Page 2 of The Intergalactic Duke's Inconvenient Engagement

It was another woman lying there, eyes closed, hands folded over the white shift covering her breasts.

Who? The? Fuck?

Just like her. Someone trapped. She spun to look at the other coffins. Were they all trapped?

Herknees trembled with the urge to flee. She had to get out. She could send the authorities to rescue anyone else. But…what if something happened before help came?

She didn’t even have a weapon.

Whirling back to the coffin next to her, she scanned the surface. It wasn’t quite as featureless as it looked from the inside. A narrow panel of pastel lights glowed on the side. What those lights meant…

She smashed her palm over them, her fingers jabbing randomly. “Open up,” she hissed. “Let us out!”

As if reproaching her violence, the panel chimed melodically. But didn’t open.

However, the eyes of the woman inside did.

Rayna had only the briefest impression of wild, white-ringed eyes before a yellow gas flowed into the coffin.

“Shit,” she gasped. Yellow gas probably wasn’t ever good.

Fingertipsand palms, paler than the dark skin around them, splayed frantically on the inside of the glass.

Rearing back, Rayna brought both fists smashing down on the glass near where the woman’s midsection would be, at least partially protected by the thin shift.

The glass splintered. As before, once the seal was broken, the entire structure disintegrated in pretty little octagons. Heavy yellow gas floweddown the platform, and the woman jackknifed upright.

Swinging a punch right for Rayna’s nose.

She jumped back, stumbling. “Stop,” she cried. “I’m rescuing you.” Sort of.

The dark-skinned woman held her second blow. “Who the fuck are you?” she snarled, her voice grating, as if from disuse.

“My name’s Rayna Quaye. I was in the coffin next door. We have to get out of here before—”

She didn’tknow beforewhat, but it was probably bad.

The other woman shoved off the platform. And then grabbed at the edge as her knees buckled. “That fucking gas,” she said with a cough. “Almost knocked me out again.”

“I’m sorry,” Rayna babbled. “I didn’t know—”

The woman sliced a hand through the air, not to punch this time, but still cutting Rayna off. “Which way?” A twang of the deep South barelysoftened the urgency in her strengthening voice. She continued the sweep of her hand right through the glass…and managed to find the one big shard left.

“Uh.” Rayna glanced in all directions. The atrium was basically a big circle, and the starlight barely reached the edges.

Her new companion rolled her dark eyes. “Some rescue.”

“This really isn’t the time for Star Wars quotes,” Rayna muttered.

The woman flashed her a smile even sharper than her improvised weapon. “Hey now,” she drawled. “We have a new hope, so there’s that. I’m Lishelle. Not so nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Rayna gestured at the other coffins. “We can’t leave them.”

Lishelle nodded. “You go that way.” She gestured down the row in one direction. “I got these.” Her expression hardened. “And ifhecomes, I get firstcrack.”

Rayna swallowed hard, holding back the gibbering shrieks that had plagued her since opening her eyes. She was over that now, right? Now that they were free.

Free-ish.