[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
He went over to the window and opened it silently before crawling out on to
the roof. Karos was surprisingly backward, and security was poor. Hardly what
he would have suspected from a planet that was home to the Celestial Pilgrim.
The man must not have been quite as "celestial" as the Pilgrims liked to
believe, he thought. It had been ridiculously easy to break in to the hostel
and find Jenner. Escaping was just as easy. Within seconds he had blended into
the darkness of the streets.
His ship was parked at the edge of the primitive landing field; the small town
where Jenner had taken refuge was too insignificant to have a true space port;
he hadn't even had to register a flight path with the
planetary controllers. Checking carefully to make sure no one had followed
him, he palmed the airlock open and stepped in. It took all of two seconds to
reach the door that opened on to the living area.
His eyes flew to her cell in the corner. Bethany was sitting on
her chair, watching him with a shadowed face.
He walked across the small room, pulling out the key to open her cage. She
stood with dignity, watching his movements.
Is it done, then? she asked.
Yes, he said tightly. He didn t want to discuss Jenner with her.
And did it make you feel good to kill her? she asked in a mocking tone. Is
Calla alive again?
Have you stopped being a runaway slave?
Jess glared at her.
Please, he said, running a hand through his dark, curly hair. Please don t.
I just need to hold you tonight. Will you let me?
She stared at him, as if trying to judge his sincerity. The look on his face
must have convinced her, because she dropped her militant stance and came over
to him. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her body against his.
It was like coming home, and Jess felt himself harden in response. She was the
only person who could make him feel anymore.
Let s go to bed, she whispered. We re both tired. We ll think of what to do
Page 117
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
tomorrow. Tonight let s just be together.
All right, he said, dropping a kiss on her head. Then she stepped away from
him and held out her hand. Taking it, he let her lead him into the bedroom.
* * * * *
Bethany lay back in the bed, one arm thrown over her eyes. She was filled with
the sweet, almost liquid lassitude that came after a night of making love.
Jess had been fierce with her last night; almost as if he believed that if he
only touched her in enough ways, it would make the events of the previous
months disappear. She knew better, though. Nothing was going to make his
memories go away. Only time could heal his pain.
He'd been like a lost child when he'd returned to the ship. At first she'd
felt a sense of relief so profound that she'd wanted to cry. She had been so
certain they'd catch him. She'd been told stories of
Karos her entire life. It was supposed to be a glorious planet, millions of
people united in the dreams and idea of the Celestial Pilgrim, all working
together to complete his masterful plan.
Instead, it was a backward, rural place filled with subsistence farmers. There
was only one real space port on the whole planet, located near the central
temple. The thousands of Pilgrim guardsmen she'd expected didn't exist. Jess
hadn't encountered anyone who even seemed to question his presence, let alone
cadres of religious zealots.
Karos was just a pathetic, sad little place filled with pathetic and sad
people.
After their first, frantic love-making session, he'd left her just long enough
to lift the ship into orbit.
Then he was back at her side, sliding into the bed and taking her into his
arms. He'd been slow that time, exploring every spot and crevice on her body,
slowly stroking her with his lips and hands until she'd cried out, begging for
relief. He'd stop, then, right as she was on the peak of ecstasy, only to
start again. Finally he'd taken her, pushing them both to a level of they'd
never felt before. Her throat was still sore from the cries she'd given.
They'd both slipped into sleep, exhausted physically and emotionally.
Now as she lay in bed, she wondered what she would say to him when she got up.
Jenner was dead; the quest was over. This was the time where they were
supposed to take their child and find some place to settle in peace. But
vengeance hadn't given him the peace he'd sought.
Last night he'd screamed in his sleep, alternately calling out for Calla and
swearing imprecations against Jenner. When she'd tried to wake him, he'd [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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He went over to the window and opened it silently before crawling out on to
the roof. Karos was surprisingly backward, and security was poor. Hardly what
he would have suspected from a planet that was home to the Celestial Pilgrim.
The man must not have been quite as "celestial" as the Pilgrims liked to
believe, he thought. It had been ridiculously easy to break in to the hostel
and find Jenner. Escaping was just as easy. Within seconds he had blended into
the darkness of the streets.
His ship was parked at the edge of the primitive landing field; the small town
where Jenner had taken refuge was too insignificant to have a true space port;
he hadn't even had to register a flight path with the
planetary controllers. Checking carefully to make sure no one had followed
him, he palmed the airlock open and stepped in. It took all of two seconds to
reach the door that opened on to the living area.
His eyes flew to her cell in the corner. Bethany was sitting on
her chair, watching him with a shadowed face.
He walked across the small room, pulling out the key to open her cage. She
stood with dignity, watching his movements.
Is it done, then? she asked.
Yes, he said tightly. He didn t want to discuss Jenner with her.
And did it make you feel good to kill her? she asked in a mocking tone. Is
Calla alive again?
Have you stopped being a runaway slave?
Jess glared at her.
Please, he said, running a hand through his dark, curly hair. Please don t.
I just need to hold you tonight. Will you let me?
She stared at him, as if trying to judge his sincerity. The look on his face
must have convinced her, because she dropped her militant stance and came over
to him. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her body against his.
It was like coming home, and Jess felt himself harden in response. She was the
only person who could make him feel anymore.
Let s go to bed, she whispered. We re both tired. We ll think of what to do
Page 117
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
tomorrow. Tonight let s just be together.
All right, he said, dropping a kiss on her head. Then she stepped away from
him and held out her hand. Taking it, he let her lead him into the bedroom.
* * * * *
Bethany lay back in the bed, one arm thrown over her eyes. She was filled with
the sweet, almost liquid lassitude that came after a night of making love.
Jess had been fierce with her last night; almost as if he believed that if he
only touched her in enough ways, it would make the events of the previous
months disappear. She knew better, though. Nothing was going to make his
memories go away. Only time could heal his pain.
He'd been like a lost child when he'd returned to the ship. At first she'd
felt a sense of relief so profound that she'd wanted to cry. She had been so
certain they'd catch him. She'd been told stories of
Karos her entire life. It was supposed to be a glorious planet, millions of
people united in the dreams and idea of the Celestial Pilgrim, all working
together to complete his masterful plan.
Instead, it was a backward, rural place filled with subsistence farmers. There
was only one real space port on the whole planet, located near the central
temple. The thousands of Pilgrim guardsmen she'd expected didn't exist. Jess
hadn't encountered anyone who even seemed to question his presence, let alone
cadres of religious zealots.
Karos was just a pathetic, sad little place filled with pathetic and sad
people.
After their first, frantic love-making session, he'd left her just long enough
to lift the ship into orbit.
Then he was back at her side, sliding into the bed and taking her into his
arms. He'd been slow that time, exploring every spot and crevice on her body,
slowly stroking her with his lips and hands until she'd cried out, begging for
relief. He'd stop, then, right as she was on the peak of ecstasy, only to
start again. Finally he'd taken her, pushing them both to a level of they'd
never felt before. Her throat was still sore from the cries she'd given.
They'd both slipped into sleep, exhausted physically and emotionally.
Now as she lay in bed, she wondered what she would say to him when she got up.
Jenner was dead; the quest was over. This was the time where they were
supposed to take their child and find some place to settle in peace. But
vengeance hadn't given him the peace he'd sought.
Last night he'd screamed in his sleep, alternately calling out for Calla and
swearing imprecations against Jenner. When she'd tried to wake him, he'd [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]