound of footsteps—dozens of them—doused her madness in cold water. Before Seph could comprehend what was happening, a wall of Bartharrans appeared, filling the narrow passage.

Heading in their direction.

Torin kept on walking, holding his blades low at his sides.

The Bartharrans kept on walking, chanting softly as they approached.

“Torin, what the hell are you doing?” Seph hissed.

Not this again!

He wasn’t stopping. They were about to walk right into the Bartharrans, and something would have to give. Considering how lethally sharp Torin’s blades were, it would probably be the Bartharrans.

“Persephone, keep walking.” Torin’s voice came out of nowhere, a sharp whip-crack that cut through the sound of marching feet. “Whatever you do, don’t stop.”

All her instincts screamed at her. Stop! Time slowed and her vision became hyper-acute as she took in everything.

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