Blue solace complete ser.., p.120
Blue Solace: Complete Series Boxset, page 120
Xaran stood, smirking. “Or, I’ll keep your scientist and his son, and they’ll develop the cure or die.” He waved toward the guards. “Grab the two doctors. Kill the rest.”
Death smiled. “Bad idea.”
Xaran glared. “Guards!”
Crow looked around the room. Every guard and Dramacus official was frozen in place, unmoving. Some were in the process of stepping forward, and others had their weapons posed to attack.
Degran waved a hand in front of Neiene’s face, and the man didn’t move or acknowledge him. “What the hell?”
Death moved to stand in front of Fasi and faced Xaran. “I won’t tolerate any threats against my friends and family, Dramiad. I am a citizen of Charybdis Station, and I will protect them with my life. As you can see, some of those rumors you’ve heard are correct. I can easily kill every last person on your planet if I wish, or I could freeze them in place and our people can take the Vextonians, one by one. We know who is here and where they are.”
Xaran shook as he fell back in his seat. “What do you want?”
Death gave him a look. “I believe the Lord Admiral has already told you what we want. Since you are suffering from Pleuli Feciose yourself, I will try to forgive this slight of yours. This time.”
“This is our last offer, Xaran.” Fasi moved to stand beside Death. “Will you give us each of the Vextonians in exchange for Verion and Wyatt’s help?”
Xaran stared at his frozen guards. “Fine.”
Fasi nodded and smiled. “That wasn’t so hard, was it? Transport ships are already on the way here to collect the Vextonians. I want them all by the end of the week. If you need a list of names and locations, we can get that for you. If any of them are harmed in any way… Well, do I even need to say it?”
Xaran shook his head.
“Wyatt and I will set up our stations on the Blue Sparrow within your spaceport and begin working. Please send at least twenty pureblooded Dramiads to our ship so we can collect samples,” Death said. “If your physicians have any notes or samples of their own to share, it would be appreciated. Also, we would like files and blood and stool samples of any current cases they are treating, including yours. Wyatt and I will make this our primary focus and do the best we can to develop a cure, a vaccine, or both. At the moment, there are too many possibilities for me to provide you with a timeline. I’ll update you on our progress daily.”
Xaran nodded. “My guards?”
“They’ll be fine once we’re out of the palace.” Death smiled again, and Xaran shuddered. “You’re lucky I’m with Charybdis Station now. My Lord Admiral is far kinder than I am. I would have killed you by now and taken what I wanted. Your soul is in need of harvesting.”
Crow looked at Finn. His mate seemed far too calm for this conversation.
Parker’s hand on his back startled him. “Boss, this is some bizarre shit.”
Sandve’s voice came from behind him. “Yes, it is. I don’t even know why I bothered coming.”
Crow sniffed. “Me neither.”
Chapter 15
En route to Planet Rueal
A few days later, Degran’s ship was full of Vextonians. Finn and the others were lounging in the commons with Fasi and his guards. While Dru and her crew had stayed behind with Death and Wyatt, the bulk of the soldiers had gone with Fasi.
“You weren’t scared at all, were you?” Crow asked for the hundredth time.
Finn groaned and snuggled into his mate’s side, contemplating the cards in his hand. “No, I wasn’t. I’ve seen Death in action. He has some wild powers. I’m glad too. We’ll get each and every slave back without casualties of our own and within a short time. That’s a win, Aiden.”
“Yeah, Aiden.” Sandve studied his own cards before drawing another. Roxy hissed from her own chair next to Sandve, and the operative jumped. “Damn brat.”
Crow stroked the glimmer’s head. “Good girl.”
Finn looked across the mess hall. “Look.” A Vextonian child was curled up on Fasi’s lap, staring at the Lord Admiral’s tablet as he talked to his mom and dad. “We may not have found Ezvin yet, but we’ve still saved quite a few today.
Crow’s face softened. “Yeah. It’s a big win.”
Brisco sat at the table, tablet held in front of him. On the screen, Finn could see Death. The man sighed heavily. “What do you want now?”
Brisco grinned. “What does my soul look like now? Is it better? I helped clean all the toilets on the ship. By the goddess, that had to have made my soul all shiny, right?”
“Why aren’t you afraid?” Death almost sounded plaintive. “You should be. You’re irritating the hell out of me.”
“Sorry, Dr. Morrick,” Finn said and reached over to turn off Brisco’s tablet.
Crow’s friend glared at him. “What the hell, Finn?”
Sandve shook his head and dealt another round of cards. “Your friends have no common sense, Aiden.”
Finn thought that maybe Sandve didn’t have much common sense. He seemed to take great joy in baiting Crow.
Parker slid into a seat at their table. “Remember, boss. He’s your mate’s friend, so you can’t kill him. Also, he’s too fast for me to shoot.”
Sandve grinned. “Aww, I like you too, Parker.”
Parker rolled his eyes. “Anyway, Brisco and I are going to Charbydis Station with you guys when this is over.”
Finn raised his brows. “What makes you think we’re going to Charybdis Station when we have all the Vextonians? Aiden has his family, a nice villa, and a business on Rueal.”
Crow snorted. “I do have my family, but Mom took over the villa and my business.”
Parker nodded. “She’s better at it then he is too. She stays mostly legal to throw off the authorities and only smuggles out the really profitable stuff. Everyone trusts her ‘cause she looks so damn sweet.”
“Well, Jada knows.” Crow grinned. “She grew up with me, so she knows Mom’s ways.”
Finn swallowed hard. “You’re saying you’ll move to Charybdis Station?”
Parker leaned over and kissed Finn’s forehead. “Yes, sweetheart. I’ll move to Charybdis Station.”
Sandve started shaking with laughter. “I really do like you, Parker.”
Crow growled and swatted at his friend. “Get out of here.”
Parker laughed and leaned into Brisco. The other man had Death on his tablet again. “What about my soul, Morrick?” Parker asked. “Is it black as the night sky?”
Finn ignored the people around them and turned to his mate. “Are you serious about this, Aiden? We haven’t talked about it.”
In fact, they had gone out of their way to avoid talking about it. They had spoken about all kinds of things – their pasts, their friends and families, their hopes for the future – but they hadn’t discussed where that future would be.
Crow looked around for a moment, then jumped up, keeping Finn in his arms. “Let’s go to our room. It’s too crowded here. Sandve, babysit Roxy.”
Sandve scowled. “Damn it.”
Finn let Crow carry him down the hall. Their room was a glorified broom closet with no windows. Fuck, I’m become a pampered officer.
When the door shut behind them, Crow set him down. “Okay, so I spoke to Fasi about work on the station. Mom already gave me her blessing, and I’ll talk to Dermot when we get back home.”
“Home.” Finn took Crow’s hands. “Rueal is your home. I don’t mind moving there. I won’t lie. It’ll be hard to leave Charybdis Station, but you’re my mate, Aiden, and I love you. Our mating has been a bit of a wild ride because of my duties, but you’re my home, not the station. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be okay.”
Crow cupped his cheek and stroked a thumb across Finn’s lips. “You don’t see the way you light up when you talk about Dannol and the others. When you left Cardinal’s Hold, did you miss it as much as you would miss Charybdis Station?”
Finn winced. “I missed Amelia, but you’re right. Cardinal’s Hold was never home.”
“Charybdis Station is.” Crow gave him a half smile. “Believe it or not, I’m excited to switch things up. Rueal will get back on its feet without me. Mom is having a good time with the business, and Dermot and Jenise will start their own family soon. I love you, Finn. I know I put off saying it, but I’m ready now. I want my chance with you.”
Finn jumped, wrapping his legs around Crow’s waist when his mate caught him. Finn pulled him down for a kiss, hands shaking with emotion. “I want my chance with you too.”
Crow laughed and took his time putting Finn back on his feet. “I kinda have some news for you.”
Finn frowned. “Why aren’t we on the bed now? That was the plan, right?”
Crow snorted. “We’ll get there. Hold on, fluffball.” He lifted his shirt, baring his abdomen. “We haven’t gotten enough naked time lately, but I had Wyatt do a scan.”
It took Finn a moment to figure out what Crow was saying. His eyes widened when he finally noticed Crow’s birthing line. “Oh shit! A baby?”
Crow nodded, eyes nervous. “How do you feel about it? I’m scared shitless but excited too. I can see us with kids, but I always thought it would be a few years down the road.”
Finn’s heart was beating too fast, and his vision dimmed around the edges. He could see them with a couple of kids back home on Charybdis Station.
His house wasn’t a villa, but it was nice, and Dannol was right next door. The kids could play with all the pets in the neighborhood, and they wouldn’t lack for friends. Hell, Leti was probably pregnant again or had adopted another kid by now. It had been a whole two weeks since Finn had spoken with him.
“I can keep Dannol?” Finn asked, barely recognizing his voice. His fingers touched the tears coming from his eyes. “I didn’t want to leave him, Aiden. I would for you, but he’s my best friend, and I came so close to losing him like I did Hazel.”
Crow hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize how much this has been weighing on you. I pretty much made up my mind a few weeks ago.”
Finn buried his face in Crow’s shoulder. “I didn’t realize it either. I’ve been trying not to think about it. Can we have snuggle time? We’ve not had enough lately.”
Crow looked surprised. “You want snuggle time instead of naked time?”
Finn chuckled. “Yes, but don’t get used to it.”
They unhooked their comms and took off their boots before lying on the bed.
Finn pressed his ear against Crow’s chest and listened to his heart beat. “What do you think our kids will be like?”
Crow’s hmm vibrated through Finn. “They’ll be stubborn and probably too serious. I’ll apologize for it in advance because I’m sure they’ll get that from me. Maybe they’ll get some of your joy for life to counteract it.”
Finn smiled and traced his name across Crow’s stomach. “I’ll teach them the silks, and you can teach them to shoot. We’ll even get them their own little Rufus. They can zap people that tug on their tails.”
“No one’s tugging on my kid’s tail or I’m shooting their ass.” Crow scowled and stroked a hand down Finn’s fluffy tail. “Your tail is included there too.”
Fin chuckled. “Okay, big guy. Do you think Dermot and your mom will come visit?”
“Yes.” Crow seemed very sure, and Finn hoped he was right. He didn’t like the idea of taking Diana’s son away from her.
“Will Diana be okay without you? It wasn’t too long ago that she was a grieving mess.”
Crow kissed the top of Finn’s head. “She’ll be alright. She has a purpose now. Before Dad died, her life revolved around him and the family. Now, she has a business and a family in her crew.”
Finn sighed. “Okay. I’ll try not to worry about it. So, Brisco is coming with us so he can follow Death around and irritate him. Why do you think Parker wants to come?”
Crow sniffed. “He is my friend.”
Finn leaned back and gave Crow a look. “While I’m sure that’s part of it, that can’t be all of it.”
Crow snorted. “That’s the truth. I don’t know. I think Parker is as ready for a change as I am.”
Finn’s comm chimed, and he reached across Crow and grabbed it. “Halli sent an update.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Most of the Vextonians are on their way to one of the safe havens. There are still some that have been harder to find, but she’s working on tracing them. We’re getting there.” Finn let his eyes close. “Three months in, and we’re making good progress.”
Finn rested in Crow’s arms and thought about the report he had gotten from Audre about Vextonar. While the fighting was over, most of the planet was abandoned and there was no government left. The Primes that had ruled Vextonar were no more.
Wineon had sold such a large portion of the population, but many had left as soon as they were able so they could search for their loved ones or join up in the fight against Humans First. The ones that stayed either didn’t have much choice or were fully supportive of HF.
Now, everyone left was just tired. The city planet was a barren rock, and its people were displaced. I hope the Vextonians have a home to return to when this is all over.
His comm chimed again with an incoming call. He saw who it was and grinned. “Dannol.”
His friend’s happy face projected above his comm. “What are you doing lying in bed, Finn? Is that Aiden?”
Crow cleared his throat. “Hi, Dannol. It’s nice to meet you finally.”
“Finn’s been hiding you away from me.” Dannol shook his head, trying to look stern. “Plus, I had to learn about the baby from the Lord Admiral.”
Finn sat up. “Wait, Fasi knows? I just found out, damn it. How is it that I’m not even on Charybdis Station and gossip still travels this fast?”
Dannol’s image blurred as Finn’s friend bounced in his seat. “I spoke to Ms. Diana too. She said you two were settling on the station after the Vextonians are found.”
“You spoke with my mom?” Crow sounded amused.
Dannol nodded, grinning. “Then Meggie, Nessa, and I went in and cleaned up your house, Finn. It’s such a bachelor’s pad. It was kinda embarrassing having to explain your aerial silks to Nessa, and Meggie may have rifled through your underwear drawer.”
“Really, Dannol? Really?” Finn narrowed his eyes. “Why do you look guilty?”
“You know everyone already knew about your fancy undies.” Dannol’s eyes wouldn’t meet his. “Selene had to keep telling you to wear more practical underwear when we were in training.”
“Dannol?”
“Okay, so Meggie blabbed to a few more folks, and now people keep dropping fancy underwear off at your house. Fire likes them too, so he’s been searching through the boxes they leave on your porch.”
Finn groaned. “The blue fleet doesn’t need to know what their lieutenant wears under his uniform.”
Dannol gave him a bright smile. “Well, now they do, and you have some nice new things waiting on you when you get back.”
Crow started laughing and that set Dannol to giggling. The Havenite could never resist laughing with someone.
Finn leaned over and bit Crow’s shoulder. “Maybe we shouldn’t live on the station.”
Chapter 16
Sugarworm System, Planet Rueal
Crow was a little sad to be leaving Degran’s ship, and he’d never thought he would think that about a slave ship. Finn and he had spent most of the trip holed up together talking and loving on one another. It had been a nice reprieve.
He looked at the determined people filling Finn’s conference room. The reprieve is officially over.
Finn’s captains, Leslie, and Fasi spread out around the room. Moyra was back from the Weasel’s base and looking grim. Roxy sat in her lap and rubbed her head against Moyra’s chin to comfort her.
Finn sat in Crow’s lap and reviewed his notes on his tablet. “Of the two million seventy-five thousand three hundred and twenty-two missing Vextonians, we’ve recovered one million five hundred and seventy thousand two hundred and sixteen.”
“Dramacus is honoring their word?” Weber asked, expression amazed. “I guess it’s a good thing Death is still on their planet.”
Fasi looked disgusted. “Verion and Wyatt will stay there until all the Vextonians are away, just in case Xaran tries to renege on the agreement.”
Finn sighed. “According to Teresa Malone’s ledgers, sixteen thousand three hundred and fifty-two died on the way to Rueal. We’ve discovered the rest of the Vextonians went to the Weasel. It’s been months since they were sent to him.”
Moyra stood, keeping Roxy in her arms. “Noe and a few other Full Moon operatives are still in the Weasel’s base. We’ve scoured the place as well as we could and most of the remaining Vextonians are there.”
“Most?” Ronnie asked.
“They have several large warehouses that are housing over a million slaves.” Moyra stroked a hand down Roxy’s back. “Alber hacked their systems, and a large portion of our missing Vextonians are still there.”
Weber grinned. “This is good news. He could have sold them all across the galaxy by now.”
Moyra smirked. “For some reason, moving them has gotten a little harder lately.”
Fasi snorted. “Charbydis Station and our allies are making it hell for anyone trying to keep them.”
“Some aren’t there though.” Finn bit his lip, and Crow felt a surge of sympathy for his mate. “Ezvin isn’t there.”
Moyra gave him a sad look. “Not according to the records. All they say is that Ezvin and twelve other Vextonians were sold together on the black auction. We can’t find who they went to.”
“We’ll find them,” Weber said. Each captain in the room looked just as determined.
Crow hugged Finn and almost laughed when Finn rubbed his head against Crow’s chin, just like Roxy was currently doing to Moyra. “What’s it going to cost us to take out the pirate base?” he asked.
Moyra eyed him. “Good question. Their defenses are impressive. From what I can tell, no other planet in the system knows they’re there. Hell, Aruta doesn’t seem to pay attention to any of their moons, and one of their other moons is actually habitable to a range of species.”
