I ran through possibilities. My fellow resistance members would never have betrayed me. Skye, Meg, Zara, and even my sisters would die before giving up names. But our colony was small, and people noticed things. Had nosy neighbors noticed the women coming and going from my bakery? Had we not been as clever as we’d always thought? I'd been so focused on hiding from Imperial soldiers that I'd forgotten that most betrayal came from those watching us more closely than we’d known.
Then a thought hit me so hard I gasped as if I’d been punched in the gut. If the Empire knew about me, what if they knew about the others? Were my sisters in danger? Skye? Zara? Meg?
Panic overwhelmed rational thought. I had to get out so I could warn them. Then I choked on a bitter laugh, the sound slightly hysterical.
I was on a Vandar warbird flying away from my home at speeds I couldn't even comprehend. Even if I escaped the Raas's quarters, I’d be no closer to going home, and no closer to protecting the people I loved. Not since he’d made it very clear there was no deal I could make to change my fate.
I forced myself to breathe slowly, to think through the panic instead of letting it consume me. The colony had Vandar protection now. The Raas had left ships patrolling to keep the Empire away. That was part of the alliance. Which meantthe Imperial soldiers couldn't just waltz in and start arresting people.
I swallowed hard, tasting bile in the back of my throat. Unless the alliance fell apart, or a dozen other things went wrong. No, I had to do something. I couldn’t leave them unprotected.
But how? I closed my eyes and centered myself. I had to convince the Raas to help. I had to convince him to extend his protection not just to the colony in general, but to my sisters and my friends.
Then I dropped my face into my hands. But why would he do that? He'd already gotten what he wanted from the deal. Not to mention that I’d been nothing but a pain in his ass since I’d walked onto his ship. “Good going, Jas. Way to get him on your side.”
Then I remembered the way he'd looked at me, the way he’d touched me. My skin prickled with heat and my heartbeat skittered even as I tried to convince myself I'd imagined it. I pushed aside a wave of disgust at what I was about to consider.
Seduction had never been my strength. That was Kaya's domain. My younger sister loved to flirt and seemed to know instinctively how to smile and laugh and make men feel important. It was Kaya who wielded charm like a weapon while I wielded glares and sharp words.
But maybe I could channel her to make the Raas think I felt something other than fury and fear and the desperate need to escape. The thought of lying about something so intimate churned my gut, but then I thought about Kaya and Brielle and all my friends. I was a rebel, not some thaw-soft victim. I would do anything to protect them. Even seduce a terrifying warlord.
I jerked upright, determination calming me. Then I reached for the wine.
The bottle was heavy, smoked glass that caught the light, and the wine inside was deep red, almost black. I poured myself a glass, my hands steadier now that I had a plan. I was going to need liquid courage for this. A lot of it.
The first sip burned going down, warm and rich and stronger than I'd expected. I took another sip and another.
I thought about Kaya's flirting. The way she'd tilt her head and laugh at men's stupid jokes. The way she'd touch their arms casually, making contact seem accidental. The way she'd look at them like they were the most fascinating creatures in the universe.
I could do that. Maybe. Possibly. If I was drunk enough and desperate enough and could suppress the part of me that would rather kill him than fuck him.
I poured more wine, filling the glass to the rim this time. I could make the Raas want me. I could make him think I wanted him back, even if it meant giving him something I’d sworn not to.
Raising the glass to my lips, I tossed back the wine in three long swallows, feeling the heat spread through my chest and into my limbs. I welcomed the buzzy numbness that helped me forget that seducing a Vandar warlord was dangerous in more ways than I could imagine.
Chapter 14
Wrexxon
Ipounded across the warbird's hangar bay, my boots thundering against metal as the raiding ships’ engines rumbled in preparation for departure. The massive bay doors were already opening, the atmospheric shield shimmering like heat waves as it held back the vacuum of space.
Leaping up the ramp and vaulting into the vessel, I landed in a crouch among my assembled warriors who were already armed with battle axes gleaming in the low lighting. They roared approval at my arrival, axes rising in salute.
Kolt stood near the front and glanced up as I took position beside him, gripping the beam overhead to brace against the launch acceleration. “You are leading this mission yourself, Raas?”
“I tire of diplomacy,” I grunted, not meeting his gaze.
The transport lifted, banking hard as it cleared the warbird and accelerated toward the Imperial convoy. Through the ship’s front glass, I could see the other raiding ships from our fleet flanking us and homing in one other ships in the enemy convoy.
Kolt made a rough sound in the back of his throat. “Then you are in the right place. There will be no diplomacy for the enemy.”
I gave a curt nod. Now that I was away from Jasmine, my head was clearing. The desire that had clouded my judgment was cooling, and the cruel will of a warlord was returning.
What had I been thinking, telling her she'd stay in my quarters? That sharing space with me was punishment enough? Even if she had been taken as my war bride, only I knew how she affected me and weakened me. I'd arrange proper quarters for her once I returned from the raid. Quarters far from mine.
Kolt shifted beside me, his voice low enough that only I could hear over the transport's engines. “You seem to have survived dining with your war bride.”
“She is no threat,” I lied.
