Page 3 of The Intergalactic Duke's Inconvenient Engagement
“He who?” Her question was little more than a croak, as if she’d swallowed some of that gas and found herself wanting to fall back into sleep. She stiffened against the compulsion. A long time ago she’d learned not towait for someone to rescue her. “Who?” she demanded.
Lishelle straightened. Even barefoot, she was easily six inches taller than Rayna’s five-four, and her broad shoulders and broader hips gave her an intimidating authority that Rayna found almost comforting until she said, “The piece of shit who abducted us.”
“Abducted…” Rayna swayed.
Lishelle grabbed her elbow. “You don’t remember?”
“I…”Indistinct images—not even images, more like sensations—of confusion, dizziness, her body jerking uncontrollably, made her stomach heave. “I don’t know.”
“Lucky you.” Lishelle spun her toward the nearest coffin. “Get the others out.Don’thit the yellow button. Just the blue.”
How did Lishelle know? How long had she been…abducted? This time, Rayna’s whole body heaved.
But she ran unsteadilydown the row of coffins, slapping at the pale blue light on the panels hard enough to send a spasm up her arm, which she just now realized was bleeding. Panes on the first two coffins retracted to reveal empty interiors.
The third… She leaned forward impatiently, ready to issue half-assed explanations and unbelievable reassurances before hustling on to the next panel—but then she staggered backas the stench rolled out from the opening pane.
She clamped her forearm over her nose and mouth, staring in horror.
Same white shift, same posture with hands folded peacefully.
Skeletal hands, the flesh fallen in, the skin mottled. Long blond hair coiled loosely under the skull with its sunken eyes. At least these eyes were closed.
Bare feet slapping on the smooth, cold floor, Rayna ran tothe next coffin, one thought thudding dully like her heels.
What wouldhedo if he caught them?
Caught themagain…
The last coffin yielded one more prisoner.
Helping the young woman sit up, Rayna brushed back the tangle of hair—brown and a little greasy, not blond and dry like the corpse’s… She caught her breath on a not-quite sob as the girl blinked at her. The confusion tugged at Rayna’sheart, remembering her own confusion, remembering the way her little sister used to look at her after a tumble off a bicycle or when a friend at school was mean: hurt, baffled, lost…
“C’mon,” she said grimly. “We’re getting out of here.”
The young woman hesitated a split second, then tumbled toward Rayna in her identical thin gown and bare feet. She touched Rayna’s arm. “He hurt you,” she murmuredas Rayna helped her down from the platform, supporting the smaller woman’s slight weight. “He never hurt me. He never said anything.”
Rayna half nodded, half shook her head, in a weird, confused circle. Did everyone remember their abductor except her? “It wasn’t him that did this,” she said. “I’m Rayna. What’s your name?”
“Trixie,” the girl said hesitantly. Then louder, with more confidence—asif she was taking back her identify from the man who had stolen it, and her—she repeated, “I’m Trixie Boudreaux.”
From the other end of the row of coffins, Lishelle waved at them. She had two other women with her wearing the same short, white shifts and dazed, fearful expressions.
Trixie glanced around them. “Where are the police?”
“Uh, this is kind of a do-it-yourself rescue,” Rayna told her.
Trixie’s eyes widened, but she followed Rayna hastily toward Lishelle and the others.
Lishelle looked at Trixie then Rayna. “Just one?”
Without answering aloud, Rayna closed her eyes. The image of the dead woman would never leave her. If only she’d woken up in time… “We have toget out,” she said. “We don’t know how long—”
How long they’d been asleep. How much longer until their captor returned.
Lishelle jerked her head in a sharp nod, the tight, black curls of her hair gleaming in the starlight. She still had the piece of broken glass in her hand—brighter than the stars.
Trixie eyed the impromptu weapon with appreciation. “What next?”