Rachol grabbed his bag off the floor and gave Kiara a nasty glare. His glare intensified as Nykyrian pulled her into his arms to kiss her good-bye. With a heated curse, Rachol entered the bay.
"We'll be back around dark," Nykyrian said, squeezing her arm reassuringly.
Kiara watched him leave, her heart heavy with fear and worry.
"Should I ask about what I just saw?"
Darling's voice distracted her from her thoughts. Kiara shrugged.
A tiny smile curved one corner of his mouth. "Now that I think about it, I slept on the couch with Rachol. The only other bed is the one upstairs." Darling stared at her with an intensity she found a bit disturbing. "Just where did Nykyrian spend the night?" He raised his eyebrows several times.
Laughing at his expression, Kiara took a seat across from him. "Why are you so interested?"
Darling mimicked her shrug. "I've had a crush on Nykyrian for years. If not for fear of my life, I would have made a pass at him long ago."
Kiara watched the way Darling cut up his food with one hand. "May I ask a personal question?"
He looked up at her. "Why am I homosexual?"
She smiled. "No, that's none of my business."
He saluted her with his fork. "At least you have more manners than the average being.
So what's your question?"
"How did you get the scar on your face?" He went so still, Kiara wished she could take the question back. Self-consciously, Darling put his fork down and rubbed the cheek covered by his hair. "It's disgusting, isn't it?"
"No," she answered honestly. "But it is deep."
Darling sighed. "Yeah, you should have seen it sixteen operations ago."
Kiara's eyes widened in shock. "What happened?"
He shrugged as if the matter didn't really bother him. "My eldest brother. We got into a fight a few years ago and this," he tucked his hair behind his ear to display the scar, "is what happened."
"Your brother?" Kiara was aghast. Didn't any of them have a happy childhood? Darling nodded. "Kylar was always a bastard."
Compassion welled up inside her as she surveyed the scar. "You know, you're still very handsom e."
He gave her a look that told her he thought she had lost her mind.
"You're very generous," he said quietly. "Most people curl their lips and run."
"Most people are idiots."
He laughed. "True enough." Darling turned serious. He sat back in his chair and studied her face for several minutes. "I want you to promise me something."
Kiara glanced sideways, her mind thinking of several things he might want from her.
"What?"
"I want you to take care of Nykyrian. I can't explain it, but he's different now that you're here. Happier, I guess. He doesn't seem so serious and emotionless anymore." Darling's eyes narrowed into an intense stare that probed her soul. "I want you to promise me you won't hurt him."
Kiara smiled. "I would never hurt him."
Darling nodded. "Good, now let's go digging around and see what kind of trouble we can find."
Kiara laughed, happy to find Darling such an easy person to befriend. Leading him to the book closet, she tried to keep her mind from worrying over Nykyrian and the trouble he might find.
*
Hours later, Nykyrian and Rachol sat in the back room of the Bended Maiden sipping drinks. Nykyrian's head pounded from a huge headache. They continued to review their findings for the afternoon, to little avail. Nykyrian sighed. All he wanted was an end to this whole stupid, dangerous affair with Kiara safe by his side. Agitated at the apparent futility of his wish, he sifted through the sheets of print-outs that lined the tabletop.
The bare, tan walls kept out the noise of the clientele in the bar area. Antilles brought them another round of drinks. Nykyrian watched the elder man fight his way around all the boxes and barrels that stored his supplies.
Antilles smiled, as he was setting their drinks on the table. "It's good to have the two of you back. It's been too long."
Nykyrian nodded his head in appreciation and handed him payment for the drinks.
"Has Ryn arrived?" Rachol asked.
Nykyrian could tell by the way Rachol shuffled papers that he was bored with their wait.
Antilles offered Rachol an apologetic smile. "He hasn't yet, but I promise to send him back here as soon as he does."
When they were alone again, Rachol let out his own heavy sigh. "Shahara is my main worry. Aksel comes in full force, blasters blazing. She slips up from behind and drives a blade into your lung. Lethal harita."
Nykyrian nodded, knowing all too well the female assassin's reputation. "I'll go to Tondara tonight and try to find Driana. She'll gladly give me Aksel's plans."
Rachol shook his head. "From my reports, I'm surprised Aksel hasn't killed her.
Everything I have says they hate each other." Rachol yawned.
Nykyrian sipped his drink, thinking about Driana. "Aksel won't kill her because of her trust fund. If they divorce or she dies under mysterious circumstances, all her m oney reverts to her family. Aksel's too greedy to let something like hatred interfere with his wealth."