Intentional Abduction

“Arm yourself,” he said, finally speaking to her as they reached the command center of the vessel.

“You cannot shoot them down?” she asked as she strapped her various weapons to her body from the pile she’d left them in on the floor. She never went to him armed.

“You waited too long.” The reproach in his voice came through loud and clear.

A childish urge to stick her tongue out at him came over her. She curbed it—barely. He wasn’t her teacher; how dare he chastise her.
The screeching of metal on metal made her wince as one of the attacking vessels came alongside.

Striding to a wall, he keyed in a code on a console and a panel slid open to reveal an impressive array of weapons. Arming himself, he turned to look at her as she strapped her last knife on.

“I’m assuming you were the one in the docking bay in the cloak?”
She nodded her head.

“Well, at least you know how to fight a little.”

Her jaw dropped. “A little? We’ll see who gets the most kills.”

A wicked smile tilted his lips. “Just try and keep up.”

With a long stride, he left the command center, and she hurried to keep up with her shorter legs. This time, her view of his back made her think of various ways she could take him down. Keep up indeed. I’ll show him why Zonians are a breed that demands respect.

Stopping somewhere midway on the ship, he held his finger to his lips and cocked his head toward a closed doorway.

They flanked the portal and waited. With a snick of pressurized air releasing, the door slid open and an ugly beast stuck its head out. Jaro’s blade sliced through its slimy, wrinkled neck, green fluid spurting from the wound.

“One,” he mouthed with a cocky grin before diving through the opening.

“Jerk,” she muttered as she followed, a foot long dagger in each hand.

Just beyond the opening, the scent of scorched metal and melted plastic stung her nostrils, but the headier aroma of battle delighted her. Jaro was already engaged with two of the enemy with four more pouring through the makeshift hole.

With a battle cry learned at her teacher’s knee, Aylia dove into the fray, the silver edges of her blades flashing in the strobing red light of the silent, still sounding alarm.

Weaving and twirling among the pirates, she performed a deadly dance, each slice of her daggers, each kick of her foot, landing on the fleshy parts of the thugs who’d interrupted her quest. Alongside her, she could see her purple captive creating his own scene of death, his powerful thrusts leaving fatal wounds.

And the body count rose until there were none.

Chests heaving, she found herself facing Jaro, the slick sheen of blood not a deterrent, not when it proved his valor. Eyes glittering, he took a step toward her, and she must have moved as well because a moment later, she found herself pressed against him, her hands dangling by her sides, still clenching her blades as he caught her lips with his own. Their first kiss. Actually, her only kiss. And oh my, did it ignite the flames of her desire.