seem very interested in those terminals."
He intended to have it out here. Eirene glanced again toward the transport station. Her uncle and the Leor had split up and were working the lines from both sides. Any millisecond, they might see her. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. Renewed panic swept through her.
She tugged against Jarek's hold. "I'm ready to go back to the ship."
"Somehow I find that hard to believe." His eyes speculative, he looked back at the throngs of people in line. "Someone there you're trying to avoid?"
Adrenaline thrummed through her. She didn't think he would hand her over without a fight, but she didn't believe he could take on both Vaden and a Leor. Besides, she had no intention of telling him she was being pursued. "I’m tired," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Let's go back to the ship."
He studied her, far too discerning. A new fear coursed through her—not of capture, but that this man knew her every thought. Surely that wasn't possible.
"Very interesting," he mused. "You say you're tired, and by all rights, you should still be weak from the flu. Yet here you are, almost three kilometers from the ship. You look like you're holding up pretty well."
She wasn't about to admit she'd tapped into her power to give herself the energy boost she needed to get to the transport station. Fortunately, she hadn't caused herself any injury in the process. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Leor reach a line only ten meters away. "Jarek, please. I'm ready to go back to the ship."
He glanced around once more, then turned her and started toward the landing bays, keeping a firm grip on her arm. "Lucky for me, you're more frightened of something—or someone—than you are of me. Otherwise, I'd be chasing you across the quadrant. And make no mistake. I would follow you, and I would find you."
She was beginning to believe that.
Jarek moved at a good pace, slipping through the crowds and tugging her along behind him. As they reached the outskirts of the marketplace and the crowd thinned, he dropped back beside her. "I noticed some interesting things," he said casually.
Eirene cast a glance over her shoulder. Not seeing Vaden or the Leor behind them, she was finally able to relax a little. She felt fairly safe now. At least from that particular threat. Jarek was another matter, and she didn't want to know his conclusions. She tried to walk ahead of him, but he pulled her back.
"Very interesting," he continued. "Like how I had trouble waking up, although I'm usually a very light sleeper. But Ranie kept making noise and pawing at me, and I eventually came to."
The lanrax roused him? Amazed, she slowed. "Why would Ranie wake you?"
He shrugged. "Maybe she knew something was wrong. Maybe she sensed unfamiliar energies."
So now both Jarek and the lanrax could detect Eirene's use of her powers. Not good. "I wonder what got her stirred up," she murmured, walking faster.
Jarek's grip on her arm forced her to match his pace. "That's not all. Somehow, one of the hatch alarms became disabled. It wasn't turned off at the control panel, which, by the way, requires a security code. No, the strange thing is, the alarm was short circuited, as if an energy surge overloaded it." He stopped and looked at her again. "I guess you didn't notice anything unusual when you left the ship."
She'd botched this big time. She hadn't meant to short circuit the panel, merely to turn off the alarm. The wisps of smoke drifting from the panel had only confirmed her lack of control over her powers. Yet she had no choice but to attempt to use them, at least until she gained her freedom.
"I didn't see anything odd," she said, praying for forgiveness for all the lies she'd uttered since meeting Jarek.
"Eirene." His voice dropped into a deep, gentle tone that sent dread skittering through her. "You and I both know the truth. One day, you'll trust me enough to be honest with me."
He couldn't know for sure, she reminded
He intended to have it out here. Eirene glanced again toward the transport station. Her uncle and the Leor had split up and were working the lines from both sides. Any millisecond, they might see her. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. Renewed panic swept through her.
She tugged against Jarek's hold. "I'm ready to go back to the ship."
"Somehow I find that hard to believe." His eyes speculative, he looked back at the throngs of people in line. "Someone there you're trying to avoid?"
Adrenaline thrummed through her. She didn't think he would hand her over without a fight, but she didn't believe he could take on both Vaden and a Leor. Besides, she had no intention of telling him she was being pursued. "I’m tired," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Let's go back to the ship."
He studied her, far too discerning. A new fear coursed through her—not of capture, but that this man knew her every thought. Surely that wasn't possible.
"Very interesting," he mused. "You say you're tired, and by all rights, you should still be weak from the flu. Yet here you are, almost three kilometers from the ship. You look like you're holding up pretty well."
She wasn't about to admit she'd tapped into her power to give herself the energy boost she needed to get to the transport station. Fortunately, she hadn't caused herself any injury in the process. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Leor reach a line only ten meters away. "Jarek, please. I'm ready to go back to the ship."
He glanced around once more, then turned her and started toward the landing bays, keeping a firm grip on her arm. "Lucky for me, you're more frightened of something—or someone—than you are of me. Otherwise, I'd be chasing you across the quadrant. And make no mistake. I would follow you, and I would find you."
She was beginning to believe that.
Jarek moved at a good pace, slipping through the crowds and tugging her along behind him. As they reached the outskirts of the marketplace and the crowd thinned, he dropped back beside her. "I noticed some interesting things," he said casually.
Eirene cast a glance over her shoulder. Not seeing Vaden or the Leor behind them, she was finally able to relax a little. She felt fairly safe now. At least from that particular threat. Jarek was another matter, and she didn't want to know his conclusions. She tried to walk ahead of him, but he pulled her back.
"Very interesting," he continued. "Like how I had trouble waking up, although I'm usually a very light sleeper. But Ranie kept making noise and pawing at me, and I eventually came to."
The lanrax roused him? Amazed, she slowed. "Why would Ranie wake you?"
He shrugged. "Maybe she knew something was wrong. Maybe she sensed unfamiliar energies."
So now both Jarek and the lanrax could detect Eirene's use of her powers. Not good. "I wonder what got her stirred up," she murmured, walking faster.
Jarek's grip on her arm forced her to match his pace. "That's not all. Somehow, one of the hatch alarms became disabled. It wasn't turned off at the control panel, which, by the way, requires a security code. No, the strange thing is, the alarm was short circuited, as if an energy surge overloaded it." He stopped and looked at her again. "I guess you didn't notice anything unusual when you left the ship."
She'd botched this big time. She hadn't meant to short circuit the panel, merely to turn off the alarm. The wisps of smoke drifting from the panel had only confirmed her lack of control over her powers. Yet she had no choice but to attempt to use them, at least until she gained her freedom.
"I didn't see anything odd," she said, praying for forgiveness for all the lies she'd uttered since meeting Jarek.
"Eirene." His voice dropped into a deep, gentle tone that sent dread skittering through her. "You and I both know the truth. One day, you'll trust me enough to be honest with me."
He couldn't know for sure, she reminded
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