At the last second, the man’s huge eyes flicked her way. Neve lunged forward and swung her staff, whacking him solidly in the gut. He let out a giant woof of air and doubled over. She hit him again, slamming her staff into his knee. He let out a bellow .

  As he dropped to his knees, she slammed her staff into the back of his shoulders. He groaned and pitched forward, the bomb dropping from his hand. Neve dived, caught the device, and landed with her knees digging into the alien’s back. He whimpered beneath her .

  “Now what?” a voice drawled .

  Damn . Of all the people on the planet, it had to be this one. She lifted her head and looked at Corsair .

  Lots of words trickled through her mind as she stared at the man. Pirate. Desert rogue. Caravan master. Too damn good-looking .

  His muscled body was clothed in dark trousers and a desert shirt of pale tan. A dark leather belt circled lean hips and a leather bandolier crossed his chest. Both were loaded with weapons. Shaggy brown hair, tinted gold by the desert suns, curled around a handsome, rugged face. He had gorgeous golden eyes the color of polished amber .

  Two people stood behind him. One was a hulking giant of a man with dark hair, who was scowling and watching Neve with dark eyes. The other was a stunningly beautiful woman with wide aquamarine eyes and chunky goggles sitting up on top of her long black hair .

  “I haven’t decided yet,” Neve told Corsair .

  He reached down and took the bomb. He handed it off to the woman. “Mersi, take care of this for me .”

  “You got it, boss.” The woman took the bomb, her eyes alight with interest .

  Corsair nodded at the still-silent hulk beside him. With a grunt, the man leaned down, gripped the spluttering alien by his belt and heaved him up like he weighed nothing. They turned and disappeared into the crowd .

  Neve stayed where she was and glared at Corsair. The caravan master shot her an amused smile and held a hand out to her. She ignored it—and the glint of challenge in his eyes—and jumped to her feet .

  Around them, several people clapped and cheered .

  Great . She hunched her shoulders. So much for keeping a low profile .

  “Galen won’t be pleased that you slipped out,” Corsair said. “Again .”

  Neve shrugged. She was honest enough to admit that the imperator was more than a little intimidating. Especially when he was angry .

  But finding Ever was more important. Neve would face anything and anyone to find her sister .

  Corsair reached out, his fingers brushing Neve’s cheek. She slapped his hand away .

  The infuriating man just smiled .

  He was annoying, tempting, and a distraction. She did not need him getting in her way .

  * * *

  W hat the drak was it about this woman ?

  She was trouble. Corsair knew that in his bones. He’d been born and raised in the desert, and he’d been running his own caravan for years. He’d learned to predict trouble at a very young age. When a smudge on the horizon would turn into a sandstorm. What passengers to take, and which ones to turn away. Which routes to travel, and which ones to avoid at all costs .

  And yet, he was still drawn to Neve like a desert fly to a campfire .

  “Did you find anything during your snooping?” he asked .

  She glared at him with pale-green eyes. “No. To everyone, Zaabha’s just a myth.” Annoyance rode her tone, and she looked away .

  Corsair frowned, studying the curve of her jaw, and the sharp blade of her nose. Usually, he preferred curvy, smiling women. Easy women, who came to his bed and left when he asked them to. Not edgy, dangerous, and surly .

  “Come on.” He nudged Neve with his elbow. “I’ll walk you back to the House of Galen .”

  She pulled away from him. “I’m not ready to go back. I need to find my sister .”

  “Galen’s looking for Zaabha, Neve, and he has more resources than you do. You know how hard he’s working to rescue your sister, along with Dayna and Sam .”

  “Not fast enough,” she grumbled .

  “You think you can do better ?”

  “I have to do something .” There was a flash of pain in her eyes .

  Drak . “I’ve been asking around. I might have a lead .”

  She spun, her gaze narrowing. They were on the edge of the crowd, near the entrance to an empty tunnel .

  “When I know more, I’ll tell you — ”

  Suddenly, she leaped on him, catching him by surprise. She rode him to the ground and Corsair hit the stone floor hard, the air rushing out of him .

  Her knees dug into his sides. “What do you know? Where is it ?”

  He pushed up, and they rolled across the floor. She cursed, and all he felt was that sleek body pressed against his. She was all strength and agility that he found insanely attractive .

  She tried to knee him in the balls, but he deflected, and they rolled again. He ended up beneath her once more .

  And really, he didn’t mind it all that much .

  “Where. Is. Zaabha?” she demanded .

  “I don’t know, Neve. I said I have a potential lead. I didn’t want to get your hopes up until I checked it out .”

  “Until we check it out .”

  “No. It was from a desert trader. The desert is my terrain, not yours. You’ll scare off my informants in about half a stellar second .”

  “It’s my sister who’s lost out there, not yours .”

  All of a sudden, she was jerked off him .

  Corsair looked up to see the big shape of Bren, his right-hand man, standing there, holding Neve by the back of her shirt .

  She made a snarling noise, kicking her legs to try to get free .

  But Bren was all solid strength, and held her with ease. Corsair jumped to his feet. Beyond Bren, Mersi—his right-hand woman—watched them all with a smile. With her amazing ability to finesse any engine, device, or gadget, plus her skill at organizing anything and anyone with military precision, she’d clearly already dealt with the explosive he’d given her .

  “Let her go, Bren.” Corsair dusted off his trousers, as his friend obeyed. “You need to learn some manners, Neve. Once I—” He looked up and saw she was gone .

  Bren shrugged his broad shoulders and Corsair let out a breath .

  “Losing your touch, Corsair,” Mersi said gleefully .

  He looked at his oldest friends and shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it .”

  Then he turned, hands on his hips, and looked down the empty tunnel. One thing he knew for certain was that he hadn’t seen the last of Neve Haynes .

  Chapter Two

  N eve briefly considered sneaking back into the House of Galen, then frowned. Screw it .

  She walked boldly up to the imposing front doors, stamped with the logo of the House of Galen—a helmeted gladiator in profile. The two guards flanking it gave her hard looks, but they opened the doors for her .

  As she walked through, she shook her head. How the hell had she ended up here? And what was she going to do about it? Maybe she could —

  A man was waiting for her .

  Galen, Imperator of the House, had his arms crossed over his tight, black shirt, a black cloak falling to the ground from his shoulders. He had short, dark hair, and a rugged, scarred face. A black eyepatch covered one eye, while the other was an icy blue. A man used to giving orders. Neve thought he looked like he should be commanding armies .

  “It’s dangerous to be out alone,” the imperator said .

  “I can look after myself .”

  He fell into step beside her. “We’re searching for your sister, Neve. You need to be patient .”

  Patience was not Neve’s strong suit. “It’s taking too long .”

  Galen sighed. “I dislike how long it’s taking as well. But Zaabha has been hidden a long time. If you don’t find some patience, you’ll get yourself killed .”

  “She could be hurt.” Neve’s voice cracked, and she looked away. The truth was, Ever could be dead already. Neve’s gut hardened into a knot. She couldn’t let herself believe that .

  She lifted her chin, forcing herself to continue. “Corsair said he has a potential lead. I — ”

  “I know,” Galen said .

  Her gaze narrowed on the imperator. “You do ?”

  “He contacted me to let me know you were on your way back. And he’s on his way here to discuss this lead with us .”

  Damn that pirate. But Neve nodded, and followed Galen up to the living area of the high-level gladiators. She’d been given a bedroom just down the hall from it. They entered the spacious room, where gladiators and women from Earth had already gathered. Several were in the kitchen area pouring drinks, while others sat at the long table .

  “Neve, I was looking for you.” Pretty, curvy Regan Forrest hurried over to her. “You were supposed to meet me for morning tea .”

  “Right. Sorry.” Regan was a scientist from Fortuna, and had known Neve’s sister. She was also sweet and relentless, always trying to drag Neve into the little friendship group the women had formed .

  “You missed out on these awesome little pastries the cook made,” Rory added. The former engineer was pregnant with her gladiator’s baby and, from what Neve could tell, always eating .

  As the other Earth women gathered around and started talking, Neve slipped away and crossed the room. She filled a glass with water and chugged it back. The women were all so friendly, and it made her uncomfortable. She’d never had time for girlfriends and socializing .

  The door slammed open, and she swiveled, watching Corsair swagger in. Her heart kicked in her chest. He sure made an impact .

  His gaze scanned the room, and landed on her. He smiled. The sight of it made Neve’s knees tremble for a brief moment, before she locked them .

  “So, let’s hear it, pirate,” she demanded. “What’s this mysterious lead of yours ?”

  The conversation in the room quieted, and Corsair strode to the table and dropped into a chair. “Nice to see you again so soon, Neve. You’re welcome for the assistance in ensuring that alien didn’t blow you up .”

  Regan gasped. “Neve, did you sneak out again ?”

  Neve shrugged. She wasn’t going to feel guilty about this .

  Big Thorin moved up beside Regan, sliding a muscled arm along her shoulders. The huge, hulking alien in love with the tiny woman from Earth. They made Neve think of Beauty and the Beast .

  “I seem to recall someone else sneaking out, once,” Thorin said. “And starting a bar fight .”

  Regan blushed. “That was different .”

  Neve skewered Corsair with a hard look. “I want to know — ”

  The caravan master held up his hand. “I’ve had feelers out to all my desert contacts about Zaabha and the women. At all the oases, other caravans, the desert trading posts. Most desert people don’t talk or gossip.” He shrugged. “It’s just the way of the desert. People mind their own business .”

  Galen shifted. “That’s how Zaabha has managed to remain hidden for so long .”

  Corsair nodded. “Probably. I heard a story that there was someone who might know the way to Zaabha. Someone who has a map .”

  Neve shot to her feet, vibrating with tension .

  “This person lives in an abandoned oasis, several days’ ride from here .”

  “Abandoned oasis?” Neve asked .

  “The water source dried up. The people who lived there left, and this…woman moved in, and claimed it as hers .”

  Air whistled through Galen’s teeth. “Not the Solitude Oasis .”

  Corsair nodded .

  “The den of the desert witch,” Raiden said, frowning .

  “Unfortunately, yes. From the whispers I’ve heard, the desert witch has a map to the desert arena .”

  “I heard she eats people,” Thorin rumbled .

  “I heard she sucks the life out of her victims first.” This came from Kace, standing straight and tall behind Rory’s chair .

  “I can’t confirm that, but she does leave the bones of her victims surrounding the oasis as a warning,” Corsair said .

  Neve’s mind whirled. Okay, so this witch didn’t sound like much fun, but if she had a map, Neve was going to this damn abandoned oasis .

  Galen shook his head. “I don’t like this. This could just be a trap to lure new victims .”

  “We need to check it out,” Neve said. “We have no other leads.” She forced herself to stay still, but it was hard. They finally had a lead, and she wanted to get out there. Now .

  “We need to gather more information on this witch and her lair, first,” Galen said. “I want to know everything I can about her, and the Solitude Oasis .”

  Madeline, the former space station commander, nodded. “I’ll get Ryan and Zhim working on it .”

  Neve knew human hacker Ryan, and her intelligent information merchant lover, were already working to find Zaabha. If anyone could find out about this witch, it was those two. But for Neve, that would take too damn long .

  A rumble of conversation grew, and Neve slowly slipped to the back of the room. Her gaze fell on Regan and Corsair, deep in conversation, and her mouth pressed into a firm line. Gauging the right moment, she turned and snuck out of the room. She hurried to her bedroom, grabbed her backpack, and stuffed her few belongings inside. She didn’t have much, despite Regan and the other women trying to force clothes and other things on her. Swinging the pack onto her back, she grabbed her long staff. The wood felt familiar and calming under her hands .

  She stole into the corridor, checking that no one was searching for her, then hurried to sneak out. She used one of the other exits she’d scouted, waiting for the guards to look away. Moments later, she was out. And then, it didn’t take her long to leave the arena and enter the city streets of Kor Magna .

  The city was a strange mix of old and new. The ancient, stone walls of the arena, the low, two-story buildings, and the cobbled streets made her think of some medieval Earth town. But as a sleek transport zoomed past, hovering just off the ground, and as the tall skyscrapers of the glitzy District rose up to the right, she was reminded that the place was very far from low-tech .

  Neve didn’t rush, trying not to gain anyone’s attention. When she could, she stayed close to other groups, so people wouldn’t remember a woman walking alone. Soon, the streets got wider, and the air was filled with a warm, desert breeze that brought the ripe smell of animals. On the edge of the city were the stables that supplied beasts to those who traveled the desert. The caravans, the traders, and the adventurers. She turned a corner, and ahead, she spotted a group of young men eyeing her. One man elbowed his friends, and swaggered forward. She snorted. He’d need a bit of practice before he could match Corsair for swagger .

  As she got closer, she lifted her gaze, and swung her staff off her back. She lifted her weapon up against her shoulder, and glared at him .

  He swallowed visibly and instantly backed off .

  Her mood improved, she continued on, and finally reached the very edge of the city. A hot wind was blowing in from the desert .

  Here, temporary pens had been erected, each containing various animals. Some big, some small, some fast, some lumbering. A crowd of people jostled around her, all doing a brisk trade. Nearby, it looked as though a caravan had just pulled in. Sweaty, tired-looking people were sliding off huge, six-legged tarnids .

  Neve slipped through the crowd. She asked a few quiet questions, and traded some coins. It wasn’t long before she had general directions to the Solitude Oasis—as well as plenty of shocked warnings to go nowhere near it .

  Then she moved over to where some tarnids were tied to a post, chomping on some sort of feed. She quickly pulled out her knife and cut the rope to one, before quietly leading it away .

  “Hey there, big guy,” she murmured. The beast had dark-green scales and solemn eyes .

  Finally, she stopped and climbed up onto the beast. He snorted, but stayed still. She settled in the simple saddle and stared out at the desert ahead. It was open, empty sand as far as she could see .

  She breathed deep and smiled. She liked it. She liked the emptiness .

  She patted her tarnid ’s neck. “Time to get going .”

  Suddenly, hard hands gripped her waist, and snatched her off the beast .

  Neve gasped, her pulse spiking. She spun, ready to fight…and looked straight into annoyed amber eyes .

  Chapter Three

  “A re you insane?” Corsair ground out .

  Neve looked up at him, her face furious. “Let me go. I have to find my sister .”

  “I’m trying to help you do that. The desert is a dangerous place. You could die out there .”

  That stubborn chin jutted out, and Corsair didn’t know if he wanted to kiss her or shake her .

  “I survived it before .”

  He shook his head, his arms tightening on her. “What happened to you to make you so distrusting ?”

  She looked away .

  Edgy frustration slid through Corsair. For so long, he’d made his life exactly the way he wanted it to be. Running his caravan was his passion. He took the jobs that suited him, and on his caravan, everyone obeyed his orders. Always .

  This woman challenged him every second .

  “I need to find the desert witch,” Neve said. “By the time Galen collects data and plans, I could already be at Zaabha .”

  Or be dead. Corsair ground his teeth together. “Ask me for help .”

  That all-too-familiar glare was aimed his way. “I don’t need help .”

  “I know the way to Solitude. I’m sure you’ve asked around, and gotten some vague and conflicting directions .”

  She shifted on her feet and he knew he was right .

  “I can cut your journey time by at least half, and be your backup. I know the desert far better than you. Ask me for help, Neve .”

  A conflicted look crossed her face and she remained silent .

  “You are so drakking stubborn,” he growled, backing her up against the tarnid . The beast snuffled but didn’t move, used to being jostled by people .

 

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