Page 51 of Taming Chaos

Where the Kordolians had invaded and sown the seeds of dissent; restricting the water supply, favoring some tribes over others, providing a steady supply of weapons… not plasma, not Callidum; weapons just powerful enough to give some an advantage.

The fallout had been devastating.

Torin had been there. He’d seen the ravages of war first hand. Amidst the chaos, Kordolian terramining companies had entered and extracted the planet’s precious resources… for free.

Caught in the throes of an endless, hopeless war, some Bartharrans had turned to religion, praying to the goddess of the stars for peace to return.

Salu.

“This might sound strange, but I think they believe you’re a reincarnation of a goddess,” Torin’s erection swelled as Seph’s face scrunched up into the most brilliant—and adorable—expression of confusion.

“What? But that’s ridiculou—” She looked at the dozen or so Bartharrans who had all adopted the same pose—kneeling on one knee, palms flat against the floor, heads bowed—and shook her head. “I can’t believe it. Why?”

“You are a goddess,” Torin said quietly, unable to help himself.

Seph’s eyes widened a fraction. Her freckled skin took on a delicious pink hue, and he caught the rapid patter of her heartbeat as it accelerated.

Oh, he liked the effect his words had on her. If that was her visible reaction, he could only imagine what was happening below, in those lush, secret places.

Places he would explore later.

“So if I’m supposed to be a goddess, what does that make you, Amanhiel?” Her nose scrunched up a little as she teased him.

Torin frowned. “No idea.” His knowledge of Bartharran religion was limited to one deity only. On Bartharra, Salu was everywhere. She was the all-seeing, all-powerful goddess, and merely invoking her name could bring a vicious, bloodthirsty Bartharran to his knees. During his brief mission there, Torin had heard all about the goddess, but he’d never heard of this Amanhiel. “Perhaps he’s some kind of devil?”

“That seems rather appropriate.” Seph chuckled wryly, but she couldn’t conceal the red flush in her cheeks as it spread all the way to the tips of her ears. Adorable. “So what am I supposed to do now?”

“They think you’re a goddess? If your appearance has disorganized them, that is good. If it means they will leave us alone, even better.”

At least until we are off this infernal rust-bucket. Then I will be the only one who is allowed to worship you.

Unease flickered across Seph’s face. “This is weird.”

“Don’t worry,” he whispered in her language, his voice becoming hoarse. “They can believe what they want, but if any of them try and lay a hand on you, I will kill them.”

He couldn’t stand the thought of another male even touching her.

Not now, idiot! Torin tried to put a dampener on his surging libido, fearing his thoughts—and lust—could spiral out of control. With the top half of his face shot out and a horde of Bartharrans kneeling before them, now really wasn’t the time to be losing control.

Come to think of it, he had no idea what he looked like right now. Hideous was his guess, but Seph didn’t appear disgusted at all.

“Torin,” she said slowly, ignoring the Bartharrans, ignoring Parrus, ignoring everything but the two of them.

Her eyes were only for him, and he loved that.

“What is it, Seph?”

She reached out and touched his cheek. A murmur rippled through the Bartharrans, but Torin was oblivious to their reaction. The black nanites surged across his skin, causing tiny pinpricks of exquisite agony beneath her warm velvet fingertips. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” Dumbstruck, he echoed her question. One did not just ask a First Division warrior if they were okay, especially when faced with a dozen massive Bartharrans.

Torin shook his head. “I must look a little strange right now, no?”

“You look like you’ve been fighting,” she said softly. Her searching gaze flicked up and down his body, taking in his lean form.

Feeling ravaged, hungry, and wanting, Torin simply gave her a weary nod, rolling his eyes a fraction. “I’ve been fighting,” he agreed. “I’m not quite finished yet, but you don’t need to be concerned about me.” He nodded in the direction of Relahek’s quarters. “I’ve neutralized the guards. It’s safer if you come with me now.”

“To find this Relahek character?”

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