Dark Horse (36 page)

Authors: Michelle Diener

“Did you know Rose has a light-gun?”

Dav staggered to a stop. “What?”

“Shh.” Hokeʼs eyes were quite alive with mischief. “Keep it down. I take it from that you didnʼt know. She knocked out one of my men with it. Nearly took me out, too, when I made a move she thought was threatening.”

“What?” Dav kept his voice a tight whisper this time.

“He deserved it. He shot her in the arm. It was a clear case of self-defense, but Iʼm going to find it hard to explain his injury without giving her away.”

But Hoke didnʼt seem all that upset or inconvenienced by it. She was head of Battle Center now, after all.

“Where the hell did she get a light-gun? Theyʼre banned.”

“Where do you think?” Hoke smiled.

“Sazo.” Dav moved in the direction of his hovercar.

“She really is quite extraordinary.” Hoke had stopped and he turned to face her.

Rose had changed the leadership of Battle Center. She would challenge the very fabric of their society. And sheʼd only been in their lives a week.

He laughed. “Admiral, Iʼve been meaning to compliment you for some time on your capacity for understatement.”

W
hen Rose finally returned
, Dav had a fire blazing in the fireplace and dinner cooking slowly on the stovetop.

He heard the thrusters and opened the door, watching the explorer land at the edge of the forest.

He met her halfway.

She slowed as he approached, almost shy, and came to a stop, her breath misting between them in the cold air.

He lifted a brow, held out his arms, and she sighed, taking that last step to bring herself up against him.

Her arms tightened hard around his waist, and he gripped the back of her shirt with his hands, pulling her even closer.

“So tell me,” he had to keep things light, or he would go far too deep. “What was that song you sung in the drone?”

“Oh.” She tipped back her head. “That was
Dream a Little Dream of Me
, the Mamas and the Papas version.”

He brushed a kiss along her forehead. “What was it about?”

“Someone asking their lover to dream about them, when they are far apart.”

“It was beautiful.”

She sighed. “Thank you. To be honest, I sang that one because I know I sing it well. It was pride talking.”

There was more acceptance in her tone than heʼd heard before. And heʼd seen the lens feed of her song in the launch bay before Valu had grabbed her.

She had come to some kind of peace with their love of her voice.

She would change them, he knew, because she didnʼt see music the same way as they did. She saw it as an infinite well of inspiration and joy, not a limited resource, to be carefully rationed. She would slowly bring them round to her view, because they were so hungry for her songs.

She sniffed the air. “Is that dinner I smell?”

“Yes.” He refused to let go of her, so he pulled her close under his arm and walked slowly with her back to his cottage.

She stopped when they reached the top of the stairs, turned her head to look up at the night sky.

“Theyʼre somewhere out there. My family and my friends. Wondering where I am.”

“Sazo could take you back. If you really wanted him to.” He forced himself to say it.

She shook her head. “Iʼm not going back.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Iʼm just sorry I canʼt tell them Iʼm happy and safe.”

“Are you happy?” He pulled away from her a little, so he could see her face.

She gave one of her sweet, devastating smiles, raised her hand and cupped his cheek. “I am.”

“Thatʼs good.” His voice dipped an octave, and he lifted her up against him, and then gave an exaggerated grunt as if he could barely hold her.

She laughed, soft and low. “You're happy I'm happy?” She was looking down at him, her arms looped around his neck.

“I am. I knew you missed Earth, but I hoped . . .”

“You were waiting for me to tell you I wanted to stay?” She bent her head, brushed a kiss along the tip of his ear.

He shivered and let her slide down his body until her feet touched the ground. “For some time now.”

He pulled her over the threshold into his warm house. “You Earthlings are slow,” he closed the door, and then pressed her up against it, leaning in until his lips were just above hers and gave a slow, satisfied smile, “as well as heavy.”

Acknowledgments

A
huge thank
you to Edie for helping to knock this manuscript into shape, and to Jo, who always helps make my stories the best they can be. To Kim, thank you for putting your finger on what needed to be expanded, the book is so much better for it. And a very grateful thank you to EJR Digital Art for the amazing cover.

About the Author

M
ichelle Diener writes historical fiction
, fantasy and science fiction. From the Tudor court, to the streets of Regency London, and into magical landscapes, she's never happier than when she's building worlds and crafting suspenseful plots and unforgettable characters.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

You can contact Michelle through her website or sign up to receive notification when she has a new book out at
www.michellediener.com
.