Interstellar Service and Discipline 02 Fortune's Star Page 8

  Leto stepped in front of Luxi and Amun. Framed in a pool of light cast by the decorative lampposts, his suit shimmered with midnight rainbows and his hair gleamed with frost. “Vincent, I presume?”

  Vincent’s brows lowered. “You presume correctly. I’m here for girl.”

  Amun moved in front of Luxi and his narrowed his eyes at Vincent. “I’m afraid she’s spoken for.”

  “In that, you are quite correct.” Vincent’s smile thinned. “I am Avatar Vincent of the Paladin Order, and I will thank you to release my legal property.”

  Property? Luxi’s stared at Vincent’s towering and shadowed form in abject horror. “That’s impossible!”

  Amun bared his teeth in a parody of a smile. “With all due respect, Avatar, Gentle-fem Emory is my employee.”

  “And I assure you, I have prior claim.” Vincent’s smiled frosted. “Come, Gentle-fem Emory; it’s time to go home.”

  Luxi backed a step away. “What do you think I am -- stupid?”

  Vincent’s smile disappeared completely. “Don’t make me come get you.”

  Two blades appeared in Leto’s hands from nowhere. “You’ll have to go through me first.” He smiled.

  Luxi sucked in a sharp breath. Leto was impressively fast. They were going to defend her -- against Vincent? No one had ever defended her from anything. It was better business to abandon the problem and not take sides.

  Amun narrowed his eyes at Vincent. “There’s something odd going on in Vincent’s head. It’s as though he is literally of two minds. He seems to be listening to someone else speaking, but I cannot make out what is being said.”

  Luxi glanced at Amun. “He does have two minds, if you count the ghost as one of them.”

  Amun frowned at Luxi. “Then according to what I am overhearing, it’s the ghost that actually wants you.”

  “The ghost wants me?” Luxi shook her head. That didn’t make any sense. “What for?”

  Amun snorted. “Nothing good, I would suppose.”

  Vincent glared at Leto, then his gaze turned calculating. “You have a ghost. No, you are a ghost -- housed in a robot.”

  “I started out as a cyborg, actually.” Leto’s smile gleamed in the shadows. “My body isn’t biological anymore, but I actually belong here. You, on the other hand, are a living man possessed by a very dead spirit that isn’t yours. It doesn’t belong in you at all.”

  Vincent’s mouth tightened. “You have no place in this world. You should return to the dead.”

  Leto snorted. “I can’t return to where I’ve never been -- unlike your other half.”

  Vincent’s gaze chilled. “You feed on the living. You have to, to remain in that body.”

  “And your ghost doesn’t?” Leto raised a dark silver brow. “Or does your ghost feed on you?”

  Vincent’s face flushed with rage, but his voice was quiet. “I will take great pleasure in destroying you.”

  “Temper, temper ... So, you are feeding your ghost.” Leto grinned. “And better monks than you have tried.”

  Vincent held out his hand. “Come, Luxi. You have caused me enough trouble already.”

  “No.” Luxi backed away another step. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “The way I see it, Avatar ...” Amun’s mouth tightened. “You seem to be the cause of all the trouble.”

  Vincent glared at Amun. “You know nothing.” He focused on Luxi. “Come here. Do not incur more punishment than you have already earned.”

  “Punishment?” White hot fury surged up Luxi’s spine. “Now wait just a damned minute! Punishment for what?”

  Vincent’s eyes gleamed in the half-light. “For deserting your lawful master.”

  “Screw you!” Luxi was so angry she shook with it. “You are not my master in any way, shape, or form!”

  Amun’s brows shot up. He glanced at Luxi and a small smile appeared.

  “Oh, but I am.” Vincent’s jaw tightened and took a step closer.

  “That is close enough, monk.” Leto pointed a serrated blade at Vincent’s heart and flipped the other blade expertly in his hand. “But we can argue the point if you like.”

  Amun frowned. “He’s lying, but he’s not lying.”

  “What?” Luxi gaped at Amun in shock. “How did you ...?”

  “Professional-grade telepath, remember?” Amun snorted. “Vincent is projecting loud and fairly clear.”

  Luxi winced. “Oh ...”

  Vincent’s black eyes focused on Leto. “Station security will have something to say about this.”

  “You think so?” Leto tilted his head to one side. “Ever hear the phrase ‘rank has its privileges’?”

  Vincent leaned back just a hair. “What?”

  Leto bared his teeth in something that wasn’t even close to a smile, and his voice was very soft. “Master forgot to wear his jewelry.”

  “Avatar.” Amun’s eyes narrowed. “What claim do you have on Luxi?”

  Vincent frowned. “That is not your concern.”

  Amun sighed. “Ah. He’s filed an indenture claim.”

  “I’m indentured?” Luxi’s felt her heart stutter in her chest. She was the legal slave of this monster? How, by glory, had that happened?

  “Not yet, but he has filed for it.” Amun caught Luxi’s shoulder and whispered. “Is your data card secure?”

  Luxi touched her breast pocket. “Yes.”

  “Good.” Amun smiled tightly. “You’re safe as long as you don’t give him your verbal agreement or your card.”

  Luxi frowned. “He can’t access anything on the card.”

  “He can access your identity, and that’s all he needs to complete enough of the process for a legal collection.” Amun frowned at Vincent. “Once you’re in his hands, it’s a simple matter of getting a DNA sample from you, and his ownership is secured.”

  Luxi shuddered in icy fear. Vincent was a lot bigger than she was. Getting a verbal agreement out of her wouldn’t take much force, and a single hair would carry her DNA. The only thing that really stood between her and that monster was her tiny data card.

  Amun smiled at her. “Don’t be afraid. I will take care of everything.” He caught her gaze. “Kiss me.”

  Lust, heat, fire, and sincere affection rolled over Luxi’s mind, emptying her thoughts of everything but an overwhelming hunger to taste him, to feel him ... She pressed up against his body and kissed him with a soft moan of urgency.

  Amun pulled back, releasing her mouth with a tight smile.

  Luxi’s mind returned in a cool rush. She jerked back. “You rolled me!”

  “Just a little, to relax you.” Amun said softly. “I promise, I will keep you safe. Do you believe me?”

  Luxi frowned, puzzled. Somehow, she did believe him, and she did feel calmer, but ... She sighed and nodded.

  Amun smiled. “Good.”

  Luxi’s talent moved in the depths of her mind. The lines of chance and potential faded into one strong line that led into the future. Her final decision had occurred, and she had somehow taken it. She was on the path to her alternate future. And she had no idea what had triggered it.

  She scanned the lines of her past. Somewhere she had made a decision, done something or said something that had allowed it to happen. But for the life of her, she couldn’t spot it.

  Two station security guards stepped out of the lift. Their dark doublets gleamed with silver shields emblazoned with Sojourn Corp. over their breast pockets, and swords graced their hips. One of them nodded. “You requested security, Master Verity?”

  Vincent glared at the guards, then turned his glare on Leto.

  Leto smiled and tapped his temple with a finger. “Told you.”

  Amun smiled and nodded. “I did. There seems to be a problem with my employee, Gentle-fem Emory.”

  Luxi’s mouth popped open. Amun called security -- for her?

  Amun’s fingers tightened on her arm. “Would you be so kind as to put Gentle-fem Emory under protective custody
until a certain legal dispute has been ...” He leveled a glare at Vincent. “... settled?”

  Protective custody? Luxi rocked on her heels.

  “Of course, Master Verity.” The guard nodded at Amun, then turned to Luxi. “Gentle-fem Emory, this way please?”

  Amun pushed Luxi gently toward the guards. “I will see you within the hour.”

  Luxi took a hesitant step toward the guards and turned back to look at Amun. “But ...”

  Amun leveled a stern look her way. “Go. They will keep you safe.”

  Vincent’s brows lowered over his shadowed eyes as he glared at Amun. “This will gain you nothing.”

  “Leto, I need to go to my suite.” Amun pulled his gloves from his pocket and slid them on, ignoring Vincent. “Immediately.”

  Luxi folded her arms across her chest as she was escorted by the two sword-wearing guards back across the concourse balcony to the lift she had just left. She turned toward the door to see Amun and Leto disappearing toward the opposite side of the balcony. Her bag trailed behind in Leto’s grasp. She winced. Damn it, she didn’t even have her hairbrush.

  Vincent was a still and menacing shape that stared after her. Under the strong light of the lamp post, Vincent cast two shadows on the concourse deck. One of them was the dark bulk of Vincent’s body, but the other was smaller, and a completely different shape.

  Vincent’s ghost was solid enough to cast a shadow.

  Luxi shivered hard as the lift doors closed.

  Chapter Ten

  Two levels up, Luxi followed the guards out of the lift and onto a walkway that crossed one of the shuttle-ways tunneling throughout the station. Plain steel walls painted with a broad green band arched over her head. Several small four-passenger shuttles zipped up and down the roadway below.

  She shoved her hands into her hip pockets and followed one guard along the walkway with the other right behind her. Great, this is just great. Once again, Vincent had to step in and ruin everything. She crossed her arms and gripped her elbows as she walked. She still couldn’t believe that Amun and Leto were so willing to defend her. They hadn’t even asked; they just ... did it. She shook her head. She’d never seen anything like it. In business, you cut your losses, you didn’t defend them. Not unless they were valuable.

  She sighed. I’m just a receptionist, not a whole lot of value here.

  Luxi was led around a corner and through a doorway into a small and somewhat empty steel-walled parking garage. A blocky armored security shuttle painted in Sojourn Corp.’s distinctive black and gold was parked at the bottom of the small staircase.

  One of the guards opened the back passenger-side door and assisted Luxi into the back seat. The door was closed and clicked as it locked.

  Luxi didn’t quite conceal her flinch.

  The guards climbed into the front seats without saying a single word. The hover engines whined as they powered up. In a matter of moments, the shuttle lifted on a low cushion of anti-grav and backed out of the parking space, then pulled out into the tunnels, diving into the light traffic.

  Vincent ... What in glory was she going to do about him? Luxi stared out the shuttle’s window at the endless steel walls and tried to think. Vincent had filed for indenture, but how? She had thought that only someone legally wronged could sue for indenture. It was how businesses recovered their losses from crimes committed by employees. High debt could also result in indenture, but again, it was a monetary loss issue. She knew for a fact that all her debts had been cleared; Gentle-fem Symposia had made very sure of that.

  Luxi shook her head. The only other way to be indentured was to volunteer your services. There was no way she’d ever agree to that, or turn over her data card. She lifted a hand to her breast pocket. The seal was open.

  Ice water slid down Luxi’s spine. She shoved her fingers into her pocket. The card was gone. That card had everything: her money, her flight plan, her identity ... Panicked, she checked every pocket in her suit. Gone.

  Had she left it at the counter when she’d bought her kaffa? No, she remembered picking it up. The garden; it had to be in the formal garden. Her pocket must have opened when Leto pulled her suit off to ... fuck.

  She eyed the passing hallways, her hands locked together in her lap to hold back the trembling. Getting back to the garden wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. At this point, her only hope was that the cleaning crew would find it and notify her when it was found.

  Technically, the data card was perfectly safe. The DNA encryption would not allow anyone to access anything more than a view of her identity. Her tickets and her money were inaccessible to anyone but her.

  But if Vincent found a way to get his hands on her card, her identity info would be enough to get her into his custody, and then he would own her -- body and soul.

  She shivered slightly. Amun had said that it was the ghost that really wanted her. But that didn’t make any sense at all. What would a ghost want with her?

  The shuttle took a sharp left turn, ramped up into a tunnel, then drove through a security grid without bothering to slow down. They ramped up again onto a two-lane roadway marked by broad silver bands.

  Luxi frowned. The Silver district was the military level. There was absolutely no way for her to leave it; she didn’t have the clearance. But then, Vincent shouldn’t have the clearance to enter it, either. She hoped.

  They drove through another security grid and gold bands replaced the silver bands on the walls.

  Luxi’s brows shot up. They put people in custody in the Gold district, the high security zone? She smiled sourly. It made sense. Gold district was harder to get into or out of than Silver. It was highly doubtful that Vincent had the clearance to get near the Gold district.

  The shuttle took an off-ramp that led into a small parking lot and parked. The doors opened.

  Luxi climbed out of the car, then checked the seat, just in case her card had fallen out in the shuttle. It hadn’t.

  One of the guards took her elbow to guide her. “This way, Gentle-fem Emory.”

  Luxi nodded and followed the guards, clenching her hands together to hold back her panic. A short walk across the parking garage led to a security door. The door opened onto a broad, richly carpeted hall painted with gold bands. Five paces into the hall, a wide doorway held a buzzing energy grid.

  Luxi swallowed hard. That grid could char a living being to dust in seconds.

  The guards flanked her, took her by the elbows, and marched her toward the deadly grid without pause. “Stay close to us, Gentle-fem Emory.” Between one step and the next, the grid shut down, reactivating at their heels.

  One of the guards smiled. “See, that wasn’t so bad.” She was released. “We’re almost there.”

  Luxi sucked in a breath to get a grip on her leaping pulse. “You keep prisoners in Gold district?”

  The guard grinned. “You’re not under arrest, Gentle-fem Emory, just in protective custody. You’ll be staying in a suite.”

  Luxi nearly tripped. A Gold district suite? Were they joking?

  One of the guards stopped at an ornately decorated, perfectly round, shielded door. He pressed his palm to the lighted box on the right and the door rolled away to reveal a second shielded door that rolled the other way.

  The hallway was arched and softly lit by decorative frosted glass sconces along the ceiling. Golden light spilled down wine-colored walls onto small, carved wooden tables holding tasteful flower arrangements and art objects. The carpet was a deep, smoke gray.

  The guards stopped at a narrow door. “Here you are.” The guard pressed the panel and it opened. “We’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

  “Thank you.” Luxi walked in and stopped dead.

  The room was expensively decorated in gold-veined marble and cream silks. The walls were a rich, warm cream and deep gold carpeting covered the floors. Centered on the back wall, right in front of her, was a massive bed draped in cream silk and mounded with gold tasseled pillows. Gold velv
et curtains cascaded from the ceiling to the floor around the bed. On the far left, a huge mirrored armoire took up most of the wall by the open door to the facility. On the far right, a marble-topped dresser with a massive oval mirror took up a large portion of that wall, with a closed door just beyond it.

  This was protective custody?

  Out of sheer curiosity, she went to the left and into the facility. It not only had a frosted-glass-enclosed water shower -- it had a gold-flecked bathtub large enough to hold four. Thick towels and decanters of soap were laid out on the long counter next to a brush-and-comb set. A hook by the door showed a fluffy bathrobe in cream velvet and gold satin.

  Luxi started pulling off her suit. She wanted to take advantage of that water shower before someone realized that she wasn’t supposed to be here and made her leave.

  Finally naked, Luxi tossed her clothes on the counter and selected a decanter of liquid soap scented with rich vanilla from the row of colorful squeeze bottles on the counter by the towels. Cautiously, she stepped into the roomy shower stall and turned on the water. Four strong jets sprayed decadent amounts of deliciously hot water, soothing sore muscles before spilling down her body in soul-warming sheets. Her blissful groans echoed in the room as steam curled up around her. And she didn’t care.

  Luxi slathered herself in soap and took great delight in scrubbing every inch of her body and her hair twice. With great reluctance, she finally turned off the water.

  “You know, there’s another whole bottle of that vanilla soap if you want to continue.”

  Luxi released a short scream and her feet slid on the slick tiles. She grabbed onto the handrail that circled the shower and whirled around.

  Leto leaned against the frame of the shower’s open door, grinning. His arms were folded across his marble-pale bare chest. He wore little more than knee-high dress boots and sleek velvet tights. “Having fun?”

  “Leto?” She shoved wet hair from her cheeks. “How long have you been there?”

  “Long enough.” Leto shook his head and chuckled. “If this is what you’re like in a shower, I can’t wait to see what you’re like in a tub.”