Cold Mark (37 page)

The white-haired woman raised her head. "I know who you are."

My mouth bobbed as recognition hit. "Mother Joyal, you're
her
."

Human eyes stared back at me, and her brow crinkled. "You remember me?"

"Yes, you were sitting next to me when the President was calling names. You were sent to the Kireg." Though her hair had been blonde before, and now it wasn't. "Geo is looking for you, Madeline."

Her lips thinned, and she whispered, "I need your help. That's why I'm here."

I set the trash bags in the waste disposal she was—apparently—pretending to push. "What do you need?"

"A hov-craft. I saw you exit one the other night."

"Are you planning to go back to Joyal?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to Egyac. I can't live this way any longer. No more hiding."

"That would be your best choice," I agreed. I held up a finger. "You need to see something first."

I raced inside my apartment and grabbed the folder I had stuff in a locked drawer.

Her eyes widened so large, I feared they might pop out as she read the sheets. "Mother Joyal."

"I know."

She slammed the folder back into my hands. "Fucking pieces of shit!"

"Yes, that's accurate too." I tossed the folder inside my apartment and locked the door behind me. "Let's find you a hov-craft before the Plumas return and want to keep you for ransom or some other ridiculous idea they may have."

Her chest heaved, and her hands started to shake. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Her feet still didn't move. "I can do this."

"Yes, you can."

"They aren't that scary." Madeline repeated, "I can do this."

Her ego needed a boost. "If I can play with the Mian, you can handle the Kireg."

"You have ten marks on your wrists. I don't have that many."

"It doesn't matter how many marks you have to the Kireg." I tapped her left temple. "It matters what you have up here and how well you protect it."

She licked her lips ... and put one foot in front of the other. "I
can
do this."

"You can." Standing behind her, I placed my hands on her shoulders to keep her moving forward. "And if any Kireg asks where you got the hov-craft, tell them you stole it."

Security patrolled the land site in Center. It helped I had been here before, but I watched with awe as Madeline snapped the security box back into place, and the back door opened. "That was slick."

She shrugged her dainty shoulders and put her small shining tools into her pocket. She gripped the travel suit over her shoulder, keeping it in place. Where she had stolen it from, I wasn't going to ask. "On Joyal, I was an operator-in-training. Systems like these are simple." We slipped inside, keeping our backs to the wall as we moved forward. She let me lead the way and whispered, "It's the hov-craft I need help with. I've never dealt with them before, so I can't access them."

I peeked around a corner, keeping my voice down. "I'm in the system now. My handprint will work." I yanked her sleeve, pulling her behind me, and exited a door directly on the land site.

"I know. I saw those two Mian showing you how to do it."

My lips twitched as we raced across the black ground. "How long have you been watching this place?"

"Too long," she muttered, brushing her white hair from her forehead. "I was to the point of cutting off someone's hand for access when I noticed you." Her gaze ran over my face as I stopped us behind a smaller hov-craft—not big enough for space journey. "How are you doing with the Mian?"

"Better than you are with the Kireg," I answered honestly. I smiled to lighten my words. "It just takes time." I winked. "And cunning."

She snorted but kept her mouth shut. We ducked under the hov-craft when a security patrol flew overhead on a hov-bike, shining their red and yellow lights down on the site through the dark. She pointed to another transport a hundred yards away ... with nothing between to hide our path.

"We'll have to run," I breathed quietly. "Do you know what to do once you're inside?"

"I'll figure it out."

I frowned. "I'll try to help as much as I can."

Surprising me, she quickly hugged me. "Thank you. For everything."

"You're welcome. Just stay safe." I tapped her temple once more. "And remember what I said."

We watched as a different hov-bike flew by. Taking a deep breath, we shoved out from under the hov-craft and ran as fast as we could, the dark night keeping watch over us. An additional set of guards were on their way, their lights roaming the ground. It wouldn't be long before they spotted us.

We skidded to a halt next to the hov-craft. Heaving in air, I slammed my hand against on the access board. It lit up briefly, just another identifier for the guards, but there was nothing I could do about that. The door slid open, and I shoved her inside, bright light spotlighting us as we entered.

The alarm
screeched
on the land site.

Hov-bikes whined far too close.

"Get your suit on now!" I ordered, opening the control panel. "What are the coordinates?"

She rattled them off, her voice shaking as she hurried to get dressed for travel.

I typed them in, pointed at a red button. "Hit that when you're ready." The hov-bikes were landing nearby, the rattle of rocks flying outside the door indicating their arrival. "I'll be the bait. But don't take too long."

She nodded, her big eyes giving me a silent 'thank you'.

I jumped out the door and placed my palm on the access board, closing the door.

Mian were leaping from their hov-bikes, so I did the only action I could.

I raced to the left of the hov-craft, leading the guards away.

It shot straight into the air just as I was shoved to the ground.

"What the hell, Braita?" Phila hollered, yanking me from the Mian security station. The night breeze was cool against my skin. It had been hot in there. And it stank like body odor. "Every time we turn around, you're stealing personal property and lying in jail cells."

I crinkled my nose. "Sorry?"

Killeg crossed his arms, stopping us from entering the hov-vehicle. "The hov-craft's tracked. It shows it's on its way to Egyac." Blue harsh eyes held mine. "Who was on it?"

This wasn't going to be fun if my Vaq's reaction had meant anything. "It was a Human. She needed my help." I paused and redirected. "Speaking of Humans. Don't you think you should free the slaves here since they are part Mian?" Or a little of all three races.

"We've already been discussing that with the litigators. It's on the fast track to being approved," Killeg growled. He dipped, placing his forehead against mine. "Quit stalling and tell us who was on that damned hov-craft?"

I placed my hands behind my back and went with an innocent expression. "Her name is Madeline. She was sent to the Kireg, and somehow, she ended up here." I cleared my throat. "The night Rule died, a Kireg ship landed. A man was looking for her. His name was Georan."

"Holy fucking shit," Phila shouted, just as Killeg jerked upright and hissed, "How does she keep getting herself into these messes?"

I pointed a finger in the air. "Madeline was going back to Egyac to face what she left there. I also told her to tell the Kireg she had stolen the hov-craft—which wasn't a complete lie—so that no one would think a Mian assisted her in her run from them. I don't believe there will be a backlash. I think you're safe." I shrugged a shoulder. "And Geo wasn't all that bad."

"Wasn't all that bad?" Killeg scoffed. He grabbed my elbow and pulled me into the hov-vehicle. "You really need to work on your presumptions of a person if you believe Georan wasn't
all that bad
."

Phila slipped inside and shut the door behind him. "I just hope to fuck she's right. We've got enough issues with the Humans to deal with right now. We don't have time to have that sneaky bastard running around Triaz."

"I am right. And I trust Madeline. She won't put the blame on anyone else." I could tell she wasn't that sort of women. "She's going to take care of her business." Whatever it was.

The hov-vehicle rushed into the air and shot forward.

I didn't even need to look at the driver. "Stiller, try not to kill us, please."

"Braita, try not to get arrested, please."

Smartass.

"Stiller, get out of here," Phila stated. His words were so soft a shiver ran down my spine.

I straightened my back, preparing to get yelled at again for tonight's events.

Stiller took one glance at the Plumas and murmured, "I'll take Jax out for a while. There will be no one around to listen in." He exited my apartment, shutting the door behind him silently.

Killeg locked it.

I gulped and gripped the cushion of the couch I was sitting on. "I already explained the Kireg won't be an issue. Madeline won't blame her escape on the Mian."

Phila shook his head and strolled to stand in front of me.

Killeg followed him.

Only the hov-coffee table was separating us, their stunning gazes piercing right into mine.

"We're past that, Braita." Phila crossed his arms. "It's time for you to fess up."

Oh ... shit. I held an instant hand to my forehead. "Actually, I might be coming down with a fever. That cell was full of germs. Maybe I should go lie down."

Phila chuckled when I started to rise. "Sit your ass back down."

My lips thinned, but I did as he said. I sighed heavily. "Before we get into this, I want to ask a serious question."

They waited. Silent.

My fingers tapped on my legs, but I lifted my gaze to them. "This is a true worry of mine. If we are together, what happens when you meet your Soul?" My dark brows furrowed. "Will you just toss me to the side?"
And break my heart.

I didn't understand Killeg's resulting smile. It was small. Private. "You are a perfect example of what we will do."

My fingers kept tapping. "Explain."

"Do you love your Vaq?"

"Um ... "

Again, the silence.

"I do care for them." But it wasn't love. Not in
that
way. "I don't want them hurt or anything."

"Are they more like friends to you? Or more like lovers?"

That was easy. "Definitely friends. I don't think of them in that way. But there is a bond there."

"So, close friends?"

"Yes." I hummed. "But not as close as Jax and me. It's just different."

"That's the point. A Vaq pair isn't always in love with their Soul. And the same holds true for a Soul to her Vaq," Killeg explained, his tone quiet. "Yes, they are always bonded, but they don't have to be together romantically."

"You still didn't answer my question." Not really.

Phila crossed his arms, a pillar of strength. "We won't toss you to the side, Braita. You are who we want." His lips curved up. "Even with all the trouble you get into you."

"And why do you think we created the Solo in the first place?" Killeg asked. But he answered for me. "It's so Mian have a choice. Pain shouldn't be a deciding factor if couples are together. We may be savages, but we do have hearts."

A warmth settled inside my chest. I couldn't speak for a moment, but when I did, I whispered, "I can't live in Vlymun. Not with my Vaq living in Belvar. It would make them weak, and they wouldn't even understand why."