Page 6 of Stolen Fire (N.O.A.H (Nostradamus Outerspace Advancement of Humanity) #2)

Cifer pressed into the spare space at the edge of the engine room, a quivering mess of flesh.

Wormholes always left him disoriented, as if pieces of his body weren’t quite connected, but the experience had been particularly unpleasant without the benefit of a secured position.

Footsteps in the corridor forced him to ignore his physical difficulties and resume his camouflage—easier imagined than executed in his current state.

“Did you survive?” Blaize’s voice barely reached him. Was she speaking to him? Could she see him? He opened his eyes and did a visual check of his concealment. It was perfect. How could she see him?

“In you go. Back in your crate.” A yip echoed.

Blaize was speaking to the puppy, not him. He’d learned Blaize’s name from the other crew member, the one in charge of the greenhouse.

A few moments later, her voice filled the room. “Hello, handsome. Did you miss me? I know that had to be traumatic for you. But I’m going to mix a special blend of lubricant and make sure all your parts are in full working order.”

What?

“You did such a good job of getting us across the bridge. Perfectly executed.”

Cifer swallowed a chuckle. She was talking to the engine as if it were alive.

Cabinet doors snicked close, the secure latches necessary to keep the contents inside, especially in situations like they’d just experienced.

At least he’d learned as a youth—mainly through violence at the hands of his captors—not to puke after a crossing, but the urge remained a close thing.

Blaize continued to babble at her systems. Her words were difficult to hear clearly as she moved around the equipment, but though the tones were muffled, he still enjoyed them.

A ping drew his attention from the sultry voice.

A nut. Cifer’s tail shot out to retrieve it before he could resist. He toyed with it briefly before tucking it in a pocket of his pouch, next to the orb.

“That’s better, isn’t it? Nice and slick. Feels so good.”

Cifer was willing to confirm her assessment.

“Let me give you a squeeze.” The female’s voice was practically in his ear. His cock responded to the offer.

Her stunning red hair caught his eye again.

He hadn’t exaggerated the vibrancy in his imagination— she was every bit as bright as he’d remembered.

Her luminous pale skin was the perfect canvas to accentuate her vibrancy.

Even the icy blue of her eyes was so pale as to be nearly nonexistent.

Cifer clenched his hands to fists to keep from reaching for her.

No matter how her curves begged to be held, her full lips to be kissed, his contract took priority.

The Treasure could make the journey to Hiargus.

If he could sneak off the ship on Cassan and then contract the captain to take him, there’d be no issue.

But that plan depended on him staying hidden, not riding this beautiful female to completion over and over again.

Maybe after he negotiated for paid passage, he could risk pursuing an affair.

An eerie metallic scrape dragged Cifer’s mind out of the future and the possibility of pleasure. Blaize continued to babble. Another scraping sound compelled Cifer to abandon his no-movement policy. He craned his neck, searching for the source.

Above where Blaize worked, a light tilted at an odd angle. Before he could decide what to do, a nut pinged to the floor. The large metal fixture slid away from its mount.

Cifer leaped forward, stretching his arms to reach for the flying metal hazard headed straight for Blaize. He bashed the huge fixture to the side with one hand and tugged Blaize out of danger with the other.

Blaize screeched and pummeled his chest.

He discarded a layer of his camouflage. “Are you?—”

She wriggled in his grip, and he released her. “Who are you? What did you do? I could have been killed.”

Cifer blinked. She was angry with him? He held up his hands in surrender. “That’s why I saved you.”

“You aren’t authorized to be on this ship. How did you get on board, and what are you doing in the engine room? How long have you been here? I’m calling security.”

Cifer considered which question to answer first while he savored the intense beauty of the female yelling at him. He’d held her curves only for a single moment, but he would never forget the experience. She was lush layers over solid strength. An ideal he didn’t know existed before.

“Blaize? Are you okay? What happened?”

The voice startled Cifer out of his lusty haze, and he shifted his coloring to hide. The short brown gardener appeared. Cifer froze.

“Blaize?”

“Do you see him, Veda?” Blaize swiveled her neck, eyes frantic. “He was just here.”

“Who?”

“The person who saved me.” Blaize pointed at the broken light fixture.

“You could have died.” Veda glanced from the fixture Cifer had knocked away to the ceiling where the ballast should have been.

“Show yourself,” Blaize demanded, still searching.

“I don’t know who you are or why you’re on this ship, but you saved my friend’s life, so thank you.” Veda directed her words over his left shoulder.

One person knowing he existed was a problem. Two meant he could no longer remain hidden. His cover was blown. “I would prefer to remain concealed. I need a ride to Cassan, nothing more. I’m no threat to you or anyone on this ship.”

“Are you escaping from Kolben? Are you a miner? I can understand why someone would risk stowing away, but that’s still not—” Blaize shook her head, obviously still rattled.

“The ride I purchased to get off Kolben left without me, and I have a contractual obligation that requires me elsewhere.”

Veda wrinkled her nose. “It’s a little weird talking to the wall and hearing it respond. Please reveal yourself.”

He slowly revealed the version of himself he used in public.

“The only reason we were on Kolben was to deliver Dez. Thankfully, we didn’t have to leave him, because that place is horrible.” Veda inspected him, gaze trailing a methodical path over his person, no emotion.

“I agree.” The atrocious conditions for the miners bordered on criminal. He hadn’t wanted to spend one more second there than he had to. As soon as he could, he would look into what he could do to help them.

Blaize crossed her arms and glared at him. “Now that I know you’re on the ship, not just suspecting—because I did think someone might be on the ship, but I also considered it might be my imagination— I have to tell the captain.”

Icy fear, almost as cold as space, washed through him. “I wish you wouldn’t. I won’t be any trouble.”

“Cyra and Dez are fair.” Veda gave him a reassuring smile that didn’t ease his concerns.

“I’m sure they are, but stowaways are generally dealt with by ejecting them out the nearest portal.” Cifer had seen it once in his youth, and he’d never forgotten. “I’d prefer not to end my trip by becoming space dust prematurely.”

“You saved my life. But you did stow away, and technically that does make you a criminal. But they wouldn’t…” Blaize trailed off.

“They likely would. I was avoiding certain death on Kolben, and my travel is on behalf of another planet whose inhabitants will suffer greatly if I don’t complete my journey.

Please, for them, would you keep my presence a secret?

” He might be slightly exaggerating about the importance of the orb.

But maybe not. He wasn’t familiar with the species of humans that occupied Hiargus.

“If they find out we knew…” Veda shook her head.

“I won’t be found. I’m very good at hiding.”

Blaize dusted off her hands on the pant legs of the coveralls. “I’m obligated to tell the Security Officer.”

Cifer’s gaze locked on to the female as she marched away.

A storm of beauty that made his heart pound.

He couldn’t chase her, wouldn’t try, and shouldn’t be tempted to seduce her.

She was the type of woman who, once he made her his, he would be unable to leave. And that didn’t fit with his lifestyle.

“I’ll stay with you.” Veda’s voice brought him back to the engine room. “It’ll be okay. You’ll see.”

Cifer very much doubted it would be, but he was out of moves.

“Do you want to see my greenhouse?”

Didn’t really matter how he spent his final moments on the ship, and the hopeful pride in Veda’s voice couldn’t be ignored. Rather than confess to eating a bit of her harvest, he said, “I would. I’ve never seen a greenhouse on a ship before. How does that work with the rigors of space?”

Veda gave him a warm smile tinged with surprise. “It wouldn’t work on just any ship, but The Treasure was designed for bio-transport. Between that and the special growing methods I’m using, I’m seeing significant production rates.”

She prattled on as Cifer followed her amongst the plants. But his mind was on the beautiful female he’d held for a perfect moment. The one who would expedite his certain death.