Taken By Storm (13 page)

“May I exit?” she countered. “The door wouldn’t open for me.”

“Privacy panels are activated by voice command and your voice has yet to be imprinted. It would be best if we speak before you go wandering about the ship.”

She continued to stare at him.

“May I come in?” he asked again.

She stepped out of his way and his tall form absorbed the limited space. The door slid closed behind him. She suddenly realized the only place to sit was on the bed. She decided to stand. Tal moved to the bed and uttered an Ontarian phrase. The bed slid into the wall and two chairs slid out.

“Oh, an entire adjust-o-room,” she said as he sat.

“Flexibility is crucial on the smaller spacecraft. Dro Tar is programming English phrases into the computer so the ship will recognize your commands.” Charlotte nodded but remained standing.

“Please sit,” Tal coaxed.

“You’re not going to be here that long.”

He stood. “I thought you would be interested in our present location, our destination and your options once we reach Ontariese, but apparently I was wrong.”

She glared at him but sat. “Once we reach Ontariese? Then returning to Earth isn’t an option?”

“Do you understand why we started the fire?” He reached for her. She leaned back so he returned to his seat.

“It’s not hard to figure out. You wanted everyone to think I was dead. Where did you get the body? Did you switch dental records, maybe even plant some DNA? I wasn’t asleep that long. How did you accomplish all of that in—”

“Dro Tar has been monitoring your entertainment broadcast programming so we knew what your society would require. My abilities made it possible to facilitate the arrangements in a short period of time.”

“You didn’t kill someone to—”

“No!” he objected, clearly appalled. “The woman was indigent and her life force had already left her body.”

“I still don’t care.” She crossed her legs, kicking him in the process. “You had no right to do this to
me
.

I worked hard for my law degree. I had plans for my life. Everything and everyone I care about is back on Earth. I demand that you take me back.”

He leaned forward and his hair coiled, brushing across her calf. Retribution? She shivered.

“It’s not that simple. The interdimensional portal that brought us to Earth is extremely hard to control.

Even if I attempted to return you, the chances of our arriving anywhere near the same period in time would be—”

She shot to her feet. “The portal allows you to travel through time?” Could he take her to before Victor and Stephen had died? Snippets of every time-travel movie she’d ever seen were suddenly flashing through her mind.

He stood as well. “Using the portal to visit the same geographic location is relatively simple. It is the position in time that presents a challenge.” His hand cupped her cheek and she didn’t pull away. Somehow she knew what he would say.

“Temporal adjustments can only be made into the future. No one can change what has already been.”

“And if you’re dissatisfied with what has already been, it’s just too damn bad.” She shook her head, too drained to cry but too angry to let it go. “A drunk driver took my husband and son last New Year’s Eve.

Is this how I get to start every New Year from now on?”

“Charlotte,” he started.

“Don’t! I’m not interested in anything you have to say right now.”

“Joon wouldn’t have stopped. He would have hunted you down until he found you. I couldn’t protect you on Earth. I couldn’t—”

“You did this
for
me?” She laughed, a harsh scathing sound. “You reduced my life to ashes and I’m supposed to thank you?”

“No, Charlotte, I don’t expect your thanks. But I want you to believe that there was no other way.

What we did was done to protect you.” He paused for a long, frustrated breath before he went on. “Joon was in contact with you so I know he imprinted your energy pattern. I had to put you in stasis so your pattern became undetectable.”

“Can he detect me now? Will he continue to hunt me once we reach… Wait a minute. How long was I in stasis?”

“Twelve cycles of—days. And I’m shielding your pattern now so Joon still believes you’re dead.” Leaning against the wall, Charlotte fiddled with her sleeve. “Why didn’t you just shield me from him before? Why all the subterfuge?”

“It’s a long story. Suffice it to say, Joon is back within his fortress. He has elaborate shields that prevent us from detecting his activities but they also limit his ability to detect ours. If he were not within Fortress Joon, I would have left you in stasis until we reached the Conservatory.”

Her anger fizzled, leaving her weak and restless.

So much had happened so quickly, she just wanted to catch her breath.

“I’m truly sorry you were hurt by all of this. I wish there had been some other way.”

He took her hand and pressed something into her palm before he turned and left the room.

Confused by his earnest, almost pained tone, she opened her hand and examined the object. Disk-shaped and slightly larger than a quarter, the pendant was solid, yet translucent. A braided chain ran through the intricate eye at the top of the disk and a subtle etching decorated the outer edge.

Charlotte thought it was a sweet gesture until she held it up to loop the chain over her head. Light passed through the disk and her heart slammed against her ribs. Captured within the disk, in three-dimensional detail, was the exact image of Victor and Stephen in their identical suits. She could see the pride in Victor’s dark eyes and the mischief in Stephen’s expression.

Darting for the door, she remembered too late that she couldn’t open it. How had he known? How had…he’s a Master-level Mage, she thought for the hundredth time. When would she realize what that really meant?

Her hands shook as she put on the pendant, slipping it under her shirt. The disk came to rest over her heart and absorbed her body heat.

Just when she thought she had Tal figured out, he did something unexpected.

“Thank you,” she whispered, hoping he would sense her gratitude.

* * * * *

Dro Tar Nex arrived a short time later to give Charlotte an orientation of the ship.

“Nothing is really too wacky,” the other woman said. “The bathroom works like you would expect a bathroom to work, but the mist that comes out of the showerhead is shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer and deodorant all in one. I can’t believe you guys have put up with so many separate personal hygiene products for so long.”

“You’re serious? The shower mist does it all?” Dro Tar laughed. “No, darlin’, you’ll need a man for some things but the mist will get you ready for one.”

Charlotte scrunched up her face. “That’s not a problem. I’m not interested.”

“Sure you’re not,” Dro Tar said airily. “Now, how about makeup? Do you wear cosmetics?”

“When I’m going somewhere. If I’m just lazing around the house, I don’t see the point.” Charlotte had done an awful lot of homebound activities in the past year. In fact, she preferred avoiding crowds altogether.

“Well, you’re going to love this. Have a seat.” Dro Tar pulled a case out of a compartment in the utility room wall and motioned toward the tiny table in Charlotte’s cabin with her chin.

“What’s in the case?” Dro Tar seemed nice enough but she was still an Ontarian.

“These cosmetics only have to be applied once every lunar cycle. There are parlors in Frontine where they have tints that last a full cycle, but these are pretty cool. Do you trust me?”

Charlotte looked at the assortment of applicators, powders and pastes and shook her head. “No way.”

“Look at me,” Dro Tar objected. “Do I look like a clown?” Dro Tar’s cosmetics were tastefully applied Charlotte had to admit. “Besides, there’s a built-in safety period. If you hate it, scrub it off before it sets.” Dro Tar went to work on Charlotte’s face, talking all the while. “So if we hadn’t rudely interrupted your life, what would you be doing?”

The casual question caught her off guard. She had been doing everything she could not to think about what she had left behind. “I’d been offered a job in a place called Seattle.”

“Home of rain and Starbucks?” Dro Tar supplied without taking her gently swirling hazel gaze off Charlotte’s face.

“That’s the one.”

“You just graduated from university. Does this job have something to do with—”

Charlotte grabbed her wrist and pulled the brush away from the crest of her cheek. “How do you know that? Why does everyone on this ship seem to know so much about me?”

“It was our assignment to find out. Once the Symposium confirmed that you were Joon’s target, we did extensive intel. Don’t you realize how important you are?” Dro Tar nibbled on the handle of the brush for a second, and then said, “You’re the Duchess of York,” she tried. “No. Princess Diana.” Charlotte sadly shook her head. “Bad example, Dro Tar, really bad example.”

* * * * *

Charlotte reached a tentative hand out and touched the iridescent wall. She cleared her throat and said, “Red.” The wall became the brilliant candy-apple color of high-priced sports cars and she laughed. She changed the wall to blue then green, amazed that such a simple discovery could be so amusing.

Dro Tar’s orientation five days before had unlocked many of the ship’s secrets for Charlotte but this was her first opportunity to explore on her own.

She glanced around the lounge to make sure it was empty and then turned the wall into a full-length mirror.

Her brown hair looked sleek and shiny, grazing her shoulders in a smooth bob. Subtle shading accented her bright blue eyes and her lashes appeared thick and long. Her cheeks and lips bore a soft rose hue.

“Makeup’s not such a bother if you only have to do it once a month,” she mumbled as she returned the wall to its iridescent state.

She turned and stopped short, a silly grin frozen on her face. Trey Aune stood barely a step away. She had seen him several times in the past few days but they had never spoken directly. The entire crew seemed to be giving her time to adjust.

“Hello.” She forced the word past her tight, dry throat.

He smiled and inclined his head, drawing her attention to his great height and bizarre hair. Al Varellien was nearer to seven feet tall, but Trey’s muscular build made him more daunting. He laughed often and his crew seemed anything but intimidated by him. Still Charlotte felt fear tighten within her, compressing her chest.

Disconcerted by his gently swirling amber eyes, Charlotte looked instead at his hair. Combining countless strands of individual colors—red, gold, copper and even orange—his hair flowed to his shoulders in gleaming waves.

“I find your language confusing,” he said.

His voice accurately represented his appearance—

deep, commanding, masculine. She swallowed. “I’m sorry,” she said, not knowing how else to respond.

He smiled again and his eyes brightened, flashing gold like a cat’s. “I say this only to warn you that I may sound ass-ish.”

Charlotte laughed. His disclaimer was just a bit too eloquent. “I will forgive your ass-ishness and do my best to clear up any confusion.”

He motioned toward a messy cluster of chairs.

“Shall we?”

They sat and she crossed her legs. As the tension within her relaxed, she saw the family resemblance in Trey Aune’s features. “Who’s older?”

“I thought Earth women were sensitive about their age, but I will reveal mine if you reveal yours.”

“I was referring to you and Tal. Are you older than your brother?”

“Older, wiser and better-looking,” he boasted playfully.

Charlotte smiled, allowing his charm to soothe her.

The last week had been part fantasy vacation and part nightmare. She mourned her own death, even as she rose from the ashes like a phoenix. The pain of her past had never seemed so far away and yet her future had never been more uncertain.

“Your ship is amazing. I’m anxious to see what wonders await me on Ontariese.”

He said nothing for a moment while his amber eyes assessed her face. “Ontariese is very different from Earth. There are some things you may find upsetting.”

The tension within her returned. “Such as?” Again he hesitated. “Have you given yourself to my brother?”

Shrinking back into the chair, Charlotte felt her skin burn. “That’s none of your business.”

“On Ontariese, there are nearly a hundred men for every woman. To make matters worse, more of the women belong to the Reformation Sect. Within the Traditionalist Sect, there are closer to two hundred men for every woman.”

She stood and moved behind the chair, feeling somehow protected by the obstacle. “What does this have to do with my relationship with Tal?”

“If you have not chosen Tal, then you will need to choose a companion quickly once we reach Ontariese.

It is unwise, even dangerous, for a female to be unclaimed.”

“Unclaimed? That sounds rather barbaric.” He used his charismatic smile to take the sting from his words. “The claiming can be barbaric or it can be slow and tender. Which do you prefer?”

“I prefer…” She couldn’t think of a glib response so she returned to his earlier comments. “Why are there so few females on Ontariese?”

“What has my brother told you about the House of Joon?”

The door to the lounge slid open and Tal strode into the lounge. His gaze moved from Charlotte’s face to his brother and back. What must he think of this cozy scene? And why should she care what he thought?

“Am I interrupting?” he asked stiffly.

“Yes, please leave,” Trey responded without pause.

Charlotte coughed to hide her laugh. Trey had an ornery streak, no doubt about it. “No,” she countered,

“please join us. Your brother was trying to explain why I should ‘claim’ a man as soon as possible.” Tal crossed the room and Charlotte couldn’t take her eyes off him. She loved the inherent grace in his movements. The long coil of his hair swayed and his clothing fanned out behind him. She had purposely avoided him for the past five days, using every excuse imaginable to keep them apart.

He made her feel things she didn’t want to, had never felt before, not even with her husband. With Victor, life had been orderly and comfortable. Tal made her want things she didn’t understand. Even after everything he’d done, he attracted her, fascinated her.