The Thief's Dark (Renegades Book 3) Read online

  Zoe smiled half-heartedly at her. She didn’t know Addison well. There was something about her that made Zoe feel uncomfortable like she was under scrutiny by an alien that was trying to figure out where to make the first incision. She knew a lot of the crew felt that way around her, but Sophia liked everyone, and everyone liked Sophia.

  Zoe looked at her and smiled. If Sophia were ever taken by one of the slavers, it would be just like her to charm her way out of it. No one could stand up to the force of Sophia’s open friendliness and universally recognised adorableness.

  ‘Right,’ Sophia slapped her hands on the table. ‘I’m going to get the hot chocolate. Tara’ll be here in a mo.’

  Sophia was gone before Zoe could say anything. She watched her friend saunter through the tables to the drink machines. As she moved through the rows of tables, she stopped and chatted to Ariana, one of the ship’s security officers, and Sakura, one of Earth’s negotiators. They were both Japanese, or at least Ariana was part-Japanese. Zoe saw the darker skin and kinked hair that hinted at mixed ancestry.

  Zoe’s eyes turned to Sophia. She knew because it was one of the first things Sophia had ever said to her—that her mother was Spanish and her dad was Nigerian.

  Turning back to her food and, without really paying attention to it, Zoe tucked in. She tried to steer her thoughts away from what was happening in nav, but the only other place her mind wanted to go was Whittaker.

  She had slept with Whittaker, of course, believing him when he said he was falling in love with her. It was that which angered her the most. Why couldn’t he just be honest? It was the lies she was left with and her willingness to believe them. He’d been a bit patronising, but she figured that was just the kind of person he was. Otherwise, for those few weeks, he’d been sweet, attentive, and funny. Then, one day, the affection stopped. Looking back, Zoe realised it had been diminishing for some time. Whittaker liked the fresh excitement of a new relationship. While Zoe looked forward to the time when they would become comfortable with each other, relaxed, he was after the thrill of the new and his attention span was shockingly short. As soon as the rest of the crew began transferring over from the training ship, Whittaker’s attention moved on. One day, she saw him kissing another member of the crew, and that was when she realised it was over and had been for some time.

  Three cups slammed onto the table. Chocolate slopped over and dribbled down the sides towards the Formica surface.

  ‘Oh my god, Soph, be careful with that.’

  Zoe looked up and saw Tara pulling her chair out to join them.

  Sophia pushed a cup at Tara and another at Zoe before picking up the third and taking a huge gulp. Tara grabbed hers, cradled it in both hands, and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent.

  ‘Chocolate is life,’ she murmured before taking a long sip. Almost as soon as that was done, she placed the cup down and took a massive forkful of food. Zoe watched as she hummed while chewing, a big smile on her face as her shoulders bopped to a tune that only Tara could hear.

  ‘What’s the goss? What’d I miss?’ Tara looked from Sophia to Zoe and back again.

  ‘Whittaker being a slime, as per usual.’ Sophia grimaced.

  Zoe cringed. She just wanted to forget about him.

  ‘Oh, he’s such a creeper.’ Tara rolled her eyes.

  ‘He doesn’t touch you though.’ Sophia pointed at Tara, leaning across the table. ‘I’ve never seen him come near you. How come?’

  Tara had shovelled more food into her mouth. Now she grinned, her lips stretched over closed teeth. She held out a finger and slowly chewed through the bite.

  ‘I made friends with his daughter,’ Tara said after she’d swallowed.

  ‘What?’ Zoe stared at her.

  ‘He mentioned his daughter wants to join OSAF in a meeting. She wants to be an operations manager like me. When I heard about,’ she glanced at Zoe, ‘all the stuff he was doing, I contacted her and made friends.’

  ‘You’re kidding?’

  ‘Her name is Emily. She’s so sweet and so pretty, and thin,’ Tara grimaced, looking down at her larger form. ‘Though not as thin as you.’ Tara reached across the table and wrapped her thumb and fingers around Sophia’s upper arm, until they touched. Sophia scowled and slapped her hand away.

  ‘She’s nineteen,’ Tara continued. She scooped up more food from her plate. ‘At uni in Perth and planning on joining OSAF after she gets her degree in xenopolitics, so I’m mentoring her.’ Tara’s grin widened. ‘I went to his apartment after I arranged for Emily to call and we all had a long talk. Emily knows exactly what he’s like and he’s under strict instructions not to fuck this up for her.’

  ‘Xenopolitics,’ Zoe said. ‘They offer that now?’

  Tara shrugged. ‘Perth is.’

  ‘Savage!’ Sophia Laughed. ‘As usual. Can you add Zoe to his hands-off list?’

  Zoe winced as Tara glanced over. ‘I can try.’

  ‘Can we change the subject?’ Zoe leaned towards her friends. ‘I’m so sick to death of talking and thinking about James Fucking Whittaker.’

  ‘Of course.’ She squeezed Zoe’s arm. Sophia was the only one who knew Zoe had fallen for Whittaker’s lies.

  ‘Ooo, I have a change of topic.’ Tara looked at the two of them and waggled her eyebrows.

  ‘Well?’ Sophia prompted when Tara waited, a grin on her full lips.

  ‘When we get to the IGC, we’ve been invited to a mixer with the Amarans.’

  Sophia perked up, her face radiating excitement. ‘I hear those guys are such horn dogs.’ Her eyes burned with enthusiasm.

  ‘I met Rhona Desares at an officers’ party a few months ago.’ Tara smiled. ‘Apparently, she met the Ilan once, on a video chat, and he propositioned her right in front of her husband.’

  Sophia’s grin beamed. She cooled her face with a wave of her hand. ‘I can’t wait to meet them.’ She looked at Zoe, then back at Tara. ‘Do you think the Ilan will be there?’

  ‘Rhona told me something else as well.’ Tara’s grin had widened. ‘They have three genders, and basically, the woman gets a male, and they have a third gender who also have dicks.’

  Sophia leaned forward in rapt attention. ‘Their breeding is built on threesomes?’

  ‘Kuyon are like that too. They need two fathers for each child.’ Tara waggled her eyebrows.

  ‘How does that even work?’ Zoe asked and immediately regretted it when Tara and Sophia laughed.

  ‘And the Hinari have four fathers for each child.’ She smiled. ‘And Adosians, two to five fathers.’

  ‘How is that even possible?’ Zoe said. ‘It’s ridiculous.’

  ‘I dunno.’ Sophia sat back. ‘But I want to know what the hell I’m doing on Earth with only one man per woman.’

  ‘We’re going to a space station filled with these aliens. A lot of whom pay for human women. You’re going to have options.’

  Sophia scowled, ‘Yeah, but when you put it like that…’

  Tara’s face fell. ‘Oh, Sophia, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think.’

  Sophia smiled weakly at Tara. ‘It’s fine.’

  ‘How was Rosie when you left?’ Zoe asked.

  Sophia shook her head in answer.

  Rosie had been taken in a slaving raid twelve years ago. She returned after eight years with the help of the Tessans. Zoe didn’t know much about it, except it was Rosie’s return that had spurred Sophia to join OSAF as a fighter pilot.

  ‘Hey, Pyri.’ Sophia waved, her previous emotion wiped away by the arrival of a new person.

  ‘Hey there, sure thing.’ The redhead waved.

  ‘Sure thing?’ Zoe looked up at Pyri in shock, then back at Sophia.

  ‘Oh no, I don’t mean that.’ Pyri stumbled over the words, her face flaming red.

  ‘Aww!’ Sophia frowned at her. Pyri laughed.

  ‘What’s this about?’ Zoe asked.

  ‘Pyri thinks I’m one of the holders of the data packet.’ Sophia shrugged.
/>   ‘Oh my god, that makes so much sense.’ Tara stared at Sophia with her mouth open.

  ‘I take it you’ve got your money on Sophia?’

  ‘Sure thing.’ She shrugged. ‘I know it in my bones.’

  Zoe looked at Sophia, who watched her in return. ‘Hmm, if I were going to give a data packet that contained all info on Earth’s resources for trade, and the payment and the application for IGC membership to anybody, would I give it to Sophia Abara?’

  ‘Abso-fucking-lutely.’ Sophia winked. ‘But I don’t have it.’

  ‘Which is exactly what you’d say if you were one of the holders of the data packet,’ Tara said through a mouth full of food.

  Zoe grimaced in disgust.

  ‘And it’s exactly what I’d say if I wasn’t.’ Sophia shrugged.

  Pyri leaned over. ‘I got the report,’ she whispered.

  ‘And?’

  ‘Lieutenant Lansdown’s gone to the captain.’

  Zoe looked at Pyri; there was fear on her face. She became aware that Tara and Sophia were leaning in.

  ‘The Halidan have been pushing us off course in tiny, regular increments for the last twenty-seven hours,’ she whispered. ‘We’re not going to make the rendezvous with the Teyas.’

  ‘What the fuck?’ Sophia breathed.

  ‘Shit,’ Zoe heard Tara whisper. She looked at her raven-haired friend.

  ‘The Halidan left us a few minutes before I left the bridge,’ Tara whispered. ‘They said they had an emergency.’

  ‘So we’re off course and we’re not being escorted?’ Zoe inhaled.

  ‘I have to get to the bridge,’ Tara said, dropping her fork on her plate.

  Tara stood just as an impact hit the ship. She stumbled and fell as Pyri landed on top of her.

  The lights went out, and startled cries rose as someone screamed. Red light flooded the room a moment later.

  Pyri crawled off Tara, who stood. She froze, looking around the room filled with shocked faces. ‘What are you waiting around for?’ she said. ‘To your stations!’

  The room erupted into movement, and the doors opened, allowing the departing crowd to leave.

  ‘This is the captain. Everyone to their designated battle stations!’ Captain Durrani’s voice piped in through the ship’s intercom.

  Zoe looked around, disorientation slowly lifting as her training kicked in.

  ‘Sophia,’ she called out, realising she couldn’t see the woman.

  ‘Here.’

  Zoe tracked her voice and saw her across the room with Addison, who was getting to her feet, a terrified look on her face. She looked for Tara and saw her disappearing around the corner.

  ‘Go!’ Sophia called out.

  Zoe turned towards astronav and ran. Nav was three decks below the mess, and by the time she was on the right floor, she was alone.

  Her foot hit the deck, and she was turning towards the centre of the ship when all of the air rushed past her in a torrent that tore her from her feet. It was only the fact that her hand was still on the bannister that prevented her from being immediately flushed out into space.

  She gripped on with all her might, feeling the cold fingers of the vacuum of space slipping over her body before the air was suddenly still again. She dropped to the floor and gasped for breath.

  It took her a moment to realise what the air stabilising meant.

  A seal had been made.

  They were being boarded.

  Glossary of Terms

  Hour – Hacri

  Minutes – Metri

  Seconds – Sicri

  Miles – Madith

  Foot/feet – Fenth

  Inch/inches – Inith/iniths

  Day – Rote

  Month – Cycle

  Year - Solar

  Dammit – Vassek

  Fuck – Vrok

  Fucking – Vrokking

  Shit – Durv

  Shithead – Durev

  Idiot – Vashni

  Scum – Keth

  Piece of shit - Vadik*

  *Fedhithi

  Daris looked at Heflik and growled.

  ‘You need a job, Daris? I have a job for you. Good money, no questions.’

  Usually, Daris didn’t take a job unless he knew everything about it. He didn’t like secrets; he didn’t like surprises, and he liked to be prepared. Only he’d vrokked up the last job and Daris wasn’t sure what Adalth, the head of the Calidon Crime Syndicate, would do when the male found out. He didn’t want to be there when the discovery was made. Running had seemed like the safe option, and he’d taken the first job that was offered to him.

  Now he was on the vrokking slave ship The Crucible, invading the ship that Makios and the Tessans had spent so much time and resources helping Earth build. This was a nightmare. More than anything, Daris wanted to leave, get on his ship, contact Makios to tell him what was happening, and disappear before the Tessans showed up.

  He looked around the shuttle at the assembled males. He saw an Orthali with his six long, twisting appendages which appeared to originate from somewhere on his back as they moved around him. Three large Potuun whispered in a corner, and an Ajnia, his four arms folded across his chest, glared at everyone in the room. His eyes moved to Daris, and for a moment, he sneered. When Daris held his glare, he looked away.

  A horned, battle-scarred Qoni stood on powerful digitigrade feet beside Daris. Daris had thought Heflik was a good male, but he seemed to be buzzing with enthusiasm for what they were about to do.

  Perhaps I should review my taste in friends.

  As soon as he had the opportunity, Daris was going to drag Heflik aside and vrok him up.

  Daris growled again as the hull was fully penetrated and a seal was formed. Around him, forty aliens surged forward and carried him aboard the Earth ship.

  He had to find somewhere to hide. When he got back to The Crucible, he was going to get the vrok off the ship and fly far, far away from all of this drama.

  The hallway of the human ship was white and grey. Cold and utilitarian. Daris stepped back from the crowd, pressed himself to a wall, and waited for the hallway to empty.

  Almost as soon as they were on board, Daris heard the sound of battle begin. Weapons fired, and screams and shouts filled the halls.

  He felt a chill go through him, followed by the urge to return to the small vessel that clung to the Earth ship. Get away, call the Tessans, and urge them to save the humans before the poor souls disappeared into the miasma of the slave world.

  This was a bad rote for Earth, and a bad rote for the Tessans who had worked so hard to help the humans get here.

  Daris looked up and down the corridor. Each side was as bad as the other.

  To his right, the Orthali threw a woman against a wall, pushing himself against her. Two of his appendages wrapped around her arms, and two more curled around her legs and pried them apart as she screamed.

  Daris growled. Without caring if anyone saw, he ran up the hall and barrelled into the Orthali.

  The Orthali hit the floor hard, the human landing with a shout nearby, free of his limbs. Daris watched the red-haired female run. He thought about Adalth and his obsession with finding a red-haired human woman for a moment before dismissing the thought. By the time he looked back at the Orthali, he was on his feet and striking out with one of his appendages.

  Daris ducked, avoiding the long, black… thing? He studied the creature. The Orthali wasn’t as tall as Daris, maybe half-a-fenth shorter. He wore a kilt, but no top and, similar to Daris, he was covered in lean muscle. His skin was a dark grey-teal colour, but the appendages were the same colour as the Orthali’s lips and nipples.

  ‘I’ve always wondered… Are those feelers, or your cocks?’ Daris said before rushing the Orthali.

  The Orthali crouched, bracing himself and struck out again, this time with all six of his writhing tentacle-like appendages at once.

  Daris dodged. ‘Is this a cock-swinging competition?’ he asked. He jumped a
t the Orthali and his feet kicked against his chest, knocking him to the ground. Daris rolled over him and, finding his feet, turned to find the Orthali already on his too.

  ‘What the vrok are you doing?’ The male’s voice sounded like he had gravel in his throat.

  Daris scowled. He only had one answer the Orthali would accept. ‘Tolomus said no touching the stock.’ The words forced bile up his throat, but he swallowed it down. ‘Round them up, bring them to the ship. Those are your orders.’

  ‘He’d never know.’

  ‘You were about to vrok her in the hall. Everyone was about to know. Do you really think it wouldn’t get back to him?’

  The Orthali considered his words and straightened.

  ‘What is the point of this job if I can’t have fun?’

  ‘Money,’ Daris hissed at him. ‘Now do the vrokking job.’

  Every door was open. Daris watched humans get dragged into the halls, some struggling, some already unconscious. He couldn’t bring himself to round anyone up. However, if he tried to help, he knew he would be as good as dead. This was happening right now, and he had no way to get help. His only option was to survive it so he could call in the Tessans.

  The best he could do was go through the ship and try and save as many humans from harm as possible. It wasn’t enough. He knew, no matter where he went, no matter how many he helped, that somewhere on the ship someone was coming to harm.

  Near to where they docked, he found a cargo bay. The doors shut behind him. Daris leaned against the wall and took several steadying breaths.

  A scent hit Daris’s nostrils. It was the most divine thing he had ever smelled. There was a berry scent that he instantly dismissed, focusing instead on the softer, muskier smell beneath the artificial perfume.

  A pain shot through Daris’s groin, and for the first time in his life, his cock was erect. Daris groaned, his hands clutching the air around his painfully swollen crotch. He turned, leaning his head against the wall, and braced himself. He put his hand to his cock and felt a surge of pleasure and relief that left him wanting to stroke himself.