Captives of New Pompeii (6 page)

He looked at Felicia, but her features had
fallen into an expressionless mask. “Do you want me to stay, or
would you like to hear what she has to say?”

“I have already told you two more about
myself than I told my own mother.” She shook her head and finally
smiled. “I am still trying to figure out how that happened.”

“You just needed the right friend, and now
you’ve found her.” Laetif returned her smile then turned on Aiden,
shooing him away with a playful glare.

Felicia watched the easy exchange between
Aiden and Laetif, mesmerized by their banter. He had returned with
a tray full of food, but her appetite had yet to return. She was
not sure if it was her prolonged stay in stasis or if talk of
Perion was upsetting her.

She held her wineglass, still amazed that
her hand did not pass through.
Stop resisting him
. Laetif’s
advice echoed through Felicia’s mind. She knew what Perion had done
to her had been evil and wrong, and she knew she had done nothing
to invite his attentions.

What she had never considered was that her
first and only exposure to sexual intimacy was the reason she
accepted the “purity mandate” without question. She had no desire
to ever repeat a painful and humiliating act, so forgoing
copulation was no real sacrifice.

Laetif had gone on to explain how a woman’s
body created the sensation Aiden had called “orgasm”. She’d used
words like “clit” and “pussy”, but Felicia had been too embarrassed
to ask questions.

“You know, your best bet is to just stop
resisting Aiden.” Laetif had spotted him walking their way and
quickly added, “He knows what happened to you, so he’ll take his
time. He’ll be gentle and show you how it should have been.”

“Still not hungry?” Aiden asked when he
noticed her untouched plate.

“She’s thinking about my suggestions, I
hope.” Laetif grinned. “You are too sweet to be so…alone. Isolation
hovers around you like a cloud.”

Felicia’s heart gave a guilty pang. How did
this woman see her so clearly? She had always felt set apart,
isolated from the world. “And you think what we talked about will
help me feel more connected to those around me?”

“I know it will.” Her eyes flew open wide
and she pivoted in her chair, shifting her long legs out from under
the table so she could cross them. “You never told me about the
vision. What did you see?”

Raising her wineglass to hide her panic, she
scrambled for a plausible lie. How did Aiden concoct fictitious
stories so readily? “I do not think it was a vision. Sometimes I am
able to see other people’s memories.” That much was true, but that
was not what had happened when Laetif grabbed her. The event she
witnessed had not yet taken place.

“You hijacked one of my memories?”

“Not intentionally. It is a spontaneous
reaction when my mind encounters another for the first time.” Again
that was true. It just did not pertain to the situation.

“Tell me what you saw. I want to see how
accurate your gift is.”

She looked at Aiden, fidgeting. “I’d rather
not. You were in an intimate situation.”

Laetif laughed. “Every time you shake
someone’s hand you see them fucking?”

“No. The memories can be of anything. Often
whatever the person is thinking about at the time.”

“Well, let me think. I’d just passed his
brother in the hallway and I was thinking he had an amazing
ass.”

Felicia looked at Aiden and thought of the
man in the vision. There features were very much the same. “Does
your brother have a colorful tattoo across his shoulder and down
one arm?” His gaze registered his shock and he nodded. She turned
back to Laetif with a smile. “You were thinking about more than his
amazing ass. I believe what I ‘hijacked’ was a fantasy, not a
memory.”

“Oh my God, I did not picture us fucking. I
swear! Now granted he is high on my I-wouldn’t-mind-doing list, but
I watched him walk for a few seconds and then I turned the corner
and smacked into you.”

“Your imagination can form a detailed
fantasy in the blink of an eye. You might have passed the image
into my mind before you even understood what you were seeing.”

“I’ve never seen Caleb without his shirt
on,” Laetif defended. “How’d I know about his tattoo?” They were
all quiet for a moment as the possibilities spread out before them.
Felicia watched understanding unfurl in the other woman’s eyes and
reached for her hand.

“It was a fantasy. A harmless
imagining.”

“How often do your predictions come true?”
All playfulness was gone. She drew her hand away and unfolded her
legs.

“The future has yet to be written. You can
always—”

“Cut the bullshit, Felicia. Have you ever
seen something that didn’t happen?”

Unable to speak the lie, Felicia shook her
head.

“Well, this is going to be interesting. He’s
sexy as hell, but I can’t imagine when or why I would actually fall
into bed with him. My husband is jealous and cruel. I haven’t taken
a lover in three years because of what he did to the last man I
slept with. Trust me, it wasn’t pretty.” Laetif stood and carefully
pushed in her chair, a study in elegant aloofness.

“Again, I apologize. I did not mean to upset
you.”

“I’m not upset, just confused.” She
straightened her shoulders and recaptured a bit of her previous
verve. “Let me know how your exploration goes.” With a saucy wink,
she left the mess hall.

“Why didn’t you lie to her?” Aiden lamented,
leaning back in his chair.

“I tried. I am not as good at it as you
are.”

“I’d say there is no way Caleb would touch
her knowing what’s at stake, but Caleb’s not like that. He likes it
best when the stakes are highest.”

She thought again of the man in the vision
and a shiver sped down her spine. “Your brother is a very handsome
man. I can understand why she would…”

His chair slammed down and he pulled her to
him, chair and all. “Stay away from my brother. I love him with all
my heart, but he would gobble you up like candy.”

“Only if I was really hungry.”

Felicia raised her gaze to the man standing
directly behind Aiden and her mouth gaped. The vision had not done
him justice. Aiden’s handsomeness was subtle, shining through when
he smiled and when she gazed deep into his eyes.

Caleb, on the other hand, had the sort of
face that turned heads and inspired sighs. He was half a head
taller than Aiden and more heavily muscled. The clean lines of his
black-and-green uniform showcased the basic shape of his body, but
she had seen his true magnificence in the vision. Two shades darker
than his brothers, Caleb’s green eyes assessed her with masculine
appreciation. He offered her a quick smile then slipped into the
chair beside Aiden.

“What happened to keeping her away from the
crew?” He motioned to the rapidly filling tables.

He had asked the question in Fedoros.
Felicia wasn’t sure how she was able to comprehend their language,
but she wasn’t ready to reveal her ability.

Despite Caleb’s rudeness, Aiden responded in
Latin. “Our conversation with Madame Xyell took longer than we
expected, we’ll—”

“Why the fuck were you having a conversation
with Xyell’s wife?” Caleb ignored the prompt and continued in
Fedoros.

“I ran into her in the corridor,” Felicia
told him. He looked at her again, his gaze intense and commanding.
She quickly lowered her gaze, confused by her immediate reaction.
She wasn’t afraid of him, so why had she cowered?

“I’m not going to bite you.” He finally
switched to Latin. “You’re at the mercy of my idiot brother. I
understand that.”

“It was not his fault.” Her voice was
stronger, but she could not bring herself to meet his gaze.

We’ve got ourselves a submissive. Oh this
could be fun. Do you want to train her or can I?

Felicia gasped and raised her head. “No one
is going to ‘train’ me! I am high priestess of the Temple of Venus.
I am no man’s pet.”

The brothers exchanged confused
expressions.

“Did I say that out loud?” Caleb asked.

“No,” Aiden assured him. “She’s seriously
psychic, so I’m not surprised she overheard you. What doesn’t make
sense is how she
understood
you.” Aiden touched her chin,
guiding her face around until she looked at him. “How long have you
been able to understand us?”

She licked her lips, far more comfortable
looking into his warm gaze than his brother’s tempestuous stare.
“It happened in the corridor, when I collided with Madame Xyell.
She had my arms and you wrapped your arm around me from behind. It
was like a whirlpool swirling around us. The current flowed from
her into you and back into me. I have been able to understand your
language ever since.”

“Now that sounds downright kinky.” Caleb
chuckled then shook his head. “I didn’t mean train in a cruel or
derogatory way. The process is exciting and pleasurable.” He rested
his forearms on the table and leaned toward her. “Why do you keep
looking down when I look at you?”

“You have a very forceful personality.”

“I intimidate you?” His smile was slow and
sexy this time. “I don’t buy it. You might not understand your true
nature, but your body knows.”

“Caleb, back off.” There was definite
warning in Aiden’s tone. She could almost hear them growling at
each other. “Felicia is under my protection.”

She was? She had not really thought about it
in those terms, but Aiden had been undeniably protective. She
looked at Caleb, waiting for his response. He was easily the
stronger of the two. Would he challenge his brother’s claim?

“Relax. I’m not trying to poach.”

“You asked if you could train me,” she
reminded him. She’d spent the majority of her life being trained by
men. Trained and manipulated and abused. Then she’d realized she
was strong enough to resist her tormentors and protect others they
intended to victimize.

Caleb’s smile was completely unrepentant. “I
asked if he intended to train you first. If he has already staked a
claim, I’m hands-off and he knows it.”

“I belong to no man.”

Aiden groaned and shook his head, hand
covering his eyes. “Don’t challenge him. He’ll come on that much
stronger.”

“Not if she’s yours.” Caleb pushed back his
chair and stood. “Take her back to the infirmary. You’re drawing
too much attention here. The crew doesn’t need the distraction, and
I don’t need them deciding they all want to play with the
cargo.”

Felicia cringed at his description of her
people, but Aiden squeezed her knee so she kept quiet. Caleb moved
on to another table where he was greeted with smiles by the
occupants. His crew obviously liked him. She still was not sure
what to make of him. It was easy to understand why Laetif would be
tempted by his physical appearance, but his personality was rather
abrasive.

“Bring your plate along. You still need to
eat.” Aiden grabbed the pitcher of wine and their glasses, and they
returned to the infirmary.

Shika, one of Aiden’s assistants, hurried
across the room as they entered. “Where the hell have you been? Why
didn’t you answer your audiocom?”

“Because it’s on my desk. What’s the
matter?”

“The last group was so damn argumentative. I
was ready to pull my hair out. I finally misted the leader and the
others nearly fell out of their seats. One got on the floor and
bowed before me. It was the most humiliating experience of my
life.”

“You commanded a man into unconsciousness.
How do you think that looked to people who have never taken an
aspirin?”

“I didn’t have any other choice! I’ll do all
the physical exams, but I’m not attempting another orientation. I’m
no good at it.”

He smiled and placed his hands on her
shoulders, rubbing firmly. She closed her eyes and moaned. “Relax.
We’ll work it out.”

Felicia watched his hands, wondering what it
would feel like to have those fingers working her tight muscles.
Shika seemed pleased by the touch. Tension melted from her features
and she slowly exhaled.

“Better?”

“I still hate you, but yes.” Shika nodded
toward her and asked, “Shouldn’t she be in stasis?”

“I’ve asked her to help out. Hopefully with
her assistance the orientations will go smoother and faster.”

“I have not agreed to help you,” Felicia
reminded him.

“I’m well aware of that.”

“Won’t Xyell object?” Speculation narrowed
Shika’s gaze. “What about the crew?”

“I’ll keep her out of sight as much as
possible. But if we’re backed into a corner, we’ll claim she’s a
consultant who shuttled over from one of the other ships.”

“We will, will we?” Shika’s head tilted to
an obstinate angle. “When did I become part of this deception?”

To Felicia’s astonishment, Aiden chuckled.
“You want out of doing the orientations, don’t you?”

“That’s blackmail.” Shika glared, but
Felicia sensed no real animosity. “The crew might buy that line,
but Xyell will know better.”

“I already took care of Xyell. According to
the roster, Felicia’s tube malfunctioned and she didn’t
survive.”

His easy explanation left Felicia cold.
Could his lie be undone? How could she return to her life if she
was supposed to be dead?

“Is anyone in the process right now?” he
asked his assistant.

“No, but we should call for the next batch
in about ten minutes.”

“So take a break. I’ll see you back here in
ten.”

Shika nodded and left the infirmary.

Aiden led her through the main area of the
clinic and into a room tucked away in back. “You can eat in my
office.” He motioned toward an odd-looking table. It was low and
small with storage compartments attached to the underside. “It’s
called a desk.”