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  The posts were mounted against a centre wall and they were high enough for everyone to see them, including the fighters. She was going to be on display. Shit. Double shit. Sure enough the woman led her up the platform and shackled her right wrist to the pole, then left her. Now Sarah was stuck in observation mode.

  The first fights she witnessed left her a little nauseous. The fighters pounded on each other until one of them stopped moving. Multiple races spilled their blood on the ground and it was absorbing it all.

  When Coa stepped up, he waved at her and she tried to smile brightly back. His opponent looked venomous and by the time the beating, biting, and mauling was over, Coa could barely get to his feet. But he did it and cheers broke out.

  She looked over to Athon and he nodded to her from the bench where he waited. His eyes told her that he still wanted to be alone in a room with a door locked behind them. She was all for it, if it would get her out of this predicament.

  A few feet to his left Meyi was talking to the female organizer and she jerked her head to the platform, where Sarah was sitting and watching the festivities. She realised Athon must have heard something he didn’t like because he roared in reaction.

  The whole arena went quiet, even the competing fighters.

  Athon charged toward her and she stood wild eyed, not understanding until an equally large male of Nyal descent was heading for her from another direction. They were racing to get to her. Whatever the organizer and Meyi had come up with, it involved her. When they were at the foot of the platform, she screamed because the Nyal was upon it in seconds with his red eyes blazing.

  “You are in heat.”

  “Apparently.”

  “You will be mine.”

  “No way in hell.” Was all that she got a chance to say as he was ripped from the podium and thrown through the air. The crowd roared in appreciation and, in seconds, Athon was on him.

  Meaty thuds met her ears until some brilliant idiot recalled that Athon had claws. They stopped the fight and fitted the Nyal with some metal weapons that were supposed to be claw-like, but just looked like daggers across a fist.

  Athon lost his advantage in a hurry, but now using the claws that his Azon ancestors had given him, he began to slice the Nyal into ribbons. Unfortunately, the Nyal was doing the same and blood was pouring from her beloved mate.

  Her voice grew hoarse from screaming and her skin heated enough to melt the manacle that held her in place. She was ablaze, on fire, her clothing was curling and singeing in the heat she was generating, but she only wanted to get to Athon. As she took her first step off the platform, lights burst in the room and it grew wild as people tried to escape.

  “Halt! We are representatives of the Nyal Imperium. This is an illegal colony and these slaves fighting have been illegally captured. You will now submit to arrest.”

  The booming speaker was talking, but Sarah wasn’t listening.

  Athon had fallen to the ground and the area around him was stained with his blood.

  She had to get to him and it had to be fast. Flaring brightly, she ran down the platform steps to race across the sand. She fell to her knees next to him, barely noting the wince as her overheated skin touched his. “Athon? Sweetie? Are you okay?”

  “No. I think that he got a few too many good strikes in. I just want to let you know, you truly were the perfect woman for me. Too bad I was not enough warrior to keep you.”

  She shivered. He still thought the fight was going on. He didn’t know that the barn was filling with troops with every second. “You didn’t lose me. You could never lose me. Now stay awake while I get you some help, okay?”

  “Okay.” He nodded slowly and breathed shallowly.

  She did the only thing that she could. She started screaming.

  Chapter Six

  “Medic! I need a fucking medic here! I need a goddamn medic yesterday!” Her pitch carried. It was a throwback to the days when she had taken her friend’s nieces and nephews to the park. If it got someone to her fast, it would be worth the sore throat. She screamed her demand again.

  “Medical care is on the way. We were not expecting to have to care for Alliance personnel here.” The scowl on the face of the Venrir was almost too much to bear.

  “He won’t live five more minutes!” She took a deep breath and looked at the worst of the slices. The blade had cut to the bone on several of his limbs and he was bleeding out. Trembling with effort, Sarah calmed herself and then did something that she never did in front of witnesses, she flamed her hands. She increased the level of heat until it was white hot and then laid her fingers in the wounds. Athon’s scream tore her heart apart, but she had to continue. One by one, she burned each gaping injury until his blood stopped oozing out of the wounds. She reduced the heat and clenched her hands in her lap the instant that the flames died out.

  The medics had arrived during her treatment of his wounds and were standing by until it was safe.

  She backed away. “He’s all yours. I hope you have a burn ward on the ship.”

  “He will be tanked until he is healed. It will reduce the scarring considerably.” The medic loaded him onto a gurney and moved him to the med bay shuttle. Her beloved Athon was gone in seconds.

  One of the ship’s crew came up to her with a timid look. “You are the scorcher, Sarah Anders?”

  She sighed heavily. She and the other pyros in her class hated that term. “I am Sarah Anders.”

  “Captain Lannick is looking forward to meeting you. Please come with me.” He gave her a snappy salute and managed the feat of not staring at her in the remains of the little slave girl outfit she was wearing.

  Wincing at the feel of blood and sand beneath her feet, she walked at a steady pace to the shuttle that he indicated. “This isn’t an Alliance shuttle.”

  “No, it is one of the Nyal Imperium shuttles. The government of Danyo was concerned when you did not arrive and outraged when they found out where you had been taken. They are eager for you to begin your work.”

  Her work. Of course. Until she cleansed the planet of bacteria, they would be unable to repopulate it. No wonder they had finally sent a team to this backwater planet. They needed their portable crematorium. She took her seat and buckled in, wincing at the cold press of metal against the parts of her that were still naked. The shuttle ride was short and standard, but debarking was anything but.

  An honour guard had been posted at the door and now they snapped to attention as she approached the opening. Her pitiful excuse for a skirt snagged on her way down, flashing a lot more thigh than she would have normally been comfortable with, but she was too stunned to care. Three rows of personnel were there to greet her, the pinnacle of the lines had to be the captain.

  “Sarah Anders. We are glad that we found you. The pressure to locate a valuable Alliance asset has weighed heavily upon us. We are delighted to be the ones to bring you to Danyo.”

  She padded carefully across the deck, keeping her feet intact. “Thank you for the belated rescue, do you have any word on the arena fighter that was injured?”

  The Captain, and she had to be the Captain, looked to her aide and raised one eyebrow.

  Sarah almost stopped short. The Captain was a Dhemon. In Nyal space. That was exceptionally odd.

  “I will check on that for you, Captain.” He snapped off a salute and ran off.

  “I will have an answer for you shortly. I am Captain Lannick and you will be given the VIP quarters until we arrive at Danyo.” The captain turned and led the way down a lightly illuminated hallway. “We will find you more suitable clothing and you will be able to wash off the blood.”

  That almost made her faint. Sarah had forgotten that she was covered with Athon’s blood. “I really hope that Athon is all right.” Her escort stopped her cold and slammed her against the wall.

  “What? Did you say Athon?”

  “Ow. Yes. Athon Kellan. He was fighting for me so that I wouldn’t be given to that other bloody barbarian. He
was very badly injured. He is the one I was asking about. He’s in your sickbay.”

  “Son of a bitch.” The captain bolted down the hall, leaving the two bewildered crewmen to escort her to the VIP quarters.

  She was unsurprised when the door locked behind her. A valuable asset must be kept under guard. The sanitary chamber and the unmarked uniform was welcome. She hadn’t felt so safe and comfortable for months, but now she wanted one more thing. Athon.

  The communications center was basic and she knew exactly what to do to get what she wanted. A call to them requesting an escort every five minutes was about right. She kept her tone light and pretended that she did not remember calling them previously. They didn’t fall for that, but they did come to get her and take her to her goal. The Medical Bay.

  A tank held court in the centre of the room, Athon was inside it, wired from head to toe. The surprise was the Captain holding vigil in front of the tank. “Captain? Are you all right? Do you know him?” Tear-filled eyes looked back at Sarah.

  “He is my son. I thought him dead six months ago.”

  “No. He was fighting for his life and then mine in that hell hole.” Sarah went to the tank and stroked the glass lightly. Athon twitched a wave of motion that set his wires trembling. He was trying to respond. “So you are the mother who succumbed to his father’s limited charms?” She kept her tone light.

  The captain gave a bark of laughter. “He spoke of me?”

  “He did. He was very proud of you, though he told me you were a researcher.”

  “I was. I took up arms when it became obvious that the Nyal needed a bit more of a conscience.” She stood next to Sarah at the tank. “He responds to you.”

  Sarah blushed a furious red. He did indeed respond to her and she to him. It was why she was here, now. “Well, that feeling is mutual.”

  The captain gave her a long look. “My name is Audril. Audril Kellan Lannick. You may call me Audril.”

  “Thank you. You may call me Sarah.” She gave the cheekiest grin she could manage and then stilled it when she looked back at Athon. She had burned him badly. Tears flowed, “Oh gods, what did I do to him?”

  One of the physicians dared to step forward at that point. “You saved his life. If the multitude of wounds hadn’t been sealed, he would have bled to death long before I was able to start treatment. The Captain’s blood was also instrumental in his survival, of course.”

  That surprised Sarah. “Dhemon blood matched him? I thought you were a hard people to match.”

  “We are, but my son inherited several of the traits of my people, blood type included, fortunately for both of us.” Audril shuddered in memory.

  Sarah felt something and looked up. “He’s awake.” Red eyes were peering at her through the haze of the liquid that supported him. She smiled and pressed both palms against the glass.

  A wince of pain crossed his face as he tried to smile back. He moved his own palm to the glass and through it they almost touched. That was, until he saw his mother, then he looked extremely discomforted. It was an interesting trick for a man who was naked in a tank. He was trying to blush.

  “Do you have a communicator?” Sarah rounded on the physician.

  “For the tank, yes. But he cannot reply.”

  “I know that. Where is it?” Under her breath she added, “Twit.” It took her a few seconds to figure it out, but before she could say anything, she thought better of it. She handed the communicator to Audril.

  The Dhemon trembled at the look in her son’s eyes. “I thought you dead, Athon. They recorded your ship as destroyed.”

  He signalled that he was whole and alive.

  “I know. But I thought you were dead.” Sobs broke out.

  Sarah supported her with one arm while taking the communicator with the other. “So I have met your mother and she hasn’t launched me out an airlock.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  “Fine. Yet. They are taking me to Danyo where I will be stationed for around two years while I take care of that little plague that they had. You are going to be in the tank for at least a month and they will be dumping me before you are out.”

  Audril was still sobbing, an alarming state for the physicians on duty.

  “I am going to thank you now, we may not meet again soon. I am grateful for our time together and for your honour as a man.” With their gazes met and mingling, they shared a remembrance of naked bodies intertwined. Tears welled up and started to flow freely. It was too much. She tossed the com unit back to the physician and ran.

  It was over. He was alive and she was being dropped into a wasteland of rotten corpses to purify them. The brief moment of happiness that she had experienced with him was being made into a faded memory. The blackness of space was going to enfold her once again.

  Chapter Seven

  Running around as the human torch was trying. She had her monitors and sensors to lead her to the remains of plague victims and each one she found was cremated to ash as per her contract. Each and every day she woke up thinking of Athon and each day she had to put the silly meanderings aside and go to work. Six months into the contract she had cleared three out of five continents of plague victims. She had never had the power or speed to work that quickly before. Her experience on the slave world had changed her. She still didn’t know if it was a good or bad change. Sarah was on the fence about her personal alterations.

  She was just finishing a hard day of torching people who had been huddling in their city centre when they died when a shuttle passed over her head and continued on to her home base. No one was supposed to be down here, not until she sent the all clear out to the remaining government of Danyo. What the hell were they playing at?

  She gunned the engine on her skimmer as soon as she was sure that the sector she was working was clear. It wouldn’t do to miss any possible infectious tissue, even if there was an idiot who was risking their life waiting for her at home.

  She parked up her skimmer and headed to her domicile. The strange shuttle was using the airlock so she had to hike around to her back door. “Access code Athon One. Beginning decontamination. Temperature rising.” She stood in the anteroom to her home and powered up. She wasn’t heading into her safe place until she was sure that she was germ and virus free.

  The computer waited until she reached the temperature critical for destroying the bugs on this world and then it beeped sharply to get her attention. It kept a monitor on her temperature and, as soon as she passed the flash point for oxygen, it pumped the gas into the small chamber before she passed out.

  When the pressure equalized, she moved into her home and straight to the com room where she heard voices. A flicker of shock went through her as she realized that she knew that voice.

  Bella Roxik was talking to someone on the com about arriving at her destination and her willingness to take on the rest of the assignment.

  “What assignment, Bella?”

  “I will be completing your assignment, Sarah.” Bella’s midnight hair swung heavily down her back.

  It always amazed Sarah that the pyros didn’t burn off all their body hair, but they didn’t. In fact, most of the pyros had the most luxuriant hair she had ever seen, herself included. “Why?”

  “It seems someone thinks you need a break. After looking at you, I would have to agree. Take my shuttle and meet the ship in orbit.” Bella gave her a brisk hug and a pat on the butt. “Go. Pack and go. You look like you saw a ghost.”

  “No. An angel. Thanks Bella. I will be out in ten, my skimmer has the completed co-ordinates.” She packed the uniforms the Nyal had left her as well as her personal pyro suits. Bella would have her own. She was in the shuttle and off world in less than half an hour. The Nyal shuttle controls were slightly different, but no less intuitive and she got through the stratosphere in one piece.

  “Shuttle Daca, please proceed to the aft cargo bay for decontamination.”

  “Are you addressing me?”

  “Yes, Scorcher Ande
rs, we are addressing you.”

  “And aft would be?” Her lips were twitching in amusement. Playing with air traffic control was one of her hobbies, that and she hated being called a scorcher.

  “Follow the red beacons. They will lead you in.” The deep sigh of disgust on the other end of the com was enough to send her into giggles the instant that they disconnected.

  It was another Nyal battle cruiser and it made her nostalgic for Athon. He would have been out of the tank months ago by her reckoning and was probably living a contented life somewhere in the Nyal Imperium.

  She manoeuvred smoothly into the bay that was outlined by the flashing red lights and dropped the shuttle lightly on the landing site. Now it was time for the carwash.

  Fire cleansed the outer hull until the temperature cycled the same way it did on the surface. You couldn’t interrupt the cycle. More than one pilot had panicked when engulfed by flame and tried to escape. Unsuccessfully. It was a messy way to die.

  While the fire cycled on and off, scrubbing the plague traces from the exterior, Sarah looked down at her pyro suit. “Damn. I need new clothing.” It was time to shop so she was going to request that the Captain of this warship drop her somewhere that she could make it happen. Preferably somewhere near Alliance space.

  A rough banging on the door startled her. She grabbed her bag and opened the hatch. She dropped to her knees in surprise. Hands reached inside to pull her out and she went without a word being spoken.

  Audril hissed, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t know until I was planetside. I was on assignment so I couldn’t leave until then.” She lost her footing on the decking, “Can you slow down? I am stumbling for two here.”

  “My grandchild. How could you not know?” They were drawing the stares of passing crewmembers. Captain Lannick was not usually seen in such an agitated state.

  “My species isn’t too quick with identification of pregnancy. It takes us a few months to figure it out, especially if we have experienced unusual stress.”