Chapter 14
Nojan couldn’t help kissing her. It was all he could do not to spend every second tasting those plump and beautiful lips. Her taste was like nothing he’d ever experienced, both sublime and addictive. When she began to respond, he knew it would be next to impossible to pull himself away from her.
Then the console began to buzz, and Nojan mentally groaned, deciding instantly to ignore the call. Unfortunately, the sound distracted his lovely companion. “What’s that?” she asked, pulling away from him when the sound repeated several times.
Nojan sighed. “I’m getting a call.” He turned to the console and hit a button, sliding into the seat and watching the screen as his older brother appeared.
“What do you want, Zelup?” he asked.
“That wasn’t exactly the greeting I was expecting,” his brother replied with a sharp laugh. “Too busy to talk?”
“I’d like to be,” Nojan growled, in the moment hating his brother’s grinning face. “What do you want?”
“Father said that you had the oracle in your possession?”
Nojan nodded. Mayra’s admission of her visions had further cemented his belief that she was the oracle they were seeking.
“Good. I’ve been monitoring the galactic chatter. You need to be on the lookout for the interstellar police. Rantel has sicced them on you.”
It was to be expected. Eventually, the Vanfian king would discover he’d been played. Still, this news didn’t worry Nojan excessively. The interstellar cops were numerous, but they were also notoriously stupid. There would likely be a way around them if they were encountered.
“Thanks for the heads-up,” he told his brother.
“That’s not all,” Zelup continued. “I’ve picked up reports of Evar Kange.”
Nojan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Kange? Are you sure?”
“Unfortunately, yes. His ship has been sighted near Vanfia. It seems likely that he’s part of the hunt for the stolen oracle.”
Evar Kange was the galaxy’s most infamous bounty hunter. He’d been hired by the rich and powerful on countless worlds to track down treasures or mete out punishments. If you could afford his price tag, he always got the job done.
“You don’t know for sure Kange is on our trail?” Nolan asked, swallowing past the lump in his throat.
“No, I don’t,” Zelup replied. “But you’re the smart one. You know the odds are that Rantel has paid him to bring her back.”
“Fucking kitty-cat bastard,” Nolan muttered, earning a chuckle from his brother.
“Look, the best thing you can do is get back to Vartik quickly, and without anyone chasing you.”
“That may be so,” Nolan countered, “but it’s not what’s going to happen.”
“What did you just say, little brother?” Zelup’s expression was neutral, but Nojan knew that he hated being contradicted.
“I’m not coming straight back to Vartik. There’s somewhere we have to stop first.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The mission is too important to go planet-hopping, Nojan. Get your behind back home.”
Nojan shook his head. “Sorry, big brother, but this is part of the mission. The oracle’s had herself a little vision, and I think it best to investigate.”
“Where are you headed?” His brother’s face was a mask, nothing more than simple curiosity showing through. But Nojan understood him better. Zelup was a know-it-all who expected obedience. He was a born ruler, bossier than all get out. And when one didn’t follow his lofty orders, his favorite phrase when things didn’t go as planned wasI told you so.
“I’m not telling you where I’m going,” Nojan replied. “I don’t need you coming after me.”
“Dammit, Nojan, I could track your fucking ship if I wanted to.” The fact that Zelup had resorted to swear words indicated just how upset he was.
“No, you can’t, dear brother. I’ve been working on a little adjustment to our shielding system in my spare time, and now seems like the perfect time to try it out, what with that pesky bounty hunter on my trail. If it works, you and anyone else looking for me won’t be able to trace my ship.”
“Goddamn nerd,” Zelup growled. “Tell me where you’re going.”
