Rayne Auster - Circles of Life and Death,
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Circles of Life and Death |
Rayne Auster
2
“N
O
,
don’t blow, damn you. I told you to suck.”
A dull thud followed the breathy exclamation, heavy
panting clearly audible in the air. The sound slipped through
the slight opening of the not–quite-closed-silver electronic
door; Kyle completely unaware that he now had an audience.
“When…”
pant
“will you…”
pant pant
“learn to…”
grunt
“do what I tell you to?” Sweat poured down Kyle’s brow,
frustration causing him to clench his fist as he resisted the
urge to use brute force to get what he wanted. This was not
how he pictured this encounter playing out and he’d be
damned if he let his mechanic get the better of him. “This
is…”
groan
“not…”
pant pant
“how we do things round here!”
Kyle growled, silently cursing said mechanic. “Mother fu―” A
string of curses escaped his lips, the electronic slide of the
door registering only in the back of his mind.
“Kyle.” Sadie’s soft voice broke into his string of curses,
interrupting the rest of the rather unsavory sentence. Sadie
was Kyle’s navigator and second in command. “This…” Kyle
turned, aware of the reprimand in her tone, “is Makiel. The
emissary we are required to transport to Earth.”
Releasing a final growl of frustration, Kyle dropped the
spanner he was holding. Reaching for a greasy cloth, Kyle
moved to stand, the movement abrupt and careless. His
head connected with the rounded steel of the cylinder
containing the cooling fan he was currently working on.
Circles of Life and Death |
Rayne Auster
3
Sharp pain flared behind his eyes, and another string of
curses danced upon the tip of his tongue. He opened his
mouth to let the string loose only to have the curses die at
the look he received from Sadie.
Closing his mouth with a click, Kyle approached Sadie
and their new cargo with care. Okay, so maybe referring to
the young man standing before him as cargo was a little
harsh, but Kyle didn’t care. He was doing this under duress
and would refer to his unwanted guest in any way he
pleased. At least in his own mind. Kyle transported cargo,
not passengers, and just because he happened to have a free
spot on his ship due to a flighty mechanic abandoning him
without so much as a by your leave did not mean that this
was some kind of diplomatic vessel designed to pamper those
who thought they were his betters.
Kyle had no interest in politics. He wasn’t ignorant. He
was aware of the negotiations currently taking place between
the Siminrhod and Earth but didn’t want to be involved. If
experience had taught him anything, it was that politics
often lead to disaster. It was a complication he didn’t really
need in his life. Unfortunately, the order to take on the
Siminrhod diplomat came directly from the military.
Apparently, it was important that no one know this
particular diplomat was aboard his ship. Kyle didn’t really
care for the hows or whys. The long and short of it was, if
this diplomat wished to travel with them, he would have to
make do with who and what they were. There would be no
pampering on his ship. Period.
Kyle ran his gaze over the young man’s slim form,
noting the slight figure, the silvery skin that seemed to shine
Circles of Life and Death |
Rayne Auster
4
in the artificial light, the violet eyes, and the long emerald
hair. It was eerie how much he resembled a human if one
ignored the strange coloring and the pointed ears. Even more
disconcerting was the fact that his body instantly reacted to
the slim man’s presence.
Fighting to ignore his reaction, Kyle roughly wiped his
hands clean, the grease on the cloth not really helping clean
the grease off of his hands. Dropping the greasy rag, he
reached out and took Makiel’s offered hand. The moment
their skin touched, a surge of electricity coursed through
him, the sensation a mixture of both pleasure and pain.
Time seemed to still for but a moment, the shock in Makiel’s
eyes imprinting itself upon Kyle’s memory, the soft hiss that
escaped the young man’s lips echoing in his mind as the
young man collapsed before him.
Kyle lunged forward, guilt coursing through him. Sadie
sent him a disgusted glance, the heated accusation in her
stare gutting Kyle. His own anger flared once more, drowning
the niggling sense in the back of his mind that he’d somehow
managed to hurt Makiel without meaning to.
“You all right?” Sadie asked Makiel, the subtle
accusation against Kyle slipping pointedly into her tone.
Kyle raised his arms defensively. “I didn’t do anything,”
he protested bitterly. “All I did was shake his hand, and the
next thing I know, he’s collapsing. Don’t blame me. He’s the
one that offered me his hand in the first place.” Kyle crossed
his arms across his chest, returning Sadie’s glare. “I didn’t
hurt him,” he added, growling at the continued silent
accusation in her eyes, betrayal coursing through him at the
Circles of Life and Death |
Rayne Auster
5
thought that Sadie did not trust him.
He tore his gaze away from Sadie when Makiel spoke,
panting softly. “I’m all right.” Makiel stood, gently pushing
Sadie’s hands off of him. “He didn’t hurt me. I… uh… I’m
just tired.”
Kyle swallowed the growl in his throat, fighting the
emotions clamoring for his attention. Makiel seemed to be
rejecting him, avoiding his gaze in favor of smiling wanly at
Sadie. Kyle wanted nothing more than to tear Makiel’s
attention away from Sadie, a mixture of protective instincts
and jealousy threatening his very sanity.
Before he could act, though, Makiel was leaving, Sadie
in tow. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into the palms
of his hands, Sadie’s parting reprimand echoing in his ears.
“If you want it to suck, you might want to turn the fan
around, Captain.”
“
I’
M
telling you, he’s avoiding me,” Kyle growled, pacing back
and forth, empty coffee cup in hand. Sadie had cornered him
in his office to discuss Makiel. He’d been expecting this
conversation for a while now and was kind of relieved he
could finally vent. Sadie was his closest friend, and he badly
needed a sounding board. Makiel’s very presence had him off
balance, and he didn’t know what to do about it. “You can’t
keep telling me I’m imagining things, Sadie. Every time I
walk into a room, he turns around and leaves. There can
only be so many coincidences. I’ve even apologized for
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]