Page 103 of Tempting Cargo

I pushed the door open.

A young male sat on the sofa, a book open on his lap. He shared many similarities with the shaa’ith outside, but it was his resemblance to Shohari that struck me the most. His mouth turned up in the same way, and the haughty anger in his brows reminded me so much of her, I ached to have her with me again. “Who in the name of the gods are you?”

Not the opening I was hoping for. “I’m Garrison Rhea. I’m here to rescue you.”

Airida wrinkled his face. “What?”

I pulled my helmet off, shaking my head. “I’m here to rescue you, Airida. I’m with theDorimisa, with Shohari.”

“Shohari? What have you done with her? Whatareyou? Kri’s bones, I don’t understand what you’re saying.” He rose to his full height, a good six inches over me, swaying unsteadily. “Junava! Orjidha! Where are you?”

Cold chills hit my veins. He didn’t have a translator. “Tokki. Daiytak. Get in here.”

Airida’s face paled, his gaze landing on the shaa’ith behind me. “Who are you?”

I didn’t blame him for sounding terrified. When Shohari had first seen them on Vadias, she’d seen her brother; Airida was gazing into a mirror.

I hit my wrist-comm. “Translate out loud English to Orithian language. Airida, we’re here with your sister.”

As he listened to my comm’s audio with understanding in his eyes, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“They’re like you,” I said. “There’s nothing wrong with you. We’re getting you off the planet. I’ll explain everything, but we have to leave, now. Please.”

As my comm translated for me, he drew back, swinging his head. “I don’t know you. I don’t trust you.”

I kept my tone calm. “We’re here with Shohari to rescue you.”

“We have to leave. Now.” Daiytak stepped forward, but Airida sank back down to the sofa.

“I don’t understand,” he said.

Damn. We’d focused so much on thehowof the mission, Shohari hadn’t considered he might not be eager to leave. Neither had we.

I took a slow breath. “I know. But please, we don’t have long. Your parents aren’t going to let us leave willingly, so the faster we leave, the better. You’ll be free of this place. You’ll be well.”

His darting eyes focused on mine, and understanding filtered through. “I have to take my paintings. My art supplies. My trading notes.”

For fuck’s sake.“Dude, we don’t have time.”

I glanced at Tokki for assistance, but he rolled his shoulders, his attention on Airida.

“If that is what he needs to be able to leave this place, then that is what he needs,” the shaa’ith commander said. “Brother, tell us how to help.”

Bloody hell.It’s a shame Sho would be so pissed if we used a dart on this guy. I grimaced and swallowed down the uncharitable thought.

Airida refused to let us help as he moved around his home, gathering his essentials, and I shifted restlessly at the delay. Thetense, prickly sensation remained, even as we exited the cottage with two bags and no incidents, and crept through the trees.

At the edge, we pulled up short.

Four burly kri’ith with large blasters stood between us and theDorimisa.

I glared at Tokki. “I thought she said any guards wouldn’t be armed.”

He swallowed. “She was wrong.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

My hope is the dormant seed in the soil