Page 25 of Stolen Fire (N.O.A.H (Nostradamus Outerspace Advancement of Humanity) #2)
The Rusty Bucket wasn’t packed, but it was still early.
They secured a round table in a high booth tucked into a shadowed corner against the metal walls faux oxidized with the impression of rust. A server approached.
His ill-fitting black tech pants, speckled with pockets, barely reached the end of his long, lean legs.
Ankles with a large brown and white pattern peeked out.
An unruly shock of blond and brown hair stood on end, as if he’d been electrocuted.
Blaize wondered if he endured ridicule for his appearance too.
“Blue Crowns, all around,” Rhysa announced.
The server loped off, and Rhysa gave the team a devilish grin. “We are queens, after all.”
Bodi flinched. “Careful what you wish for. It’s not as exciting as it sounds.”
Rhysa placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her fist, locking her gaze on their communications expert. “Convince me.”
Bodi’s wings fluttered, and she searched for support. But Blaize was curious about Bodi’s culture, and Veda seemed to be fascinated by the crowd.
Bodi opened and shut her mouth several times before she was saved from answering when the server returned with their drinks.
As soon as each of them had a glass of the swirling, shimmering blue concoction, Rhysa raised her glass. “To queens and their Treasure .”
They clinked glasses, and Blaize sipped the drink to be polite. An exotic, fruity, fizzy mouthful had her silently thanking Rhysa for ordering. “Delicious.”
Rhysa laughed. “Of course it is.”
“It’s good.” Veda set her drink on the table. “I suspect it might be strong.”
“Anything you put in your mouth should be.” Rhysa blinked her eyes in a flirty manner.
Bodi laughed. “Don’t pretend you’re that discerning.”
Rhysa swept back her white-streaked brown hair with an almost golden hand. “Well, if it isn’t strong, it better be tasty. This meets both criteria.”
“Sure does.” Blaize hoped they wouldn’t get into a fight, but Bodi laughed again and took another sip. It was the most relaxed she’d seen their navigator in too long.
“Oh!” Blaize blurted the single syllable as it occurred to her that she could change the subject and get information from her partners.
“I don’t know if you know, but I work with an engineering academy for girls.
Orphans who are aging out of the system.
I help with the academy as much as I can.
They teach all the skills for them to be techs or engineers on ships.
” Blaize paused. “Anyhow, the first class is moving toward graduation, and I told the director I’d look into internships, but I haven’t had much time or luck.
Do any of you have any ideas?” Blaize sipped her sparkly drink and waited.
“Really?” Rhysa’s head bobbed as if she’d been struck. “I had no idea you did that or that the school existed. That’s such a great idea. Although, I’m not sure I’d put any young women on the ships I’ve been on.”
“Most of my contacts are back on Arbotriz,” Bodi said. “But if they don’t mind traveling, there might be some great opportunities, and ours is a female-centric culture. Less chance for abuse.”
Rhysa nodded in approval. “I could ask Gareth if he knows of anything.”
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure how I would keep that promise. Even something on station, doing repairs or other tech work, would be great.”
Rhysa nudged her. “I got you.”
Sooner than was prudent, Blaize ordered another.
The first one barely muted the running analysis on what Cifer was up to, why he’d left, why he hadn’t come back, what she would do for the time they traveled to not only Hiargus, but the stops on Din’ Gale and Chalcanth.
Awkward wouldn’t begin to capture her feelings if she had to avoid him that entire time.
Maybe he’d found another ship. Maybe she was worried over nothing.
The bar filled with more crew from the nearby docks.
Several males moved more tables and chairs to the edges of the room to expand the impromptu dance floor.
The music got louder, and females wearing colorful scraps of clothes, some still in their work boots, filled the center of the space, while the males closed in and slowly positioned themselves in front of the person who drew their attention.
“Come dance.” Bodi stood and wiggled her ample backside in a seductive swivel.
Veda shook her head and clung to her first drink.
Rhysa stood up and pointed at Blaize.
Blaize sipped her drink. “Not yet. You two go.”
Bodi shrugged, grabbed Rhysa’s hand, and pulled her through the tables to join the tight, gyrating crowd.
Veda tried to talk to Blaize, but the bar was loud and neither of them was very good at pointless conversation.
Instead, they wordlessly agreed to watch their shipmates.
Bodi was quickly surrounded by males trying to get her attention while she danced in her own personal world.
A short while later, Rhysa came by the table for her drink and then rushed off to dive back into the group of males.
Those two knew how to draw and keep male attention.
But Blaize wasn’t sure she wanted to learn the secret.
It seemed like that just led to more opportunities to be left behind.
Once again, her glass was empty much sooner than it should have been. She looked at it carefully, held it up to the dim light. She didn’t have a buzz, so she ordered another as soon as the server swung by their table.
“I need to use the facilities,” she told Veda.
“I’ll stay with the table.” Veda wrapped her hands around her mostly full drink and shrank into her chair.
Blaize nodded, stood, and wobbled a bit. She quickly gripped the edge of the table when the room shimmied. Damn, the music must be loud to make the floor move. She had to focus to put her legs in the right order to move her across the room. She moved past the crowd toward the very back of the bar.
A Gordinian occupied a table nearby, and she recoiled.
The noxious, hairy blob stood out in the crowd of dockworkers and ship crew.
Gordinians were traders, merchants. The only thing they had to do with ships was greet them at the ports to get their stuff.
She glanced at the others sitting with him and wrinkled her nose.
Who would do that voluntarily?
Varik.
She’d recognize his profile anywhere. Of course, he’d be meeting with a disgusting gasbag. Hell, he was one.
The other male made her pause, shifting deeper into the crowd for cover.
Something about him was familiar, but she was sure she’d never met anyone from that weird swamp planet she couldn’t recall the name of at that moment.
No other beings had that particular gray-green sponginess.
He turned slightly toward her, raising his arm to flag a server.
Blaize narrowed her eyes as she inspected his face.
Her gaze caught his, and his muddy gray eyes flashed white with black striations.
Her heart split in her chest, and she choked on a gasp.
Cifer.
Her lungs spasmed as she raced to the ladies’ room.
The alcoholic contents of her stomach rushed up her throat. She’d suspected Cifer was bad news from the start. But she’d doubted herself. To be fair, he’d worked really hard to get her to trust him. And she had.
She groaned inside the stall she’d locked herself inside. So stupid. Part of her insisted she slink away and pretend she’d never met him. The other part, the drunk part, itched to punch him in the face for convincing her he might be a good guy. Was everything he’d told her a lie?
She’d take her proof to Dez. If Cifer was working with Varik, there was no way Cyra would want to transport him.
Maybe she could sneak out there and find an open table closer to the trio so she could hear what they were saying. Then she could get absolute evidence of Cifer’s criminality—like stowing away hadn’t been enough.
Rather than dwell on her mistake, she did her business and washed her hands, avoiding the mirror. If she didn’t like what she saw, she couldn’t do anything about it, so no point looking. She exited right into Cifer’s arms.
“Blaize.” His voice poured over her body like warm honey to pool in her panties.
She slapped his chest. “Let me go.”
“Forgive me. I can explain. Not right now. But soon. I’ll come to the ship.”
“Don’t bother. I’m telling Cyra. You won’t be going with us.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you being a criminal. Now I know.” She hiccupped. “For sure. I knew before. But now I know.”
“You’re drunk.”
“And I still know.”
“You know that I want you. That you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. That I adore you more than anything.” He leaned in to kiss her.
She turned her head sharply. “You left me.”
“It was important. I can explain.” He stroked her hair. “Please. Just go back to your table. Don’t let the males I’m with know that I know you.”
“You mean Varik. The bastard.” She pushed against his chest. “Cyra hates him almost as much as I do.”
“Blaize. Please. I’ll explain. But you have to stay safe. Take a sled. I’ll pay.”
“I don’t want your dirty credits.” She wrenched herself free and made it back to the table, where Veda was nearly asleep.
“Can we go?” Veda asked with a yawn.
“Hell yes.” Blaize searched the dance floor for Rhysa or Bodi.
Bodi was near the entrance with a male she had pressed against the wall.
It looked like one of her hands was on his crotch.
Blaize grabbed Veda’s hand and pulled her through the crowd.
She spoke to Bodi’s back when they passed. “We’re out.”
Bodi held up her free hand in acknowledgement. Good enough. A short sled ride later, Blaize was back on the ship. She would talk to Cyra at first meal.
Cifer was as good as gone.