Page 24 of Stolen Fire (N.O.A.H (Nostradamus Outerspace Advancement of Humanity) #2)

Blaize swiped the back of her hand across her forehead.

The lighting problem had been tricky to track down, but finally she’d found the problem.

Fixing it had involved some contortion and a whole lot of swearing, but the plants were back to basking in the faux sunlight.

She tucked the tools away and headed for her quarters.

The idea of a shower compelled her to move her tired, sore body faster than usual.

She met Veda in the main corridor. “Blaize. Did you figure it out?”

“I did. There was a crack in the insulation of the main wiring going into the room. I had to rerun a new length of wire and then test everything.” Fuck, she was too tired to explain.

“The lights are working. I left them on. Your timer should still work, but I don’t know if you need to adjust the settings for the time your plants were in the dark.

I’ll leave that to you. I need to get this grime off me.

” She swept her hand down her body, showcasing the patches of filth smearing her coveralls.

“Thank you so much.” Veda clapped her hands together. “Will you join us for last meal? Dez is cooking.”

Eating in? When they were on Cassan? Not that Blaize minded saving some credits. Also, she really should talk to Dez and Cyra about Cifer. “Sure. I’ll be there shortly.”

“No rush. He’s just starting the prep.” Veda flashed a smile and hurried off to her plants.

As Blaize showered, it occurred to her that almost the entire cycle had passed and Cifer hadn’t shown up. Where the hell was he? It hurt that he hadn’t come looking for her. It wasn’t like she was hiding. The ship should have been the first place anyone looked.

Clearly, he wasn’t. She sighed and scrubbed the soap from her hair. Stupid. Again. She shook off the regrets as she finished cleaning up and dressing. At least the last person she’d slept with wasn’t Varik anymore.

“Blaize, how nice.” Captain Cyra was seated at the galley table with Veda, Bodi, and Rhysa.

Blaize plopped into an empty chair between Veda and Rhysa, leaving the one next to Cyra for Dez.

“It’s almost done.” Dez didn’t turn around. He was poised with a heat mitt over his remaining hand and eyes glued to a timer.

“It smells good, whatever it is. I can’t wait to try it.” Blaize tried to remember when she had last eaten. Maybe the crap breakfast Veda made and a couple of protein bars. At this point, Veda’s cooking would probably taste appetizing.

“Thanks for getting the lights working again.” Veda touched her shoulder gently. “What was the real issue?”

“Well, the power was being drawn from cells that charge while the ship is in motion. After we stopped, the cells weren’t charging.

I created a failover—well, not really a failover because it’s not an automatic backup, but an alternate source for when we aren’t in motion.

You won’t need it often, but it should be seamless.

Next time we stop, we’ll know for sure, although technically, I guess since it’s working now, it’s already proven. ”

Cyra chuckled. “I guess you’ve been busy.”

Dez put a plate in front of the captain and then quickly served the rest of the crew.

He didn’t have to, but he said it made him feel good to take care of them that way.

At first, Blaize had been uncomfortable.

Instead of wrestling with the discomfort, she made sure to do nice things for Dez as often as she could so he would know she appreciated him.

“We’ll be ready to go in two cycles.” Cyra broke the silence of the focused eating.

“Two more ?” Bodi’s jerked her head up, eyes wide.

Dez joined them at the table. “There’s been a delay offloading the Kolben equipment, and Captain and I found a place that will do some intensive training with Princess. We have to spend most of a cycle with her, learning the commands.”

That made sense. Not a good idea to have a protective animal with no training or control. Princess had grown considerably since she was born. Still a cute puppy but definitely showing signs of what she would be like as an adult.

“Where to next?” Rhysa asked.

Cyra glanced at her mate with a soft smile. “A stop at Din’ Gale to see Dez’s parents.”

“Oh. That will be wonderful.” Veda smiled. No surprise their hobby gardener wanted to revisit the jungle planet.

“Then a quick stop on Chalcanth.” Cyra almost swallowed the name of her own planet. “Then we head to Hiargus, as contracted.”

Maybe. Only if Blaize failed to convince them to drop the contract with Cifer. That weird orb he’d brought on board was still in the vent over his former cell. The glow had caught her attention when she’d been working on the lighting issue.

“What’re we doing on Chalcanth?” Rhysa asked.

“Visiting Cyra’s family.” Dez spoke in a tone that invited no further questioning from the inquisitive navigator.

“Well, then, we better go out tonight.” Rhysa looked directly at Blaize.

“I have to…” Before she could finish her sentence, Rhysa was shaking her head.

“No. We’re going. We need to have fun as a crew before we’re locked in again, and you skipped out on the team dinner.”

“I need to take care of something,” Bodi argued with Rhysa as always.

“Do it later. We have two cycles. Tonight. Bar.”

Blaize had seen her like this before. It would be easier to just go along. She’d talk to Captain Cyra and Dez before they went. “Fine, I’m in.”

Veda put the fork down on her empty plate. “I’d like to go.”

“Of course you’re going.” Rhysa tilted her head with a jerk.

“Cyra and I will remain here to watch over the ship now that the new fuel has been loaded.” Dez’s deep voice invited no argument, even from Rhysa.

Cyra blushed, turning a faint shade of lavender.

“You’re out of excuses.” Rhysa pointed to Bodi. “Unless, of course, you want to take us to your club?”

Bodi had a club? How did Rhysa know that?

“What?” Bodi was swiveling her head, looking at each of them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’ll come tonight. For a little while.”

Rhysa grinned hugely, having gotten her way. “That’s fine. You don’t have to share…yet.”

Bodi stood and took her plate and Veda’s to the sterilizer. “I’ll be ready in two hours,” she called over her shoulder as she strutted out of the galley.

Blaize wondered how a female learned to move like that. If she tried to roll her hips like Bodi, she’d look like she needed to relieve herself.

“Be ready.” Rhysa pointed a finger at Blaize. “No coveralls. Sexy clothes.”

Blaize rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

“I’ll be ready too.” Veda cleaned up her place and darted out.

As soon as Rhysa had cleared the doorway, Dez pinned Blaize with his yellow-eyed stare. “What do you want to talk about?”

How did he know she wanted to talk to them?

“You’re usually the first one out with excuses about work.”

He even answered her questions without her speaking them. She swallowed her doubts. “It’s Cifer. I don’t think… I’m not sure he’s who he says he is. I think he might be up to something.”

“Any evidence?”

Blaize tried to figure out a way to explain that he’d disappeared with Elaya and that Varik had been at his rooms. But every way she rearranged the facts, it still led to her admitting that she’d been in his rooms. She wasn’t ready to confess she’d been intimate with Cifer.

“I think he might be using the orphanage for nefarious reasons.”

Dez gazed at her, unblinking.

Cyra asked, “What makes you think that?”

“I followed him after he left the ship and…” And saw nothing that would sound bad. Shit. She didn’t like that he was going off with Elaya, but there was nothing criminal about it.

“I’ll keep your concerns in mind. I’m glad you brought them to my attention.”

Blaize stood. “Right. Okay.”

Unless she uncovered something heinous in the next forty hours, she would be traveling with Cifer to Hiargus for galactic months. Ugh.

The Rusty Bucket was packed with crew and other less savory characters, including the ones Cifer had asked to join him.

He left Master and his goons in the shadows of the bar at a tall table and sidled around the room, not quite in camouflage, but less than obvious.

Music pounded, and the center of the bar had become a makeshift dance floor for a few grinding beings.

The Gordinian occupied the same low table in the far corner, facing the door.

Varik strutted in, and Cifer took advantage of the distraction to adopt his persona and shift into the Gordinian’s peripheral view.

The goon gasped with a stinky eruption. “Where the hell did you come from?”

Cifer lifted his lips in a predatory grin.

Varik neared the table and pointed at Cifer. “Who are you?”

“It’s none of your business who I am.” Cifer glared at Varik but addressed his question to the dirtbag. “Why are you letting this overgrown fish disrupt our business?”

Varik sputtered. “ Fish ? You rotting corpse of fetid fungus.”

“I’m amazed they let your kind in this bar.” Cifer held back a grin. Establishing dominance in the negotiation had been too easy.

The Gordinian raised his bulk from the chair. “Sit down, Yonash, before you draw the authorities.”

Cifer, responding to his fake name, settled into a chair facing Varik across the small round table.

“So…” The word came out with a belch of gas. “Where shall we start the bidding?”

“On what?” Cifer asked.

“You know what,” Varik insisted.

Cifer turned from Varik to the slave trader. “I haven’t seen any proof you have the goods.”

The slaver held up his data pad, the live streaming indicator on, an image of five children in a pile in a metal crate. As Elaya had told him, the oldest appeared to be about ten.

“They look dead.” Cifer rolled his eyes as if he didn’t care.

The Gordinian tapped a message on his pad and held it back out. An arm holding a rod shifted into view. Cifer stiffened. He’d been electrocuted more times than he could count with a similar device. The bar smacked the cage, and the oldest boy jerked awake. “Good enough?”

“Sure,” Cifer said, swallowing the urge to kill the Gordian there in the bar. The location of the children was still unknown. He had to be patient.

“They’re smaller than I expected.” Varik sneered. “What are you hoping to get for them?”

Cifer kept his blank face firmly in place.

“This is quality merchandise.” A noxious puff of gas accompanied the declaration.

Varik wrinkled his face and recoiled. “I need a drink.”

Cifer glanced back at the bar to flag down a server and froze with his hand in the air. Flaming red hair caught his attention.

Blaize.

At the worst possible time and place.