The thought of that damned contract made him wince. He didn’t like the idea that Devora was only with him for his money. Not that she didn’t enjoy his company. He could tell she genuinely liked being with him, and not just because they had great sex.
They’d spent countless hours studying the holo-maps together, discussing politics and swapping stories. She had remarkably little understanding of the war between the Empire and the Federation, but she was eager to learn. In the evenings they would play card games and even read books to each other. One night they got drunk on bakrah and chased each other around the ship like wild children. Seth had never spent time doing such mundane things with a woman, yet he was never bored. Sometimes they didn’t even have sex. His friends wouldn’t believe him if he told them that, he realized with amusement.
“All right, everything is stowed,” Devora yelled from below, then he could hear her climbing the ladder. She sat down beside him, looking eagerly out the window. “So, who are we visiting here? Is it another corporate mine, or something smaller?”
“I don’t really know what we’re going to find here,” he replied after a brief pause.
They were getting closer, and he could see what might have been a habitation bubble on the surface, but it was hard to tell. “This one isn’t actually on the charts, and there’s no official claim filed. I think they might be members of a survivalist group.”
His words sent a shiver through Calla. What kind of survivalist group, she wondered. Were they Pilgrims, like Jenner? If so, this stop might lead her to Jess. But she’d have to watch her step. She had met hundreds of Pilgrims at the hostel–they came for meetings once or twice a year, although she’d never learned what they were meeting about. They were extremely private, and didn’t even allow the slaves in to serve them food.
“What kind of survivalists?” she asked, trying not to sound too interested in his answer.
“Well, I’m not sure,” he said after a second. They were getting closer to the asteroid, and his maneuvering was becoming more complicated as several smaller asteroids brushed by their path. “I think they might be part of a group called the “Pilgrims of the Apocalypse,’ ever heard of them?”
“Um, no,” Calla replied, nervously crossing her fingers. She was so tired of lying to Seth. If only she could be sure he’d understand, she would tell him the truth. If it was just her life at stake, she probably would have. She had Jess to worry about, however.
“I guess it’s kind of a strange group,” he said. “I don’t know too much about them, because we’ve never had them in the Federation before now. That’s partly why I decided to take this trip. I’m curious about them.”
“Oh,” she said, unsure of how to answer. She was surprised he hadn’t realized Jenner was a Pilgrim after staying at the hostel for so long, but after a bit of reflection she realized it wasn’t really that strange. Jenner hadn’t held any meetings while the Saurellians were in residence, and there hadn’t been any other guests. In fact, there was no reason to think he would know Jenner was a Pilgrim. The old bitch certainly hadn’t gone out of her way to advertise the fact to the Saurellians, which was strange in and of itself. Usually if they had a guest who wasn’t a Pilgrim, Jenner would corner them to try and discuss religion.
“So, I take it they aren’t very friendly?” she asked finally.
“That’s their reputation,” he replied. “We know they’re opposed to the government, and the Saurellian government in particular, but we don’t know why. I’m not going to tell them that I was provisional commander of the system until recently, and I want you to stick close to me the whole time. I just don’t feel entirely comfortable about this visit.
Maybe it would be better if you stayed on the ship,” he added, looking over at her with concern.
That wouldn’t work, Calla thought in panic. She had to do something, or she’d never find Jess.
“That’s not fair,” she said in a pouty voice. She didn’t want to overdo it, but she had to convince him to let her leave the ship. If he didn’t want her leaving, she had no doubt that he’d find a way to keep her on board. “I’ve been trapped on this ship every bit as long as you have. I have every right to see some new people, even if they are some kind of strange Pilgrim.” She glanced at him under her eyelashes, trying to see his reaction to this new ploy. He looked somewhat startled.
“I didn’t realize you were feeling trapped,” he said after a brief pause.
“Well I am,” she said, tossing her hair a bit for effect. “I mean, I’m enjoying the trip, but I’ve been looking forward to each stop. I like meeting new people and going new places.”
“I’m just not comfortable with you leaving the ship here,” he said. “It may not be safe.”
“You know,” she said, adding a bit of pique to her tone. “I’ve traveled all over the Empire and managed to take care of myself. We have these ‘Pilgrims’ there, you know.”
“Would those be the travels with your former clients?” he asked tightly.
“Yes,” Calla said breezily. “And I’ve always managed to take care of myself. I want to go down on that asteroid. It’s ridiculous of you to tell me I shouldn’t.”
Seth stared at the asteroid looming ahead of them, a muscle in his jaw twitching.
Calla suddenly realized she might have spread it on a little too thick.
“I mean—“ she started to say, but he cut her off.
“I think you made your meaning clear,” he said tersely. “You’re tired of being trapped with me on this ship, and you’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself.
Quite clear.”
“That’s not what I meant at all,” she said. She could feel the intimacy they’d built between them slipping away. This wasn’t what she’d been trying to do. A panicky feeling came over her.
“Don’t worry, I won’t make you stay here on the ship,” he said, not bothering to look at her. “But I want you to keep close to me out there. Now why don’t you go down to the main room and strap yourself in. Like I said, this could be a bumpy landing, and I don’t want to have to worry about you getting injured.”
“I’d rather stay up here with you,” she replied in a small voice. She’d hurt him, and she didn’t know how to fix it.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he answered. “I need to focus on this landing, and it will be easier if you’re not around.”
“I see,” she said quietly. “Seth, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I know you’re just trying to protect me.”
Seth finally turned to look at her, the asteroid momentarily forgotten. His expression was one of incredulity.
“Hurt me?” he said. “Don’t be ridiculous. I think you’re forgetting what we have here. I’m a Saurellian warrior, and I’ve hired you–a pleasure worker–to give me physical release on this trip. Nothing more. A woman like you could never hurt me.”
The cruel words hit Calla in the pit of her stomach. Abruptly, reality sank in. She was a slave on the run. She’d allowed herself to develop feelings for this man, but slaves couldn’t afford to have feelings. It was a weakness and it had to be covered up before someone took advantage of it.
Pasting a bright smile on her face, Calla replied smoothly, “Oh, don’t worry Seth. I know exactly what we have here.” Then she turned away from him and walked carefully to the ladder. She’d be damned if she’d let him know how much his words had hurt her.