He stepped into the docking bay and looked around. He’d never been on a pirate ship before and a shiver of anticipation prickled down his spine. It wasn’t what he’d expected—the place was immaculate, gleaming black and silver, and the air smelled fresh and clean.
Behind him, the door slid shut. He turned to see the three of them lined up, staring at him. None of them looked happy. The captain stood in the center, her hands shoved into the pockets of her tight black pants. She wore a scarlet shirt, knee-high boots, and a weapon’s belt strapped to her thigh. Her dark hair was cut short, her narrow face dominated by yellow eyes, the irises almost slits. This close, he could see the faint luminosity of her skin—she wasn’t beautiful but again he felt that stab of lust.
He wanted her, and soon. But she hadn’t been the pushover he’d expected, and when he’d tried to probe her mind, he’d hit a brick wall. That was another skill he’d developed over the past few years—another sign he was changing. He’d always been able to communicate with the Collective members, but now he could also read non-Collectives—not their actual thoughts, but their emotions, so he could tell whether they were lying or telling the truth—which had come in handy. But with this woman, nothing.
He raised an eyebrow, as they all remained unmoving. “Are we waiting for something?”
The captain shrugged, then pressed the comm unit strapped to her wrist. “We’re ready to go.”
She listened to something said in reply. “I don’t know.” She glanced at Callum. “Are we still heading to Trakis Two?”
“Yes, but for the moment, just get us away from here.” When she remained silent, studying him out of those cold yellow eyes, he continued, “Did I mention there might be a lockdown? Could we leave? Now?”
She shrugged again and then spoke into the comm unit. “Head into deep space.”
His ultimate goal was Trakis Seven, but it was probably best not to mention that just yet. Most people had no wish to go anywhere near the planet and usually had to be transported there in cryo—it was a one-way trip. But if he was going to find any answers about the nature of Meridian, he reckoned that was where they’d be.
Beneath his feet, the ship rumbled as the main thrusters were engaged, and then they were off. A wave of exhilaration washed over him. They were on their way. For a while, he could forget the weight of responsibility. Forget the rest of the world. Wasn’t it about time he had something for himself after all the years he’d devoted to running this rotten universe?
“Could someone show me to my room?” he asked.
“I’ll take you,” the captain said. “By the way—we haven’t been properly introduced. I think you were too busy trying to kill us last time we met.”
Callum ignored the comment.
“Skylar, you know. I’m Tannis, and this is Daisy.” She waved at the green girl who now stood with a wide smile on her face and her weapon holstered. “I’ll introduce you to the rest of the crew later. Except Jon and Alex, they’re meeting us on Trakis Two. So, what do we call you?”
“Your Great Holy Leadership,” Daisy suggested with a grin.
Callum was getting the distinct impression that the crew didn’t like him. He supposed he couldn’t blame them—he had tried to have them all killed.
He smiled. “Call me Callum.”
Besides, he wasn’t interested in the rest of the crew. He was interested in Tannis. This was a chance to get her alone, see how she really felt about him.
…
“Let’s go,” Tannis said and then paused. “Shit. Where the hell are we going to put you?”
The ship was almost full. It could support a crew of eight comfortably, and that was what they had right now. Luckily that included two couples who were more than happy to share. Skylar had moved in with Rico, and Jon and Alex had moved into Skylar’s guest suite, which was empty at the moment, but full of their stuff. Tannis had the captain’s suite, the best rooms on the ship, but she certainly wasn’t giving them up; they had been her home for fifteen years. When she’d first come on board and Rico had shown her the rooms she’d broken down and cried—something she’d sworn she would never do again.
She’d avoided looking at Callum directly. He had a strange effect on her insides, and she didn’t know why, so she’d limited herself to oblique glances. Now she allowed herself to study him. He was tall, lean and rangy in build, but the wings made him appear larger. They probably made things awkward—like dressing. He wore dark pants and a purple shirt, likely custom-made, that perfectly matched his eyes. She glanced up to find him watching her. His face was long, with prominent cheekbones and a full, sensual mouth, but dominated by his eyes. The rest of him faded into insignificance when she looked into those inhuman violet orbs—almost. They radiated a sense of power and age that sent a shiver running through her.
She gave herself a mental shake. “Come on.”